SC - Feeding servers

[Vanishwood@aol.com]

Terri Millette wrote:
> 
> So, is it just me or does anyone else get ticked off when people
> complain that you made stuff they can't eat, they never notified you
> of their requirements, and even if they did, it is so one person
> specific?  I figure if they're that way out why didn't they bring
> their own food instead of expecting me to cater to one persons needs
> 
> Fiona

I agree this is a problem: I don't know that getting ticked off helps
much, so I usually leave that to the people who haven't helped me help
them, and who are therefore <expletive deleted> out of luck. My name,
mailing address, home phone number, and e-mail address are printed in
each event notice when I'm cooking, so there really is no excuse for
anyone not contacting me in advance to discuss special requirements,
with the possible exception of someone who literally doesn't know until
the morning of the event that they can attend. In a case like that, I
may or may not be able to accomodate such people, but I don't worry too
much about it if I can't, and so far nobody has suggested I ought to
consider myself responsible for such vagaries of fate.

Here's what does tick me off: while I always do whatever I can to
accomodate vegetarians, people with allergies, and a wide spectrum of
other special-needs cases (recently I did a fairly bad job at
accomodating some people who keep fairly conservative Kosher, but they
didn't warn me in advance of service, let alone before the day, that
they were coming and had special needs), I have no patience at all for
people who, frankly, either lie about allergies (yes, this sounds odd
but they do exist in the SCA, generally in the form of people claiming
to be allergic to all foods they don't like) or claim allergies to the
wrong things and then blame the cooks for their reactions, genuine or
otherwise. 

Now, as I say, I do accomodate allergy cases whenever I'm able, and do
my best to accomodate alleged allergies without question of authenticity
(I don't have time to argue while working), and I also post and maintain
accurate ingredients lists, so that even those who don't contact me in
advance have a chance of eating something without getting sick. I
wouldn't want my impatience with the people who require special
attention without having legitimate special needs to suggest I'm not
sympathetic to those with genuine special needs. Genuine allergy
sufferers (myself, my wife, and my son among them) should assume I'm not
talking about them. 
   
Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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