Guidelines More Than Actual Rules.

I realized I hadn't updated this in a while... or been particularly productive, writing-wise.

I have kept fairly busy, though. Training at work continues slowly and somewhat painfully. I've had two trainers for serving thus far. One of them I meshed very well with--her style of training is exactly what I need. She's laid-back and encouraging, but tells me when I've messed something up. More in a coincidental "oh, for future reference..." kind of way, though. Not a "the world will come crashing down and you'll be fired if you ever greet another table with 'how are you guys doing today?'" kind of way.
Also, she chucked me out and made me take over and wait tables basically by myself (she was usually there if I needed something, but didn't jump in unless I asked for help--sometimes she let me handle them without her there, though). This meant I was forced to self-correct and make mistakes, but realize them, fix them quickly, and develop a rapport with the customers.

Not exactly this kind of rapport, but it looks like fun.

Unfortunately, though, I only trained two days with her. The other lady training me is just as experienced as the first (perhaps more, I can't remember), and knows exactly how everything works. The problem is she has no imagination at all. She's been told the basic "company" way of doing things and can't comprehend that any other way might achieve the exact same results and perhaps even work better. A lot of times companies put out "company policies" of how to deal with certain situations, but they're more guidelines than actual rules. She doesn't see it that way, though. If she's a Christian, she's probably goes to a church that abides by the Regulative Principle (if the Bible doesn't specifically name something and say it's okay, then it's not). It's sort of a "better safe than sorry" approach. I think that sounds good in one way--wanting to obey. But it also doesn't allow for much power to grace.

Who else just read "more of a guideline than an actual rule" in Barbossa's voice?

I've dissected it and my main problem with her teaching style (besides making me want to cry any time I'm working a shift with her) is that she refuses to allow me to make any mistakes on my own. By which I mean, obviously I make mistakes, but she won't let me fix them myself, and straight-up told me that I was not allowed to ever go to a table without her because I don't know all the answers and it is unacceptable for me to tell the customer "I don't know, let me find out."

This is stupid for a variety of reasons:

Firstly, even she doesn't know all the answers. For instance, sometimes somebody wants something prepared specially, and she has to go ask the chef if he can do that, because she doesn't know.
Secondly, a customer would prefer you to say "I don't know, let me find out" than tell them something incorrect because you didn't have the guts to tell the customer you don't know everything ever.

"Oh, yes, I'm sure we can do a side of Gaejang-guk with your fillet mignon; today is bring-your-new-puppy-to-work day at the American Grille."

Inside, a part of that waitress just died with dread, imagining how disappointed that guy on the right is going to be when he doesn't get his ki-balancing dog-stew.

Thirdly, this is possibly the crappiest advice you could ever give someone for life. It's a sure-fire way to create  a cowardly control-freak living in an attic eating nothing but bread and potatoes because it's pointless to try something else unless you know you'll succeed.

Unless your potatoes can look like this, first try, it's ridiculous to make the attempt. 

And believe me, I have my share of the cowardly control-freak myself, fighting its way to supremacy in my life. It sucks.

Anyhow, she knows a lot and is willing to take time to train me, so I'm thankful for that. Newbs can be pretty annoying, so kudos to her.

Sigh.