What have I been up to?

So, another week has passed. What have I been up to? Working. I just got a job at a place called Harvey Nichols. I work in the Forth Floor Restaurant and Brasserie as a full-time waitress/receptionist. Harvey Nichols is an upscale department store that also has high-end restaurants at all of their locations. I am at the store in Edinburgh, Scotland. I have been on the job since Monday June 11, 2008. It is a challenging position I am in as the company has set up the staff to only be responsible for small parts of the running of the business. For example, Waiters only ever take orders, and stay on the brasserie/restaurant floor. They are not required to go back to tables to check on guests or anticipate their needs for additional food/drinks. Instead, a head waiter is supposed to check on guests and see how their meal is and to get them any extra things. In addition, waiters rotate to the kitchen Pass area once per week to run food out to guests. This would be helpful to the waiter except that there is no way for the Pass person to know who ordered what food so the Pass is made by auctioning off the food at the table to whoever claims it. This is a huge no-no in upscale service. But of course when I ask about this at work I am told that service in the Brasserie is more casual. Maybe so, but we are supposed to be an upscale brasserie. I dont get it. Oh yeah, and at reception desk the hostesses just let guests completely dictate where they will be sat even though it upsets them that guests are so forward. They say that because we are an upscale brasserie and there are great window views that guests expect to get window seats always. But what about what I said a bit ago about auctioning off food not being upscale? Also, because they let the guests sort of decide where they want to sit, waiters can get multiple tables occupied in their section all at one time. This means they are sometimes triple-sat within 5 minutes time!!! When I asked why we don't make the guest wait a bit or sit elsewhere than by the window, they say , "We cant do that the guest will get angry." Yeah well I say, " What about the guests getting angry because they get bad service due to being ignored by an overworked server?!" The receptionists make it very bad for the waiter and very bad for customer service. No wonder guests are always saying that they are left waiting to be served and do not know who or where there waiter is. And then of course everyone complains about hospitality service in the UK as being shity. No wonder, the staff do not support each other. Be lucky you live in America my family and friends. It may cost more to eat out back home but it is worth it.