- Everyone is always late.
- Your staff doesn’t get along most of the time.
- The staff never hangs or drinks together… ever.
- Most employees seem miserable all of the time, period.
- Most staff members have multiple DUIs.
- People consistently don’t show up for shifts and they aren’t fired or disciplined.
- Your colleagues are high or drunk most of the time.
- The place is a revolving door of workers who are hired, fired, or quit within weeks or months.
- The male manager(s) hit on every waitress and even the hostesses.
- The managers are always drinking, snorting cocaine, or stealing tips.
- Management and/or the corporation never protects the staff from toxic customers.
- Everyone hates the owners/management.
- Managers withhold tips to punish or enforce behaviour.
- Your paychecks keep bouncing!
- There is no meritocracy: The best employees aren’t rewarded, the worst aren’t fired, and you can only advance via nepotism.
- They hire anyone… literally!
- They only hire based on looks: The ideal server should have looks, competency, and a good personality. You need at least two of these, but when in doubt managers always settle for looks.
- Constant bullying and harassment among the staff is tolerated (even yelling or physical abuse).
- The cleaning and side duties are rarely done.
- Food safety isn’t taken seriously.
- The place is disgusting (bathrooms, tables, menus, etc.)
- The building is maintained worse than the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
- There is no training regime or commitment to even decent customer service.
- The front of house doesn’t know anything about drinks and meals, and the kitchen staff screw up orders constantly.
- The staff never knows the specials.
- You don’t cultivate and reward good regulars.
- You have few repeat customers.
- Your regulars suck, bully, and take advantage of you.
- Drug deals are conducted across the premises without consequence.
- And your staff are the main customers!
- The place isn’t friendly to women: The lighting is poor, the parking is bad, the woman’s washroom isn’t clean, and the place isn’t safe!
- You ignore valid customer complaints.
- The owner and managers let their friends do whatever they want, no matter how much it pisses off customers and the staff.
- It’s usually dead… even on weekends and despite nightly specials that should bring in crowds.
- Your drink garnishes are gross and unattractive.
- You keep running out of alcohol and food. Either management is incompetent at ordering, or the place is bleeding money.
- Management is either always feared or insulted.
- You always fight against online reviews, especially when they’re valid.
- Your positive online reviews are bullshit and obviously written by your friends.
- Your online ratings have more 1 star reviews than Applebee’s.
- You can’t do food well, at least for your niche (like wings and nachos for pubs, steaks and ribs for steak houses, etc).
- The place can’t produce good staff no matter how hard it trains them.
- The staff takes no pride of effort in their physical appearance (hygiene, uniform, etc.).
- The staff never drink or eat there and don’t invite their friends or family to come in.
- You have shitty Wi-Fi!
- You never adapt to your clientele and expect them to come around. They won’t, they’ll just go somewhere they’re actually appreciated.
- You drink or do drugs every night before a shift to cope.
- You wake up and cry into your pillow before each shift.
- You’re always looking for new places to work at.
- You wish you were dead… constantly!