The first full week of dinner service is done.
Not too shabby.
Numbers steadily rose throughout the week. Great night tonight, er, Saturday night. Now that it’s officially Sunday, I realize I’ve already started my day off!
My day off to pay bills, ponder the laundry, and walk for miles–rain or shine, I don’t care. Oh yeah, and catch up with Mr. Restaurant Gal. I fear the zillions of hours and days we are spending solo are starting to get to us both. It’s only temporary, because when lunch starts, I’m the opening manager. (Which sounds better than a day off, at this point.)
After a week in business, here’s where we stand.
Annoying guest quotient: Rising. Tonight was a ringer. Larger party continually beat up on one of the sweetest, most earnest servers we have. “No sides, not even one. You got that?” Mr. Big Shot told her. Followed by, “Do you think there’s a vegetable in that kitchen of yours?” when the food arrived. “Tell that chef to make us a plate. Anything. Geez!” he waved his hand at her. Sure, you fat slob, I thought when I witnessed that exchange. Note in the computer, “Say we’re booked when and if he calls again.” Very cool to call his pain-in-the-ass bluff.
Staff confidence quotient: Really rising. I cannot believe how well everyone is doing in so short a time. I know I couldn’t have caught on so fast. And the one I wondered might not make it? He’s a bit of a cowboy, but great with guests, becoming a real team player, and all that good stuff. Very cool to watch.
My confidence quotient: Rising enough. I talked a host out of quitting, at least for now. I am getting the hang of schedules (mostly), payroll (kind of), and stupid Micros (barely). I can work the floor, but not in the way the others do. I schmooze, I gather tidbits of people’s stories. I like that part of my job. But I remain phobic about carrying drinks on a tray or running food. I’ll get those at some point. But I kind of think keeping the reservations properly paced and talking with potential private event guests is a better use of my skills, right now. Which is cool.
Weird feeling this place may well be IT quotient: Um, wow. Who knew?
And I get to work here.
Very cool, indeed.
Comments
One response to “TGIS”
As a former server, 9 times out of 10 the manager who will deliver the drinks or food (on a tray or not) is better than the manager who can smchooze. Unless it’s a real big mess up the server can generally schmooze enough to take care of any small infractions, but if they’re swamped and need the drinks to be there, someone who will get their hands dirty is the best person to have at management.
I say this having had the experience of being slammed and the sole server in a section of 4 dueces, 8 four tops, and one eight top and asked a manager to help deliver food as I had the 8 and two fours food come up at once, he didn’t. But he also fussed at me for not remembering to grab ketchup between food runs. Table wasn’t mad, just asked him for it when he walked by. He fussed at me for not being able to get the ketchup before they would have to ask him.