You do not truly appreciate your waiter or waitress until you have spent some time on the other side of the table. Waiting tables is certainly no easy task when you're balancing a million things all at once for an extended period of time, but the skills acquired from the position are ones that are guaranteed to stick with you for the rest of your life. After spending the past two and -half years of my life waiting tables for a pizza place near my home, I can truly say that waiting tables holds a special place in my heart. The job keeps you constantly on your feet, on your toes and ready for the next task to come your way. Here are a few of the life skills we waitresses can take away and direct towards our everyday lives.
1. Multitasking
Nothing says “Hell on earth” quite like a lunch rush on a Sunday afternoon after church lets out. One minute you’re washing a single dirty cup, and the next minute you have four new tables, seven new orders, a spill to clean up and a high chair to retrieve, all while another flustered employee is yelling for someone to refill the ice bins. By being the amazing waitress that you are, you have mastered the task of carrying three different tables' drinks, remembering who did and did not get diet and carrying a wash rag all at once in order to save time and keep your tables happy. Have an order to put in and a cup to refill? Not to worry, simply pop that sucker on the soda machine and punch in that urgent order while it fills up. Skills like these have proven helpful during the lunch rush and will most certainly tie into your everyday life and schoolwork. Thanks, waitressing.
2. Prioritizing
Alongside multitasking, prioritizing has also become second nature to us super-humans of the food industry. Thanks to waitressing, figuring out which tasks are more urgent than others and which ones can wait is easy as can be. Table 15 needs a coffee, little Johnny wants crayons and you have an order to run? Do not fret, young one, clearly coffee takes awhile to brew, so start that machine first. Grab the food so your table doesn’t get upset and little Johnny will still have plenty of time to color. You’re a pro at reading body language, and you can tell who needs attention quicker than others.
3. Patience
“Of course sir…. Even though I have no control over the amount of “bubbles” on your pizza, I’ll take it back to the kitchen to have it remade.” As if I don’t have a million other things to do. You think to yourself while managing to keep a superb attitude. Even though we may not like it, the golden line of any job that works with the public is the customer is ALWAYS right, even if you think they’re crazy. From the amount of perfectly good orders sent back to be remade, to the millions of spills kids cause within an alarmingly short period of time, waiters and waitresses are pro actors, navigating our way through it all with a smile on our faces and grace in our step.
4. You don’t take crap from ANYONE
This is a skill that becomes evident outside of the restaurant. Waiters and waitresses are pros at detecting lies, drama, difficult personalities and straight up jerks. After spending an entire day pretending not to care, we immediately become intolerant to any form of BS and will point it out without hesitation. We are pros at sticking up for ourselves, and we aren’t afraid to say so. Talking to strangers is our job - don’t think we aren’t scared to yell at you.
5. You are tough as nails.
You have literally seen it all, from awkward family disputes in the restaurant that result in some raised tempers, birthday parties that consist of 50 small children taking up your entire section, to food objects launched directly onto your face. You have dealt with large groups that leave you a $2 tip and tables who yell at you over something that is out of your control. Due to these difficult encounters, your game face is stronger than ever, and any feelings you have that could get hurt are left in your car before you clock in. The dining room can be a brutal place, and no one gets out without a few battle scars.
6. You basically have a degree in theater.
We make our money based on tips, and because of this we are willing to do anything to make that tip big. When a customer starts to tell you a rambling story of their 20-year-old son in college who used to wait tables too, you stand there and smile painfully while trying to stay engaged in the conversation. If a customer starts asking about your personal life or school work, you bet your bottom we will talk to them for 10 minutes about how well our life is going, even though everything is falling apart. Don't worry ma'am, I would LOVE to hear about your cat.
7. You can’t please everyone
Sometimes you get a table their refill and complimentary bread sticks and they still give you attitude. The world is full of people who are simply just angry or difficult, and there is nothing you can do to change that. A tip can most certainly be a reflection of your service, but more often than not it’s a reflection of the customer's mood. It’s important not to take anything too personally and to not sweat the mean tables. Keep a calm attitude, listen to their requests and more than anything else, ALWAYS be polite.
