PizzaDrone
07-15-2009, 02:37 AM
It all starts off when I walk into work and am immediately greeted by all the staff for the day. The problem was that they were all newbies and I had an awful feeling that the day may have been a complete disaster.
You Cannot Make Your Own Rules
They all told me that at opening time a table of about 20 had come in (minus a booking, oh how I love these people). As there was no one else dining they were able to come in. When a server took their order they demanded a buffet meal, which is not available on the weekends. They were told they couldn't have that, to which they argued that they were entitled to it and blah blah blah. Server and then a manager tells them that we are not making a buffet for one table (especially as they didn't book). Following this they agree but tell...that's right TELL the manager that they'll be giving them 20% off their bill. Manager practically laughs in their faces. I'm not entirely sure what happened with them afterwards, but I know they didn't get any discounts.
Night of Suck
As a result of all the new staff having been on that day, countless mistakes had been made, meaning we were pretty low on a couple of items. We also had trainees in the kitchen for the evening shift meaning there may be a couple of hiccups still. Now, if everything had run smoothly with the servers ordering the right things during the day this wouldn't have caused much of an issue, but the kitchen was in disaster. I don't blame the servers though, they're new and have to learn, but I would have preferred to have had a couple of veterans in too. There wasn't a single order I put through that didn't come out wrong. Of course, the kitchen aren't getting the full brunt of the complaints, so don't really see what's wrong and therefore don't seem to be making any big effort to help out or improve.
Smile and Nod
A takeaway order comes in and there are a couple of people waiting when I take the boxes over. I call the name and someone steps forward. I read through everything in the order and the guy agrees with everything, smiles and takes the order. A little later another guy comes in and gives the same name of the guy who'd left about half and hour earlier. His stuff has to be remade all because someone just couldn't be honest. So already we have someone who has paid for just one pizza, but has taken two.
DID YOU KNOW I'M A VEGAN!1!!!1!!!
In another 'masses of people come in without a booking' scenario about 10 people are seated in my section. I go over and am greeted with, 'What do you have for vegans?'. I immediately start thinking and make multiple trips to the kitchen to check on the ingredients for things while making offers to the customer. Thus follows this conversation:
Vegan: *in really snippy tone* Do you know that 10% of the population is vegan?
Me: I understand totally where you're coming from, as I'm vegetarian myself and I know how much of a struggle it can be with that at times, but I'm afraid we can only offer you *option A*, *option B* or *option C*.
Vegan lets out a huge sigh and picks something. The rest of them order and their food comes out...with one meal missing. Cue a huge fuss about this and how they have to leave quickly and aren't paying for it. At the same time, the same is happening on another table and so the manager is busy. I try and sort something but they're getting more and more hostile with me. I'm also facing complaints from another table who'd been pissed off by an earlier server who has decided to shout at me.
Everything eventually calms down, by which point I'm stressed to the point of tears. The best bit about all the fuss about the food though? I go to clear the table and the vegan has a variety of foods that are obviously dairy products.
Making a Fool of Myself
I only have two tables left before I leave and am shaking with the way I've been shouted at and all the stressing, but thankfully the last two tables are lovely. In fact, one was waiting behind the vegan table and as they walked out turned to me and said, 'What did you do to deserve that? Kill their first born?' I almost laughed, but then the relief of having someone be nice actually made me tear up again instead. I felt like such an idiot. He then gave me a tip and told me to have a good drink when I finished because I deserved it.
The other gentleman I was serving called me over to the table and very kindly asked me if I was OK, because he could see I was getting stick. I apologised because I was about to cry again and said I'd have to come back. He then turned and told me not to worry and that it was some of the best service he's had.
So there we go, hope and despair in somewhat equal measures. It does feel amazing to vent this all too!
You Cannot Make Your Own Rules
They all told me that at opening time a table of about 20 had come in (minus a booking, oh how I love these people). As there was no one else dining they were able to come in. When a server took their order they demanded a buffet meal, which is not available on the weekends. They were told they couldn't have that, to which they argued that they were entitled to it and blah blah blah. Server and then a manager tells them that we are not making a buffet for one table (especially as they didn't book). Following this they agree but tell...that's right TELL the manager that they'll be giving them 20% off their bill. Manager practically laughs in their faces. I'm not entirely sure what happened with them afterwards, but I know they didn't get any discounts.
Night of Suck
As a result of all the new staff having been on that day, countless mistakes had been made, meaning we were pretty low on a couple of items. We also had trainees in the kitchen for the evening shift meaning there may be a couple of hiccups still. Now, if everything had run smoothly with the servers ordering the right things during the day this wouldn't have caused much of an issue, but the kitchen was in disaster. I don't blame the servers though, they're new and have to learn, but I would have preferred to have had a couple of veterans in too. There wasn't a single order I put through that didn't come out wrong. Of course, the kitchen aren't getting the full brunt of the complaints, so don't really see what's wrong and therefore don't seem to be making any big effort to help out or improve.
Smile and Nod
A takeaway order comes in and there are a couple of people waiting when I take the boxes over. I call the name and someone steps forward. I read through everything in the order and the guy agrees with everything, smiles and takes the order. A little later another guy comes in and gives the same name of the guy who'd left about half and hour earlier. His stuff has to be remade all because someone just couldn't be honest. So already we have someone who has paid for just one pizza, but has taken two.
DID YOU KNOW I'M A VEGAN!1!!!1!!!
In another 'masses of people come in without a booking' scenario about 10 people are seated in my section. I go over and am greeted with, 'What do you have for vegans?'. I immediately start thinking and make multiple trips to the kitchen to check on the ingredients for things while making offers to the customer. Thus follows this conversation:
Vegan: *in really snippy tone* Do you know that 10% of the population is vegan?
Me: I understand totally where you're coming from, as I'm vegetarian myself and I know how much of a struggle it can be with that at times, but I'm afraid we can only offer you *option A*, *option B* or *option C*.
Vegan lets out a huge sigh and picks something. The rest of them order and their food comes out...with one meal missing. Cue a huge fuss about this and how they have to leave quickly and aren't paying for it. At the same time, the same is happening on another table and so the manager is busy. I try and sort something but they're getting more and more hostile with me. I'm also facing complaints from another table who'd been pissed off by an earlier server who has decided to shout at me.
Everything eventually calms down, by which point I'm stressed to the point of tears. The best bit about all the fuss about the food though? I go to clear the table and the vegan has a variety of foods that are obviously dairy products.
Making a Fool of Myself
I only have two tables left before I leave and am shaking with the way I've been shouted at and all the stressing, but thankfully the last two tables are lovely. In fact, one was waiting behind the vegan table and as they walked out turned to me and said, 'What did you do to deserve that? Kill their first born?' I almost laughed, but then the relief of having someone be nice actually made me tear up again instead. I felt like such an idiot. He then gave me a tip and told me to have a good drink when I finished because I deserved it.
The other gentleman I was serving called me over to the table and very kindly asked me if I was OK, because he could see I was getting stick. I apologised because I was about to cry again and said I'd have to come back. He then turned and told me not to worry and that it was some of the best service he's had.
So there we go, hope and despair in somewhat equal measures. It does feel amazing to vent this all too!