how stuff works: restaurant edition
So, today was a trying day at work. This has inspired me to blog a real blog. Here we go.
As you may (or may not) know, I bartend on Wednesdays. Wednesday is usually a dull day, but the happy hour wing special keeps the lounge fairly busy. I don't have a cocktail waitress, so I serve all the tables that come up to the lounge. It's usually not too tough. I probably ring an average of $250-$300 on the Wednesdays. Well, today I rang $800. This was almost $200 more than the two last servers on the floor. I was busy. No doubt one of the hardest crashes I have ever had. I started settling my tables at about 8 o'clock. I think every table but 3 were dirty. It wasn't until 9 that I started emptying my float into the money box (I usually have time to do this when I start). While I was serving my tables (first priority when you are the bartender), my printer had a million bills on it, with servers waiting for their drinks. It looked like a bill sausage, like this: -[::bill::]-[::bill::]-[::bill::]-[::bill::]-[::bill::]-[::bill::]-[::bill::]. I am usually happy to see a bill, because I would otherwise be bored. Today, I dreaded seeing a bill, because it meant that a server was waiting for a drink (probably past the 4 minute mark). I don't like letting anyone down, but when I could hardly serve all my tables, I definitely could not make all the drinks. I'm sorry guys.
Why not ask for help? Unfortunately, there was not much help to pass around. The kitchen was once again understaffed and the managers were back there helping out. There was no dishwasher, and without dishes (and glasses, which I ran out of), the restaurant doesn't run. Be nice to your dishwasher people, be nice. Matt came up to help me a few times, but I was still sucking, like a mutha, up until proabably 9 o'clock. The kitchen was a little slow, but not too bad today. But bad enough that my guests started saying I forgot to ring in their stuff. People always suspect the server when something goes wrong. I'm sorry people, when the kitchen is busy, it's not my fault. When I have to serve 10+ tables at once, I can't be their every second to check if you are doing okay. I wish I could, but think about it, can you do it? Can you serve 10 tables at once? Let's go easier, can you serve at all? The next time you turn into a super bitch, like how The Hulk transforms, think about the whole situation. Do I want you to sit there and wait 30 minutes for your food? Heck no, I want you to be in and out and give me mad tips because everything was quick and good. The server is like the messenger, and the messenger always gets killed. I don't like giving bad service, and nobody likes to get bad service. It's just something that happens. I don't think anybody expected the action that we got tonight, I know I didn't. I really dislike working when I have so many tables. Although I get throught it, I know I could've done better. Giving the bare-bones service just isn't my style. Maybe I'm just scared of getting bad comment cards, but it really gets to me when I give perfectly good guests bad service. The problem is that I KNOW that I can give better service. As the saying goes: "sometimes your best just isn't good enough." When people become bitches though, it makes me feel less obligated to serve them though (so don't be a bitch).
Fortunately, I had some helpful servers to help me out through the night. Most notably Noreen. I thought that the "total team" atmosphere was all but a myth, but tonight proved me wrong. Don't get me wrong, I thought that after the five months I was gone, the restaurant would be just like the good ol' days, but I think it is a good start. We have a few remaining "old school" servers that keep up the old school morals. I think we need to bring back some more old school employees to change stuff around, like how they brought back Samuel L. Jackson in SWAT. That would shake things up.
I'm sure I'm missing some of the things I was gonna say. I thought up this blog while I was in the shower, and a lot of data gets lost between the shower and the computer.
On another note: I love it when you one-two step.
As you may (or may not) know, I bartend on Wednesdays. Wednesday is usually a dull day, but the happy hour wing special keeps the lounge fairly busy. I don't have a cocktail waitress, so I serve all the tables that come up to the lounge. It's usually not too tough. I probably ring an average of $250-$300 on the Wednesdays. Well, today I rang $800. This was almost $200 more than the two last servers on the floor. I was busy. No doubt one of the hardest crashes I have ever had. I started settling my tables at about 8 o'clock. I think every table but 3 were dirty. It wasn't until 9 that I started emptying my float into the money box (I usually have time to do this when I start). While I was serving my tables (first priority when you are the bartender), my printer had a million bills on it, with servers waiting for their drinks. It looked like a bill sausage, like this: -[::bill::]-[::bill::]-[::bill::]-[::bill::]-[::bill::]-[::bill::]-[::bill::]. I am usually happy to see a bill, because I would otherwise be bored. Today, I dreaded seeing a bill, because it meant that a server was waiting for a drink (probably past the 4 minute mark). I don't like letting anyone down, but when I could hardly serve all my tables, I definitely could not make all the drinks. I'm sorry guys.
Why not ask for help? Unfortunately, there was not much help to pass around. The kitchen was once again understaffed and the managers were back there helping out. There was no dishwasher, and without dishes (and glasses, which I ran out of), the restaurant doesn't run. Be nice to your dishwasher people, be nice. Matt came up to help me a few times, but I was still sucking, like a mutha, up until proabably 9 o'clock. The kitchen was a little slow, but not too bad today. But bad enough that my guests started saying I forgot to ring in their stuff. People always suspect the server when something goes wrong. I'm sorry people, when the kitchen is busy, it's not my fault. When I have to serve 10+ tables at once, I can't be their every second to check if you are doing okay. I wish I could, but think about it, can you do it? Can you serve 10 tables at once? Let's go easier, can you serve at all? The next time you turn into a super bitch, like how The Hulk transforms, think about the whole situation. Do I want you to sit there and wait 30 minutes for your food? Heck no, I want you to be in and out and give me mad tips because everything was quick and good. The server is like the messenger, and the messenger always gets killed. I don't like giving bad service, and nobody likes to get bad service. It's just something that happens. I don't think anybody expected the action that we got tonight, I know I didn't. I really dislike working when I have so many tables. Although I get throught it, I know I could've done better. Giving the bare-bones service just isn't my style. Maybe I'm just scared of getting bad comment cards, but it really gets to me when I give perfectly good guests bad service. The problem is that I KNOW that I can give better service. As the saying goes: "sometimes your best just isn't good enough." When people become bitches though, it makes me feel less obligated to serve them though (so don't be a bitch).
Fortunately, I had some helpful servers to help me out through the night. Most notably Noreen. I thought that the "total team" atmosphere was all but a myth, but tonight proved me wrong. Don't get me wrong, I thought that after the five months I was gone, the restaurant would be just like the good ol' days, but I think it is a good start. We have a few remaining "old school" servers that keep up the old school morals. I think we need to bring back some more old school employees to change stuff around, like how they brought back Samuel L. Jackson in SWAT. That would shake things up.
I'm sure I'm missing some of the things I was gonna say. I thought up this blog while I was in the shower, and a lot of data gets lost between the shower and the computer.
On another note: I love it when you one-two step.
posted by ed @ 1:42 AM
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