TikToker Ryan Salvorich (@lifewithryan) has gone viral after sharing how his extensive training for a new server role went wrong at the very last hurdle.
The clip, which has amassed 639,500 views, is based on the ‘put a finger down’ trend. Salvorich began by sharing that he was hired by an unnamed “popular New England chain restaurant.” The restaurant, which was not yet open to the public, had a week-long, full-time training regime. To facilitate this, Salvorich says he took a week off work and was being paid minimum wage for the training.
In addition to this, the TikToker says he spent over $100 on work supplies, training costs, and the uniform. At first, the training went well, with Salvorich noting that he was engaged and showed up on time. The final stage of the training was delivering a ‘mock’ service with another employee. It was here that things started to go downhill.
The ‘teacher’s pet’
Salvorich says he got paired up with a “teacher’s pet.” When he noticed she was making a lot of notes on him, he told her two jokes. The first was a remark that she’s taking it very seriously, and the second was him asking, “Are you not just gonna pass me?”
During his mock service, this girl pulled over the general manager to sit with her. She, the manager, and another person then started sharing the food provided to them, which came from a list of things they were supposed to order.
Salvorich notes that, as part of this service, employees are meant to take food out back and box it if the customer wants it boxed. However, because the trio is continuing to eat and share plates, the TikToker asks another manager if he can box up the food tableside so he doesn’t mix it up; she glares in response.
Salvorich adds that he asked three times if the girl he was paired with wanted dessert. In turn, he asks her if there’s dessert on her notecard—she confirms there isn’t. So, he commences the coffee service.
Once the service ends, the TikToker asks the girl what her notes say. She responds by clutching the notes to her chest, running to to other side of the room, and handing the paper to the General Manager.
What did the notes say?
Before the servers have one more meeting, there’s what Salvorich describes as an “in-between stage.” He says that he has a shift booked for the following Sunday and Wednesday. However, he was pulled aside by the general manager and told to go home due to “concerning” notes.
The notes in question include references to the jokes Salvorich made, boxing food up tableside and telling his partner, “I asked three times about dessert.” The manager describes his behavior as “unacceptable.” He asks him not to come to his Sunday shift, but to come on Monday instead.
Monday comes around, and Salvorich doesn’t hear anything. So he calls and the manager asks him to come in on Wednesday. The TikToker notes that the meeting clashes with his shift, but the manager says that he once again won’t be working his shift.
Then, on Wednesday, Salvorich is told he’s not a good fit, and he slides over $180 check for the training. However, with the money he spent on supplies and uniform, the TikTok user claims he broke even and didn’t earn any money in the end, and criticized the manager for “dragging out” this process for five days.
@lifewithryans #server #restaurantlife #restaurant #serverlife #serverproblems ♬ original sound – lifewithryan
What did the comments say?
In the comments, users were supportive. One commenter questioned the $180 check, noting that “$180 for 40 hours is $4.50 and that is below the legal minimum wage. File a wage claim,” they urged.
Another was shocked by the hoops Salvorich had to jump through, writing, “A WRITTEN TEST??? Nah [expletive] out of here I’m OUT.”
Similarly, a third said that the TikToker “dodged a bullet” by getting fired. A fourth expressed similar sentiments, saying, “Glad you didn’t quit your regular job for this mess.”
“I think you should go eat there and let her serve you,” a fifth quipped. “Make sure to take extensive notes.”
A sixth commenter was outraged. “How dare they not even have a conversation with you and just take the girls side immediately?” they wrote.
To which Salvorich replied, “Exactly! I’m an amazing server, proven by the reviews I get at my other job and winning Employee of the Quarter. They didn’t have a conversation with me or actually see me work with the public, just took this woman’s side and ran with it.”
Salvorich didn’t immediately respond to The Mary Sue’s request for comment via TikTok comment and email.
Should servers make jokes?
This isn’t the first time a seemingly harmless joke has spelled disaster for a server. In a viral TikTok, server Emily (@tychickennugzzz) shared how her quips cost a $250 table’s tip.
She recounts how, after introducing herself to the party of eight, she says, “‘Can I get you started with something other than water?'” But this joke was met with a stony silence. “They all looked at me like I shot their [expletive] kid in the face,” she complained.
Trying to ease the tension, Emily says she followed up her joke by saying, “‘Oh. Tough crowd.'” Again, nothing. “‘And they said, ‘Someone doesn’t want a tip,'” she recounted.
And it turns out that they were true to their word, as Emily concludes by revealing that “on a $250 bill, they left me eight bucks with a note that said, ‘How’s that for a tough crowd?’”
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