Giving a customer more than they expect is not the same as giving in to every demand they make, regardless of how reasonable (or unreasonable) it is, much less how they presented their demand.

In the case of Subway, I’ve seen a lack of consistency from store to store (much less server to server in the same store) regarding cheese portions, so it isnt out of the question that the customer’s expectation was setup by another Subway store, or even another server.

That aside, if the exchange got to the point where the customer had to make a scene, then it sounds to me like the server wasnt properly trained in the first place. Well-trained restaurant staff handle that sort of thing all the time, and can do so with most people without causing problems.

Certainly there will be a small percentage of customers who are looking to push the envelope, or see how they can abuse a server, if nothing else, just to see what they can get away with. Again, properly trained staff and management will know how to deal with these things, and if necessary, let the abusive person know that they can no longer be a customer.

One last consideration, if Mr. Extra Cheese is a regular, weekly customer, what’s he worth to you – assuming you can convince him to stop making a scene? 52 weekly visits times $5 per visit = $260 per year, if he never brings a friend or co-worker.

If he continues to be rude after being properly addressed by the staff, then I’d likely fire him as a customer. It wouldnt be the first time.

kenneth