Cut me some slack, I’m new to the pack

Yesterday about 7 I decided to pay a visit to the Flying Saucer. The Saucer has been the most neglected of my “Big Five” (Bardog, Blind Bear, Saucer, Goose, Max’s) lately and new manager Bjarni has talked me into making a comeback. They had a trainee behind the bar, and someone in Saucer corporate had a very good idea:

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They have the trainees wear T-shirts that say, “Cut me some slack, I’m new to the pack” with the #SaucerWolfpack hashtag on the back. This seems like a very good idea to me. The Saucer trains employees pretty extensively before putting them on the floor or behind the bar, but still, there are 200 different beers. Even if an employee learns about all the different beers, it’s hard to know where the tap handles are located, or which of the coolers a bottle is in.

Right after I wrapped up my coursework for my Master’s degree, I worked in the Computer Services department at the University of Memphis. In my early days there, I would get phone calls about products like SAS that I did not know much about. “I don’t know much about SAS, but if I can get your name and number, I will find someone who can help you,” I would tell them.

“You don’t know about SAS? YOU WORK HERE. WHY DON’T YOU KNOW?????”

Ugh. Regardless of the industry, I HATE that comment. The Saucer’s “cut me some slack” shirt does a fine job insulating new servers and bartenders from that kind of remark. Well done.

On a side note, now and then I get asked about things Downtown that I don’t know much about, like the horse carriages or the riverfront cobblestones. I will tell them I don’t know, and occasionally I will get back the response, “You don’t know? You’re the Downtown blogger. You’re supposed to know everything.” If you want to really piss me off, tell me that. I don’t get paid to write this blog. I write it out of a love for my neighborhood, my friends, and the places where I hang out. I can’t be expected to know everything.

Bardog alley party time! I’m up early, so I guess I will walk down to Monroe and watch the runners. D-RANKS with B-RAD at 11, then over to the alley party between 12 and 12:30.