When you lie in bed awake at night, what’s the darkest place your mind goes to? For servers, it’s probably their customers who have emotionally scarred them for life. At least, that’s the impression servers at a Tuscaloosa barbecue joint have given on a TikTok exposing their worst server nightmares. Their rant will make you wonder whether you are the one traumatizing your wait staff.
It’s no secret that Americans in the restaurant industry are arguably dealt some of the worst cards when it comes to customer-facing roles. Dealing with entitlement, rudeness, and audacity—all for a couple of bucks an hour. Of course, tips can make all the hassle worth it. However, with the debate on tipping culture reaching an all-time high, even that isn’t guaranteed.
What Are Servers’ Worst Nightmares?
To let off some steam, two servers at Hoo’s Q and Brew (@hoosqandbrew_tuscaloosa) in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, vented about their “server nightmares.” Their video earned 128,000 views.
The first server describes a situation straight from the depths of hell: “There’s a 20-top walking in, no reservation, and you’re the only server on the floor. They’re all separate checks. And they are all above the age of 65.” Servers have been vocal about how separate checks are already a nuisance. For a table of 20, it must be absolute torture. Not to mention serving older patrons who are known to have less empathy for wait staff than their younger counterparts.
The second server shares his nightmare (which probably isn’t exclusive to servers): “Hey, you just got a table full of high school students.”
The first server shares another: “I know that you told the host to hold the door like two minutes ago, but there’s actually an 8-top walking in right after you said that, and it’s your turn in rotation. You have no choice. You have to take them.”
The rest of the “nightmares” describe situations where they deal with a silverware-less restaurant, rolling said silverware, and waiting on “creepy” customers. Both of them hold a certain emptiness in their eyes, revealing that they have survived through all the scenarios they had just described.
Too Close To Home
The restaurant’s TikTok hit a bit too close to home for TikTok viewers, many of whom revealed they intimately knew the pain from the pair of servers.
“His server nightmares actually gave me ptsd,” one user wrote.
Others shared their own nightmares. One said, “Manager is opening up all the new silverware and you’re the only closer:).”
Another user took the challenge literally. They wrote, “I had a dream last night where my manager was showing me the schedule and I was the only person scheduled, where I was doing doubles opening and closing every day and the one day we are closed I had to be at the restaurant anyways to guard it.”
@hoosqandbrew_tuscaloosa servers know… and we wish we didn’t 😭 #serverlife #restauranthumor #foodservice #waiter #serviceindustry
How Does Serving Affect Mental Health?
Despite what many boomers may think, serving is not for the faint of heart. You have to have thick skin—or grow it—if you are to survive in an industry where depression and anxiety are prevalent. A 2021 study found that working as a waiter at an upscale restaurant has a significant impact on the mental health and well-being of servers.
The percentages were alarming: “the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among the respondents were 38.3%, 52.3%, and 34.4%, respectively.”
The study found that over half of the workers had a mental health problem. It’s no surprise then that servers are “crashing out” on social media after nightmarish shifts. Maybe that’s the only thing keeping them sane.
UPDATE: In a TikTok direct message to Brobible, Hoo’s Q and Brew’s social media manager, Zya, confirmed that the situations described in the TikTok had definitely happened to each of them.
As for whether they have noticed any differences in the treatment of servers post-COVID, Zya says there hasn’t been much.
“Some people didn’t have restaurant etiquette before Covid, and that never changes with certain folks,” Zya said.
The creator believes serving is a great way to learn social skills, and can open doors for many opportunities.
“You never know who you’ll serve and what they might offer. It’s a wonderful start to a career in hospitality,” they wrote. “If you can serve tables efficiently and talk to people well at the same time, you can do a WHOLE lot.”