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Thread: Am I dumb?

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    Featured Member Krazyjane's Avatar
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    Default Am I dumb?

    I just got a job as a hostess in an upscale Japanese restaurant, and I'm really doubting myself. I failed the first test on table numbers on the second day but passed it yesterday (it's a really wierd layout), and he keeps going on about how most people learn the layout and seating assignments in 10 minutes, whereas I'm still shaky after 3 days. I've been studying my ass off (menu, regulations, employee manual, etc), but I'm still not real great at it. Bookwise, I've pretty much memorized the handbooks, but on the battlefield...

    Maybe I'm some sort of idiot savant like my uncle. He has a Ph.D in artifical intelligence but couldn't keep a retail job, pay his bills on time, etc until he got to his career and got married. I try hard to learn, but somehow I can never learn as quickly as they want me to. At my last job at a nursing home, I was put on orientation again because the coworkers would tattletale on everything while they sat around and talked ontheir cell phones, so they were shooting themselves in the feet. I quit because there was too much bitching and no offers to help (ex. I was not allowed to lift people by myself, but the nurse manager and nurses would encourage the other aides not to help me). In almost every job I've had, the dreaded question will invariably come up, "Are you sure that this job is within your abilities?"

    Who here has worked as hostess/waitress? How long did it take to get used to the fast-paced work? Most of my jobs in the past were healthcare-related, so this is totally new to me. Am I dumb and a slow learner, or is it just common for everyone to forget that they were new once and eat their young?

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    Featured Member MadisonM's Avatar
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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    I was a waitress for a couple months and I never really caught on... lol... it just wasn't for me. I ended up quitting because a car accident I was in hurt my back and left me unable to carry the heavy trays (I still have back problems- so no pole work). But anyway, I think I didn't catch on because I never really got trained- they just kind of threw me in the first day and told me if I had any questions I should ask the other waitresses (who weren't very helpful to me because they had their own tables to take care of too).

    I think everyone kind of forgets that they were new once- at my last job I was lower-level management, and when I would have to train new employees, I sometimes would get frustrated and have to remember how I felt when I first started.
    Take the road less traveled- just make sure you have a map.

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    Featured Member Krazyjane's Avatar
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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    Yeah, I had such a horrible time at the nursing home that I've sworn that I will be nice and patient with newbies in the future when I'm a nurse.

    I really wanna know how people learn how to pick up on the job.

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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    My first week was lousy, then I got REALLY good. Like, train the new hires good. It just took a while for the light bulb to turn on, I've never worked in a resturant prior to being a hostess, and I was doing it part time. That was at a casual joint, too, so I can't imagine all the stuff you're having to memorize!

    Hang in there, girl! You'll be fine!

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    Senior Member Jessica Lords's Avatar
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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    I was a Hostess for about 3 months at busy restaurant. I knew the menu and everything i the study manual but when it came to what tables were what and sitting people (which you'd think be easy) I just sucked!
    I quit because the waitress started to get very mean that I wasn't sitting fast enough.....

    I just came to the realization that the restaurant field was not for me.
    The simplest (sp?) things I find hard sometimes and other things people may find hard I find easy....I guess everyone is different.



    Good luck!

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    God/dess Bella21's Avatar
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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    Don't doubt your intelligence just because you're having trouble memorizing the table numbers! I worked at a restaurant for three years, one of which I actually hostessed and had to know the numbers of the tables. Everyone else got it but me. It just would have made sense if they numbered them differently, I thought. Why bounce the numbers all over the place?

    Confidence. If you have the confidence you can do it and do it well, you will.
    If you think school is hard, try being stupid.

  7. #7
    Cally
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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    When I started waitressing it took me a little while to catch on. I had the hardest time with the computer system.. I am weird though... I can learn some things in no time... but in other areas I feel like im so stupid. In school I had marks in the 90's for science/english but I just hardly passed math/history... usually its english/history and math/science so go figure lol.

    Dont get to fustrated about it, waitressing can be a hard job. It takes awhile to get it but once you do you'll fly through it. Just smile and keep trying.

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    God/dess FrustratedBunny's Avatar
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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    My first job ever was as a restaurant hostess/waitress in a small hotel restaurant. I SUCKED at it! I couldn't remember who got what food or when I brought it out sometimes the girl who was the main waitress/bartender would write next to their order who the food was for. I hated that job. I just suck at that kind of thing.

    However, I am not stupid. I skipped my last two years of high school and started college at the age of 16 and graduated at 21. I had a full-time job all through college.

    We just all have different talents. This type of thing might take you longer to learn but it doesn't mean you aren't smart.

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    Veteran Member bella du jour's Avatar
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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    Give it time... alot of the people who "got it in ten minutes" had probably worked similar jobs in the past. I used to waitress, and remembering the table numbers was relatively easy cause you'd be assigned a section (4-6) tables every night, and it's hard to forget the same damn table numbers over and over all night long. Remembering the food took a little longer, but most jobs will have you "ghost" one of the pro's for a few shifts so you can watch what they do while you make sure to have everything down pat. I imagine this method applies to hosting as well as waitressing.

    Coming in as a host with no prior serving experience will make it more of a challenge. 3 days is NOT a long time! It's fast paced work - that's true - but don't let it intimidate you. Working as a waitress I generally disliked the hostesses because they A) were too slow, B) couldnt count, C) were too slow, D) got an actual hourly wage for just standing around looking pretty, E) were too damn slow. Generally host positions can have a high turn over rate, and since the duties are limited, are offered to newbies. Servers really depend on hosts to know what they're doing, cause you're the one directing traffic onto their tables. No traffic/ Bad seating = No money = waitresses and customers giving the host a lot of attitude.

    Just observe how things work and let yourself learn, you've definitely got what it takes to be a host. And really I can't imagine why you have to know anything about the menu when you're just starting out... you're not taking the orders. You'll have time enough to learn what the waitresses do once you've learned what the host is supposed to do. Don't let the "vets" intimidate you!!! Once you can prove that you're gonna last more than 2 weeks, people will warm up to you and cut you some slack.

    Good luck!
    Bella

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    Featured Member Krazyjane's Avatar
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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    Thanks guys. I talked to one of the hostesses who's training me, and she told me to just ignore the jerk, and that he makes everyone feel that way. This place is really anal compared to other places, I hear. I mean, did you receive lots of exams on menu, procedures, etc and have to pass them with almost all 100%? Also, I've noticed that nitpicky bosses tend to keep accusing you of the same things even if you've improved, not wanting to realize that you've gotten better.

    Today is my 4th and final day of training. Wish me luck!
    Last edited by Krazyjane; 05-09-2006 at 01:41 PM.

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    God/dess holiday's Avatar
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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    Good Luck!!!
    I know exactly how you feel! There is nothing like starting a new job to make me feel like a total idiot. Except stripping of course...
    You'll catch on.

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    God/dess Bella21's Avatar
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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    Quote Originally Posted by Krazyjane
    Thanks guys. I talked to one of the hostesses who's training me, and she told me to just ignore the jerk, and that he makes everyone feel that way. This place is really anal compared to other places, I hear. I mean, did you receive lots of exams on menu, procedures, etc and have to pass them with almost all 100%? Also, I've noticed that nitpicky bosses tend to keep accusing you of the same things even if you've improved, not wanting to realize that you've gotten better.

    Today is my 4th and final day of training. Wish me luck!
    I was wondering about that... I was like, "He gave her a TEST on the numbers"?! That's pretty anal, all right.
    If you think school is hard, try being stupid.

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    Moderator Optimist's Avatar
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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    Sounds like he's a bad manager. Try to make sense of the system, the pattern of table numbering. That will make a difference in your response time when seating. Learning about menu items is good if you tend to have waiting lists of customers. They get antsy and want advice on the good dishes. It's also a chance to show your ambition if you want to try waitressing. Give the manager an eager smile and say 'consider it done!' They like that sort of thing.

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    Veteran Member KennedyWinters's Avatar
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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    Your boss is head-game expert. He'll get off on having you scared for most of your employment and when you finally prove to him your smart enough, quick enough,he'll probably be angry he can't catch you on anything.The quickest way to get familiar with a job like that would be to assume that you already know what you're doing. I think if you stress about it and try to study every spare five minutes you have (or try to look busy when bossman comes around) then it's just going to make it harder to work efficiently. If you look and act the part, ie just go with the flow, you'll catch on much quicker.

    ha ha I just re-read that and it is not very good advice but more of a loos ""visualization" concept.

    I worked in cafes since I was 14, then as a hostess, and finally waited tables for a few years before getting sidetracked by adult modeling and stripping. Now that I'm 21 though, I'm considering bartending . I suspect there will be a lot of turmoil and uncertainty in making the drinks but I'm going to just serve it up to the best of my ability and not question every move ya know? Like "is that strong enough?" or "did I give you all your change?" Not in my vocabulary...

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    Featured Member Krazyjane's Avatar
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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    Thanks guys. I'm actually doing ok now, as they're all assigned to different sections. Things get a bit confusing when sections fill up, or when we cut staff throughout the night (the people who won't be closing). I slammed a guy with too many tables today, which pissed off a bunch of people.

    The boss turned out to prove himself to be a cool guy when he's not so anal. For example, today we were having a great time as he taught me cuss words in Japanese.

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    God/dess Lysondra's Avatar
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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    Bakayaro, kusotare, kuso... >_>

  17. #17
    Featured Member Krazyjane's Avatar
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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    Manko, okama, kintama, chimpoko

  18. #18
    God/dess Lysondra's Avatar
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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    *sniff* You make me so proud young lady.

  19. #19
    Featured Member Krazyjane's Avatar
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    Default Re: Am I dumb?

    Hehe I have a couple funny stories:
    1) My friend is in the JET programme, and he met a South American girl named Manko. Worst of all, she was teaching at an all-boys school. She went by her last name after discovering the meaning of her name. Manko roughly transla ted into English would be cunt.
    2) I have a friend named Gary. "Geri" means diarrhea in Japanese. Hilarity insued.
    3) My friend knew a middle eastern girl named Ferashte, which sounds like fera-shite (fellatio-shite) in Japanese.
    Last edited by Krazyjane; 05-13-2006 at 05:27 AM.

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