We've all been out to eat before, and we've all experienced the annoyance of having terrible service, food, or time in general. Working at a restaurant might seem like one of the easiest jobs you can have. I mean, how hard could it possibly be to take orders and serve food?
However, there's quite a bit that goes unseen behind the scenes. It's one of the best jobs you can have, but dealing with customers is not always the best. There are just some things that you learn and experience from this job that is different from any other workplace.
It's super fast-paced.
When going to eat a restaurant, you might be a little annoyed if it takes too much time for your food to come out or your drink to be refilled. Now, think of how much running around your server is doing. You aren't their only table, they're dealing with several parties like your own.
Servers are always running around making sure every glass is filled and order is sent to the kitchen while checking in on you and your needs. Waiting for all of your food to come at once and serving you with the proper etiquette so your dining experience will be fantastic. It's a lot of running around and being alert to when people need something or someone arrives.
You will be all over the place, so make sure you wear comfortable shoes and don't slip in the kitchen.
Everything is teamwork based
You're surrounded by people who each have a certain job to make sure customers meal is executed perfectly. Without the host, busser, kitchen staff or bartender, a server would be unable to give good service.
Everything is done to make sure everyone is helped up to standards, which can require needed help from your co-workers to get everything out and ready like it supposed to. Not to mention, some of the conversations you'll have if it's a slow day or in the kitchen during working hours will be quite entertaining.
Your co-workers know the struggle of working with people and food just as much as you do. You will probably forget the ingredients of some dish or what the daily specials are but your co-workers are always available to remind you.
You're working for that tip
In a restaurant, the tip you leave on the check is what the server is being paid. That's how they make their money. So, it's important to be respectful and note that just because your food isn't amazing, IT ISN'T YOUR SERVERS FAULT. They are going above and beyond to get the desired tip, it's the main incentive behind every table.
The bigger the party, the bigger the tip. The more expensive the food, the more money in your pocket. We will probably try to convince you slyly to order the prime rib or add a dessert, but we also don't want to come off too pushy.
If you have a problem with your meal or the restaurant, we want to make sure it's solved, but that is our manager's job.
Every day is a new day
It's hard to predict when it's a good day to work in a restaurant. There are some points in the day that are destined to be slow, and you just can't predict when it will be. The weather, time of year, the day of the week, and time of day are all factors that contribute to how much money you're going to make, it's all a gamble. Not every day is a good day for the general public to want to go out and eat, sometimes a night at home is preferred.
Your meal experience is important to us
We like and know how to interact with people. It's our job to know what customers want. We want to provide you with good service and a good experience, so don't be too hard on your server.
There are more factors then you know going into the execution of your meal. Working in a restaurant allows you to be exposed to many different types of people and gain skills that you can apply in different areas of work.
Not to mention, the free food during a break or after your shift is a huge perk for all of us.
