Working in the public service industry is one of the most common jobs to have in high school and college. I have worked in the food service industry since I was 16 and have been a waitress for four years. Being a waitress taught me so many valuable skills such as multitasking, working in a team, and problem-solving. But most importantly, waitressing has taught me one thing in particular: patience.
One of the most valuable skills I have learned while being a waitress is patience. This is an attribute that I truly thought I had — until I began waitressing. The customers range anywhere from very pleasant and enjoyable to talk with, to downright annoying and rude. I love being able to approach a table where everyone is kind and treats me with respect. These types of customers make it so my long shifts, especially when I’m working a double, go by quicker. In addition to their kindness, they also tend to be the group of people who tip well. There is nothing better than walking out of work after a long day and seeing that all your hard work has paid off.
On the other hand, there is nothing worse than initially going over a table to introduce yourself and knowing that they are going to be difficult. Being ‘difficult’ can mean a variety of different things. For example, they are constantly waving you over to bring them something, they need to make modifications to each and every item that they order, or maybe they are just plain rude to you. After running around to provide the best service to the customers, it is exhausting to see that they barely tipped you for your service. A large percentage of people who work in the food industry depend upon customers’ tips in order to pay their bills and support themselves and their families. Unfortunately, not a lot of people know that and tend not to take it too seriously. By tipping your servers in a way that reflects their service, they will be more likely to go out of their way to make sure you have the best experience possible.
The saying ‘patience is a virtue’ is one that strongly applies to those working in the food industry, especially servers. In the years that I have been a waitress, I have learned to stay calm in situations where I am annoyed or angry at a customer. There have been many instances where a customer will say something inappropriate about my appearance and, as servers, we are not allowed to get angry or raise our voices at them. Other times, customers will say something so harsh, that it brings you to tears. Servers are always told that ‘the customer is always right’ and that we cannot argue with them. Moments like these have taught me that sometimes you simply have to keep your thoughts to yourself and move on. A phrase that keeps me going when I am working is ‘smile and nod.’
Serving has also taught me different skills such as multitasking and memorizing. Most days that I serve, I am always doing more than one thing at once, such as sending an order through to the kitchen and talking to another customer. Waitressing is also a great way to work on your memorization skills. After I memorized the menu, I can now take peoples’ drinks and food orders without writing them down. I can even go to a few tables and take different tables’ orders and then send them to the kitchen all at once. This is a great skill to bring forth in my school work in order to prepare for exams.
In my years as a waitress, I have had the opportunity to work with some amazing people and meet many wonderful people. This being said, I have also served some of the rudest people I have ever met. Having to work in an environment where customers throw hardships at you every day, I have learned how having patience in the workplace is one of the most important virtues to possess.
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