I work at a restaurant that is designed around sharing dishes. It's a popular spot for corporate events and meetings.
Mind you, I was training someone this one lunch shift and it was fairly busy. This woman called about her 12 person reservation the next day. It was clearly an important event and she wanted to impress people. Rather than make her wait on the phone or call back, I took some time out to go over the menu and how it works. I suggested specific dishes and I informed her that we do these kinds of groups all the time. I even suggested that she let her server handle the selection and portioning of the dishes so her guests can just enjoy each other's company, which is another thing we frequently do.
What could have honestly been a 2 minute conversation turned into a little over 10 minutes. I wanted to get back to my trainee, but I was extremely patient with her, even though she completely monopolized my time in the middle of a lunch shift. When the conversation wrapped up, I very cheerily said: “Thank you so much! We'll see you tomorrow and I hope you good time.” She paused briefly and in a sickly sweet tone said, “You hope I have a good time!?”
The implication was clear. I should not have said I hope she has a good time. I should have said she is going to have an excellent time, or any synonym thereof, because “good” is insufficient. In that moment, I just got so annoyed that I could only muster up a “Yes” and I hung up the phone.
I am so sick of people ruining perfectly normal interactions by going out of their way to read negativity into the tiniest of things. That is a common phrase and the sentiment of it is clear. The only reason she took offense to my phrasing was because she'd been told by someone in some corporate class or seminar that you're not supposed to say “hope” because it leaves open the possibility that they could have a bad time.
This is the same line of thinking that makes anything less than a perfect review the end of the world, and sets up unrealistic expectations from employers. I was literally reprimanded one time at another job because an online review said “Good food! Good service! Will definitely come back!” I was asked what I could have done to make them say “excellent” or “fantastic” or some other arbitrary superlative. Fuck you and your culture of perfection and toxic positivity. I don't want it. I want real interactions. Not this façade. You are the reason people feel unfulfilled with their work lives. It's never good enough.
You know what? I do hope you have a good time. Because if my 20 years in the service industry have taught me anything, a lot of people are determined to have a bad time no matter what anyone does. And often times, they'll do it with a smile.