Frequent Eff Ups

Well it's Sunday! I was off, so that means it's time for me to list the things I constantly messed up on this week! I actually went to eat at the restaurant with my friends for the first time since I started working there, so that was cool. And I did get an employee discount, though I used the
money saved to give our server a good tip.

I noticed that this week I didn't so much mess up repeatedly on the same things over and over again, rather messed up on more of a range of things because I experienced more hectic situations. I had my first time waiting really large tables and dealing with parties coming in at different times. There were several times where I was unable to bid my party good evening because I was running around so much. I think I am using my trips more efficiently now, though. It just seems that there's always either dead time or a rush--rarely a happy medium. So here's for the list:

• Straws and chopsticks: I still forget to offer these a lot, though not as much as last week.
• Clearing tables: I really didn't forget to do this much this week--mainly just when I was really running in several directions.
• Giving pens with checks: Apparently I think the bill comes with a built-in pen to sign receipts with or something. And I've finally managed to lose most of my pens.
• Drinks: This is actually new from last week. No, this didn't even happen remotely frequently but a few times (when I had ten-eleven person tables with the party entering at various points) I'd think I had gotten all the drinks and I hadn't done so. I also ordered the wrong drink from the bar twice but caught myself before I actually took it...it had been opened though.
• Forgetting salads: This happened once.
• Forgetting steamed rice: Because I'm supposed to bring it when the chef comes out. Hard to remember when I don't have it written down (it's on the chef's ticket but not usually mine) and it's busy.

Seeing the theme here? Forgetting little things here and there. Some other things have gone wrong as well, but not everything that happens in the restaurant is under my control. So that's all for now. I go back in for work during tomorrow's dinner shift, so I'll update again then!

Frequent Eff Ups

So today is Sunday. Well...it's technically Monday now, but let's pretend it's still Sunday. That means it was my day off. And it also means it's time to list my Frequent Eff Ups--the things I've screwed up on several times during the past week.

• Checks: I've crossed and whited things out on at least one or two checks every single day. Fortunately--knock on wood--I haven't delivered any checks with mistakes on them.
• Forgetting to pick up menus: You'd think this one would be a no-brainer, but I can't tell you how many times I've left the menus with the customers.
• Chopsticks and straws: I have straws and chopsticks on my person at all times, yet constantly forget to offer them. I even consciously think about it as I'm getting drinks and /still/ forget once I get back to the table.
• Clearing/Closing tables: Once salads are delivered I'm supposed to close the table by clearing plates so that another party isn't sat there (because the chef ticket will already be out of my hands by this point). I'm getting better at remembering this but still forget sometimes.
• Delivering steamed rice: When someone orders steamed rice instead of fried, I bring it from the rice cooker in back. This is another thing I'm getting better at remembering. At the beginning of the week the chefs had to tell me every time. Then again, nobody had told me I was supposed to do it in the first place.

• Providing pens with the check: Self-explanatory. What the heck do I expect them to sign with, shrimp sauce? Then again, as much as some of them love that stuff they probably wouldn't mind.

I'm sure there are more, but that's all I can think of at the moment. I'm always so concerned with making sure their drinks are full and they're not looking for me because they need something that these other things that have yet to become second nature slip my mind. I'm sure it will all come more naturally with time, though.

On the topic of income, I've made probably around $150 in tips alone this week. I work dinner tomorrow--er...today, rather--and with it still technically being part of the holiday weekend there's no telling how it will go--things have been slow for the entire past week, though. But that's all I'm going to say for now so good night!