Tossing in the Tray

As this quarter comes to a close, and the summer rush of hours of work begins there were a few things that I thought would be appropriate to concluded with.

There are several things that happen within the walls of a restaurant that a guest never sees or does not really understand.

We as servers really do work to make sure that your dining experience is nothing less than great, and just like most people, we treat you the way we would like to be treated.

Although there are exceptions to this rule, on both sides of the coin, our job is to provide a service and create a positive end result. As we work toward this final result and as you are leaving your next restaurant here are some things to keep in mind that are often overlooked.

1. A good tip is 20%.
When a server receives a 20% + tip it makes their day. When we go out of our way for you, it means A-lot to have that reflected in our tip. When tipping 10% on good service, it can honestly hurt feelings and make a server question what went wrong.

2. Our minimum wage is $3.50/hour
A servers income is based heavily on tips. With a $3.50/hour pay rate a server relies on the tips that they make to supplement their income. As most servers rely on their job as their only form of income, that $3.50 is hard to stretch when tip percentages are low.

3. Restaurant relationships are hard to compare.
When working in a restaurant, with tight quarters, on the same shifts, as the same people, and dealing with the same issues both work and often personal related, relationships tend to form. These employees become your ‘work family.’ We learn to love each other despite our faults and get each other out of some tough situations both on the job and in our free time.

4. No-one is out to ruin your meal.
Please believe me when I say, if we had time on our day to calculate plans on how to sabotage a meal, we would not be waiting tables. When a server says that they are sorry they usually mean it despite their tone. Have you ever laughed because you knew that if you didn’t you might cry because you are having an unbelievable rotten day? We have those too. We do not mean to seem insincere or like we don’t care and we really do want everything to go well with your meal. It makes our life easier when things go well, and more times than not, if your food is taking longer than we think it should, we are back in the kitchen reminding the cooks how long they have had the ticket and questioning your meals whereabouts. Trust me, a smiling face makes for a positive place.

5. We do not actually spit in food.
Despite movies, rumors, and old-time myths, servers and cooks do not actually spit in food. First of all this is gross. Second, there is no way we would risk our jobs, or future jobs because of a special request that may take an extra five minutes. Yeah, we may get annoyed, you do too, but there is no exchange of saliva that would make your stomach turn. I have never worked in a place where a server, cook, or other staff employee would follow through on this act of revenge. Honestly, when we get it right for you, you are more likely to return, and your order will become second nature to us. Thus begins the process of turning the once viewed ‘ms./mr. particular’ into a regular guest.

I look forward to seeing any of you in or around the restaurants that I am employed at. For now, I am tossing in the tray, at least as I finish up with the end of my spring quarter and get situated in my summer schedule.

With the influx of guests, new employees, and interesting situations, I guarantee that I will be back to divulge even more into the glorious world of serving at a restaurant.

Thank-you, and have a great day.

Knowing your Limits

As summer approaches and patios open at restaurants, bar drinks are selling like wildfire.

Drink specials, happy hours, and summer events are calling people to enjoy the weather while letting their hair down for an evening. With these fun filled summer nights comes the increase in alcohol check-points and a refresher course to servers on restaurant drinking policies.

As a Max & Erma’s server I was required to attend a training course on alcohol policies that are strictly enforced and refreshed as we enter this fun-in-the-sun season.

The four rules that are taught and that new servers are tested on are:

1. Never serve anyone under the age of 21.

2. Never serve an intoxicated guest.

3. Never serve a guest to the point of intoxication.

4. Never allow an intoxicated guest to drive home.

These all become very important throughout our serving experiences and are relevant to the training program.

Although working in a restaurant and serving in a bar have slightly different avenues, it came to my attention over this Memorial day/ birthday weekend that bartenders are not as strict to these guidelines as servers in a corporate restaurant.

As my best friend and I celebrated our 21st birthdays, bartenders continued to serve us as we progressed through our evenings. Despite the fact that it was our birthday we both reached points of intoxication before the evening was over.

The question of whether or not we had designated drivers was not brought up until the evening was approaching a close and late night lingerers were presented with the age-old statement ” you don’t have to go home but, you can’t stay here.”

Needless to say, we survived and found adequate rides home. The next morning though I was seriously thinking about the policies and agreements that occur as alcohol is being consumed at a restaurant or bar.

Once people leave, the restaurant which they are traveling from is still responsible for the amount of alcohol the driver has consummed. Knowing this, it is important that people understand that if a server “cuts” you off, there is a reason.

Nobody wants to see anyone get hurt. Be that as it may, sometimes guests do not understand why their drinks are not being refilled. Not that this happens on a regular basis, however there are times that we all over-indulge.

Knowing your limits, or allowing someone else to recognize your limits for you, can save a reputation, a morning, and most importantly, a life.

The Face of Change

As a restaurant employee you see change in the faces of those you work with all the time. Despite the people who have been with the restaurant since the foundation was laid, the rollover of employees is traditionally at a high level.

Working in a restaurant is not for everyone. You deal with various attitudes on both sides of the kitchen, varying hours, and no guarantee on the amount of money you are going to bring in on a given shift. Incorporate local college students whose schedules change every few months and people with other family influences on their schedules and you have a plethora of reasons for employees to relocate, cut back on shifts, and unfortunately quit.

Although employees far outweigh management, the faces of management change quite frequently at restaurant chains too. At Bob Evans and Max & Erma’s, managers were shifted throughout their regions on a fairly consistent basis. Although this can be a positive experience for both managers and employees it also does not allow people to gain long-term relationships experience with those in management.

Some may say that there should not be any type of relationship past an authority role between management and employees, however, I beg to differ.

Restaurant environments differ from office, suit and tie, type facilities in that our customers are right in front of us when they have a problem. We cannot collaborate and send them an apology e-mail, it is our responsibility to ensure that they leave happy. This is an experience that usually allows management to bond with their staff. So when those managers are used to working with a certain style of employee and their form of guest relations, it can be different to then introduce a new player to the game.

However, I have been told that change is the only thing that remains consistent. With change we have the opportunity to learn more about the various types of people that we may endure further down the road.

 

A Practiced Balancing Act

One of the key things that is involved with serving is knowing how to carry a tray. Be it food or drinks, the art of balancing the items on the tray can sometimes be tricky and something that one has to work at. Much like the balancing act that is completed as a part of my every day life with work, school, internships, and volunteering, balance is something that I have had to practice and poise myself to do.

This past weekend we celebrated Mother’s Day. Max & Erma’s was quite busy as both large parties and intimate groups came in to show mom how much she was appreciated. I was in a section that incorporated a large party table. Carrying out large trays both of drinks and food forced me to be creative in arrangement so as not to have to make another trip.

As a student, employee, volunteer, and approaching intern, I also have to make the time to get things done properly the first time. I have learned to balance these various activities. In managing my time there are often cases in which I must use a degree of creativity to get done all that I have to do in a day. An extra trip to the computer lab is not usually in my best interest when managing my time is concerned so I must also make sure that my balancing act remain eloquent.

I was nervous to carry the large trays that Max& Erma’s uses for food delivery. At Bob Evans our trays could hold three dinner plates, and sometimes even that was pushing it. However, after realizing that I could in fact carry this larger tray, I became more confident in my capabilities as a server in a new environment.

As a freshman in college I was nervous as to how much I could take on. Although I was extremely active in high school activities, I was also living under my parents roof and did not focus my time to include late evening festivities. I had to relearn how to manage my time as my environment changed. Coming to a new school and starting a new job really served to parallel one another in that aspect.

I have learned quite a bit from my serving experiences. Now as a server at Old Bag I have even had the opportunity to add one more element to my balancing act as we carry our large trays down a flight of stairs. Just one more thing that allows me to see the ways in which I have grown and changed while my tray still remains steady.

Celebrate Me Home

As a front-of-the-house employee I see numerous people on a daily basis. Some of these faces become familiar as seniority builds within a particular workplace or city. The familiar faces are those that can keep both a guest, and an employee coming back.

As a server at Bob Evan’s I was surrounded by people that I grew to love. They became extended family. We would hold conversations about my little brother or their children in college. These were aspects about my job that kept me coming back on a continuous basis, and in learning these things I gained so much more than a monetary tip. Aside from the guest, my fellow employees grew to become some of the best friends that I have ever had.

During my interview at Bob’s, the manager told me that the staff was just like a family. I nodded in agreement and thought “ok sure.” It wasn’t until one of our staff members became a victim to a mugging that my 16-year old mind was wrapped around the idea that our “family,” was simply that.

We were all emotionally shaken by that event and the community members that were coming in for country fried steak and mashed potatoes were also noticeably concerned for us and her.This was an experience that brought us closer together as a store, a group fo friends, and a community.

Since then we have celebrated several different events such as births, weddings, birthdays, acceptance into colleges, and military welcome home parties. It is these events that keep me coming home to Bob’s. With each new baby or wedded bliss, my heart is called back to where I first started serving. I have been in the weddings, at the children’s birthday parties, and the farewell breakfasts to boot-camp. These relationships all contribute to the molding of the person that I am today.

I am fortunate to have such a strong friendship base back home. I can also say that I would have never thought that I would have learned the value of teamwork as it exists in a functional friendship circle had it not been for the nights that I spent hustling around serving up biscuits and gravy to familiar faces that I will never forget.

After all, as my favorite Judy Garland character always says, “There’s No Place Like Home.”

Keeping the Faith

So ever have those days when all you would like to do is walk out of your job? As a server, I have had a few. However, at times like these I have always known that eventually someone will come along that restores my faith in waiting tables and makes my day complete.

I have already ranted about the needy folks that I have had to take care of and their antics in asking for a split burger cooked at two opposite ends of the spectrum, now I would like to compliment those that help in making a servers shift a little more managable.

This past Monday as I was waiting tables at Old Bag of Nails in Westerville, I encountered a group of people that did not much care about my name, or that we had Pepsi products and iced tea, but that promptly informed me that they were on their lunch break. Ironic since I serve lunch there! Regardless, at the same time that this party of six was sat in my section, so was a woman by herself. With a sympathetic look she ordered a glass of wine and told me to take my time. This is like a breath of fresh air when you can tell that a person sincerely means what they are saying.

After the table received their food, ran me around, paid and left, the woman who had patiently waited while her food was prepared revealed to me that she too used to be a server. She told me that she could overhear the table discussing their time schedule and wondered to herself why they hadn’t chosen to go for fast food if they were in such a hurry. We also talked about being students and working our way through school by taking care of those looking to refuel. It was very nice to see someone who truly understood what was going on in that scenario. It was also quite nice seeing someone who had at one time waited tables and was now a successful businesswoman. I aspire to fulfill her role to another young server in our same position someday.

This woman and several other customers that day were more than understanding that our kitchen was on the second floor and that I was taking care of about eight tables at one time. It is days like these that although walking out would be easy, staying through can be so rewarding. Not to get all Hallmark warm and fuzzy about serving fish and chips, however having someone understanding in your corner at the height of your frustration allows for keeping the faith.

 

Learning to Choose Your Battles

So as I said, this could be a functional place for people to come and vent right?

Over the past several years I have learned more times than not that no matter what the problem at a table, it will be taken out on me. Screaming child, bad day at work, husband made a comment about the mother-in-law, and then the traditional, cold food, burger not cooked to the proper temperature, we need a refill, all as I continue to try and see their glass as half full.

These are minor set-backs that I have learned to cope with along the path of choosing my battles. However, sometimes when tested to see how much we can take, certain battles seem well worth the fight. This past weekend I had the privilege of taking care of a family that to say the least, was quite needy. Every time I went back tot he table they needed something, not a big deal except for the small fact that I was serving them on our patio and the kitchen is clear in the rear of the restaurant. Again, not that I mind to make the journey, but when other people around them need attention too, sometimes it is necessary to refresh the kindergarten lesson that we al learn of waiting your turn.

This group incorporated two children with no manners, a father just trying to celebrate his birthday, and a wife and her mother who took, literally, 4-5 minutes to oder the burger that they were going to split. Doesn’t sound that bad, right? They took 5 minutes to order because, although the mother liked her burgers prepared medium-rare, the daughter wanted hers medium-well. They wanted me to have the burger, that they were going to split, prepared at two totally different temperatures! I explained that this was not possible, to which the wife turned to her mother and insisted that she be the one to compromise. The rest of the dining experience was interesting to say the least with the back and forth trips, special needs, and thier ability to consume beverages at the rate in which light travels.

Although taking care of these folks was a chore, the rest of my evening was spent taking care of kind and understanding individuals. Moral of the story, for every table that causes a thorn in my side, there are ten others that make up the simplicity of a rose.

As a child my mom always told me to choose my battles. Back then this meant, let your brother have the good swing. Now, I hold this lesson as a way to deal not only with those that I am taking care of, but also those in which I work with behind the scenes.

Life is full of choices. Who knew that working in a restaurant would help me to help make the choices of when to speak up, and when to listen, smile, nod, and call my mom on the way home to tell her all about it!

Until next time-

Amanda

Hey There!

Alright so welcome!

My name is Amanda Troy, and I am a server.

I have been in the food service industry since I was 15 and have been waiting tables since I was 16. In an effort to graduate from college with as little debt as possible, “dishin’ it up,” has become sort of second nature to me.

I have worked at Bob Evans as a “salesperson,” Max & Erma’s as a “waitress,” and The Old Bag of Nails Pub as a “server.” (I still currently work at Max & Erma’s and Old Bag.) Anyway you want to title it, I have been responsible for making sure that meticulous orders and house specialties are delivered in an allotted amount time, and with a smile.

As a student I have had the opportunity to apply much of what I have learned within the restaurants from learning task and time management, appeasing your audience, and on occasion having to hold my tongue to avoid breaking the cardinal rule of “the customer is always right.”
However…I would not trade my experiences, the lessons I have learned, or the friends that I have made along the way, for all the sausage gravy, chocolate chip cookies, or fish and chips this side of the Mississippi!

Over the next several weeks I will be sharing my thoughts and hoping to hear back from those of you who have worked in the food service industry, know someone who does, or are just interested in what it is really like to work in a restaurant.

I hope that this can “serve” (oh I crack myself up) as an environment of respect, a place to vent frustrations, and also provide an opportunity to relate to one another on a front not only as students, but as employees all working for the almighty tip that is helping us meet our pursuit for higher education.

Those of you visiting please feel free to leave comments based on your experiences; good, bad, and ugly, and how you may have learned from them. I will be checking this site on a regular basis and look forward to getting a solid discussion circulating!

Until next time…oh and don’t forget those extra napkins!

-Amanda