Saturday, July 21, 2012

Dickhead...I mean...My manager is so awsome!

Imagine, if you will, a regular restaurant walk-in freezer. Not a new one mind you but one that is about 30 years old (they were smaller back then). Now imagine going to that freezer to get some items, when you open the door you see that there is no "walking into the freezer" but immediately you will get to start climbing a mountain of boxes (all of your stuff is in the very back). Now, raise your hand if you would climb the boxes stacked haphazardly and they will collapse (because duh, they are in the freezer where they get a ton of moisture) while you attempt your climb. If you raised your hand, congratulations you are braver than I...If, on the other hand, you would refuse on the grounds of 1) it's not safe--were you to fall, how ever you land on the tile floor will hurt (at best just jarring you, at worst death from hitting your head or landing on your back in just the perfect way) and 2) maybe your just not the shape to be able to get in.--a little petite person of 100-150 pounds may be able to climb that shit without it shifting too badly, my 216 pounds will not.

The first manager I approach about this dilemma (because I can not do the prep part of my job) tells me to ask a kitchen member to help me. I go through what all I may need for not only today but also tomorrow cause I sure as shit don't want to deal with the dam freezer or be a bother to the guy who also had his own job to do. I also go to the bartender and get a list of items he will need (again so we don't have to take up too much of the kitchen guys time). I take our list to the kitchen guy and ask him if at some point during the day he could do me and the bartender a huge favor and grab the items on the list. To which he replies, "nope I'm busy." I ask if he will be busy the whole day or if there will be any time in which he gets in the freezer again and he tells me he will be busy and no longer needs in the freezer. I ask if I need to give this list to the manager who sent me to him or who else should i give it to and he says to give it to one of our front line people.  So I go and explain everything to the person he told me to give the list to and she takes the list and agrees to help. Then I go and explain everything to the manager and tell her that the prep I need to do probably won't get done until we run out of these items.

Fast forward to the end of my shift when the Kitchen manager is there (note that he has already been a jerk to my relief person because she asked him what she needed to do with all the stuff that we prepped because there was no room anywhere for it). I'm chit-chatting and proceed to tell him about what happened that morning:
Kitchen Manager: Well why didn't you get into the freezer.
Me: Because I refuse to climb boxes to get to product, it's not safe
KM: So you expect some one else to do it
Me: No, I expect to be able to safely walk into the freezer and get to what I need to in order to do my job
KM: Well when ever you want to take the truck order over let me know
Me: *rolling my eyes* Sure thing boss, good chat
KM: OK then

This particular dick manager always has to have the last word and is always sarcastic. Half the time I can't talk to him because I get pissed off half way through our interactions. Plus, I'm also sarcastic and fight that tendency to always have the last word, so really, we are just too much alike at times for us to get along...the big difference is though I would never ask someone to do something I myself am not willing to do (except in this case when I knew the kitchen guy would probably climb the boxes as opposed to taking them out) but I also would (I hope) never put any employees in this sort of position.

*Unfortunately I wasn't able to snap a picture but hopefully I can tomorrow to show you what a joke my restaurant seems to be.