A little while ago (back in September) I wrote about how the grumpy waiter got lucky. I’d gone to a café with a friend. I was grumpy. The waiter was grumpier.
When I pointed this out she said, “You watch. I’m going to make him smile before we leave.”
And she did.
Here are some of the comments I received at the time:
Awesome!!
OK Ms Pizer, you made me smile 🙂 , while sitting in 1 and a half hours of traffic, I didn’t even recognize when the traffic started moving again. I’m in a better mood.
Thank you.
I enjoyed reading your story and will definitely apply that method of communication with someone grumpy in the future! Awesome 🙂
Making the grumpy waiter smile is a great pay-it-forward kind of game – with anyone who’s grumpy. It’s fun, it’s free, and everyone ends up in a better mood.
I’ve been playing it myself lately.
I went into the local ‘inconvenience’ store. That’s what the lady behind the counter likes to call it. She says they seem to always be out of stock of something.
She was grumpy that day. I set to work.
While she was making my coffee, the banter went something like this:
Me: “How was your weekend?”
Grumpy: “I made a cake.”
Me: “What kind of cake?”
Grumpy: “A big cake. I’m a professional cake maker.”
Me: “Oh, who for?”
Grumpy: “X and Y” (top caterers here in Melbourne)
Me: “You must be really good!”
Grumpy: “Here’s your coffee.”
Me: I pay and say, smiling, “Got a piece of cake here for me now?”
Grumpy: “No.” After a couple of seconds she added, “Want to see some photos though?”
Me: “Sure.”
I got something way better than a piece of cake. I discovered I was in the presence of a true cake master.
The photos were of cakes she’d mainly made for corporate functions. They were so realistic I couldn’t believe were actually cakes:
- A bottle of Chanel #5
- A Rolex watch (which told the time – the only non-edible part)
- The Death Star (a wedding cake for a die hard Star Wars fan, complete with flashing lights)
- A horse’s head (for the Victorian Racing Carnival, not the Mob)
- A set of Louis Vuitton suitcases.
Talk about getting lucky! It was such a delightful surprise. I asked if she’d make me a cake. She just smiled.
A couple of days later Vincent one-upped her.
Vincent is someone I am very grateful to. Along with a generous stranger who let me use his phone.
I’d left my mobile phone on a tram. It took me half an hour to realise it. I had a little panic and then approached a stranger and asked if he’d mind if I tried to call my phone because I was pretty sure I’d left it on the tram. He smiled and handed me his phone. Lucky for me Vincent answered, “Are you the owner?”.
Even luckier for me was that he was fairly close by. I met up with Vincent and me and my phone were reunited. It was a very happy ending.
If you get the chance (and I’m sure you will) I really do recommend you try making the grumpy waiter smile. And if you do, let me know how you go.
