Backhaus, a bakery in San Mateo, recently captured the frustration that many in the service industry have been feeling lately.
"If people working in the hospitality industry continue to be treated poorly, they will leave the industry (and rightfully so!) - it is already happening," Backhaus co-owner Anne Moser wrote in an Instagram post urging customers to treat service workers better. "We are here to serve you, it’s what we love doing! But do not abuse this perceived power dynamic - we all deserve to be treated with respect, dignity, and kindness."
And the post has since garnered almost 2,000 likes and dozens of comments from other service workers and those just voicing support, adding a face to the burnout many in the industry are dealing with.
Moser was motivated to write the post after a specific incident at the shop, when a customer was rude to one of their workers, and made a comment at the speed in which she was working.
"We know how hard they work and how much love they put into what they do and what they’ve been through over the last months, year now, of the pandemic, it hits really close to home," she said.
She wanted to stick up for the employee. "When we work really really hard to do everything right and when someone is responding in an unkind way because they are not happy, it makes us really protective of our team."
It reminded her of a previous time when she carefully explained their policies to an angry customer who wound up responding positively. She wanted to share again, "What our experience has been like in the hospitality industry."
The response has been lovely, said Moser. Many customers have reached out to thank them, and other restaurants and bakeries.
"They didn’t really know how difficult it has been for people in the industry," she said.
It’s especially important for customers to understand the other side of this as the shop, and many other establishments are still understaffed because of the pandemic.
"It’s a constant burden," she said, especially before vaccinations were widespread, to serve up to hundreds of customers and then go home and feel a cough coming on. "We’re always a little scared."
Moser’s message is simple, to customers coming in and getting frustrated by long lines, or perceived slowness of the staff, "just take a deep breath."
"Think about what it’s like for the person on the other side," she said.
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