I Was Once a Waitress...
When I was twenty, jobless and broke, I walked into an upscale, locally-own restaurant and begged for a job. Literally. I'd been there several times before, but with no experience, I was always quickly turned away. In a moment of disgust, I stomped back into the foyer, looked the manager in the eye, and said, "You're making a mistake." And he asked me why. So I stated my case.
"Every time I come in here, you won't give me the time of day. You say I need experience. Well, here I am, eager to learn. Just how do you expect me to get experience when no one will give me a chance?"
He was irritated, I could tell, and I stomped back out the door. But a loud, "Get back here!" made me backpedal my way back in. He directed me to a booth and told me to wait for him.
Several minutes later, the manager sat across from me, and flung a menu across the table.
"You take that home and come back tomorrow. I will test you and if you fail one question, no job."
Menu in tow, I returned home and spent the evening perusing all the fare-what was included, available sides, the price-I studied for hours and learned about every dish and beverage. Heck, I even memorized the wine and beer list.
The next day, the manager grilled me for twenty minutes. Then he put me in training. For two weeks I shadowed a veteran waitress. I watched how she greeted each guest differently and rattled off specials in varying orders, depending on the clientele seated at each table. During off-time they trained me on carrying trays-large oval ones loaded with iron skillets! ...continue reading