louie.

Let me tell you about Louie.

A good way to start my description of Louie would be to tell you his job. Unfortunately, I don't know what it is. I know he works with me at Vintner's, and I know he greets people and takes them to a table where someone can then wait on them. He's a middle-aged man, and I'm not sure if he is supposed to just be a host, or if he is a sort of manager. He doesn't have any authority, really, but that wouldn't be the first time a manager at Vintner's had no authority. But still, his age makes us all think he might be a semi-boss, and therefore we have to show a little respect in the chance that he has some sort of power tucked away somewhere.

So I'll call him a glorified host. Then I'll call him a lot of other things, because frankly, I don't like Louie very much.

Louie thinks everyone has an attitude problem. Everyone. Servers who most certainly don't have attitude problems apparently do just for Louie. I work with some people who actually do have such problems and I work with some who don't. Everyone but Louie can tell the difference. He thinks we all just need to "grow up". This was my run-in with him:

Louie: Make sure you run an interrim report.
(At this point, let me explain that the only way you would ever run such a report is if you were working a double shift. I had been there for over eight hours that day and was not scheduled for a double. It crossed my mind that this was their way of telling me that I was working a double after all.)
Me: I'm not working a double.
Louie: I know, but Bryon said to make sure everyone ran an interrim report.
Me: Oh, I think he probably just meant people who were working doubles.
Louie: WHY DO YOU HAVE TO GET AN ATTITUDE?!

At which point he stomps off, yelling about my attitude and leaving me very confused. About thirty seconds later, he stomps, stomps, by again, still yelling about it. I even try to apologize for him being an idiot, though I think I worded it better. Lynn, the boss' wife happened to be there the second time he does his angry stomping man routine and asks me, "Sandra, are you giving Louie an attitude?" Now I'm tired and grumpy and without thinking, say "Apparently." To my relief, Lynn laughed, leading me to believe that she doesn't think much of Louie either.

I want to point out to him that chances are, every single person around him doesn't have the problem, and that maybe he should look a little closer to himself. Such a statement made to him would only indicate further how deep-seated my own attitude problem is.

Aside from his outbursts, Louie is very unconcerned about the fatigue of others. Other hosts we've had have always been pretty understanding about not giving someone tables unless it was necessary if they've been there all day long. There have been days when a server or two could have been sent home, but for the fact that Louie continues to give them tables after they've been there for hours upon hours. It's not that there aren't other servers to take the tables that haven't been there for as long. It's not that the servers requested to continue to get tables. Actually, I don't know what it is. Maybe he just doesn't care that we too get tired. He should be happy to have one less server's attitude problem to deal with.

Louie hates his job, at least I think he does. He doesn't like us, and I'm pretty sure he's caught some of the negative vibes we have about him. He's a rotten host. He is rude to customers. He wants more money, and tries to take tables all the time. Once, he claimed he couldn't find someone to take a table, so he took it himself, even though there were probably five servers with one or no tables. Then he complains if we go out back for a smoke break because he doesn't have time to find us. I'm not sure how he has time to host and take tables. Another time, he had a table and I asked why he took it, since we were not overwhelmingly busy. He said, "The people requested me." I was surprised, since he wasn't even a server. How did he get requested? "Really?" I said, to which he snapped, "Yes. What? Don't servers ever get requested at this restaurant?" I said they do and left it at that. The assistant hostess later told me that he hadn't been requested, but had had the same people the night before and volunteered for it. What kind of silly middle-aged man needs to lie to a twenty-year old waitress?

I'm proud of myself, really, how I've handled it. I know that Louie works a whole lot, and by the end of the day these past few weeks, we've all been beat and very very grumpy. I try to keep this in mind and be sympathetic. I've gone out of my way to be nice to him. And at 4:30, when he tells me I have another table, even though I've been there since 8 am and I know another person could take the table, I smile and thank him. I gouge my eyes out later, but he doesn't see that. And honestly, I think being nice to him has helped. After a hellish breakfast Saturday, he told the breakfast servers to take a break and let him know when we wanted to start taking tables again.

Here is my silver lining, because there is always one, no matter how tiny. It is the same silver lining that I have whenever I don't like one of my esteemed coworkers at this little restaurant with extremely high employee turnover. It helps keep things in perspective when I'd like to tell someone just how I feel about them. It's never failed me before.

He'll quit before too long.