We’re in college, most (if not all) of us have a part time job of some sort. If you’re as lucky as my roommate, then you get to work at a desk job that has minimal responsibilities and you get to spend the majority of your shift doing homework. However, the chances are that most of us are in food service. I’m a server at the eat-in restaurant in my school’s student union and I have to say, there are some truths to food service you never know until you work in it.

1. Your feet will kill you and your legs will be sore.

I’m on my feet for hours without a single chance to sit down and rest; by the time my shift is over, all I want to do is lay down in my bed with some heating pads while I catch up on my homework. So the moral of this story, be a little nicer to the person serving you food because they may be in pain.

2. It’s actually pretty difficult to remember someone’s order.

Sorry, but you aren’t our only table. Often times we have about seven tables at a time that range from 2-12 people. Assuming all seven only have two people at them (the best case scenario), then we still have 14 orders to take care of. So don’t expect us to remember your order to every little detail, we write it down for a reason.

3. The customer is NOT always right.

It’s policy that we read your order back to you so that we are sure we have it correct and you get the food you want. Alas, there is always someone who is convinced we messed because they are 100% sure they said they wanted unsalted fries and we brought them salted. The truth is 9 out of 10 times, they never even mentioned not wanting salt. But we smile and apologize for not listening or hearing them anyway because because we make our salary off of our tips, so we can’t afford to offend them.

4. There are some people who are just going to be rude.

It happens, not everyone is going to be nice to their server. So, it’s best just to smile through it and blow off the steam with your co-workers later.

5. There will be people who are going to be really nice no matter what.

I once had a table that waited for their food for an hour and a half because the kitchen printer never printed their ticket. These people were so understanding and nice saying it was fine and just asked for it to be put into to-go boxes so they could take it to class; they even left me a generous tip. Sometimes people are just nice, it happens.

6. You never want to eat at the place you work.

Honestly, if I’m not getting paid then I’m not sure why I should be there. Why pay for food that I eat all the time when I’m working? Plus, whenever I do go I get roped into taking an extra shift.

7. You have a major appreciation for caffeine.

You’re not only always on your feet but you’re constantly moving as well. Having that kick of caffeine gives you the energy you need to finish your shift.

8. You have an appreciation for water too.

The kitchen is boiling and you are constantly moving, water is the sweetest thing in the world when you’re dehydrated.

9. Your co-workers are amazing.

You need a shift covered? Someone will take it. Don’t have time to grab something from your table? They’ll get it for you. Appreciate them, they have your back.

After you work in food service for a while, you become extremely understanding when someone is serving you. So, hopefully, people will treat those who are serving them a little better than they did before.