So today I’m at work, getting a little bored and cranky, a little hungry—and, as the rest of you know, Mr. Alula Borealis just became employed again ending a month-long seize on my ability to eat out without feeling guilty about wasting the money. So I’m feeling this buzz of a headache starting and I start to think, “huh, Alula’s taking a break now. Alula wants a burrito.”
So I start to get up from my desk, and my boss looks up from his computer expectantly, asks if I’m heading out for the day (I set my own hours), and I reply that no, I’m just going to get lunch. The look on his face and the fact that he’s reaching for his wallet tells me I’m bringing something back for him. And I’m thinking, okay, no biggy, I’ve never taken lunch orders before but I think I can remember one extra order. So he rattles it off, hands me a ten, and I start to leave the office again. I immediately pass the office of another co-worker, who is essentially my second boss after my first boss, and I know because the two offices are right next to each other that she had to have heard that I was 1) getting lunch for myself and 2) already getting food for someone else.
I ask if she wants food. She politely declines. Whew.
Another employee has heard me, darn it all! I ask him if he wants lunch. He thinks out loud for several minutes, my tummy getting ever more grumbly and my headache getting more poundy, then scribbles a barely legible order onto a piece of paper.
Ah, geez—Now the whole office knows I’m taking orders. Two more scribbled orders and twenty minutes later, I’m finally on my break. I head out the door, to the restaurant, and pull out my cheat sheet. I immediately screw up the first order because someone decided to tag “no rice” at the END of the order instead of the beginning, but recover quickly and then suddenly remember my boss had an order too. And, like an idiot, I didn’t write it down.
Now, my boss is a nice guy. Probably one of the best bosses I’ve ever had. I really like him on a personal level and respect him on a professional level. He’s introduced me to his kids and I like his wife. So I’m standing there, racking my brain, slowly putting his order back together. I think I have it—I order—and I’m out the door.
And then, dear readers, as I’m walking out the door, that nagging feeling creeps up on me. It’s slinking into my brain, telling me I’ve screwed up his order. I assure myself this isn’t the case. But then, like gaseous build up on the bottom of a lake, one little blip of memory film comes right to the surface.
He wanted that burrito without the tortilla and in a bowl.
So I’m standing there in the doorway, weighing whether or not I’m going back in for another burrito. I’m going to look like an idiot getting back in that line. I’m going to look like an idiot if the boss’s order is the only one I screwed up. He’s my boss. He’s an understanding guy. I really should save my money. I really like my boss. If you pay in cash, Mr. Borealis never has to know…
So what did I do? Hint: I’m sitting here at my desk with two burritos.
Kids, always write down the order.
2 comments:
I having been on many occasions put in the position of server girl for the entire staff.
It became standard practice at a past job of mine for me to go and get coffee or smoothies the entire staff of fifteen. It took me some time to handle the responsibility of juggling fifteen hot and cold beverages in the cleaver flat card board trays. “ you know the ones” The real challenge is driving your self back to work with out flooding the upholstery of you car with a grande frap and a venty ice tea with no sugar! My worst day I was send our for smoothies, coffee, and bagels; I was in a hurry because we were having a staff meeting and the owner was going to be there. It too me 30 min to pick up everyone’s orders; I was making my way back into the building the two containers containing eight very large very cold smoothies. I am one foot away from the door when the bottom of the carton on my right falls out and the smoothies splatter all over the door way. In slow motion I see the cups start to fall I make a move to catch them. I make a fast movement with my left had still grasping the other carton and it also brakes leaving me covered from the waist down in cold mooched fruit. The next 30 min were like a scene from the “Devils Wear Prada” my wonderful co-workers waited for me to clean up the door way drive back to the Juice restaurant were the beautiful clerk remade the drinks for free…
But what I really wanted to say was when taking orders for co-workers put the order on a sticky note and put the note on the cash they give you and fold half of the paper around the cash. I really helps things for getting out of hand. Another trick is to put the sticky not and cash in a zip lock bag with there name on it; So you have a place to put the change.
It's also a good idea to call ahead if you have limited time or a large order. Everyone is right there to let you know if you're getting their order wrong, or you could even pass the phone to them. And you get the advantage of just going in and picking the food up and paying for it without having to order everything personally and waiting on it.
Also, if you keep the take out menus at work you have the advantage of never having people try to order things that are not on the menu and having to call them once you are there to get them to specify something else that is in fact on the menu. You'd be amazed at how many Chinese food places don't have the dish that's some sort of fried chicken with nuts on it.
It's always been the paying that's thrown me off, especially when people want exact change back. I will totally try Q's idea of little plastic baggies.
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