Ah! Yes ~ https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f8c4d99c45a1fc4810e2ec715804eddb4d2ce403457561981b9f2fbe0e46f0d0.png
A Public will attempt to ‘handle or disconnect’.
And for myself, I will manage as best i can & remain open to conversation, maybe learn a thing or 2. 🙂
See you around Rafiki.

Hey, Qb! Funny how sometimes you can answer your own question just by talking about it.

Scientologists who know that you oppose Scientology would probably
try to either “handle or disconnect” as taught in the PTS/SP course,
which is usually sold (along with the Purif) to all who continue past
the introductory courses. They would try to get you to “read a book,”
they would keep to safe subjects and refuse to hear “entheta,” or they might ask for another server or take their business elsewhere. This
doesn’t seem to describe your customers.

I’m fresh out of ideas. Maybe the mystery cannot be solved without getting to know them better outside of a work setting. They don’t sound like the kind of people that you would like to know better, however, so hopefully that is avoidable. There is just no explaining some people.

Seems like you have the situation well under control. So, no worries!

hey there grundoon, thank you for your reply. seriously, TY.

I’ve written a long answer in return but… blah! Bah! Gah!
It’s just too much.

Interesting how writing something out helps a person to make sense of a thing while they are actually writing it out. oh ha.
I got a lot of good information last night from the board.
(even from newbie, Baaadabing, heh ~:)
Keeping it all in mind & considering it carefully.

tl;dr version, to answer your Qs:

Yes, I have met & am familiar with all kinds of ‘unpleasant’ folks. They are not in the majority in my experience as a restaurant worker… most ppl I meet are, dare I say it, beautiful & interesting. But I must also say the ‘icky’ ones are always … memorable. Thankfully, I’ve had very few conflicts with our customers over the years. I have served 10s of thousands.
(real # there, not scn maths)

It doesn’t feel like teasing to me. I usually brush it off as best I can employing all managing techniques mentioned by you & others here as well as in my RL.
I will continue to: Stay professional and will try very hard to not let them get to me. no kidding.
Been playing it as cool as possible for a long time.

My boss knows everything. We are friends; chosen family.
The couple has not voiced their complaint to her directly.
So no, “I must speak to the owner of this establishment NOW
about this Q!”
They never seem angry or upset with me when they’re in my section. In fact, it seems the opposite. Smiles all around. Happy to see me. Wanting to talk. Asking pointed questions… hard not to answer direct questions, you know, no matter what the subject matter. They require much attention. Then, Cheerio ~ off they go! Ta-tah! C ya next time!
weird, that. That’s what has me perplexed, grundoon.

No, no apologies have been asked for nor issued by any party.
In the big picture, this is really not that big-a-deal.
(only to me)

yeesh, this one got long too. sorry for that. 😛

Anyhoo, when I next see them, be assured that I will be as convivial as I always am. I may very well be able to offer an apology myself… and a sincere promise to never bring the subject up again…

to them.

😉

eta: They know I don’t like Scn. Who does?
That’s clear between us I think, that I do not support this organization.

Maybe they think you like Scientology because you talked about it once and seemed to know a lot about it? They’ve heard Scn is bad but they didn’t pick up on the fact that you are not a supporter? – and they are harassing you for it?

Or, maybe it’s what they consider their sense of humor. They “joke” by speaking in opposites. If they met you 5 times in one day they would say, “How come I never see you any more?” They’ve noticed Scn seems to be a tender subject (because you avoid talking about it), and it amuses them to tease you about it (by saying you talk too much about it). You laugh it off, so they think you are amused too.

Or, maybe when they meet someone, they forget the name but pick one characteristic to remember. When they see the person again, they’ll remember that one thing and repeat it or use it like a nickname. For as long as they know the person they will always do this and never learn their right name.

(I have friends and relatives like the people I’ve described above. Doesn’t everyone?)

Or maybe they are just unpleasant people who try to make themselves big
by trying to make other people small. When they think they have found a
tender spot, they poke it to get a response. Stay professional and don’t
let them get to you.

If any of the above is true, Scn is probably not of any real significance to them. Then you could laugh off their comments or joke with them. Try to make sure your boss understands the situation.

Supposing they did actually want to talk about Scn, I’d say it is best not to discuss it while you are on the job. Say “I never talk about politics or religion” and stick to it.

What does your boss tell them when they make their complaint? Do they seem angry or upset? Does your boss apologize? Does your boss want you to apologize?

grundoon. If i may.

Some history on this couple that comes in every winter.
3 years ago, when I met them for the 1st time, the conversation was a really good Q&A, I thought. Lively talk, good convo about many things, not just Scn.
I enjoy it, I thought they did too. Talkin’ over beers on a slow night.
Couple of weeks later, they’re back & the bar/restaurant is full & I’m busy & I can’t talk much with them. He actually yells over the din at the bar, “Well, Q’s a scientologist, just ask her about it!”
My regulars laugh, I laugh, “yeah, right!” to the whole bar. I say nothing to them directly.
and that’s that.

Folks do not pay me, their server, they pay their check up @ the front desk, on the way out.
This time, however, they tell the cashier, “Q talks too much about Scn.”
Whoa – I didn’t say a thing that night. But alrighty then… I took the feedback.
I decide of course to never again bring it up with them. Easy to do as my job is to keep our guests comfortable, see… I’m fairly diplomatic. I’ve been doing this for 22 years.

My boss/friend advises me exactly as Anion did. Do not engage beyond “What can I get you?” etc. Keep it light & professional. Keep smiling. So I do. They are rather unpleasant to serve, rude, abrupt, impatient ppl. So say my employees, and I understand bc i serve them sometimes too, and agree. But, what the hey?! We serve all kinds of ppl… happy, sad, angry, tired, young, old, impaired, this, that, what have you. It’s The Public! We never know what they’re gonna bring to the party. You get ppl what they want with a smile. You have to. That’s the job. It’s what we do.
We have beaucoup return customers, btw. nice, that.

So, for a long time now, every time they come in, when I do talk to them, they bring it up.
I kid you not, grundoon, I willfully, purposely talk about other things… and i am real good about steering the subjects, changing them, telling jokes, walking away to do other work, asking other servers to take them for me, etc… with lots of “So, ya think it will snow?” “How are the trails?” “Did you see any wildlife?” “Would you like another beer?” “How was your summer?” “Those new sleds ya got there?” chit-chat. stupid talk. banter. bar talk. I have actively avoided them AND the subject. I have often succeeded over the years.
Yet every time they pay their bill, they complain about me taking about Scn too much.
It happened again just 2 days ago. It’s weird & i don’t like it.

Here’s the rub: They get to be in the free speech zone, as customers they can say whatever they want. Me, I gotta song&dance it with them. I gotta serve them, answer their questions.
BUT NOT ABOUT SCN.

WTH, man?! If he doesn’t want me to talk about it, why does he always bring it up?
I don’t get it. It makes me think they are scientologists but won’t admit it & they want me to shut up about Scn. Hence, my question to the board.

ok. that’s it. thanks for listening.

I’m behind on my blog reading so I just got to this today. Couldn’t the Garcias request (to the judge) that the cherch define “Scientologist in good standing” so that they would be able to select arbiters? Then, if they selected people who met that criteria and the cherch STILL said they weren’t actually in good standing, the Garcias could go back to the judge to demonstrate the arbitration process is a scam. As it stands now, the cherch will find any reason to find any person unsuitable if it’s not who they want.

Glad you like it!

Here you go! Let me know if you want me to change anything.

https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/65b8b07d33bf7aaacee1c19bcf8cb84b7be6a301244e415822444f0fbd9b8652.jpg

Thank you :-*

Thank you! :-*