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I used to work as a cleaner in a hospital and EVERYDAY I got asked "Are you Polish?" by at least one patient/visitor. At first I would tell them (cheerily) that no, I'm not (I'm Scottish).

After years of being asked the same question repeatedly (and also "Are you a student? What are you studying?"), often with an undertone of xenophobia, I started blatantly lying to reduce the utter tedium.
I would insist on being Polish (despite my perfect English and Glaswegian accent) or correct them and pretend I was Russian, German etc. I also had fun making up fictitious subjects to study at uni.

For the record, I'm a Zoology student, and I've heard "Are you going to get a job in a zoo?" more times than I can remember. *sigh* :rolleyes:
Just wondering: As far as I'm aware, once I've denied someone alcohol/cigarettes I can't go back on my decision and even a supervisor cannot override my decision right? Well that's what happened today (supervisor made me sell them). I made a note of it in the age related book so the dept. manager is going to see it in the morning, just wondering what's going to happen to him?

anyways, without fail every weekend this same 18 year old comes in trying to buy alcohol. He has ID, however his friends do not.

Today I thought it was finally going to be the day where he would successfully buy alcohol from our store (or from me at least). No friends in sight when I was serving and THEN ....his friend pops along and 2 bottles of coca cola and his friend then asks him if he will buy them for him.

For once I wasn't on the end of his abuse "OMG YOU IDIOT, NOW HE CAN'T SELL MY THIS BEER" After 2 minutes of his friend trying to pretend he wasn't with him, I actually apologised to the guy and he actually said it wasn't my fault.

Maybe next time.
Original post by IGX_RSV2
Just wondering: As far as I'm aware, once I've denied someone alcohol/cigarettes I can't go back on my decision and even a supervisor cannot override my decision right? Well that's what happened today (supervisor made me sell them). I made a note of it in the age related book so the dept. manager is going to see it in the morning, just wondering what's going to happen to him?

anyways, without fail every weekend this same 18 year old comes in trying to buy alcohol. He has ID, however his friends do not.

Today I thought it was finally going to be the day where he would successfully buy alcohol from our store (or from me at least). No friends in sight when I was serving and THEN ....his friend pops along and 2 bottles of coca cola and his friend then asks him if he will buy them for him.

For once I wasn't on the end of his abuse "OMG YOU IDIOT, NOW HE CAN'T SELL MY THIS BEER" After 2 minutes of his friend trying to pretend he wasn't with him, I actually apologised to the guy and he actually said it wasn't my fault.

Maybe next time.


*looks at your gender....reads post* Which are you then male or female? :tongue:

As for can your supervisor overrule you? I'd have thought so but to be honest have no idea.
Original post by SirMasterKey
*looks at your gender....reads post* Which are you then male or female? :tongue:

As for can your supervisor overrule you? I'd have thought so but to be honest have no idea.


I am male.

Why is it female? :confused:

EDIT: Fixed
Original post by SirMasterKey
*looks at your gender....reads post* Which are you then male or female? :tongue:

As for can your supervisor overrule you? I'd have thought so but to be honest have no idea.


Not sure. I was told by a manager that once a decision has been made, it's not reversible, even by a manager.
Reply 4805
Original post by Neajeal
What restaurant, in any part of the world, "sparkles" their own water? It was hard enough to keep a straight face, let alone break the news to him!

In fairness I know two places (a place that hosts events and my college) where the bottled water is filtered/sparkled (awesome word :awesome:) on site; to be honest I'd prefer drinking that to water shipped halfway across the world. But I guess in a restaurant I'd probably expect to get branded bottled water.
Original post by IGX_RSV2
I am male.

Why is it female? :confused:

EDIT: Fixed


Haha fair enough.

Not sure. I was told by a manager that once a decision has been made, it's not reversible, even by a manager.


Well, I thought it was just a case of the manager/supervisor would generally back your opinion but I guess you'll find out when you're next at work!
Reply 4807
Original post by rach2012
One thing thats always baffled me, if anyone can explain please do. Why do people think that fast food businesses are run differently from every other business in the world? As in they can just turn up and ask for something to be replaced from a couple of weeks ago which was either bad quality or missing, never bothered to complain at the time, have no proof whatsoever they were even near the store, but just expect you to hand over a bag of free food based on their word. And dare you question them the reply is always the same "I'm not going to lie about that am I?" How do I know??!!
Imagine going into New Look "excuse me, I bought a pair of jeans a couple of weeks ago. Got no receipt but they were ripped so badly I had to bin them there and then, should've seen the state of them. Just give me a new pair and I'll be on my way!" :/


Go on any Facebook page for a fast food place and laugh at some of the comments people leave.
"I found a hair in my food and only got offered a refund and my meal replaced! COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!"

This is also a pretty good example of peoples' mentality these days.
Have the time to take a photo, put it up on facebook to send an email about it. Didn't think to ask someone to clean it or complain to the actual store though. Then complains he didn't even get offered a free meal :facepalm2:
Original post by IGX_RSV2


I also get the "Well, how old are you then?" because everyone tells me I look like i'm 16 :teehee: even though I'm 20.


I get that all the time, I'm 23 I'll get my ID if you want.

The worst is when people have ID, moan at you for about 5 minutes then pull out their ID- why not just get it out in the first place.
Original post by rach2012
I once had an older lady call the police on me...for stealing her teeth :/ She'd taken her teeth out to eat her meal, placed them in a napkin then forgot them and then when she left the napkin must have got binned. She actually handed me the phone, conversation went along the lines "hello this is the police here, have you really robbed her teeth?...no I haven't officer" :smile:
As it turns out she did get them back when we searched the bins lol


your such a horrible member of staff!!! Binning some poor old lady's teeth :tongue: I dread to think what you'd do with us customers who have a full set of teeth :redface: *thinks sledgehammer*
Reply 4810
Original post by Narcissist
Not so much annoying but tedious, I work in a small Italian restaurant that's pretty cheap.

At least once a night, I will ask a customer if they want to test the wine to see if it has corked before pouring, they accept and I will be treated to a 'hillarious' routine where the wine tastes horrible. I will pretend to laugh but a part of my soul will die.


Pizza shop - "Do you do liver?".. nono never heard that one before!
Referring to me being at a checkout: 'Are you closed?' No love, that barrier in your way is just that as a challenge. Had as many as 7 customers either ask me or just walk around it in the last few days.
Conversely 'Are you open?' No, I'm sat here doing nothing looking at you cause I was bored at home...
Why do customers feel that because they pay with cash they are entitled to some kind of special discount? I'm not talking local family business either, I'm talking big worldwide chain electronics store.

Would you haggle with the checkout girl in ASDA because you are paying cash? No? **** OFF THEN!

Ironically, cash is the payment method that costs the company the most since they have to pay for it to be collected, taken to banks etc.
Reply 4813
Original post by IGX_RSV2
Not sure. I was told by a manager that once a decision has been made, it's not reversible, even by a manager.


My understanding is that a manager, or any other member of staff for that matter of fact, can serve someone you refuse, as it's then on their back, and not yours. (Be sure it's logged under their till code or whatever though. :P) Although that's shocking management - I would always back up another member of staff in that situation, regardless of what I thought. In my opinion, once someone's been challenged and has no ID to produce, that's it, regardless of how old they actually look!

Been back to my old waiters job for a couple of shifts, and had upsettingly dull customers. :frown:
Reply 4814
Original post by Stevo112
your such a horrible member of staff!!! Binning some poor old lady's teeth :tongue: I dread to think what you'd do with us customers who have a full set of teeth :redface: *thinks sledgehammer*


I'd hope that you wouldn't forget your teeth :smile: Anyway they were left on the table, I thought they were my tip lmao
Scumbag customers:

- Orders a panini that takes like 4 minutes to heat up and wants me to cook it extra fast because he's in a rush. Buy a bloody sandwich if you're in a rush then -__-

- People with babies and toddlers who leave an absolute mess of crumbs, spillages, wipes, half eaten stuff and whatnot behind. Pigs.

- Order an espresso for someone else and then come back with the espresso in hand saying "I'm sorry he meant cappuccino, can you make me a cappuccino and do I have to pay for it?" No, I'll just re sell your cold espresso to someone else so it doesn't go to waste. Moron.

- People who blatantly jump over the sign "These toilets are now closed" and go have a piss in my newly cleaned sparkling toilets!!!

- Customers who take their bloody sandals off and sit around barefoot ew it should be illegal. Even put their sockless hooves on the sofas. Argh. What is it with English people on sunny days, they go mental.

- Customers who order items one by one only and they tell you the next item in the order only once you have prepared the first one. Just bloody tell ALL you want you cretin!!
Original post by Panzer Division
Scumbag customers:

- Orders a panini that takes like 4 minutes to heat up and wants me to cook it extra fast because he's in a rush. Buy a bloody sandwich if you're in a rush then -__-

- People with babies and toddlers who leave an absolute mess of crumbs, spillages, wipes, half eaten stuff and whatnot behind. Pigs.

- Order an espresso for someone else and then come back with the espresso in hand saying "I'm sorry he meant cappuccino, can you make me a cappuccino and do I have to pay for it?" No, I'll just re sell your cold espresso to someone else so it doesn't go to waste. Moron.

- People who blatantly jump over the sign "These toilets are now closed" and go have a piss in my newly cleaned sparkling toilets!!!

- Customers who take their bloody sandals off and sit around barefoot ew it should be illegal. Even put their sockless hooves on the sofas. Argh. What is it with English people on sunny days, they go mental.

- Customers who order items one by one only and they tell you the next item in the order only once you have prepared the first one. Just bloody tell ALL you want you cretin!!


Hate it when people do that, luckily my problem is usually solved quickly as people only order the same few drinks anyway and I'm behind a bar so my problem is the drinks going warm!
Original post by rach2012


I'd hope that you wouldn't forget your teeth :smile: Anyway they were left on the table, I thought they were my tip lmao


old people do tip some weird **** I gotta admit :p:
Ahh, anticipating lots of drunk customers tonight, lots of refusals...and i'm set to be short-staffed too. fabulous. I'm sure i'll have some lovely tales for you when I get home! Easter weekend makes people go crazy!
I had a customer come up to me and ask if we had a certain top in beige, so I had a quick look round and couldn't find it in beige, but found it in brown. I went back to her with the brown top and said very clearly "sorry we don't have it in beige ma'am, however we have it in brown if you're interested." She went mental, she started yelling about how I should know the difference between brown and beige because I work in a clothes shop (baring in mind I'd said that we don't have it in beige, but we have it in brown!) and telling me how useless I am and just making a scene! She then left, and came back about 5 minutes later with a brown top and a beige top, and goes this is brown (holding up the brown top) and this is beige (holding up the beige top) Aaah dear....

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