This is what I came to say as well, but I'd add that the prices matter, too. At a fancy restaurant, you're paying for quality. At a mom n pop diner, you're pa

This is what I came to say as well, but I'd add that the prices matter, too. At a fancy restaurant, you're paying for quality. At a mom n pop diner, you're paying for food. The breakfast restaurant I eat at daily? I didn't send back food that had a bit of saran wrap in it. (They did, however, notice it and give me the meal for free. I wouldn't have complained, though.) A fancy overpriced restaurant? I'd have the manager over there in an instant. I paid for the service and quality, and I didn't get it. He didn't give any other examples, so we can't be sure exactly how rude this guy was. Being 'brusque' with your managers isn't that bad. It's efficient and they can get back to their jobs, and you yours. Was he actually rude? Did he talk snidely to them, condescend, or call them names? Or was he merely efficient? We can't know, and we have only those 2 examples above to go by.