Comments on: Fine Dining Diaster

By: A. Zee

A. Zee — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:38:45 +0000

Man you people are harsh. She was treated unfairly, end of story. A little compassion would be nice – but I guess it’s too much to ask of some people, especially those who’ve had similar jobs and have now developed delusions of grandeur.

Some people will never realize how obnoxious they are to others.

By: NateDogg

NateDogg — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 17:30:38 +0000

Fine dining is a serious matter. The manager probably liked your look. I assume you’re cute. In the hands of the clawing wait staff your were chum. In fine dining it is expected you hit the ground running. No time to train anyone. Believe me no one knows the wines really you have to fake it. You have to learn the basic characteristics of the grapes and blends. After that match the wines with the dish. Then you get into acids. It can go on and on. Carry that bottle like its a newborn baby, the label is the face, why would you hold a baby upside down or spin it around when you change it’s diaper? As far as the rest, some of the blogger s are right. You should not have been there or you should have asked more questions. It’s tough business and very competitive because the money is soo good! Give it another shot.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:03:20 +0000

If you read between the lines, it’s clear that the OP deliberately didn’t mention she’d never worked in a fine restaurant because she wanted the job and thought she could hack it. She found out otherwise. Sure, it would have been good if they had checked her background better, but what she describes is absolutely normal for that type of job. Clearly she was not right for that job and it was best for all parties that she quit.

By: old lady legs

old lady legs — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:36:35 +0000

mostly, i’m amused that the manager even hired her. i had three years of fine dining serving under my belt and was grilled like crazy for a position i eventually wasn’t hired for.

in defense of the OP, fine vs. casual dining serving is pretty different. she has a skill-set i don’t have, and vice verse. however, i hope you learned your lesson: speak up if you don’t understand your job!

By: momo

momo — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:47:32 +0000

@Claire, if you read through all the comments before commenting, “you’d have to be stupid to not know” that tronner was referring to the writer’s comment above in which she contradicts the story she submitted. That IS changing the story; “that’s getting to the end of the story”, reading the comments, “and having reading comprehension skills.”
Yeesh.

By: nine

nine — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:54:54 +0000

It was their mistake to hire you without really finding out your work experience and education. It was your mistake not to demand your salary.
I don’t know about the U.S., but at least in my country it’s almost impossible to find a job in fine dining without a proper education – or really lots of work experience (it’s of course easier to train you, if you already know the basics like opening a wine bottle).

By: Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 03:15:29 +0000

I suspect that the writer is just overly sensitive because she’s very young– doesn’t sound as though the manager was THAT harsh. (Nor were the first five commenters, yet she found it appropriate to call them “jerks”.)

I remember being humiliated by the slightest criticism when in my early 20′s– I thought just about anyone who corrected me was a jerk– in retrospect it was I who was the jerk (me and my oh-so-fragile ego).

If you had you squelched your tears & soldiered on, it sounds as though the manager was willing to teach you until you got it right. Do you expect an employer to coddle a trainee at the expense of his customers? Should he have praised your lack of skill for the sake of your delicate self esteem?

Regarding the pay, I’d wager that you were too temperamental to even ask for it.

By: Claire

Claire — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 16:51:38 +0000

@ tronner, by the end of the story, you’d have to be stupid to not know she was unqualified. That’s not changing the story; that’s getting to the end of the story and having reading comprehension skills.

Also, where do you guys work that your employers don’t require an application or a background check? The employers probably have a better idea of what’s required of their employees than prospectives. How pathetic do you have to be to troll some kid’s story?

By: tronner

tronner — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:04:11 +0000

@therestofthestory – probably one of your greatest and most fitting comments.

and OP – don’t change your story. You originally state they were ignorant on your complete lack of qualification to the job and now you state they knew you were completely unqualified? What gives?

By: Janine

Janine — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:11:25 +0000

Serving stories are always the nastiest – especially when you’re young, naiive and really excited to work.

@OP – there’s only so long you can claim ignorance to stuff like this. There are ALWAYS going to be a number of places with half-ass management and use their trainees as free labor. At the end of the day you’ll be the one responsible for your situation and training. It totally sucks, but its pretty standard – sounds like you learned your lesson the hard way (as a lot of us servers and former servers did) – I hope you’re working somewhere that treats you a little better at least Welcome to the club honey!