Why is this a norm?

Eversince having cafe of my own, I had realised one thing.

Workers in a F&B are most of the time treated very lowly, if there is such a word. Especially so by working class people. And even when servers treat them with the greatest level of politeness.

Why do customers feel that they have the right to speak to waiters/waitresses/servers in such a manner? I fail to understand no matter how hard I try. Is it because customers think that since they pay, they are allowed to speak to servers in any way they feel like? Is it because customers think they're much more atas since they are higher paid working class out there? Is it because customers assume the workers did not graduate with an out-of-this-world degree like engineering/accounting/medicine?

But these servers are humans too. Just like any of the customers. No?

I go to the cafe everyday after work, clad in work clothes...and I get customers (who know of me) coming up to me and saying hi. So one day I tried. I tried going to the cafe in normal clothes and stood straight behind the cashier. What do I get?

A group of customers came in and sat down straight away.

I thought to myself, ok maybe they've never been here before so let me go and explain to them that they are required to place orders at the cashier, make payments and we will send orders to them. As I approached a group of girls (by this time they've open up their laptops so I know they are working people. Some were in work clothes anyway).

Hi there, how are you? *Very big cheerful smile* Over here, we take orders at the front and will send over the food to the table afterwards. Would you like to see the menu?

*glared at me* Erm, we've made reservations under XYZ (XYZ has not arrived at this time but I had taken down this reservation earlier in the day. But why did you not tell me when you entered the shop?)

Oh ya! It's for 6 pax under XYZ, yup. We've actually reserved tables for you but it's this one (points at a table reserved for them because there were a lot of reservations that night)...

...why? Tonight got event is it? What event?? (With a frustrated tone and without even looking at me)

Oh yeah yeah, we're having a different menu for kitchen takeover tonight. It's just an initiative that we are doing, but don't worry we've reserved your tables.

How come we don't know?

By this time I was annoyed. I was talking to her so nicely, yet she was raising her voice because she didn't know there were a lot of reservations that night. And she spoke to me without even looking at me, but instead continued to do something o the laptop.

Main point was, she found out I was one of the owners before she left and whoaaaa I got treated like a queen!

What was that?! Are you saying my staff will be treated very lowly otherwise?

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Once I had witnessed a customer (in work clothes and tie all suited up) speak rudely to my staff about his cup of coffee that I just had to stop him and asked if he had any problems.

His answer was classic..."Yeah la, your coffee doesn't taste like McDonald's coffee"

I nearly fell into the drain nearby from laughing too hard. You entertain me sir :P

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I came to work feeling a little knackered after a busy weekend at the cafe, and the one statement a working person made to me was "Eh easy only righttttt cleaning cafe. How come you so tired from just cleaning the kitchen?"

Very easy, why don't you help me tonight so that I can close the shop faster and I'll get to sleep earlier. Don't bother changing, just come along in your ferragamos and clean the toilet for a start. Those ferragamos are just shoes anyway, you can always afford another.

I looked at her and said "People like you are exactly the customers I don't look forward to at my shop". Sometimes I feel mean saying all these, but sometimes I also think people deserve it.

I've met so many working corporate people who thinks the level of difficulty of working in a F&B business will never beat their corporate job. A server may not have academic qualification as high as you, may not even have fluent english like those working in a corporate job, one may need time to understand your (complicated) orders but I'm sure everyone can find it in them to explain it clearly and look into the eyes of the person serving you when you speak to them.

Never ever treat another human being less than yourself. Treat them like how you want to be treated (like a Queen and King I'm sure). Treat them with respect. Always.

Please guys, do not treat any other person less than you, especially when they have done no wrong to you. Put yourself in their shoes, I'm sure at your own job you wouldn't want client to treat you any lesser too. Be that happy person who makes the world a greater place with a big smile :)))))