I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Tonight, a food runner come to check in with me to say goodbye.

I require everyone and I do mean everyone to check in with me before they leave.  NOT just when they give me their cashout.  When they are done with side work, have said their goodbyes and are exiting the building, come say good night.

This started when I was working at my first GM job.  I’d gone upstairs to my office, which was in a hotel, secluded from the dining room and kitchen.  We’d been open about 3 weeks and I was in the weeds.  I was up there for about 3 hours trying to catch up, thinking I was in the building alone.  In fact, when I went upstairs, I thought everyone was gone.  

I finish up, turn off the lights and head down stairs and I have the shit scared out of me, because there are two servers sitting in the lobby of the hotel just shooting the shit.  I didn’t care that they were there, I just thought everyone was gone.

From that moment, you must, must, must say goodby when you leave.  

Back to the food runner.

It was his last shift until after our 23 day break.  

I offer him my hand to shake, and he shakes it.  

It was a less than stellar handshake.  

And I gave him my speech.  He is small of stature, but I explained that doesn’t matter.  Shake the hand like you are an A type Alpha dog.  People judge you on your hand shake.  Look the person in the eye, grab the hand firmly and shake.  

I told him that I’d given this speech a 100 times and told him to remember it for the rest of his life.  Then I had him shake Chef’s hand, who explained that when shaking someone’s hand on a deal to remember it’s your word and your honor and to own that shit.

I shook his hand one more time and this time it was perfect, wished him a Merry Christmas and New Year’s and sent him on his way. 

I hope he remembers the lesson.