Waiter hears customer insult boy with Down syndrome and takes a stand

We might all have had awkward days at work, but at least we usually don’t have to confront customers. It’s no secret that a lot of customers can be very entitled and make your day a lot worse.

Well, these customers at this restaurant made things awkward. The good new is that they got what was coming to them.

Kim Castillo brought her son, Milo, to a restaurant known as Laurenzo’s. Milo has Down syndrome.

The Castillos are regular customers at Laurenzo’s. I’m guessing the food being top-notch is one reason.

The other reason is probably that the staff are very nice. What makes me say that? Well, you don’t frequent a place if you don’t like the staff, and another reason that we’ll learn about shortly.

Milo was acquainted with the staff for some time now. The waiters were glad to see the little boy again, and the feeling was mutual with Milo.

But not everyone in the restaurant today was that happy to see Milo.

In the booth next to them, a family was eating and moved seats when they saw Milo.
They weren’t making room for anyone. The reason was much less pleasant.

A waiter overheard what they were saying as they moved tables. “Special needs children need to be special somewhere else.”

They said it without an ounce of shame. Too bad the waiters are decent human beings and overheard them.

The particular waiter who overheard them was Michael Garcia. He was not happy about it.
In fact, Michael was ticked off by the comment. In his own words “That’s like saying you ;can’t come in here because you’re a different skin color.’”

About 200,000 people in the U.S have Down syndrome. It already makes life hard enough for them. They don’t need nasty, discriminating comments made about them when they just want to go eat some place.

Especially not when they’re still kids.

But speaking up to a customer is a gamble. Sometimes, management lets customers have their way for fear of losing business.
I’m sure many of you who’ve worked in service can relate.

Michael would have to risk getting in trouble with his employer if he was going to confront these people.
Well, that was a risk he was willing to take.

He told the guests that he wouldn’t serve them. The guests told him that they’d leave if he wouldn’t serve them.
“So be it”, he thought.

Michael says he “probably shouldn’t have said that”, in reference it being risky for an employee to do such a thing without approval from the manager.

But I disagree. I think Michael did the right thing. Luckily, his boss thought so too.

The Laurenzo family that owns the place stood behind Michael too.
As one person in the coverage put it, “The customer isn’t always right.”

This all took place 10 years ago, but the example set still holds true today. If we could all be like Michael, it would make a huge difference to people with special needs.

It meant the world to Kim and Milo to have someone stand up for him. What was poor Milo going to do about some horrible grown-ups making him uncomfortable?