This article is written for those that have never worked in the restaurant industry. I believe that everyone should have a clear understanding of why it is important to understand this occupation. It is not always just about the tips for the waitress or waiter. They are there to provide you with delicious food, excellent conversation, and overall, a great experience–regardless of how customers may treat them. But sometimes individuals think that when there are problems with the experience, it is always the server’s fault. This then leads the customer to drastically reduce the tip when the majority of the time, the poor experience it is not the server’s fault. For instance, the kitchen may have made a mistake on the dish which is then taken out on the server by the angry customer. Thus, serving is one of the most stressful jobs. The act of being able to please ALL customers is harder than it looks.
A lot of people think that working in hospitality jobs are only temporary jobs. But believe it or not, a vast majority of individuals are able to create a living off of serving. They should be considered real jobs, even if many do not believe so. Some people are probably thinking that that is ridiculous, but servers are able to work 10 hour days, respect all customers (even when dealing with difficult customers), recite a menu backwards and forwards, and create strong bonds with those they serve. If you are able to handle this type of customer service, you will gain life long experiences that you will remember for the rest of your life.
It is also vital for customers to obtain a great understanding of how important a tip is. Servers get paid less than minimum wage and rely on your tip. Many people think that if there is a long wait for their meal or if there is a hair in their food, that it is automatically the server’s fault. Thus, this leads them to leave them a poor tip. or sometimes, even no tip at all. It is not about the server being greedy, but it is just the idea that they are gaining nothing in return, when it was not something that they could fix.
Although, from time to time, it can be difficult for some to put on a smile during some circumstances. If a server takes this out on a customer and provides them with poor service, then one must understand why they received a low tip. Servers may have days when they are super stressed out or are just not feeling like themselves, which has the ability to take a toll on their customer service.
Servers are currently relying on the generosity of their customers in order to earn money. The experiences various servers have to deal with, especially with some men can be very disturbing. Sometimes it can be out of strictly friendliness but a lot of the time, the little comments can be quite disrespectful. With that being said, all servers should be treated with respect and should be treated as equal.
I encourage those who are reading this to reconsider the way you treat not just servers, but all who surround you.