Letter to the editor: Customers need to respect service personnel

From: Steve Leach, The Garage Pub and Grill

Columbus

Recently, our establishment received an Onion in The Republic. Violating its own protocols, the name of my business was published in the newspaper.

“Onions to The Garage, who’s ran by liberals, for kicking a handful of people out for expressing they were Republicans on karaoke Thursday.”

I have chosen to respond, not just to defend the actions of my staff, but to address an underlying issue that exists in our society.

When the group in question entered our business, the members of my staff (as they are trained to do) observed that several members of the group appeared intoxicated. When they placed their orders for cocktails, my staff informed those individuals they would not be served alcohol. Unsurprisingly, this upset the entire group. Those who did not seem intoxicated were allowed to order. My staff then observed those that were allowed to order alcohol providing their drinks to the others. When this was brought to their attention, the group became increasingly agitated. While all of this was occurring, one of the members of the group partook in karaoke and began singing a patriotic song, inserting in the lyrics, “Trump 2020.” This was not at all upsetting to my staff – it was our hope that the group would have fun and settle down. But this was not the case. The name-calling and shenanigans continued to the point my staff decided they needed to leave, as they were upsetting our other patrons with more rude comments directed at them.

This leads me to my larger concern: The general mistreatment of service personnel in our society. Why does it occur?

The answer is simple: many customers don’t believe servers or retail staff to be professionals and therefore don’t merit their respect. Is the belief system that service industry professionals don’t deserve respect based on classism? Prejudice? Discrimination? Or intolerance?

It’s true that waiters, bartenders, bussers, retail clerks and restaurant managers are in the humble position to serve. But so too is the ambulance driver, the social worker, the politician, the nurse and the minister. Surely those social servants are treated far better by those they attend to. Why shouldn’t servers get a small portion of that respect?

There are plenty of proficient and skilled wait staff in the world — I count my staff among them — that are just as prone to being treated poorly by guests, simply because of our position.

People do not stop being human beings simply because they are serving food, nor are the people being served permitted to dehumanize others because their wishes are not being met. As servers, all we ask is for grace, understanding, and respect to be extended to the staff that is trying to extend these same courtesies to their customers.

A person’s true character is revealed, not in how they treat their friends and family, but in how they treat the ones serving them.

The Garage Pub and Grill, like most all small businesses in Columbus, proudly serves everyone, regardless of political affiliation, religion, race or sexual orientation.

Editor’s note: The Republic’s policy is to not publish names of businesses in Onions. Due to a Republic error, an Onion was published in Saturday’s paper violating this policy. We apologize for the error.