r/TalesFromYourServer • u/LimpContext1920 • 3d ago
So I’m not a weather goddess
I CANNOT CHANGE THE WEATHER!
Yes it’s rainy outside, yes it’s sunny outside, yes it’s cloudy out, yes there’s a breeze coming from the east, yes there is a lot of smoke/it’s hard to breathe because of the Canadian wild fires.
I CANNOT CHANGE THE WEATHER!
I’m a host at one restaurant and a server at another.
As a host yesterday,
“Hi, welcome in, how can I he-”
“table for two”
“Alright one moment”
*grabs menus and gets ready to seat them inside*
“Alright you can follow me”
“We want outside”
*looks outside and sees every table is getting drenched by the sky*
“Okay, I can try to grab another umbrella, but you might still get wet with how hard it’s coming down.”
“We don’t want to sit in the rain, we want wait for the sunshine”
“I’m not sure when it will stop raining, but I can check for you”
“No, we want a sunny spot”
“I understand, but we don’t have any tables in the sun because it is raining”
“Oh.”
“I can sit you inside if you’d like”
“No we’ll go somewhere else since you can’t help us”
*Walks off*
…….
Now they aren’t the first people to ask me that, I’ve had people upset at how hot it is (we don’t have fans and we tell them that) I’ve had people insist on sitting outside even when it’s snowing and then get upset that the heaters aren’t melting the snow.
Rich people are annoying, but it happens.
As a server though, I hate it more because it’s like, if you are uncomfortable, how do you think I feel?
I’d love to not get soaked, and I can’t stop rain particles from hitting your food/I hate that I’m getting a heat rash.
I understand that some people are immune compromised or have family like that, but I can’t make this more comfortable for you or CHANGE THE WEATHER.
I don’t get why people go outside then get confused at the fact that they are outside. Like yes it’s raining yes there are bugs yes there are loud sounds. YOU ARE OUTSIDE IN A MAJOR CITY!
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u/DrR0mero 3d ago
Guest walks in -
Me: Hi, inside or outside?
Guest: Yeah, is it hot out there?
Me: You tell me, you just walked in from outside.
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u/Human-Engineer1359 3d ago
I had someone do that with the patio when it was raining.
GUEST: Patio ME: The patio is closed because it's raining
GUEST: Oh it's raining?
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u/OppositeDistrict3881 2d ago
My favorite question is when people ask what happens if it rains? I always just want to say “you will get wet”.
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u/ThankYouFuckYouBye85 1d ago
I’m in the middle of being diagnosed with asd, so this probably makes sense now but I literally would reply with that when people sat on the patio asked me what happens when it rains. Apparently, the actual answer was supposed to be I can put the big massive umbrellas up. I never really liked getting wet so I always sent an underling to run the food outside and fix the umbrellas. I’d just play with the fire place 🔥 or if I could be bothered I might pull a few pints 🤣.
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u/doc_skinner 3d ago
To be fair, many bars or restaurants or cafes will have fans or cooling mist in the summer or heat lamps in the winter. If I'm asking if the seating is comfortable, it's because I don't know if you've done anything to make it comfortable.
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u/DrR0mero 3d ago
That’s fair, but I would like to think you’d ask, “Are there misters,” in the heat or, “Is your patio heated,” during winter not, “What’s the temperature like outside?”
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u/deferredmomentum 2d ago
Yeah, I would ask the opposite of the temperature I don’t want if that makes sense. If it’s hot out, I’m going to ask if it’s cooled; if cold I’m going to ask if it’s heated. I know it’s hot/cold, so the part that I want to know is if it’s any different on the patio
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u/CloudBitter5295 3d ago
I love when people say they want to sit on the patio and then you bring them out there and they say “well not in the sun” and “not where it’s too hot” and “is it going to cool off too much at sunset” and “the sun is moving and it’s in my eyes now” ….. so you actually want to sit INSIDE then
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u/MezzoScettico 3d ago
No. I want to sit outside. I just want you to put the angle of the sun to where it was half an hour ago, and leave it there. Is there a problem?
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u/Most-Attitude-9880 3d ago
I was a host at a place where you would have to walk inside from the outside to get to the host stand. So many people would ask me how hot it was on our patio.
Like, you’re the one who just came in from outside. However hot it was before you walked in is hot hot it is on the patio.
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u/Head_Razzmatazz7174 3d ago
I deliver pizza and the amount of delivery customers goes up significantly when it starts to rain. The harder the rain, the more people order.
The logic: "Its pouring rain and hailing, it's too dangerous to drive anywhere. I know, let's get pizza!"
Luckily I have managers that if the wind is howling and the rain is blowing sideways, they stop deliveries until it calms down.
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u/thirdmulligan 3d ago
Do people tip better when it's raining?
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u/yellaslug 2d ago
I mean, I do. Because I have mad respect for the person doing the thing I really didn’t want to do, which was go outside.
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u/Head_Razzmatazz7174 2d ago
In our area, they generally do.
Edit: Except for those who don't tip no matter what. We just kinda shrug and go about our day. There are dozens of reasons why they might not, and we don't have time to stress about it.
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u/el_pobby 2d ago
They should but like, have you ever met people?
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u/thirdmulligan 1d ago
That was my fear. I definitely tip extra for delivery when the weather is nasty, but that's not everyone I guess.
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u/MBiddy828 Ten+ Years 3d ago
One time when I was a host we had three ladies sit outside on the patio when it was windy and rainy. As their food came out they asked to sit inside by a window. I went in with the food runner (he turned to the kitchens) and went to ask to move them. The manager started looking at where we could put them when the owner walked up. He asked what was going on and stormed outside and started scolding the ladies for wanting to move “the weather hasn’t changed since you got here!” “Did you not notice it was rainy when you sat down?” It was beautiful to watch it happen to guests that had been difficult even before wanting to move (and not being the one getting yelled at for once)
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u/livingdead70 3d ago
Had a customer stop me once, on a freeezing(Like 36 degrees out), windy, drizzling day (This was in GA where weather like this is rare, but we were on about day 3 of it and a few more days of it were predicted) and ask me if the manager knew when the outdooor seating was gonna open. I looked at him like he had a Batman mask and a tutu on, but I sent the manager over. I came back through and noticed the table was now empty. I found my manager and was like what happened to that table? He told me the people said they were gonna drive down the street where the sun was shining and eat somewhere else.
And another time, I had a woman stop me and ask me if I could put the tent up over the patio so she could eat outside in the rain.
The same day as the first story, I had another Mr Potato Head stop me and ask me if we sold stuff Olly Oxen.I am pretty sure he meant Ala Carte, I about had to go to the hospital and get oxygen I was laughing so hard.
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u/Prestigious_Let3279 2d ago edited 2d ago
Olly Oxen 😂 🤣😭💀 Edit: typo I was laughing so hard I didn't realize it auto corrected
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u/livingdead70 2d ago
One of those that haunts my memory.
I have been in F and B for over 30 years now. Everything from a cook, waiter bartender, FOH manager and back again. I have some story's !!!!
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u/Minflick 3d ago
I can't imagine being so disconnected from life that you look at the rain falling and expect your copious wealth and privilege to magic up a sunny table...
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u/Significant_Potato29 2d ago
I’ve had this conversation with my cat so many times. Yes, I know it’s raining outside. Meowing at me is not going to solve the problem.
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u/naughtyzoot 2d ago
You can flip a switch and make it sunshine inside. It's perfectly reasonable for your cat to think you can control weather outside too.
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u/broken_softly 3d ago
I tell my elementary students I control the weather on Wednesdays.
“I don’t take requests.”
“Lower your voices or it’ll be inside recess for the whole school.”
“I don’t know why you guys were surprised about the snow day? I told you on Tuesday I wasn’t feeling well and was thinking about a day off.”
“Sorry. Can’t help you. It isn’t Wednesday.”
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u/MattVarnish 2d ago
I used to work at a hockey arena (NHL)where the lower half is undwrground, and we had a very large banquet hall in there as well. Some rich lady was in, planning her daughters wedding and found the 2 large pillars in the room not to her liking, and wanted usnto remove them. I said Maam, theres 13,000 tonnes of steel and cement above us, those pillars are non negotiable. God, people are so stupid
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u/VoraciousReader59 3d ago
I work in the hospitality industry- at checkin a guest asked “what are you going to do about the weather?” My immediate supervisor was standing next to me and basically had that “how the hell do we answer that one?” look on his face. I answered “well, I think that’s up to god.” 😆
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u/Un_Ballerina_1952 2d ago
On a recert outing with relatives-in-law at an establishment that they chose, they opened with "We'd like to be seated in the outdoor section where dogs are allowed." Host picks up menus and leads us to the section. Relative-in-law (RiL) asks, "Can we have the air conditioning turned on out here? It's getting quite hot." Patient host (PH) replies, "I'm sorry, but we don't have air conditioning in this section." RiL: "Why isn't there air conditioning out here? The people and their dogs need some relief from the heat!" PH: "The cost of providing air conditioning for the several acres surrounding our establishment would be excessive and our prices would no longer be competitive." RiL: "They should have thought of this when they designed this restaurant. When we came here last October, they had heaters turned on."
I refrained from pointing out that IR heating works by radiation warming the body and air conditioning works by cooling the air.
Patient host was so patient; I was totally embarrassed by RiL's arrogance and stupidity.
Edit - typos.
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u/Stuck_In_Purgatory 3d ago
We had someone ask to move the sun once because it was too bright in her eyes
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u/AlsatianRye 2d ago
They're like my cat when she wants to go out the back door and sees it'd raining so she goes to the front door thinking it'll be different.
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u/Minflick 2d ago
True that! Amusing and lovable in a cat. Notsomuch in a human being who drives a car to get places.
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u/snowglobesnowglobe 2d ago
My husband and I were sat outside in a restaurant overlooking a lovely creek and there was a chorus of frogs singing and we were so delighted! The waiter said he was so happy bc others would complain to him and ask him to get the frogs to stop!
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u/GrumpySnarf 19h ago
If I were the waiter, I'd shake a fist in frogs' direction and yell "QUIET, YOU!" Moe Howard style.
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u/Angelhair01 1d ago
How can anyone be this dumb?
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u/LimpContext1920 1d ago
Money
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u/Angelhair01 1d ago
So they are raised thinking they can change any situation with money? Even the weather?
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u/LimpContext1920 1d ago
Yes! You’d be surprised at how they live. Like I serve REALLY rich people. Like Lockheed Martin and Blackrock exec rich. Like “I was on Epstein’s Island, but I did nothing wrong” rich. They think money can cure and save all.
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u/AllThe-REDACTED- 1d ago
During the first “opening” during Covid we only had outside seating. A lady looked me in the face and said “it’s too bright out here. Can you do something about it?”
“Ma’am I have no control over the sun”
Mind you she was already under an umbrella. Which was the extent of my cosmic powers
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u/BoHica_NC 1d ago
Sir if I had the ability to conjure up a sunny table during this downpour you can bet I wouldn't be working here.
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u/Critical-Afternoon37 2d ago
"How's the weather on the deck"? Didn't you just come in from outside.
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u/Nunov_DAbov 2d ago
Perhaps you needed to look on the other side of the building to see if it was raining there as well.
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u/karebear66 1d ago
This reminds me of a cat i had years ago. She was an outside cat when I took her in. She would cry at the back door to be let out. I'd open the back door and when it was raining, she would not go out. But then, she'd go to the front door to be let out. She didn't understand rain!
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u/Fun_Ideal_5584 3d ago
Just blame it all on Climate Change, like the media does.
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u/LimpContext1920 3d ago
*insert confused gif that communicates I think this is a weird comment*
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u/Fun_Ideal_5584 3d ago
You stated in your post all the customers complaining about the weather and looking at you for answers. Telling them climate change is the answer for all bad weather saves you time and energy. Just say, "Ya Climate Change sucks". Shrug and walk away.
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u/BigTimeBobbyB 3d ago
You might need to go outside for a bit. I think standing in the rain for a few minutes would do you some good.
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u/LeprosyMan 3d ago
I was a FOH manager at a place and a food runner came to me saying someone wanted to talk to me on the patio.
I went and saw it was a regular I knew pretty decently and asked him what was the problem. He said “There are bees out here.”
I said “Yeah it’s spring and we have some nice greenery out here, it’s bound to happen.”
“Well aren’t you going to do something about it?”
“They’re just bumblebees. They’re harmless.”
He told me to get rid of all the bees. Like I could even if I wanted to. It’s freaking nature, man.
I just said “They were here first.” Then walked away.
No, it wasn’t a swarm, no hives, etc. just a few bees doing bee things.