There’s no shortage of servers who are quick to rant about restaurant customers who take up too much time at a table, thus hindering their ability to make as much money out of their section on a given shift. In a recent video, a server critiques a particular type of customer: book readers who frequent restaurants.
TikTok creator Syd (@poorandhungry) lampooned such a customer in a clip that’s accrued over 1.2 million likes.
Syd’s video feels like a sort of “inside-the-mind-of” moment. It’s a skit where a server acts out what they would say to a customer without worrying about how they will be received.
@poorandhungry A universal experience #server #serverstories #nightmare #customerservice ♬ original sound – $yd
Syd begins her skit, playing both the server and customer sitting with their book in the re-enactment.
Server: “Hi thanks for coming into the full-service restaurant what can I get for you today?”
Customer: “Hi I’ll just do a hot water with lemon.”
Server: “Yeah sure, um here you go. Here is your hot water with lemon. What can I get you from the paid menu?”
Customer: “Oh no thanks this is all I’ll be having today with my book.” (Syd, as the customer, then pantomimes sipping water).
Basically, here’s the message Syd was trying to get across: if you’re a paying customer and you feel like there’s a server breathing down your neck to get you to leave so they can secure themselves more gratuities that’s not exactly the best feeling in the world.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Syd via email for further comment.
Numerous TikTokers who saw her post seemed to agree with Syd’s take on the situation.
”Like babes, go to a cafe, a library, a park, literally anything else,” one person said.
Libraries could definitely benefit from more traffic as they are steadily dying in the United States. They have free-to-use bathrooms, usually have Wi-Fi, air conditioning and are quiet environments perfect for reading and working.
Another commenter wrote that they had a similar interaction to Syd’s with a customer: “Had a man say it’s like you’re only interested in money and I said well it’s a business so that is actually the point,” they said.
Another commenter quipped that Syd should’ve messed with the customer: “Should have told her the water with lemon was 20 bucks,” they joked.