It's been a while since I found some energy to post a real reflection on my blog. Thought I should seriously keep up with my memory to keep pace with my working days at Jones so I don't lose track. (: Sigh! How fun hanging out can be some times.!

Jones' has been really cold lately, since the air-conditioning system was repaired and beefed up by the really cool repairman. Morning at Jones' became significantly more tolerable, and the customers simply love the temperature I suppose, with more of them choosing to stay longer to chat, whilst ordering more coffee to keep warm! The rainy weather that has been killing the haze made all shifts pleasant. Waiting tables was literally 'no sweat'! And the enjoyable weather kept most customers really fun and happy. (:

Been learning a lot more lately. Just a short confession to make - I do feel a little bored of work some times during my shifts. I know well enough that I cannot expect customers to flow in as and when I want them to appear in front of me. But having them come at irregular intervals kinda spoils my momentum, especially when it comes to spewing the same greetings in that jovial tone. So instead of allowing myself to lose that momentum, I'm still figuring out a way to keep myself focused on my work (instead of allowing myself to give in to the temptation to chit chat at the bar, get lost in my thoughts or get myself obsessed with cleaning utensils).

So I've tried hosting and cashiering lately. They're pretty much different from the usual waitering services provided on the floor.

Hosting during the weekend required consistent follow-ups and communication with the customers and the other colleagues who were hard at work at their stations. For starters, the hostess had to consistently reassure customers in the queue that their wait would definitely be worthwhile, make them feel secure; that they would be able to get a table to their liking the instant one becomes available, and allow them to rant their frustrations so they feel at ease while in line. I also finally understood, and started to appreciate the work of everyone else during the busy weekend, when staff are so often busy with entertaining their own customers - taking orders, catering to the wimps and needs of customers and displaying that extra touch to make the experience at Jones tastefully delighting. The minutes they had to spare were hard to come by, to catch their breath and pick up speed yet again. And as the hostess that Saturday morning, I was particularly grateful to the staff who took time to buzz me through the wireless walkie talkies to inform me about the seats available at specific stations after a particular period of time. It made the job a lot more pleasant and manageable. Made the customers 10 times more delighted I suppose (since they managed to get their seats really quickly). And I hope it made everyone else feel more productive at work. Sigh, I really need to exclaim the wonders of team synergy!

Learning the ropes from the pros was what made it much simpler. Learning often happens by imitation. But imitation does not mean losing the essence of one self and becoming the second rate version of someone else. It just means taking something, reforming it to suit yourself best, and doing it better. I pretty much had a rough impression of how Nur, Shuqi, Yizhen and Huaipeng used to do hosting. With vague impressions of how they used to conduct themselves during the hectic weekend mornings, I figured out and got myself comfortable in the role at a faster rate than I expected. Jay's advice at the later part of the day - to only focus my attention on the first few people in line, thus reducing the customer t/o rates in the queue, and reducing the probability of any discrepancies that may arrive with people cutting in lines, leaving the queue and rejoining it later or mistakes that I make with my forgetfulness (since I can't remember all their faces) - really made the job a lot more interesting. He added that personal touch into the whole hosting service. To be firm, and yet sincere to show how much the customers meant to Jones as a business entity, without over promising, or under performing. He even formulated ways as to managing the queue during a busier weekend and highlighted the different possibilities in which customers would try to draw issues out of thin air and make mountains out of a molehill. Really grateful to be able to learn so much from him too.

Cashiering was something I tried to pick up when I was slightly more free during night shifts. Often enough when I see Yizhen, Huaipeng, Jason or Nur at the cashier, I would pester them to show me how they would process the transactions. It was really a feat to me, to be able to key in takeaway orders, scan products on the cashier counter, recheck bill orders, reconfirming the total amount and payment method, packing the products into plastic bags (that were seriously flimsy), counting and handing out change or getting the customer to sign on the credit card receipt, and finally handing out receipts. They often did all these for ONE customer in less than 3 minutes or so (yea, I I took time for a couple, and that was the average). Each time I saw them take a bill to the cashier I'd often stare with much curiosity, and I was really excited each time they offered to teach me how to use the Fedelta POS System! That was the last I needed to know of it to make sure I fully grasped the 来龙去脉 of how the accounting system really worked (pardon the sudden use of Chinese words. I just heard it from the HK drama I'm watching and woosh it fits this perfectly!). So I figured I learnt how to do cash transactions, credit card transactions, NETS transactions, bar code scanning, product searches, totaling, bill splitting, and the perfect order to press buttons, tear receipts, close the drawers and pack products before ending the whole regime with a warm smile and saying "Thank you Maam/Sir! Have a great day!".

Though tips is a taboo to speak of on my publicly read blog, I insist on describing how exciting it actually is to receive tips on a credit card bill! Now instead of looking forward to tips customers shove into the bill books or tables, I look forward to tips customers actually scribble on the slips of credit card receipts printed! Just for Sammy's sake I shall mention this too - I've never fancied much of personal tips anyway, and I probably figured who else does it more often than I do. HAHA. But Ee Boon (this new part timer who just joined Jones) really impressed me. And he'd probably be the person I'd be most willing to work with out and about - apart from almost everyone else with whom I also enjoy working with! But anyway, back to the tips on the credit card receipts - they are probably the most awesome little things you can find in Jones. Really. Think about it - how often can you impress and please a customer so much they would take the extra time to scribble the few dollars worth of extra tips on the little line, sum it up with the original amount, scribble the total amount and sign. Woah, that extra effort would definitely be what I'd be working towards in the next couple of weeks. And why are those little things so awesome? They allow you to work out the most complicated set of buttons to press on both the credit card machine and the Fedelta POS System! So you have to re-enter the transaction number on the receipt to retrieve that particular transaction in the machine, edit it by reentering a new tip amount and print the receipt again! Then the transaction on the Fedelta POS System would need to be re-edited again, before taking out actual cash from the cashier drawer and placing them in the tip jar! I figured it was like the most fun thing to do, and something I really looked forward to when receiving receipts at the cashier. The one last thing I really enjoy doing at the cashier? Wrapping books for both sale and browsing. Shan't dwell on that!

Did I also mention! Jay gave me a second level training during a Thursday evening. Gosh it was good. The information overload really kept my brain working through the night, even when I was with Leanne and Jason at Mandarin Gallery working out the center pieces for the tables for the dinner and dance event. So recently I've been on some really high state when it came to recommending teas and beers and wines. I've been trying to smell the variations too - only for the tea. I figured out how most teas would cater to varying age groups and social classes. I'm still learning the terms and jargons used to describe and taste wines and beers. So wines could be flat, bland, spicy, fragrant, and sweet. And beers could be dark, light, fruity, smooth and bitter. And sigh - I just realized how much effort should go into a cup of latte before the perfect smooooth and sweet taste of the coffee comes out. Rashyd and Alif make the best coffees so far.

Right now, I really love the time off the job, but I feel excited to go to work each time. I wonder if I'm starting to lose the passion though, because I find myself losing that smile, especially when I had a bad day back at home or when I've been dwelling too deep in my own emotions and thoughts on my way to work. Sigh, the effects of being so far away. I just need to constantly reassure myself. Keeping faith! Somehow I know I'll rediscover a way to keep smiling through the job! (: I also figured recently that poems and lame scribbles of mine aren't exactly the most common things my colleagues see at work.

Dinner and dance was great, and kudos to the organizing team with Peter, Yizhen, Huaipeng, Jason, Claire, Gary, Waikei, and Junren. It was absolutely unforgettable I guess. Every little detail, the balloons, the external trainings for the dealers, the invitation cards (like literally poker cards), the chips, the powerpoint slides, the prizes, the glamor shot podium, reception area and the program flow and effort taken to RSVP. Imagine the time they worked out of work to make all this possible and you'll start to appreciate the whole event 100 times more. Sufern and Peter kept the crowd really happy the whole time. And the other Jones staff - all looking gorgeous and stunning had much fun with their families and friends; that I'm sure. Really happy to have the Ngee Ann Polytechnic's D3 dance group, strings quartet and Klavierensemble down on that day to perform. They were really enthusiastic and sincere about performing for the crowd. And their anxiety just shows how much importance they place on the work they enjoy. They were pretty fun too! But I guess they were pretty shy, considering they didn't know many people in the crowd. So I spent most of the time outside the hall with them on the walkway, and I was pretty much starving. Filled my tummy with glasses of wine and bottles of alcohol. I figured that was how most of my colleagues thought I was drunk, since my face was flushed and I felt a little light headed and lost my footing when I was shoved into the main event hall to collect my lucky draw prize (which was another bottle of red wine, damn my affinity with alcohol that night). But Hey, I was the first few at work the next day with no hangovers, no belching, nothing! And I'm proud of that ROFL (for no effing reason).

Its yet another off day tomorrow and I'm gonna meet Rooooth for lunch with Furong and Dehong! :D
Dinner with Zhuangzhuang and Flo today was pretty fun too! :D
And I hope Jess gets through her interview so she can be back here every day and week and month and year! <3

Ahhh, and as how Robert Browning puts it:
Grow old with me! The best is yet to be! (:

Good morning! <3

Sylvia. Syl. And someone you'll never expect me to be.