nter, pay for it, and then take it to your table. All they keep on the tables is salt and pepper, so customers have to get everything else they need from a service area. The service area has ice, a soda machine, iced tea, water, napkins, cutlery, sugar, milk, and anything else you would need (except, of course, for salt and pepper, because, as I saBefore I get started on this article, I’d like to say goodbye to the phrase, at the end of the day, because, at the end of the day, the phrase is still there, taunting me. I don’t want to say it anymore and I’m sick of hearing it, quite frankly. Lately, whenever I hear someone use that phrase, I almost burst out laughing. And I don’t want to do that. That would be rude. So, instead, I stifle the laugh and work hard to not smile. If I smiled they would wonder why I’m smiling. They know they didn’t say anything funny. (Is she laughing at me? Why, yes, I am, because, at the end of the day, I’m sick and tired of that phrase.) So I don’t even smile.

**Sigh**

Okay, back to Customer Service Flops at a Restaurant!

On a Saturday, I wanted to get out of the house to do some writing, to get a change of atmosphere and to perhaps be inspired by different surroundings.

I headed to Borders Books, but they didn’t have enough tables; all were taken. (They’ve had room for more tables for a few years, but haven’t figured that out yet! Or maybe they have, but they don’t want more tables to clean.)

So I went to a place called Corner Bakery. This is an old-fashioned-inspired place owned by a local chain of restaurants. While the other restaurants owned by the chain are sit-down places, Corner Bakery is a walk-up style restaurant where you order your food at a counter, pay for it, and then take it to your table. All they keep on the tables is salt and pepper, so customers have to get everything else they need from a service area. The service area has ice, a soda machine, iced tea, water, napkins, cutlery, sugar, milk, and anything else you would need (except, of course, for salt and pepper, because, as I sa

at. That would be rude. So, instead, I stifle the laugh and work hard to not smile. If I smiled they would wonder why I’m smiling. They know they didn’t say anything funny. (Is she laughing at me? Why, yes, I am, because, at the end of the day, I’m sick and tired of that phrase.) So I don’t even smile.

**Sigh**

Okay, back to Customer Service Flops at a Restaurant!

On a Saturday, I wanted to get out of the house to do some writing, to get a change of atmosphere and to perhaps be inspired by different surroundings.

I headed to Borders Books, but they didn’t have enough tables; all were taken. (They’ve had room for more tables for a few years, but haven’t figured that out yet! Or maybe they have, but they don’t want more tables to clean.)

So I went to a place called Corner Bakery. This is an old-fashioned-inspired place owned by a local chain of restaurants. While the other restaurants owned by the chain are sit-down places, Corner Bakery is a walk-up style restaurant where you order your food at a counter, pay for it, and then take it to your table. All they keep on the tables is salt and pepper, so customers have to get everything else they need from a service area. The service area has ice, a soda machine, iced tea, water, napkins, cutlery, sugar, milk, and anything else you would need (except, of course, for salt and pepper, because, as I sa

mer Service Flops at a Restaurant!

On a Saturday, I wanted to get out of the house to do some writing, to get a change of atmosphere and to perhaps be inspired by different surroundings.

I headed to Borders Books, but they didn’t have enough tables; all were taken. (They’ve had room for more tables for a few years, but haven’t figured that out yet! Or maybe they have, but they don’t want more tables to clean.)

So I went to a place called Corner Bakery. This is an old-fashioned-inspired place owned by a local chain of restaurants. While the other restaurants owned by the chain are sit-down places, Corner Bakery is a walk-up style restaurant where you order your food at a counter, pay for it, and then take it to your table. All they keep on the tables is salt and pepper, so customers have to get everything else they need from a service area. The service area has ice, a soda machine, iced tea, water, napkins, cutlery, sugar, milk, and anything else you would need (except, of course, for salt and pepper, because, as I sa

hat out yet! Or maybe they have, but they don’t want more tables to clean.)

So I went to a place called Corner Bakery. This is an old-fashioned-inspired place owned by a local chain of restaurants. While the other restaurants owned by the chain are sit-down places, Corner Bakery is a walk-up style restaurant where you order your food at a counter, pay for it, and then take it to your table. All they keep on the tables is salt and pepper, so customers have to get everything else they need from a service area. The service area has ice, a soda machine, iced tea, water, napkins, cutlery, sugar, milk, and anything else you would need (except, of course, for salt and pepper, because, as I sa

nter, pay for it, and then take it to your table. All they keep on the tables is salt and pepper, so customers have to get everything else they need from a service area. The service area has ice, a soda machine, iced tea, water, napkins, cutlery, sugar, milk, and anything else you would need (except, of course, for salt and pepper, because, as I said, that’s all you find on their tables).

I asked the woman taking my order if they served their tea in pots, and she replied that she didn’t know what I meant. So I asked another employee, who said they did not have teapots. (Border’s does!) They knew I was there for here (not to go), but my tea was served in a take-out cup. I also ordered something to eat. They handed everything to me over the cash register. I set it down while I put my change back into my wallet, and then I looked around for a tray. (I recalled using a tray every other time I was there.) I didn’t see any trays.

So I asked the two employees behind the counter if they had any trays. They both said no. Hmm. What happened to the trays? Well, one employee said, when they remodeled the kitchen and ordering area, they got rid of the trays.

So I had to pick up the items I purchased, bring them to a table, then go back to the service area to get flatware, napkins, etc., and bring that back to the table.

Being a tea person who likes to have her tea just so, next, I brought my take-out tea cup to the service area for milk and sugar. After pouring some milk in the cup and breaking open a sugar packet, I deposited the used sugar packet in the garbage slot conveniently located on the counter of the service area (just like Starbucks!). Then I grabbed a spoon, stirred the