The Problem With The Manager.
Yesterday I talked about a little thing called the Nationally Franchised Restaurant, or NFR for short. Today I’d like to talk about the single greatest problem facing servers working in the NFR:
The Manager.
I am a lucky man. As I’ve said before, the restaurant I work at is small enough to not have to deal with problems facing bigger, corporate, franchised places. My manager can buy me birthday shots while I’m on the clock, I can treat teenage customers as they treat me and even leave a bottle of Windex unattended on a bathroom counter. So I really feel for you guys who have to deal with NFR problems like The Manager.
Are there people who can handle the responsibilities of The Manager without letting it get to their pea brain head? Of course. But from the horror stories I’ve encountered from friends and family alike, these men and women are harder to find then a 16-year-old girl who doesn’t think My Chemical Romance is a good band. “The Black Parade”? Are you guys kidding me? Go cut yourself sideways, pop in Stevie Wonder’s “Songs In The Key Of Life” and then get back to me about good music.
From what I’ve been told, The Manager is a man or woman who got to where they are on the corporate ladder (which isn’t very high, mind you) by doing one of two things very well:
1. They can side step responsibility and put off blame like nobody else. I’m sure anyone who’s ever worked at a T.G.I.Friday’s or Applebee’s has had some kind of crap dumped on them by The Manager. And I bet you’ve also had your share of stuff blamed on you that you didn’t even know about or still might not even be aware of.
2. The Manager has the unique ability to lie down and take customers’ crap with ease. If there was a Transformer that could turn in a doormat, it’d be called The Manager. Step aside, Optimus “I’m-a-bitch” Prime.
But let’s say you’re the new server at a restaurant. How do you know if you’ve got a case of The Managers? If there’s a douche walking around that looks like this:
…you can bet your firstborn that you’ll be hating this guy in no time flat.
And aside from giving us, the servers, the shaft of added responsibility and misplaced blame, The Manager contributes to the single most degrading mindset of the service industry: “The customer is always right.”
No other motto has eroded the service industry quite like this. I hate to break it to you, customers, but you’re not always right. In fact, you’re probably not even right half the time. Want proof? Here. This woman’s ruined it for all of you.
Guess what: You’re not right.
When The Manager comps your meal and hurries your angry ass out the door, you’re not right. We just don’t want to hear your frickin’ complaining any more.
When you straight up lie to The Manager about a server who wasn’t rude, as you allege, but just too busy to refill your sweet tea for the umpteenth time and they listen with “concern”, you’re not right. They just know a shit-eating grin and a few well-placed nods will get you out of their hair exponentially faster than a “discussion”.
When you eat half a meal and say you want it off the bill and The Manager complies, you’re not right. They just know they have a stockroom full of C-grade meat and one wasted steak is worth not dealing a frickin’ pain of a customer.
But The Manager has to save his or her own skin. The Manager is tired and stressed from all you yuppies who think you deserve better-than-everyone treatment and a free drink because you’ve got Pepsi instead of Coke.
They both have 50 grams of sugar a serving. Get over it already!
February 13th, 2008 at 4:09
People like that woman on the video are the readon why I will not ever work in a restaurant again.
February 13th, 2008 at 5:17
Hey, I’m back to reading again, thanks for the news letter update. I don’t usually like newsletters in my inbox, but now and again, specially in this case, it’s a good thing.
I enjoy your stories. Keep it up, and welcome back.
Matt
February 13th, 2008 at 5:50
(((Ryan))) I’ve missed your wonderful stories. Many thanks for coming back!
Newsletter most welcome!
~Maureen~
February 13th, 2008 at 8:33
As I emailed to you, I’m glad to see you back…and the douche manager story is a good example as to why! Nice job….
February 13th, 2008 at 10:40
Hey Ryan,
Thanks for the visit and your comments! I used your page so that my readers would read the comments on the page - not for any critisism of you at all. I was a server for a short time at a Ho.uli.hans and I like reading server stories.
Restaurant Gal is one of my favorite people on the ‘net - we met last year here in Atlanta. I sure I linked to either her blogroll or commenters and found you.
I’ll be back.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:42
So glad you’re writing again!
February 13th, 2008 at 11:10
Hey I’m a 16 year old girl who doesn’t like My Chemical Romance! But I digress. I have to say that managers are usually exactly like you describe them. I’m so glad this blog is back up!
February 13th, 2008 at 1:33
After serving at FRiDAYS for almost a year and a half…you’re right on target! douchebag managers, frozen, crappy food and endless handing out of free appetizer/dessert cards for whiny customers. ugh. now that i work for a family owned restaurant, its AMAZING how much different it is!
Glad you’ve started blogging again, looking forward to reading your awesome stories in the future!
February 13th, 2008 at 11:14
Glad you’re back !
Thanks for the newsletter update - I stopped checking a while back since there were no updates.
Good luck!
February 14th, 2008 at 9:10
I’ve been lucky enough to only work in small, non-franchise places. All of my managers (with the exception of my current owner’s wife) have been awesome.
February 15th, 2008 at 12:24
The manager in this post looks like a complete douchebag.
Thanks for writing more great stories! Glad to see you back!
February 16th, 2008 at 12:23
I too am glad to have got your newsletter and am glad to see you writing again.
Also, if people want to see a version of The Manager in action then they should check out the movie Waiting… I highly recommend it because after working for 15 years in the industry before God himself got me out I swear it was just like being in that movie. The best part for me is the waitress in the movie named Naomi played by the then G rated side kick on the kids show Beakman’s world. I never knew Beakman’s side kick could cuss so much or have such a thick bushy….well I don’t want to give a way to many things.
All in all Ryan is right. The chain I worked for had the audacity to promote in a news letter how a one time busser became v.p. of the Mid-West area and so can I if I work hard enough. Those in the know recognized the name of the SON of the OWNER of the company that hired his SON after graduating college. Nepotism any one?
Later and welcome back!
February 18th, 2008 at 1:44
I’m just back from a trip to the States. We ate high end and low end and while I didn’t see nearly enough smiles generally speaking, I did have some really wonderful service experiences. To be honest, the service at the very highest end, where they were doing everything correctly but without any personality (bordering on surliness once) left a lot to be desired. While service in Asia takes a lot of beating, the personalities of those in the business in the States can make for a really fun evening which is lacking here. I met some really lovely people in the business last week
Ryan - good to have you back.
February 18th, 2008 at 5:10
[…] spoke at length last week about The Manager and how much it sucks to work for The Manager. I thought I’d let you in on how MY manager operates. Here is a note she left on the hostess […]
March 2nd, 2008 at 12:50
True story!
P.S. Hope you enjoy my four comments today. I’ve finally got the time to catch up with your site.