…my 4th of July offered me a troubling encounter that truthfully, was a slap in the face of humanity…
I will share the observation with you and be glad to engage in some other’s perspectives, if you choose…
Sitting in a local restaurant, myself, daughter and husband together. Nothing fancy – just a hamburger joint (to protect the location). We were waited on fairly promptly…no reason to be concerned. We engaged in table conversation about the day off and small talk when I began to notice that there was a “training exercise” going on at the next booth with a young girl. We all have had those times, when a waiter or waitress will come up and say, “we are training today and this is Suzy/Bobby who will be assisting me” – or something similar to this explanation. And, our order is taken and we get our drinks and food and all is well.
So, back to my table, our drinks were brought by our waitress and we continued our chatting. However, as I began to be distracted with the training, I became confused…the Trainer would walk up to the table, the Trainee was off to the side or behind her; Trainer would take the order and the trainee would walk 3 paces behind her, trainer would input the order at the cash register, walk to prepare drinks, bring drinks back to the table and not speak a word to the trainee or engage in conversation or explanations. The trainee was looking over her shoulder at the cash register to observe inputting of orders but was being given no instructions. So, I observed these steps repeated at least 3-4 times. When the food was ready, the trainer would bring the food and the trainee would follow at 3 paces behind. The trainer would walk to the table and check back on “how is everything” and the trainee would be 3 paces behind.
I continued to watch to see the interactions with the trainee and trainer with the other staff – not one soul spoke to the trainee. They each continued to work their sections and bump into one another at the drink prep station or counter to pick up food to deliver and at the cash register to cash out the guest. AND, not one time did any one of the other 3 waitresses engage with the trainee.
Now, let me offer my thoughts…I have no idea of the instructions that were given to the veteran waitress to train the “underling”. I do know that I have been fortunate to not have to ever wait tables for my fun job or real job and thankful for many who have a gift to do this – you can be thankful that I have not waited on you – just saying. However, for anyone to be in the “trainee” mode, it would seem reasonable to provide some instructions and then be the one who “stands back” and observes to see if the “trainee” performed as trained and instructed. This was painful to observe folks…this young trainee was there for a purpose – and I commend her for choosing a waitress position to be her source of income. She was getting no help from anyone in this business establishment.
As we were paying our check, I wrote on a napkin a word of encouragement and told her to keep trying and placed some money in the napkin fold and handed it to her when I walked out. I hurt so bad for this person making an effort and having no one encourage, help, guide, or talk to her. I have carried my observations further and sent a note to the home office of the franchise and shared my observation and disappointments in an employee being treated with such dis-respect, disdain, lack of team work on the entire staff, rudeness, and the list goes on. Here is the explanation I have received earlier today regarding my “observation”…..On her first day of training it is to shadow and watch and observe with going to the tables and following the leader if I may. On her second day and so forth she progresses with more duties and one on ones with the customers to we feel comfortable and we know she is comfortable with handling our guest. This does not help me accept the behaviors of the other staff nor the leader that I observed treating, knowingly or unknowingly, with such disregard.
Friends, I don’t believe any one of us deserves this type of treatment. This “trainee” was doing what we all have done – started our first/new job, needed assistance to measure up to expectations of job duties, had questions or needed clarifications, etc. I don’t want to point fingers and pass judgment on who was in the wrong; however, if the “wrongs” and “inappropriate behaviors” are not exposed; how and who can expect things in our world to change with common courtesy and respect for one another? I have even tried to play the devil’s advocate and say that the others did not know better; the trainer had not ever trained/taught someone the ropes of the job; and a host of other excuses and I keep coming back to ….
Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me…
Matthew 25:45
This young girl was not treated with any inclusiveness by any one of the co-workers. She will always know and remember how she felt on her first day of work and we all better hope she will have the spirit and determination to be sure no one is ever treated like she was on July 4, 2018.
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