6 Lessons You Learn As A Waitress

By Abigail Vinas on February 21, 2016

It wasn’t until my junior year of college that I got my first job and was hired as a waitress at a local sushi restaurant. As I later came to realize, waitressing can certainly be stressful and hectic, but it was an experience that taught me several valuable lessons that could be applied to jobs in other fields or life in general.

1. Always smile.

Smile when you greet new customers that walk into the restaurant and smile as they leave after finishing their meal, with a perky “thank you!” A good mood can be contagious. Research shows that putting on a smile can actually lift your spirits and reduce stress. Fake it ’til you make it.

2. No, the customer is NOT always right.

I worked as a waitress for fifteen months and there were countless instances in which people proved that customers can, in fact, be dead wrong. Either they mistook one food item for another or they expected their meal to come with something specific despite the menu clearly saying no such thing. Maintaining high quality customer service is vital to every business but sometimes it’s the customer who is mistaken.

3. Clarification is key.

You’ll always get that customer whose order is so excessively complicated. They want something taken out, something else added in, steamed instead of fried, and the sauce on the side. Waitresses aren’t mind readers, so as a customer, make sure to always communicate clearly. As a waitress, remember to clarify so that everything is made how it’s supposed to.

4. Don’t spread your negativity.

Your waitress is there to optimize your dining experience so it doesn’t help if you bark orders or are intentionally rude. They will get paid whether you are friendly or not, but there’s no need to be a grinch to someone who has nothing to do with whatever bad day you’re having.

5. Fast math isn’t always accurate math.

At the restaurant where I worked, we wrote our checks and did all our calculations by hand. I’d frequently be hurrying to total up checks especially when multiple tables ask for their bills at the same time. Speed has the potential to affect accuracy so just like in math class, be sure to double-check your work!

6. Some things are just out of your hands.

It’s not the waitress’s fault if your food is taking forever — all they do is put the order in and then bring the food out to you when it’s ready. We have no power over how busy the restaurant gets and a shortage of patience can definitely cause problems. Don’t blame someone for something that is clearly out of his or her control.

 

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