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I am not even joking. I have only been running shifts on my own for three months, and this was unbelieveable.
Well, to start with, within an hour of opening, two of the night staff called in sick. That meant I had to spend ages on the phone trying to get people to cover. No luck.
Beer delivery came and it was HUGE. Our cellar was already packed to its maximum, which meant that me and the two delivery guys had to move EVERY SINGLE keg to make room for it. And some of these kegs are huge.
Our computer system went down which meant I had to enter everything that came in the delivery manually. It took two hours.
And then...there was a fire.
The oil in the frying pan burst into flames. The fire then spread along the back workbench onto some convienently placed CARDBOARD. The staff were running around trying to find me, and somehow one of them got the wrong end of the stick.
CW: Customersruinmylife, someone said we have a gas leak!
I ran into the kitchen, and was stunned to see that a large portion of it was in flames! A quick thinking co-worker threw a damp fire blanket over the frying pan. while I took an extringuisher to the rest.
Luckily the supression system and alarms weren't set off, which meant there was just a smouldering mess of cardboard to clean up. I asked the kitchen workers what had happened. Kitchen worker admitted she must have let the oil get too hot which is what caused it to burst into flames. As for the carboard, that fire was caused by flaming hot oil going through the air. It was actually no where near the frying pan.
Me: OK, no food, that's it, kitchen is closed until this mess is cleaned up.
BOY, the customers were not impressed. Hungover people from the hotel in search of breakfast are so mean when they are hungry. All I could say was that there were "technical difficulties".
So, I had to phone the fire company and ask for new extringuishers and blankets. Also had to ring the manager and tell him what had happened.
I finally sit down. An alarm starts going off.
The C02 alarm is going off in the cellar, indicating we've got a leak. It's only on alarm stage 1 (if it was on stage 2, THEN we would have problems)
I ring the gas company. Tech talks me through some shit to find out if we have a leak. All the signs point to no. He tells me it might have to do with an empty barrel. If we have any empties hooked up to the line, sometimes the gas keeps circulating and sets the alarm off. I find out we do indeed have two empties. I change them.
Tech: Keep the cellar well ventilated. The alarm will probably continue going for a couple of hours. If it is still going at 1pm, call us back.
12:30: the alarm goes INSANE.
I run into the cellar: ALARM STAGE 2
I ring the gas people again.
Tech: OK, someone will be there in about twenty minutes. Close your cellar door. DO NOT enter the cellar. DO NOT use anything on tap. No beer, lager, cider, pepsi, lemonade, soda or ANYTHING on tap! And shut off the gas tanks.
Me: Do I need to evacuate or anything?
Tech: No, just shut off the gas and DO NOT go into the cellar.
This was during the lunch rush. Boy people on their lunch breaks are mean when they can't get a beer.
Uh-oh. Our gas shut off point is in the CELLAR.
Anyone seen the Seinfeld episode where Elaine runs into Jerry-s apartment while it is getting fumagated? Well, it was EXACTLY like that, only replace Elaine with a man, and instead of looking for a script, I am trying to climb over the barrels we have crammed in there to get to the gas tanks.
It took three attempts, but I managed to shut them all off.
Gas man arrived. He goes in there for a good ten minutes. I go and check on him, as I was fearing his safety. He is looking at the alarm.
Tech: Has the alarm come into contact with water?
Me: Water?
Tech: Yes. Because I am finding no leak. The fault appears to be in the alarm.
Me:
Tech: I'll put a new alarm in for you. There's no C02 leak here.
Me:
Just as I am at the end of my tether. the manager from the hotel comes in.
Hotel Manager: We've had complaints that your delivery men make too much noise in the morning.
Me: OK, what kind of noise? Was he shouting or anything?
HM: No, just that the lorry makes lots of noise...
Me: OK, how am I supposed to control how much noise a lorry makes?
HM: I'm just responding to a complaint. What can you do about it?
Me: To be honest, nothing. We need our deliveries, and I'm sure you need yours as well. I can't change our delivery times, we have them in place in the morning when it is quiet.
HM: OK, well, just make sure next time you see your delivery driver, tell him to make sure his truck doesn't make so much noise. A guest of mine was very upset this morning.
At this point I am about to tear my hair out.
FINALLY. It calms down and my shift is about to end. Another manager comes in to take over from me. I explain to him the day I had.
Manager: Oh, I was working last night...
Me: And?
Manager: I was hosing down the cellar floor and I accidentally...shorted out the alarm.
Me:
Manager: Don't worry. I'm sure today has been a good learning experience for you.
Me:
I went home. I was so exhausted by it all I slept for SIXTEEN hours.
Two days off now. Thank fuck.
Well, to start with, within an hour of opening, two of the night staff called in sick. That meant I had to spend ages on the phone trying to get people to cover. No luck.
Beer delivery came and it was HUGE. Our cellar was already packed to its maximum, which meant that me and the two delivery guys had to move EVERY SINGLE keg to make room for it. And some of these kegs are huge.
Our computer system went down which meant I had to enter everything that came in the delivery manually. It took two hours.
And then...there was a fire.
The oil in the frying pan burst into flames. The fire then spread along the back workbench onto some convienently placed CARDBOARD. The staff were running around trying to find me, and somehow one of them got the wrong end of the stick.
CW: Customersruinmylife, someone said we have a gas leak!
I ran into the kitchen, and was stunned to see that a large portion of it was in flames! A quick thinking co-worker threw a damp fire blanket over the frying pan. while I took an extringuisher to the rest.
Luckily the supression system and alarms weren't set off, which meant there was just a smouldering mess of cardboard to clean up. I asked the kitchen workers what had happened. Kitchen worker admitted she must have let the oil get too hot which is what caused it to burst into flames. As for the carboard, that fire was caused by flaming hot oil going through the air. It was actually no where near the frying pan.
Me: OK, no food, that's it, kitchen is closed until this mess is cleaned up.
BOY, the customers were not impressed. Hungover people from the hotel in search of breakfast are so mean when they are hungry. All I could say was that there were "technical difficulties".
So, I had to phone the fire company and ask for new extringuishers and blankets. Also had to ring the manager and tell him what had happened.
I finally sit down. An alarm starts going off.
The C02 alarm is going off in the cellar, indicating we've got a leak. It's only on alarm stage 1 (if it was on stage 2, THEN we would have problems)
I ring the gas company. Tech talks me through some shit to find out if we have a leak. All the signs point to no. He tells me it might have to do with an empty barrel. If we have any empties hooked up to the line, sometimes the gas keeps circulating and sets the alarm off. I find out we do indeed have two empties. I change them.
Tech: Keep the cellar well ventilated. The alarm will probably continue going for a couple of hours. If it is still going at 1pm, call us back.
12:30: the alarm goes INSANE.
I run into the cellar: ALARM STAGE 2
I ring the gas people again.
Tech: OK, someone will be there in about twenty minutes. Close your cellar door. DO NOT enter the cellar. DO NOT use anything on tap. No beer, lager, cider, pepsi, lemonade, soda or ANYTHING on tap! And shut off the gas tanks.
Me: Do I need to evacuate or anything?
Tech: No, just shut off the gas and DO NOT go into the cellar.
This was during the lunch rush. Boy people on their lunch breaks are mean when they can't get a beer.
Uh-oh. Our gas shut off point is in the CELLAR.
Anyone seen the Seinfeld episode where Elaine runs into Jerry-s apartment while it is getting fumagated? Well, it was EXACTLY like that, only replace Elaine with a man, and instead of looking for a script, I am trying to climb over the barrels we have crammed in there to get to the gas tanks.
It took three attempts, but I managed to shut them all off.
Gas man arrived. He goes in there for a good ten minutes. I go and check on him, as I was fearing his safety. He is looking at the alarm.
Tech: Has the alarm come into contact with water?
Me: Water?
Tech: Yes. Because I am finding no leak. The fault appears to be in the alarm.
Me:
Tech: I'll put a new alarm in for you. There's no C02 leak here.
Me:
Just as I am at the end of my tether. the manager from the hotel comes in.
Hotel Manager: We've had complaints that your delivery men make too much noise in the morning.
Me: OK, what kind of noise? Was he shouting or anything?
HM: No, just that the lorry makes lots of noise...
Me: OK, how am I supposed to control how much noise a lorry makes?
HM: I'm just responding to a complaint. What can you do about it?
Me: To be honest, nothing. We need our deliveries, and I'm sure you need yours as well. I can't change our delivery times, we have them in place in the morning when it is quiet.
HM: OK, well, just make sure next time you see your delivery driver, tell him to make sure his truck doesn't make so much noise. A guest of mine was very upset this morning.
At this point I am about to tear my hair out.
FINALLY. It calms down and my shift is about to end. Another manager comes in to take over from me. I explain to him the day I had.
Manager: Oh, I was working last night...
Me: And?
Manager: I was hosing down the cellar floor and I accidentally...shorted out the alarm.
Me:
Manager: Don't worry. I'm sure today has been a good learning experience for you.
Me:
I went home. I was so exhausted by it all I slept for SIXTEEN hours.
Two days off now. Thank fuck.
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