After some creative financing and going to a creepy place to make payment. We finally got our furniture and belongings delivered. Our soft leather couch was wet and torn. The mattress and box spring also wet. There several of our pieces of furniture damaged and some items broken. Our things had been loaded and unloaded several times and ALL of it sifted through. I felt extremely violated. I did not go to make payment with my husband but he took a couple of large men with him and our pit bull for security. We made a claim against the moving company so that we could replace our damaged items. Two weeks after our things were delivered we were notified that the company had dissolved and filed bankruptcy. So… needless to say we were not reimbursed for any of the damages! Its one of those experiences that is chalked up as lessons learned!
While we waited for our items to be delivered we were both able to get jobs. We had made the move totally blind. Neither one of us had a job and we had not seen the apartment that we were renting. I guess its what you do when you’re in your 20s. In hindsight, it was not the smartest thing but we were following my husband’s dream of going to culinary school. He had been accepted and financing was sorted out BEFORE we moved so we did plan a little. Anyway, I was able to get a job at PF Changs that had recently opened. The General Manager wanted to hire me as a manager but there was not a position open so I started as a server and worked in the office to assist him with invoicing during the day. There was so much for me to learn but I ended up teaching him a great deal as well. He was doing his P&L on a sheet of paper! 100% old school. I asked him if he would like it to be automatic. All he would need to do is plug in the monthly numbers. Of course he was skeptical but interested. I designed a simple spreadsheet for him and automated his P&L to calculate percentages. I used macros to connect the invoicing spreadsheets so that any monies spent would to the P&L. There were no double entries. He was super impressed by this and got me on the quick track to go through management training. I was a manager within six months.
The training included spending six weeks in the kitchen. I worked with the chef and learned ordering, prep, each station, expo, dish, etc. I knew how to prepare EVERY menu item and was given a verbal final at the end of the training. The chef was very intimidating and a graduate of Culinary Institute of America. I was a hot mess preparing for the final. He asked me two questions about the menu! I had to describe from start to finish an item on from the appetizers and one from the entrees. I was over prepared but he knew that and felt confident that I knew the information. I was flattered to say the least. One thing that he did press and I’ve never forgotten was advise that he gave me. He admitted that it doesn’t matter what food he and his kitchen team puts on the table. It can be the best food anyone has ever eaten, but the only thing that brings a customer back is the service! 10% of people will return to a restaurant for the food alone. 90% will return for the way they were treated. If they have a bad experience they tell 20 people, if they have a good one, they MIGHT tell a couple of friends. He put his ego down and it was a very valuable lesson early in my restaurant career.
Emotional Harmony and Wellness 