Why are some people such high maintenance? I don't know what's worse-people who work in the industry who are high maintenance (because really, they should know better) or the people who don't work in the industry and have no clue. I pride myself on delivering exceptional customer service, having a wide knowledge of alcohol and mixers in general, serving drinks in a timely manner and making a tasty beverage. What I don't pride myself on is keeping up my peepy attitude when someone repeatedly has me make their drinks for them, has me running into the kitchen for some obscure ingredient for their obscure cocktail or people who just bitch and complain because they are on the other side.
Case in point, I had a couple of different incidences last night with high maintenance customers. The first situation was with a customer who asked for a Cosmo with a splash of cranberry. When I brought her the drink, she told me it was too pink. I immediately offered to make her another drink. No problem. The second time around making the drink, I took careful care to just add a splash of cranberry. Maybe even a smidge. I brought her the drink and she told me that it was still too pink. What the? I didn't know how else to make the splash of cranberry any lighter. Luckily my co-worker (who had dealt with this customer before) offered to make the third drink and showed me just how light she wanted it. We are talking a splash of cranberry, but with your finger over the gun so only half of a splash got into the drink, not a whole one. The customer swore up and down that she could really taste the difference. I guess the customer is always right. She eventually got drunk later on in the evening and stopped being so picky with her drinks.
The second situation was with a customer who asked for vodka and soda with muddled basil. Normally that would be fine if it was a drink we made on a regular basis. We have mint and we make a ton of mojitos. We have strawberries and make a slammin muddled strawberries and strawberry infused vodka drink. We don't use basil in our cocktails, ever. But I know it's in the kitchen for some of the dishes the chef prepares. This customer that ordered the special request drink works within the company and knows how our operation works. She knew I had to go into the kitchen to fetch the basil. With a smile on my face, I retrieved the basil from the kitchen and proceeded to make her cocktail. It just interrupted my work flow for a bit. At least I was ready for her round two and three.
At least these high maintenance customers tipped well. Sadly, sometimes it is common for a customer to be high maintenance and not tip well. As long as my customers take care of me, I will happily take care of them. Even if that means bending over backwards for them in the form of fetching rarely used ingredients or remaking a drink a number of times, just the way they like it.
Just don't ask me for a "Strong Island" and then tell me you are going to "take care of me" and only give me a dollar. That type of shit will really send me over the edge.
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