Does anybody else have to work alone for hours everyday at a restaurant or in retail?

you're gonna get less responses now though because not too many of us work in restaurants and/or retail

 

Honey, I've already gotten more than I really thought.

 

Not all the time, but sometimes I open and I'm completely by myself except for the delivery guys and random maintenance that drops by pretty often. I like that time, we aren't open yet, there are no customers, and it's all quiet and peaceful. And during the winter weekdays, I usually run the kitchen on my own, but it's slow enough on weekdays I can usually easily handle it. Plus, there are other people working other positions that can always step away for a minute to help me, so it's not terrible.

 

If I could lock the door, and stop the customer flow, I know I'd like that...I've even liked stocking in the past...but the customers with everything else, phone included...are insanity inducing, if I allow it, eh?
I've found it quite easy to just that phone ring and ring if I am doing anything for any customers on the floor...they can call back. It's sort of funny, since publicly gripping about it, I've decided I will not LET it get to me...which it could if I let it.
Regardless of my actions, decions, etc., these diner owners should not have one person scheduled at this place in the midafternoon while customers and whomever can come.

 

it's a simple issue of labor costs. if there's enough business for two people to be there, then there should be two people there. if there's not enough business for two people, then there's no real reason that one person shouldn't be able to handle it alone.

sometimes you get those moments when 12 people all get together and decide to call at the same exact time, while 12 other people all decide to walk in at that exact moment, and usually the computer breaks or something right then. but you can't plan for shit like that.

 

I worked in a retail drug store for the graveyard shift for about 9 months. Just me and the security guy, if one was scheduled which was only 4, maybe 5 nights a week. So I spent a lot of time working alone in the middle of the night with lots of merchandise, cash, alcohol and other things to temp the dregs of society. Luckily it was in the area I have lived for over 30 years, so a lot of the people who would come in I knew.
Did have to watch shit, mostly booze, walk out the door a few times when there was no guard. I'm not gonna get cut or worse over $50 worth of vodka. My manager was cool about it when shit like that happened.
Overall I did enjoy it though, was able to sneak tokes here and there while at work.

 

retail and restaurant worked that shit before... i paid for it with my health!
my old man forced me to work that shit. he held the belife that "hard work and suffering build character." and, "any job is better then no job." HE WAS FULL OF SHIT ON BOTH COUNTS!

suffered extreme burnout, drug abuse, and stress break down.
when i got to college, i got my first job working mostly alone... LOVED IT TO NO END!
since that time, i have either worked mostly alone or, all alone.
it was the same way in school also. i never worked well in a classroom setting. i almost always worked best on my own.

i also don't miss all that negative office politics either!uke:
there is no way i could ever work a job around noise and people ever again. my health would crash and burn big time again.:sad:

 

Right now, I work with many, many people in one job and alone in another. It's hard for me to say which one I prefer.

I think it all depends on the people you work with. I prefer working with people when we click, and alone when we don't.

 

I ran my own small business for 20-some years. I worked either 6 or 7 days a week, 51 weeks a year, 8-12 hours a day, most of it alone.

You do what you have to do.

 

Oh my god, that's always terrible. While our store is open we are required to have at least two people on the clock, but I've had an afternoon or two where a bus decided to pull in with only two of us working. But I rock that kitchen, so even though I hate it, I always do alright. One night, though, we had a team order in the middle of the busiest hour we had all night and the fryers overloaded the breakers because we were cooking so much all at once.

 

^^^See now Kinky Ramona, that's what I'm talking about...no matter what...having 2 people on the clock. According to what is happening, even that can be blistering; but you know, it'll be okay.

But the labor costs shit...I'm sorry, the poor waitress only makes $3/hr, having to justify if she is paid minimum wage. sheesh. 2 people that have to clean an entire restaurant, after 1st shift (which basically does not clean up after themselves); once again, there is enough work to justify paying 2 people the whole time when all they work is from 3-8 or 9pm.
That, I guess, is why I will never have a LOT of money (as in wealth at my disposal) because I do need some money - or why else would I do this - but money is not the thing that drives me. I am not greedy; nor could I "use" a good worker, testing their endurance, while I justified it with money reasons ($7.25/hr - LOL) and labor costs against immediate business returns.

I also know this - when this old gal has had enough, or they "suddenly" decide to lock the doors (something they have a history of doing)...when one door closes, another opens.