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Getting the job done often involves making a few mistakes along the way. But when you accept your hiccups and make amends with your inadequacies, they stop haunting you and evolve into funny stories you can use to make people smile.
When Twitter user @lilyannatrnr heard her boyfriend tell her about the time he was working as a server at a "posh hotel" and completely misunderstood a client, she thought the anecdote was so funny, it definitely belonged on Twitter. And she wasn't the only one.
The tweet detailing the fail has already received over 243K likes and inspired other food industry workers to share their fails as well. I don't know if this thread proves that we will soon be replaced by AI or shows that humans can't leave a brother to suffer on his own, but it sure makes restaurants, bars, and coffee shops look like fun places to work at. Sometimes.
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#1
Marcellus the Third 5 years ago
Flemish proverb is "Fish has to swim thrice: Once in water, once in butter, and once in wine". (Come to think of it, much more useful than most other proverbs; like those about early birds and worms -- I don't micro-manage my garden's worm population.)
Twitter user @fleursaugefille was one of the people who joined the fun. When they worked at a college cafeteria, they didn't know what kosher was. When the time came to serve a Jewish convention and someone asked @fleursaugefille if the bacon bits were kosher, they thought the question was "Are these for sure?" as in "Can we eat them?" so they replied "Sure, go ahead."
"I worked at the cafeteria for three years but I was only 14 when I started," @fleursaugefille told Bored Panda. "I agree that [such mistakes don't necessarily make someone a bad employee] but it also shows that my employer should've educated us on what kosher was."
"I'm not sure if there's any real resolution to the story because they ate the bacon bits and I never heard about it again!"
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Debby Carreau, who has been recognized as one of Canada's Top 25 HR Professionals, says it's completely normal to feel embarrassed, ashamed, disappointed or worried that you might get fired after making a mistake at work. "Accept what happened and allow yourself to take in those emotions — but not for too long. Then, take a few deep breaths and tell yourself, It’s not the end of the world," Carreau wrote.
Realizing that will allow you to really analyze the situation. "Pretend it was someone else that made the mistake and evaluate what happened with a calm, objective eye."
Next, determine if there's a way to fix your mistake. Should you have that opportunity, do it immediately. "Then, let your boss know what happened and apologize. Depending on how big or small the mistake was, you can do it via email or in person," Carreau explained. Keep it short and get to the point: 'Hi [X], I sent you the wrong sales report this morning. I'm so sorry about that. I just emailed you the correct one, but please let me know if there's anything else I can do. If any of your colleagues were affected by the mistake, reach out and apologize to them as well."
Consider having a private meeting with your boss. "This isn't always necessary, but if your mistake led to some serious consequences, ask your boss if you can have a private meeting. When you have your sit-down, be factual, clear and take responsibility: 'I wanted to apologize again for [X] and explain to you what happened.'" A good boss expects you to make mistakes, so don't whine or try to come up with excuses.
After you've explained what happened, offer a solution. "You might say: 'I know I already missed the deadline, but I can stay late today to finish things up.' If you truly can't think of a solution, just be honest: 'I want to rectify the situation, but I'm not sure how. What can I do to make things better?'"
Don't forget to adjust your work style until you find a routine that works best for you. With the right mindset, making mistakes can lead to personal growth, so be kind to yourself, eliminate any negative self-talk, and then let it go.
#10
Dónal Ó Murchadha 5 years ago
Just to explain. When somebody says and take one for yourself. It doesnt literally have one with us. It means take the price of a drink from the change as a tip.
#12
Kenny Kulbiski 5 years ago
Guess I've led a sheltered life, I've never heard of plaice either.
#16
Riani Kivela 5 years ago
They might have been asking for pastured chicken, and just got the wording wrong.
#21
Panda Kicki 5 years ago
A Jewish convention and noone could have given the staff some basic info on what to serve and not? This is really bad.
#24
#25
Pauline Bennett 5 years ago
I hope you think of it once a day because its funny. Not because you made a mistake.
#27
#32
WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago
What's wrong with admitting that you don't know what the customer means? I worked in a computershop and a guy asked for "ramsticks". Turned out he wanted some memory modules.
#37
Celeste Grant 5 years ago
Poorly trained staff like this is the main reason it's so hard to eat out when you have life threatening allergies! Managers have a legal responsibility to adequately train employees to know about possible allergens and where to find any info they don't know.
#42
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What do you think ?
Petra Schaap 5 years ago
*someone I know* just started working in a theatre in Holland and the stand up comedian who was going to perform that night asked her for a "koffie verkeerd" wich is more or less a latte, and translates as "coffee wrong". She thought he was being funny to her and said "we only serve correct coffee" He was totally cool about it but she made it into an anecdote on stage that evening :-D
Hooked 5 years ago
I stayed in a hotel once where I overheard another couple mention that they bought terminal water. They meant thermal. I nearly had a fit because of not wanting to laugh out loud. Still cracks me up to this day.
DforDorothy 5 years ago
Years ago when I was a barista, a guy asked for a 'long coffee'(americano). I prepare it properly, guy stares at it,thanks it,but I see something's wrong. Ask him what's up and he says 'all is fine, but maybe we misunderstood eachother,cause I wanted a long coffee- (gesticulates upwards ) -with a lot of milk' ...I was staring a bit,until it hit me - ' do you mean the coffee that is in a LONG shaped glass mug?' guy faces lights up,smiles, 'yes!' . I tell him, that's a LATTE..in a loooong mug...so not the coffee,but the mug has to be long..?' guy gives it a thought, realises the issue and apologizes while totally blushed.
Petra Schaap 5 years ago
*someone I know* just started working in a theatre in Holland and the stand up comedian who was going to perform that night asked her for a "koffie verkeerd" wich is more or less a latte, and translates as "coffee wrong". She thought he was being funny to her and said "we only serve correct coffee" He was totally cool about it but she made it into an anecdote on stage that evening :-D
Hooked 5 years ago
I stayed in a hotel once where I overheard another couple mention that they bought terminal water. They meant thermal. I nearly had a fit because of not wanting to laugh out loud. Still cracks me up to this day.
DforDorothy 5 years ago
Years ago when I was a barista, a guy asked for a 'long coffee'(americano). I prepare it properly, guy stares at it,thanks it,but I see something's wrong. Ask him what's up and he says 'all is fine, but maybe we misunderstood eachother,cause I wanted a long coffee- (gesticulates upwards ) -with a lot of milk' ...I was staring a bit,until it hit me - ' do you mean the coffee that is in a LONG shaped glass mug?' guy faces lights up,smiles, 'yes!' . I tell him, that's a LATTE..in a loooong mug...so not the coffee,but the mug has to be long..?' guy gives it a thought, realises the issue and apologizes while totally blushed.
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