Comments on: Fine Dining Diaster

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!

By: Frau Blucher

Frau Blucher — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:20:13 +0000

It sounds awful, but it IS probably a good idea for the manager to ask, “Do you have experience in a high-end restaurant” and if not, to say, “I haven’t worked in fine dining. IS that a requirement?” before taking the job. I am sure it’s not unusual to expect they train you. Also, why did you not pursue payment? I would have made absolutely sure I’d gotten paid. I’m not being judgemental here, I am sure it was a lousy experience but it also shows that you need to be assertive in certain situations.

By: NurseDrea

NurseDrea — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 06:13:50 +0000

@the rest…. That was a little cold dontcha think. >:(