As servers, we are responsible for a lot of different things. It isn’t just bringing out a freakin’ hamburger and wiping down tables that we have to worry about, we also have to be concerned about over-serving a customer who can’t keep track of their own alcohol intake. After all, if we over-serve a customer who then gets behind the wheel of a car and proceeds to mow down an innocent pedestrian, it’s not only the drunk driver who can go to jail, the server can too.
That’s why this Yelp review from Carrie L. really gets my blood boiling. On June 1, Carrie went to Gastro Grub & Pub in Waukee, Iowa to stuff her gullet with fish tacos, shrimp and grits, and/or pork belly tostones and in the process she had a drink or two. The host, being a fucking responsible restaurant employee, told Carrie that she had reached her limit with the libations and asked if she needed an Uber to get home. Of course Carrie got all pissed off that someone who wasn’t her mother cared about her safety and well being and Carrie did what any non-drunk person would do and went home and immediately gave the restaurant a one star Yelp review.
Read Carrie L.‘s review of Gastro Grub & Pub on Yelp
“Never in my life have I been told someone is done serving me and asked how I was getting home. I could understand if a customer was being drunk and belligerent, but I definitely was not,” says Carrie.
So now Carrie says she will never go back and she would suggest her friends don’t either. Flash forward seven weeks and Carrie goes back to her Yelp account and posts basically the same review again, this time adding “hopefully you learn from this and don’t ever ask another person these questions again.”
You know what Carrie? Hopefully, the restaurant does ask those questions again, because it’s their obligation to make sure their customers are being served in a responsible manner. If you can’t see that they were doing what they thought was best for you, maybe you had had too much to drink. I dunno, since I wasn’t there, but this is what I do know from my experience:
Telling a customer they are cut off is not an easy decision and we only do it when we feel it’s absolutely necessary. None of us want to go there because it’s awkward, uncomfortable and it pretty much guarantees that we will get no tip or a bad review. If the restaurant staff was willing to take that step into the land of awkward customer experiences, they probably had good reason to do so.
Carrie should be grateful that she went to a restaurant that truly cares about the people who dine there. If the staff misjudged the situation, that’s not a reason to be angry. It’s an opportunity to say thank you to Gastro Grub & Pub for being observant and willing to ask uncomfortable questions in order to make sure a customer can get home safely.
Grow up, Carrie. If you were drunk, it’s fine. If you were sober, it’s fine. It just seems like you got called out and you couldn’t handle it so the only choice you had was to try to shame them on social media with a bad review. Well guess what: I can do the same thing. Cheers, girl.
Issa
I was actually happy when our server asked how we were getting home, and warned my husband that his preferred drink had a “one only” limit, including not having other alcoholic beverages. (Scooby snack, comes in a small bucket.) When we told him we were walking he looked relieved. There’s a reason we love him and give him generous tips (and bring him chocolate).
Nancy
I had to tell a customer to leave just the other night because of drinking – she came in with her friend and a bunch of teenage kids, who decided they were going to sneak alcohol into the restaurant! So I took it away from them, and told the kids to leave, and the woman next level lost her shit. She told me that since it was only me who saw it, I should just look the other way, because they were just kids on vacation (none of whom had ID, were clearly already drunk, and were all under age). Then she told me and the whole busy restaurant that she was going to write the worlds worst review for the restaurant (still waiting for that little gem), and that I was the irresponsible one because I didn’t care about my customers. Throughout this charming little tantrum I noticed that she was slurring her words so I offered to get her a ride, and her friend told me to go fuck myself. She said the kids were STARVING (sniff) and that if I didn’t get them something to eat, I would be killing them. (…aww, muffins) So I offered her some takeout, and some water, and to call a cab or ride or whatever, and was told I was the worst server ever, and to reassess my career options. In the end, she took the takeout, but then to be as big of bitch as possible ate it on the closed patio (in the dark) and left a mess all over the place. No tip – except to tell me I had a thing or two to learn about customer service. It was very hard not to laugh in her face.
Tanya
It’s not just the server responsible, but the restaurant and owner / Corp. that is responsible for the alcohol consumed. If she left, got into her car and hurt someone else, they not only could sue her but the restaurant and people who served her.
April Tolliver
She posted the same review almost 2 months apart. Maybe she’s always drunk?
Roger
I was thinking maybe she forgot about the first time, went there again, got cut off again, and posted a similar review. Or maybe you’re right…. she is drunk every time she goes out and this place has the good sense to cut her off.
Notadrunk
Stupid irresponsible idiot. I hope when she has her (inevitable) drunken driving accident she runs herownself into a tree and thus doesn’t take out anyone else. Kudos to that smart responsible server.
Sarah
Pretty harsh, friend! Yes, she is an idiot, but have you ever lost someone due to a drunk driving accident? Whether it be the driver, passenger, innocent bystander or another vehicle’s driver or passengers. Drinking and driving is wrong, correct! But to wish an accident upon another human being is very inhumane.