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Liquid Communism posted:Well, it appears to be some kind of brined and/or cured meat product, so yeah, it's going to have a lot of salt in it. How is that news? It's pot roast. So I don't think it's meant to be brined/cured.
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Sep 8, 2014 05:25
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I forgot how odd people are sometimes. So I had a great time tonight. Bartender comes into the kitchen with a question Her: can this guy get Monterrey jack on his cheeseburger? Me: well yeah the cheeseburger we serve on the menu has an aged Monterrey jack on it. It's right there on the menu. Her: oh well he didn't look at the menu he just wanted to make sure he didn't get plain old cheddar or something. Me: well no he is fine the cheeseburger comes with Monterrey jack. Her: ok! Ticket prints out for bacon cheeseburger a few minutes later. No regular cheeseburger comes in. I find that odd and walk out to the bar. Me: no cheeseburger rang up, did he not want it? Her: I put it in a minute ago. Me: the bacon cheeseburger? Her: yeah that. Me: does he know he bacon cheeseburger comes wih a special cheese sauce we make to pair with the in house bacon? Because he might want to try it instead of Monterrey jack if he was just worried about cheddar. Her: I don't know I haven't read the menu either. Me: okay I will ask him. I went to the customer and explained I would be happy to make a burger with Monterrey jack for him but if he would like I recommend he try the burger with the cheese sauce we intend for it, at which point he said "no if I can't get jack I just don't want it. Just cancel the burger." So I just cancelled the order. I didn't really have time to explain it to a guy who just didn't seem to get it.
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Sep 8, 2014 07:45
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Errant Gin Monks posted:I forgot how odd people are sometimes. So I had a great time tonight. I'm with you most of the time, but the waiter just said he wanted monterey jack. ?? why ask about cheese sauce but anyways sounds like a communication fail all around :<
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Sep 8, 2014 08:20
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mindphlux posted:I'm with you most of the time, but the waiter just said he wanted monterey jack. ?? why ask about cheese sauce Since we launched the new place people who have been there before order things that are from the old restaurant. So if there is a misunderstanding or confusion about the new menu I try to clear it up with the customer and use it as a way to get them to try the new items. The bartender stressed he didn't want "just cheddar" so I figured he might want to try the cheese sauce designed for the burger he ordered. Turned out he just really wanted plain old white block Monterrey jack. Oh well. The bartenders don't really care about learning the menu or really give a poo poo about selling the food so I have to keep a constant watch and engage with the customers to find out what they actually want, this was just an odd interaction that stood out to me today.
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Sep 8, 2014 08:25
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Errant Gin Monks posted:Since we launched the new place people who have been there before order things that are from the old restaurant. So if there is a misunderstanding or confusion about the new menu I try to clear it up with the customer and use it as a way to get them to try the new items. The bartender stressed he didn't want "just cheddar" so I figured he might want to try the cheese sauce designed for the burger he ordered. Turned out he just really wanted plain old white block Monterrey jack. You're assuming that your customers' thoughts actually follow some sort of rational path. The guy didn't really want jack cheese, he wanted to make a decision about his food and get something special. Some people just want to be served more than they want to eat the best possible food. It's not how you think, it's not how I think, but it's a common mindset. I would have enthusiastically told the guest that I would be happy to make them a bacon cheeseburger with jack cheese (because you do have it for the other burger, right? or did I read that wrong?) and then apologized for all the confusion. Some people see a visit from the chef to clarify an order as kind of confrontational. My service philosophy involves meeting a guest where they are emotionally and going from there. I figure out what they ACTUALLY want (to be nurtured, to tank up and leave, to have a social experience, to try something new) instead of just what they say they want, and give them that in the form of conversation, speed, attentiveness, extras from the kitchen, etc. Once, when I was working as a manager, what the guest needed was someone to relate to her frustration and fear as she lost her mind to dementia. She had dropped some pie on her expensive outfit and started out angry and then began crying and refusing all offers to help clean up or to comp the pie. I had a server grab some club soda in a rocks glass and a cloth napkin, then spent about five minutes just agreeing with everything the woman said and not arguing or offering alternatives or help. "yes, that's terrible." "no, it's not fair at all, you deserve better" etc. After awhile, she started seeing the bright side of things herself, was able to clean up her outfit herself using the club soda, and seemed in general to be feeling more in control of her circumstances. A free slice of pie later (I insist! If you like the lemon you'll love this one!) and we were once again her favorite restaurant. I realize that servers are not psychologists and that was a unique situation, but it's a good example of what can happen when you step into someone else's reality and accept that reality at face value.
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Sep 8, 2014 15:17
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Errant Gin Monks posted:Oh well. The bartenders don't really care about learning the menu or really give a poo poo about selling the food so I have to keep a constant watch and engage with the customers to find out what they actually want, this was just an odd interaction that stood out to me today. This isn't a problem with the bartenders, this is a problem with management for not insisting they learn at least a little bit about the menu. Let me step back for a moment and ask this, apologies if it's been answered earlier in the thread: You mentioned "since opening the new place," how new is new? If we're talking a week or so, that's one thing - but if you've got a bartender who's been there for a month and will openly admit he hasn't read the menu, you've got problems. The questions that bartender came back to the kitchen to get answers to are questions he or she should have been able to answer on the spot. Some questions have to go back to the kitchen, but asking about cheese on a burger? Sorry, as a former bartender/bar manager that irks me more than anything else about the situation.
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Sep 8, 2014 15:27
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Errant Gin Monks posted:I forgot how odd people are sometimes. So I had a great time tonight. If your bartenders are regularly ordering food for customers it sounds like they should know what's on the drat menu
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Sep 8, 2014 15:31
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Well we are a pop up basically inside the bar. I have my staff and the bar has its own. the owner of the bar and I worked out the system to run out of his POS and let his bartenders do the customer ordering since it's just easier, it has only been a week so I'm not too annoyed at the bartender in question for not knowing, but unlike a regular restaurant they really have no desire at all to study and learn the menu. But when the answer is literally printed on the menu as the first word next to the menu item in question it's a bit irksome. Wrought irony you have crazy patience and customer skills. I'm easing my way back into this whole food thing since I left to be in IT for a decade. I will have to read what you said again and try to take action on it in he future. It is good advice. Thank you.
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Sep 8, 2014 17:13
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Errant Gin Monks posted:but unlike a regular restaurant they really have no desire at all to study and learn the menu. I feel like this is a pretty simple solution, since just like a regular restaurant they make most of their money on tips and can pretty easily double what each guest is spending (and thus their tip) if they sell some food. "Hey guys, today we're having a quick menu meeting before the bar opens. I know it's a lot of change right now but if we can get everyone on the same page, there's an opportunity here for you guys to add some pretty decent coin to your bill totals and your tips. I just want you guys to know a little bit about our food to make it easier for you and hopefully help make you guys some money. So we have burgers..." Who the gently caress doesn't want to make more money, and/or not have to run to the kitchen to ask questions that are easily answered at the table by reading a menu once?
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Sep 8, 2014 18:46
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How bad does a bartender look when he has to repeatedly step out to the kitchen to answer questions that the customer can clearly see the answers to, right there on the menu that the bartender handed them? You'd think a basic desire to not look like an idiot in front of your mealticket would be compulsion enough, but people tell me that sometimes I expect too much. v  v
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Sep 9, 2014 01:07
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Naelyan posted:Who the gently caress doesn't want to make more money, and/or not have to run to the kitchen to ask questions that are easily answered at the table by reading a menu once? My....my bosses?
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Sep 9, 2014 01:46
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Errant Gin Monks posted:Wrought irony you have crazy patience and customer skills. I'm easing my way back into this whole food thing since I left to be in IT for a decade. I will have to read what you said again and try to take action on it in he future. It is good advice. Thank you. Wrought was spot on. I'm a little surprised since you came from an IT background (as I do) that this isn't second nature to you. I realize that sounds a little trolly, and I don't mean to be - but people just want what they want / want poo poo to work. Like a comparable situation - the other week I had a woman whose USB port had ostensibly failed on her workstation. She called me up and was like 'hey, I can't plug anything in in one of my USB slots, I'd really like to be able to plug my stuff in.' I was like 'well, this could be a hardware failure with your machine - we could try to fix that which would be best in the long run, or we could just order you a USB hub to bypass the problem'. She said "ok, I'd like to just buy a usb hub that sounds great I would be very happy with that'. If I had turned around and tried to explain the merits of fixing her USB port, or turned around and confused her with questions like 'ok do you want a 4 or 8 port usb hub?? and usb3 or usb 2? I recommend usb3 but it is more expensive maybe you prefer usb2!!" it would have just gotten very silly very fast. I just ordered her what she wanted, set it up, everything worked, happy customer. who cares if it isn't the best option or what you would ideally deliver to them or whatever. idk, just communicate with your customer, figure out what they want (ala wrought's post), and deliver. no need to overthink things. edit : I should also take my own advice, because I overthink things all the time.
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Sep 9, 2014 09:23
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mindphlux posted:edit : I should also take my own advice, because I overthink things all the time. You're overthinking it.
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Sep 9, 2014 18:52
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Splizwarf posted:You're overthinking it. gently caress
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Sep 10, 2014 06:32
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mindphlux posted:Wrought was spot on. I'm a little surprised since you came from an IT background (as I do) that this isn't second nature to you. I realize that sounds a little trolly, and I don't mean to be - but people just want what they want / want poo poo to work. I was too far removed from day to day stuff at the end. I was in a director position so I mostly worked with directors and owners of other companies on large scale architecture planning and projects. I'm used to recommending what people should do and then blling them for agreeing with me. Lol.
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Sep 10, 2014 06:39
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Well the first week is in the bag and it went pretty well! New plates and servingware have been coming in so it's classing the food up a bit. I'm enjoying it a lot so far.
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Sep 11, 2014 23:25
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my first week at my new job is also over. today i found out the owner/chef not only has cameras everywhere (reasonable) but has the place bugged, and actually sometimes watches us from home, and brings up conversations we have amongst each other. is this industry standard too, guys? should i even bother asking these questions?
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Sep 12, 2014 04:38
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That's weird and creepy but I've come across it once or twice - so while it's not totally out of the ordinary it doesn't speak well for his management style (overbearing)
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Sep 12, 2014 04:43
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The cameras where I work have microphones but you can only watch them in the office. The idea of sitting at home and watching/listening to my workers is really loving creepy.
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Sep 12, 2014 04:47
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naked in the panoptikitchen
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Sep 12, 2014 04:49
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I just want to be able to jack off on my one 10 minute break during a 12 hour shift without ending up on some loving website.
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Sep 12, 2014 04:51
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Yeah that's creepy as gently caress.
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Sep 12, 2014 05:43
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So I've gone from collecting bottles of wine to cases of wine, now to bottles of liquor. This is a crazy world.
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Sep 12, 2014 06:20
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Welp, I just got fired. Anyone here know any good spots to apply to/spots that are hiring in Richmond, Virginia?
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Sep 12, 2014 18:11
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Alobar posted:Welp, I just got fired. Anyone here know any good spots to apply to/spots that are hiring in Richmond, Virginia? Did you no call/no show?
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Sep 12, 2014 19:04
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Alobar posted:Welp, I just got fired. Anyone here know any good spots to apply to/spots that are hiring in Richmond, Virginia? Sorry dude. But it's not like you had any love for the place. By the tone of your posts you seemed to hate it. Maybe this is the nudge you needed to find something better.
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Sep 12, 2014 19:26
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Errant Gin Monks posted:Did you no call/no show? Haha, no. Never. I hate those people, but I wouldn't do that to anyone. Wroughtirony posted:Sorry dude. But it's not like you had any love for the place. By the tone of your posts you seemed to hate it. Maybe this is the nudge you needed to find something better. I had some love for it, that's why I stayed. The day the guy who got me my job there put in his two weeks, I told them I needed more than the starting wage of 9 dollars an hour or it's my two weeks. They didn't give me a raise. I was showing people how to sharpen knives and cook pasta and cut onions. One guy told me that he was fairly certain after I showed him how to cook pasta that he had been cooking pasta the wrong way his entire life until then. I should have fired him when he put chicken not-on-the-bottom-shelf, but I had no such authority. After almost two years there that's just too much for my head. It's definitely a nudge that I needed to find something better. The relationship I had with my bosses was an abusive relationship. My second to last day I was finishing up and making sure I didn't forget anything and that my station was tidy, the boss came in and, in a nasty tone, asked me, "What are you still doing here?" Fuckin a. What WAS I still doing there? I should have walked when their walk-in broke. Edit: Yeah. Their loving walk-in gave up one day.
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Sep 12, 2014 20:57
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Anyone who takes ten literal minutes to make a California roll should not be working in a kitchen. Not "It's the middle of dinner on a Friday and the roll came up ten minutes after it rang", but ten actual minutes to make the roll from start to finish.
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Sep 13, 2014 03:16
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Nobody should be working in a kitchen. I am in hell. The weight of my sins are too great. The heat of the kitchen cannot purge them all. Help me.
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Sep 13, 2014 05:33
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I got a job waiting tables here in Waco,TX and started a couple of weeks ago. This restaurant is a complete shithole and disaster. It is the dirtiest kitchen I have ever seen in a restaurant and serves pretty awful food all around with a few okay dishes here and there. Waitstaff will constantly be snagging food out of the kitchen, and people chug beers in the back courtyard - I've even seen a couple of waiters take food off of a customer's plate. It's a sad place really. All but about 4 of my coworkers have a prior conviction and or are currently on parole. One lady is even on house arrest. Apparently the government will offer financial incentives for employers to hire folks right out of prison or something. The worst part though is the money, or lack thereof, that I am making. I have been on the floor for two weeks now and have not left without more than $40 in my hand. That is including night and day weekend shifts. It's been typical for me to not have a table for two hours after arriving for my shift and I typically have 4 of 5 tables my entire shift. Most of the people I wait on are relatively kind and decent at first but by the time they leave most people are visibly agitated. No joke, I'd say 50% of food that comes up on the already incredibly hosed expo is incorrect or simply has one or more things completely missing. This means plates sit there for upwards of 10 minutes sometimes making most of the plates too hot to even handle with bare hands. This is to ensure that if the food wasn't lovely enough in the first place, it certainly is now. So here I am working with ex cons serving some really lovely food for about $5-$6 an hour. Should I feel bad at all come tomorrow when I don't show up at all and instead spend the day fishing in the morning looking for another job? Edit: I forgot to mention that the real cherry on top is that everything is also hilariously over-priced. Like $4 for a Lone Star and $15 for crawfish(frozen) etoufee PincheFlacoGuey fucked around with this message at 06:47 on Sep 13, 2014 |
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Sep 13, 2014 06:27
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Hahahahahahaha I needed that. Thank you so much for sharing your story, and please, please don't show up to work tomorrow. No call, no show. Do it for me, who will live vicariously through your triumph.
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Sep 13, 2014 06:50
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So is it just my weird luck or is every kitchen in the universe staffed with compulsive whistlers?
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Sep 13, 2014 07:12
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Simoom posted:Nobody should be working in a kitchen. I am in hell. The weight of my sins are too great. The heat of the kitchen cannot purge them all. find gin -> find ice -> pour gin on ice -> drink -> repeat squeeze of lime if you're feeling fancy, but remember to follow it up with tums and water before you go to sleep. (if you plan on waking up, I mean) {probably better not to, in your situation}
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Sep 13, 2014 10:06
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PincheFlacoGuey posted:I got a job waiting tables here in Waco,TX and started a couple of weeks ago. This restaurant is a complete shithole and disaster. It is the dirtiest kitchen I have ever seen in a restaurant and serves pretty awful food all around with a few okay dishes here and there. Waitstaff will constantly be snagging food out of the kitchen, and people chug beers in the back courtyard - I've even seen a couple of waiters take food off of a customer's plate. It's a sad place really. All but about 4 of my coworkers have a prior conviction and or are currently on parole. One lady is even on house arrest. Apparently the government will offer financial incentives for employers to hire folks right out of prison or something. Place right on the water that has a carrion bird in the name?
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Sep 13, 2014 13:37
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Hot Dog Day #91 posted:Place right on the water that has a carrion bird in the name? Yeah. The original building fell in the river.
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Sep 13, 2014 16:23
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DixielandDelight posted:Yeah. The original building fell in the river. I ate there a few times in law school. It was pretty horrible. The market was much better in Austin a few years ago for foh and boh, but that assumes you can move 90 miles south.
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Sep 13, 2014 19:39
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Little Blue Couch posted:So is it just my weird luck or is every kitchen in the universe staffed with compulsive whistlers? It's either whistling, singing, or farting. Take your pick.
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Sep 13, 2014 19:43
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Hot Dog Day #91 posted:I ate there a few times in law school. It was pretty horrible. Yeah McLenan county foh and boh seems to be an annex for the prison. I'm in school though here so I'm stuck here. Everyone and their cousin applies for the same drat positions but I've been in foh and boh for three years now so I'm hoping that puts me ahead of most applicants. Really humbling looking back when I would gripe about making $40 on a Monday night at my other jobs when I just made $22 last night on a Friday night.
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Sep 13, 2014 20:28
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Naelyan posted:It's either whistling, singing, or farting. Or movie quotes. From Sichuan province to the foothills of Lyon to the blighted wastes of Topeka, Super Troopers is the Rosetta Stone of international culinary culture proving that wherever you go; there you are.
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Sep 13, 2014 20:29
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Need table 16 right meow
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Sep 13, 2014 23:07
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