cheryl
Administrator
Staff member
The Customer Is Not Always Right - Food and WIne
Customer entitlement at restaurants is at an all-time high, making work unsafe and unbearable for many in the industry. The way we think about hospitality needs to change.
Chef Angie Mar was in no rush to re-open indoor dining at her upscale New York City steakhouse, the Beatrice Inn.
“I didn’t feel super comfortable with it yet,” says Mar, explaining that she had yet to purchase the necessary air filtration system and figure out protocols to ensure the safety of her staff and guests. It was an early fall day and the weather was still pleasant, so she stuck to the 12 tables she could comfortably seat outside. A woman showed up for dinner with her boyfriend in tow, demanding a table indoors. When Mar explained the situation to the customer, offering her a table on the sidewalk instead, she was met with extreme vexation.
“I can’t sit outside! I am wearing Gucci,” huffed the woman.
It’s a revealing interaction, one of thousands, that displays just how deep customer entitlement runs in the hospitality industry—and restaurant workers are at a breaking point.
Customer entitlement at restaurants is at an all-time high, making work unsafe and unbearable for many in the industry. The way we think about hospitality needs to change.
Chef Angie Mar was in no rush to re-open indoor dining at her upscale New York City steakhouse, the Beatrice Inn.
“I didn’t feel super comfortable with it yet,” says Mar, explaining that she had yet to purchase the necessary air filtration system and figure out protocols to ensure the safety of her staff and guests. It was an early fall day and the weather was still pleasant, so she stuck to the 12 tables she could comfortably seat outside. A woman showed up for dinner with her boyfriend in tow, demanding a table indoors. When Mar explained the situation to the customer, offering her a table on the sidewalk instead, she was met with extreme vexation.
“I can’t sit outside! I am wearing Gucci,” huffed the woman.
It’s a revealing interaction, one of thousands, that displays just how deep customer entitlement runs in the hospitality industry—and restaurant workers are at a breaking point.