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Alex B Cann column: Treating restaurant staff with respect

Tameside Radio presenter Alex B Cann.

James Corden and a menu card which has gone viral is the topic of discussion for the Tameside Radio presenter's latest column.

I spotted a fantastic menu card earlier this week which went viral on social media. It was from a cafe in Preston, which charges different prices depending on how the customer treats the staff.

At the Chaii Stop Cafe, a customer will be charged a fiver for ordering "Desi Chai". If they say "Desi Chai please", the price magically lowers to £3. Even better, for saying "Hello, Desi Chai please", they get their order for the bargain price of £1.90.

The caption on the image, which has been widely shared on Instagram, reads: "Being polite definitely goes a long way".

The owner of the cafe was apparently inspired by a similar initiative in America, and that he wants to make his venue feel more welcoming and friendly to all who pop in. I love it! What a fantastic idea. I've also looked them up on Just Eat, and like the sound of their Desi Breakfast (please) - omelette, beans, sausages, golden hash brown, spicy mushrooms, tomatoes and two parathas. Amazing! It's 49 miles from Tameside Radio in Ashton-Under-Lyne, but I'm tempted to take a trip sometime.

To be honest, anyone who orders whilst talking on their mobile phone, fails to say please, or is aggressive to their server, should absolutely be slapped with a higher price, in my opinion. Good manners cost nothing, as my mum always used to say. In this case, a lack of them certainly comes with a hefty price tag.

If reports about James Corden are to be believed this week, he would have definitely paid the top price of a fiver for his Desi Chai in Preston. A restaurant manager in New York briefly banned the TV star from his establishment, due to his alleged "abusive" behaviour towards staff. He remarked that Corden was "a hugely gifted comedian" but "a tiny cretin of a man", as a manager's report said he was "extremely nasty" to his staff on two separate occasions.

During one alleged incident earlier this month, Corden had begun "yelling like crazy" and repeatedly told a server "you can't do your job". The report added that the server "was very shaken" but "continued to finish her shift". Corden was approached for comment, but it was later reported the ban had been rescinded after he called up owner Keith McNally to humbly apologise for his behaviour.

Leaving aside this individual incident, and my feelings towards the extreme luck of Corden in rising to the top, I would 100% place in Room 101 anyone who can't be civil to serving staff. It's a basic thing. Many working in hospitality are putting in long hours, in stressful environments, for little over the minimum wage. Leaving aside the worries of the current cost of living crisis and what that might mean for venues this winter, it's just basic human decency not to be rude.

Orders will inevitably go wrong sometimes in a busy kitchen. I watched a great film recently called Boiling Point, starring Stephen Graham as a stressed chef on a busy December Saturday night. It was reportedly filmed in a single take, and is pretty stressful to watch, yet brilliantly done. It's available on Prime Video if you fancy watching it.

Many years ago, I used to date someone whose dad clicked his fingers and whistled when trying to get the server's attention. This was probably more embarrassing than someone dropping their trousers on the restaurant floor. I wanted the floor to literally swallow me up and allow me to descend into the abyss. There is just no excuse. It works both ways of course, and I've been served by a few Basil Fawlty tribute acts over the years. One guy made my wife cry on a romantic night away, as he barked that the only vegetarian option was to remove the ham from the pea and ham soup. He also quipped that we'd ordered a lot, so he had to use the table extender! Smashing bloke. Turns out he was the venue's manager! We didn't rush back.

Having said that, I've also witnessed customers trying to get free drinks 'otherwise I'll do a negative Trip Advisor review'. It's absolute buffoonery. Whatever happened in that restaurant in New York, I hope if you're lucky enough to be able to afford to have a meal out in Tameside and Glossop this autumn, you can find it in your heart to be nice to the person serving you. Even if you can't afford to leave a tip right now, manners are priceless.

You can listen to Alex every weekday from 7am to 11am and on the 'Super Scoreboard' show on Saturdays from 3pm to 7pm, on Tameside Radio 103.6FM

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