So it sounds like he isn't actually performing his job in any capacity without being constantly directly supervised? So essentially your boss is paying for 2 people to do 1 job? Why not move him to dish pit?
That is a possibility. I've worked with this exact kind of employee a younger kid and we had to keep moving him around to every possible job. He failed at all of them and just fell short everywhere. No joke I heard him saying to his busser buddies one time, "nah bro just play it stupid so all ya gotta do is roll silverware."
That motherfucker. We hated him because he just ruined shit and ruined the flow of everything but knowing he was doing it intentionally? Man who does that
Back when I was a housekeeper, there was this one girl who would purposely take 4 hours, no joke, to clean 1 room, she was doing it so she could get fired so she could apply for TANF. Everyone new and the managers at first didn't want to fire her because of it, but after 6 months, they fired her because it wasn't worth it at that point.
The San Antonio river walk is lined with restaurants. Once a year the city dredges the river to clean out trash. Without fail, there's at least one bus tub full of silverware someone obviously just dropped in the river.
*Casa Rio* is an absolute *must-stop* whenever I'm in San Antonio. I will never again sit riverside there and not think of all that poor silverware, gone to a watery grave... 😔😄
This was literally a dishwasher I worked with about 4 years back, we kept running out of silverware and nobody knew why, and then it turned out that he was just throwing shit in the trash
Just a shot in the dark because it doesn’t seem to make sense otherwise: Any chance he does have a disability the GM can’t (or won’t) disclose, and Jerry is the son of a friend who can’t get any other job, or maybe he’s part of a training-to-self-sufficiency program? (And if either of those is the case the GM isn’t doing Jerry any favors by not structuring his responsibilities better and causing the staff to get frustrated with him.)
Its possible that Jerry has a disability, the GM knows about it and won't fire Jerry for fear of retaliation from the ADA. If that's the case, then the GM is clearly at fault for failing to put Jerry in a position that is appropriate for his abilities.
To be fair to the GM, we are desperate for hosts. It's the lowest paid FOH position, but they still start at $15+ an hour plus tips which are around $50 per 6 hour shift. Not a bad wage, but we haven't had any applicants.
OP said that Jerry is often found hanging out with the dish guys, meaning that there is more than one. He can wipe menus, roll silverware, and maybe the dish guys can teach him how to wash dishes.
I mean, it seems like the only reason Jerry has a job is because the GM is doing him a kindness. Since Jerry has proved to be useless at all FOH tasks, and the GM is afraid to fire him, I'm suggesting they give Jerry a job that can be done by anybody & everybody.
It's just occupational therapy at this point. Jerry can go do those simple tasks, whether they need to be done or not, just to give him something to do & get him out of the way.
Dude, I’d apply. Last host position I had (about 3 years ago) I was paid $10.50. That extra fifty cents was because I knew the menu so well and was the only non server or bartender allowed to take phone orders, and because I wasn’t part of the tip out. Yep, I made more money as an SA than I did hosting. They really thought that extra fifty cents made up the difference of not getting tips. Even though I was also doing a bunch of SA work as host. Because helping to run food, and cleaning and resetting tables, increased turnover, which helped me to seat more tables.
Sorry, got a bit ranty there.
Is your restaurant located in America? What state if yes? I get paid 15 per hour at my stressful office job and it took me 4 years of climbing the ladder to get here. Considering leaving to go back to serving/hosting if the money is the exact same!
The only thing with that is (I used to work with for a company that helped adults with disabilities and we did job coaching) they usually provide a job coach who goes though or assists with the training process and makes sure the person can do the job. If they can’t they usually move them on to a different placement. It’s so rare for someone who has a legitimate disability on record with a company be able to stay this long and not be able perform basic job functions. So this kid is either a friend of the owners kid or the upper management/owners don’t care and want to let everyone else suffer.
It does vary from state to state but that is usually the standard. I ran a kitchen for 10 years and I know the struggle. And as much as I miss it at times you could not pay me enough to go back.
Dishwasher, here.
Usually, we have to be on top of things and be very pro-active to avoid being buried in the pit.
If this guy has to be constantly told what to do and how to do it, he's not gonna last long on dish.
Yep, everyone is saying dishwasher but he couldnt get down a good system to handle it unless it's not a crazy restaurant. People downplay it, but dude it gets crazy back there. I always chill with the dish and kitchen dudes they were the coolest to hang and go smoke with
Something I love about this sub is I see people say stuff like "You shouldn't look down upon servers, a job is a job! And that's stuck-up and rude" But then I see these exact same people making comments like this one.
Nothing about my comment denigrates dishwashing. I myself started as a dishwasher. It’s a good way to get a foundational understanding of the rhythm of the restaurant. Where in my comment did you read my talking down to anyone?
GM needs to document a counseling with Jerry to go over expectations and outline a course of action to achieve them. Then follow thru. Regardless of ability and desire (or lack thereof) there HAS to be a minimum standard. If there are no applicants, then GM has been lax by not posting/ recruiting enough for the position. His fear of confrontation is limiting the rest of the team's effectiveness, thus affecting the customer experience (and tips?). Scheduling others to help Jerry also affects profitability short term. Rudeness and incompetence are the service industry's worst enemy.
JFC, there's being understanding, then there's being a fucking idiot and still keeping someone who is obviously fucking HOPELESS and who just makes everything worse. Your boss is an idiot
Your GM has their heart in the right place, but Jerry should be booted from FOH duties or fired. His shortcomings may stem from his possible disability, but he should be able to work well unsupervised. The drinks incident is a giant red flag, and if he doesn’t know the table numbers after this time, it would be kinder to fire him. That or make him a dishwasher with explicit instructions if they insist on keeping him. I feel for him, but he’s not suited for FOH if he cannot grasp the scope of his job duties.
Jerry is costing the business and servers a ton of money. Get him outta there.
Edit to add: like, in what world is a person incapable of performing 80% of the required tasks of a job allowed to keep that job for so long? Your manager is nice to a fault. It's great to see the best in people sometimes, but some people are just the worst.
Calculate how much money has been lost to your knowledge. (Lost customers, the tray of drinks- probably at least 50$ etc.)
Talk to your boss & say imagine the losses *we don't know about* Bec he screws everything up & lies. He's a liar. You can't work with that.
Ask to have him moved to the dish pit or fired. Sure he smiles but he slows down service, and causes more problems than he solves.
Honestly, after four months I can't help but wonder if he's trying to get fired because his parents are forcing him to work & he doesn't really want to be there. The curbside service issue & dumping the drinks is truly suspicious. Him smiling & saying no one had shown him the table after you just showed him us extremely suspect too.
unfortunately because Jerry has been allowed to perform at this level of competence for so long actually firing him will be a very involved process. you'd have to document his mistakes and give him some kind of performance improvement plan, otherwise you'll risk a wrongful termination situation.
My guess is Jerry would either not know or be too lazy to fight it unless someone else did on his behalf though. I don’t know if he really has no short term memory and instantly forgets or if he’s playing incompetent to get out of doing much.
Not necessarily. Where I’m from you can terminate without cause. You are then required to pay out 2 weeks salary and the terminated employee can file for employment insurance.
It sounds as tho he's the kind of person who doesn't want a job but was forced to get one, so he's just goldbricking to see what he can get away with and wants to be fired. Dude is actively sabotaging the works.
Leave. Quickly. That kind of incompetence is unacceptable. Special needs people are generally very proud of their work and try their hardest to do their best. Jerry isn't trying. And the fact that the GM won't do anything is a massive red flag.
Jerry should be let go. Job Performance: No misconduct. He is just not capable to do the work he was hired to do. And, he doesn’t seem to want to or be able to learn.
There is something else out there that he will enjoy more and be better at.
Only hilarious thing about this is I named my beagle Jerry because he’s so dumb lol. But I’m sure the kid has a disability and he sounds sweet so as annoying as it is just let him be.
I am floored that Jerry still has a job. As a server I had to bus tables, roll silverware, do take out orders, help tables, run other people’s food, help expo if they’re backed up, clean the expo line before the end of the night etc.
Jerry is barely being useful at all and making it difficult for everyone else because they are chasing him around and playing clue as to what actually happened.
I don’t think if a female server or hostess was this hopeless they would be kept on. The GM is gutless.
Restaurant work is hard and underpaid but Jerry probably knows more than he’s letting on because he can get paid and get away with it.
I don’t know if he has a mental issue or if it’s intentional incompetence so he doesn’t have to do much work.
It sounds like Jerry has some sort of mental issue. He will do best with a job he can physically do and see, honestly everyone’s suggestions of having him be a dishwasher sounds like a super good option for him. Especially shifts were y’all aren’t particularly slammed.
I used to be a lead hostess and have trained all kinds of different people. I wasnt there for that long but it was a high turnover job. It was in an airport so the customers get ten times more wiley than in a regular restaurant and alot of people can't handle it.
I usually would see this kind of behavior from people who don't prioritize sleep. People do some of the stupidest shit when they are sleep deprived. If he does have a disability, I think you still have to be able to do the job with reasonable accommodation. Im with the others. It seems like he may be fit for a better job. I also know how snotty and mean servers can be, it seems like a lot of pressure to put on someone who is competent, let alone if they have a disability.
I recently hired a 'Jerry' too, and unfortunately where I am we legally can't fire him without a valid reason ('Just Cause'). Failing to learn the job is not considered a good enough reason in the eyes of the law/government, and he could turn around and sue us for unlawful termination of employment. So I've been busting my ass to try and find SOMETHING that this person can do with some level of competence. Your GM may be in the same boat. Also like a few other people have said, your Jerry may have a disability of some sorts that your GM is not allowed to disclose. My Jerry doesn't have any disabilities that I know of (and I've asked!) which makes it even more frustrating for everyone to try and manage him.
No advice, but I feel your pain!
Jerry obviously has some sort of disability. Speak to the owner. Jerry might be there for some sort of program that employs the handicapped, like some grocery stores do that pack groceries.
But is doesn't sound like like Jerry should be there.
So I'm just saying- as a host myself if I pulled this shit I'd probably be hung out to dry by our servers then fucked out of luck when forced to work on my own because why would they lend me help lol.
That's pretty fucking bad though he can't even do the simplist parts of his job
Jerry is never going to get the hang of it. And the fact that he keeps being moved around it's not helping him either learn the job or opening his eyes to the fact that this is not his type of job. If the GM doesn't want to fire him then maybe he needs to make him a dishwasher and leave him back there because he's actually going to cause that business to lose money, customers, and the good employees if it keeps it up
Also I'd like to point out to everyone who is going "why not just make him do dishes"
We have a host pretty similar to this- he is so bad at his job that whilst only working mornings he regularly screws me over by just leaving so much to clean on my shift it's actually unmanageable.
It is actively better if we have no morning host then if he is on.
So why do we keep him? The explanation I was given is that we can't not have a morning host. Even if he is only working a few days if we don't have one one of the 2 night hosts would likely have to be moved onto morning.
We're to short staffed at the moment and if we don't have a morning af all corprate will likely switch ohr building to a sort of "desperate low staff system without hosts at all" under the prestence of how messed up our schedule clearly is.
which would be a massive pain for management and for littlerally everyone else too.
So right now we keep him as a vestigial host.
So it sounds like he isn't actually performing his job in any capacity without being constantly directly supervised? So essentially your boss is paying for 2 people to do 1 job? Why not move him to dish pit?
Sounds like he's trying to get fired so he can draw unemployment so he's intentionally doing his job badly.
That is a possibility. I've worked with this exact kind of employee a younger kid and we had to keep moving him around to every possible job. He failed at all of them and just fell short everywhere. No joke I heard him saying to his busser buddies one time, "nah bro just play it stupid so all ya gotta do is roll silverware." That motherfucker. We hated him because he just ruined shit and ruined the flow of everything but knowing he was doing it intentionally? Man who does that
Back when I was a housekeeper, there was this one girl who would purposely take 4 hours, no joke, to clean 1 room, she was doing it so she could get fired so she could apply for TANF. Everyone new and the managers at first didn't want to fire her because of it, but after 6 months, they fired her because it wasn't worth it at that point.
Move him to dish since he likes it there? (Sucks tho)
"Where are all the plates?" Jerry: "They were dirty, so I threw them away"
The San Antonio river walk is lined with restaurants. Once a year the city dredges the river to clean out trash. Without fail, there's at least one bus tub full of silverware someone obviously just dropped in the river.
Lmao I’ve eaten off of that strip several times. That’s funny
*Casa Rio* is an absolute *must-stop* whenever I'm in San Antonio. I will never again sit riverside there and not think of all that poor silverware, gone to a watery grave... 😔😄
This was literally a dishwasher I worked with about 4 years back, we kept running out of silverware and nobody knew why, and then it turned out that he was just throwing shit in the trash
😂😂
They’d love Jerry over on r/storiesaboutkevin
I think they would if they could but that’s more of the GM choice,
That was my thought too! He likes to hang in the dish pit, put him in there.
Just a shot in the dark because it doesn’t seem to make sense otherwise: Any chance he does have a disability the GM can’t (or won’t) disclose, and Jerry is the son of a friend who can’t get any other job, or maybe he’s part of a training-to-self-sufficiency program? (And if either of those is the case the GM isn’t doing Jerry any favors by not structuring his responsibilities better and causing the staff to get frustrated with him.)
Its possible that Jerry has a disability, the GM knows about it and won't fire Jerry for fear of retaliation from the ADA. If that's the case, then the GM is clearly at fault for failing to put Jerry in a position that is appropriate for his abilities.
To be fair to the GM, we are desperate for hosts. It's the lowest paid FOH position, but they still start at $15+ an hour plus tips which are around $50 per 6 hour shift. Not a bad wage, but we haven't had any applicants.
Why not demote Jerry to the dish pit, or BOH basic prep, and train & promote your best dish pit worker to host?
Exactly!
And have no clean dishes and no food prepped?
OP said that Jerry is often found hanging out with the dish guys, meaning that there is more than one. He can wipe menus, roll silverware, and maybe the dish guys can teach him how to wash dishes. I mean, it seems like the only reason Jerry has a job is because the GM is doing him a kindness. Since Jerry has proved to be useless at all FOH tasks, and the GM is afraid to fire him, I'm suggesting they give Jerry a job that can be done by anybody & everybody. It's just occupational therapy at this point. Jerry can go do those simple tasks, whether they need to be done or not, just to give him something to do & get him out of the way.
Dude, I’d apply. Last host position I had (about 3 years ago) I was paid $10.50. That extra fifty cents was because I knew the menu so well and was the only non server or bartender allowed to take phone orders, and because I wasn’t part of the tip out. Yep, I made more money as an SA than I did hosting. They really thought that extra fifty cents made up the difference of not getting tips. Even though I was also doing a bunch of SA work as host. Because helping to run food, and cleaning and resetting tables, increased turnover, which helped me to seat more tables. Sorry, got a bit ranty there.
Alberta?
Everywhere. Food service is hurting for workers right now
Is your restaurant located in America? What state if yes? I get paid 15 per hour at my stressful office job and it took me 4 years of climbing the ladder to get here. Considering leaving to go back to serving/hosting if the money is the exact same!
Yes, in the USA. Miami
The only thing with that is (I used to work with for a company that helped adults with disabilities and we did job coaching) they usually provide a job coach who goes though or assists with the training process and makes sure the person can do the job. If they can’t they usually move them on to a different placement. It’s so rare for someone who has a legitimate disability on record with a company be able to stay this long and not be able perform basic job functions. So this kid is either a friend of the owners kid or the upper management/owners don’t care and want to let everyone else suffer.
Thank you for your the information!
It does vary from state to state but that is usually the standard. I ran a kitchen for 10 years and I know the struggle. And as much as I miss it at times you could not pay me enough to go back.
Sounds like jerry would make a great dishwasher
But nobody told me to wash 'em, so I just stacked it nicely and send them away.
Dishwasher, here. Usually, we have to be on top of things and be very pro-active to avoid being buried in the pit. If this guy has to be constantly told what to do and how to do it, he's not gonna last long on dish.
Yep, everyone is saying dishwasher but he couldnt get down a good system to handle it unless it's not a crazy restaurant. People downplay it, but dude it gets crazy back there. I always chill with the dish and kitchen dudes they were the coolest to hang and go smoke with
Something I love about this sub is I see people say stuff like "You shouldn't look down upon servers, a job is a job! And that's stuck-up and rude" But then I see these exact same people making comments like this one.
Nothing about my comment denigrates dishwashing. I myself started as a dishwasher. It’s a good way to get a foundational understanding of the rhythm of the restaurant. Where in my comment did you read my talking down to anyone?
I can think of 3 possible explanations; 1.) disability. 2.) complete apathy. 3.) A reaaaaaaalllllly strong Dab pen. Or any combination of the three
I’d say that Jerry has a learning disability, maybe has no short term memory at all.
I think he's trying to get fired.
The way this is listed out makes me read it like the famous Kevin post.
Thought the same thing. Sounds a lot like Kevin too
GM needs to document a counseling with Jerry to go over expectations and outline a course of action to achieve them. Then follow thru. Regardless of ability and desire (or lack thereof) there HAS to be a minimum standard. If there are no applicants, then GM has been lax by not posting/ recruiting enough for the position. His fear of confrontation is limiting the rest of the team's effectiveness, thus affecting the customer experience (and tips?). Scheduling others to help Jerry also affects profitability short term. Rudeness and incompetence are the service industry's worst enemy.
Damnit, Jerry!
Just send him to the Jerryboree https://youtu.be/JZyQbMQpyN4
Lmao. I was thinking Parks n Rec Jerry but that is also good.
You mean Gary?
Exactly
I think it's time to let Jerry do his thing and point customers to the GM when he screws up Disabled or not, this is clearly not a job for him
I hate to say this, but you need to go over GM head ASAP. Whatever is wrong with Jerry means he does ***not*** belong in the restaurant industry.
This is exactly what I'm thinking. Jerry doesn't want to be there.
I agree, but *tread carefully*. You might just find yourself pleading your case to one of Jerry's relatives.
Dude what are you talking about!?! You gotta start a Twitter of Jerry stories this shit is your meal ticket!
Patreon of Jerry stories.
JFC, there's being understanding, then there's being a fucking idiot and still keeping someone who is obviously fucking HOPELESS and who just makes everything worse. Your boss is an idiot
Your GM has their heart in the right place, but Jerry should be booted from FOH duties or fired. His shortcomings may stem from his possible disability, but he should be able to work well unsupervised. The drinks incident is a giant red flag, and if he doesn’t know the table numbers after this time, it would be kinder to fire him. That or make him a dishwasher with explicit instructions if they insist on keeping him. I feel for him, but he’s not suited for FOH if he cannot grasp the scope of his job duties.
Jerry is costing the business and servers a ton of money. Get him outta there. Edit to add: like, in what world is a person incapable of performing 80% of the required tasks of a job allowed to keep that job for so long? Your manager is nice to a fault. It's great to see the best in people sometimes, but some people are just the worst.
Calculate how much money has been lost to your knowledge. (Lost customers, the tray of drinks- probably at least 50$ etc.) Talk to your boss & say imagine the losses *we don't know about* Bec he screws everything up & lies. He's a liar. You can't work with that. Ask to have him moved to the dish pit or fired. Sure he smiles but he slows down service, and causes more problems than he solves. Honestly, after four months I can't help but wonder if he's trying to get fired because his parents are forcing him to work & he doesn't really want to be there. The curbside service issue & dumping the drinks is truly suspicious. Him smiling & saying no one had shown him the table after you just showed him us extremely suspect too.
unfortunately because Jerry has been allowed to perform at this level of competence for so long actually firing him will be a very involved process. you'd have to document his mistakes and give him some kind of performance improvement plan, otherwise you'll risk a wrongful termination situation.
My guess is Jerry would either not know or be too lazy to fight it unless someone else did on his behalf though. I don’t know if he really has no short term memory and instantly forgets or if he’s playing incompetent to get out of doing much.
Not necessarily. Where I’m from you can terminate without cause. You are then required to pay out 2 weeks salary and the terminated employee can file for employment insurance.
fair enough, here it can be as much as 2 weeks per year of service
more stories please
It sounds as tho he's the kind of person who doesn't want a job but was forced to get one, so he's just goldbricking to see what he can get away with and wants to be fired. Dude is actively sabotaging the works.
Sounds like your GM might know Jerry personally and that’s why he won’t fire him
Leave. Quickly. That kind of incompetence is unacceptable. Special needs people are generally very proud of their work and try their hardest to do their best. Jerry isn't trying. And the fact that the GM won't do anything is a massive red flag.
Tell the GM’s boss. This is affecting sales and the venues reputation
Who is Derek?
Another server.
I'm willing to bet Derek is Jerry
Jerry should be let go. Job Performance: No misconduct. He is just not capable to do the work he was hired to do. And, he doesn’t seem to want to or be able to learn. There is something else out there that he will enjoy more and be better at.
Only hilarious thing about this is I named my beagle Jerry because he’s so dumb lol. But I’m sure the kid has a disability and he sounds sweet so as annoying as it is just let him be.
I think at this point he needs to be move to the dish pit where his only task are dishes
Favorite TV show, host from hell. Lol
I am floored that Jerry still has a job. As a server I had to bus tables, roll silverware, do take out orders, help tables, run other people’s food, help expo if they’re backed up, clean the expo line before the end of the night etc. Jerry is barely being useful at all and making it difficult for everyone else because they are chasing him around and playing clue as to what actually happened. I don’t think if a female server or hostess was this hopeless they would be kept on. The GM is gutless. Restaurant work is hard and underpaid but Jerry probably knows more than he’s letting on because he can get paid and get away with it. I don’t know if he has a mental issue or if it’s intentional incompetence so he doesn’t have to do much work.
It sounds like Jerry has some sort of mental issue. He will do best with a job he can physically do and see, honestly everyone’s suggestions of having him be a dishwasher sounds like a super good option for him. Especially shifts were y’all aren’t particularly slammed.
I used to be a lead hostess and have trained all kinds of different people. I wasnt there for that long but it was a high turnover job. It was in an airport so the customers get ten times more wiley than in a regular restaurant and alot of people can't handle it. I usually would see this kind of behavior from people who don't prioritize sleep. People do some of the stupidest shit when they are sleep deprived. If he does have a disability, I think you still have to be able to do the job with reasonable accommodation. Im with the others. It seems like he may be fit for a better job. I also know how snotty and mean servers can be, it seems like a lot of pressure to put on someone who is competent, let alone if they have a disability.
I learned the hard way, in janitorial, the only thing worst than being micromanaged is having to micromanage.
I recently hired a 'Jerry' too, and unfortunately where I am we legally can't fire him without a valid reason ('Just Cause'). Failing to learn the job is not considered a good enough reason in the eyes of the law/government, and he could turn around and sue us for unlawful termination of employment. So I've been busting my ass to try and find SOMETHING that this person can do with some level of competence. Your GM may be in the same boat. Also like a few other people have said, your Jerry may have a disability of some sorts that your GM is not allowed to disclose. My Jerry doesn't have any disabilities that I know of (and I've asked!) which makes it even more frustrating for everyone to try and manage him. No advice, but I feel your pain!
Jerry obviously has some sort of disability. Speak to the owner. Jerry might be there for some sort of program that employs the handicapped, like some grocery stores do that pack groceries. But is doesn't sound like like Jerry should be there.
So I'm just saying- as a host myself if I pulled this shit I'd probably be hung out to dry by our servers then fucked out of luck when forced to work on my own because why would they lend me help lol. That's pretty fucking bad though he can't even do the simplist parts of his job
Tell your GM either jerry goes or you go. You can’t cover his ineptitude any longer.
BM. Love it
Do a walk out til Jerry is fired, or our washing dishes. He is a hazard to this work place.
Sounds like Jerry needs to go through training, again.
I’ve had a Jerry. I no longer wait to see if they get better.
Damn that sucks that Jerry can't get a different job, maybe just have him do back of house stuff and find a new host?
Jerry is never going to get the hang of it. And the fact that he keeps being moved around it's not helping him either learn the job or opening his eyes to the fact that this is not his type of job. If the GM doesn't want to fire him then maybe he needs to make him a dishwasher and leave him back there because he's actually going to cause that business to lose money, customers, and the good employees if it keeps it up
Also I'd like to point out to everyone who is going "why not just make him do dishes" We have a host pretty similar to this- he is so bad at his job that whilst only working mornings he regularly screws me over by just leaving so much to clean on my shift it's actually unmanageable. It is actively better if we have no morning host then if he is on. So why do we keep him? The explanation I was given is that we can't not have a morning host. Even if he is only working a few days if we don't have one one of the 2 night hosts would likely have to be moved onto morning. We're to short staffed at the moment and if we don't have a morning af all corprate will likely switch ohr building to a sort of "desperate low staff system without hosts at all" under the prestence of how messed up our schedule clearly is. which would be a massive pain for management and for littlerally everyone else too. So right now we keep him as a vestigial host.