restaurant defends worker with autism against rude customers
ASPartOfMe
Veteran
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Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 67
Gender: Male
Posts: 36,851
Location: Long Island, New York
“Ryan is one of the most dedicated employees I have ever had the privilege of working with,” he wrote. “Your comments and treatment of Ryan, his mother (another great employee), and my other servers that day is unacceptable. PLEASE do not come back to The Windward," owner Mort Nase wrote on the restaurant's Facebook page.
Nase told New Jersey 101.5 that he didn't write the post to promote the restaurant in Brick or himself but to show support for Ryan, 21, who is on the autism spectrum.
"People such as Ryan are very regimented and these two women who came in sat down near the bar. I guess they wanted to relax a while and Ryan came by to grab their menus because he thought they were done," Nase said. "The server tried to explain that they weren't being rushed and that Ryan is Ryan and he's a little bit on the spectrum."
Nase said the women told the server that perhaps Ryan shouldn't work in a restaurant. Ryan's mother stopped at the table to speak with the women and apologized on behalf of Ryan.
The women’s reply was 'am I supposed to feel bad now because your son is autistic,'" Nase said.
Nase said he was not in the restaurant when the incident took place.
"I have their names and I have their pictures but I would never stoop that low to post it," Nase said. "Had I been here I would have personally thrown them out."
He never expected the incident to get the attention it did with nearly 4,000 views of the post and over 500 comments. Nase said he showed Ryan the comments, most of which were supportive of him.
"All Ryan could concentrate on was that two women didn't like him and that just shows you how sweet and sincere the kid is," Nase said.
A reminder that pro autistic activism need not be about the big disability rights organizations and big broad questions such as how do you define autism.
_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
It is why I dissagreed with the saying that "The customer is always right" policies.
I was told off for questioning such a policy but I had to say the truth. The customer is not always right.
ASPartOfMe
Veteran
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Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 67
Gender: Male
Posts: 36,851
Location: Long Island, New York
I was told off for questioning such a policy but I had to say the truth. The customer is not always right.
What is meant by “the customer is always right” is treat the customer as if they are always right not that they are literally always right. In other words stroke the customers ego so they pay the restaurant rather the being right and that money still belonging to said customer. Good for the owner that he chose his employee over money.
_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
I am glad that Ryan is employed and has people looking out for him because it's important on the contrary, I have mixed feelings the way the women responded to the staff.
- They probably implied that the restaurant was using his autism as an excuse to get away with poor costumer service. In a way I agree, I think too many people are overly emphasizing autism. Rather, it would have probably would have been more appropriate to let them complain without mentioning that he has autism. Instead, the managers could have taught him social skills.
As for the snide comments related to the women at the restaurant, it sounds like they were just upset.
I was told off for questioning such a policy but I had to say the truth. The customer is not always right.
What is meant by “the customer is always right” is treat the customer as if they are always right not that they are literally always right. In other words stroke the customers ego so they pay the restaurant rather the being right and that money still belonging to said customer. Good for the owner that he chose his employee over money.
I was told off once when I gave exact examples that had happened to me of when the customer was clearly at fault. They said "The customer is always right" and I said "How come they did this or that then?" and I was told again that the customer is always right. It puzzled me. I was thinking my deputy manageress was going a little loopy!
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