I've worked in food and beverage since I was 16. In just the past three years, I've learned a lot from working in this industry. When I reflect on my experience as a server, I find that I have added a plethora of skills and knowledge that cross over into other areas in my life as well. These include verbal communication skills, teamwork, time management, and customer service. Some of my most cherished friendships developed from working together in this industry.
Anyone in this industry knows it can be full of stress and commotion, especially working in a high volume restaurant. These are a few pieces of advice I've taught myself since working as a server in an attempt to remain calm in seemingly disastrous situations. For anyone looking to get their first serving job, or current servers, this list may help you out!
1. You can't please everyone
By this, I don't mean my opinion is you shouldn't care about your guests when it is your job to serve them, after all. But when you're the type of server to get super stressed out because you have an unhappy guest you just cannot seem to accommodate, it may be time to put on a smile and accept this fact. As long as you know you're doing all that you can to provide great service, let them know you have a manager they're more than welcome to speak to.
2. Save the attitude for when you're behind closed doors
Even the sweet and nice servers can turn bitter in a split second when it comes to dealing with a difficult guest. You may want to bawl your eyes out or cuss them out, but honestly, doing that in front of your guests just comes back to haunt you. At all costs, attempt to hold off until you can blow off some steam elsewhere.
3. Keep tables updated on the status of their meal
As a server, sometimes you question whether or your guests understand that you don't cook the food. Now, assume everyone knows this, it still can be likely that you forget to put an order in, or that their food is sitting in the window of the kitchen. But instead of leaving your guests hanging when the kitchen is a little backed up, just stop by and let them know the approximate wait time on their food. If they think you're lying, well, that's on them. But I've found it typically alleviates some annoyance surrounding an impatient guest.
4. Learn from your mistakes
It's inevitable that you will make mistakes as a server. Whether it's forgetting to ring in an order, spilling tea all over a guest, or dropping plates that shatter at your feet- we've all been there, done that. I think it's important not to be too terribly hard on yourself when it comes to making these mistakes, just acknowledge what went wrong and keep it in mind so that you're not likely to do it consistently.
5. Kill them with kindness and don't panic
I'm not sure if everyone is able to do this, but if you are I'm convinced you will see your tips improve and overall stress levels diminish. It's very easy to feed into other people's negativity, whether it's a coworker you don't get along with or a dissatisfied guest. My best strategy has been to try to remain calm and put on a smile. Even when I do get super stressed out, I just take a deep breath and laugh at myself, trying not to let my emotions get the best of me.
The life of a server can be quite hectic, and we're all learning as we go. However, if you can keep yourself in a good mindset and do what you know you should do, you may find many rewards that come from your hard work.
