Tales of an Eccentric Boss #3

Tales of an Eccentric Boss #2:

Blind, Deaf and Slightly Lost  

There's something about the way that my boss reads dockets. You always wait in anticipation to see if he will read it right and sigh knowingly when he produces dishes that are wrong. He can go through a long streak of winners, he will be on the ball and not get anything wrong. But then in an instant, all in one night, he will get two to three dishes wrong. All simply because he did not read the docket clearly enough.

A prime example of this was when he tried to tell one of the waitresses that she was writing a certain short-hand wrong. This waitress had been working there for almost two years and he had read her short-hand for as long as that and all of a sudden he did one of the items wrong because she wrote it differently then usual. The truth was that he thought she had written it differently that night when clearly she had been writing the same thing for two years, since her training. 

Then of course the big problem is when you get the really picky customers who take everything out and put everything of a different kind in. That's when it gets really confusing and lost. The best way to tackle this so that my boss will get it right is a simple five step plan.

1. Read the docket slowly and clearly to him.
2. Have him repeat back what you have just read to him.
3. Watch that he puts the right things in the dish and that it is cooked right.
4. Ask again what is in the dish to make sure that it is right.
5. Inspect the dish to make sure that it is completely and utterly right.

If these steps are followed correctly then hopefully, you will have a lovely dish with no mistakes.

Then again I suppose all of this makes work an adventure, a little more interesting as well as making you want to hit yourself on the forehead. So whenever I train any new waitresses I always tell them to write clearly, speak clearly and be clear about everything because our boss is a little blind, a bit deaf and always always that little bit slightly lost.

Replying to those Lovely Lovely Comments

(From  'Don't Force Your Money on the Waitresses Please.')

CommonWaitress...

 I have to say that it must be pretty lucky to feel like people will bribe you with tips if you take their money. Its one of those things that you would gladly be a part of if it wasn't about paying the bill. And then it makes you look greedy, can't win.

Purplegirl...

I think I'm going to use that technique more. It seems like the only way to handle it the best way without actually offending anyone.

Don't Force Your Money Upon the Waitress Please.

I have learned a lot about patience, stupidity and manners during my time as a waitress. Patience, I think is the most important because that teaches one to tolerate all sorts of weird and wonderful people. However, there is one thing that I don't really have patience for or can tolerate very well.

I absolutely dislike being caught up in the middle of the common argument of "Who Pays The Bill". This is usually extremely annoying and frustrating when two customers, Bill-Fighters, come up at the same time and force their money or credit cards at you. Whilst it is nice to have money forced upon me (who wouldn't?) its the problem of the waitress becoming the judge.

How do you choose? Who do you choose? And how can you do so without offending the other party. Really, there's no simple answer. In the end no matter who you choose, if both Bill-Fighters do not give up, you end up with a pretty lousy time deciding whose money to take.

It should be an easy thing. Paying the bill at the end of the night should be the most non stressful thing that a waitress should so all night. Waitresses are not trained to handle stupid situations like this, and to be quite honest, nor should we really. Its not in our jurisdiction.

Most of the time I smile and wait till the Bill-Fighters have had their battle and come to an agreement. I have had one particular Bill-Fighter tell me that I was rude simply because I told them to sort it between THREE Bill-Fighters and let me know who would be ultimately paying. I have also been given the evil look by a Bill-Fighter because I chose to accept the alternate Bill-Fighter's cash rather than the credit card for simplicities sake.

Bill-Payers should fight or decide without involving a waitress. After all we can't win no matter what we choose. It is an awkward position that I still do not really know how to handle with 100% confidence. So I think it would easier if all Bill-Fighters could decide before they pay the bill.