October 12, 2000 ~ I Am Not Paying You to Read!

I am a good worker. I am honest. I really do work hard. I have a very strict work ethic. If my drawer is off, I will admit it to the management, and I don't make up the numbers to even it out, even though I could. I don't let people out with plates or cups. I make people pay even if they pretend they are students who lost their cards. I charge the guest rate, even for friends. I am honest.

I work breakfast shift. Breakfast shift has several really slow times, when sometimes there will be a straight ten minutes where not a single person walks through the door. During these times, I arrange myself so that I can see people coming and will read a little for my homework, or whatever else I need to do. I was doing that this morning when I saw a woman coming. I put down my book and waited. She walked through the door... and right past me. I called out to her to come back, but she was completely oblivious. Meanwhile, another customer had come through the door, and so I figured I would either catch her on the way out, or I would approach her after my shift, since I could not leave the fifty dollars in my drawer just laying out on the table while I chased her down. Luckily, she came back two minutes later and paid.

Next thing I knew, the manager came over and said, "Why did a woman just walk over and ask me where to pay?"

"I called out to her, but she didn't come back..."

"Well then you get up, go over, and bring her back. I'm not paying you to read."

"Okay," I said, trying to repress all of my retorts. I didn't miss her because I was reading. And I didn't go after her, because there was a customer right behind her, and I figured I shouldn't leave all the money unattended. I was fully prepared to approach her at a safer time. It's not like I just said, "Oh well," after she left and went back to my book. *sigh* I just let all of my qualms hide in the back of my head, and I played the submissive employee's part.

But now, what if something like that happens again? What if I'm left with customers at the door, fifty dollars right out there on the table, and someone slips by and won't come when I call them back? Now that I've been warned in a way, I will be expected to chase them down regardless, even though I don't think that would be the best of solutions to the problem. Should I approach the manager about this? I find the whole situation embarrassing, and I certainly don't want to press the issue. I certainly don't want to lose my job over it, though.

Well, anyway... I have a three-day weekend ahead of me, and I am going to try to relax. I so rarely have a break.

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