Working in the service industry isn’t for the weak. Between the physical stress of being on your feet for several hours, there’s also the emotional strain that comes from rude customers.
Servers frequently share these encounters online. One Longhorn Steakhouse server, for example, said a customer taunted her about servers’ reliance on tips for their livelihood.
Another server listed some of her biggest diner “icks,” including customers who don’t even let her introduce herself. In another case, a bartender even said a customer purposely “blew her vape directly in [her] face.”
Now, an Olive Garden server on TikTok shared the story of how a few small misunderstandings with a table led to an overall unpleasant shift.
What Went Wrong During Her Olive Garden Shift?
In a video that has garnered over 116,900 views, TikTok creator and Olive Garden server @lexplex calls out diners with bad behavior.
“People really need to stop coming to Olive Garden if they are just going to have the worst attitudes ever,” she begins. “For real, why are you acting like it’s your first day on earth?”
She says this specific interaction began when a woman arrived alone but appeared to be waiting for others. Seeing four menus and sets of silverware on the table, @lexplex and the diner had a back-and-forth about the size of the party, which started the interaction on a sour note.
Then the rest of the group arrived, bringing the total to two adults and a child. She says the adults both ordered soup and salad and a kids’ meal. “Which, by the way, doesn’t just come with a salad,” she explains.
Things Got Even More Tense Over Salad
The diner, however, asked her to bring them a big salad “for all three” of them. “I say, ‘No, ma’am, kids’ meals don’t come with a salad,’” she recounts.
At Olive Garden, adult entrées come with unlimited soup or salad, but the sides are not included in kids’ meals.
The customer didn’t like the response. “She said, ‘Absolutely not. I’m not paying extra for a salad,’” @lexplex recalls.
Later in the meal, a mix-up with the timing of the food caused the group’s soups to be delayed. Before the server could even explain that the soups were coming out soon, she says the customer responded with a sarcastic remark.
“It’s called soup and salad for a reason,” the diner said.
After paying through the tabletop device, the group lingered before eventually leaving a $5 tip.
Then, a coworker relayed a comment from the customers as they walked out. “They were walking out, and they said, ‘Oh, something is wrong with that waitress.’”
“So basically, that sums up my shift,” the server concludes.
Commenters Are On Her Side
Viewers thought that the customers’ behavior was unreasonable. Others with experience serving at the restaurant chain shared frustrating stories of their own.
“Olive Garden servers are so sweet tooo,” wrote one user. “I’m sorry.”
“It doesn’t help that we got new menus the other day and they included a price increase,” shared another. “I’ve been yelled at so many times this week.”
According to reports from other Olive Garden workers on Reddit’s r/olivegarden, servers often end up dealing with customer complaints about rising prices.
“I have to wear a name tag, I am not the enemy,” one user wrote.
Another user shared a perspective from the customer side.
“Meanwhile, I feel like a horrible customer when I ask if they can please remake my son’s pizza bc it’s burnt black,” they wrote.
@lexplex these people cannot be real 😭😭 #fyp #serverlife #olivegarden #servertiktok #soupsaladbreadsticks
BroBible has reached out to Olive Garden via email, and @lexplex via TikTok messages for comment.