Up for discussion: restaurant FB post about rude customers

[jennistarr1]

This was posted (with a picture of a couple)

The customers in this photo visit the sunshine grille about 3 times a month. They speak nasty to my waitstaff and never tip. They have caused a few of the younger, less experienced girls to cry and want to give up. They complain about anything and everything. Last time it was that they did not get enough cherries in their Manhattan. They blamed the waitress, called her a terrible server and told her she did not deserve a tip. Today, we made sure they got 3 cherries. This was not good enough they complained that the drink was not strong enough and that they get a better price at (different establishment). Their server was Brice who many of you know has been with us on and off for over 10 years. They told her she was the worst server they ever had in their life, and left her 72 cents on a $60 check. I want to out these people. I want them to stop harassing my staff. If anybody has their phone number, I want to personally call them and let them know they are no longer welcomed at the Grille

My thoughts:
On one hand bravo for taking a stand for your employees however the public shaming is pretty damning to me and I'm thinking of not supporting this restaurant

[lavenderblue]

I'm not a fan of the public shaming. I think that the next time they come in you refuse service and just leave it at that. If they are really terrible people, I'm sure most of the people in their lives already know it.

[mccallister84]

I am very rarely, if ever, a fan of the public shaming. Just tell them they are no longer welcome in the restaurant.

[starburst604]

I don't know. I've never been a server but I've heard lots of stories from people who have about people like this who just make a server's life miserable just because. I guess the owner could have just told them the next time they came in that they have to leave and are no longer allowed there. Maybe they're just trying to get a jump on the bad review that the couple will probably write once they get ousted. 

[ssmjlm]

I'm wondering if they have spoken to the couple in person and asked them to stop or find another place?

Otherwise, bravo to them for standing up for bad customers. I'm so over people thinking they deserve things.

[maudefindlay]

Yeah, why hasn't management just confronted them in person? Like have waitstaff alert management the next time they come in. The world we live in now though everyone should be aware they can be on camera at any time in public and that some people will call out your crappy behavior. I agree though it makes me cringe and I would think negatively of the restaurant when there are better ways to address this.

[mofongo]

They sounds like huge assholes, but this could have been done in person, whenever they come back.

But then again, huge assholes if that's all accurate.

[deadwing]

Posting a picture of the rude customers is crossing a line, IMO. It's like they're trying to avoid having to tell these people face to face that they're banned from the restaurant. It sounds like banning them is the right move, but this isn't the way to go about it.

[cjcouple]

Definitely crossed a line. Take care of it in person

[jinkies]

I have zero tolerance for grown ass adults who air their drama on social media.

I also have zero tolerance for people who don't tip well.

Verdict: everyone in this scenario sucks. /gavel.

[shauni27]

we have a local restaurant that the owner used to do shit like this. Any bad review and he would go on and argue about it. He would post about customers and staff alike complaining about them. It's a shame because the food is pretty good, but we refuse to go on principle now.

[wildrice]

I generally do avoid restaurants that do things like replying to reviews with some super defensive or unhinged response, and this probably falls under that category. So, unless this is a place I already know and love, I'd probably just pick somewhere else to eat if I saw this online. To me it's not about shaming these people specifically (who sound like assholes) but that I don't really want to go to a place where the manager/owner is clearly immature and reactive. Also there are about a billion decent places to eat around here, so you have to narrow them down somehow lol.

All that said, I also applaud them for standing up for their staff. That often doesn't happen, especially in the restaurant business, and it should. Long ago when I worked at Applebees we had a similar couple come in several times in a row, and my BFF at the time actually followed them out of the restaurant when they walked out without leaving a tip and asked them why they didn't. She ended up getting fired for it! I mean she probably shouldn't have done that, but it left a bad taste in everyone's mouth that the manager sided with the customer on that one. When you're getting paid so little per hour to wait on people, they better not be treating folks like that and then ripping them off by not tipping.

[mommyatty]

It’s tacky. If they’re there 3x per month, that’s almost every week. So they’ve done this HOW MANY times? And you’ve not just said after their drinks were delivered and they were pissed, “Good evening. It really appears you aren’t enjoying your experience here, nor do you ever. So I am asking you to leave and not return. Please find another place that you find more pleasant.” Instead you let them treat waitstaff like crap yet again and then get huffy online? Grow a spine, owner.

My guess is these people show up again and the management lets them in. This is being showy to keep waitstaff from quitting without actually doing anything.

[archiethedragon]

He should stop posting passive aggressive bullshit on social media and talk to the customers that are obviously regulars.

[tamarindy]

My H is a restaurant owner. He would never post anyone’s photo, but simply tell them when he encountered them that they aren’t welcome back. I can’t get too worked up about the public call out though, people who abuse service staff are the worst.

[fernweh]

I agree that he handled it poorly. He should have told them next time they come that they are no longer welcome and leave it that. It doesn’t need to be made public.

[meanie]

Next time they come in I would turn them away and tell them they are no longer welcome. Instruct the staff to do the same. 

I have seen other small businesses do this on a public platform and there is always some backlash. 

[kadams767]

I am torn on this. I don't agree with the public shaming and airing of the drama. Assuming that what was posted about the rudeness and mean behavior to staff, I do agree with just refusing service when they come in next, explaining why, and telling them they are not welcome to dine/drink there anymore. I don't understand how management hasn't said something to them already, frankly, if they come in 3 times/month.

For me, where I am more torn, is I would leave the tip issue out of this entirely. Do I think it's shitty not to tip properly? Of course. But it isn't compulsory. I don't think the restaurant itself should be complaining that patrons aren't tipping properly - because I fall into the camp that restaurants should be paying their workers fairly. I don't think they have a good argument there to hang their hat on. I was a server when I was younger, and I get it, but reality was that there would always be good tippers and bad tippers, and some who didn't tip at all. The harassment is the issue here.

[stemmie]

I'm torn. Something should have been said in the moment rather than so publicly.

DH and I used to go to a local Italian place that was frequented by a nasty older couple who bitched at servers and families of young kids just being kids. We saw them at another local bar/restaurant once in a while, too. They were assholes there, too.

The manager of the Italian restaurant spoke to them at their table one night advising them to behave or leave. When we told the bartender at the other places, he said he'd banned them on the 3 nights of the week he was in charge.

[lust2hart]

I agree with PPs. I think the couple should be held accountable for their actions, but this was not the way to go about it.

The last line of the OP has me rolling my eyes - "Does anyone have their number? Cuz I want to call them and tell them they're banned." Or, you know, you could have just told them that the last time they were in your restaurant.

[rachers]

Kudos for standing up for your employees but I don't like the online shaming. Speak up in the moment and address it directly.

I was a waitress/bartender for years so I definitely experienced my share of assholes but luckily management always addressed it head on.

[glw]

Being passive aggressive and shaming is not a good look. The manager should just tell them they're not welcome if they come back.

[Roc A Bee]

What else is Facebook good for, if not for wild shit like this.

[dexteroni]

Yeah, I’m all for banning abusive customers, but this wasn’t a good approach. This just makes the manager / owner look immature and like they’re afraid to handle it face to face. It should have been handled in person on the couple’s last visit to the restaurant. Or honestly, several visits ago. It sounds like they’ve been allowed to abuse the staff for months without anyone doing anything about it.

Then if the owner wanted to post about it, they could have done it after the fact. “This is a reminder to treat our staff members politely. I just had to ban a couple from our restaurant for repeated abuse of our servers. I won’t tolerate that behavior toward our hard working staff.” etc.

[sent]

Agreeing with everyone on why wasn't the couple wasn't dismissed in person. Even if they left a bad google review, the restaurant can go in and write their side of the story. This is something we can not do as healthcare practice owners when patients blast us with one star reviews that are full of lies. At the same time, I am so over the culture of living our lives according to reviews.

But -

In this day and age, I may not want confrontation either with entitled people like this because guns.

[livinitup]

I guess that couple FOUND OUT.

[flygirl]

I’m not a fan of public shaming and think they should have just had the server tell them to leave. However, people who are rude to wait staff belong in a special category of assholes. My guess is they do the same thing at other restaurants and maybe other establishments will follow suit because it’s not the restaurant, it’s these assholes so I give them a pass for the shaming. Stop being aholes when you go out to eat people!!!

[gummybear]

Very unprofessional, immature and inappropriate.
BUT I'd bet $100 that this same couple are the ones leaving whining, entitled bad reviews on NextDoor and they don't put their shopping carts back in the corral so I am HERE for the level of pettiness.

[Eagles]

Good for them. People are trash. Justice for Brice.

[amandakisser]

Meh. I think if we called out people publicly like this more often, it might change their behavior. Maybe I'm a bitch, but sometimes a public shaming is warranted for continued bad behavior. Now, I do think the restaurant should have approached them first to tell them their behavior is unacceptable. Depending on their reaction, that's when I'd decide whether to publicly out them or not.

And on a different note, other restaurants and establishments can now keep an eye out for them and potentially stop bad behavior before it starts. I highly doubt this is the only place where they continuously torture the waitstaff.