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Terrorising Gelatissimo

DeeDeeMee

Just had to share this with everyone. So I think I may have traumatised a server at Gelatissimo last night.... Back story is that my hubby and I went out last night to see Avengers and we'd planned it so that we had plenty of time to have dinner first. After our meal we still had a little bit of time left so hubby suggests we go for a short walk and as we pass Gelatissimo asks me if I feel like some.

Now I rarely do feel like ice cream, but he must have been tuned in to something because I responded with yes, actually, I could really go a little bit of gelato right now.

Knowing that what I really mean is that I want a spoonful of gelato that I can lick slowly and maybe abandon halfway through he spies the smallest cups and says "look, they have tiny ones". Oooooo...! And Boysenberry flavour! I'm sold.

These cups are maybe 50ml. Not teeny but small, and I'm thinking that maybe they're for samples and I'll have to ask especially for one. Not so! As we're standing there waiting we watch them prep one for another customer and they CRAM them full of gelato and pile them high above the rim like something from a demented sci fi movie.

Omg.

Hubby hears my internal gibbering and says "I'm sure you can ask for one that's just full to the rim." So I do. And he clarifies further for the server. OK, no problem, they can do that.

So I watch in horror as they stuff this little cup full and with maybe 4cm of gelato piled on top of it she asks me if that's enough. Uh... No.... Please scoop it off at rim level. "Like this?" Uh.... No... RIM level. She's starting to freak out. I'm making chopping motions with my hands.

I finally accepted the cup with a little less than a cm of gelato hanging over the top of it. The server was really weirded out, I don't know if they get told off for not filling those cups high enough but she was really uncomfortable with it. People probably do complain, and they wonder why there's an obesity epidemic.

Gelato was lovely, VERY sweet. I actually ate most of it. Should hold me off for the next six months. 😊

Replies

Seffell

I eat icecream at least once a day everyday. nom nom.

Phirrgus

Great story. I always make sure to terrorize low wage servers over food I can simply choose to not eat. Disaster averted.

NextRightThing714

I always think it's funny when people point to one instance of over serving and cry, "See! Obesity epidemic!" It's far more complicated than that, and those who are nutrition and calorie literate should realize that you can eat gelato and also be healthy.

What doesn't seem healthy is allowing food to cause you so much stress. It's gelato, not the plague.

aokoye

Or you could have accepted it as is and not eaten the entire thing. I'm more than willing to bet that the server was directed by their manager to fill the containers as high as they did and would be disciplined had she not done so on a regular basis. You could have also shared the portion that you didn't want with your husband. Last night my mom and I went out for a pre-birthday dinner and we shared a single scoop of sherbert (that was in a bowl with rhubarb compote and candied pistachios). It worked out just fine.

I realize that both of these options (not eating all of the gelato you're served and planning on sharing it with someone else) take some amount of self control depending on what you're used to. That said, that amount of self control is worth it for not having to deal with "terrorising" people who are serving you and not having to deal with your own "internal gibbering" because you can't find a small enough sized serving.

pinuplove

Wouldn't that be a bit like being served an ice cream cone with the ice cream leveled off at the top of the cone? Usually it's expected that the container will be filled and rounded up. Poor girl is probably more used to being berated for making servings too small versus the opposite (although blaming the obesity epidemic on that is a bit of a stretch).

Maybe next time just have a spoonful of hubby's and spare the server behind the counter.

Phirrgus

pinuplove wrote: »

Wouldn't that be a bit like being served an ice cream cone with the ice cream leveled off at the top of the cone? Usually it's expected that the container will be filled and rounded up. Poor girl is probably more used to being berated for making servings too small versus the opposite (although blaming the obesity epidemic on that is a bit of a stretch).

Maybe next time just have a spoonful of hubby's and spare the server behind the counter.

Somewhat on topic and in defense of the girl making the serving - we humans can get downright nasty when we're customers. Most waiters, servers that I've known personally just don't get paid enough to deal with that kind of nastiness.

Oh, I would always enjoy an extra scoop of ice cream on my cone, even if it's sliding off

pinuplove

Phirrgus wrote: »

pinuplove wrote: »

Wouldn't that be a bit like being served an ice cream cone with the ice cream leveled off at the top of the cone? Usually it's expected that the container will be filled and rounded up. Poor girl is probably more used to being berated for making servings too small versus the opposite (although blaming the obesity epidemic on that is a bit of a stretch).

Maybe next time just have a spoonful of hubby's and spare the server behind the counter.

Somewhat on topic and in defense of the girl making the serving - we humans can get downright nasty when we're customers. Most waiters, servers that I've known personally just don't get paid enough to deal with that kind of nastiness.

Oh, I would always enjoy an extra scoop of ice cream on my cone, even if it's sliding off

I spent enough time working the drive through window in a fast food restaurant to know exactly how the person on the other side of the counter feels. Not saying the OP was nasty, but yeah. People can be.

Some places will actually turn your cone upside down into a cup so that doesn't happen. So thoughtful of them!

nutmegoreo

Their advertising seems to suggest that serving cups are filled above the rim:

If your inner dialogue around diet is such that it is traumatizing random strangers who are serving you (and seems to be having an effect on hubby too), then maybe it's time to reconsider your approach. It shouldn't be this stressful for you, never mind those around you.

snickerscharlie

aokoye wrote: »

Or you could have accepted it as is and not eaten the entire thing. I'm more than willing to bet that the server was directed by their manager to fill the containers as high as they did and would be disciplined had she not done so on a regular basis. You could have also shared the portion that you didn't want with your husband. Last night my mom and I went out for a pre-birthday dinner and we shared a single scoop of sherbert (that was in a bowl with rhubarb compote and candied pistachios). It worked out just fine.

I realize that both of these options (not eating all of the gelato you're served and planning on sharing it with someone else) take some amount of self control depending on what you're used to. That said, that amount of self control is worth it for not having to deal with "terrorising" people who are serving you and not having to deal with your own "internal gibbering" because you can't find a small enough sized serving.

This. Portion size is mandated by the company, not the poor minimum wage person behind the counter. This is done so that no one can claim that they got ripped off and didn't get what they paid for.

glassyo

I don't know why people are getting on the OP. She tried to get the portion size she knew she could deal with, and when she couldn't, ate more than she'd planned AND had a good sense of humor about it all.

I also don't believe she set out to terrorize the worker.

I get it. Some people don't have the self control to share (or are alone) or not eat it all. When I first started getting cones at McDonalds (seriously love their ice cream for some reason) and saw how much ice cream they put in it, I asked if that was a machine thing or if could they stop it when they wanted. Got my answer so then asked if they would give me maybe half as much ice cream as they normally would the next time I got one. Some servers would still go a little overboard tho.

I stopped into a new frozen yogurt shop where you couldn't serve yourself and asked if they weighed the portions and then asked if it was possible not to get the full amount they normally serve.

When counting calories, you do what you have to to stay on track and try not to be psycho about it in the process.

apullum

glassyo wrote: »

I don't know why people are getting on the OP. She tried to get the portion size she knew she could deal with, and when she couldn't, ate more than she'd planned AND had a good sense of humor about it all.

I also don't believe she set out to terrorize the worker.

I get it. Some people don't have the self control to share (or are alone) or not eat it all. When I first started getting cones at McDonalds (seriously love their ice cream for some reason) and saw how much ice cream they put in it, I asked if that was a machine thing or if could they stop it when they wanted. Got my answer so then asked if they would give me maybe half as much ice cream as they normally would the next time I got one. Some servers would still go a little overboard tho.

I stopped into a new frozen yogurt shop where you couldn't serve yourself and asked if they weighed the portions and then asked if it was possible not to get the full amount they normally serve.

When counting calories, you do what you have to to stay on track and try not to be psycho about it in the process.

I think people are pointing out that when the OP recognized that the worker was "starting to freak out" and was "really uncomfortable with it," OP should have stopped there rather than continuing to push the worker to do something that was clearly not okay.

mph323

glassyo wrote: »

I don't know why people are getting on the OP. She tried to get the portion size she knew she could deal with, and when she couldn't, ate more than she'd planned AND had a good sense of humor about it all.

I also don't believe she set out to terrorize the worker.

I get it. Some people don't have the self control to share (or are alone) or not eat it all. When I first started getting cones at McDonalds (seriously love their ice cream for some reason) and saw how much ice cream they put in it, I asked if that was a machine thing or if could they stop it when they wanted. Got my answer so then asked if they would give me maybe half as much ice cream as they normally would the next time I got one. Some servers would still go a little overboard tho.

I stopped into a new frozen yogurt shop where you couldn't serve yourself and asked if they weighed the portions and then asked if it was possible not to get the full amount they normally serve.

When counting calories, you do what you have to to stay on track and try not to be psycho about it in the process.

I think the problem with the OP is that after asking for the smaller amount and realizing that the server didn't understand or was just not trained to do what was asked, she kept pushing so that the server was subject to public embarrassment. It sounds like you asked for what you wanted, most of the time got it, and when you didn't just went with the flow.

glassyo

mph323 wrote: »

glassyo wrote: »

I don't know why people are getting on the OP. She tried to get the portion size she knew she could deal with, and when she couldn't, ate more than she'd planned AND had a good sense of humor about it all.

I also don't believe she set out to terrorize the worker.

I get it. Some people don't have the self control to share (or are alone) or not eat it all. When I first started getting cones at McDonalds (seriously love their ice cream for some reason) and saw how much ice cream they put in it, I asked if that was a machine thing or if could they stop it when they wanted. Got my answer so then asked if they would give me maybe half as much ice cream as they normally would the next time I got one. Some servers would still go a little overboard tho.

I stopped into a new frozen yogurt shop where you couldn't serve yourself and asked if they weighed the portions and then asked if it was possible not to get the full amount they normally serve.

When counting calories, you do what you have to to stay on track and try not to be psycho about it in the process.

I think the problem with the OP is that after asking for the smaller amount and realizing that the server didn't understand or was just not trained to do what was asked, she kept pushing so that the server was subject to public embarrassment. It sounds like you asked for what you wanted, most of the time got it, and when you didn't just went with the flow.

LOL maybe it was the chopping motions.

And I make myself look better online.

I did loudly exclaim, "Aughhhhh" with the overboard servers.

Hmmmmm I've never had gelato. I usually stick to frozen yogurt and the halo top/enlightened ice creams.

lemurcat2

glassyo wrote: »

I don't know why people are getting on the OP. She tried to get the portion size she knew she could deal with, and when she couldn't, ate more than she'd planned AND had a good sense of humor about it all.

'Cause it sounds like she was pointlessly kitten to the worker, and knows it: "I think I may have traumatised a server at Gelatissimo last night." and "I finally accepted the cup [that she'd admittedly thought might be a sample cup!] with a little less than a cm of gelato hanging over the top of it. The server was really weirded out, I don't know if they get told off for not filling those cups high enough but she was really uncomfortable with it." [No doubt because she was confused at the customer freaking out by her giving the normal size.]

Get the size you order, dump what you don't want (or share it with the husband), eh. Don't basically yell at the worker for giving you the size she thought you'd ordered. I see myself in the position of the server and imagine being confused and offended and abused for no reason. Cool! But OP can virtue signal about how the poor server was trying to serve her too much gelato (which she could have just asked for a sample of).

If you have no sweet tooth and can have ice cream once every 6 months, don't pretend you can't handle a larger amount than expected.

kgeyser

glassyo wrote: »

I don't know why people are getting on the OP. She tried to get the portion size she knew she could deal with, and when she couldn't, ate more than she'd planned AND had a good sense of humor about it all.

I also don't believe she set out to terrorize the worker.

I get it. Some people don't have the self control to share (or are alone) or not eat it all. When I first started getting cones at McDonalds (seriously love their ice cream for some reason) and saw how much ice cream they put in it, I asked if that was a machine thing or if could they stop it when they wanted. Got my answer so then asked if they would give me maybe half as much ice cream as they normally would the next time I got one. Some servers would still go a little overboard tho.

I stopped into a new frozen yogurt shop where you couldn't serve yourself and asked if they weighed the portions and then asked if it was possible not to get the full amount they normally serve.

When counting calories, you do what you have to to stay on track and try not to be psycho about it in the process.

I read the OP the same way you did, and that the "terrorizing" was tongue-in-cheek based on the odd reaction from the server at being asked to put less in the cup.

SueSueDio

kgeyser wrote: »

I read the OP the same way you did, and that the "terrorizing" was tongue-in-cheek based on the odd reaction from the server at being asked to put less in the cup.

It can be hard to ascertain tone in a written post, true. But OP's overly-dramatic language ("internal gibbering", "watch in horror", etc.) and her assertion that she "just had to share" does make it seem as if she's somehow proud of herself for prevailing upon a clearly-distressed server to get what she wanted.

To the OP - next time, maybe get a small cup to share with your husband and just have the couple of bites you want, rather than causing a scene?

nowine4me

Best quote ever @glassyo

“When counting calories, you do what you have to to stay on track and try not to be psycho about it in the process. “

Maxxitt

OP, I don't like to waste food so when I want "a little" I truly mean it. Thanks for your entertaining post

AnnPT77

SueSueDio wrote: »

kgeyser wrote: »

I read the OP the same way you did, and that the "terrorizing" was tongue-in-cheek based on the odd reaction from the server at being asked to put less in the cup.

It can be hard to ascertain tone in a written post, true. But OP's overly-dramatic language ("internal gibbering", "watch in horror", etc.) and her assertion that she "just had to share" does make it seem as if she's somehow proud of herself for prevailing upon a clearly-distressed server to get what she wanted.

To the OP - next time, maybe get a small cup to share with your husband and just have the couple of bites you want, rather than causing a scene?

Those exact same things made me think she was exaggerating for comic effect.

But I wasn't there, so I don't know.

RunsWithBees

If I want less than the regular portion, when I’m ordering I’ll say something like “I’m counting my calories, so I’ll pay full price, that’s not a problem, but could you please only serve me half of the portion so I don’t have to waste it throwing it away?” Make sure you have a big smile on your face so the server won’t feel threatened 😉 or you could ask for the kids cup/cone size if they have something like that. Maybe order one gelato and an extra empty cup/spoon to share with someone? Just realize that a request for LESS portions are so extremely rare they may just simply not know how to handle it and just have a backup plan like be prepared to throw some away if you have to.

bpetrosky

I hope for the OP's sake we won't find the gelatissimo's side of the story posted on r/prorevenge.

lemurcat2

In the US today, I don't really find a story about "this is how I terrorized a minimum wage worker" funny but maybe that's me. I've gotten larger servings or things I didn't want on food and dealt with it, and "I'm going to post to mock the worker" has never been part of it. I'm rather shocked that this is not banned by MFP, but whatever.

I wish we would get the worker's side. I suspect it would be interesting.

glassyo

lemurcat2 wrote: »

In the US today, I don't really find a story about "this is how I terrorized a minimum wage worker" funny but maybe that's me. I've gotten larger servings or things I didn't want on food and dealt with it, and "I'm going to post to mock the worker" has never been part of it. I'm rather shocked that this is not banned by MFP, but whatever.

I wish we would get the worker's side. I suspect it would be interesting.

Except no one knows if she was truly mocking the worker or exaggerating for the humor. It could be either.*

People around here can take things so literally. I was actually scolded on here once for jokingly telling a coworker she had to eat some peanut butter cups that someone else brought into the office after I'd offered her some and she turned them down. One acted like I was shoving them down her throat and another said that as head of HR....I'm like, "We're a 4 and a half person office (half because she was part time at the time). HR is my boss who tells people to work things out for themselves because he doesn't have time for that *kitten*." And he doesn't.

*Unless she came back while I was typing this and addressed it.

glassyo

nowine4me wrote: »

Best quote ever @glassyo

“When counting calories, you do what you have to to stay on track and try not to be psycho about it in the process. “

Really? Even better than:

No more rhyming now. I mean it.
Anybody want a peanut?

aokoye

glassyo wrote: »

lemurcat2 wrote: »

In the US today, I don't really find a story about "this is how I terrorized a minimum wage worker" funny but maybe that's me. I've gotten larger servings or things I didn't want on food and dealt with it, and "I'm going to post to mock the worker" has never been part of it. I'm rather shocked that this is not banned by MFP, but whatever.

I wish we would get the worker's side. I suspect it would be interesting.

Except no one knows if she was truly mocking the worker or exaggerating for the humor. It could be either.*

People around here can take things so literally. I was actually scolded on here once for jokingly telling a coworker she had to eat some peanut butter cups that someone else brought into the office after I'd offered her some and she turned them down. One acted like I was shoving them down her throat and another said that as head of HR....I'm like, "We're a 4 and a half person office (half because she was part time at the time). HR is my boss who tells people to work things out for themselves because he doesn't have time for that *kitten*." And he doesn't.

*Unless she came back while I was typing this and addressed it.

Here's the thing. Being able to understand the tone of something that's been posted on the internet is exceedingly difficult. I have no reason to assume that the OP wasn't being a jerk to her server. One could argue that objectively I have no reason to assume that she wasn't just joking either. I mean ok, I could do a textual analysis of this and bring in all the evidence in the world to backup my analysis, but I have neither the time nor the desire to do so. I'm already procrastinating on a linguistics essay

In my experience, people who post in the style that the OP did were in fact being less than kind to their server so that's what I was going on. I would definitely be pleased if they came back and proved me wrong.

SueSueDio

AnnPT77 wrote: »

SueSueDio wrote: »

kgeyser wrote: »

I read the OP the same way you did, and that the "terrorizing" was tongue-in-cheek based on the odd reaction from the server at being asked to put less in the cup.

It can be hard to ascertain tone in a written post, true. But OP's overly-dramatic language ("internal gibbering", "watch in horror", etc.) and her assertion that she "just had to share" does make it seem as if she's somehow proud of herself for prevailing upon a clearly-distressed server to get what she wanted.

To the OP - next time, maybe get a small cup to share with your husband and just have the couple of bites you want, rather than causing a scene?

Those exact same things made me think she was exaggerating for comic effect.

But I wasn't there, so I don't know.

It's entirely possible!

Since OP hasn't come back to clarify, I guess we'll never know for sure. (Which makes me more inclined to think she wasn't joking, rather than less, but that's just me.

)

kgeyser

SueSueDio wrote: »

kgeyser wrote: »

I read the OP the same way you did, and that the "terrorizing" was tongue-in-cheek based on the odd reaction from the server at being asked to put less in the cup.

It can be hard to ascertain tone in a written post, true. But OP's overly-dramatic language ("internal gibbering", "watch in horror", etc.) and her assertion that she "just had to share" does make it seem as if she's somehow proud of herself for prevailing upon a clearly-distressed server to get what she wanted.

To the OP - next time, maybe get a small cup to share with your husband and just have the couple of bites you want, rather than causing a scene?

I didn't read that as "I'm proud that I upset someone," I read it as "I need to share this story of how my adventures in portion control led to drama at the gelato store, please enjoy my humorous embellishment."

I'm still not clear on why people think she was distressing this worker. She asked if they could make it full to the rim, her husband clarified with the worker that yes, that is what she wants, and they were told that it was no problem to do that. I'm not sure how people can honestly think she was seriously terrorizing this worker or that the worker was scared for her job when they said yes, they can do that, no problem. It's not like she waited until they made the normal portion and started yelling at them to make it smaller. It sounds like she made a completely reasonable request in a completely reasonable way.

kimny72

kgeyser wrote: »

SueSueDio wrote: »

kgeyser wrote: »

I read the OP the same way you did, and that the "terrorizing" was tongue-in-cheek based on the odd reaction from the server at being asked to put less in the cup.

It can be hard to ascertain tone in a written post, true. But OP's overly-dramatic language ("internal gibbering", "watch in horror", etc.) and her assertion that she "just had to share" does make it seem as if she's somehow proud of herself for prevailing upon a clearly-distressed server to get what she wanted.

To the OP - next time, maybe get a small cup to share with your husband and just have the couple of bites you want, rather than causing a scene?

I didn't read that as "I'm proud that I upset someone," I read it as "I need to share this story of how my adventures in portion control led to drama at the gelato store, please enjoy my humorous embellishment."

I'm still not clear on why people think she was distressing this worker. She asked if they could make it full to the rim, her husband clarified with the worker that yes, that is what she wants, and they were told that it was no problem to do that. I'm not sure how people can honestly think she was seriously terrorizing this worker or that the worker was scared for her job when they said yes, they can do that, no problem. It's not like she waited until they made the normal portion and started yelling at them to make it smaller. It sounds like she made a completely reasonable request in a completely reasonable way.

From the OP:
"She's starting to freak out."
"The server was really weirded out, I don't know if they get told off for not filling those cups high enough but she was really uncomfortable with it."

Having said that, I suspect the OP was over-dramatizing for humor's sake, but perhaps enough of us have worked in-person customer service and have lived through situations where we were mistreated by customers so the humor is lost. I can't really connect with OP's situation anyway as I let front-facing employees like that do what they are required to do and just eat however much I've decided to, but that's neither here nor there. Hopefully all parties have fully recovered from "the case of the not-quite-right gelato".

smoofinator

I've worked in the service industry. If you guys think that's terrorizing, you haven't seen some of the crap servers have to put up with. If that girl was "freaking out" over a request like that, she needs to get thicker skin.

The "do what works for you and don't let people give you a hard time about it" mantra is important here.

lemurcat2

kgeyser wrote: »

SueSueDio wrote: »

kgeyser wrote: »

I read the OP the same way you did, and that the "terrorizing" was tongue-in-cheek based on the odd reaction from the server at being asked to put less in the cup.

It can be hard to ascertain tone in a written post, true. But OP's overly-dramatic language ("internal gibbering", "watch in horror", etc.) and her assertion that she "just had to share" does make it seem as if she's somehow proud of herself for prevailing upon a clearly-distressed server to get what she wanted.

To the OP - next time, maybe get a small cup to share with your husband and just have the couple of bites you want, rather than causing a scene?

I didn't read that as "I'm proud that I upset someone,"

I totally did. I thought that was the point of OP posting and am rather shocked it's OK with TPTB.