Having worked in the restaurant business since I was 15, I’ve had my ups and downs with the service industry. Sometimes I am passionate about serving tables and driven to create the best guest experience possible; sometimes, I swear I will never serve another table again. Yet somehow, I find myself picking up shifts at the same and/or a new restaurant every summer. Deep down, I know I love it, and I’ll probably find myself serving a shift or two on my weekends until – and maybe even once – I’m retired. Here are five lessons I’ve learned from my time in the restaurant industry:
1. How to Tip
First of all, working in restaurants taught me how to tip properly. In case you didn’t know, servers have to tip out on their sales!!* This means that at the end of their shift, they give, for example, 4% of their sales back to the restaurant. The assumption is that servers are receiving more than 4% of their sales in tips (side note: it’s 10% for poor service, 15% for average, and 20% for excellent). So if you skip the tip, your server is essentially taking money from their own pocket to have served you. So 1) tip your servers and 2) tip accordingly!
*This varies between restaurants, as some establishments pool tips or follow some other tipping format. Usually, if primarily one person is serving you and their name is on your receipt, they have to tip out on your bill.
2. Communication is Key
Being a server will push you out of your comfort zone more than you think it will. I walked into my first training shift as a shy, introverted, and very awkward teenager. Unfortunately for me then (but fortunately for me now), being successful in any front-of-house restaurant position is completely contingent on your ability to talk to people. You have to communicate with your team and your guests in order to get things done, as well as receive the help you need to get your job done. You can’t run a restaurant by yourself and you can’t ignore the expertise and capabilities of your colleagues.
3. How to Deal with Difficult Customers
You will not have 100% good tables throughout all your shifts. You WILL eventually get “that table.” The table that walks in knowing they will make at least one server and one manager miserable today. The table that has preplanned their complaints. The table playing a secret game to try not to smile throughout the entire meal – that is, until they finally get some part of their bill comped. The table that will yell at you when you have been nothing but nice and have done nothing wrong. The table that will take all your time and prevent you from providing service to your other tables (with customers who will tip). I actually have a theory there is a secret society of people who go restaurant to restaurant complaining about everything just so they don’t have to pay for their meals. *EXHALES*… Long rant short: you will get that table and life will go on. The most important thing to remember is that it is not your fault. Dealing with these customers really tested my patience and ability to stay level-headed in extremely stressful situations, but overall has made me a better server.
4. How to Balance and Prioritize Multiple Tasks
Having worked as a hostess for three years before becoming a server, I thought I would excel in the job immediately. Turns out: serving is a very hard job. The most important thing to know is that you can’t do everything, and customers don’t really expect you to either. You will develop your memory skills and will get better at prioritizing the 1000 things you have to do during your shift. It comes with practice and it also teaches you a handful of useful transferable skills such as time management, efficiency, and effective task prioritization.
5. How to Talk to People
You will encounter every type of person out there while working in the restaurant industry because, well, everybody has to eat. As such, you will also learn that different clientele will want and respond better to different types of service. Some customers come for an experience – they want to enjoy their meal, the atmosphere, and, of course, the service. Other customers just want to get in and out as fast as possible and value very fast service. As a server, you have to decide what type of service you strive to provide and work at an establishment that attracts this type of clientele. Do not rush customers who want to sit long past their meal is done and do not chat up customers who are in a rush. Interpreting client needs and effectively adapting to these needs is another skill that comes with practice and time.