Sunday, January 20, 2008

What Just Happened???

Over the course of the last, oh, three shifts, I have managed to insult someone I genuinely care about, fight with the Kitchen Manager, and nearly get fired by my GM. The latter was this morning. I picked up lunch--the worst idea I ever had.
Originally I picked up in a section that came in at 11:30, but last night, a co-worker asked me to open for her. I didn't put it in the shift-change book because 1) I forgot, and 2) I knew I would be there. Well, I should have checked, because I came in to open to find that I clocked out with 35 hours last night. My GM tells me to NOT clock-in until 11:30, and that I have to be out by 4:30. I know they pull this shit ALL the time, but it gets more and more frustrating. So, I continued to help open (I couldn't just sit back while the others opened with four rather than five. Well, whatever, I shook that off....kinda.
My section was a 10-top and three 4-tops. My big-top was sat with four adults and six children, whoop-di-doo, and while I was waiting for them to finish up, my GM meanders to my side and asks on their progress. He tells me that he has an 11 and a 13 waiting, and he asks which one I would prefer. I tell him that I would love to take an 11-top solo (which is, for some stupid-ass reason, forbidden in our neck of the woods). Standards state that we have to split parties over 10, but we do have the, "at the manager's discretion," disclaimer, so that's why I ask. He refuses. He says it's his discretion...I think it's his own bullshit.
My GM's a normal guy, and we have candid discussions about the restaurant all the time. When he told me that I couldn't take the 11, I told him that today was a waste of my time. I was saying this to him as a general comment, like I said, candidly, but he took it way differently than I intended. He then told me if I was wasting my time, that I could leave. He told me to do 50 roll-ups and leave. I was shocked. I couldn't believe that it's gotten to the point where I can't even make a comment. I know he's my GM, but you have to understand our relationship. We're professional, but we each bitch about things all the time. It's not like I've never been candid with him before--I guess what I mean, is my comment is no different than a comment I would have made two days ago...I think he was in a "mood" today. Fuck that.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Management can never be trusted. Even if you think they are cool. Even if they bitch to you. They always have more up their sleeves than they let on. And they are usually only out for themselves.

You should know this, you watched Carnivale :)

Anonymous said...

Someone probably crapped on him from on high, and he passed it on to you. I'm good friends with two of my managers, and the GM can be a good guy every now and then too, but he still chooses to pull out the prick persona out of nowhere on almost a daily basis. Usually means someone above him did the same to him. It's just my job not to pass it on to my barback. I'm sure your GM will walk it off.

And sorry for playing the grammar nazi, but "waste", not "waist". Sorry!

Tony said...

As much as I'd like it to be not to be, I agree 100% with KV. Even in where I work, which is privately owned, and where I am the same age as the owners (hence they treat me more like a peer) I continually watch what I say and realize the back and forth I have with them is always part subject to the "power relationship" we have - basically, they have the power and can exercise it when they want...

The Woman said...

Sometimes relatively decent people turn into absolute creeps. It sucks! We're all going to turn into politically correct morons if we have to watch what we say all the time.

Darby said...

Please catch me on the grammar--I should have known better, but sometimes I can't see through my own rage! :) Thanks for reading!

Anonymous said...

The GM needs a big "kick me" sign on his back.