I Just Don't Know.

Have I got a story for you. Crazy customers... hate them, but gotta love them. So this week I had a doozy of a customer situation. If you know me, then you know how detail oriented I am, and know that when I tell a story, I don't leave out any details. It's the only way to fully grasp the situation, especially this one. So sit back and enjoy. It's a long story. You'll laugh, if you're a server then you'll wanna cry, and you'll probably begin to feel the frustration bearing down on you.

I was sweeping my section by the front door when a couple walked in. I acknowledged them and the lady asked, "I've never been here before, do we just sit anywhere?" I replied with a smile and said, "Yeah have a seat wherever you want." So they went back outside and sat on our patio, in my section. So I went out, greeted them again, and took their drink order. She asked what kind of drinks we had, so I explained. Pibb Xtra for the man, and water for her.

I shortly returned and asked if they were ready to order. And then it began. I kid you not I was literally standing out there in the chilly weather for at least 5 or 10 minutes. The man never said a word to me, I'm not sure if he even spoke english, but the lady simply did not understand our menu, or how things worked. We have a very simple menu. One laminated piece of paper with two sides to look over. So when I asked for their order she said with a very puzzled look on her face, "I just don't... I don't understand. How does this work? What can I order?" Now we get confused customers every so often, so I went over the routine of explaining that we do sell by the slice and you can either create your own, or choose from our specialty pizzas. I pointed out everything on the menu and explained the prices.

Still confused. She kept asking the man, "What do you want?" And he would just shrug his shoulders. "Do you want to get a pizza or a calzone, what do you want?" The man pointed at the calzone. She continued to ask him if the ricotta cheese was okay. "You remember that creamy cheese we had in that lasagna last week? It's the same thing, do you want that, is that okay?" Again the man just shrugged his shoulders and nodded a little. She asked again. I asked if they wanted me to give them a minute and come back. She replied, "No, cause I don't know what he wants!" Ok lady, really? I'm trying to help you, but you're not helping me help you.

I told her about our stromboli's which were the same as calzone except in shape and it contains no ricotta. So she settled for that. I asked about toppings to go inside, and again she was confused.

Lady: "What can I get?"

Me: "Any of our toppings" As I pointed them out on the menu. "It's 50 cents per topping."

Lady: "Well I just don't know. I don't know what he wants. I mean, what do people normally get in them?"

Me: "Well it's different for everyone. It just depends on what you like. You can get anything you like."

Lady: "Ok, how about canadian bacon and mushrooms."

Me: "Ok, what else can I get for you?"

The lady continued to act confused and questioned everything there was to question on the menu. With one big breath she said, "Ok actually let's just change that to a large pizza. With the canadian bacon and mushrooms. Scratch the stromboli. Oh wait, if I get [this pizza] (pointing to one of our specialties), can I take stuff off and add other things?"

Me: "Yes you can, what would you like?" By this time I was starting to get pretty frustrated, but I didn't let it show. It was their first time here, so I wanted to make sure it was enjoyable.

She started naming off toppings she didn't want, and one's she wanted to add, kept changing her mind.

Lady: "We'll I just don't know. How are your meatballs, are they like sliced or big hunks plopped on there?"

Me: "They are sliced. They are not whole meatballs. It's basically the same thing as ground beef."

Lady: "Ok, well I just don't know. You know how it's different at every place? Well I just don't know how y'all do it here."

Me: I thought to myself, "I've been trying to explain it to you for the past 5 minutes!!!"

Lady: "Cause you know, some places have like big hunks of meat just plopped on in random spots, and other places it's all spread out evenly, I just don't know how y'all do it."

Me: "Well everything is made to order here, and it's all evenly spread out on the whole pie." I didn't know how else to explain it to her.

She still didn't know what to order and asked the man, "What is it that we normally get at Gondolier's?" (a really bad quality pizza chain) Again, he shrugged his shoulders.

She finally settled on a large with pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage, canadian bacon, and extra cheese. Light sauce. They also ordered a caesar salad and 6 hot wings, which I explained to them that our wings ran hot and asked if it was okay. So I repeated the order, said thank you and went inside. Finally! I went into the kitchen, my heart racing, mind frazzled, and told another server about what just happened. A couple of cooks listened too and laughed. As I was telling them, literally less than a minute from when I came back inside, another server came to me and said that my table outside wanted to see me again. Oh my gosh. I went back out and asked if they needed something. "What did I order?" she asked. I repeated it once again, as she followed along with what she had written down a a brochure she had with her. She added black olives to the pizza and asked about the price.

I went back inside, put the order in, turned to the cook and said, "Whatever you do, do not mess up their pizza."

The salad and wings came out, I checked on them a couple minutes later. Everything was fine. About five or ten minutes later a server came to me saying my table wanted to see me. They didn't like the wings, they were too hot. Pointing at the man and said, "He's even hispanic and he can't eat them." I wanted to say I told you so, but I apologized, took the wings away, and got a manager to take them off the bill.

Pizza came up, and it was wrong. My heart sank. The cook added onions. I went to the lady, showed her the ticket to prove that it was the cook, and not me, who made the mistake, asked if onions we're okay, or if not gave her the options of ordering individual slices(which would be quicker) or to wait for the pie again. She wanted to wait.

The second pie, came out quickly, correctly, and looked delicious. I checked on the couple three times and asked if they wanted refills or anything else, which they did not. Went back to check on them a fourth time, with the check in hand. I asked if they were still doing okay, and she said, "No. We didn't like it at all. It just wasn't good. There was absolutely no flavor to it."

OH MY GOSH. That pie looked fantastic. They had already eaten half of it, why didn't they say something after the first few bites??!! I was freaking out. I apologized and asked if she wanted to speak to a manager.... Manager came back and discounted half the price of the pizza, $10 off of their meal, plus the wings had already been taken off. I dropped off the ticket and apologized again. They came inside to pay, the lady asked, "So they took half off of $20 and I still have to pay $20??" The new total was $16.57, so no, she wasn't 'still paying $20,' and she still had to pay for the drink and salad. She handed me a $20 bill. I proceeded to close out the check on the computer, she asked what the change was... apparently the math for $20- $16.57 was too hard for her. Fortunately I got to keep the $3.43 as tip and they left. I wanted to cry. It stressed me out so much.

Now I know that was a very long, detailed story, but I hope it was insightful. Don't be a crazy customer. Open your eyes and read the menu.

Mmm Pizza...

Well this post isn't exactly a story about my crazy adventures at work, rather it's more about me and my love for pizza. You'd think after eating all the free pizza I want(while clocked in) I would get sick of it. Where there are times that I do, and I pass up a nice slice of pepperoni and pineapple, a majority of the time I'm craving it. In and out of work. I mean our pizza is the best pizza you can find around these parts, so who can blame me? Well unfortunately this love hate relationship with pizza has given me... well lets just say "curves." And I am not happy about that. So this week started my stance on becoming a healthier me. Yikes! This is going to be extremely difficult seeing how I have zero self control when it comes to anything sweet, salty, buttered, and fried. But it's something I've got to do. I've always had a really fast metabolism and have been blessed in that area, but I know that wont last forever. Therefore I am on a journey to become a more positive, joy-filled, and healthier person. I am going to start running again (I ran cross country for seven years in middle and high school...college not so much), and I'm going to cut back on sugar, fried foods, and white bread. This isn't a diet, just trying to make healthy choices until I am satisfied with how things are going and have gained some self control. So goodbye my sweet sweet Dr. Pepper and pepperoni pizza, hello hydration and fruits and veggies. Wish me luck!

Oh and of course last night I had a dream about breaking my rules and enjoying myself a slice of pizza and a Coke. I think this is going to be harder than I thought. Oh pizza I will miss you so.

Here's to a happy heart and healthy body, with a refreshed attitude and positive mindset :)

here's one for the books

Ok, I've got a good one for ya. And this is such a great way to get this blog going.

Earlier this week, I went into work with a smile on my face, a new tshirt that I absolutely love, and refreshed attitude from having four days off to go be in a wedding in the beautiful North Georgia mountains. I'm serving up some oven fresh pizza, and lots of wings, on this relatively calm night, when I go to clear off my table I pick up the credit card receipts and find a little note written on the back of one of them. I kid you not, it read, "Don't charge for kids drinks, you'll make much more in tips!" It was accompanied with a $5 tip on a $50 tab. I was shaking I was so upset. I think this was the most outrageous thing I've come across my four years there. So these three "kids" drinks were actually in our 16oz. to-go cups(the same cups we give any adult for a to-go drink) because they were all old enough for a bigger cup. We give free refills by the way. They were empty when I picked them up. The parents had a beer and a glass of wine, I checked on them numerous times. Offered to get them anything they needed, and they never wanted anything. Just a box and the check. I am still mesmerized by this. Where in this country can you walk in and ask for a 16oz. drink and expect it to be free? I say next time, order water for you overly hyper, screaming kids or leave them at home if you don't want to spend that much money. I work hard for my money, and I know my service was not the issue here. So please, don't tell me to steal from my boss in order to receive a better tip. I have more integrity than that.

How Are Y'all Doing Today?

Hi! I'm Sarah and I have spent the past four years of my college life working at a small town, family owned, pizza place. This eclectic, loud, and busy pizza joint has been both a blessing and burden on my life...and feet...not shoulders. The blessing started on July 1st, 2006, in the heart of the busy summer. I had no idea how this job would impact my life, but boy has it. Not only have I been blessed and fortunate enough to pay my way through college on tips alone, but I have met and befriended some of the most unique, and lovable people anyone could ask for. This place(the name will remain unsaid for security purposes) has been the basis for a lot of stress, laughter, frustration, joy, rage, personal strength, heartache, and love. Even though "it's just pizza," you wouldn't believe the craziness this staff endures. I decided to start this blog as a way to share some of those crazy stories and vent my frustrations. Stories about terrible tips from that day, the 80s songs that the some of the staff randomly breaks out in chorus to, and the extremely weird, the unbearably rude, the totally awesome, and the down right, "ugh, I hate that guy, you take him" customers. Because sometimes complaining to your coworkers just isn't enough.

I don't know how much longer I'll be working here, as I near graduation next spring, it may be one year or five(but let's hope I find a job in my major, Photography) regardless, I will always be thankful for this job, and for the second family that I have acquired over the years. I love you guys, and you know who you are :)