A seafood cafe in Dorset has been forced to scrap a special offer for OAPs after its staff received abuse from angry elderly customers.
On Tuesday and Thursdays throughout October, the Hive Beach Café ran a special deal for elderly customers which would get them a three-course meal of soup, a main and a dessert for £15.
The Silver Surfers promotion proved so popular the café was flooded with customers, resulting in a long wait for tables.
But not all customers were happy to wait patiently and some got so angry they hit out at staff - shouting and swearing - and even caused one server to break down in tears.
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On Thursday (14 October), the cafe posted on Facebook explaining the Silver Surfers promotion has been pulled 'due to impatient and verbally abusive behaviour towards our crew'.
Server Lou Fell said: "We try to explain to people that we have fewer staff than usual because the pandemic has meant people are wary of getting a hospitality job in case we get closed down.
"But they just don't care.
"They want their food and they want it right now - they're not willing to wait.
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"Our elderly customers have been especially rude.
"They just tell us we're not good enough, that the system clearly isn't working, and that we need to hurry up.
"There have been times when I've gone home in tears because the abuse is constant and I know we are going to have to do it all again the next day.
"Every single shift one of our team members is shouted at by customers waiting in line.
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"One lady who must have been in her 60s shouted at me, 'Oh for f****'s sake', when I asked people not to congregate near the front door.
"Another time, a new member of the team was on her first shift. She was only 18. She walked over to a line of people and explained that we were working as fast as we could to get them seated.
"She came back visibly shaking because three women in their 60s and 70s screamed at her - by the end of the day she was in tears.
"It's not fair - we're a very close team doing the best we can for our customers."
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Hive Beach Cafe has since had to put a notice up for customers warning them to behave and staff wear badges urging customers to 'respect' them.
Featured Image Credit: BNPS