My family and I went to Zuzu to celebrate my son’s 16th birthday, as he loves Asian cuisine. My husband and I dine at fine restaurants in Detroit regularly, and we’ve even served at some in the past, so we understand the environment and the level of service expected. We had previously enjoyed our experience at Zuzu, which is why we chose it for this special occasion. Unfortunately, this time around, the night was completely overshadowed by the poor service from our waiter, Chris.

From the moment Chris greeted us, his demeanor was cold and dismissive. It was clear he wasn’t thrilled about having a table with two kids, and his attitude seemed even worse given the fact that we are a culturally diverse family. Throughout the meal, he repeatedly questioned whether we understood the menu, which felt condescending. For example, when I ordered short ribs, he made a point of saying, “Just so you know, these aren’t ribs on the bone,” as if I wasn’t aware of what I was ordering. Despite my attempts to lighten the mood and make conversation, his responses remained dry and short. While it was frustrating, I didn’t want to let it ruin the night, especially since my son was still enjoying himself.

The real issue came when we received the bill. A gratuity had been automatically added for our party of four, something that wasn’t mentioned beforehand, nor was it indicated anywhere on the menu. Even though Chris hadn’t earned that gratuity, we didn’t make a fuss and were fine paying it. However, we wanted to split the gratuity off and handle it separately. When we asked Chris about this, he claimed that his system couldn’t accommodate any split other than 50/50. Having worked with the Micros system myself, I knew this wasn’t true. After I pointed this out, Chris changed his story, saying it was their policy to avoid confusion with too many cards. We were only using two cards and simply wanted to split off the tip.

At that point, we politely asked to speak to a manager, hoping they could help us split the bill correctly. Chris’s sarcastic smirk in response was insulting and carried with it a clear insinuation that played into some unpleasant, stereotypical assumptions about us. I was livid, and at that moment, I wanted to address his behavior with the manager, but my husband, uncomfortable with how things were going, urged me not to.

What was supposed to be a celebratory night turned into a stressful one. Not only did Chris’s behavior ruin our son’s birthday dinner, but it also caused tension between my husband and I, as we disagreed on how to handle the situation. I have never felt so uncomfortable in a restaurant, and I have dined in places around the world. As someone who has served high-profile customers before, I know firsthand that appearances should never dictate how someone is treated. Chris’s attitude and treatment of us were absolutely unacceptable.