1. You learn to deal with unpleasant people.
With a smiling face and some great persuasion skills, you quickly learn that you are always wrong and the customer is right. You also learn to never take anything to heart, everyone has their bad days.
2. The art of multi-tasking.
When you have one table asking for drinks, one ready for their food, and one done with their appetizers, along with your ten other tables, you learn to never leave empty handed at your tables. And especially never go in or out of the kitchen empty handed.
3. You learn to appreciate people in the service industry.
It can be very draining dealing with humans all day long. Like I said, sometimes people are going through stuff that you would have no idea about. Those people include the people serving the general public! It's hard to always have a smiling face when everything else in your life seems to be going downhill.
4. You learn to always be on time, ALWAYS.
No one likes waiting for people. Especially when the other person is counting on you to get off their shift at work. Time is money in this world, and money waits for no one. And as the restaurant industry says, if you're fifteen minutes early you're on time, but if you're on time you're late.
5. It teaches you to work hard at any job.
You learn the importance of working hard, no matter what. In the front of the house, you start off as a busser or a food runner. Once you've perfected that, you move to a hostess and hopefully soon after a server!
6. Patience is key.
You learn to be patient with everyone.
7. Be efficient.
Everyone has off days, but part of the reason people will come back to a restaurant is efficiency. This is true in all businesses; you want the people to keep on coming back.
8. Team work makes the dream work.
My coworkers have become like a family to me. So much, in fact, that I have worked there every summer for 4 years. We help each other out whether it be running food, grabbing a drink order, or just needing someone to vent to! It really helps to know you have someone backing you up.
9. You learn to tip properly!
It's a way of life. We literally live off of our tips. Saying that, you work really hard to earn a certain amount and your patrons should recognize that. However, you should also recognize that when you are the customer having been in their shoes.
