Dear Editors,

My name is Amelia, I’m a waitress and have been in the restaurant industry for three years. I’ve worked in numerous positions, whether that be as a hostess, waitress, food runner, or busser. Due to this experience, I’ve witnessed first-hand an incredible amount of mistreatment directed from customers to servers.

Covid-19 is permanently ingrained in every person’s mind, yet now it’s nearly considered a thing of the past. The pandemic had lasting impacts, according to the Restaurant Business the pandemic cost 5.9 million restaurant workers their jobs. Despite this, during the pandemic a wholesome trend began, where people treated restaurant workers as humans, demonstrating appreciation.

That trend of kindness however is long gone. Customers have adopted a new sense of entitlement, arrogance, and disrespect unseen before the pandemic. According to the Nation’s National Restaurants, 62% of the restaurant staff are mistreated by customers and 49% suffer at the hands of management.

Servers desire to be treated as human beings, with an ounce of human decency. Recently, however, this seems to be an impossible request. Please remember that servers are there to aid you and provide for you not to be a personal punching bag for customers to abuse.

Sincerely,

Amelia Gaither