Greetings and salutations to you... the readers! This is my first time blogging, so just bear with me. I hope to keep you thinking as well as entertained. Obviously, the things I write are just my thoughts and opinions and you don't have to agree with me. I just ask that you give my words thought and consideration without passing judgement.
So, as many of you know, I am in the Service Industry. I've been working in restaurants and bars for over 15 years now. It has become a part of who I am, however, recently it has become a double-edged-sword. A mighty sharp one at that!
I love what I do and the majority of the people I work with, but lately many customers have made it near impossible to survive. So many angry people who feel like they've been shafted or wronged in some way, seem to go to nice restaurants and treat their servers like they are less intelligent or lower class. They do it by speaking down to them or complaining unnecessarily to a manager in order to maybe get that free dessert or better yet, their whole check comped! Perhaps they do this to feel superior or to boost their already swollen but bruised egos.
Guess what? They look like fools. Mean, negative fools. And really, if you can't afford to pay for that lobster or steak you took yourself out to eat, then you probably shouldn't have gone out. Complaining about your server to get free food is really the lowest of the low. It just makes that server's job harder and it puts their employment at risk. We aren't just a dime a dozen like many would like to think and our jobs are just as important to us as anyone else's job is to them.
Don't get me wrong... This is not everybody. It may only be one guest, one night. That one person who is hellbent on making someone else feel just as bad as they do, even if it is just for a moment. That moment could ruin a server's entire night and affect their income significantly. So, please, I am not directing this at everyone in the world. The people who do this know who they are and I hope this makes them think a little bit.
As our economy struggles we see a whirlwind of change around us. It is terrifying to see so many people out of work, losing their homes and watching their families slowly disintegrating. Everything, they have worked so hard to achieve seems to be slipping through their fingers and they can't see a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Yet, as difficult as it is for most people these days, they all still need to have a sense of "everything is fine". So they take themselves out for a nice dinner, even though, again, they probably can't afford it.
Going out for dinner is more than just getting a few plates of food that someone else cooks. There are many factors that I really think people need to consider a little bit more carefully. The fact is that there is someone else buying the food, someone else is cooking that food, someone else is bringing you that food in a timely fashion, someone else is pouring your drinks, and then someone is cleaning up after you. All you have to do is sit there and enjoy. To me, being able to relax to that extent is priceless, yet so many people take it for granted.
So, I would like to remind you, if you are going to go out for dinner, whether it is fine dining or your local pizzeria, you are receiving a service. You are literally being cared for by an entire staff of people. All of these people rely on your business for their livelihoods. We are not just there to be there and we do not look at our jobs as arbitrary.
We are also human and the occasional mistake can be made by even the strongest of servers. We all make mistakes at one time or another at our places of employment. You wouldn't want to be abused where you work for making a mistake, so don't do that to a server. Be nice to your servers, tip them well. We try to pay our bills with tips. The customer is truly in control of a server's annual income. A server will be so much more inclined to give you the best service possible if you are nice to them. If you are rude and mean, they will still do their job, and even do it well, but with much less enthusiasm. Being rude to your server just makes everyone involved uncomfortable and no one enjoys themselves.
So, that for now is my little tidbit on that.... Until next time....
So, as many of you know, I am in the Service Industry. I've been working in restaurants and bars for over 15 years now. It has become a part of who I am, however, recently it has become a double-edged-sword. A mighty sharp one at that!
I love what I do and the majority of the people I work with, but lately many customers have made it near impossible to survive. So many angry people who feel like they've been shafted or wronged in some way, seem to go to nice restaurants and treat their servers like they are less intelligent or lower class. They do it by speaking down to them or complaining unnecessarily to a manager in order to maybe get that free dessert or better yet, their whole check comped! Perhaps they do this to feel superior or to boost their already swollen but bruised egos.
Guess what? They look like fools. Mean, negative fools. And really, if you can't afford to pay for that lobster or steak you took yourself out to eat, then you probably shouldn't have gone out. Complaining about your server to get free food is really the lowest of the low. It just makes that server's job harder and it puts their employment at risk. We aren't just a dime a dozen like many would like to think and our jobs are just as important to us as anyone else's job is to them.
Don't get me wrong... This is not everybody. It may only be one guest, one night. That one person who is hellbent on making someone else feel just as bad as they do, even if it is just for a moment. That moment could ruin a server's entire night and affect their income significantly. So, please, I am not directing this at everyone in the world. The people who do this know who they are and I hope this makes them think a little bit.
As our economy struggles we see a whirlwind of change around us. It is terrifying to see so many people out of work, losing their homes and watching their families slowly disintegrating. Everything, they have worked so hard to achieve seems to be slipping through their fingers and they can't see a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Yet, as difficult as it is for most people these days, they all still need to have a sense of "everything is fine". So they take themselves out for a nice dinner, even though, again, they probably can't afford it.
Going out for dinner is more than just getting a few plates of food that someone else cooks. There are many factors that I really think people need to consider a little bit more carefully. The fact is that there is someone else buying the food, someone else is cooking that food, someone else is bringing you that food in a timely fashion, someone else is pouring your drinks, and then someone is cleaning up after you. All you have to do is sit there and enjoy. To me, being able to relax to that extent is priceless, yet so many people take it for granted.
So, I would like to remind you, if you are going to go out for dinner, whether it is fine dining or your local pizzeria, you are receiving a service. You are literally being cared for by an entire staff of people. All of these people rely on your business for their livelihoods. We are not just there to be there and we do not look at our jobs as arbitrary.
We are also human and the occasional mistake can be made by even the strongest of servers. We all make mistakes at one time or another at our places of employment. You wouldn't want to be abused where you work for making a mistake, so don't do that to a server. Be nice to your servers, tip them well. We try to pay our bills with tips. The customer is truly in control of a server's annual income. A server will be so much more inclined to give you the best service possible if you are nice to them. If you are rude and mean, they will still do their job, and even do it well, but with much less enthusiasm. Being rude to your server just makes everyone involved uncomfortable and no one enjoys themselves.
So, that for now is my little tidbit on that.... Until next time....
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