*Ok, so last Monday at work I had an IDIOT of a customer who actually argued with me about our Clam Chowder of all things. The is how it went...*
C=Customer
M=Me
C- " What's your soup of the day?''
M- '' Roasted Garlic and Tomato''
C- '' But you have clam chowder too right?''
M- ''Yes sir that's right''
C- ''Is that Boston or New England Clam Chowder?''
M- '' Actually sir it's Manhattan Clam Chowder, Boston and New England are the same thing''
C- '' I've never heard of Manhattan Clam Chowder!''
M- '' Sir, Manhattan Clam Chowder is the 'red' while New England Clam Chowder is the 'white' "
C-''Oh! Well I've never heard it like that before''
M- *growing increasingly annoyed*''Well regardless sir, it's the 'red' clam chowder that we serve"
C- ''Ok, I'll try a bowl of that''
*Now keep in mind he also has his daughter with him who must be all of 12 years old witnessing this..which is too bad really seeing as though I'm going to school her father in just a moment*
M- *places bowl of clam chowder on table* "There you are sir''
C-"This is your Clam Chowder?"
M-" Yes sir it is"
C- *stirring the soup* " I don't see any clams"
M- "It is our chowder sir, I assure you"
C-"It looks like it might be your other soup..that tomato one"
M-"We just served our last bowl of our tomato to that table over there sir"
C-"Oh.."
M-"I'll be back to check on you"
*At this time I wander around checking on my other tables watching until he finally takes a bite*
M-"How does it taste?"
C- "All I can taste is tomato, you're absolutely sure this is the clam chowder?"
M- *I am this point I'm ready to just take the bowl of soup away from him and let him starve* "Sir, it is our Clam Chowder. The reason you're tasting tomato is because red clam chowder uses TOMATO in it's base along with fish stock, where as white clam chowder uses an almost cream-like base with fish stock. The red is red because it contains TOMATO where the white is white because it does NOT. I can also smell the 'fishiness' of the soup which tells me that it is in fact clam chowder. Not to mention I've been serving it at this restaurant for over 4 years now, so I think I'd know the difference between CLAM CHOWDER and any of our other soups''
*At this time his daughter is looking at me weird...maybe it's because steam is blowing out my ears from pure and utter frustration, and her father is looking at me rather amused, I smile and walk away. I don't go back to the table for the rest of their meal, and when I do I clear his daughter's plates but leave his empty bowl in front of him. That'll get the message across! Nothing like passive-aggressive tendencies! *sigh* and when he goes to the front to pay I don't help him, I make my manager help him. I was NOT having yet another conversation about our soup selection! My manage hands me the mans debit slip and I am surprised to see he has left me $4.00 on a $20.00 bill. I laugh and smile to myself. Some people PISS ME OFF! *
