Anyone else working in hospitality ATM close to breaking point?

artishard · 2023-01-30T17:05:38+00:00

I work as a chef for one of the big hospitality chains in the UK. For the entirety of January so far it has been an absolute shit show. (December also, but that's a given!) Our site has a particularly large kitchen, which needs 3 staff to function adequately at the best of times. Area management have decreed that during the week labour has to be cut down to one person in the kitchen at any given time (2 on weekends). Yet our trade is still significant enough that it is near impossible to run the kitchen solo. It's got the stage now where we can have a full screen of food tickets- as a rough estimate, this could be approximately 30+ individual dishes that need to be cooked at any given time, spanning across several sections of the kitchen. Guests are having to wait sometimes over an hour for their meals to arrive, which has the knock on effect of a barrage of refunds, complaints and comps. At the same time, our hours have been cut to a bare minimum as these solo shifts are obviously divided between the team. So a double whammy of reduced pay/hours, combined with the shifts you do work being horrendously stressful to say the least. My colleagues and I are at breaking point, and the situation is mirrored for the front of house staff. Is our situation an anomaly, or are others experiencing this across the board? I love my job, but I'm struggling to see a way forward at the moment. Would appreciate hearing others experiences!

whatisforteamum · 30/01/2023 17:20

Hello fellow chef.Yes last yr this happened to us.Major chain lots of dishes and prep.At first i loved it.A challenge.
Team went from 6 to 3.😓Patched with agency.I did it for 6 months ...over 5 yrs at the site and left.
My pay was below the going rate and I was burnt out.I found a Monday to Fri place.
I'm sorry you are in this situation.

Whitney168 · 30/01/2023 17:25

I can't come at this from your side, which sounds dreadful, but from the customer side I do think hospitality may be shooting itself in the foot in its efforts to save money.

The two (not top end, but decent) restaurants I've been to in January were under-staffed and even worse - we weren't in a hurry and would have been quite happy to sit and natter, and drink - they were bloody cold. I do get that they need to try and cut costs, but although the food was great when it came, I won't return to either of these places because the overall impression is not a pleasant one.

Tough industry. I suppose a lot of these places are just trying to hang on in what is not normally a great month for them anyway, but it seem a bit self-defeating. 😕

Original poster

artishard · 30/01/2023 17:37

whatisforteamum · 30/01/2023 17:20

Hello fellow chef.Yes last yr this happened to us.Major chain lots of dishes and prep.At first i loved it.A challenge.
Team went from 6 to 3.😓Patched with agency.I did it for 6 months ...over 5 yrs at the site and left.
My pay was below the going rate and I was burnt out.I found a Monday to Fri place.
I'm sorry you are in this situation.

Yeah, it's shit. There's this mentality of just keep going- and despite how much you work your arse off, you're ultimately disposable. It's getting more demoralising by the day. Fair play to you for getting out!

OP posts:

whatisforteamum · 30/01/2023 17:40

Whitney 168 that doesn't sound fun.
I agree Jan can be a hard time financially and with staff leaving after Christmas or using holidays it is tricky to strike a balance.The cost of living crisis is the final straw.

Whitney168 · 30/01/2023 17:43

whatisforteamum · 30/01/2023 17:40

Whitney 168 that doesn't sound fun.
I agree Jan can be a hard time financially and with staff leaving after Christmas or using holidays it is tricky to strike a balance.The cost of living crisis is the final straw.

Made me wonder if we'll start seeing lots more restaurants close in January ... horrendous for staff, who I don't imagine will be compensated.

Original poster

artishard · 30/01/2023 17:43

Whitney168 · 30/01/2023 17:25

I can't come at this from your side, which sounds dreadful, but from the customer side I do think hospitality may be shooting itself in the foot in its efforts to save money.

The two (not top end, but decent) restaurants I've been to in January were under-staffed and even worse - we weren't in a hurry and would have been quite happy to sit and natter, and drink - they were bloody cold. I do get that they need to try and cut costs, but although the food was great when it came, I won't return to either of these places because the overall impression is not a pleasant one.

Tough industry. I suppose a lot of these places are just trying to hang on in what is not normally a great month for them anyway, but it seem a bit self-defeating. 😕

I absolutely see it from the customer side, which if anything for me makes it more frustrating! I've worked both front and back of house. It's physically demanding, long hours but I always loved to put a smile on someone's face or at least deliver good service. Now it's more like working 3x as hard, yet the quality of service and food is suffering because we simply don't have the staffing to cope. Those of us who show up day in, day out are constantly exhausted, harassed, left without support from management yet berated for any complaint. So it sucks all round. My employer won't pay for an extra chef on shift, yet the amount they end up refunding plus the negative reviews ends up being a far greater expense. And that's without the effect on my team's mental health.

Not sure what the solution is, just needed to vent!

OP posts:

whatisforteamum · 30/01/2023 17:44

Thank you.I couldn't even book a Sunday off as holiday for a whole yr.
Mid 50s I thòught my 13 hr days are over.
I do miss the camaraderie though.I don't miss getting home at 11 pm.🤣

whatisforteamum · 30/01/2023 17:50

Artishard look into decent company staff restaurants.
No evenings or weekends and a predictable amount of meals to make.I even get paid more and had 10 days off at Xmas.

Beetlewings · 30/01/2023 17:50

Bar owner here. I'm involved closely in the independent hospitality community in my city. Indies are doing better than chains here. Quality core team is very much valued and so retention is better, and staff are happier.

superdupernova · 30/01/2023 17:55

Oh I feel for you. I don't go out often but recently went to Zizzi's before a comedy show on a week night. The manager served us and asked what we were doing for the night. When we told her, she said half the restaurant was going to the same show. Apparently she had sent home most of the staff because she hadn't realised anything was on. We're in a town with one place that hosts shows and they're advertised months in advance. We were too polite to say it but she could have looked at any point from 10 months before to the day of the event.

Maverickess · 30/01/2023 18:22

I hear you @artishard it's bloody hard, they're trying to avoid putting prices up too much, because people just don't have the disposable income, but then service is suffering and so refunds and shit reviews are increasing.
And then staff that are already exhausted, getting yelled at by customers are getting yelled at again because they can't be in 6 places at once.
Where I work is slightly better than average I'd say, we do get paid well for the industry and treated fairly and abusing staff isn't tolerated, we also try and manage expectations from the start, by making it clear there's a wait if there is before we seat people, and we overestimate the time in case anything goes wrong, 'under promise and then over deliver'.
In fairness though, customer expectations have increased with the price rises, as they're paying more they expect more, which is a little unreasonable because it's not exactly a secret that the prices of fuel and food have increased a lot and so to deliver the same, they must charge more than they were before everything went up, or they won't survive.
I guess hospitality businesses are trying to find a middle ground where they don't increase the prices in line with what they actually should be to keep the income the same as before, and so look elsewhere to cut back and the main area is service, and so people get pissed off because they're paying more (though not as much as they might be) and getting less service. And the rub is it's not essential so too high prices means that it will be cut out all together.
Add to that the way it's affecting the staff being in a constant negative atmosphere and burning out, so leave for other jobs and then not wanting staff turns quickly into not being able to get any because less and less people are willing to put up with it.
I think it's going to be a really hard time for hospitality and those that work in it for a few years to come and a lot of places will close because it just won't be financially viable to stay open.

I'll end it with a plea though to customers, if you genuinely want to give constructive criticism, if you're enjoying leisure time somewhere and you can see the staff are all running around like idiots, just be nice, don't shout at them or belittle them, of course complain but do so with civility and write to the manager or head office or even a review and tell them what you experienced - staff running around but not enough of them to meet demand, land the blame where it's deserved rather than taking it out on the person serving you because nothing will change that way, it's highly likely they're asking for more staff because they know it's not working, and being ignored and told no, so your ranty complaint through them won't make any difference at all - they'll just be ignored even if they do dare say they've received yet another complaint.

Original poster

artishard · 30/01/2023 19:05

Maverickess · 30/01/2023 18:22

I hear you @artishard it's bloody hard, they're trying to avoid putting prices up too much, because people just don't have the disposable income, but then service is suffering and so refunds and shit reviews are increasing.
And then staff that are already exhausted, getting yelled at by customers are getting yelled at again because they can't be in 6 places at once.
Where I work is slightly better than average I'd say, we do get paid well for the industry and treated fairly and abusing staff isn't tolerated, we also try and manage expectations from the start, by making it clear there's a wait if there is before we seat people, and we overestimate the time in case anything goes wrong, 'under promise and then over deliver'.
In fairness though, customer expectations have increased with the price rises, as they're paying more they expect more, which is a little unreasonable because it's not exactly a secret that the prices of fuel and food have increased a lot and so to deliver the same, they must charge more than they were before everything went up, or they won't survive.
I guess hospitality businesses are trying to find a middle ground where they don't increase the prices in line with what they actually should be to keep the income the same as before, and so look elsewhere to cut back and the main area is service, and so people get pissed off because they're paying more (though not as much as they might be) and getting less service. And the rub is it's not essential so too high prices means that it will be cut out all together.
Add to that the way it's affecting the staff being in a constant negative atmosphere and burning out, so leave for other jobs and then not wanting staff turns quickly into not being able to get any because less and less people are willing to put up with it.
I think it's going to be a really hard time for hospitality and those that work in it for a few years to come and a lot of places will close because it just won't be financially viable to stay open.

I'll end it with a plea though to customers, if you genuinely want to give constructive criticism, if you're enjoying leisure time somewhere and you can see the staff are all running around like idiots, just be nice, don't shout at them or belittle them, of course complain but do so with civility and write to the manager or head office or even a review and tell them what you experienced - staff running around but not enough of them to meet demand, land the blame where it's deserved rather than taking it out on the person serving you because nothing will change that way, it's highly likely they're asking for more staff because they know it's not working, and being ignored and told no, so your ranty complaint through them won't make any difference at all - they'll just be ignored even if they do dare say they've received yet another complaint.

Thank you for getting it! I understand that the company I work for have overheads to meet. I read an article a few days ago informing that energy bills have quadrupled in comparison to the same period last year.

The head office for our company is less than half a mile from the site we work at, so obviously the employees that work there frequent our venue regularly. The worst thing is that they can be a whole new level of obnoxious. The amount of 'WE'RE HEAD OFFICE! BOW DOWN TO US! DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!? visits is bordering on the ridiculous. Especially as the vast majority of them are just admin workers or similar -not knocking their job at all, it's just the air of superiority they exude. Threatening to report colleagues, expecting special treatment- on one memorable occasion a party of them brought in their own food and expected that we would warm it up for them.

I think I will take the advice of a PP and try to look for a job in an independent company. Despite this, I feel like I'm letting my colleagues down by abandoning the sinking ship, so to say!

And breathe....

OP posts:

Maverickess · 30/01/2023 19:35

@artishard

I work for an independent and it's definitely better even now, than the chain places have been in the past before covid and COL crisis, it's still no picnic but, we are probably willing to put up with a bit more because we're treated like humans and not robots, so we're willing to pull together and try and make it work collectively because we are treated well compared to many in the industry and it shows because we get comments on how happy the staff seem, and how we make it a happy and enjoyable place.

So many employers don't get this (and it's not exclusive to hospitality) that if you treat your staff well, when times get tough then they'll want to help you out, they feel valued and invested. They demonstrate that they are supportive and so we are in return.

And your colleagues may well also find their breaking point and leave too, I know what you mean but you've got to do what's right for you, our place isn't perfect for everyone, there are things that drive me nuts communication or lack of it but on balance being treated better and paid a fair wage for the job is good enough compensation.
I'd go in to anywhere that you apply to for a drink/meal and watch and listen, you can pick up a lot on the culture of a place just watching.

Good luck 🤞

Original poster

artishard · 30/01/2023 19:58

Maverickess · 30/01/2023 19:35

@artishard

I work for an independent and it's definitely better even now, than the chain places have been in the past before covid and COL crisis, it's still no picnic but, we are probably willing to put up with a bit more because we're treated like humans and not robots, so we're willing to pull together and try and make it work collectively because we are treated well compared to many in the industry and it shows because we get comments on how happy the staff seem, and how we make it a happy and enjoyable place.

So many employers don't get this (and it's not exclusive to hospitality) that if you treat your staff well, when times get tough then they'll want to help you out, they feel valued and invested. They demonstrate that they are supportive and so we are in return.

And your colleagues may well also find their breaking point and leave too, I know what you mean but you've got to do what's right for you, our place isn't perfect for everyone, there are things that drive me nuts communication or lack of it but on balance being treated better and paid a fair wage for the job is good enough compensation.
I'd go in to anywhere that you apply to for a drink/meal and watch and listen, you can pick up a lot on the culture of a place just watching.

Good luck 🤞

Thank you so much for your wisdom and advice! It's greatly appreciated. Wishing you all the best in the future 😊

OP posts:

Mindymomo · 30/01/2023 20:13

The trouble is, as paying customers, if the chains don’t get it right, we won’t want to return. We went to a local Chef and Brewer pub last Thursday lunchtime, I thought best to book but thought it would be empty. The staff were lovely and welcoming. There must have been 50 plus people in for lunch, including 2 big bookings. They knew in advance of these, but only seemed to have 3 waiting staff. Our soup was lukewarm, mains ok, didn’t get extras that were ordered and as we were seated in a doggy friendly area, didn’t see any staff at all after our mains arrived. We felt really sorry for the staff.

Original poster

artishard · 31/01/2023 21:15

Mindymomo · 30/01/2023 20:13

The trouble is, as paying customers, if the chains don’t get it right, we won’t want to return. We went to a local Chef and Brewer pub last Thursday lunchtime, I thought best to book but thought it would be empty. The staff were lovely and welcoming. There must have been 50 plus people in for lunch, including 2 big bookings. They knew in advance of these, but only seemed to have 3 waiting staff. Our soup was lukewarm, mains ok, didn’t get extras that were ordered and as we were seated in a doggy friendly area, didn’t see any staff at all after our mains arrived. We felt really sorry for the staff.

This is an issue for sure. They are either unable or unwilling to amend the labour according to the bookings- this is before you even factor in walk-ins!

My colleague was brought to tears yesterday, just through being severely overwhelmed by the workload- this is far from an isolated incident. Rarely a day goes by without a member of staff becoming anxious or upset.

I could name and shame my employer, but I'm aware it would do nothing but potentially jeapordise my own job should I be recognised.

OP posts: