Quit job after 3 days

ettddan_2

Hi all. I recently got offered a job at Wetherspoons. I applied for full time however after my trial shift, I was told it would be (using the inverted commas) "part time". I thought it was great and the best job I could ever have. Staff would work out the shifts with each other easily via a Facebook group so that the bosses didn't have to write out a strict rota. We were meant to do our training online, however the systems were down on Friday morning and we were told they should be back online by 2pm that very afternoon. We were told to come in for 3:00pm just to be on the safe side; still to no success.

We were told that we couldn't work behind the bar until we completed training. Nevertheless, we were put behind the bar at 6:00pm sharp to begin our work. I was looking forward to it, so excited. BUT, without training as to what drinks were what and where the weird spirits were kept, I was all over the place. A busy Friday night with loads of people shouting at me above the loud music, trying to get their order in. I was doing the best I could. I had to keep asking the girls on the bar where things like Jim Beam were and how to make Strawberry Daiquiri etc.. I felt like a pain in the !!!! to be honest. A few hours later, a lady wanted a Kronenberg. I repeated it to her and she was reading my lips. She said yes with a thumbs up. I gave her the drink and then 5 minutes later, she returned it to me asking me if it was what she ordered. I said yes, the Kronenberg. She looked at me and shouted 'CORONA' and then walked away. My 'team manager' looked at me and said "oh for god's sake".

I then pulled one of the main managers to ask if there was a possibility of day shifts rather than night shifts. She said no. It's predominantly night shifts till 3am from 6pm. I'm sure I wasn't told this before, during or after the interview and acceptance of the job until that point. Had I of known, I'd of said I couldn't do it, and then went back to the job centre to sign on as per my fortnightly ritual.

To cut a long story short, would I be able to reapply to the Job Centre if I explain this to them, or do I have to sit around and wait 6 weeks before I can start claiming again? I really want a job, but it just seems impossible no matter how hard I try to get one that I'm actually good at. Everything else requires at least 3 years experience on average or for someone to be able to drive, which as of yet, I haven't passed my test for. I applied for a good 100+ jobs while I was signing on and only one of them got back to me to offer an interview. I think the state of this country and the low chance of employment is a disgrace. I've worked in a call centre before and there is absolutely no way in hell that I'll be applying to work there again.

Thanks for reading this long story, I hope some of you have some advice for me as I thought the way Wetherspoons handled the situation was rather unfair. They could've at least trained us during the day time when it wouldn't apply such pressure and stress, so that when it came to a night shift, it would be as easy as it looks.

superhooper1972

Best advice I can give is stick it out. Most jobs are difficult to begin with.

On training, best training you can have is on the job, you will soon adapt and learn. I worked in pubs when i was a younger man and training didn't exist, you just got on with it.

6 months down the road you will be breezing through a shift, wondering why you worried so much. Also don't forget once you get more experience you can look for other jobs in other pubs.

Thing is as well day shift only jobs in pubs are as rare as hens teeth, they will always ask you to do evenings. After all that is when most go out for a drink.

Takeaway_Addict

Don't you think you would be better off sticking at it for a bit longer? 3 days isn't long and people make mistakes?

Considering how long it took you to get a job I would keep trying personally, remain positive and if in doubt surely just show the bottle to the customer first before popping the lid?

Wyndham

So, you wouldn't go back to a call center, and now you're not sure about bar work and are looking to quit? I'm not saying these are the best jobs in the world, but you're coming across a bit as if you don't really want to work....

Assuming you actually do, then you need to stick it out for a bit. If you still feel this way after a month, then it may be time to reevaluate, but it's too soon at the moment.

ettddan_2

And how is that? I mentioned before that I'm neither homophobic or racist because most of my friends are of homosexual orientation or of different race.

The point is that sexual orientation or race isn't relevant to this topic specifically. What IS relevant, is that big corporations aren't as equal as they'd have us believe, because they don't want bad press. They want to be seen as an equal company who hire anyone and everyone. It's all well and good that they are hiring people who're gay, straight, lesbian, black, white, asian, disabled etc... I'm all for that, but it would be nice to for them to also be fair in their decision based on a character who is any of the above with a vast knowledge of products, the company history and how they are to deal with customers.

Voltaire7

So you had a job in a call centre and in a pub, but gave up both because neither perfectly matched your stringent requirements, and now you complain others won't give you a chance?

I think you need to accept you'll probably never have a stable career, never own a property, never build a decent pension, never have any savings, and life will completely suck when your JSA gets sanctioned.

Good luck!

duchy

Oh dear oh dear

Work isn't school
You are expected to use commonsense not whine if a job gives you only legal minimum breaks or expect you to use simple observational skills to work out which bottles are on which shelves. (Seriously ? )
My first job at Wetherspoons was obtained by asking a friend if there were any shifts going (we'd worked together before) my interview consisted of a text "Can you work this afternoon?" and my training consisted of - "Here's the till, there's the optics and the pumps and don't worry about changing any barrels on your first shift" and I got on with it (it was a Good Friday afternoon and so busy I earned £100 bonus in that week's paypacket as we hit a major target that week. Their pay week ended on Fridays so my pay was one shift at BH rate and all the rest was the bonus in my first paypacket.)

Your start by comparison sounds like a walk in the park !!

I worked for Wetherspoons several times over the years as they were a decent employer and once you had established yourself as a reliable and good team member you could practically pick your shifts to suit (I used to work school hours plus the odd evening as a favour). They see plenty like you with no work ethic and no willingness to put in the effort - hardly surprising most like that don't last.

You may think you'd be a good employee and perhaps you would be- but no job is going to give it all to you on a plate - you need to prove yourself first. Quitting after three days or throwing tantrums and slamming things down like a toddler having a meltdown simply won't cut it.

So presumably you'll now get sanctioned -when you could have acted like a grown up and had a regular paypacket instead whilst looking for a job that suited you better (and the big advantage of bar work is you have no issues going to interviews when you work evening shifts)

mattcanary

ettddan wrote: »

Hi all. I recently got offered a job at Wetherspoons. I applied for full time however after my trial shift, I was told it would be (using the inverted commas) "part time". I thought it was great and the best job I could ever have. Staff would work out the shifts with each other easily via a Facebook group so that the bosses didn't have to write out a strict rota. We were meant to do our training online, however the systems were down on Friday morning and we were told they should be back online by 2pm that very afternoon. We were told to come in for 3:00pm just to be on the safe side; still to no success.

We were told that we couldn't work behind the bar until we completed training. Nevertheless, we were put behind the bar at 6:00pm sharp to begin our work. I was looking forward to it, so excited. BUT, without training as to what drinks were what and where the weird spirits were kept, I was all over the place. A busy Friday night with loads of people shouting at me above the loud music, trying to get their order in. I was doing the best I could. I had to keep asking the girls on the bar where things like Jim Beam were and how to make Strawberry Daiquiri etc.. I felt like a pain in the !!!! to be honest. A few hours later, a lady wanted a Kronenberg. I repeated it to her and she was reading my lips. She said yes with a thumbs up. I gave her the drink and then 5 minutes later, she returned it to me asking me if it was what she ordered. I said yes, the Kronenberg. She looked at me and shouted 'CORONA' and then walked away. My 'team manager' looked at me and said "oh for god's sake".

I then pulled one of the main managers to ask if there was a possibility of day shifts rather than night shifts. She said no. It's predominantly night shifts till 3am from 6pm. I'm sure I wasn't told this before, during or after the interview and acceptance of the job until that point. Had I of known, I'd of said I couldn't do it, and then went back to the job centre to sign on as per my fortnightly ritual.

To cut a long story short, would I be able to reapply to the Job Centre if I explain this to them, or do I have to sit around and wait 6 weeks before I can start claiming again? I really want a job, but it just seems impossible no matter how hard I try to get one that I'm actually good at. Everything else requires at least 3 years experience on average or for someone to be able to drive, which as of yet, I haven't passed my test for. I applied for a good 100+ jobs while I was signing on and only one of them got back to me to offer an interview. I think the state of this country and the low chance of employment is a disgrace. I've worked in a call centre before and there is absolutely no way in hell that I'll be applying to work there again.

Thanks for reading this long story, I hope some of you have some advice for me as I thought the way Wetherspoons handled the situation was rather unfair. They could've at least trained us during the day time when it wouldn't apply such pressure and stress, so that when it came to a night shift, it would be as easy as it looks.

So that's why Wetherspoon pubs are often known to be very slow at serving people on Friday and Saturday evenings!

duchy

How much training do most people need to serve a round of drinks and take the payment though ?

It's hardly rocket science

It's interesting the OP says "so that when it came to a night shift, it would be as easy as it looks." so presumably they learned that it isn't quite as easy as they thought it would be - It really isn't THAT hard though !!

[Deleted User]

ettddan wrote: »

I'm all for that, but it would be nice to for them to also be fair in their decision based on a character who is any of the above with a vast knowledge of products, the company history and how they are to deal with customers.

I feel for you I really do, however sometimes you can be to close to what the company/product does and be considered a risk/liability? (it's not something I say easy, trust me)

I hope you find an opening soon, it's ok for a job not to plan out as you'd hoped and things happen for a reason, couple of jobs I would have turned my nose up at a couple of years ago would see me bite a recruiters arm off for now! oh how times change! - if you are on reed, click the available for temporary work option (it worked for me once)

How about trying Cash Converters and the like for jobs, you would get training there - my nearest employs more fella's... (soz if that is sexist!)

ettddan_2

duchy, Maybe you're taking this the wrong way. Maybe you're actualy good with all of that stuff like minimum breaks and stress and bars and stuff. Some however, aren't. It's much easier saying that it's a walk in the park and comparing passive aggressive attitude to that of a child in a tantrum. Some people have mental health problems and it's hard to let go of anger for some. Maybe I've just been so sick of the way I've experienced things that THAT is what made me the person I am today. Maybe I'm just so fed up of being given all the !!!! to deal with that I think no more to it. Everyone has their own limitation, as do you. I didn't say there would be a perfect job. If I got a job in an office for the rest of my life with stress, I could cope with that kind of stress. But I don't do nights out. I don't mingle well with crowds of antisocial people. In terms of the Wetherspoons job, I went in blindly. I thought I would get the day shift as that IS what I had applied for. I know I would've had the odd night shift, but 6 to 2am every night? Especially when I don't have the transport? I literally wasn't told any of this before, during or after the interview. I was literally told this on that night. It's a case of finding a realistic job and then sticking with it. We've all been there.

And to add, you'd be surprised at the amount of training. You've got food and drink health and safety to do, then health and safety in general of the bar, customer satisfaction, service. We were told it would've been at least 3 hours worth of theoretical training. It's not that part that I'm getting at. But really, the fact that I find it rather unfair they shove us on a very busy shift at first without training.