Apparently, I just seem like a moron.

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I work at a restaurant as a waitress. It is not exactly brain surgery. One would think that pretty much anyone of average intelligence would be able to do it, and I have been under the impression I do a good job. Yet today I found out that somehow I must come across as a mental defective, in my boss's opinion.

A co-worker (who I trust to tell me the truth) says that she and the owners were discussing why most of the employees do both kitchen and serving shifts, but I and one other girl just wait tables.

The bosses replied in tones of disbelief, "Cypher? In the kitchen?! Does that seem like it would be a good idea?!!"

I am pretty annoyed. We have some pretty stupid people working in the kitchen, but apparently I am stupider than any of them. I guess I'm mostly writing this to get it off my chest, and I do feel a little better. Ahhh.

But also, I can't decide how to handle it. I really do feel pretty belittled, and I'd kinda like to know what the hell that comment really meant. I want to know if I seem somehow feeble-witted. I'm not, but I do forget stuff perhaps more than I should...make mistakes occasionally...so I suppose I'm a little concerned that maybe I make an inordinate number of mistakes. Should I ask the bosses if I'm really the staff f*ck-up (because I would kinda like to know if I am)? Tell them to quit f*ckin talking about employees behind their backs? (It's happened before at this job to other people, who quit over it...) Or should I ignore it?

What would you all do if you heard of a less-than-flattering comment made about you by your employer?

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I would have shoved his head into the fryer.

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Damn! If only we had a fryer! Ooh, the gas oven??

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"Heard of" is kind of key here -- even if you trust the person you heard it from, ya know that game "telephone"?

You could bring it up that way if you wanted to -- that you heard from someone (don't say who, and skip the intro if it would implicate her) that the bosses aren't satisfied with your performance, and you wanted to see if that was true and if so get advice about how to improve, yadda yadda.

That way you get a confirmation/ denial, and also points for wanting to be a good employee (if you play it right... tone is tricky here).

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Is it possible to wait outside the restaurant in your car and when you see your boss walk toward the restaurant door simply run the son of a bitch over?

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I always seem to have much better advice than Sozobe.

Perhaps she should take the time to listen to me. To learn. To grow.

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I think Soz in on the right track (although I do like Gus's idea of running the boss over!)

Is it possible that maybe your boss thinks that you don't want to work in the kitchen? Or maybe the boss is more worried about who would end up taking your place out with the customers?

There are a lot of different contexts that could fall into play here.

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I'd think you wouldn't want to work the kitchen anyway. Takes more intelligence to deal with customers. Maybe you just don't seem like the type who's good in high-pressure situations?

I wouldn't use your own car. Go rent a Hummer to run the stupid bitch over.

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Have you ever worked in a kitchen? It sucks. When he comes around again, you just say "duh".

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Oh, Fishin and Soz make it all thoughtful and complicated...Gus boils it right down to something simple and proactive, something I can really DO.

But yeah, there are so many contexts that it makes me think I should just ignore the whole thing...however, that leaves me feeling uncomfortable still.

Soz, your advice is good...I have to think how I could put it. I think they'll know who told me no matter how I put it, and that'll be hard on her.

Fishin, they prolly do know I don't want to work in the kitchen, none of the wait staff want to, but that doesn't get them off the hook. It's kind of their unofficial policy to have almost everyone do both. That's the rub: I'm glad I don't have to work in the kitchen, but I don't like that it's because they think I'm too whatever-it-is to handle it. Perhaps I'm looking the ol gift horse in the mouth?

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Yeah, maybe it's your reward. You're such a good waitress that you're the only one who gets an exception to the kitchen thing.

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Slappy Doo Hoo wrote:

I'd think you wouldn't want to work the kitchen anyway. Takes more intelligence to deal with customers. Maybe you just don't seem like the type who's good in high-pressure situations?

I wouldn't use your own car. Go rent a Hummer to run the stupid bitch over.

Yeah, it's the high-pressure thing, is what I'm told from the third party. But the front is a high-pressure situation too, we only have one server on a shift (because they're cheap as well as bitchy) so if it's intense in the kitchen, that means I'm having a busy shift too, plus having to stay cheerful and nice to customers while busting ass.

So does that mean that I already don't handle the high pressure in the front well, according to them? See, I kinda want to ask them if that's what they think, but on the other hand I kinda don't wanna know. Blah, I'm just gonna run em over.

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FreeDuck wrote:

Have you ever worked in a kitchen? It sucks. When he comes around again, you just say "duh".

Heehee, see, this is the reason to not bring it up.

Why the hell would I want to say, "Hey, I hear you don't think I can handle the kitchen work!" What am I, nuts? I want them to turn around and say I can try working in the kitchen?

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I know what you mean though. I think I would have reacted the same way initially. I'm learning (still) that sometimes if I swallow my ego things will turn out better for me. And there's something to be said for the secret knowledge that you've made the smartest move, even if others perceive it differently. What do you really have to prove?

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I like the "duh" approach the best!

Anon

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They recognize you've too much class, style, and character to ever work in a kitchen.

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FreeDuck wrote:

I know what you mean though. I think I would have reacted the same way initially. I'm learning (still) that sometimes if I swallow my ego things will turn out better for me. And there's something to be said for the secret knowledge that you've made the smartest move, even if others perceive it differently. What do you really have to prove?

That's nicely put, Freeduck. Really, ignoring the hurt pride thing, obviously it works out better to not be in the kitchen...I just have to put aside the why-don't-you-think-I-can-do-it thing. It actually reminds me of resisting a tarbaby: I know what I know, I don't have to prove it to you... Wink

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And thank you, roger, I suspected that was the real reason...

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Cypher - do you WANT to work in the kitchen?

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Seriously, I imagine the rest of the sentence might have gone, "why waste her in the kitchen when she can be selling."

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Apparently, I just seem like a moron.

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