i wont cross these streets until you hold my hand
Monday August 21st 2006:
THUMBS DOWN.
Basically anything that could have went wrong did.
First off...
My first nighttime hostess shift was a pretty severe crash and burn.
I got to sleep in for a change and came into work feeling pretty badass in my manager-looking work gear and from 2-530 went without a hitch. However, 530 is when we open for dinner.
All day I crossed and crossed my fingers hoping Angel would be the evening manager because she knew this was my first time hosting and would have been around constantly to make sure i was ok. But nooooooooo....JP (the head food and beverage manager of the resort who is known for being an idiot and not helping AT ALL) was on for tonite. Fuckity fuck fuck. And he pretty much appeared to tell me to keep seating people, which in turn made the kitchen super-pissed at me all night for slamming them nonstop with orders. And the 95 people (which is a small turnout when we can have up to 160 a night) which showed arrived constantly and ruthlessly with very few reservations! This made the servers get slammed unexpectedly along with the kitchen and basically everyone had an idea of making a voodoo doll of me before the night was over. Did my boss help me out? No. He told me that the kitchen was just bitching and they werent busy so just keep seating them until we were absolutely full. I couldnt even buss tables and take the stuff to the kitchen because of fear of the line screaming at me (which they would have in a heartbeat). So i stayed around the front and toolishly kept seating everyone and pretty soon it was way too chaotic for an almost half-full at best lodge.
Is this the worst of it?
Man, I wish.
The next thing I really, really, REALLY fucked up.
Like superfuckup extreme.
And it was all just a simple matter of miscommunication and almost cost me a shitload of money.
So a 4-top comes to be seated with no reservations and they had to wait for 20min. They were super pleasant about it and didnt seem like an issue at all. As I was seating them, they informed me that they "were with the cruise line" (most of our guests come here either before or after a Princess cruise) and I didnt really think anything out of the ordinary. Next, they ask me if everything is available on the menu. I thought that was kind of weird, figuring they thought that they might have to order from a fixed selection because it was part of the cruise package. So i told them yes, they could order anything and they asked desserts too? I said of course. About an hour later, I'm polishing glasses in the wait station because the rush of people finally stopped coming. One of the guys (the leader apparently) comes up with Jean Marc (his server) and points at me, saying "This boy right here said that we could order everything on the menu and that it was INCLUDED with the cruise. Didn't you???"
You see folks, INCLUDED is the key word here that I did not once utter and to my knowledge did not hear during our entire conversation at the host stand. He then proceeded to remind me of EXACTLY what i said (which was already skewed) and he firmly repeated his claim without letting me explain. When I finally explained that I interpreted what he asked me as I described above, he denied it adamantly and repeated that "YOU said everything was included so we had appetizers, main entrees and desserts because YOU said it was included with the cruise!" He wasnt being overtly mean about it, but somewhat condescending like I was completely at fault (which i was partially, I understand that). And damn repetitive! Of course JP was nowhere to be found, and I was very much cornered without a backup plan except for one last resort. So finally, to shut him up and try to keep him from badmouthing my mistake to all the execs at the resort I told him i would fix it and offered to pay for their meal. He is pleased and hands me his check: $178. FUCK. Fuck fuck FUCCCKKK!!!! Sandy and Al (a busser) witnessed the whole thing and basically told me he conned me and "go get JP. NOW." Of course I had to search the angry kitchen, the bar, the lobby, and EVERYWHERE and he was nowhere to be found. After being radioed and talking to friends outside, JP shows up and I take him aside to explain my side of the story and to direct him to their table.
This is where the only miracle of the night occurs.
Somehow, JP talked the guy into not only having me pay for his meal, but making him think that HE was in the wrong from the start!
Dear GOD I have no clue how the fuck JP did that, but the man must have gotten his high position for having a silver tongue and nothing else. Oh yeah, and being old (58 and looking 500).
Anyways, the end result was the guy apologized to me and said he had absolutely no hard feelings except that we had a miscommunication from the start. JP cut his bill in half and the table happily paid $89 and actually decently tipped! Oh yeah, and he didnt even crucify me for my fuckup or whatever you want to call it. He explained to me that he used legal mumbo jumbo that enticed the customer into thinking he was mislead by the cruise and not by me (once again...HOW?!?!?!).
But if I have to find a silver lining to the night, it was right there.
The rest of the night was a circus gone horribly wrong.
The line was dead silent with me when I walked back to drop off dirty plates/linens.
Oh yeah, except for our asshole sous chef (Aaron) Bornheim storms up to me around 10pm and growls, "we STOP seating at 945!" and stomps off. Keep in mind that I always have that sign turned to SECTION CLOSED when i'm bussing or whatever before 9:40! Why would I seat someone after that so i can stay later to clean up?? But he did come back before 11 and apologized because "I heard that you seated a 2-top at 950 and have been in a bad mood all night." Seriously, i'm getting a little tired of temperamental kitchen staff thinking we're just out to screw them over.
I did get $7 instead of my usual $5 for vacuuming the bar after i finished the restaurant, but still in no way shape or form was tonite a good night.
I accept that the situation that I encountered was a miscommunication and by no means a deceptive act and that because I didnt ask questions that I am partially to blame.
Therefore, I will except this as a lesson learned and try not to beat myself up about this for the duration of my contract here (8 work days left).
Tomorrow is my last day off.
I'm going to do what I can to forget today existed.
I'm relaxing, maybe go to the post office to make another $1000 money order out of tips (4-5mile walk), maybe hottubbing, and finally a dinner date with Sandy.
I'm hoping no one out there is even going to humor me with an assumption of this being a romantic dinner date.
Fuck no, we both just want crab legs and wine.
(and this may be one of the ONLY times in my early-mid 20s to have the means to afford a meal as fancy as this...thank you 30% discount and tips)
Hoping the rest of this week goes smoother.
Oh yeah, i hostess yet again Sunday.
Hopefully Angel is working and I get my act together this time.
My buddy Kirk and I live by the saying, "either you're the eagle or the fish...which are you going to be tonite?"
I was a big fat floppy king salmon tonite.
*flop flop flop HOP into the air!*
I have to show you the picture sometime for a better explanation.
Remind me.
drive slow homie,
-yohe
THUMBS DOWN.
Basically anything that could have went wrong did.
First off...
My first nighttime hostess shift was a pretty severe crash and burn.
I got to sleep in for a change and came into work feeling pretty badass in my manager-looking work gear and from 2-530 went without a hitch. However, 530 is when we open for dinner.
All day I crossed and crossed my fingers hoping Angel would be the evening manager because she knew this was my first time hosting and would have been around constantly to make sure i was ok. But nooooooooo....JP (the head food and beverage manager of the resort who is known for being an idiot and not helping AT ALL) was on for tonite. Fuckity fuck fuck. And he pretty much appeared to tell me to keep seating people, which in turn made the kitchen super-pissed at me all night for slamming them nonstop with orders. And the 95 people (which is a small turnout when we can have up to 160 a night) which showed arrived constantly and ruthlessly with very few reservations! This made the servers get slammed unexpectedly along with the kitchen and basically everyone had an idea of making a voodoo doll of me before the night was over. Did my boss help me out? No. He told me that the kitchen was just bitching and they werent busy so just keep seating them until we were absolutely full. I couldnt even buss tables and take the stuff to the kitchen because of fear of the line screaming at me (which they would have in a heartbeat). So i stayed around the front and toolishly kept seating everyone and pretty soon it was way too chaotic for an almost half-full at best lodge.
Is this the worst of it?
Man, I wish.
The next thing I really, really, REALLY fucked up.
Like superfuckup extreme.
And it was all just a simple matter of miscommunication and almost cost me a shitload of money.
So a 4-top comes to be seated with no reservations and they had to wait for 20min. They were super pleasant about it and didnt seem like an issue at all. As I was seating them, they informed me that they "were with the cruise line" (most of our guests come here either before or after a Princess cruise) and I didnt really think anything out of the ordinary. Next, they ask me if everything is available on the menu. I thought that was kind of weird, figuring they thought that they might have to order from a fixed selection because it was part of the cruise package. So i told them yes, they could order anything and they asked desserts too? I said of course. About an hour later, I'm polishing glasses in the wait station because the rush of people finally stopped coming. One of the guys (the leader apparently) comes up with Jean Marc (his server) and points at me, saying "This boy right here said that we could order everything on the menu and that it was INCLUDED with the cruise. Didn't you???"
You see folks, INCLUDED is the key word here that I did not once utter and to my knowledge did not hear during our entire conversation at the host stand. He then proceeded to remind me of EXACTLY what i said (which was already skewed) and he firmly repeated his claim without letting me explain. When I finally explained that I interpreted what he asked me as I described above, he denied it adamantly and repeated that "YOU said everything was included so we had appetizers, main entrees and desserts because YOU said it was included with the cruise!" He wasnt being overtly mean about it, but somewhat condescending like I was completely at fault (which i was partially, I understand that). And damn repetitive! Of course JP was nowhere to be found, and I was very much cornered without a backup plan except for one last resort. So finally, to shut him up and try to keep him from badmouthing my mistake to all the execs at the resort I told him i would fix it and offered to pay for their meal. He is pleased and hands me his check: $178. FUCK. Fuck fuck FUCCCKKK!!!! Sandy and Al (a busser) witnessed the whole thing and basically told me he conned me and "go get JP. NOW." Of course I had to search the angry kitchen, the bar, the lobby, and EVERYWHERE and he was nowhere to be found. After being radioed and talking to friends outside, JP shows up and I take him aside to explain my side of the story and to direct him to their table.
This is where the only miracle of the night occurs.
Somehow, JP talked the guy into not only having me pay for his meal, but making him think that HE was in the wrong from the start!
Dear GOD I have no clue how the fuck JP did that, but the man must have gotten his high position for having a silver tongue and nothing else. Oh yeah, and being old (58 and looking 500).
Anyways, the end result was the guy apologized to me and said he had absolutely no hard feelings except that we had a miscommunication from the start. JP cut his bill in half and the table happily paid $89 and actually decently tipped! Oh yeah, and he didnt even crucify me for my fuckup or whatever you want to call it. He explained to me that he used legal mumbo jumbo that enticed the customer into thinking he was mislead by the cruise and not by me (once again...HOW?!?!?!).
But if I have to find a silver lining to the night, it was right there.
The rest of the night was a circus gone horribly wrong.
The line was dead silent with me when I walked back to drop off dirty plates/linens.
Oh yeah, except for our asshole sous chef (Aaron) Bornheim storms up to me around 10pm and growls, "we STOP seating at 945!" and stomps off. Keep in mind that I always have that sign turned to SECTION CLOSED when i'm bussing or whatever before 9:40! Why would I seat someone after that so i can stay later to clean up?? But he did come back before 11 and apologized because "I heard that you seated a 2-top at 950 and have been in a bad mood all night." Seriously, i'm getting a little tired of temperamental kitchen staff thinking we're just out to screw them over.
I did get $7 instead of my usual $5 for vacuuming the bar after i finished the restaurant, but still in no way shape or form was tonite a good night.
I accept that the situation that I encountered was a miscommunication and by no means a deceptive act and that because I didnt ask questions that I am partially to blame.
Therefore, I will except this as a lesson learned and try not to beat myself up about this for the duration of my contract here (8 work days left).
Tomorrow is my last day off.
I'm going to do what I can to forget today existed.
I'm relaxing, maybe go to the post office to make another $1000 money order out of tips (4-5mile walk), maybe hottubbing, and finally a dinner date with Sandy.
I'm hoping no one out there is even going to humor me with an assumption of this being a romantic dinner date.
Fuck no, we both just want crab legs and wine.
(and this may be one of the ONLY times in my early-mid 20s to have the means to afford a meal as fancy as this...thank you 30% discount and tips)
Hoping the rest of this week goes smoother.
Oh yeah, i hostess yet again Sunday.
Hopefully Angel is working and I get my act together this time.
My buddy Kirk and I live by the saying, "either you're the eagle or the fish...which are you going to be tonite?"
I was a big fat floppy king salmon tonite.
*flop flop flop HOP into the air!*
I have to show you the picture sometime for a better explanation.
Remind me.
drive slow homie,
-yohe