Sunday, August 2, 2009

OK, Here's What Happened...

First, thank you so much for all of your input! You guys are so freakin' awesome. Not even kidding. I love you all!!!! For a lot of you, this will be just the same as the email I sent you after your comment. But I lost track of who I sent it to and who I didn't so here it is. Thanks again!!!

Next, I know. I know. I know. I need to find a new job.

Tuesday night I was helping my table doing exactly what I described on the post. There were two other servers on and a manager. I looked around when the phone rang and saw no one was going to answer it. But it's not my job to get the phone. It's the manager's. Who is CONSTANTLY in the back of the joint smoking. (Or lately, he's decided that smoking in FRONT of the place is much more classy and will attract more customers) And last night he was back there smoking AND on his cel phone to his son.

Well, I'm with most of you. (I'm looking at you, Sher) People that have taken the time to get in their car and leave their home to come to eat dinner take priority over any yahoo on their couch, at home, on the phone. So I didn't run to get the phone. After I finished with my table the phone was still ringing (going on 5 or 6 rings) so I went and answered it. (Knowing that if it was "T",the owner, she'd be mad that it had rung so many times.)

Of course, it's her.

T: What's going on?!?! Are you guys busy? What are you doing?
Me: I was talking to my table. J was talking to her table. K was in the back and I guess John's outside smoking.
T: Well this phone needs to be answered in 3 rings!
Me: Ya, I know but I was talking to my table.
T: Well, you need to excuse yourself and answer the phone!!! If it's a to-go order and the phone rings too many times they'll thing we're closed.
Me: (In a very non-snotty tone of voice. For real.) So you want us to leave our table and answer the phone?
T: YES!!! That's what the lunch people do! Have John call me.

Click.

So after about ten minutes John comes back in and I tell him to call T. A few minutes after he gets off the phone with her and I say, "well I guess I got us all in trouble by letting the phone ring too many times".
John: Ya, I don't know what you said to her but she's so mad at you. She's really really mad. She told me to cut you and send you home.
Me: Really? OK.

(So I guess I'd have been better off to not have answered the phone at all. Because I took all the heat for it!! And am I the only one who picked up on the fact that I DID answer the phone??? ME. I'm the one who ran over and got it the very first free second I had. And I got my a** chewed for it.)

He goes on to make excuses that his son only ever calls like once a week and he's got like two (more like 30) minutes to talk to him and he should have been able to talk to him and have things get taken care of inside. Well, yes. That's true. But we didn't know he was outside. Furthermore, it's not like we were pickin' our noses!! It's so ridiculous there. It sucks to work at a place where you don't feel like your superiors are ever on your side. Or on the side of their customers. They only care about the bottom line. They have NO loyalties to their staff. They closed their store in Sandy and didn't tell any of the employees. They came to work the next day and found a note on the door. People's paychecks are bouncing and T won't return their phone calls.

We are the ones keeping that place in business. The servers. You could have the best food on earth but if the service sucks, nobody will go back. Likewise, you could have semi-good food and great severs and get people to come back again and again. There isn't a shift that goes by that I don't have at least one table tell me I "did great." "You're so much fun!" "What's your name? We want you when we come back!" I get at least one of these comments every time I work.

So yes, I need a new job. I don't work tomorrow and I'm taking the day to go apply at every restaurant in town. And when I leave I'll let them all know that I'm so sick of the management screwing up and making me take the heat for it. And I also realize that the longer I stay there and complain about it the dumber I look. So I promise this is the last rant I do about my job.

12 comments:

Sprite's Keeper said...

Well, I sure as hell don't need to tell you what to do because you know exactly what it is. I don't believe I would have as much tact as you do when dealing with pressure pushers like these people.
I hope you get exactly what you want and quickly! You don't need to go down with this sinking ship if the captain is taking a smoke break while the hull takes on water.

Kristina P. said...

This sounds like a job for Vincent D'Nofrio!!!!!

veronica said...

I have an old country song running through my mind....
"Take this job and shove it!..."

Feel free to sing along.


P.S. Kristina, Nice one! :)

Stephanie said...

I came in at the end of this story, but I'm wishing you the best of luck in finding a new job. Sounds like someplace else would be lucky to have you.

DeNae said...

So does Kristina know that you used to work for Vincent D'Norfrio's sister, and you have pictures of you and him together and everything? Or was that just a very prescient guess on her part?

And you know what I think. Part time job somewhere safe, and get your kiester in school. I know the resources are there, sister. Deep breath, and take the plunge already!!

Elisa said...

I will hold your hand while you go register for school. I'm nice like that. Seriously. Do what your sister says, she's smart.

Then, lets get you another PT... maybe a nice drama free office with a view...

Casey said...

Ok, when I read the last post, I thought you were talking about someone's cell phone ringing in their pocket and them walking away to take the order.

Yeah, I think you need a new job. Those people suck ass and if you want me to call them and tell them, let me know. Wait, they won't answer the phone if I call...

Vanessa said...

Damn Texas Roadhouse, why did they NOT hire you! I hope you find something else fast!

tammy said...

I really want to call there and talk to the owner and pretend I am a customer and get mad that my server had to keep going to answer the phone instead of talk to me. I think all of us should!!

SCP said...

I hope your check DOES bounce. I will collect it for you. I would soo love to collect it for you. PLEASE BOUNCE PLEASE OH PLEASE BOUNCE, BOING, BOING, BOING !!!! What can I say? Though it doesn't happen very often sometimes I am confrontational !

Sher said...

So glad you are leaving that hole! Hope your new jobs is better!

and sorry, for not caring about my server needing to take care of other people (even those on the phone).

Am I the only one who doesn't like my server in my face while I'm eating?
Server's who come back and ask how it's going every 5 secs irritate me. Bring me my food, then leave me alone.
Just my take.

Alesia OKeefe said...

You know, when I worked at Chili's when my youngest was just a baby, I had told them I was nursing (TMI? Too bad!) and needed to pump. I wanted to take ONE break at 9 PM, that was it. So, while all the servers snuck out the back to smoke, I faithfully never ever ever took a break except at 9 PM for 15 minutes to smoke.

One night I had cleared my section except one table and they were only waiting to pay. Another server was checking on them. The hostess knew I was going outside and so did my manager. So, I popped out the side door, went to my car, did my thing, and came back inside to...a 4-top! WTF? Yeah, my a** manager decided to seat someone in my section, not tell anyone, and just leave them there. They were there for almost the whole time I was gone.

When the hostess told him that I was on break he said he was going to take care of them. At Chili's the seater brings you silverware and sometimes drinks. Yeah, NO, they didn't have anything. Surprise, surprise on the $2 tip I got on their $80 tab.

I was so mad!!! Meanwhile, a couple of days later I had to call in because hubby was working and I couldn't find a sitter for my NEWBORN baby. I called every server, to no avail. Now, bear in mind I had worked extra shifts, come in early, proved myself worthy of working there. And then I had to call in and they said they were going to write me up. So, basically, I told them to go to H-E-double hockey sticks because they didn't get to write me up for being a mother.

I went the next day to Sapp Brothers and started there a few days later. Within a couple of months I was the night supervisor and a couple months after that, the assistant manager! Things have a way of working out!!!

And, by the way, YOU are that blog friend that I just KNOW we'd get along if we ever meet, lol, again...Love you girl!!