Every Job has its Challenges

I believe one of the worst jobs in the world is waitressing, mostly for the fact that someone else is determining your pay. On the other hand, waitressing can be a very rewarding job, but not so much for your feet.

There are times when I believe that people are too harsh on their servers for reasons beyond their control, i.e. when the cooks screw up your order. In our defense, we cannot monitor everything that goes out to the tables, but we do try. We try to take care of everything, but that's also the upside to good teamwork.

I have been waiting tables for almost three years, give or take some time. While I enjoy the social aspect of the job and the never-ending work helps the time pass, I really am starting to develop a negative relationship with my evening job. I realize that most people have never worked in a restaurant and fail to realize the dynamics of a restaurant. They often seem to forget who is preparing their food. Of course there are times when servers screw up and put the order in wrong, but if something is overcooked or undercooked, it is clearly not the server's fault. While servers have to deal with the customer and practically lay at their feet and beg them for forgiveness, why can't they get a little leniency at the end of the night?

To make your dining experience more pleasant, here are a few tips for the tipper:
- Servers, like the rest of the working world, have bad days too.
- Verbal tips do not help pay the bills.
- It is not necessary to yell at your server. We are perfectly capable of understanding your indoor voice and are more willing to fix the problem when you cooperate.
- We don't ignore you, so we would appreciate acknowledgment in return when we greet you and those you are with.
- You are not our only table, so plan ahead and try to avoid asking for something different every time we approach you.