Yesterday the news media was all over a story of three women who received their tab at the casino restaurant they were dining at and noticed it labeled their table as ‘Fat Girls’. Their server did not enter this information into the Point of Sale computer, someone else did; however, when they complained, the manager offered only a 25% discount on their meal.
At least one of the three women breaks down in tears in one of the many interviews floating around the web about this story. It’s clear they realize they are overweight and are probably suffering in many ways because of it. However, it was certainly crude, rude, and downright nasty for those working the restaurant that day to be referring to their table as the ‘Fat Girls’.
As someone who struggles with his weight, including a very recent severe weight gain after losing a considerable amount of weight back in 2007, I can empathize with this group. While I would have complained in this space right here, I don’t know if I would have taken the label to heart as they did but that doesn’t make it right. The management of this restaurant and casino are trying to make things right after the fact but they better have a plan in place to be proactive in their training programs to ensure stupidity like this does not happen again at their establishment.
What do you think about this one? What could the manage have done to make it right from the outset? Knowing the server who did do this was only on suspension pending the outcome of an investigation, do you think they should have been outright fired? Do you think the women are overreacting? Whatever you have to say about this one go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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December 12th, 2012 at 10:26 am
They women were not overreacting. When dining in a restaurant one of the elements you are paying for is hospitality which they did not receive.
If I were the manager I would have comped the entire bill, given them a sincere apology, suspended the employee until I could document they were responsible. Then I would have called a mandatory training session for ALL employees where I outlined expectations and consequences.
I am a little suspicious about the manager as he was not as proactive as he should have been. Her lack of appropriate behavior coupled with the fact that a server a rude as this one was still working despite the fact that they have undoubtedly displayed other characteristics that are not consistent with the hospitality industry.
Would it really be a surprise if the server had another ticket that read something along the lines of Bad Toupee or Chink? Or that they didn’t split tips fairly? I don’t think the real issue at hand had anything to do with the size of the customers but my perspective may be skewed as I have always been on the small side.
December 12th, 2012 at 10:27 am
Not to be insensitive, but it was a casino. How would labeling a table “fat girls” distinguish that table from others?
I’m a fat girl. Right now I’m about 70 pounds overweight. At a casino, I’m feel trim and fit compared to most of the people. And young, so young. Granted this took place in California, so things may be different, but in almost any restaurant in America “fat girls” could apply to any number of tables at a given time. This is America! We are fat!
December 12th, 2012 at 10:40 am
I think the whole thing is pretty funny.
People working for low wages make bad decisions all the time. If they didn’t, they’d probably not be making low wages. One guy made a bad decision forgot to take it off of the bill, or hit the wrong button that put it on the bill in the first place. The manager genius who didn’t immediately fire the guy was wearing a baseball hat backwards for his CNN interview actually uttered something about firing the guy once he confirmed who it was for sure.
I think what is more stupid is that the fat women decided to tell the national media about this so that the whole world could look at them and basically agree with the server that they are a bunch of fatties. This has little to do with them being insulted and a whole lot more about trying to gain something (money, notoriety) than it is being called fat.
December 12th, 2012 at 10:49 am
I love to watch the shows Restaurant Impossible and Restaurant Stakeout on Food Network and you see these same issues all the time. When are these restaurant owners/managers learn that customers who aren’t treated properly won’t be back and soon you will have to close your doors?
December 12th, 2012 at 11:13 am
Not that I’m really trying, but I can’t find a way to disagree with this.
December 12th, 2012 at 11:13 am
As a former server, this happened ALWAYS, although never written on a bill. I was never nasty, referring to people as ‘black hat’ or ‘red striped shirt’ to identify a group. Guess time will tell if word of mouth leads people people decide to boycott this place.
December 12th, 2012 at 11:19 am
ks, it’s a casino. People have a biological urge to rapidly part with their money. I can’t see this incident making a difference.
December 12th, 2012 at 11:31 am
Ah – I glossed over that part. For some reason I was thinking it was an Applebee’s or similar place.
December 12th, 2012 at 12:46 pm
PI lawyer likely already put them up to this one and likely got the piece on local
news… I am guessing a settlement is in the works, it is California after all.
Yes, hamhanded and lacking n civility and as noted the requisite hospitality. Bullying, especially in this situation, should be punished and it obviously will with monetary damages for the comapany and employment loss for the offending employee.
however, based on the inimitable lefty’s comments… these ladies should take their payola and reflect on their obesity problem.
December 12th, 2012 at 6:33 pm
I think the server was a rude, insensitive bully. Since when has it become socially acceptable to bully someone based on their body size. Now, a disclaimer before I start my rant… I am overweight. I have been most of my adult life. I have lost significant amounts of weight multiple times and have gained most of it back multiple times. Do I blame anyone besides me? No–totally my fault that I cannot control my carb intake. Does that make it right that grown adults can say rude things to me at the airport or that people have to criticize me publically in a restaurant? I travel for work–alot-often 2 to 3 times a month. I fit just fine in an airplane seat. If I didn’t, I would buy 2. No part of me touches my seat mate. I have endured multiple people–mostly older men, making comments to someone else about having to sit next to me. I had one man make moo-ing noises to the person sitting in front of him when I sat down. Really people–would you do that to someone on oxygen due to their being a smoker all their life?? I feel for these ladies, although I would never go public with my complaint. I have been humiliated enough in public for being overwieght without my asking for it, so going willingly onto national TV is nothing that I would have an interest in doing. The server should be made to sincerely apologize to these women and the manager should do some sensitivity training. When you are dealing with the public, you need to deal with all the public, despite if you like their looks, size, color, sexual orientation or anything else about them. They were paying customers and deserved better than to be bullied by the person serving them. It’s kind of like my number one business rule–if you make a mistake and accidentally reply all on an e-mail where you have said something you didn’t want everyone to see, you probably shouldn’t have said it at all–to anyone–not even one person. Would anyone have thought different if it said Gay Boys or Scarface or Fake Leg? Yeah, I’m fat–I assume people are talking about me behind my back and that I have lost some consulting gigs because I am fat, but I don’t deserve to be publically called out on it either.
December 12th, 2012 at 6:57 pm
I think they have every right to complain, and complain loudly via the internet. I think it’s completely disgusting that people seem to think it’s ok to treat people poorly simply because of their body size. If you can’t seem to keep your opinion about people’s weight to yourself (or at the very least, keep yourself from putting it in writing), perhaps you should stay out of food service. Jesus, why should someone who is overweight give up their right to be treated with a modicum of respect just because they happen to have the audacity to leave their house and enjoy themselves?
December 12th, 2012 at 7:21 pm
I find it terribly rude, for sure. But I am a fat girl that has seen both sides of the fence. Gained a bunch of weight when I quit smoking in college at 120 lbs, have been trying to get rid of it for 30 years. Back in the day when I was “hot” instead of “not”, I got WAY more rude and unwelcome comments about my body than I do now. I think people that were heavy as children were tormented about it and therefore maybe more senstitive than I am, but when I refer to myself as fat, it makes OTHERS uncomfortable – they see it as a deragotory statement, where I use it as a fact about myself. I try to dress well for my size, but yep, you will see me in shorts and a bathing suit, so don’t look at me if you don’t like it. The only reason I want to loose weight is to be healthier and live longer. One thing that has always bothered me about people judging others about their weight is that it’s the ONLY problem a person can have that they have to WEAR. It’s the first thing someone knows about me is that I have a weight problem. Everyone has problems, but they don’t have to wear a sign around their neck announcing it to the world. “HEY, I FILED BANKRUPTCY LAST WEEK!” or “I JUST GOT MY THIRD DUI!” Or, God forbid, a sign that says “I am a rude and inconsiderate restaurant worker that judges my customers to feel better about myself”.
December 12th, 2012 at 9:29 pm
Unfortunately, it’s still not illegal to discriminate against someone due to their size in MN. I’ve been on both sides of the fence myself as well. Lost 65-70 lbs a few years ago only to get it all back in about 3 months due to being on prednisone for a year. And Sal…I had to chuckle at your last few sentences. In MN people kind of do wear a sign (of sorts) around their neck (on their car) that pretty much screams ‘I JUST GOT MY SECOND DWI IN 10 YEARS’…yup, the good old ‘whiskey plates’!
December 12th, 2012 at 9:55 pm
I’m not sure that I noticed any discrimination in the incident of this topic. The women simply noted on the bill the fat girls and deduced it was the way the server identified them. I assume they received their food, and I assume the server served them sufficiently. They just didn’t like the word the server used to tag them with.
Management obviously didn’t handle things properly initially, and the server was obviously an idiot that either didn’t know or simply didn’t care enough to properly do their job. personally I would fire folks for being that incapable, but then that’s why I don’t manage people.
December 13th, 2012 at 1:36 pm
So…what do you think about the talk today of Governor Christy being told he was too fat to run for president?
December 13th, 2012 at 2:07 pm
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December 13th, 2012 at 2:19 pm
Lefty, I find the last few sentences in your post immensely more offensive than the restaurant incident. Bill Clinton couldn’t control his sexual appetite in the white house, did you wonder if he could properly rule the country? In my opinion, that was a much larger indication of impulse control, lack of judgement and moral character than if he was overweight. What impulses do YOU have trouble controlling in your life? And are they public for all the world to judge? Do they make you incapable of doing your job well at work?
WOW….
December 13th, 2012 at 2:45 pm
My biggest problem with Clinton was the girl that he chose.
December 13th, 2012 at 2:54 pm
lefty, he couldn’t see her face when it was in his lap all day.
December 13th, 2012 at 3:02 pm
Oh, Lefty, NOW I see your biggest impulse control problem….it’s not knowing when to shut your mouth.
December 13th, 2012 at 3:17 pm
She says to the guy with 1890 comments. You’re a regular Agatha CHRISTY.
December 13th, 2012 at 3:48 pm
Please. You wanna talk about who’s not qualified for their job?? According to articles, Gov. Christie “hired a personal trainer about a year ago”.
That must be the most utterly incompetent personal trainer ever. What is he “training” him to do…take on Joey Chestnut in the next hot dog eating contest?
December 13th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
<<<<<<>>>>>>
YES.
December 13th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
<<<<<<>>>>>>
YES.
December 13th, 2012 at 6:01 pm
Bill, what’s up with that? That’s not what I posted….?
December 13th, 2012 at 7:23 pm
What exactly were you trying to post?
December 14th, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Just a copy/paste. It was in this text box when I hit submit. No worries.