Training

My bar is a small business owned by people who haven't really worked in the industry. Combine the two and you get a training method that is defined primarily by "this is how the computer works." For the most part, it works just fine. People who aren't going to catch on to the rest on their own probably wouldn't much catch on even if we did train them.

Heck, my own training consisted of putting orders in the computer for one of the waitresses for an hour or so for a couple of days after I finished my shift in the kitchen. Then, about twenty minutes in on my first official day on the floor the gal I was working with got a call, her father just went in to the hospital. A few blurry minutes of her closing/transfering tabs later and she was gone. Another gal who had the night off agreed to come in to help out, but she only could for about two hours. In the end, during my first-ever night as a waitress I was almost completely all on my own for a Saturday night. Talk about trial-by-fire. Thank George for patient bartenders who kept answering questions like, "What's VO?" without smacking me.

Last Friday the new gal started. Fortunately, happy hour was slow enough that I could ease her in and by the time we got busy enough that I needed her help, she could do it. Training the new gal has been unusual, not because she's the first person I've trained, but because she's the first person to be, effectively, my apprentice. I'm the only full-time waitress right now, so there's no one else to add to what I'm doing, thus, it's all on me. Now, new gal just finished bartending school, which taught her how to make some drinks, but left out the customer service part, or just about anything that has practical application.

Cut to yesterday: My sore throat has blossomed into a full-blown cold and I walk in to start my shift at 4:00 sounding like Darth Vader's frog. New gal's scheduled on the floor with me, but not until nine, which leaves me five hours of watching the clock just waiting for her to get there so I can let her take over. I thank my stars it's a slow Friday. Finally, new gal arrives and I tell her my plan to let her have everyone else who walks in. A couple more of my tables clear out, new gal takes the new tables, and I'm left with one that's a half-dozen people hanging out, having a good time, and going no place fast. Yet, they're tapering off, and looking about ready.

Julia: Are you gonna ask to go home?
Ali: Not yet.
Julia: You should. I wouldn't want you waiting on me.

Weekends are funny in that on Friday and Saturday you have to ask one of the owners if you want to leave. Specifically, you ask the one who's "in charge" on weekends. She doesn't like letting people go. "What if we get busy?" You get the idea. Usually, it works all right if the person who wants to go home has the person they're working with ask to send that person home. i.e. I want to go home, my co-server says, "Can I send Ali home?" Since it was just me and new gal, that strategy was not going to work, so it had to be all me.

I went over to the owner, had a nice painful cough right next to her (it hurt enough to make my eyes water) and asked to go home. She hesitated, and gave me that "why do you always want to leave?" look. I quickly made the point that I had one table, new gal had all the others, and even if I stayed, I couldn't really speak and therefore would be useless anyhow. It was that last point that saved me, and I was given the go-ahead on the condition that I talk to new gal before I go.

Fine by me. My table was just about ready to close their tab and if a lecture/pep talk was what it was going to take, so be it. Of course, there's a whole thing here that comes down to - the owner isn't impressed by how new gal is doing, and it's my job to tell her to do better, even though I think she's doing all right for a new gal. Sure, she hasn't hit her groove yet, but she's so green she's bendy. Anyhow, I pulled her back in the kitchen which was closed by then and thus quiet and easier for me to croak loud enough for new gal to understand me and gave her the run-down:
I'm gettin' out of here before I die, but that makes owner nervous. Don't take it personally, she always gets nervous about sending someone home, (even though happy hour has lately been busier than any other part of the night and we always have only one person during happy hour, usually me, and I manage just fine). If you need anything, ask Julia, she's your go-to gal. Don't ask the other bartender, she doesn't like anybody. Now, you're gonna be fine without me, just remember to keep a closer eye on your tables. The best thing you can do is keep walking around. Even if you're not "checking" on a table, keep looking for empties. That way, if the table does need something, you're there and it helps the bartenders by not letting dirty glassware pile up. Now, do you need anything from me before I go?
NG: Can I watch you close out your bank and see how you do it again?
Me: No problem. I'm going to cash out my last table and I while I'm doing that, I want you to do a walk around and check on each of your tables. Once they're all squared away, I'll close out my bank.

About twenty minutes later, she's caught up on her tables. It was interesting, because as soon as I told her to check on all her tables, it turned out that most of them needed something. One of the easiest things to do when you're new is underestimate how needy your tables are. It takes practice. So, while she delivered a ton of drinks all at once, I sat down by the front door to wait. As long as I didn't have to talk, I was fine hanging out. Besides, it gave me a chance to watch her a bit. She went from table, to bar, to table and back again, which is how I know that everybody wanted something. She also picked up a lot of empty glasses. She's green, but she's catching on. The fact that she did what I told her to with the glassware is encouraging.

When it comes to newbies, I put less priority on previous experience and more on the newbie's willingness to take suggestions and their ability to learn quickly. It's still too soon to tell about new gal for sure, but I'm optimistic.

Wow, this post got a lot longer than I expected, and already I'm thinking of other things to add to it, like comments about bartending school, serving styles, and co-worker personality dynamics/hazing.

I'll finish off with a bar quote, my only one for this week since I wrangled Wednesday off and called in for tonight:
Gal: This isn't Sunshine Wheat.
Me: (It sure looks like Sunshine Wheat) Are you sure? (Normally, not a question I'd ask, but I was sick and annoyed)
Gal: It doesn't have an orange on it. Sunshine Wheat has an orange on it.
Me: Let me see if we have any oranges.
Gal: Okay.
-Problem solved. Apparently, the type of fruit served with the beer changes the beer itself. Amazing!