A restaurant server on TikTok recently went viral for their tirade against a customer who gave them an attitude just because the kitchen ran out of a specific dish that they wanted.
Social distancing and stay-at-home government mandates in response to the COVID-19 pandemic had a disastrous effect on many small businesses, and some of the most adversely affected were restaurants. After throngs of eateries closed their doors or shifted towards a pick-up-only model, there were many servers who were left out of work and forced to rely on entirely new means of obtaining income or federal financial assistance plans and extended unemployment benefits to try and make ends meet.
Even though these mandates have been lifted and there have been great national strides in turning “the new normal” back to “normal normal,” the food service industry is still recovering. Many businesses are still understaffed, and there are throngs of people who have stated that they will never return to working in the restaurant business again.
While the pandemic certainly played a part in many people’s decisions to search for other employment opportunities outside of the food service industry, there are other long-standing reasons that have nothing to do with COVID-19 which have influenced folks to stay away from the business—namely the customers.
In @nospaceforlies’ viral rant, the exhaustion of customer demands that leads many to leave the industry is evident.
“My manager says I need to work on my anger:),” they added in the caption.
@nospaceforlies My manager says I need to work on my anger :) #serverproblems ♬ original sound – nospaceforlies
The TikToker appears to be recording their video from the restaurant’s bathroom. They set their phone up and begin their tirade into the camera.
“I’mma go off. I need someone to explain something to me,” @nospaceforlies starts. “What do you think that I’m going to do if we run out of a dish and this is what you came here for. What do you want me to do? Would you like for me to take it out of my asshole? Would you like for me to cook my shit into the entree that you’re looking for?”
The server explains that the customer had made a snide comment about the one dish they had come to the restaurant for being sold out. @nospaceforlies adds that the customer came in three hours before the restaurant closes.
“I apologize that the one pasta we fucking offer is sold out. Three hours before we close,” they say. “I do apologize. But to give me attitude and to be like, ‘well this is what I came here for.’ Do you think that because you came here for this…I’m gonna go in the back, there’s a spare one for the douchebag at 141 that needs a lobster and shrimp ravioli?”
Commenters commiserated with @nospaceforlies’ TIkTok video, stating that they, too, have experienced customers who expect employees to have everything in stock.
“Even at a retail store when we run out of what they wanted lol and they just stand there like lmao I used to be like aww sorry now I just,” one user claimed.
“When I worked retail and people complained about the prices like I was the one that personally set them Or we sold out of there size,” another shared.
“Every time that happens i just stare blankly at them and sometimes manage to say sorry and nothing else bc fr how am i supposed to respond to that,” a third wrote.
Others couldn’t wrap their heads around the fact that customers somehow expect them to magically manifest the product that they wanted.
“Close the restaurant. They be like ‘why are you guys even open’ or ‘I’m not coming back’ ok fine,” one viewer stated.
“YOU should have KNOWN ahead of time that I was coming for THAT SPECIFIC PASTA and put some to the side…duhh lmfao,” a second joked.
“And they be so mad about it like spooky you could come another day,” a third added. “Not my fault you didn’t show up earlier lol.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @nospaceforlies via Instagram DM for further comment.