1st Week (April 11-17)

April 11-17, 2011 – It’s my first day of OJT at David’s Tea House (Sta. Cruz, Manila) and this is my first exposure in our industry.  I arrived there at 11:30am because my duty was 12:00nn but no one approached me.  So I’ve done my first move.  I entered in the restaurant and said that I’m an OJT of their restaurant.  They gave me a time card but they didn’t tell me how and when to use it.  I guessed that this was not useful so I ignored it.  The one who gave me the time card is my supervisor and he let me in at the tea house.  He said that I will stay there for the mean time but I have been permanent there.

At the tea house, there was another supervisor and I asked her what I’m supposed to do there.  She said that I will stay at the door and greet guest.  I felt so shy that day because I don’t really know what to do. They told me that the first thing to do when a customer arrives is greeting them, giving the menu then serving hot tea.  They also told me the table numbers and I memorized it.  I also bus-out plates and glasses, wiped the table and set-up the table.  I also wiped plates, utensils and tea cups.  I felt that our supervisor was ignoring us but I put in my mind that she was only busy.

I was also afraid to take orders that day because for sure customers will ask what the best seller is, the ingredients of the dish, up to the process of cooking.  I also experienced that I served a food in the wrong table.  We were supposed to time-out at 10:00pm but the manager arranged our schedule to make it earlier.  And now our schedule is 11:00am-2:00pm and 3:00pm-8:00pm.  She also let us go 9:15pm that day because we look so tired and honestly I felt so tired and I had my feet and legs sore because of standing for long hours.

On the second day, I felt so enthusiastic and I don’t know why I’m so enthusiastic that day.  I easily forgot what happened on the first day.  The staffs were very friendly.  They assisted me whenever I need their help especially when customers ask me about the menu.  And if there was a time that there were no customers, they show their funny side making jokes.  We were so happy inside the dining area.

I also now take orders, served foods and billed-out tables.  We also took a short quiz enumerating foods that all we know in dimsum.  Fortunately, I have a lot of answers.  We also have quizzes enumerating foods that belong to noodles and congee on my third day.  Our manager said that we must familiarize ourselves to the menu because if customers will ask about the food, we will have an answer for them.  We were also told to carry ballpen everytime because we need it always especially in taking orders.  We also have surprised quiz in dimsum.  Our supervisor will show a dimsum and we must tell the name of it.  Fortunately, I got all correct answers.

While the days were passed, I felt that the work inside the dining is going easier and easier every day.  I admit that at first it was hard for me to face different people with different personalities and most of them were Chinese people that don’t know how to speak tagalog.  There was a lot of customer were asking if I’m Chinese and they even speak to me in mandarin or cantonese or fookien that I can’t understand. 

At the end of my first week, I felt comfortable what I’m doing.  I remember the day when the manager ask me “Kumusta ang araw nyo ngayon?” then I replied, “Sobrang enjoy na ako ngayon ma’am kaysa ‘nung first day.”