Whether you are currently a server or you used to serve, anyone that has experienced waiting tables will surely relate to many, if not all of these signs. Serving takes a lot of patience, hard work and you obtain a variety of people skills. While serving may not be what you do for the rest of your life, it certainly will stick with you. Good luck breaking these habits! Serving slowly, but surely becomes a way of life.
1. You wake up at four in the morning realizing that you never took ranch to table 22.
We all have had that table that asks for ranch ten different times. No matter how many other things they see you doing, ranch is all they are worried about. Luckily, you will sometimes get a table that will only ask once and those poor, polite people will have to wait until four in the morning to receive it by the time you remember.
2. "Oh, I'm so sorry about that" becomes key vocabulary.
Put on your happy face and no matter how wrong they are, just smile and nod.
3. Telling the soccer mom with the bob cut that you will go grab the manager.
Don’t tell me you have never dealt with the soccer mom…
4. Your mind becomes so adapt to calculating tip percentages.
Each time you get a credit card tip, you immediately calculate in your mind whether it was 20% or not.5. You have no weekend. Saturdays and Sundays are for doubles.
Goodbye, social life! You can go out after 11:00 once the restaurant is closed.
6. It is easy to approach strangers.
Having to deal with strangers every day, it becomes easier to approach them on a daily basis.
7. You find yourself holding the door open for people everywhere you go.
I do this EVERYWHERE. Each time I am at the front of the restaurant, I hold the door open for those entering and exiting. This habit does not leave once I walk out the door.
8. You tell strangers in the grocery store to have a nice day.
It’s always awkward when they look at you funny wondering why you are telling them this. What’s wrong with being polite anyway?
9. You see the host carrying a high chair towards your section and want to scream.
No! No! No! Please be taking a short cut to another section.
10. Wanting to come on the clock early to make extra money, then immediately regretting that decision.
This is usually never a good idea.
11. Hoping the host likes you today.
Have you ever been to a restaurant and wonder why one server is running around like a chicken with its head cut off and another server is sitting calm in a corner on their phone? I used to host myself and I will be the first to admit that sometimes it has to happen. The server in A1 is the only place a party can fit. But sometimes, it’s as if it’s let’s make so and so ride the struggle bus today. Hey, it’s money at least though, right?
12. You go into work prepared to make over $100 like the previous night, when in reality it’s as if the apocalypse is upon us with how dead it is.
This is always the worst. Not having a set paycheck is a minor setback when it comes to serving.
13. Hating with a passion having to split checks.
You might as well tell your other tables they have to wait for the turn of the century to be back. Splitting checks is the devil of serving life.
14. Mentally giving yourself a high five for every alcoholic beverage, dessert and appetizer you sell.
You go girl! (Or boy) I knew I wasn’t a weak server.
15. Finding pens everywhere except your apron.
Your car, room, book bag, purse, pockets all seem to have a pen handy. But as soon as you reach into your apron to take an order, it’s as if all those pens are none existent.
16. Your coworkers become some of your closest friends.
Some of my coworkers have become my best friends. Whether it’s bonding by talking about how table 33 has taken 15 minutes just to look at the drink menu, or you just become close by getting along, us serves have a special bond with one another.
While serving may provide difficult days on occasion, we still should be lucky that we have the job we do. No matter how little we may take home some days, we still leave the restaurant with cash every night. We become close to those we work with and meet some great people that come in, especially our regulars that always tip $20 no matter what, am I right?!
