I have been officially asked to do the infamous barstool trick!
Okay, so if you are a true Hooters fan, then you are more than aware of the barstool rodeo. If not, then I'll break it down for you! So, basically, your hooters girl gets a barstool, turns it upside down, and sits on it (as seen in the picture)! But the fun doesn't stop there. Your sexy and talented, girl-next-door hooters girl uses whatever inner thigh and hip muscles she has and begins to turn the barstool as she sits there. It is a VERY provocative thing to watch! And as far as guys go, they just imagine that the barstool is them, and...well, you get the idea, haha!
Now, thankfully, this little trick has been banned, at least at my store, and hooters girls are no longer allowed to do it. I'm guessing because of safety reasons, but who knows? I say "Thankfully," because, yes, I am a hooters girl, however, this just seems wildly inappropriate to me! Maybe its the old married lady in me that's talking but I just can't see my self doing this. Sure, I'll bat my eyelashes, and giggle at your not so funny jokes and stories, but I definitely have to draw the line somewhere!
Anywho, four mid-20s guys come in celebrating one of the guys' birthdays. (Easy money, haha!) I greet them with my very upbeat personality, take their order, laugh at their ridiculousness (it was 12pm and they were all hungover but still ordered some beer), and all in all just having a good time with them! For some reason, they found me putting my pouch on sexy, haha! I love guys! So, guy #3 says, "Hey, for his birthday, can u do this?" and showed me a video of a girl doing the barstool trick. I told the birthday boy that if he did it, then I would do it. Very conveniently he didn't want to.
At some point when I was talking to another table of mine, the guys asked the manager if the girls could do it. Very, VERY conveniently, the manager told them that it is banned and we are not allowed to do it. "Thank you sooooo much!!!" I thought to myself. I go back over to the table to see if they were ready for the check and the upset group said yes, however, they were "pretty bummed!" I take their payment via credit card and when I return with their check I told the birthday guy that I felt bad (not really) that we couldn't do it but instead I'd do a back handspring for him. The guys start cheering me on, asking if they could spot me, and saying thank you, and recorded it. "Shit!! This is gonna be bad. I haven't done this in forever!" I told them. I finally work up the nerve to do it, and BAM! All eyes were on me! I made it, though I stepped out of it. Everyone was cheering....after gasping of course, haha!
My guests were entertained and tipped me as such! Yes, Retired Talent #1 never fails to wow a crowd!
OMG! So, after all this time, I am just now realizing that my blog is "Newlywed College Girl," yet I have posted nothing about college. Well, awesome readers, here's an update.
I have been in college for about 4 years now. I started out at a local community college for 3 years and then transferred to an online school (a better choice for my frequent traveling). Now, typically, it is only 2 years spent at a community college and you get your Associate's degree. Well, what I didn't know at the time is that you have to take a placement test with your goal being to place out of your "Prep" classes. Now, if you don't, then you are an unlucky person who then has to take classes in order to take classes that actually count toward your degree. Get it? Your "prep" classes do not count toward your degree but instead are your prerequisites of the classes you actually need.
Now, there's all of that on top of deciding what exactly you would like to major in. Here's what held me back and added to the amount of time I will be spending in college before getting my Bachelor's. I changed my major about 3 or 4 times before actually deciding what I wanted to major in. I officially decided on majoring in Social Sciences with a minor in Psychology. Which brings me to my online school. Everything was great as far as it being flexible with my travel schedule. However, my problems were, and still are, with their financial aid department. One of the very little benefits of having a single parent is that you typically get a lot of grants. Add that to my awesome high school grades which got me a pretty nice academic grant and you get the first 3 years of college (at my community college) for free. For some reason, however, my online school didn't get that memo. So, I have literally been paying out of pocket for school for the past year and a half. Now, I am someone who values things more when I have to work for them. With that being said, working my way through college just adds more time to the years I'll be taking classes.
Finally, this leaves me at this semester. I will not be taking classes this semester because of financial situations. It bothered me a little at first but then I realized that I can take this time to think about what I really want to do, save up money, and put a plan together. I need a break from it anyway, although my mother and husband weren't too happy with my decision. Oh well. We'll see how this goes...
So, I just found out that you can work at multiple Hooters locations, granted you meet the requirements. One of these requirements is, of course, you have to be hired at another location. With that being said, I am planning on applying at a Hooters back home! I do still have Job #1 and the current Hooters I am working at. Most likely, I will be giving up Job #1. I've been there for 3 years and I am kind of over it, haha! Plus, my fave manager will not be renewing his contract and the other manager and I butt heads a lot! But once everything is set, I'll let everyone know how it goes. I will of course still be putting up posts. Stay tuned!!
So remember Trainer "J"? Well this girl is just a frickin rock star! So, on training day 2, we were closing the restaurant and her last table, who all said they were servers, paid their bill. It was a mere $14.30 bill. Well, they paid with $15 and said they needed change. "J" said, "You do realize that its just 70 cents, right?" And of course, they said, "Yeah, well we'd like to get that 70 cents back!" So, the awesome girl that my trainer was said, "Oh no! Sorry, but the bartender is done and that is too much of a hassle to get that change for you!"
SILENCE....
Trainer J: With a smile on her face, "I'll just keep it as my tip!"
Haha! This girl is just too amazing! I must say that they were pretty shocked about it and one of them said, "Don't worry, I'll give you your 70 cents in the car!" I have to also add that this particular group of "friends", when ordering drinks, asked if they could get one cup of Mountain Dew and 3 straws!! So, J said, "How about I get you 3 drinks and just charge you for one?" Seriously?! People cannot be this ignorant and cheap?!
Also, I personally feel like if you are a server and you go out to eat, you should definitely tip your server because you should be aware of the struggle! Especially if you were given really good service. I mean I always do because I don't want the bad karma.
So to the lovely young lady who was so pressed for 70 cents, HOW HAVE YOUR TIPS BEEN LOOKING???
Okay, so if you are a server or have serving experience, then you know about table sections. Your section can determine a lot when it comes to how much you make...even if you give amazing service! So the first day on the floor by yourself, you are given what is known as the "training" section. At my other job, it is two 4-top booths in the bar. At the hooters I work at it is five high-top tables. Now in a sports bar type vibe restaurant where the clientele is predominantly male (though we do get lots of families), this can actually be a pretty good section. Nice window view, convenient if its sunny, or if it is night time you get a few TVs to yourself. However, the downside is this: the area that the girls get drinks, plates and silverware is right in front of where you are sitting. Now if you like to see whats going on with the Pepsi that I am making you, along with plates and everything, then this is the section that you'd love to sit in. However, if you are not necessarily that interested in seeing lots of hooters girls clutter around in front of you, loud clanking sounds from the tin plates and girly gossip or arguments over who is getting cut first, then you'd rather sit somewhere else.
With all of that being said, my first day on the floor by myself is a lunch shift and I get the "training" section. The point of a section like this is that it is slower, and therefore, you won't get clusterfucked (my favorite word) by the demands of your guests! However, before I can start taking guests by myself, I have to go through what is called "Validation." Normally, this is when a manager comes in and dines in your section and you wait on them as if they are actual guest. They want to make sure you know what you are talking about, are asking the right questions, and how "Hooterific" you are with your guests. Fortunately for me, it wasn't a manager who did this, but instead another trainer. She was a pretty, blonde girl and seems very serious about her title. We went over what I thought were my strong points so far and what I thought I needed to work on. I told her my strong point was that I am a confident server, however, my weak point is that I needed to work on the "Hooters Girl" part of this job; being more comfortable with my tables, engaging conversation, and bring more of my personality to the table. I answered the questions honestly because I figured if I lied she'd tell me those were the things I needed to work on anyway.
When we were done with that, I got sat immediately after. It was one guy and I put on the biggest smile that I could, gave him some pretty good service, and tried to engage in conversation. This is when I realized that not all guest will want to have a conversation, some are just as "shy" as I am and that I needed to learn to feel each of them out. Sometimes I think what if the reason they aren't being conversational is because they don't really want to talk. They just want to eat some pretty low priced food and go. The guys (and couples and families) that actual want some type of engagement bring that loud and jokester personality with them. Starting the conversation is hard for me but engaging in what seems like an invite to joke and play around is a piece of cake. That's why I like getting guys that are around my age. They are a lot more fun, not as uptight, and are a lot easier to talk to. The shift went by pretty fast and i made some pretty decent money for a lunch shift.
So my advice for any hooters girl hopeful: shake off your jitters before going on the floor, put a big smile on your face and just keep telling yourself that you are the shit! Haha! And try not to take the job too serious but at the same time, stay on top of your guests needs! And if you are like me, don't worry, you'll get that awesome table one day that brings your personality out and you'll get an awesome $30 tip on $20 check!
Hoots & Kisses!!!!
So before I talk about day 3 I have to apologize for the delays on these posts. I've been so busy lately and just got to Florida and was scheduled for Hooters. I actually have some down time right now so I am going to try to get a couple posts up today. Thankfully, I wrote a few notes about my shifts so I have a pretty clear memory about what happened!
Day 3 was considered my opening shift, so I got there at 10:30 to help setup. I meet my trainer for the day, Trainer "H", and we go over everything from how to open (wiping the tables, putting everything in place, etc), then she tells me that i have to take my menu test at the end of the shift. "NOOOO!!! Haha! I'm not ready!" She reassures me that its going to be fine and that she'll "be there" with me to "help." She tells me that it is on the computer and that its multiple choice. WHAT A RELIEF!! Trainer "H" is actually a very girl! She says that the lunch shift is typically the time when the moms work. She says she has 2 kids and is married. She is very pretty, and looks really good for her age! She has such a nice personality and was nice to me about everything (and still is!).
The third day of training consisted of role reversal where the trainer follows me and I'm the server. Everything goes smoothly, and she's with me the whole time, answering questions if I get stuck, and helping me with drinks. We also took some time look at the menu and she gave me some pointers on how to remember whats on everything. Although I was given a study guide for the menu, I'm much better at looking at pictures and seeing color rather than regular print on paper. And with the menu you see a lot of the common things that different meals share so that made it a lot easier.
Out of nowhere, Manager R comes out and says, "How are you doing? Did you pass your test?"
Me: "Not yet. "H" told me I take it at the end of my shift."
Mgr R: "No, sweetie, you were supposed to take it before the shift because if you don't pass then you have to go home and study!"
Me: "What?! Nooo!! I'm not ready, I need a little more time!"
Trnr H: "Yeah, that's what it says in her binder! Look..."
Thankfully, I didn't have to take it that soon but I started getting anxiety and told "H" I was going to take my test at 2:30 no matter what! And of course, when I don't want it to, time flies by! Next thing I know, we are asking the manager to post the test for me...then, finally, it's TEST TIME! The time I have been dreading, haha! I start the test and it isn't as hard as I thought it would be. I could skip questions and come back to them, and although my trainer didn't give me the answers, she did stand there and gave me little hints! After the test was done, I find out my score (you have to score 90 or better). YAYYYY!!! I passed with a 93!! I was so glad it was over! I gave Manager R a high five and went about the rest of the shift completely happy and relieved!
And to top it all off, my trainer gave me a huge compliment when we were talking about a girl who was applying. She said that she told the manager that I reminded her of a Cowboys Cheerleader and I was crazy blushing! "Omg! Really?! Thats a huge compliment, especially since I am a huge Cowboys fan!" So that put in the best mood, haha!
FYI, managers ask the trainers what they think of you after they've interviewed you. So when you apply, try to be nice and welcoming...even if some of the girls aren't!
Training Day 2 went pretty much the same way. We went over the manual some more and the shift followed. This time I got to greet some tables and take a few orders. A lot of questions are asked when taking orders (sauce? boneless or traditional? cheese sauce with those fries? etc.) but they are repetitive so it easy not to forget what they are. Once again, it started out slow but then it began to pick up.
Suddenly I realized that I lost my trainer and her tables were needing a lot of things. Refills I could do but putting orders in I couldn't do without her because everything was rang in under her name. Then I see she's on the other side of the restaurant talking to some guests. I go over to her and heard why it was taking her so long. It was a couple and the guy was trying to figure out why it would cost $10 (it's really $9.95) for a PITCHER of beer. Really, dude?! You're complaining because you don't want to pay for a $10 PITCHER?! It's about 4 glasses per each pitcher just so you get the idea but if you ask me that seems like a pretty sweet deal. Let's see: if you get 4 glasses of draft beer costing around $3-$5 each, you're gonna pay around $15-$20! You would rather do that than to just get a pitcher which , more than likely, will be enough for the both of you? That, everyone, shows just how mathematically challenged illogical people can be. This, by the way, was told to the gentleman by my trainer and for some reason he just couldn't wrap his head around why he should pay that much. Finally, my awesome trainer said these magical words, "Sir, all I know is the bar across the street sells cheaper beer!" YESSSS!!!!! I love this girl! HAHA! I was so shocked and a little jealous at how sweet yet firm she sounded. Finally, the couple orders and we get back to her section. Everyone seems fine, a couple tables want their check but other than that, everything was going to smoothly.
It died down a bit and my trainer tells me I have to close that night because i have to have a closing shift and opening shift so that I know what to do. And also, I have to take my alcohol test. Noooo!!! I was dreading that moment! But she helped me through it and gave me tips on how to remember what we have. I passed the test, helped her close, and got to go home! What a busy day! My bed is all I am thinking about!
Hey Everyone!
So I have finally gotten the chance to get some new posts up and update everyone on what has been going on. I'll start with training!
Training at my store was three for three days. On the first day, I came in with my uniform underneath my clothes (this is the rule) and I met with my trainer, "J". She was a very sweet girl, a little shorter than me with a rack that appeared to be bigger than mine, HAHA! Manager R introduced us and we began going through the training manual. Ugh! More reading and signing papers! It basically just went over the history of Hooters, who the Hooters Girl is, your role in the company, and of course, your look. That's right! There's a whole section on how you should have your hair, makeup, nails, and how your uniform should look on your body. Hair should be glamorous, make up is worn at all times, nails are to be cleaned, and your uniform should be sized to fit. ATTENTION LADIES WHO DREAMS OF BECOMING A HOOTERS GIRL: If you do not like to do these things or feel as though your natural beauty is enough, I've got bad news for you, Hooters is probably not the place or you! Sorry, but these things are mandatory. There are no exceptions. If you do not like having to do your hair everyday before your shift (and during) or you do not like to wear make up, this place probably isn't the ideal job for you.
Anyways, after we were done with the manual, it is realized that it's Friday and I need a black uniform. The manager goes to get me one, comes back, and I'm told I have to switch uniforms. No big deal! Except it takes forever and a day to get the uniform on and off without ripping my ever so fantastic Nylons. Let me tell you, putting on that black uniform required some acrobatic tricks! The black uniform is MUCH tighter than the white one and what was so bothersome was the fact that both uniforms were the same size! Trying to get the black shirt over my 34D boobs that have been enhanced by a push-up bra was impossible! Eventually I get it on. Now, despite how tight it may be, the black uniform is every girl's favorite! It's slimming, you look thinner and *gasps* classier (haha!), and it isn't as obvious when you spill sauce all over yourself!
The shift starts at 4:30. Its slow at first but begins to pick up. I'm following my trainer around, shadowing her, and helping her as much as I can. She was headwait that night so she got to pick the busiest section. She constantly repeated how bad she felt that she wasn't giving me that much attention. I assured her I was okay and that she was helping me plenty. She showed me the computer system and let me put in all orders since the computer was the hardest thing to learn. I expect things to be alphabetical order, since that's how it is at my other serving job, but unfortunately, it isn't. I eventually got the hang of it. When it slowed down a bit, I got to get a meal, we went over everything and I got to go home.
One day down, two to go! I was so exhausted when I got home, all I wanted to do was take a bath with the hubby and go to sleep! I didn't get have to be there the next day until 3, so I slept in! Being a Hooters girl sure is exhausting!
