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you dont know what "hell" is untill you work at a place like this *long*
*takes a deep breath*
After this job I actually felt the urge to email/write my previous employers to apologize for quitting (not wanting any of my old jobs back but simply to apologize). General crappy working conditions, ridiculously low wages with an 11 cents a year raise, an overnight shift in a crappy area of town, and a manager who sexually harassed(not just me but every female)/had a coke habit didn’t seem so bad anymore...
My previous employer was a somewhat high end restaurant that boasted of a huge building, full arcade, 17 billiard tables, four shuffleboard tables, a virtual golf game, two full dining areas (plus full cocktail service in the billiard areas), two full size bars, and two huge rooms that can be rented out for events.
I applied and was hired for the front desk position. It seemed like the best option for me at the time, I figured that it would look better on a resume then waiting tables, and could give me skills I would use toward getting an office job in the future.
I was told by my interviewer (useless but looks good in a suit type) that I would be paid $8.00 an hour for 30 days, and at that time it would be raised up. He gave me the distinct impression that the $8.00 wage was extremely temporary and was even almost apologetic about how low it was. It may seem like a decent starting wage, but in south Florida cost of living is extremely high.
Cost of living wasn’t the only thing that made $8.00 an hour a bad starting rate-the job itself really deserved a bit more. For starters they do an insane amount of background/credit checking on you because you are a "banked employee". That meant I was one of the VERY few employees who have their own bank and are responsible for large amounts of money. You also have complete access to your own till, and can open it at any time - and often do for making change for customers/the servers/ staff/ managers.
Some of your basic responsibilities- not counting the random things that pop up throughout the day:
- Processing extremely large cc transactions in upwards of $60,000 for deposits on corporate parties/buyouts.
- A lengthy checkout/in and paperwork session at the beginning and end of each shift (in a casino like atmosphere having to pass through several security checkpoints), which means you are NEVER out or in at your scheduled time.
- Taking every phone call that comes in the building, which is difficult for a place with over 150 employees and a very busy special events office. Of course you are also available to customers who call and want a complete run down of pricing/what the place is all about/ and all sorts of other long winded info speeches.
- Answering up to 5 calls at once and NEVER being allowed to let the phone ring more then twice, regardless of whether or not you are on the phone with 4 other people. You don’t simply transfer the calls that come in you have to screen them first. (Find out who they are and what they want with whom -sounds dirty doesn’t it;-).
- Processing a fair amount of paperwork for special events and sending several faxes daily (fax machine is located in the special events office- so ever time you need to send one you have to step away from your desk, and often end up running back and forth frantically.
- Greeting every person who walks in the door, sell them the version of "arcade chips" offered, and give info/directions.
- Renting out all of the billiard tables/shuffleboard. (Includes starting and stopping rental times, collecting payment, and making announcements to customers who are next on the list.) There are usually multiple parties wanting to stop/start a rental at once- and time is money so you had better be ready to drop whatever you are doing for them.
- Making all of the intercom pages made in the building.
- All to-go orders.
- Setting up a full day of interview appointments with the above "look good in a suit but otherwise useless" manager.
Ooh I forgot to mention that you are usually doing several of these things at once... on the phone with 4 people while processing any of the transactions above AND directing customers.
There are of course many more things you are responsible for but I just wanted to give you an idea.You are also trained on a strictly retail position (in the arcade) as well as hostessing if they can force you into it.
I was told by my trainer that it takes approx 2 weeks to train a front desk person. There is just so much to learn. I had never stepped into the place before I worked there- and I was to be “info” for customers. My first day I didn’t learn anything due to there being a huge corporate party and my trainer was just too busy to show me anything. My second day they decided they needed an extra cocktail waitress and had her fill in... Leaving me by MYSELF on my second day. I almost had a nervous break down.
My third day (still alone) I was forced to work for 12 hours straight. I was scheduled for 8, however my relief just decided not to show up. I tried to contact the managers for almost an hour before someone finally acknowledged the situation. They did not ask me if I could or would be willing to stay, they simply left me there. Due to the whole "banked employee" thing I wasn’t able to leave without a manager’s assistance, and I couldn’t exactly just leave my bank and go either. So I ended up staying for 12 hours straight and of course I had to fill in for the employee the next day (opening shift) because she decided not to show up for that either.
That pretty much set the tone for the rest of my time there... 10-12 hour shifts with NO notice or consideration. Every time someone called in late or didn’t show up for their shift (happened more then you’d think) I was simply required to stay late. EVEN if that meant that I was getting out of there at 3:30 am and opening at 9am the same morning.
I should also mention that in the state of Florida employers aren’t legally required to give you breaks... of any kind. So I would work those 10-12 hour shifts without so much as a bathroom break. We were not allowed to take any kind of meal break either.
The ONLY way that I could use the bathroom was if I was extremely lucky to have another of the few employees that could do front desk in the building and if they were able to step away from their position. I had to do it without being caught and had to give another person access to my till.... putting me at extreme risk.
Even if I was able to steal away for a few seconds I usually had to go across the street to use the bathroom. The restrooms were so disgusting they were completely unusable. The cleaning crew only comes in from around 2am to opening. Hundreds of people would go through the restrooms and by around noon they were simply disgusting (think parents and kids in large groups). Overflowing, urine/feces sprayed all over the seat, walls and floor. I always took for something for granted at previous jobs- basic human rights.
Around a month and a half there I went to the manager that hired me and asked him tactfully about the raise I was promised after 30 days. He told me to ask the general manager for a review but we were interrupted. I caught up with him again later that shift and asked him for more specific instructions on how to approach the GM with my request. He completely went back on what he had said earlier and informed me that he had said after 3 months. No “oops” I made a mistake, he pretended like that is what he had said all along.
At this point I was starting to get a bit frustrated, but I was determined to stick this job out for 6 months. I had also become fond of many of my fellow employees. This job was so stressful that drinkers and non drinkers alike would go next door to the alehouse EVERY night after work and hang out/drink. I also have to admit that I did on some level enjoy the level of activity at work. When I’m at work I want to be doing a million things at once, it makes the shift go by faster.
As you can imagine the turn over rate for this job was extremely high… even McDonalds only has their “instant interview” day once a week. We had one manager on staff that did nothing but conduct interviews from open to 5pm.
I will not get too far into detail on the managers, I will however mention that we had very few permanent ones. Most of our day to day management was actually temporary. The company would fly in managers from everywhere- Ohio, Georgia you name it. They would stay for a week or so and then leave. One of them told me that in Ohio they start you at $10 for my position. (Or anyone who handles money that is not waiting tables.)
Now to skip to the beginning of the end.
I managed to eat some yogurt that had been FAR expired. I was sick, the kind of sick that isn’t very work friendly. So I attempted to call in. I was scheduled for a shift in the arcade area and was not crucial/important for the shift, so I wrongly assumed that since I was not truly needed they would have no problem with me calling in that day. But I was told flat out no, I had to come in, period. (Right to work state so yeah they could easily fire me for that.) I came into work and spent more then half of it in the bathroom (no one said anything). Something about that just got to me, more so then all the other abuses. There was never any question about me being truthful that day, I was a model employee. They just didn’t care.
Pt. 2 on reply – post was too long to fit.
After this job I actually felt the urge to email/write my previous employers to apologize for quitting (not wanting any of my old jobs back but simply to apologize). General crappy working conditions, ridiculously low wages with an 11 cents a year raise, an overnight shift in a crappy area of town, and a manager who sexually harassed(not just me but every female)/had a coke habit didn’t seem so bad anymore...
My previous employer was a somewhat high end restaurant that boasted of a huge building, full arcade, 17 billiard tables, four shuffleboard tables, a virtual golf game, two full dining areas (plus full cocktail service in the billiard areas), two full size bars, and two huge rooms that can be rented out for events.
I applied and was hired for the front desk position. It seemed like the best option for me at the time, I figured that it would look better on a resume then waiting tables, and could give me skills I would use toward getting an office job in the future.
I was told by my interviewer (useless but looks good in a suit type) that I would be paid $8.00 an hour for 30 days, and at that time it would be raised up. He gave me the distinct impression that the $8.00 wage was extremely temporary and was even almost apologetic about how low it was. It may seem like a decent starting wage, but in south Florida cost of living is extremely high.
Cost of living wasn’t the only thing that made $8.00 an hour a bad starting rate-the job itself really deserved a bit more. For starters they do an insane amount of background/credit checking on you because you are a "banked employee". That meant I was one of the VERY few employees who have their own bank and are responsible for large amounts of money. You also have complete access to your own till, and can open it at any time - and often do for making change for customers/the servers/ staff/ managers.
Some of your basic responsibilities- not counting the random things that pop up throughout the day:
- Processing extremely large cc transactions in upwards of $60,000 for deposits on corporate parties/buyouts.
- A lengthy checkout/in and paperwork session at the beginning and end of each shift (in a casino like atmosphere having to pass through several security checkpoints), which means you are NEVER out or in at your scheduled time.
- Taking every phone call that comes in the building, which is difficult for a place with over 150 employees and a very busy special events office. Of course you are also available to customers who call and want a complete run down of pricing/what the place is all about/ and all sorts of other long winded info speeches.
- Answering up to 5 calls at once and NEVER being allowed to let the phone ring more then twice, regardless of whether or not you are on the phone with 4 other people. You don’t simply transfer the calls that come in you have to screen them first. (Find out who they are and what they want with whom -sounds dirty doesn’t it;-).
- Processing a fair amount of paperwork for special events and sending several faxes daily (fax machine is located in the special events office- so ever time you need to send one you have to step away from your desk, and often end up running back and forth frantically.
- Greeting every person who walks in the door, sell them the version of "arcade chips" offered, and give info/directions.
- Renting out all of the billiard tables/shuffleboard. (Includes starting and stopping rental times, collecting payment, and making announcements to customers who are next on the list.) There are usually multiple parties wanting to stop/start a rental at once- and time is money so you had better be ready to drop whatever you are doing for them.
- Making all of the intercom pages made in the building.
- All to-go orders.
- Setting up a full day of interview appointments with the above "look good in a suit but otherwise useless" manager.
Ooh I forgot to mention that you are usually doing several of these things at once... on the phone with 4 people while processing any of the transactions above AND directing customers.
There are of course many more things you are responsible for but I just wanted to give you an idea.You are also trained on a strictly retail position (in the arcade) as well as hostessing if they can force you into it.
I was told by my trainer that it takes approx 2 weeks to train a front desk person. There is just so much to learn. I had never stepped into the place before I worked there- and I was to be “info” for customers. My first day I didn’t learn anything due to there being a huge corporate party and my trainer was just too busy to show me anything. My second day they decided they needed an extra cocktail waitress and had her fill in... Leaving me by MYSELF on my second day. I almost had a nervous break down.
My third day (still alone) I was forced to work for 12 hours straight. I was scheduled for 8, however my relief just decided not to show up. I tried to contact the managers for almost an hour before someone finally acknowledged the situation. They did not ask me if I could or would be willing to stay, they simply left me there. Due to the whole "banked employee" thing I wasn’t able to leave without a manager’s assistance, and I couldn’t exactly just leave my bank and go either. So I ended up staying for 12 hours straight and of course I had to fill in for the employee the next day (opening shift) because she decided not to show up for that either.
That pretty much set the tone for the rest of my time there... 10-12 hour shifts with NO notice or consideration. Every time someone called in late or didn’t show up for their shift (happened more then you’d think) I was simply required to stay late. EVEN if that meant that I was getting out of there at 3:30 am and opening at 9am the same morning.
I should also mention that in the state of Florida employers aren’t legally required to give you breaks... of any kind. So I would work those 10-12 hour shifts without so much as a bathroom break. We were not allowed to take any kind of meal break either.
The ONLY way that I could use the bathroom was if I was extremely lucky to have another of the few employees that could do front desk in the building and if they were able to step away from their position. I had to do it without being caught and had to give another person access to my till.... putting me at extreme risk.
Even if I was able to steal away for a few seconds I usually had to go across the street to use the bathroom. The restrooms were so disgusting they were completely unusable. The cleaning crew only comes in from around 2am to opening. Hundreds of people would go through the restrooms and by around noon they were simply disgusting (think parents and kids in large groups). Overflowing, urine/feces sprayed all over the seat, walls and floor. I always took for something for granted at previous jobs- basic human rights.
Around a month and a half there I went to the manager that hired me and asked him tactfully about the raise I was promised after 30 days. He told me to ask the general manager for a review but we were interrupted. I caught up with him again later that shift and asked him for more specific instructions on how to approach the GM with my request. He completely went back on what he had said earlier and informed me that he had said after 3 months. No “oops” I made a mistake, he pretended like that is what he had said all along.
At this point I was starting to get a bit frustrated, but I was determined to stick this job out for 6 months. I had also become fond of many of my fellow employees. This job was so stressful that drinkers and non drinkers alike would go next door to the alehouse EVERY night after work and hang out/drink. I also have to admit that I did on some level enjoy the level of activity at work. When I’m at work I want to be doing a million things at once, it makes the shift go by faster.
As you can imagine the turn over rate for this job was extremely high… even McDonalds only has their “instant interview” day once a week. We had one manager on staff that did nothing but conduct interviews from open to 5pm.
I will not get too far into detail on the managers, I will however mention that we had very few permanent ones. Most of our day to day management was actually temporary. The company would fly in managers from everywhere- Ohio, Georgia you name it. They would stay for a week or so and then leave. One of them told me that in Ohio they start you at $10 for my position. (Or anyone who handles money that is not waiting tables.)
Now to skip to the beginning of the end.
I managed to eat some yogurt that had been FAR expired. I was sick, the kind of sick that isn’t very work friendly. So I attempted to call in. I was scheduled for a shift in the arcade area and was not crucial/important for the shift, so I wrongly assumed that since I was not truly needed they would have no problem with me calling in that day. But I was told flat out no, I had to come in, period. (Right to work state so yeah they could easily fire me for that.) I came into work and spent more then half of it in the bathroom (no one said anything). Something about that just got to me, more so then all the other abuses. There was never any question about me being truthful that day, I was a model employee. They just didn’t care.
Pt. 2 on reply – post was too long to fit.
. I'm also under the impression that this is "Grave and Custer's" from what I heard grave is alright, but custer is an as*hole.
.
Or am I missing something.
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