Restaurants are a part of life around the globe. From seven-course Michelin-starred establishments to mom and pop diners, there are options for everyone. And as a server at a variety of restaurants -- from counter service to fine dining and a bunch in between -- there have been valuable Lessons Learned. The role of a server may not be glamorous but it sure does help prepare you for dealing with humanity.
Hungry people are feisty and rude but it’s not personal to the server
It’s truly astonishing how a person’s demeanor can do a 180 after the restaurant gets food inside their belly.
The change is transparent and typically will come with a little remorse over their behavior before that food hit the table. Hungry people are to be dealt with like children. Coddle their emotions to ward off outbursts as you try to get the job done.
The phrase 'different strokes for different folks' is true not just in restaurants
What works for one person could disgust another and a server learns (fairly quickly) that everyone has their own way of doing things. But rather than push against it, working with it is far more effective. If someone wants to eat their salad with a spoon, provide them with the best spoon for the job and let them go at it.
Money does not define the type of person you are
Not at all. Servers have to deal with people from all walks of life, including those with a lot of wealth and those without it, and it is extremely evident that money does not mean anything in terms of the type of person you are. Some of the best tippers are servers themselves and many restaurant customers who believe they deserve something for free are the ones who have more than enough money to pay for it.
People do not like to be corrected
Many times, restaurant customers will have the wrong information, such as believing an item is available that isn’t or how to pronounce a word (what people do with the word Merlot is truly amazing). But servers have to do their job and with that comes having to correct people when they are wrong.
It takes finesse and skill to do it politely and servers are masters at it, learning quickly that it’s all about how you say something.
Being nice is far easier than being mean
Yes, people have bad days and take it out on others. People are opinionated and feel the need to share their opinions with their servers without being asked. Basically, people can be downright mean. But a server learns (again, fairly quickly) that a customer’s attitude reflects on that customer and nothing more. Why not fight fire with water rather than more fire? It’s far easier to manage that way and takes less effort to control.
