I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

I scheduled 9 interviews yesterday.

5 people showed up. Which is really not so bad a statistic.

My 3:00 is waiting on the sofa when I finish up my 2:30.

I say goodbye to him and introduce myself to her.

I take her into the dining room.

We get settled and I ask her to tell me about herself.

I always start my interviews this way.

What happens next is very telling.

It goes one of two ways.

Either they launch into their work history.

Or.

They begin telling me about themselves the person.

I like the latter. Your work history is on the resume I’m holding.

I am hiring a person. Not just the resume.

I’ve passed on many people who have the experience but not the personality.

I’ve hired personality without experience because most times that can be taught.

So I say, tell me about yourself.

She says that she is 15, in high school, and looking for a part time job. She continues, that she likes hanging out with her friends, going to concerts and playing tennis.

I ask her what kind of music she likes.

Without a beat, she says that she is really into Harry Styles these days. She really likes his music and that he is great in concert.

Of course, she is. She’s 15. I wonder if I ever told anyone I was into Madonna?

I tell her that I’m quite fond of his new song, Songs for a Sushi Restaurant.

She agrees that it’s a good song.

She is very sweet. And perfect for the job.

But I can’t hire her until she is 16. In Maine, 15-year-olds have to be off the clock by 9:00 p.m. And when you are only open for dinner, it sucks when your staff clocks out 45 minutes before the last meal is served.

I tell her this. But I follow it up with the fact that I think she’d be a great addition to our team. I give her my card and tell her to reach out after the new year, when she is 16 and I’d be happy to chat again, if she is still looking.

She is super understanding.

She takes my card and tells me I’ll hear from her soon.

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

At 5:35, two women walk into the lobby. I greet them and ask if they have a reservation.

They do not.  

They are there to buy a gift card. And have a drink.

I explain that I can get them a gift card, but the only two seats I have at the bar are for 2 people who will be in at 5:45.

I send a food runner in to process the gift card purchase.  

I wait at the door.

They keep asking if they can get a drink. To be honest they are being annoying.

Can we please.? 

We’ll be fast.

On. And On. And On.

Annoying.

Finally, one of them says, what if it’s because I have a broken heart?  

I tell her I’ve heard that before.  

It’s 5:40 and they are still begging.

At one point the one with a broken heart says it again.

I say, seriously….do you have a broken heart?

She says, not me, my boyfriend. He’s having open heart surgery on Monday and I need a drink.

I am moved. I take them in. Seat them at the two empty seats. Tell the bartender they are going to have a quick drink because they have a broken heart.  

Of course, the guests that reserved those seats come in 45 seconds later.  

I tell them I can get them seated in just a few minutes.

They get comfortable in the lobby.  

I ask if they are local or from away. A question I ask a million times a night. 

They are from Mass, but have a house here.  

We chat, they ask if I’m from here.  

I tell them the 30 second version of my story.  

I grew up in Kentucky. Graduated from college and spend the next 30 years moving ever couple of years. Kansas City, Atlanta, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Alabama, Cincinnati again, Iowa, California, New York City twice, Oklahoma.

Now Maine.  

They ask what my favorite place I’ve lived is…

I tell them hands down Maine. I follow up by saying, I love living here, I love our house, but I told my partner last week we need to move the furniture because I’m getting bored.  

We continue chatting.  

Soon it is 6:00. I go in and let the girls know the guests are here.  

They come out 45 seconds later.  

I tell the girls that I appreciate their coming out and that I appreciated their being nice.  

They look at the couple on the couch and thank them profusely for their patience.  

I tell them goodbye and then take the waiting couple in.

I say, the girls had a broken heart and needed a little comfort.

And once again, everyone lived happily ever after. 

That happened to me a couple of nights ago.  

3:00 a.m. No idea what I’d forgotten but couldn’t get the nagging feeling out of my mind.

I finally figured it out today.

I had not closed the books on the three weeks we’ll be closed over Christmas.  

Got to work and discovered we already had reservations that week. One for Christmas Eve.

Whoops.  

I got to call and disappoint people.  

Luckily everyone was understanding.

Two of the tables rebooked.  

One table for the Sunday before Xmas.

The other table for tomorrow.