‘I Don’t Like My Job Anymore’: Server Says Customer Abuse Has Never Been Worse
HALIFAX–A Nova Scotia restaurant server with more than four decades of experience is warning that restaurants everywhere may run out of staff if customers keep misbehaving.
Terri, who works as a server in the Annapolis Valley (she asked Huddle not to disclose where she works), says she and other female restaurant workers have been receiving regular verbal abuse throughout the pandemic.
“I’ve worked From Vancouver to Toronto to Calgary to the Valley, here, and I’ve never come across such rude people in my whole entire life,” said Terri. “We are now bouncers. People are angry.”
Vaccine Mandates A Major Culprit
Terri noticed customers getting angrier and ruder about a year ago but says it’s gotten even worse over the past six months. One of the biggest triggers is asking people for their vaccine pass and ID.
Reminding customers to wear their masks when not seated can also lead to some customers getting frustrated.
“Some will even try using the sleeve of their jacket as a mask while they enter the restaurant,” said Terri with a chuckle. “Sorry, I’m just trying to do my job, and I didn’t make these rules, it’s not my fault.”
Christine Bower is co-owner of The Wooden Monkey restaurants in Dartmouth and Halifax. She recalls an ugly incident last fall, just before vaccine passports were mandated, where customers got extremely rude towards staff.
Luckily, Bower says, her staff haven’t faced any major problems since.
“We had just one bad incident one day, and that was before the vaccine passports came in,” said Bower. “That was some people who didn’t want to put a mask on or do any contact tracing. But that was just one isolated incident.”
Terri believes people are angry from dealing with Covid-19 stress for two years. Restaurant servers and other front-line workers are easy targets because they are expected to just take the abuse.
“Just like I’ve seen people be really mean to the girl cashiers at Walmart, at Sobey’s, at Superstore,” said Terri. “They take it out on the person that they feel can’t say anything back.”
Terri has also noticed that female workers get it much worse than male colleagues. People seem to feel safer taking out their anger on women and teenage girls than men.
“100 percent (it’s gender-based)–it’s terrible,” said Terri. “But I’m not a very good target because I get angry right back.”
The new stress of a job she once loved has started taking a toll on Terri and she says she finds herself taking her frustrations home with her.
“I’ve gotten crankier at my husband…because I have to vent on somebody to get it out, and I know that it’s not right,” she said.
“It’s sad, I used to love this job…because I love people, for the most part. But lately I come home thinking maybe I need to retire-I don’t like people anymore.”
Too Few Staff Makes Situation Worse
There are not many servers left for Terri and others to share the stress with. She says her restaurant is short-staffed, like many others.
“We are so short-staffed; every restaurant I know is short-staffed,” she said. “I can’t remember the last time we had someone bring a resume in.”
Terri notes that, with the current labour shortage, former servers are leaving the restaurant industry for places with better guaranteed pay and benefits, and where they won’t have to put up with verbal assaults.
“I don’t think they’re going to have enough staff to have restaurants soon, because everybody’s getting out of it. There’s no benefit to being here,” said Terri.
“I don’t make any more money, you don’t get any raises, you don’t get any benefits. That’s why industries like this are so short (staffed) because you’re taking abuse for not much (money). Business is way down, so you don’t make tips, because there’s no one coming in.”
Having less customers isn’t the only trend cutting down on servers’ tips. With people cooped up inside, many restaurants are seeing a big uptick in takeout orders. But takeout orders don’t help servers make tips.
“Overall, it’s getting cheaper. People are tipping less and we’re getting way more takeout, which we don’t make anything on…DoorDash is killing us,” she said.
Servers Need Better Pay, Benefits
Christine Bower agrees that with less people dining in it can be more difficult for staff to make their tips. But she is hopeful that, when this latest Covid-19 wave dies down, people will return to restaurants.
“There are some really good customers that do tip on their takeout, which is wonderful for the staff. Not everybody (does that), obviously.”
After what she has witnessed and experienced the past several months, Terri believes many of the affordable restaurants will close soon, due to staff quitting.
“In the future, I think we’re going to see lots of takeout, fast food, or really high-end,” said Terri. “I think the middle-of-the-roads are not going to last for long.”
When asked what restaurants can do to entice servers to stay in the industry, Terri did not hesitate with her answer: restaurant workers need benefits.
Despite working 40 years as a server across Canada, Terri has no pension and no medical benefits. This has recently cost her a lot of money. While working a shift, she tripped and knocked out a tooth. With no dental plan, she paid $1,000 out-of-pocket to get it fixed.
“You get no pension, you get no benefits, you get nothing,” said Terri, on working in the industry.
“I know 100 waitresses…and that’s the thing that we all talk about the most. It sucks that we have to get private insurance, we have to get private plans. But a lot of people feel it’s not worth their while (because of the expense). It’s cheaper to just pay as their teeth get broken.”
Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].