I thought back to my days in college when I, like most college students, worked at a restaurant as a food server. Sure there were times that the order was ready to expedite and it was wrong. I would tell the cook there was a problem and he/she would fix it. If I missed something, took the plate out and it was wrong, my customer would let me know, I would take responsibility, apologize and then quickly fix the situation. After all, even though I didn't cook the meal, it was my job to be sure it was right before it was delivered. If I made an error it was not only my fault, but my responsibility to fix it. Pretty basic if you ask me. Be accountable, don't point fingers, just fix it.
My husband however loves to tell me that most people aren't like me. He was convinced that if you made a food server upset, he or she would act out in some way. "Back then" it was someone spitting in the burger or dropping it on the floor before packaging it.
Well as with most things in our lives, we seem to intensify our actions for more dramatic results. Some folks used to sneak a beer for a quick "buzz" when their parents weren't looking and they were 17/18 years old. Nowadays kids are sneaking meth for the same reason and they are 10/11 years old.
So instead of spitting on a burger like in the good old days, we have graduated to stabbing people in the drive thru for complaining about their orders. Yep, you read that right. Apparently a Del Taco employee, at the drive-thru window in Southern California stabbed a customer after a dispute over his order. Stabbed him!
So here's the story. A little before 2 a.m., a 28 year old man ordered something in the drive thru. The order wasn't right and the customer complained to the employee that had given him the order. The confrontation escalated and BAM! The employee stabbed the customer in the abdomen with a knife. Really?? Are you kidding me?? Stabbed in the stomach because he complained about his order?
I cannot even begin to fathom how a complaint over an order can turn into a physical attack. Luckily the man was transported to the hospital and is expected to recover but what is going on? I look around our community and I am stunned by the number of times I watch people point fingers at others and blame them for their bad choices. I look at those people who would rather act as if they are "victims" than take responsibility for anything. I don't want to go off on some tangent but if nothing else is taken from this story, I hope it at least makes you think. How hard is it to admit when you are wrong? How long does it really take to fix something that you may have broken and what do you really think will come out of blaming someone else for your actions? So this employee may have ended up with some egg on his face for making a mistake but now he has blood on his hands for how he chose to react.
Come on, grow up people. Be adult enough to celebrate your accomplishments and be accountable for your mistakes. Learn from them and make amends. And to all of you working in food service, or anywhere else for that matter, when someone is strong enough to let you know there is a problem, be strong enough to fix it and please, please don't stab them.
