have worked in the service industry for 6 years. Every day, I wear a smile on my face that grows weaker. Although this industry has provided me with the opportunity to make a livable wage in a very expensive state, it tests me. We have all heard the motto “the customer is always right”. While this might be a great motto to keep customers coming back to your place of work, it perpetuates a very negative part of this service driven country. The customer is not always right, and in fact, the customer is very often incorrect. Businesses, and in particular-restaurants allow, and often-unintentionally-encourage, behavior that is abusive to its workers. To create an environment where the mindset is “the more unpleasant you are, the more you get special treatment”, is to tell your workers that they are not valuable. The mental health, and emotional well-being of restaurant staff is often the last of the priorities to corporate leaders. It is unethical to allow the staff that supports a business to become a punching bag for customers who have discovered a secret…that they can get what they want with the perfect combination of condescension, threats, and demands. It is time for businesses to put their employees first. Every day, employees can decide to show up and do their best, or they can choose to show up and give a small percentage of their efforts. They can choose to go the extra mile to help, or they can show up for you only when required. They can promote your company outside of the work place, or they can speak about the injustices they face every day. I believe that the business model for putting employees first; should be the standard as opposed to the exception.