Good day my lovelies!
Today I've decided to take a different approach still all truths, just of a profession... so.lets.get.started.
Truth Thursdays of a Restaurant Server.
1. Be Nice. People spit in food. I have never done it. That doesn't mean my fellow co-workers didn't. After being asked to heat up a bowl of soup for the 30th time, telling her that she's too dumb to properly heat soup and then demand a manager to complain... yeah you'll find spit.
2. I was a certified trainer. Serving and training my heart out. However when these people "supposedly" loved me I had asked to leave Iowa and transfer to a store in Houston my general manager told me "I'm not sure it's going to work, you have so many up and down days I'm not sure you'd do well somewhere else", so much for being special, she basically just called me insane.
3. Less is more. It would make you sick to know how many refills individuals asks for (no I'm not referring to soda) I'm talking bread, dressings, etc (trying to not devulge where I work! It's harder than I thought). I know not everyone watches a calorie count but trust me, no one needs that last roll.
4. Snow vs Rain. I've learned two things, Snow brings customers in Des Moines, Rain keeps customers away in Houston. It could be that in Iowa people are tired of being stuck inside from all the cold so a night out on the town sounds fun, where as in Houston rain doesn't happen often so everyone likes to steer clear.
5. Friends 4 Life. Your server friends are your best drinking buddies. The closest bar from the restuarant you'll find everyone with their shirts and aprons in tow with a beer in front of them. They never let you down when in need of a drink.
Best job I've worked to date.
Any stories with serving? Any stories in other jobs?
51 comments:
this is really great :)
Worked as a ward clerk in a hospital for a couple of years. I could tell you about doctors. The good, the bad, and the ugly....
I know what you mean about the spit...I always keep that it in my mind when I am in a restaurant:) Just smile...right?..hahah
I worked as a teacher for a few years so I know all about problematic parents:)hahaha
Hugs and kisses,sweetie
Ps: I hope you had a chance to enter my Giveaway!
I worked in the restaurant industry in a past life. I've been a hostess, server, bartender, bar-back cocktail waitress, a jello-shot girl, and cage dancer. I've got stories that would curl your hair. =)
I can be forgetful and a little clumsy so I knew I'd never be a good server. My sister was though in college and I was always so jealous of her tips!!
I have a lot of funny teaching stories. Kids are very honest and blunt and also tell you things that their parents wish they didn't!
Never served, but I am ALWAYS nice because I don't want to eat spit. My mom has probably eaten a lot of spit.
Um, Olive Garden (was thinking bread--ha)? I love these truths, Jen!!! I always cringe when I'm with someone snarky hoping i don't get spit by association!
Tell me the spit thing is only for the crackpots. I've never complained, so I'm hoping I'm safe!
(WV is sadshine...ought to be the opposite of sunshine, don't ya think?)
Ohhh yes. I started waiting tables in high school and kept it up almost all throughout college. I worked fine dining, all you can eat, and the worst place: a college bar on gameday. *shudder*
YES! Exactly. I met my husband while we worked at TGIFridays. In fact he told our manager on the day of my interview that if he hired me he would marry me one day. (Awww) Anyways all of the above is spot on.
Kelly works at Longhorn. It's a steak house around here. She has many horror stories, not about the restaraunt or food, which is really good, but about the customers.
The rednecks down here will ask for a bowl full of lemons, and then use ALL the coffee sugar to make free lemonade out of their water.
The lemonade is only like $1.49 and it comes with free refills, people!
I was a waiter for one month when I was 19. I will never do anything like that again, I couldn't take it.
my college roommate was a server at a fancy pants French restaurant in BR, and I tell ya--she and her fellow waiters/cooks/hosts/hostesses were like ... a mafia family they were so close... LOL!!! :D
I can see you fitting in w/them~ <3
Torture is holding a scorching hot bowl of soup while a little old lady s l o w l y moves her purse from the table while not screaming, "OW!"
hey i used to live in iowa too. I used to work at a fast food joint in london and I heard some dude made some armpit love to the burgers sometimes.
I always worried about that spit thing (even though I never did it). Ick!
But I did goof someone's order and gave them a huge box of rolls instead of the meal they asked for. (It was fast food.) Ah...good times, good times. =D
My husbnad was a server once upon a time it is a tough job. I hate when I see people being rude to servers, yes it their job to "serve" you but it does not mean that they are your personal slave
I was a waitress for years. I had a fake smile plastered on my face for so long that I forgot what a genuine one felt like!
Drop by and enter my CELEBRATE THE LITTLE THINGS GIVEAWAY!
Great post! I love these truths.
I worked in the serving industry and everyone thought I was crazy too - it let me get away with everything. And I never did the spit thing but people who I worked with definitely did.
There was so many times that after work we went to the chinese restaurant like right beside us. It was great fun!
I loved serving. Did it for almost a year (the regulations changed and I had to be moved to hostess as I wasn't yet 21 at the time) But you're so right about all that. Especially the near bar hangout. Not...that I went... >_>
The kitchen and servers played tricks on one another too. One day one of the cooks put the little guide pole in front of the "out" door thinking another server was about to try and bust out the door during a rush, not meaning me to run face first into the door then cartoon fall backwards on my butt.
I've worked in restaurants forever, and I've seen way worse than spit... My worst moment was probably when I spilled iced tea down this lady's back in front of the owner who had specifically told me to take good care of his friends at that table.
...loved this, but eeek about the spit. Thanks for sharing this with us.
hi miss jen! spit???? yikes i didnt ever know that you could get spit in your food at a eating place. ick!!! mostly if you didnt know it was there it couldnt be so icky. i couldnt want to eat and know about it after. then that server could have lots more to clean up then she could want. ha ha. i like your truth stuff. its cool knowing more about you.
...hugs from lenny
Great post Jen. :) You know I've always wanted to work as a restaurant server. I think it just looks like a lot of fun. But apparently it isn't at least not all the time. :)
Oh god, waiting tables! Eek! I served my time for two years at a low end restaurant. One of the worst days in my life was when I had to wait on a table of 15 red hat ladies. Ended up with me in tears in the manager's office while he told me not to worry about it because they were all bitches.
Oh, and getting yelled at because we only had baby lima beans and not "real" lima beans.
I worked at a fast food restaurant for a bit in High School....let's just say I never ate there again after I started working there lol
And it is so true about friends for life no matter where you work. I am still great friends with my co-workers from Tj-maxx and after the store closed we would always head over to the bar :D
Being a server is a lot harder than people think. I've not done it but my sister has, so when we go out, we try to be great patrons. And we always tip, even if the service is lousy, which isn't too often...and I am sure you are always great:)
Happy Thursday,
Karen
Yes, always be nice to your waitress/waiter! Spitting in your food is one of the least icky things they can do! That's awesome that you love your job. I've never been a server but I've had a lot of friends that have!
I'm always nice to my servers and I always make sure that I say thank you.
I've never worked at a restaurant - thankfully! But I did wash whitewalls for eight hours a day at a car wash. Did that for maybe a week. That was all I could take!
I never worked in a restaurant or other food service-type job, but I give credit to those who have/still do. Anytime you deal with consumers, it's never an easy job.
I waitressed a couple of times while I was in school. What a job! You meet some of the nicest people and some of the most obnoxious, never mind cheap, people. The pestiest ones are always the cheapest, I noticed. Teensy little tips after wearing you out.
I never spit, though and I'm always nice to the servers when I go out to eat. And I tip well.
I hear you on the serving stories! I worked in an Italian restaurant in East Texas one summer. You wouldn't believe how much people can eat! How many breadrolls can one person cram down their throat?!
Then there was the time I spilled a jumbo-sized cup of Coke on a man's white shorts... ice ice baby!
Yay for good drinking buddies! I can't imagine all the crazy people you have to deal with, though. Some people are just insane.
Good advice!
Yikes, I didn't know about the spit; I'll try to be extra nice when I'm in restaurants now. :)
I'm taking a nutrition course this semester, and am definitely watching my calories more now. Re-fills are definitely not good.
My first job was a server for two years.
Having parents who love to eat out, one of which always asks for the refills, I totally understand both sides of it.
The funniest story was when an old lady came up to me asking if she could buy some noodles to take home. (We were a chinese place and had those crunchy noodles.) I said of course she could, and she promptly asked me how many noodles were in each bag, as serious as can be. She was so cute!
Her husband winked at me and said "347 exactly!" then purchased three bags and called it good.
I'll never stop smiling at that one.
One thing's for sure: being a server is like going to college. Everyone should do it at least once in their lives because it teaches so much about life and how to work with people, regardless of the education (or payroll) you get.
I have never worked in a restaurant but I have worked in retail, so I can relate to some of these! Sounds like a tough but fun job. Glad you get to enjoy the bar after hours! :-)
Oh man, I always try to be as nice as I can to the servers, even if my order is messed up or they are being slow or whatever. They have a tough job!
P.S. How are you writing so fast on NaNo? GIVE ME YOUR SECRET!
My first job was as hostess at a Chi-Chi's mexican restaurant. I HATED it--mostly because I was the person people who were waiting for a table would stare down. :)
I don't remember much else--except going to punch-out and having to slide on the grease on the floor to make it to the time clock. LOL
My husband is a server, and he has some really crazy stories. Like the 400 pound lady that came in every Thursday and wanted a Diet Coke with exactly an inch of chocolate syrup in the bottom. Yuck!
I'm always nice for that reason. Oh boy would that suck!
Kudos to you. I tried being a server many years ago. I lasted a month--couldn't stop spilling drinks on people. Then, ironically, I became a bartender. ha.
You should always be nice to people who handle your food! Always! :)
I'm sure I have lots of stories. How much time do you have...
I was a server for a month once. Yeah - it didn't stick.
Next I worked for a company called "Allstate". Yeah - thought I'd be selling insurance or something. Nope. Collections. Yes, I was a "collector". Not the creepy kind that haunts your dreams - but still one that most people like to avoid like the plague. It got to a point where I wouldn't answer my home phone, because talking to people on one SUCKED! I'm over it now.... :)
I worked as a waitress in a pizza place during college. I really enjoyed the job. You get your grumpy people now and then, but most of the time it was great fun!
OMG - the whole spitting thing totally freaks me out! And I confess I'm guilty of getting extra dressing... and extra breadsticks at the Olive Garden - yummm! Now I may think twice though. :)
I worked as a waitress & hostess in college, and I have to say that I don't miss the picky, fickle, nasty customers at all!
I was a server in a buffet restaurant. You'd think it'd be easier, not having to serve food (since the customers served themselves), but we had to run drinks and freshen plates and get people in and out as fast as possible... and because it was buffet, NOBODY EVER TIPPED.
SO true! I served for ten years, maybe more, and met my husband at the last restaurant we worked at.
My last story, FLOAT, my MC is a waitress and I use a few examples of how rude and demanding peeps can get. ANd yes, the spit thing too. I never spit, but I had another little faux pas I used. Could never mention it here, tho... I'm sure it's come back to bite me somehow. lol!
I used to waitress way back when, back in the day. One year I changed to hostessing--b/c the hostess got tipped out by all the servers. Plus, the bouncer (busy restaurant in Chicago) used to sneak me cocktails. Score!
Thanks for sharing your server stories! I worked for a couple of years at Ponderosa in high school, but that was so long ago I can't remember it well enough to add any stories of my own. Yes, I'm THAT old. :)
I've heard of #1 before. I've never actually been cranky to waiters...but after hearing that, I now have an abnormal scared-to-death fear of them.
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