If someone was hired externally to be an AM and they were givens a specific hourly salary, would it be increased upon successfully passing all modules or stay the same?
I’ve been training for Assistant Manager at Panda for about a month and a half. Started in FOH and then moved more into BOH because my ACO wants me preparing for my cooking test coming up soon.
A few days ago my store manager sent me to cover position 1 during a huge rush. I was trying my best to move the line fast while also handling online orders. After the rush she pulled me aside while associates could still hear and said “that was HORRIBLE.”
Then she started criticizing everything:
not moving online orders fast enough,
not calling for shrimp,
saying I shouldn’t have been in position 1 and should’ve been overseeing the store more as a manager.
The confusing part is she was literally the one who told me to cover position 1. I’ve also previously been told that during long lines we prioritize in-store guests over online orders. And with shrimp, I had been told before not to keep 2 bags up because they get soggy, so I thought I was following direction.
Ever since that happened she’s barely letting me train BOH anymore even though my cooking test is soon. She keeps putting me in FOH even when there are already enough people there to cover every position. I honestly feel like I’m learning nothing from her because most of the time she just criticizes instead of actually teaching. Being around her has become mentally draining.
I know I’m new and I know I’m still learning. I can take criticism. But the way it was delivered genuinely got to me. I ended up crying in the bathroom during the shift and trying to hide it while cleaning floors after. Since then I keep replaying the whole thing in my head and feel awkward around everyone at work.
I’m not trying to complain or act like I’m perfect. I really do want to succeed in this role. I just honestly feel exhausted mentally right now and don’t know if this is normal Panda training culture or if I’m taking it too personally.
For people who worked at Panda:
Is this kind of environment normal?
Does it get better?
How do you deal with managers who mostly point out mistakes?
And how do you stop letting moments like this kill your confidence?
Would really appreciate honest advice.