Working in a restaurant can be one of the best and worst learning experiences. Sure, it can be a pain having to deal with rude customers and a backed up kitchen. But after working in a restaurant, you understand the pain of your own server when you go out to eat -- you know what they must be going through, so you learn to be patient and compassionate. Here are eight things to remember to help make your server's day a little more enjoyable when you are out to eat.
- Clean up after your kids.
You’re going to let your child throw food everywhere and then you're just going to leave it there? Your home must be a smelly mess if you're letting your infant do that out in public... Please, for your server's sake, for everyone's sake, clean up after your kids.
- If something goes wrong with your meal, it may not be the servers fault.
Your server doesn’t make your food for you -- they simply grab it from the kitchen and bring it to your table. Your server's just as surprised as you are that your order didn't come out perfectly.
- The server will get to you as soon as they can.
There are 100 other people in this restaurant -- try to understand that you’re not the only table your server is taking care of. They are trying their best! - Don’t camp out.
You finished your meal an hour ago… Why are you still sitting there? By you waiting at your table for that extra hour, your server could potentially lose a table, which would mean that they would lose that table's tip money.
- Be courteous.
If I’m introducing myself and explaining something to your table, please don’t cut me off in the middle to take your drink order…it’s just rude. - Don't nitpick every. Little. Thing.
You’re out to have a nice dinner with company. If one thing goes wrong, don’t hold a grudge and also try to find something wrong with everything else. Enjoy your time out. - This is how I make my money.
“$3 for a tip! Golly gee willicker! I can go buy a pack of gum!” Meanwhile, I have a cellphone bill, a car payment, and college to pay for. Gee, thanks for the help...
- This job may seem easy, but at times it’s not.
A server doesn’t just take orders- they are constantly multi-tasking and running around like a maniac in order to make sure that every table is happy.
Just try to keep these things in mind when you go out to eat- it’ll mean a lot to the server… more than you could imagine.
