high maintenance customer anxiety – (n.) a feeling of terror felt by a customer caused by making too many requests or provisions during a customer-server interaction.
Before starting zero waste, I avoided being a high maintenance customer at all costs.
I’ve never worked in the food industry, but I know how horrible customers can be. My minimum wage jobs centered around cutting fabric by the yard, selling Hallmark cards, and stocking clothing at department stores, so I’ve had my fair share of customers who drive you mad. I also know how jarring it can be even when a polite customer makes a high maintenance request.
As a result, watching yourself become that high maintenance customer is a Jekyll-Hyde experience.
It starts off innocent enough: you bring your own coffee mug into a cafe or ask for a water with no straw at a restaurant.
Then your request snowballs into asking for no lemon slice or beverage napkin, or any napkin for that matter, even for your meal–you brought your own, you say, flourishing your makeshift cloth of choice (handkerchief, washrag, etc.) to quell your waiter’s uneasiness. Then you finish eating, but there’s still food on your plate and your kind waiter asks if you would like a to-go box. And since you’re short on grocery money due to this eating out splurge, you decide it may be worth a second leftover meal if they have a paper or other compostable takeaway container. The waiter checks for you and says they only have plastic, recyclable containers. Will that work? You sit there for a full seven seconds (count ’em! 7!) considering, while your waiter stands there nonplussed. Finally you say, no–that’s alright. But thank you! Your waiter gives a thin smile (most likely the last polite effort you’ll receive) and walks away.
But that’s not the end. If you’re like me, that’s never the end.
What follows this encounter is mounting anxiety about what you did wrong, how you could have handled it better, and general feelings of frustration that the system is so trash-positive as to make any causal public experience a headache.
If you experience these symptoms, I’ve picked up on a few habits that make dealing with high maintenance customer anxiety easier. They’re sure not a cure-all, but they definitely help tone down the side effects.
How to Manage High Maintenance Customer Anxiety
1. Breathe
In addition to the waves of worry that may come in the next half hour, you may also experience some degree of awkwardness, annoyance, even straight up anger. Focus on your breathing to keep yourself calm.
2. Don’t be a dick.
I’ve never worked in a restaurant, but I have heard stories from peers about dunking chicken in the toilet before putting it in the deep fryer when some jerk gives them enough hell.
In the service industry, putting yourself on autopilot is all a part of getting through monotonous tasks. And since autopilot can make a sudden change in routine jarring and annoying. There’s a good chance you’ll be faced with a less-than-thrilled server when you make a zero waste request.
At this point, the very worst thing you can do is get angry–or even annoyed–back.
3. Explain why you’re making these bizarre requests.
The service industry is fraught with customers, managers, and owners going on power trips just because they can. It’s enough to make anyone paranoid and bitter when customers start asking for things they’ve never encountered before.
Usually, a logical explanation like “I’m trying to cut back on my trash, so I brought my own napkin” is a good way to quell the server’s insecurities and make them feel like they’re doing a good thing by helping you out.
4. Always say thank you.
Whether or not they deserve it is beside the point. Working in the service industry is often a thankless job. If they help you, this person is doing you a favor by going out of their way to meet your needs. If they don’t, you’re letting them know that you understand how difficult their job is.
5. Let them know that they’re awesome.
If they do or try to help you out, they’ve exhibited more care and effort than they would for the average customer. Let them know that they’ve gone above and beyond the line of duty.
6. Go Easy on Yourself
If for some reason things don’t work out during your high maintenance requests, give yourself points for doing all you could. Yoda was a jerk; at least you tried.
7. Don’t Give Up
If you have an awkward experience or two, try again next time. Practice makes habit, and before long it won’t feel as weird making high maintenance requests in a way that makes both you and the server feel comfortable.