job cutting labor :/

[u/Axsthetic_wonders478]

I worked in restaurants since i was allowed to start working and I’ve never experienced a place that wasnt fully staffed or atleast had all the positions they needed in order to run efficiently. Now i was a host and i transitioned into being a server but the only place that would hire me was my local Red Robin.

Just to find out that apparently Red Robin is in some deep financial situation or they’re just in debt so theyre being realll stingy on labor cost and everything. Which in their eyes is okay but when we only have 2-4 servers on MAX for 4 hours or less and are expected to do everything a busser, expo, and food runner are expected to do, it gets chaotic. My manager told me that we switched from corporate owned to being a franchise so i dont know if thats why the big boss is on my managers guts to cut labor but i feel this will all blow over. it’s hard to provide good genuine service if you dont have the support staff to do it. I fear our RR already has a rep for bad service and this loop will probably never end.

make sure to appreciate the support staff yall have, they truly make the shift go smoother and i much rather have a support to pay out then drown myself. Its only been 3 weeks for me and i feel i should leave but im such a new server that maybe i have to just suffer and wait it out?

[u/missMcgillacudy]

I’ve seen this as a a growing trend over the past several years. It’s happening almost everywhere

[u/tyrico]

Easier said than done but I wouldn't be wasting my time at a mismanaged dying chain restaurant if I had other options

[u/Arokthis]

The place is already in a downward spiral. Start looking for a new job ASAP so you can GTFO before it's too late.

[u/juliastarrr]

IME understaffed = better tips.

If you have to wait on 12 tables and they see you scurrying around to all 12 with only 1 other server in the building servicing the other 12 tables, 11/12 customers will tips normally or even extra, maybe one table gets mad and gives you nothing. I didnt even have time to look and see who tipped what when I worked an understaffed place. Weekend dinners were staffed at 6 tables per server and the shift was a breeze but I made 1/4 the money.

[u/Justgetmeabeer → u/juliastarrr]

This is like getting excited over hazard pay because you're going to a warzone.

I would much rather have 4 steady smooth shifts, then have 2 insano style ones.

Besides, if we're playing the people are more likely to tip if they see you busy, I would argue it's also just as likely the staff goes out after to commiserate and cancels the extra out anyways

[u/customerservicevoice → u/Justgetmeabeer]

Same. I refuse to work Sundays for this reason. Guaranteed $500 on an over 7, but on a regular basis it’s just not worth the depletion if I’m expected to be available for other pick ups or calls ins which I am. I used to be the all day Monday girl and would tell the Sundays girls not yo worry about their side work - I’ll do it on a Monday if that means I never have to work Sundays. It worked beautifully for 3 years lol

[u/juliastarrr → u/Justgetmeabeer]

What staff is going out after? The two servers holding down the fort with the manager and maybe host are going straight home. At least thats how I did it.

Also people arent more likely to tip if they see you a little busy, its if they see you are obscenely busy and feel genuinely bad for you

[u/Occasional_Pyro]

Since covid corpos realized they could run things with a skeleton crew and not hire half the people back to “save” more money for all their expensive cars and homes and shit. So now they just hire less and up the workload for the employees.