Yesterday I was interested to observe, in the one establishment, at the same time, two totally different types of service.
On the one hand there were two young ladies who, over the course of a busy (Easter) Saturday evenings trading, remained predominantly behind the counter/coffee making area, apart from a few forays into the restaurant proper to deliver some hot food to tables. They were principally washing, drying and polishing glasses, and presumably making coffees when required (which didn't happen over the period I was present). They didn't issue bills, or take payment for same, or refresh drinks or wander usefully round the restaurant checking all was well and picking up the odd empty glass as they went, or generally giving the customers the feeling that all was under control.
Now I am fully aware there may well have been many reasons as to exactly why these girls were so relatively inactive, from a service perspective. And in fact I made it my business today to find out exactly what was behind this. One is a young mum of 3 children, hence is very run down. The other is, in fact, used by the restaurant as back-up for times when they think they might be really hectic, and need that extra pair of arms and legs on deck.
Basically, looking at the productivity levels of both girls being paid to perform a specific waiting job, I think the restaurant got a bum deal last night. My meal was fabulous. The night was beautiful. What marred it greatly was the sense of helplessness I felt, knowing they had rostered enough people on for the evening's trading, but seeing it just not happening as it should.
I felt overwhelmingly that I needed to get up and help out on the floor! Most frustrating!
But - and here comes the positive - the counter-balancing thing was the MOST amazing little kitchen-hand beavering away with the dishes ALL night. This is one amazing little lad, all of 13 years old, who works every weekend washing up in the restaurant. It will be obvious to you why I will go to my grave with the name of this restaurant never to be revealed because I'm sure there will be some law somewhere that says that a young kid like that can't, if he has the desire to, work as the dish-pig!
He is absolutely brilliant to watch. He was probably really nervous the first time he worked there, but now is a really old hand at the sinks, and battles it all as it's placed in front of him in the most cheerful way. I know he's been working there at least 4 months, maybe longer.
I don't know that he's got a specifically sad story as to why he wanted to work there doing that job. He's just a truly motivated little guy who is a genuinely hard worker. And I hope I get to hear exactly how far in life he does go because with this beginning, I'd say the world was his oyster.
Sunday, 23 March 2008
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11 comments:
Hi Rita - I've worked in many restaurants who employ a "float" during busy times, specifically to run meals and keep up with glasses and cutlery. They are usually paid less as they are not expected to deal with service issues - merely there so that the establishment isn't paying waiters at higher rates of pay to do all the clean up when the doors are closed. Smart really, however, it's a shame that the public may view them as non productive.
The thing that really gripes me is the addition of a service fee on public holidays - up to 20 percent. I know that bloggers will reply with "it's to cover additional labour costs" Most establishments are flat out during these times and personally I think it's greedy and a rip off. Especially as many staff these days are on salary, or casual rates of pay. I know of a family owned and operated business in a high density tourist area who impose such a charge on the basis of additional wages! That's just crap. It's one thing to try and make money in this industry, but it's another to treat customers as if they don't know any better. When I go out on public holidays, I make a point of supporting those restaurants that don't impose a service charge or charge 50 cents for the use of credit cards. Why don't they just factor this into the costs. Such a little thing can determine where one decides to dine - I would much rather support those trying to make a honest living
Money is what motivates him Rita - just like all the kids who get up at 5am to deliver papers - good on them all -he's not on his own.
Hi Anon 12.04 - thanks for your comment. While at the restaurant I had originally assumed that at least one of the girls was, as you describe, a 'float'. It turns out that both of them really should have been working the floor. They weren't. It probably is an issue of staff training, and explaining in quite specific terms exactly what it is you want your employee to do as part of their job.
In an ideal world, you wouldn't have to sit down and tell a waitperson that their job involves, amongst other things, clearing back tables, asking people if they want another drink, explaining the menu, answering questions about the food, drinks etc - but this isn't an ideal world, and employers or managers must not assume things which might seem obvious to them.
I'm hearing you about the extra charges issue - but then again it seems to be par for the course these days. I have just read an email from BigPond telling me about imminent changes to their billing system, whereby they are adding many extra charges to the bill in certain situations. That is the sort of thing which we just have to accept on the chin, it would seem.
Anon 9.54 - do kids still deliver the papers? My paper is delivered daily round 4.30 am by a bloke in his car. If it was a kid, they would have had to have risen at round 3.00 am. I can't see many kids either a) wanting to get up then or b)parents allowing them to miss that much sleep or c)parents allowing them to be out in the dark with all the potential dangers in society which lurk in those late night/early hours of the day time.
Anyway - if the motivation is money - good on him - but I have a feeling that for many people, the money issue would just not go far enough to convince them to return to a restaurant dishwasher's life week after week!
What's wrong with a dishwashers life? I in fact am a dishwasher.I feel like i'm part of a hard working team and just because i'm drenched at the end of every shift doesn't mean i didn't enjoy my work.You need to be more accepting of peoples choices to work. I could take the very easy way out and sit on my arse all day watching Jerry Springer and drinking Beer, but i don't, and you need to apologise to all us 'dishwashers' for insulting us and making our job sound as though it's a dead end job. I hope one day I can move into the food prep areas and maybe start an apprenticship where i'm currently working. Who knows, you may be eating my food one day and then commenting on it on this site. Here's to MY future as a dishwasher!
Big difference between TELSTRA and restaurants in hobart. I ate at two restaurants in Salamanca during Easter who did not impose a surcharge - so no, I don't cope it on the chin. Conservatively, 200 meals per day at an average spend of $40 p/p = $800 x 3 days over Easter = $2,400, not to mention extra revenue from coffee, cakes and drinks. That's a lot of money towards extra wages! (That's based on a 10% surcharge - some are higher) - it's just pure greed at a time when they know they will be busy with tourists and locals alike.
(Takes a big sigh.....)Anon 10.59 - there's absolutely NOTHING wrong with a dishwashers life. In fact I too am a dishwasher and have been all my life. I see absolutely not one thing wrong with that career, and if you managed to find some kind of slur against dishwashers amongst what I said, well, we just might as well all lie down and die now!
The whole point of the post was how wonderful I thought this kid was, getting in and doing that job! Most 13 year olds are happy doing all the stuff 13 yo's do, whci generally doesn't involve paid manual labour outside the home! It's great to hear that you have ambitions in the area of food prep, and I wish you luck as a chef or whatever else your future holds. So I join you in toasting your future - as a dishwasher or whatever it will be!
Anon 11.17 - yes, there is a huge diff between Telstra and restaurants, my point being that it seems to be the norm for charges to be added daily to many things which previously didn't attract such charges or costs.
We DO have to cop it on the chin if we are (for whatever reason) in the situation where we have to accept it. If, for instance, you have accepted an invitation to a dinner at a restaurant to celebrate a friend's birthday, then have to pay the surcharge at the end of the meal, you WILL have to cop it on the chin. Granted if the venue is of your choice then you can exercise your right as to whether or not you eat at a place that charges the surcharge or not. But often we find ourselves in situations that are out of our control.
Doing dishes at 13! I was born in a paddy field as my mother tended the rice crop.
My fist nappy was made of basmatti husks and because of all the water in the paddy fields I thought I was a dolphin.
When I was three my mum kicked me out and I had to work down a mine.
It was great. They gave me a cage with a pet canary in it to put on my lamp-hat.
Even let me go first into dark tunnels cause they said life was a gas and the bird loved it.
Then they sacked the pit pony and made me pull the bogey up to the surface.
At nights I washed the dishes in the canteen...proud as punch I was.
By the time I was 15 I was able to get wages and be registered. Wow, I never knew life could be so good. I was able to afford a stubby of beer and Macca's on Frisday night.
The blokes at Maccas don't have no dishes to wash. Poor buggers.
What a lucky, lucky bugger you are Sir Grumpy.
This must explain your exceptional outlook on life! Nice to hear you being a bit more cheerful.
Sir Grumpy - what can I say? You obviously had a crappy life as a child. Is your real identity perchance Charles Dickens?
I do not charge extra for public holidays. I pay penalty rates to my staff on public holidays. I work a lot harder on public holidays. I do not get holidays, super or any other entitlements, in fact there is no laws protecting me. Nobody tells me that an eighty odd hour week is bad for me.
Annon, a simple question if I may, without being argumentative; would you go to work on a public holiday without being paid penalty rates, knowing that on that day you are going to work twice as hard, not see your family etc?
Because I do. And no, not everybody gets oh so paid as a boss, in fact some of us open because the public would not forgive us if we did not, and on those days it gives many businesses the chance to get ahead of the game.
Many hospitality businesses are holding on by a thread, they need to open on a public holiday, just like the workers depend on the penalty rates to pay the mortgage.
As for some of the Salamanca operations, shit dude, the maths on the meals sounds great, but then factor in the staff over a 16 hour day and the frigging rents in that neck of the woods.
All I am saying is it aint that cut and dried, and lets face it you don't need me to point that out.
Just answer the question, would you work on a public holiday without penalty rates?
Then why should the boss!
Cartouche
Hi Cartouche
In answer to your question - yes I do work on public holidays without being paid penalties. Don't wish to prolong the discussion because it seems people are much more sensitive about this issue than I imagined. I was merely making a point which seems to be missed. There are successful restaurants in Salamanca who do not impose a service charge despite all the costs you so rightly pointed out and they are the ones I will choose to visit.There are also family owned and operated business' who do not pay penalties, but charge a service charge - why?
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