The night shift at Waffle House changed how I look at drunk customers

I work the 11pm to 7am shift at a Waffle House off I-95 near Richmond. Six months ago, I used to try and reason with drunk people who came in after the bars closed. I'd explain we were out of grits or that they couldn't smoke inside, and they'd just get louder and more aggressive. Then one night a regular named Mike told me to just nod and smile, give them what they want if it's possible, and never argue. I tried it the next weekend when a couple stumbled in after 2am demanding hashbrowns with chili. I just said yes ma'am, yes sir, kept my head down, and they were out in 20 minutes without a fuss. Now I don't try to correct them or enforce rules unless someone's about to fight. Has anyone else found that just going along with the nonsense keeps your shift way calmer?

3 comments

3 Comments

samwalker28d ago

Yeah, dianas50, you said Mike 'sounds like a lifesaver' but I gotta ask - at what point does nodding along go from keeping the peace to just letting people walk all over you? Because I tried that approach at my old job and ended up with a guy who thought he could order a full steak dinner at 4am with no menu and no waitstaff. I mean, sure, keeping quiet works for the normal drunk folks, but what about the ones who start demanding things you literally CAN'T do, like changing the whole menu or letting them behind the counter? I feel like there HAS to be a line somewhere between 'yes sir' and just letting chaos happen. How do you figure out where that line is before it's too late?

eva90828d ago

Nodding along definitely has its limits, but knowing the difference comes with experience. You gotta stick with the small stuff like menu swaps or complaints, but never let anyone past the counter or put you in danger. That line is usually obvious once you've seen enough drunk people, just trust your gut and protect yourself first.

dianas5028d ago

Honestly Mike sounds like a lifesaver. I used to work at a 24 hour diner in Philly and learned the same thing after a guy flipped a whole table of salt and pepper shakers because I told him we were out of bacon. Once I just started saying "sure thing" to basically everything except threats, my shifts got way easier too.