:: Life on Planet Dan-E ::

:: Sunday, March 08, 2009 ::

:: Basic Training ::

I've spent the last two weeks at my new job training. It's almost like having a regular job since everyone has been at work from 10 - 6 every day, with weekends off. Needless to say, the first few days were rough since I'm not used to getting up that early. Actually, a lot of the other trainees were visibly lethargic. Good thing there's a Starbucks nearby or else the managers would be more than just slightly miffed at all the new people dozing off during class.

Back up a little: I don't remember if I blogged about it, (I mentioned it on Twitter) but before I got hired, I had to submit to a drug test, my first time ever. I couldn't help but joke with the guy interviewing me that I was surprised restaurants tested for steroids, which got a light chuckle. It seemed funnier in my head.

Being a very upscale steakhouse, a lot of the training revolves around "proper hospitality" (not service) to our "guests" (not customers; guests). It's the kind of place where my job title isn't "waiter" or "server," it's "Captain." Yeah. It might sound impressive but I took it with a grain of salt (preferably Fleur de Sel) It might sound nice but if someone asks me what I do, I'm not going to puff my chest out and say "I'm a Captain." However, there's a couple of guys there who seem to be taking this new title a bit too literally. One of these guys is so laid-back (and rather absent-minded) that he makes me look like a meth addict. I couldn't help but wonder how he managed to pass the drug test.

The guy in charge of our training is a native New Yorker and possesses a little bit of that attitude, though not so much to be insufferable. I couldn't help but notice that he sounds a lot like Bobby Flay. I didn't point this out to him, since I didn't want to get fired before we even got started.

There's three more days of training left before our soft opening and if everything goes as planned, our grand opening is next Monday. In the meantime, there's more training, and more practice. Should be fun.

Labels: waiting

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 8:58 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
.....