i predict a bad thanksgiving

[bourbonsamurai]

tujagues has 1000 guests on the books for thanksgiving already, and i think were gonna get massacred.  it aint gonna be a kitchen issue, either.  our servers are, judged collectively, simply terrible.  3-5 are fantastic total professionals, but that isnt near enough competent bodies to manage the potential mayhem likely in a 13500sq/ft restaurant, on the busiest day of the year.  i just got home from sunday dinner service, and though we only had 100 covers, it could scarcely have been worsely handled if these clowns had been deliberately trying to fuck us up.  indeed, they may have done better if theyd had ill intent, cuz at least theyd have been trying, and perhaps done one or two things correctly, by accident and unbeknownst.  in my 25 years in the biz, ive rarely seen a more perfect confluence of apathy, incompetence, and negligence.  tonight was our slowest night of the week, so our GM had most all the jerrys kids on schedule.  christ, the fucking buffoonery was near indescribable, though im ransacking the thesaurus trying.  this is one area i cant be of assistance either, cuz one sure way to make it worse would be to allow me into the dining room to try to straighten matters.  i have paitience, and peaceful intentions, generally, but these fucing stoats im dealing with here would drive me to aneurism inside 5 minutes time, amid a visible cloud of motherfucks, worthless cunts, snot and ruptured vessels.  i told one of our tuxedoed speedbumps tonight that, if i were as incompetent as she, id immediately hang myself in disgrace.  and im not joking about that much, in the slightest.  its nights like this i wish to hell i was an imbecile, cuz id at least be able to go in the mop closet and play with my dick or something, while blissfully unaware the fools being suffered around me.  

[Dinosaur David B]

Sounds like you guys need to hire a bunch of extra help for the event. 

[bourbonsamurai]

Sounds like you guys need to hire a bunch of extra help for the event. 

 

thats the ongoing issue, unfortunately.  there are simply not enough qualified people available and iterested, citywide.  a tough problem, with no easy answer.  

[Tatosh Guitar]

I am sorry for your predicament, but on the other hand, this is one of the greatest posts I have ever read here, or anywhere. Well done my friend.
 

[bourbonsamurai]

I am sorry for your predicament, but on the other hand, this is one of the greatest posts I have ever read here, or anywhere. Well done my friend.
 

 

im challenged here, brother.  my whole career, ive been cursed with deep perception, and firm grip on reality.  i remain convinced there is no problem that cant be surmounted, save two exceptions, the first being where a problem is ignored.  the second, and worst, is when responsible individuals are invested in ignoring a problem.  the old cliche here is, its easier to fool a person than to convince them theyve been fooled.  once fragile egos come into play, 19/20 people will go along with whatever handy excuse is presented, so long as that excuse shields them from responsibility.

[eduardoritos]

Man, I can't figure how a 1.000 clients restaurant can be; you know, my brother is a pro cooker after 40 years. I'm at his work many times (even working in the musical part of the event) and a 350 peolple event is BIG to my eyes.

Myself, now, I'm one of the two more experienced workers at my job, at the tax office; my bosses don't understant quality job and healthy work conditions, so the attendance numbers are big.
Having many colleagues with far less experience (me, 20 years; others between 5 years to 6 months), I'm the "go to" one when somebody don't know something or don't understand the info.
So, I have my actual job, and the "helping the other, but not paid for it" part of the day.

Sometimes, I think that humanity moves thanks to the effort of people like us; because the guys running things don't know a shit about what we actually do.


Courage, mon ami!

[bourbonsamurai]

Man, I can't figure how a 1.000 clients restaurant can be; you know, my brother is a pro cooker after 40 years. I'm at his work many times (even working in the musical part of the event) and a 350 peolple event is BIG to my eyes.

Myself, now, I'm one of the two more experienced workers at my job, at the tax office; my bosses don't understant quality job and healthy work conditions, so the attendance numbers are big.
Having many colleagues with far less experience (me, 20 years; others between 5 years to 6 months), I'm the "go to" one when somebody don't know something or don't understand the info.
So, I have my actual job, and the "helping the other, but not paid for it" part of the day.

Sometimes, I think that humanity moves thanks to the effort of people like us; because the guys running things don't know a shit about what we actually do.


Courage, mon ami!

 

im going to guess your brother cooks fancier food than i do.  we make everything from scratch, and all courses are cooked a la minute, so its defineitely work but, all fairly simple dishes.  my boss, a french creole chef of 40 years experience, told me awhile back that i was one of the best cooks hed ever had on his line.  this made me pretty happy, because ive only been a professional for 3 years, this december, and im terrified every day that im not good enough.  i do like the pressure of a tough day, though.  theres something very satisfying about leaving the restaurant, with the knowledge in your heart that you did a good job, under difficult circumstances, and maybe its not everybody that can do it.  thats great for me, because im a real misfit in pretty much every other area of life.  

[eduardoritos]

Yeah, the self-gratification of the satisfaying "surviving the bad day".

If not for that, I would quit that job many years ago.

The people in charge know this, and take profit of it, being us the sufferers.

[bourbonsamurai]

Yeah, the self-gratification of the satisfaying "surviving the bad day".

If not for that, I would quit that job many years ago.

The people in charge know this, and take profit of it, being us the sufferers.

 

i learned some lessons over my years, managing bars, restaurants, nightclubs, etc, and your comments on this thread remind me of two, immediately.  the first being, managers truly dont know shit, and the best ones know it, and plan accordingly.  when i was managing, i spent 95% of every day identifying, qualifying, hiring, and training personnel.  i knew i couldnt do it all, or especially know it all myself, so i invested time and effort making sure i didnt have to.  this is mgmt 101 stuff, but how many in the real world actually apply this?  how many clowns have you had to work for that did none of these in real life, but always knew the right thing to say at a convenient time, to deflect the scrutiny their actual performance couldnt stand?  for me, thats too many, in the lst 25 years.  the second thing you mentioned, is the exploitation of the competent ones.  thats just the way of the world.  somebodys gotta do it, or the whole thig collapses.  you cant have a whorehouse where nobody gets fucked, but its our choice as to how long we let the fucking continue.  are we making plans?  i definitely have an exit strategy..