Ask For What You Need

Back around the beginning of June I got my first job. I was hired at Dunkin’ Donuts on Sabattus Road as an opener and during my training, my hours were relatively short. I would spend a few hours watching the training video then get about an hour on the floor to get some hands-on training. Some of the things I had to do included: reading tags, making batches of iced coffee, cleaning equipment, etc. I had gotten used to this cycle and my hours were the same every shift. In order to ensure that I was coming in at the right time on the right days, I would take a photograph of the schedule and refer back to it when I was unsure.

One morning, my manager Kayla calls me around 7am. The call woke me up and I was still half asleep. I said “Hello?”

“Hey Bud, where are you?”

“I’m still in bed. What’s up?”

“I was just wondering where you were, it says you were supposed to be here at 5 o’clock this morning.”

I’d read the wrong schedule! After realizing the error, I apologized for my lateness and explained to her that I had read the wrong schedule. After I hung up the phone, I got out of bed, got dressed, and got to Dunkin’ all within 15 minutes. When I arrived and started washing my hands, John, my coworker, came over to me and started scolding me saying, “You need to get out of bed earlier young man!” I understood that he was frustrated with my lateness and I apologized to him too.

Later that day, I had a talk with Kayla in her office about me being late. She told me “Stuff happens, you’re human.” To make up for me being late I offered to stay the amount of time I was late for after my shift. John had approached me later that day after Kayla talked with him and explained what happened. I accepted the responsiblity for being late because I did not pay attention to the date posted for the schedule. He apologized for scolding me and showed me what to use to see my schedule on my phone. We went to the board and John asked me “Have you been shown the Teamworx app?” I told him that I had not and in fact management had not given me any resources. He then told me to go ask Kayla for my login information and to log in.

Since then, I’ve used the Teamworx app to make sure that I know when I need to work. I haven’t been late since that day and have gotten better at time management when it comes to working. I have also worked my way up and shown that I can be a very reliable and hard worker by coming in early, coming in on my off days by filling in for those who have called out, and doing my job right. I have also been refered to as shift leader a few times by the assistant manager Amanda even though I have not been officially promoted. However this does not stop me from proving that I have what it takes and doing my job.

“Dunkin Donuts” by JeepersMedia is licensed under CC BY 2.0.