Well, it happened again, folks. A server used a less than ideal description to identify customers. Waiter Dwayne Williams at an Austin IHOP typed in the words “BLACK PPL” on a receipt to keep track of his checks. The customers, Rolman Sparkman and Ariana Brown, who are black, took offense to the receipt and called out the server, who is also black, for being racist. Dwayne went to his Facebook page to explain his side of the story:
“In my rush to put in to-go orders and tend to my tables, I forgot to get a name for the (couples’) order. I apologize if I offended anyone because that wasn’t my intention. As a proud black prince myself, my sisters and brothers, I have no doubt that we will continue discussions about this and learn how to deal with our feelings of hurt in a more positive way that doesn’t take away from someone else.”
Too little, too late for Dwayne because he was fired while “outraged” Rolman and Ariana get their fifteen minutes of fame. I’m not so sure I see this as a huge problem. Stupid, maybe. The two customers are calling it racism when it seems to me that it was an honest attempt at a description. After all, they are black, aren’t they? Yes, we all know that the server should devise a better system to keep track of his customers, like, I dunno, table numbers or something, but when all else fails, describe what a customer is wearing or some other adjective that won’t be considered racist. For instance, Dwayne could have easily typed in “TACKY ASS CHICAGO BULLS HOODIE” or “CHICK WITH SKANKY T-SHIRT FROM TARGET” Or maybe he should have typed in “AFRICAN AMERICANS” but he probably didn’t have time to type in all those letters because we know he was in the weeds. I seriously doubt that the black server thought he was being racist by referring to the black customers as black. Again, hot the wisest thing to do, but far from the worst thing he could have done.
In this day and age, it seems like too many people are on the lookout for something that will offend them enough to justify calling the news and going viral. Couldn’t they have just gone to Dwayne and said something like, “Hey, maybe next time you might want to be more careful about how you describe people on the receipt because your next customers might not be as laid back as we are.” But instead, they called the news and got a guy fired. “That’s kind of messed up that you have to put your own people down,” Sparkman said about the receipt, but I can say the same thing about him for making a big deal about something that caused someone to lose his job.
The couple has announced that they will never go back to IHOP again, but they might change their tune on Tuesday March 8 when it’s National Pancake Day and their breakfast will be free. They’ll be like, “We stop going to IHOP on March 9th.” After all, everyone goes to IHOP on National Pancake Day, right?
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Tom Jefferson
I must confess something; I honestly never looked at my receipt — beyond the price and tip — until these news stories started popping up (in America and elsewhere).
Granted, I think that “black customers” is not offensive — maybe, socially awkward as if it was written by someone who was slightly autistic –. I have seen cases were really mean stuff was written on customer’s receipt. However, again, I almost never looked at my own receipts, except to check one or two bits of information.
Even today, when I get my receipt I check to make sure that the bill is accurate and that I tip the right amount. As someone who does quite a bit of overseas travel, I must say that how much you are suppose to tip is not universal. Outside the United States (and Canada), how much a customer is expected to tip (in some cases tipping is seen as impolite) is one of those things I advise people to know about before hand.
Victoria
Were they having a slow news day or something?
Joey B
I got anxiety attackk and been barfing and losing my food and weight because I got yelled at by this older lady and her husband last Sunday .They came wearing matching white turtlenecks and black vests .I got their orders & put them right away but I wasn’t informed that our comp had an malfunction.When I asked about an order for 32 I was called stupid loser moron by both sides ,accused of ” screwing thins up ” told I was worthless and to ” read the menu”…..Then I found out our comp wasn’t putting the orders in …But it was to late -they were still mad at me -my boss ,the kitchen & the customers …I had to deal with angry glares & none apologized to me .Im not the one who fucked up but im the one who paid for it & cant say anythig bcause i would cost me my job…Goddamn …
Christine W Chandler
You sound the way trash smells.
dead_elvis
But you’re actual human garbage.
Joey B
They are assholes .My heart is with that Brother .Folks need to relax and leave the working ppl alone.Dwayne I pray for u (even tho I’m not even religious).I kno one thing –assholes come in Every Race and Every Colour !!I hope they stepped in a dog shit on their fukken way from getting fat at IHOP.Poor guy…My heart goes out to him & I hope someone gives him I better empl than that stinking IHOP .I will never eat there again . fuckin asshole shot place.How dare they!!!!!!!!
Maggie
So a customer can be rude. Yell and scream at servers. Make us cry sometimes and be out right aholes and we can’t desribe them as black???!!! Sensitive much?
Christine W Chandler
No I don’t think we should use the n word, and I’ll tell ya why. Because niggas have gotten used to it. That’s why. Hell, they like it now. It’s like when you growin’ crops and you strip the soil of its nutrients and goodness and then you can’t grow nothin’. You gotta rotate your racist slurs. Now I know it’s hard ’cause ‘nigga’ just rolls off the tongue the way sweat rolls off a nigga’s forehead. But we can not let that be a crutch. Especially when there are so many fine substitutes: spade, porch monkey, jiggaboo. I say the next time you gonna call a darkie a nigga you call that coon a jungle bunny instead.”
Mary
Are you trying to be “funnier “than bitchy waiter ?If so you failed.I can see why he took down Facebook post.
dead_elvis
Do us all a favor & kill yourself. At the very least, don’t squeeze out any crotchfruit. Your useless genetic line should have ended with your parents’ generation.
Anonymous
What the fuck is wrong with you?
Melanie
I worked in a restaurant as a “carryout specialist” for many years, when we converted to Aloha! We were required to enter names, If I had a person who came in, on a busy Saturday night, and didn’t get their name, I simply put “to-go” in the name area, when I entered the rest of their ticket. If you helped carryout and there was no name, you simply said ” I have a carryout order ready, (a few would stand), name off some of the items ordered, and figure out who it belongs to. Sadly, the way ours was set up, there was really no way around this. One of the girls I worked with would just put a number. His description is wrong. Host/Togo 101 teaches you to NEVER describe the guest based on race use clothing or something like a compliment. It got hard during the winter, I mean how many times can I put “black leather coat” as a description. We had people constantly coming up and reading over our shoulder when we took names, or entered things into the comp. It is just the way people are.
Mary
He said he was in the weeds..this was not the smartest solution,but certainly nothing to be fired over.I must say,I don’t understand the pure Joy people feel in getting someone fired.
Marie
totally with you. this is exagerated. This couple called the media to get attention and play victim. Its not cool at all.
helen
i worked at ihop .. i almost wonder if this is a scam .. we had table numbers .. it was a micro’s system .. we never typed a name in ever and ihops aren’t franchised .. so it can’t be that .. js…
helen
i see the to go thing now .. guess i missed that ..i just don’t get how he could be that dumb.. i would be offended ..
Casshole
I just don’t get why people would be offended, it’s a description. I use descriptions all the time while working – “blonde lady”, “purple shirt”, “glasses”. If I were in a restaurant full of another race and I was the only white person, it would make complete sense to me for the server to put “white girl” on it, because that’s what I am. I am so sick of everyone getting their feelings hurt and being offended by the most mundane things.
Jeannie
Why oh Why do restaurants now want names for orders. Just put my damn table # on it. if it has my name on it and my server went potty is some other server going to start yelling my name out in the middle of the restaurant.. even Wendy’s and other fast food places are asking for names… just give me a ticket #
T
Ummmmm, because it was a to-go order… They weren’t at a table…
Garry
It was for takeout. There is no table number. Yes we would say your name in the takeout area.
Kayla
I work for ihop, everytime you put in a to go order a keyboard pops up so you can type their name and phone number in which will print on the ticket. Also Ihops are franchised.
Alan
Hmmm….I wonder if this same couple would be outraged if Dwayne typed the “n” word. Some black people still refer to each other that way .
But anything to get on the news, I suppose…