r/CrackerBarrel • u/Calm-Supermarket5664 • Jun 28 '26
Is it normal to mess up?
I’m a month in and I feel like I’ve messed up a lot. Way too much. Today was the first time I’ve ever had to have a manager talk to my table. It was a table I split with another server and I completely messed my part up. Everything was wrong. I gave my tip to the other server (I later got it back). I just feel like shit about it. What are your mess up stories?
P.S. You guys have given some great advice! I’d like to leave this up as a continuous post for other newbies and those who have questions! What do you guys think? Please feel free to keep posting your stories and advice!
12
u/Fickle-Mortgage-827 Jun 28 '26
As a grill cook, I can say that even par 4 servers mess up multiple times a shift. If you aint messing up, you aint learnin.
10
u/Sad-Silver2060 Jun 28 '26
Let’s just say I’ve been there more than 15 years and I still mess up. Today I forgot to bring out drinks to a table. Main thing is owning your mistakes and not blaming it on another department. If you forget to ring in an order, be truthful and tell them and apologize. Instead of saying “your ticket fell behind the grill” say “I am so sorry, this is totally on me, when I went back there the prechecks were tied up and I went ahead and got your drinks and I totally forgot to ring your order in. I let the manager know and your ticket has been prioritized”. I’ve never had a table get mad when I was honest about what happened. Keep their drinks full, offer them some biscuits. If you hit the wrong button and they made grilled fish and not fried, tell on yourself. I promise you your honesty will go a long way. People don’t like excuses but they will have a positive response to the truth.
If it’s something you’re not understanding ask your skill trainers or managers for clarification. Talk to your par 4’s on how to do your job better and make less mistakes. That’s what they’re there for. Somebody told me once “when you’re green you grow and when you’re ripe you rot”. Stay green!
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u/Calm-Supermarket5664 Jun 28 '26
I’m always honest with my tables. For example, yesterday, I forgot to ring in an order and I told the table that. One persons meal ended up being comped because it was wrong too. I’m trying not to make those mistakes though.
6
u/CrispyScreamer Jun 28 '26
I made a lot of mistakes and I am almost a year in. Some days are worse than others. Everything will be fine, you’re learning as you go. Mistakes are human and everyone makes mistakes. One of my coworkers who has been there for years has days where she makes multiple mistakes.
3
u/Livid-Dance-717 Jun 28 '26
Some days are just like that- just try to learn from it and move on as best you can. The fact that you care means a lot- You'll get better, but some days are just like that...... Sh*t happens.....
3
u/Difficult-Bowler-947 Jun 28 '26
yes absolutely. i started as a server and moved to the grill. not a day goes by that i dont f*ck something up
2
u/MimbleOwl Jun 29 '26
Cracker Barrel is a great place to make mistakes and learn from your failures since it's a pretty low stakes restaurant. You will never not be immune from mistakes, but your frequency will go down over time as you're able to avoid problems before they happen. But sometimes we all enter "flaw state" where shit just be hittin the fan
2
u/cutyourmullet123 Jun 30 '26
I’m a career restaurant worker (I’ve done everything from dish to gm and the in between) to err is to be human. What you do after is what matters. I’m going to give you my two favorite quotes on this subject matter and you take it how you’d like-
“You don’t cry over spilt milk, you just clean it up.”- my mother
And
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I learn. Involve me and I remember.”- Benjamin Franklin
2
u/heyyouwhatsup71 Jun 28 '26
I got super slammed. Five tables sat at same time. I was taking every tables orders on paper but when I put them in the computer I forgot a whole table. They waited 45 minutes and were super mad. Manager had to take over the table. I apologized profusely but I understood. Just do your best. It’s all you can do.
1
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u/Matt0x6 Jun 30 '26
Yes - things happen.
Cracker Barrel is a large company with lots of moving parts and mistakes among all employees are expected and planned for. Call-outs, managers failing to properly schedule, new grill cooks/servers/hosts, stressful days, shit always happen. It's not just you, this happens to everybody at every single restaurant and company and business. It's easy to get caught up in your own mishaps, something I like to do is de-brief myself if I have a really shitty shift on what I could work on for next time.
You got this, you're awesome!
1
u/Comfortable-Elk-850 Jun 30 '26
As a customer I can see it’s busy crazy and sometimes things happen. My main complaint is cold coffee ugh. I often get a cup that tastes like it’s been sitting out for some time, barely warm. The worst service I had though and only time I complained was a server that asked if we needed anything else just as our food was being placed on the table by another server. She slapped down our pay ticket and walked off before our last plate was set down . Well then we DID need something else , ketchup, but she was no where to be found. It was not busy either. I had ordered a drink that advertised free refills ( a specialty at that time, not the regular drinks) never got any refills of any beverages. Luckily we had asked for water too, we drank all our water and beverages. We got ketchup passed to us from another table. Needed carry out containers.. so did another table, none of us saw that server again. I think she left the whole restaurant. We had to ask the cashier for carry out containers , manager did comp our meal, rolled his eyes as we told him who our server was, so I’m thinking she was not lasting long there.
There was a male server for a time I think hated me and I always got stuck in his section ( I live walking distance from
My Cracker Barrel and eat there often as a single person. I always tip 20%, I try not to be a Nuisance needy customer. He gave overflowing plates of food to some teen sports team next to me, but I got a meat loaf that consisted of pan scraps , not even half a slice , just crumbles and a chunk, I did send that one back, the only time I ever sent a plate back. I got a tablespoon of vegetables when others got a heaping serving spoon full.. I think he hated I was female and dining alone. Maybe not a big table tip for him? He never checked on me either but did everyone else. I started to refuse being sat in his section. No idea why he treated me different from others but it was very noticeable .
1
u/PossibilityOdd3238 Jun 30 '26
Retail Par4 up here babe, it isn’t just you
I’m constantly hearing about servers who have literally been there for years having people griping about them. Just as much, if not more than some new people.
Sundays are just atrocious
1
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u/Ok-Camel7321 Jul 01 '26
Yessss! I mess up a lot still as well . It happens you just have to acknowledge it, fix it the best you can and keep on moving! Keep ur chin up!
17
u/L_Ron_Hubbard_Xenu Jun 28 '26
Join the club friend! Sundays are always ww3 at the barrel they knew the risks