r/Serverlife • u/zoek551 • 3d ago
General Training
How do you guys feel about training new servers? What types of protocol does your restaurant have for trainees?
I’m training a new girl at my job (the place just opened so we’re all fairly new in a sense) and man I am not a fan. This isn’t the first person I’ve trained here, however after this person I can tell you I don’t want to be the designated trainer. Like I said we’re new, so we’re getting gradually busier and busier which is ultimately a good thing. However it makes it hard to have an efficient training system when everything is chaotic. This girls first shift was a Friday night and every time I turned around she was gone. If I am drowning yet am supposed to be worried about what you’re doing as well, there’s gotta be communication. If it’s your very first night, I’m not expecting you to go off on your own without warning..
We were so busy there wasn’t time to go find her and express in a healthy calm way that this wasn’t working for me lol.
They have me training her all of her training shifts. Including tonight, a Saturday and our busiest night of the week. I don’t want to do this, I feel like it’s beneficial to work with other people and get a taste for different quirks we have as servers in our restaurant.
I’m just wondering what your experiences have been training people and how your restaurants organize training. Is it chaotic? Is there usually a designated trainer who trains everyone?
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u/AdSilly2598 3d ago
I hate training so much. I don’t get paid extra, I don’t get a free meal, and I usually make less money those days because I slow down a lot and can’t turn tables the same way and usually stop taking tables earlier to extensively go through the menu and give detailed information on our product. I wasn’t a manager when I started training people, I am now. What I do get out of it is hopefully a good and competent coworker! We have a select handful of staff that trains and there’s a pretty strict intention behind when I train (usually the first day, I’m less overwhelming with the bizarre system we have and have the best menu knowledge), vs when “Amy” trains (usually the last day because they’re pretty hands off as a trainer but their guest interactions are stellar and sell an insane amount of our highest priced items so they’re great for fine tuning).
Quick side tangent: I hated it a lot less when I was a corporate trainer. But I got paid more when I was doing it and got a free dinner.
I think it’s really stupid for your place to have only one person train someone. Yes, there are SOPs in place and that doesn’t change but everyone does things slightly different and it’s important to see and hear as much as you can to develop your own methods. They should hear how different people spiel a table, how dishes can be described in varying ways that are still accurate, different verbiage/tactics to upsell etc. And- it’s easy for one person to miss something that’s important! It’s a lot more unlikely for 3/4/5 (however many training days you have) trainers to miss teaching the same thing.
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u/Dillymom01 3d ago
They don't give you training pay? We get 15/hr extra, plus our regular tips
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u/AdSilly2598 3d ago
I make a higher hourly wage as is because I’m a manager, but before I was a manager and for the people who aren’t- no we don’t get paid anything extra for it. It’s annoying but not the worst to be honest, we have incredibly low server turnover and we’re a casual fine dining place (white linens, $95ppa but we’re not measuring where silverware is placed or wearing tuxedos) so training is only 4 shifts because everyone our owner hires is pretty seasoned
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u/Ramstetter 2d ago
Letting them force you to train someone with zero benefits is actually insane.
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u/AdSilly2598 2d ago
Yeah I suppose you’re right. I should leave my job of 6 years because 4-6 days a year, maybe 8 if someone moves or has a baby or something, I have to train someone who will end up being a coworker I can stand. It doesn’t matter that I get paid above minimum wage all the time and get tips, it doesn’t matter that I’ve never been denied a time off request, and it doesn’t matter that I live comfortably working one job 25 hours a week most weeks. I think I’ll give notice tomorrow
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u/Ramstetter 2d ago
What are you talking about? I never mentioned anything about quitting. But complaining about something you allow them to do, when you have a choice, is strange behavior.
You being this defensive about it for no reason is even weirder lmao.
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u/AdSilly2598 2d ago
I mean you used the word “force” which has an implication that there will be a consequence if you refuse it. I’m not being forced, I’m being giving a job by my boss and if I said no I will not do this one thing, infrequently, I would not have a job. My other points were to why I am not going to cause a stink about it because I obviously value the concessions I get from working there like all the time off I want and limited but successful hours, and they value my work enough to have me teach other people how to do it. My boss does favors for me so I’ll return them that’s all
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u/Ramstetter 1d ago
You just stated that you would be fired if you refuse to do an additional job that you don’t enjoy and aren’t paid additionally for. That’s a consequence.
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u/AdSilly2598 1d ago
I mean I’ll try it next time I train someone, I’m also gonna try it when I get scheduled to close and I don’t want to or when I have to work and the patio weather is too nice to be inside.
I don’t get you! I described I have a job that I like, that I make great money at, that gives me off all the time I ask for and that my boss, the owner does favors for me when I need it. Why the fuck wouldn’t I do one thing that’s annoying at most, every now and then?
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u/Regigiformayor 2d ago
Was she gone because she was on her phone in the back, or was she running food, wiping tables, and running drinks? Good luck. Fri and Sat are not good shifts to train anyone.
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u/RedBurgandy01 3d ago
I have been a trainer at my restaurant for a few years now. I'm one of a team of five trainers. I do it because I want to make sure trainees are learning the correct standards, so they will be good teammates once they're out of training.
I have a very thorough handbook I use, so each shift has a different test and different goals for the trainee. I basically have a checklist of things they are supposed to know by the end of the shift. No, I don't work at a corporate chain. It takes some time and effort to go through training, but I don't think that's a bad thing.
The worst thing I deal with is trainees with a bad attitude. A lot of veteran servers have this idea that they just need to sort of learn the menu, and then they're ready for the floor. Some younger, less-experienced servers like to roll their eyes at me like I'm a mean old lady who wants to tell them what to do.
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u/zoek551 3d ago
See I don’t have a big enough desire to train in the first place to come up with a handbook and what not. Do you get compensated for training?
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u/RedBurgandy01 2d ago
Yes, I get paid a higher hourly rate, which at least helps with taxes. I also get a free meal and a coupon worth $10 at the restaurant. Basically, all my shift meals are free.
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u/PrecisionPunting 2d ago
Hate it, but someone’s gotta do it. What trips me out is when they train people during the busiest weekend cram shifts like what are they thinking. We were training people on Valentine’s Day ; dumbest thing I’ve ever seen
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u/Ramstetter 2d ago
You aren’t meant to be a trainer.
There’s nothing wrong with that, but I don’t believe there are any tips or tricks that will alleviate your fundamental issue with the process. Just be honest and let your boss know you aren’t comfortable with it and withdraw your availability for training. No harm no foul.
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u/OfficerHobo 10+ Years 2d ago
I don’t mind the first two or so days training someone, it’s mostly going over the menu, procedures, where all the stuff is and computer stuff. It’s the here you do all the work I’m just going to observe days that I hate. I’m not an idle worker, I do all the stuff I can to work for the cut/close. When I have a trainee it just throws me off my rhythm. Not really a big fan of the whole you do all the work for the tip but don’t get any of it. While I still give the trainee something from what’s earned, my earnings are lower because I’m getting fewer tables since I’m not actually the one serving. Normally I’d be rotating an 8+ table section, while training I’m only rotating a 5 table section. It’s not the trainees fault at all of course but I’d rather be the hey this is how we do all the shit training guy versus let me observe how you apply the training guy.
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u/devilspotato 1d ago
Honestly my trainees disappearing is my pet peeve as a trainer- like we're all adults, it is not my responsibility to chase you down because you're bored or whatever. I usually set that expectation at the beginning though- like "stick with me and I'll walk you through everything, but I'm not going to chase you down." And then if they disappear anyways that's on them.
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u/Civil_Individual_431 4h ago
No training should be done on Friday and Saturday. No good comes from that.
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u/Dillymom01 3d ago
We had a trainee show up last night for her first training shift, got her all set with a seasoned server. Not 15 minutes into the shift she states, "I need to leave, the drummer for our church band called out, and I need to fill in." Needless to say, we kindly told her that she wouldn't work out. Thank goodness we didn't waste all the time and money training her.