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Transaction Denied!!!

There is no greater karma than for a customer who has been nothing but rude, give me their credit card to pay for their bill, I swipe it, and then these sweet words appear on the computer screen:

DECLINED

It's one of the few things that is completely out-of-your-server's hands, but so gratifying when it does happen.  And let me repeat what I said in the fourth sentence of this post, "It's one of the few things that is completely out-of-the-server's hands."  Which means, that we (the servers) don't have any control of whether or not your credit card is approved, or not approved, for the transaction.

Remember when you forgot to deposit your paycheck, and then the automatic payment for your credit card went through on the 5th of the month from your bank.  But wait... there were insufficient funds due to the lack of your paycheck deposit.  Therefore leading to an NSF fee from your bank, and now a late charge on your credit card has been assessed.  What's worse?  Now you have a negative point on your credit report, and your credit card company STILL doesn't have their money.  So then they decide (your credit card company) that they don't want you to spend any more money on credit until you give them the money that you owe them.  (GOSH DARN IT !!!)

But you didn't think of this when you sent back the bottle of wine that you ordered, without even trying it.  Or when you demanded appetizers for the entire table even though you mispronounced everything you ordered.  Or when you waved and snapped at me from across the restaurant because one of the girls at the table needed a paper napkin to spit out her gum.  Or when you asked me, "What are you?  One of those actors, too?"  No, you weren't thinking.

But you were thinking of showing off and paying for the entire table when you gave me your credit card.  I ran your card and walked back to your table with the same check presenter, looking the same way from when I picked it up off of the table moments before and said,

"Sir, would you like to try another card?"

"No.  I want to use the one I gave you," you tell me as you take back your bunk credit card.  "What's the problem?!"

"No problem sir.  I just need another form of payment."

"What the hell happened with the transaction?" you demanded to know.

"Transaction denied!"

Until next time... Server's don't pay their rent with compliments.

"Bitter.  Party of 1?  Your table is ready."


The Bitter Bistro






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