College is hard. Yes, because of grades, but also because of money. Without money, how will I feed my Qdoba habit? How will I pay for the outrageously priced text books that I only need for one semester? How will I afford school? For the past three years, I have been a server at the local Tex Mex restaurant. And for the past three years, something has happened each shift to make me want to pull my hair out. Now, I'm not saying it's all bad all the time, but, boy, do we servers deal with some annoying things.
1. "Hi. How are you?" "Sweet tea. No lemon."
Usually, I try to approach each table happy and personable. I'm going to be at work for a while, so I might as well enjoy it. Nothing turns a good table into a bad one quite like being cut off mid-sentence so someone can get their glass of sweet tea.
2. Please put your phone away ...
Hello? I'm trying to get your order. I don't understand why people continue to play on their phones while I try to take their orders. Not only is it a little insulting, it slows everything down. Like, you don't get food until I get your order.
3. Oh, great. Kids.
Some people say babysitting is great birth control. I say serving is. Yes, your child is adorable. However, their screaming and throwing french fries and applesauce across the restaurant is not.
4. Extra Ranch? BRB.
Yes, I would love to get you some extra ranch. It's gonna have to wait a second though since I am currently being crushed under the weight of this tray holding your food. My favorite thing is when someone asks for the ranch again right after I've sat the food down. Clearly, I have not had time to run back to the kitchen and grab your ranch. And now, I'm going to be slow on purpose.
5. Who's on which check?
Why can't you just sit together? Or tell me at the beginning? Or both?
6. Half-off coupon? No tip for me.
I guess some people don't realize this, but you are supposed to tip off of the original price, not the discounted price. Look at it this way: your discount didn't let me work less, so why are you tipping me less?
7. Five minutes until close ... sure, we're open.
Don't be mad when half the cook line is shut down and I'm distracted with side-work. Most of us have a list of chores a mile long to do. And most of that can only be done once you leave.
8. You want how many pieces of silverware?
Fifty on day shift is manageable. Seventy-five at night is annoying AF.
9. Salad station ... really?
If only I could snap my fingers and have it magically be done. Instead, I'm running back and forth between the walk-in, the salad station, and the dining room because that one table still wont leave.
10. But I don't want to work with them ...
It might be that closer who just yells all the time, or that one server who shows up an hour late. It might be the busser who only cleans one of your tables and still demands a tip, or the host who just doesn't know how rotation works. No matter who it is, the shift seems twice as long with them there.
11. I thought I requested this day off.
Plans on NYE? Plans on Mother's Day? Haha. Nice try. You're working a double.
