Liz said:
I was hired by the VFW 11160 as a bartender, by "Ray" manager of the VFW POST 11160, probably the worst manager I have ever worked under in my 38 years of being a server and a bartender. I was given 2 days of training, 1 day shift and 1 night shift and expected to know it all in those 2 days. My years of experience included 12 years at O'Charley&#­39;s on Riverside drive, which when I was hired Ray said She got a very good reference from my manager at O'Charley&#­39;s, i also worked at Charlie Gitto's Pasta House in downtown St Louis, next to Bush Stadium as a bar tender and a server for 14 years. I am very good with people and give good service to all, am friendly and treat the customer with the respect they deserve. I was a little slow in the beginning as I was learning a new job and that is to be expected, any good manager should know that and take that into concideration. this so called manager Ray, talked down to me constantly, looked for every little thing I was doing wrong, and never had a nice word to say to me about the job I was trying so hard to learn. I was hired on the 16th of july 2008, and fired on the 23rd of July 2008, i worked a total of 5 days and was let go. She watched very move I made, and even told me she had members watching me and reporting back to her. There were so many little things I needed to be taught, but I had to learn those things on my own, and when I made a mistake on these things that I was not told about, Ray came down very hard on me, and it was not my fault!!!! the last day I worked she told me she had lots of members watching me, and they would report back to her. I came in to pick up my check on Friday the 25th, and was talking to the bar tender Erin, she called Ray and told her that I was there to pick up my check, and Ray said I would have to wait til Michelle to come in at 3:30 to get it, this was at 11:30am. in a conversation with Erin I said I worked Sat july 26th from 9am to 5pm, she said you better check your schedule, because a bartender named Natasha was now working my Sat morning shift. i went back to the office to check my schedule and all my days had been marked off, and I was not on next week schdule either. So "Ray had fired me and wasn't even going to tell me, just let me come in for my Saturday morning shift and send me home. Very unprofessional on her part. Ray finally called back and talked to me, she said the reason I was being let go was that I did not set the alarm system on wed night july 23rd, that is a lie, as I know that is the last thing I did before exiting the building, and she said that the people who come into the post did not like me. That is also a lie. I was told the code to set the alarm on hit the on and off button and to exit the building as soon as possible so the alarm would not go off. That is what I did. Then the girl who trained me said she forgot to tell me that I had to make sure the alarm system said you have 60 seconds to exit the building or it may not set and you would have to set the reset button. How am I suppose to know this if i am not told? So I am guessing that is what might have happened, but i was not told about resetting the alarm system until after I was fired. As far as the members not liking me, I could not find one who admitted to that, they said I was friendly, always greeted them in a friendly manner, and moved as fast as I could while learning the ropes of a new job. Many were upset that i was let go after only 5 days and said I was not even given a fair chance to prove I could do the job. A couple said the wrong person was fired and that "Ray" should of been out of there along time ago as her bartending turnover is way to high, and she just doesn't give people a chance to really learn the job and build up their speed. I don't think O'Charley&#­39;s on Riverside drive would have kept me for 12 years if my job performance was as bad as "Ray" said it was, also 15 years at the same bar and resturant in St Louis speaks for itself. Nobody is perfect and I think "ray needs to take a long look in the mirror before she judges someone on job performance who had been there only 5 days.I had 4 new people ready to join VFW post 11160, one being my ex-husband who has done 4 tours of duty in Iraq, but now says he will join another Post. The 3 other Iraqi war veterans will do the same. You have a good VFW HALL there, with many good people, but just remember one thing, it only takes one bad apple to spoil the whole thing. My friend who is a life time member at 11160, and recommended me for the job will also never be back to your VFW HALL. Bad management can really spoil your reputation. I wish I would have been given more than 5 days to prove I could do the job. Sicerely, but very diappointed in your choice of manager, Elizabeth A Stebbins