Well, nothing much has happened, I've not had to talk to a customer for about 2 weeks which is starting to get a bit boring.
The only interesting nugget I have to post is that was a staff member from another store was mugged in the service yard. They nicked her bag, she fell to the floor and has cuts all over her face. There are CCTV cameras in the area but it just depends if one was pointing that way at the time. An early Christmas treat for the poor woman - scum bags out there.
Hopefully Christmas will bring exciting posts. We are getting a new pizza for Christmas, it is something to do with chicken and hot, I can't remember the name. I know there is some cheesy phrase to go with it something like "Hot and ready for you" etc. Don't say Pizza Hut isn't classy!
Thursday, 29 November 2007
Thursday, 15 November 2007
Christmas shifts and vouchers
I have just discovered that over Christmas, while I have a few days off - I am working some of the nastiest shifts I've come across. Starting at times, which I didn't think possible. Like 7 hours before we even open. But that does mean shifts will be spent with less customer contact - nice! I have also been told I'm a "crucial" part for Christmas. Which I believe translates to "You better work hard cos we will be knackered if you don't",
An odd man. Very odd.
And for Christmas, we have discount vouchers again.
An example of the problems this can cause:
Man buys two pizzas and pays for them. I complete the transaction, place voucher and receipt on tray.
"Oh I have one of these already so do the pizza as a buy one get one free"
"I can't I'm afraid, the order has gone through and the receipt has printed"
"WELL RE-PRINT IT"
"I can't anyway, you can't use the voucher in the order in which it is given to you"
"MY WIFE HAS THESE VOUCHERS!!"
"Well if you can get me those vouchers, I will do it this time"
"Fine, I will"
He storms off with a seriously bad attitude.
I watch him talk to his wife and he is disgusted when she doesn't have them. Walks back to the counter.
"FORGET IT" and walks off with food.
Then over the next 30 minutes he kept coming back for refills and asking silly questions, and items the knew we wouldn't have - like some kind of weird mind game.
An odd man. Very odd.
Thursday, 8 November 2007
I'm not dead
No I am not dead, just lazy and there hasn't been much to blog about.
Except for a customer falling straight on his arse after slipping on the wet floor. There were three yellow warning signs out - and it looked wet. After a moment of concern (are we going to get shouted out) everyone retreated to the kitchen to laugh, a lot.
We have a new booklet, which they've made 'pocket size' which lists all the stuff we can get as PH employees - discounts elsewhere. Most of it is rubbish and is like 5% off when you spend over £50. PH claim they have negotiated these deals, I can find most of them on Money Saving Expert. Whitbread discount card was better, and I never even got one.
Well there you have it, about 2 weeks worth of posts. I really need to email a student who wanted information on this blog, I said I would about 3 weeks ago and now I feel guilty.
Except for a customer falling straight on his arse after slipping on the wet floor. There were three yellow warning signs out - and it looked wet. After a moment of concern (are we going to get shouted out) everyone retreated to the kitchen to laugh, a lot.
We have a new booklet, which they've made 'pocket size' which lists all the stuff we can get as PH employees - discounts elsewhere. Most of it is rubbish and is like 5% off when you spend over £50. PH claim they have negotiated these deals, I can find most of them on Money Saving Expert. Whitbread discount card was better, and I never even got one.
Well there you have it, about 2 weeks worth of posts. I really need to email a student who wanted information on this blog, I said I would about 3 weeks ago and now I feel guilty.
Monday, 29 October 2007
Another silly question
I posted about the most stupid question I've ever been asked a while ago. Basically a man wanted to know if we threw away the UNUSED IN WRAPPERS disposable cups at the end of the night. No we don't.
But, I think that this question potentially beats that one, and the person who asked it adds to it's stupidity.
I'm loitering on the front, in an apron when a man with a white shirt and grey tie comes up to me. He is a McDonalds manager. He then said "Do you have an angle grinder we could borrow?". "An angle grinder?" "Yeah" "Err no...sorry". Why he thought Pizza Hut would have an angle grinder is beyond me. I suppose it would be good for cutting pizza !
But, I think that this question potentially beats that one, and the person who asked it adds to it's stupidity.
I'm loitering on the front, in an apron when a man with a white shirt and grey tie comes up to me. He is a McDonalds manager. He then said "Do you have an angle grinder we could borrow?". "An angle grinder?" "Yeah" "Err no...sorry". Why he thought Pizza Hut would have an angle grinder is beyond me. I suppose it would be good for cutting pizza !
Thursday, 25 October 2007
Rotten smell and CHRISTMAS!!
A rancid and/or rotten smell decided it would make itself known today in the centre. It was like sewage, but worse.
The centre staff noticed it pretty quickly, and they clocked us sniffing the air. Security were looking round, one had the nerve to come up to me and ask "Err - is your extractor on ?" Yes it is thank you!
The outcome was, that it was a burnt panini. I seriously doubt that explanation - it smelt worse than sewage. And I have had a recent experience with sewage when someone decided they'd tip oil down the sink and some pipes had to be ripped out and replaced as it had got clogged with various substances. The same person also put a separator (a plastic disc which allows pizza pans to be stacked on top of each other) through the oven and melt onto the conveyor. I do like this person but wish they wouldn't be so thick.
And on the subject of smells. Making pizza and dough is a smelly occupation. I come home and I stink like oil and dough, and my hands no matter how many times I wash them, still smell of cheese.
Being in the kitchen doesn't provide many customer stories - which for me is rather pleasant. I do enjoy the odd complaint however. I have noticed though, that for some reason customers seem to respect you more when you come from the kitchen out to the front to help them. I wonder if it is the apron or that I've just been lucky.
Christmas isn't far away now and this will be my second Christmas at Pizza Hut. I can't wait for the centre to go all festive. The trees, the lights, the robotic animals, the music, the festive cheer from customers (!). Last year I posted about what I should say to customers at Christmas. I ended up just being the same and not say anything special. This year I've got a lot more confidence with customers (potentially bordering on cocky) so I don't know whether to be happy and jolly or delibrately miserable. I might be delibrately miserable to express my disgust that Pizza Hut don't pay ANYTHING extra for working Christmas Eve, Boxing Day or any other bank holiday for that matter. And the likely recognition we will get at store level will be "Disappointing Christmas, down on last year" forgetting the fact we gave up our family and holiday time so we could sell pizza - and be paid the same as if it was any other weekday.
There we go, another moan over with. I've done meat and pay rates now... Next time it might be about the constant nagging for brand standard quality products. We try but when you send wafer thin "chunky tomatoes" and tomato concentrate which is 30% thinner but don't tell anyone until 3 weeks after its introduction, it really isn't easy! And the fact you have got rid of the Pizza Hut logo on the napkins (any other PH employees noticed that?) but you want to build the brand. Oh AND the way they are selling off some restaurants to franchisees and telling the store team and managers after it has happened with a phone call saying "by the way, you are now owned by.."
Motivation and communication are not Pizza Hut's strongest points.
The centre staff noticed it pretty quickly, and they clocked us sniffing the air. Security were looking round, one had the nerve to come up to me and ask "Err - is your extractor on ?" Yes it is thank you!
The outcome was, that it was a burnt panini. I seriously doubt that explanation - it smelt worse than sewage. And I have had a recent experience with sewage when someone decided they'd tip oil down the sink and some pipes had to be ripped out and replaced as it had got clogged with various substances. The same person also put a separator (a plastic disc which allows pizza pans to be stacked on top of each other) through the oven and melt onto the conveyor. I do like this person but wish they wouldn't be so thick.
And on the subject of smells. Making pizza and dough is a smelly occupation. I come home and I stink like oil and dough, and my hands no matter how many times I wash them, still smell of cheese.
Being in the kitchen doesn't provide many customer stories - which for me is rather pleasant. I do enjoy the odd complaint however. I have noticed though, that for some reason customers seem to respect you more when you come from the kitchen out to the front to help them. I wonder if it is the apron or that I've just been lucky.
Christmas isn't far away now and this will be my second Christmas at Pizza Hut. I can't wait for the centre to go all festive. The trees, the lights, the robotic animals, the music, the festive cheer from customers (!). Last year I posted about what I should say to customers at Christmas. I ended up just being the same and not say anything special. This year I've got a lot more confidence with customers (potentially bordering on cocky) so I don't know whether to be happy and jolly or delibrately miserable. I might be delibrately miserable to express my disgust that Pizza Hut don't pay ANYTHING extra for working Christmas Eve, Boxing Day or any other bank holiday for that matter. And the likely recognition we will get at store level will be "Disappointing Christmas, down on last year" forgetting the fact we gave up our family and holiday time so we could sell pizza - and be paid the same as if it was any other weekday.
There we go, another moan over with. I've done meat and pay rates now... Next time it might be about the constant nagging for brand standard quality products. We try but when you send wafer thin "chunky tomatoes" and tomato concentrate which is 30% thinner but don't tell anyone until 3 weeks after its introduction, it really isn't easy! And the fact you have got rid of the Pizza Hut logo on the napkins (any other PH employees noticed that?) but you want to build the brand. Oh AND the way they are selling off some restaurants to franchisees and telling the store team and managers after it has happened with a phone call saying "by the way, you are now owned by.."
Motivation and communication are not Pizza Hut's strongest points.
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