My most recent visit to the Philippines provided an excellent opportunity to travel down memory lane. Stories about my mother to my step-mother which I didn’t know or observed her being a hurtful experience. I suspect that these Mom Moments Part II: Customer Service were only providing her insight into how and what makes Dad, Charrina and I tick. While I loved and adored my Mom, she wasn’t one of the most patient of Filipinos …
Mom Moments Part II: Customer Service
For many years, Carina worked as the cashier in the cafeteria inside Seattle’s Children Hospital. Without knowing definitively, I’m confident that 98% of the patrons loved her as well. Just as I’m sure that other 2% was condescending, and basically sh*t on my mother for “only being a cashier in a cafeteria”. My mother didn’t have Heaven-grade patience. In fact, she had the shortest fuse of temper than anyone I knew (or known!) So when she thought she was taken advantage of or her intelligence was being insulted, she took action.
The following are my stories that literally could’ve been included in the comedy movie, Waiting … starring Ryan Reynolds. Most of these encounters would get most people fired, but they were far and few in-between. If you’ve worked in the restaurant industry, food business, or retail in general, you can related. Besides, my thought is these experiences are endearing. Either that or her boss was intimidated by her.
I’m sure her boss drank nightly.
“There’s butter on my toast” – This is classic Mom logic for ya. A patron had been waiting in line for some time. When she steps up to Carina, she simply states, “There’s butter on my toast. I didn’t order that.” She presents the plate to her. My mom asks, “Ok. So what do you want me to do? I’m the cashier”. “Fix it,” the patron grumbles.
My mother takes the plate with the piece of buttered toast towards the kitchen even though you’re not supposed to leave your station. A few moments later she returns with the same piece of toast with the butter scraped off by her hand. You can see her fingerprints in the remaining butter on the toast. The patron frowned, paid for it, and tossed it in the garbage behind my mom. #nailedit
“Decaf or Not” – A doctor waltzed up to the front of the line, points at the coffee station, with the sign above it “Coffee”, and asks, “Is that the coffee?” My Mom is classic fashion, “No, it’s urine. Of course, it’s coffee. And I’m the one without a degree.”
“An Apple A Day” – My mom would tell me at Sunday breakfast that there was this young doctor that kept taking an apple but refused to pay for it. She said he would hide it on his coat, or in-between the binder and his chest. She vowed to get him one day. One of my fav Mom Moments Part II: Customer Service … She spied him, and he approached to pay for his food. When he heard the total, he questioned it, “Why so much?”
She stared straight ahead, and held out her hand, “The total includes the apple you’ve been stealing from us. You know the one right there.” She points at it in-between the binder and chest. He immediately was embarrassed, paid, and departed. She never saw him again.
Until next week! Be good like you should and if you can’t be good, be good at what you do.
Mic drop *bOoM*
‘los; out
Independence Day 2018
