The best way to meet the worst people is by working in food service, and hard work, corrupt bosses, entitled customers, long hours and variable pay are not exactly enticing. The rewarding part about food service is not the actual work, but that it can prepare employees for any job.
Working in a restaurant is a great way to build customer service skills. Tips (usually) depend on how customers feel they have been treated, meaning servers need good customer service skills to make a decent wage. Restaurant workers learn to be kind, upbeat, forgiving, nonjudgmental and almost overly apologetic.
"The customer is always right," even though they're not, so workers essentially have to act as servants willing to comply with any demand. When problems arise, servers are expected to work with the customer to make changes. However, customer service is the easiest part of the service industry.
Working as a server, barista or in any other service position requires a substantial amount of multitasking. A server may take one table's order, then bring drinks to the next, take plates off another and bring food to yet another. There is rarely time to rest. These skills turn good workers into great workers in the professional world. Staying on top of multiple projects at once and not messing anything up in the process is a gift.
While dividing their attention between different tasks, food service workers still have to pay close attention to detail. What seems like a silly mix-up could trigger a food allergy or dock your tip. Putting in an order without the right sauce could be the difference between making $20 and $50 for a server.
The stakes are high, especially with difficult customers. Food service workers are often checking orders multiple times before fulfilling them. Once in the habit of constantly checking work, that habit does not leave, even when one is no longer working in food service.
Should something get mixed up, workers must have astute problem-solving skills. When customers complain, servers need to find a simple and attainable way to not only fix the issue, but also restore the trust and respect of the customer, which is easier said than done. Every server learns that it takes intelligence and humility to own up to and solve their problems.
Food service workers also understand the importance of preparing for and staying on top of their work. If prep work is not sufficiently done, the job becomes more difficult. For instance, if a server does not restock condiments when they should, then when a table simply asks for ketchup, the server may lose up to five critical minutes searching for what they need.
In those five minutes, a server could have been given two more tables, their customers could have decided their orders and the cooks could have prepared a dish that needed to be taken out. Five minutes can ruin a shift.
Luckily, when things get stressful, servers can usually rely on their coworkers for help. For things to run smoothly, everyone must do their part and help each other. For example, servers must help each other carry food to tables. A server can carry four people's dishes, maximum, assuming they can carry three plates on one arm and one in their other hand.
If a server has a table of more than four people, having one or two coworkers helping to carry dishes eliminates the inconvenience of taking multiple trips. Teamwork is what many people consider the most important skill in any job.
Working in food service is grueling work that is both mentally and physically taxing. Good servers are doing much more than customers can see. If more people worked in food service during their late teens and early 20s, there would be more highly skilled employees in the workforce.
So, tip your service workers and try to understand that they are not just working at restaurants because they can't get hired anywhere else. Because chances are, they are some of the most talented workers you will ever meet.
Kenzie Shuman is a sophomore studying Journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Kenzie know by emailing her at ms667222@ohio.edu or messaging her on Instagram @zieshuman.
