About a month ago, we had a ridiculously hellish night at the restaurant. The next day, I was written up over something that happened that night, and some other people were reprimanded and had shifts taken away and such. A week later, me and four other people who felt totally screwed by that night were talking to Lapdog about what happened that night.
One of the bartenders said she thought it was ridiculous that CL wouldn't help us--she's been known to storm around saying "I am NOT clearing tables when we have this many people on the floor!" Bartender also said that it's uncomfortable for customers when they can hear managers screaming in the kitchen. Andrea, who had her Sunday shift taken away, said she thought it was ridiculous and unfair, and I don't remember what else. Lapdog almost redeemed himself for a lot of his shitty behavior, talking to us about what's happened lately to be stressing them all out, basically seeming like he was just right there with us.
This was a month ago, and yesterday Chicken Little fucking flipped out at Andrea about something unrelated--and then told her that Lapdog had told her everything we all said that night, and totally went off on her about it! CL has been stewing over the things Andrea said--which she twisted around until it became "I know you said I'm a bitch!"--and instead of dealing with it like a normal person, she just restrained it all in and blew up at her. On the floor, in front of coworkers and customers.
My coworkers all feel really betrayed by Lapdog though, and are really angry. I am, a bit, because his entire attitude was of commiseration. We had no reason to think he was going to go report back to CL about everything. On the other hand, he's worked for her for about eight years--so I wasn't about to tell him what I really think about her. I was very careful about what I said, actually; it's just habit after some of the back-stabbing incidents I've dealt with in the past.
But god only knows what she thinks I said. All I remember saying is that morale is really low and I think we all feel beaten down, and I said I didn't remember CL freaking out so much when I worked there before--which Lapdog agreed with, and said it was because of some of the changes since our company was sold last year have put a lot more pressure on her. But who knows, she could think I said she's a hysterical idiot, and she could explode on me at any time. I almost want to do something to piss her off the next time I work with her, just to get the eruption over with.
8 comments:
Yeah, restaurant politics are so crazy. We've got a lot of that going on at my place right now, on top of sales being down and all, and managers are just one big ball of stress. But what they fail to realize is that we are too, and they expect us to be friendly to them, friendly to customers, friendly to each other whether we feel that way or not, and meanwhile they say whatever they want, when they want. It's just not cool. Good luck with your political stuff! God bless.
As with every restaurant - it is High School all over again.
It may have felt as tho' LP was siding with you, but as with any 14 year old [which he appears to be] he went and ran his mouth. He wants his friends and he will side with whomever suits his purpose at the moment.
He is a manager and shouldn't be stirring the pot - but he did and he sucks for it.
Sorry Girl, really. But I have never found a restaurant I worked in to be anything different.
It sucks.
My friends and family were all pretty surprised when I quit serving because I was making decent money and seemed to be enjoying it. I found the customer service end of the job pretty satisfying but at the end of the day, I couldn't take the politics. Whether it's managers or co-workers, it just started to seem like everyone was desperately trying to stab each other in the back. Servers demanding help, be it making salads or singing happy birthday, and then flat refusing to return the favor or stealing tables out of other servers sections because "they're my regulars but can't be sat in my section". Managers saying one thing and doing another.
I was actually fired from one serving job because a new manager didn't like me. I don't know WHY she didn't like me. There weren't any incidents or anything. My grandmother got really sick and I needed to fly half-way across the country to see her. I went into work and the new manager was the only one there. I explained to her what was going on. I wasn't leaving for a few days but I didn't have any shifts scheduled until the day I was leaving. She said it was fine and she'd take care of the schedule. I even offered to pick up a couple shifts before I left, if it would help, but she told me that wouldn't be needed. I checked the schedule the next day and it was changed. When I got back and showed up to my first shift, I was told I'd been fired. Why? Apparently, the new manager changed to schedule BACK after I left so technically I hadn't shown up to 3 shifts in a row. The whole exchange had been verbal so I didn't have any proof she was lying and the other managers chose not to believe me.
I don't understand why the politics seem to run that way at every restaurant. I'm sending wishes of good shifts and high tippers your way!
I'm sending the same.
I don't know why but it seems that restaurant management is so filled with Napoleonic, insecure, high school, pass the buck,juvenile,ass kissing (but not to the servers) back stabbing jerks who probably couldn't keep another job. It's been 20 years since my restaurant days and nothing has changed.
Hope your night was better :D
Funniest one.
It really is amazing how many of these types of people are in this industry. They really are everywhere.
A manager who can be trusted is hard to find. I remember on the ship as Maitre'd if someone confided in me I had to make sure it ended with me or risk mutiny in the dining room.
I've also been thinking about cutting shifts as a punitive measure. Isn't that self defeating in a restaurant? Who's going to serve the food? The manager? The Host or Hostess? There are some seriously misanthropic people in restaurant management
The whole thing with punishing people by taking shifts thing makes me crazy. There are enough people working there that they can punish people by doing that, without worrying about service loss. And they do it, often for the most specious of reasons.
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