Is it really that hard to not let things that you can't control take control of you? Sometimes, yes. I will be the first to admit that there are times when I don't want to wait. I want the result right here and now. And because of my demand for instant gratification, it only makes my anxiety levels worse and stress levels high. At times, I have to remind myself that if it is beyond my control then I just have to be patient.
A good friend of mine, as well as my former producer when I had fun with my singing, can testify to me telling him every day or two "G-WIZ, you need to learn patience". I might have been able to get the message through to him because these days I see a lot of patience in his Facebook status updates.
Those who know me well, know that I have a high tolerance for most things. And those who know me well, know that there are few things I will allow to get under my skin and I feel a force to rant. With this tolerance, I have also learned that there are few who are like me. My case in point, a trip to a local Whataburger after watching the fireworks this last July 4th.
My husband and I decided to make a late night run to the burger joint because we were a little hungry after all of the excitement and activities throughout the day. We were just going to go through the drive-thru, but after we saw the cars stacked in line we decided that it would be best to order our food inside.
When we go in, we don't see a long line of people, however, we do see a few patrons sitting on the benches near the register with long, tired faces. We didn't think much of it because it was late. We figured these people had a day, and night, filled with the same activities as we had. We later found out that this was not the case.
After we ordered our food, we decided to take a seat with our number on the plastic orange and white number card in hand. We chatted a little while about how great the fireworks were and how good it was to see everyone. However, after about ten minutes of waiting we realized that we haven't been called with our order yet. And those patrons who were there before us were still there waiting for their food to come out.
This wait was very unusual for this particular location. Usually, they are fast in getting you and your order out the door. It was then that we started paying attention to the other customers ranting and complaining about not having their food yet. It had seemed that one too many employees had called in on the night shift and there were only three employees working.
There were about 4 people in front of us who had been waiting on their food for what was almost 20 minutes. Each of them demanding not just their food, but also their money back. The manager on duty was as apologetic as she could be and issued each one of them a refund on top of their ordered meal. Now, I do understand that waiting 20 minutes under normal circumstances can seem a bit absurd when you order from a fast food restaurant. But in this case, I can see why it took so long. There were only 3 people working! That's 3 entire people working the drive-thru, the front register, and the fryer. Of course there's going to be a wait. Granted, management should have reconsidered their schedule when allowing those people who called in or asked for the day off. But as a patron, is it that hard to give management a benefit of the doubt?
I think my husband and I were the only ones who didn't ask for a refund with our meal. In fact, while the manager on duty was getting ready to leave (she had already been there for 12 hours and had to be back in 10 hours later) we talked to her and joked around with her trying to make her feel better. It was obvious that it had been a rough night for her and she was ready to bolt out of there. We both felt bad for her and her staff because of the hassle we witnessed the other customers giving them.
Now, I'm not saying that this kind of service should be acceptable all the time. It obviously wouldn't be fitting during lunch hour when management knows they are going to be busy. However, in instances like this where business is usually slow but the one night you go in and the wait is longer than usual, try to have some patience with the food staff. I'm sure they are not trying to keep you there just for the entertainment value. Just take a deep breath, converse with your friends or loved ones, play with your iPhone, and when you meal is finally ready at least say thank you even if it isn't with a smile. At least the staff feels somewhat appreciated for the burger and fries that they made for you.
