Summer 2016 has been a summer for the books, and I owe it to my friends, family, and, wait for it, my job. I am a server at a restaurant in a resort town called the Wisconsin Dells. As I reflect on my first experience being a server, I can’t help but wish ALL teenagers had to work as a server, at least once. There are 10 things I have learned in my first summer as a server that I feel all teens should have to experience, because trust me, these experiences have lead me to some of the best life lessons I have ever had.
1. You learn that it's all about attitude.
As a server, you have to be nice, or at least fake it, in order to make your money. Here in Wisconsin, servers are paid a minimum wage of as little as $2.33 an hour compared to the usual $7.25 an hour non-servers make. You don’t have the stability of a guaranteed minimum wage, therefore you must learn to work harder than ever before. Every day you have to have a good attitude, regardless of how rude, sloppy, or ungrateful your guests might be, this job requires you to put your best foot forward, present yourself as a well mannered, classy individual, and give EVERYONE a smile with the hope that you will get one, and some cash, in return.
2. You learn how to multi-task.
I understand that other jobs, and even school can teach you how to multi task, however multi tasking like a server is a whole new skill. Between checking your section for new guests, talking with your guests, waiting on their every need, and taking food and drink orders, a server must also keep their section clean, buss their tables (if you have a bus boy, God bless you) clean the back of the restaurant, get side work done, roll silverware, and make desserts. Remembering who needs what, why they need it, and when they need it is a very difficult to do all at once. You HAVE to remember everything, because one mistake could turn a potentially good tip into a poor one. When money is on the line, your multi tasking game must always be strong.
3. You learn to deal with all types of people.
As a server, many of your guests will be genuinely good people who care about you and the restaurant, but there will also be those guests that don't. There will be guests that test your patience, that can barely look up from their phone to give you their order, and that make the table look like Hurricane Katrina went through. We have all done it before, but taking 50 salt and pepper packets and pouring them into every drink glass is no longer cool when you are the one who has to clean it up. On the flip side, you will meet the cutest elderly couples and the most sincere families who actually listen after they ask you about your day. The array of kind people will help you reestablish your faith in the humans race, and at the end of the day, all the good people outweigh the bad, I promise.
4. You learn to appreciate dishwashers & cooks.
Every time I serve, I think to myself "At least you don’t have that job!" These workers take a lot of the hits from the managers, and they are a key part of the process, but are often forgot about. Once you work as a server, you never forget about them because they do so much for you. So be grateful and thank them every once in a while.
5. You learn to value money.
You will have your fair share of good tips, bad tips, no tips, and extraordinary tips, but as a server you are always working for that extraordinary tip. Your money reflects your hard work, and you take pride in what you carry home every day. Some days you won’t make as much as other days, but it’s the bad days that make you appreciate a big pay day that much more.
6. You make friends.
Coworkers truly turn into friends if you are a server. Whether they are old, young, from your town, or from 1000 miles away, you get to know each other and appreciate the stories and advice they tell you. Coworkers are also your go to gossip buddies and you share all the dirt and hot secrets with each other. It’s a unique bond to say the least.
7. You treat your servers better.
After being a server, your attitude about servers changes. When you go out to eat, you have sympathy for your servers and you treat them with the same respect you would like to receive on the job. You don’t try to be needy, and you correct the people you are with if they start being disrespectful to your server. You understand them and what they are going through, and you try to treat them better than you are treated.
8. You become a teacher.
After enough experience, your managers believe you are qualified enough to train new servers. Teaching someone based on guidelines, state laws, and other health codes is hard, and this teaches you patience. Although you might not know everything, you learn trust in your own abilities in order to make your coworkers the best servers they can be.
9. You learn to work professionally with others.
As I covered in #6, most of your coworkers will become friends to you. However there will be people you clash with, and that’s totally normal, however, as a member of a team and a business, you need to learn how to work cohesively. When you have 16 servers running around on a Saturday night trying to make money and get out on time, you will inevitably run into a few issues with others and their work ethic. An open mind is necessary, and a filter on your mouth works well too. The longer you serve the more you learn to move on, mind your business, and help when you can instead of adding to the problem.
10. Your learn that you don't want to serve for the rest of your life.
Some people serve deep into adult hood, or after the usual retirement age. You do what you have to do for money, but I think if all teenagers experienced serving, more and more would realize that it’s not a job they want to do for the rest of their life. Unless you really have a passion for refilling one dad's Coke 10 times, or asking about dessert (when you know they don’t want it), then that’s okay. But as for me, I know this is temporary. I need money for my college education. Simple as that. So if you are like me, keep smiling, keep serving, educate yourself, and work hard, so that one day you can land your dream job!
