Challenging Saturday night at work

Last week I was not looking forward to Saturday because the only other waitress that we have left couldn't work. Then I heard that one of my managers is going to Italy for the weekend. The manager who actually works and is more organised. The one who stayed is actually quite lazy and would rather just drink wine behind the bar than serve customers. My only hope was this pot washer girl who they had asked to work as a waitress (with no waiting on experience) and my managers wife. On Friday I was supposed to train this new girl for a couple of hours, just so she can learn while it's a bit quieter. Friday was a disaster. The new girl was very shy and wouldn't do anything if I didn't tell her to. I was doing everything from greeting and seating the customers to making drinks and serving food. The only thing my manager did was taking food orders and one of them was wrong so that it was me who looked stupid serving duck instead of pigeon to this lady who wasn't happy with anything that night. What did he write down when taking the order? "Bird"??

On Saturday I heard my managers wife couldn't work either.. It was just me, the new girl and my manager left. I worked hard that day to make sure everything is ready for the evening. I didn't want to run around the restaurant trying to find lemons or knives, run to a local shop for milk or do anything at the last minute. I also asked if I could have a shorter brake just to make sure I have time to prepare everything and train this girl a bit more. At some point I went to the kitchen to update the chefs that the customer number went up by 4. They were annoyed that it was me who had to do all the communicating with the kitchen because nobody else will. Then something very important happened. The new Italian head chef who usually doesn't take any part in complaining and is quite strict when it comes to work turned to me and said something like this "Millie today you are the boss (he used some Italian work I cannot remember), I want you to be in control and communicate with the kitchen because this evening is going to be a big challenge and the manager is useless". In that moment my small wage didn't matter or anything that's happened with my managers. This slightly scary chef who owns a restaurant in Italy and who everybody respects just trusted me with responsibility and kinda showed me respect. And we actually survived.

I don't know what was happening in my body that night. Maybe it was the stress or concentration but people kept wondering why my face was so red and pupils really wide. One of the chefs asked me if I had taken some drugs. (I hope customers didn't think that). I couldn't be more happy about having the new girl in though. She was brilliant, doing her job without being told to, not stopping, doing her best. I know it wasn't the most professional night ever but everybody got their food without a lot of waiting, nobody complained (yet)... As soon as the night got a little bit quieter the manager went to the office with a sandwich and left us to serve the rest of the customers and then to clean up and set everything up. I was proud of myself and the other girl. I felt important. At the end of the night the head chef said "Good service tonight".. It felt so nice. I told the other girl how happy I was with her. I said thank you for doing this. I knew the manager never would. His advice to me was "Try not to explain too much to the new girl. If nobody helps her she will get stressed and she will have to create a plan and survive on her own." WHAT?? She is completely new, no experience, she is nervous and needs to know that she is allowed to ask any questions if she needs to. I want her to feel confident, not nervous. Now I know why he gets annoyed every time I need to ask a question or need help. I am not saying it doesn't work on somebody but I am definitely the sort of person who will try harder after a compliment than after being told off.

Sorry I keep writing about work so much. Next time I will write about something positive. :)

Here's a few pictures from last week.

Wine course

I took this on a bus with two floors.. what are they called??

Nero after an embarrassing moment in a bath tube