Restaurant manager fired for accommodating a bigoted customer's demand

[pgwenthold]

I agree. TBH I think he probabaly made the right decision. It would be nice if you could just kick the customer out, but I doubt that’s realistic.

But why?

As I asked above, what is the customer going to do? Complain on social media that they got kicked out of the Olive Garden because they insisted on not being served by a black person?

 

[P.J. Denyer]

A lot of that springs from corporate though, they may just have been so used to being overruled by a policy from head office, dictated by a person who 'learnt' about customer service but has never held a customer facing job in their short career...

Corporate normally sets the tone so their's a reasonable chance the guy was hosed either way

I'm sure you're right, I worked in a Pub Restaurant chain in the UK and anyone who complained to Head Office got a handful of gift cards charged against the pub regardless of what happened, we wouldn't even get asked what had happened.

 

[MRC_Hans]

I have nothing to support this but I can't imagine the age of the average Olive Garden manager is one of much experience either. If it were me, at my current experience level (38, if anyone is curious), I would be all about kicking her out with a stern, slightly condescending tone. At least then if you get fired you can file a wrongful termination civil case. If you have the employees supporting you because you defended them, which is the right thing to do, you might walk away ahead.

I agree, exept, I would be VERY polite about it: "Madam, we are an equal opportunity employer. All our employees are valuable to us and have our full confidence. If you cannot accept this, I am afraid we are unable to render you service."

... I might still be fired, but heck, it would HURT them.

Hans

 

[plague311]

Let's say your father were to start saying sort of rude things to people in public. Would you immediately have him involuntarily committed?

False dichotomy. Telling Grandma\pa they're being a racist ******* is not the same as having them committed.

What level of innappropriate comments at what frequency would it take to call for the straightjacket?

Again, false dichotomy. The level of inappropriate comments can begin anywhere but racist is within that category no matter what. I'm not saying she should be committed, I'm saying if racism bothered the family one of them should have told her to shut her mouth, or intervened, or apologized, or done something.

He is a grown man, I'm wondering what your stomach would be for either "The rest of the family is going out without you pops, you can't be in public". Or deciding that no one in your family could ever go to a public place?

That's exactly what it would be in my case because I don't pander to family, especially when I vehemently stand against something. I'm completely estranged from my fathers' side of the family, including my brother, because of their shared views.

Do you really have 100% confidence that you would easily wrangle that before he said anything very offensive?

Maybe not before, but bet your bottom dollar I would the moment it came out, or if I saw it escalating in that direction and knew they had issues with it. I wouldn't let them go off on a loud mouthed, screaming tangent because it would be embarrassing to me.

I wish I had your confidence to perfectly handle a complex and fraught situation so perfectly.

I guess if I had your advantage of only thinking about it from an armchair I might gain your mastery.

You think I've never had to deal with it? We lost my grandpa in 2013 at the age of 90. Everything I've explained here I've had to do. He was a winter Texan, and we wouldn't go to certain places in Texas because of his attitude towards Hispanics. If he said something racist when we were out, I'd tell him to shut that **** down immediately. If they're "grown ups" then they either act like it or are no longer treated like it. I don't accept things from people because they're old, senile, or stupid. **** them.

 

[JoeMorgue]

"I'm not racist as long as the situation isn't stressful" and "I'm not racist as long as much job isn't at stake" just sounds like racism with extra steps.

 

[plague311]

I agree, exept, I would be VERY polite about it: "Madam, we are an equal opportunity employer. All our employees are valuable to us and have our full confidence. If you cannot accept this, I am afraid we are unable to render you service."

... I might still be fired, but heck, it would HURT them.

Hans

I can get behind the "kill them with kindness" approach as well. At a managerial level they should have that understanding as well.

It certainly would hurt my former employer if I handled it that way and they still fired me. I'd be certain to make sure everyone knew about it as well, and it would be the most expensive firing (in terms of word of mouth "advertising") they've ever had. Hands down.

 

[smartcooky]

Considered that but I still have a fair bit hope people don't just chose gun in arguments in the US.

You've never been to America have you?

"Gun as first choice" is not something you see a lot of, but it does happen, and by the time you find yourself staring down the barrel of a handgun, its too late.

Also, overt, loud racists are more likely to be gun nuts than normal people

Might be naive

Yes

 

[Elagabalus]

I would have liked to have seen a little more customer participation with perhaps a few chants of "get out" thrown in.

 

[lomiller]

But why?

As much as it would feel good, ejecting people for the opinions they hold is a dangerous precedent.

As I asked above, what is the customer going to do? Complain on social media that they got kicked out of the Olive Garden because they insisted on not being served by a black person?

You’re assuming they will mention that part and won’t just write the head office and complain about what terrible service the waiter/waitress provided.

As much as it would feel like the right thing to do, it’s still putting the server in a terrible situation where they could be subject to abuse and if they put it aside and provide outstanding service, they could still have unfair complaints directed against them.

 

[smartcooky]

As much as it would feel good, ejecting people for the opinions they hold is a dangerous precedent.

...but ejecting them for their reprehensible and disgusting behaviour is not!

 

[pgwenthold]

I agree, exept, I would be VERY polite about it: "Madam, we are an equal opportunity employer. All our employees are valuable to us and have our full confidence. If you cannot accept this, I am afraid we are unable to render you service."

... I might still be fired, but heck, it would HURT them.

Hans

And when you interview next, when they ask, "Why did you leave your last position?" you can say, "I was fired because I refused to accommodate the racism of a customer."

If the next place won't hire you because of that, then I don't know if it's a place at which you want to work.

 

[Elagabalus]

As much as it would feel good, ejecting people for the opinions they hold is a dangerous precedent.


You’re assuming they will mention that part and won’t just write the head office and complain about what terrible service the waiter/waitress provided.

As much as it would feel like the right thing to do, it’s still putting the server in a terrible situation where they could be subject to abuse and if they put it aside and provide outstanding service, they could still have unfair complaints directed against them.

If they are creating a disturbance in the restaurant, they can be asked to leave.

 

[pgwenthold]

...but ejecting them for their reprehensible and disgusting behaviour is not!

Hell yeah.

Not only would I not worry about the precedent being "dangerous," I want to make it very clear: our business does not cater to racists. If you want, we can hang a sign on the front door just so there is no ambiguity.

 

[TragicMonkey]

Hell yeah.

Not only would I not worry about the precedent being "dangerous," I want to make it very clear: our business does not cater to racists. If you want, we can hang a sign on the front door just so there is no ambiguity.

"I'm sorry, madam, I must ask you to leave. You are simply too stupid to eat at our restaurant. I shall guide you to the door: that's a piece of wall that moves so you can get outside."

 

[ponderingturtle]

"I'm sorry, madam, I must ask you to leave. You are simply too stupid to eat at our restaurant. I shall guide you to the door: that's a piece of wall that moves so you can get outside."

"Too Dumb for Olive Garden"- The restaurant that keeps its pasta water unsalted to preserve their pans.

 

[lomiller]

...but ejecting them for their reprehensible and disgusting behaviour is not!

Until another restaurant decides that a gay couple sitting together is disgusting.

If they are creating a disturbance in the restaurant, they can be asked to leave.

This probabaly escalates the disturbance.

 

[ponderingturtle]

Until another restaurant decides that a gay couple sitting together is disgusting.

See being a bigot is not a protected class while sexuality is in some places. It is like you can refuse to serve someone wearing a maga hat but not a yamaka. Dispite claims in court to the contrary Magaism is not a religion and religion is a protected class.

So what protected class is being violated why toss out racists?

 

[Butter!]

I remember well the horror of being a manager whenever a customer starts acting dickish or bizarre in some way. You look around for the person in charge, and then you remember it's supposed to be you. Omg, what do I do, make this person stop yelling, what would corporate say here, uh...

I could accept that the manager panicked and made a terrible call. However, it was a terrible call, and people get fired for those.

If it had been me (putting myself back in that headspace *shudder*) I'm almost certain that I would have said something like, "I'm afraid we won't be able to accommodate that request, ma'am" in a bland tone of chilly professionalism. And when the old witch inevitably kept yelling racist bull ****, "I'm sorry, but this is a family restaurant. You're making a scene, and I'm afraid you'll have to leave." Make a note of the incident for corporate's perusal, getting ahead of the imminent bad Yelp review. Give the poor server a quick pep talk and remind her that she's valued. Apologize to any customers who seem disturbed. Carry on.

It's not perfect, but I think it would have been the best thing to do in this circumstance. I'm 100% certain I wouldn't have gone and gotten a white girl, lol. I don't want to unfairly judge the manager from my comfy armchair, but he was hella dumb here.

 

[plague311]

Until another restaurant decides that a gay couple sitting together is disgusting.

Being racist isn't a federally protected class.

This probabaly escalates the disturbance.

"We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone" is hung at almost every establishment. You might not kick them out, but they'd be getting thrown way out of my business and I'd make sure everyone knew why.

ETA: Come on people, the old racist lady isn't leaving reviews. She can't figure out how a polite society works but we're expected she understands how to use a smartphone. Including downloading yelp, creating an account, typing out a review, and leaving it? LoL I'd prefer not to be pissed on and told it's raining.

 

[pgwenthold]

Until another restaurant decides that a gay couple sitting together is disgusting.

Do it.

And then the customer can complain on social media that they were kicked out of the restaurant for being gay.

I don't see the concern here?

Customer complains about getting kicked out of the restaurant for being racist

vs

Customers complains about getting kicked out of the restaurant for being gay

Yes, and?