ABUSIVE MANAGERS & TEMPERMENTAL CHEFS
Let’s face it. Those of us who work in restaurants as servers
want a fast buck. We don’t have a problem being courteous and in
fact many of us get a sense of satisfaction and joy in providing
complete strangers with an enjoyable experience. It’s good and
satisfying to make other people happy. I think we (servers) can
all agree however that the biggest 2 problems in any restaurant
are: abusive managers and tempermental chefs. Restaurant
managers are really nothing more than glorified babysitters. The
best of the best will look after their staff. They will treat
them with kindness, courtesy, and respect. They will do all they
can to make sure that the server’s shift runs as smoothly as
possible. One of the worst kinds of manager is the kind that
will ask something of you when you are at your busiest. This
table needs more water? That table needs a steak knife? The
party needs more wine poured? Gee. If I weren’t so busy sitting
around and joking with my co-workers, I’d get to that. I mean,
c’mon! If managers see such things that need to be done, don’t
tell the server who is already too busy to get to it. Just do it
yourself! The manager that is willing, without question, to just
jump right in and help, is the manager that servers want to work
WITH. not FOR but WITH. see, it’s a team effort. And
tempermental chefs?!? They are sometimes even worse than abusive
managers. They are not glorified babysitters…they’re glorified
cooks. That’s what a chef is. A cook. Nothing more. Their
jurisdiction shouldn’t go any further than the kitchen. They
should have no authority over waitstaff. Servers are
management’s responsibility, not the chef’s. A true chef is an
honorable person who knows how to treat people while creating
works of art with food. Most of the chefs and management that I
have encountered since moving and working in NYC, know nothing of
compassion, honor, or kindness. They are bitter, unhappy people
who have either given up on other dreams or couldn’t figure out
what they wanted to do in the first place. So my fellow
servers…if, like me, you have the current misfortune of having
to deal with such people, hang in there. Be strong. You will
not always be stuck in that hellish place. Don’t be angry at
your abusive manager and/or tempermental chef. Feel sorry for
them. Show them the compassion that they refuse to show you. To
do anything less would be to do just what they have done:
sacrificed their humanity.
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