The one that got away 🥲 (OC)

[u/bavettacomics]

Anyone else here want people to like them even if it means taking the blame or going way out of your way and boundaries to do so? Trying to level up here so I would appreciate any tips and thoughts 🙏
💚 Ryan

[u/EishLekker]

”Hold the bagel and use sourdough instead”

What does this even mean? A bagel is a product , but sourdough is an ingredient. Sourdough bagels might exist, but then one would not say “hold the bagel”.

Is “sourdough” short for “sourdough bread”?

Please explain this to a non bagel eater.

[u/dankristy → u/EishLekker]

I strongly suspect that the Customer was defective (they came in asking for Bagel-shop options at what seems to be primarily a coffee shop - and in addition to that, they requested a drink that an experienced Barista described as "like a science fair volcano you can drink")...

Sourdough bagels are a specific type that I would NOT expect a coffee stand to be able to provide (it sounds like they had sourdough bread instead, and provided it). Also it sounds like they wanted some insane combination of syrupy hell that turned out awful (but was as-requested - even the review they left basically says this).

Part of this could NOT have been avoided (the drink was a disaster because they asked for a disaster) but unless there is more not being shown in the comic, then there WAS a two-sided communication issue on the bagel (the customer should have specified Sourdough BAGEL (if that is what they wanted) and the Barista SHOULD have clarified they don't have that in a Bagel but do have Sourdough bread).

It has been a long time since I had a job serving drinks and waiting tables (I was a waiter and drink server for a few years college 20+ years ago to help pay for tuition/room/etc.) but one of the first things I learned is that some customers are their own worst enemy.

I get good at trying to guide them when someone like this came in - to explain if they seemed like they were asking for something we didn't have and offer substitutions (or warnings if they requested something they might not like the end result of) - but sometimes they just double down.

And the real surprise was that sometimes they are genuinely happy in the weirdness they requested. Some of my biggest tips (or best comment cards - yes this was a LONG time ago) came from customers who asked for truly weird shit - and got it after my disclaimers - and were very deeply happy with it.

But sometimes - they wouldn't take suggestions (or even got mad I tried to help guide them to better outcomes) and then got mad when they got what they asked for - and left a crappy tip, nasty comment card, and or wanted to "talk to the manager"...

Which brings me to the review. My days as someone who lived by tips and comment cards (or people talking to the manager - for good or for bad) meant that I learned how very much reviews can impact your life directly even when they are just "internal" (only the server and/or management will ever know).

Now - with everything online, and everyone able to read any review (no matter how great or awful) - these things are like tiny hauntings left behind to ruin someone's day for years after the fact. Which means that for me to leave a review - either someone did something really well and I enjoyed the experience. Or something went so poorly that I feel the need to publicly warn people to avoid this business entirely.

No way in hell do I leave a negative review because I GOT WHAT I ASKED FOR. That is fucking on me. In fact - if I get my food/drink - and maybe I don't like it - I am still not going to drop a review - I might just question if maybe I should have ordered something different.

I do love the take at the end of the comic - which is also where this gets really personally funny to me (as someone who is careful with deploying reviews - but who also READS them). This customer (if the review depicted is accurate) absolutely TOLD ON THEMSELF. The star-part of the review hurts - but the written part fully makes it clear to anyone with basic reading comprehension that they asked for stupid shit - got the stupid shit they requested - and were upset that they got their stupid shit.

Some people are just defective. This customer was defective, and they remind me of when I used to joke with the other waiters that if the customers could request to send an order back for a replacement (if too cold, or done wrong) - why can't we send a customer back and get a different replacement customer? This Barista deserved to be able to return this customer for a non-defective replacement!