Lesson Five: Never Lower Your Standards

One of the worst things that always has gotten me down in my serving career is when people complain and guess what? It happens all the time in the real world, so it's time to buck up.

I have always taken pride in the food I serve people as well as the service I preform. If something isn't right, it's not being presented to the customer. However, there will be many times when a customer complains. Too much milk in their coffee, onion rings aren't onion-ringy enough (yes, I've actually gotten that one)... whatever.

It is in these moments when true service skills are required. Macintosh (Apple for youngsters) is a company that does this in the most flawless manner I've ever seen. Show that you're genuinely concerned about the problem and you know what? You should be genuinely concerned. Thanks to the growing power of social media, one person now counts as twenty. If a server does everything in their power to correct the situation in a timely and appropriate manner that something great will be said.

How would this skill carry over to business? Mistakes happen, it's part of life. The only way one can truly recover from these mistakes is being genuine and transparent (two of my all time favorite words). From observance, the airline industry is some of the worst at this particular skill set. And I digress...

The beautiful part about this is that there are so many outlets for people to voice their concerns and with the technology of smart phones, people like my self will listen and respond with true concern in a timely manner. The last thing a customer wants is to A) not be heard (therefore feeling ignored) or B) told they are wrong and that's "corporate." Guess what? YOU are corporate, never lower your standards of service.

*picture from weheartit.com

Lesson Four: Smile Like You Mean It... Even If You Don't

The number one word I've seen on all of the applications I've filled out for entry-level jobs is "passionate." Let's be frank, no one is passionate about filling out excel sheets that will be glanced at once and tossed... so can you fake it?

This is a fabulous skill one should acquire early in life which serves especially useful in the service industry. Are you tough enough to smile through any kind of situation? Do you know when to show backbone? Having control of your emotions is the key to assisting frustrated customers and having the situation turn out in a positive manner.

The keyword I'm looking to engrain in my reader's skulls is positive. Attitude is key to providing good service. If you're miserable and show it, chances are A) you won't be tipped well and B) the experience for the customer will be mediocre at best.

The whole kitchen can be engulfed in a fiery inferno, but if you're smiling and calm, no one will know the difference (until they get a very well done burger).

If you're one of those people who say, "my attitude is based on how you treat me." Go home. If you have a customer who is just miserable, there is no reason to be negative. You want their money, right? So suck it up and smile princess.

I'm not saying to "fake" passion, true passion can't be faked. However, you can smile while doing the dirty work.

Lesson Two: Dress to Impress

I happen to be flipping channels one day and landed on (Hearst Corporation) Bravo TV's Real Housewives of New York. A woman by the name of Ramona Singer was interviewing someone for her company and her comments I found remarkable. The interviewee was fresh out of college, obviously nervous by her body language and dressed not business casual, but not casual (a very odd in between if you ask me). Through her comments I gathered Ms. Singer was in marketing and she said something to the tune of,

"Presentation is everything, she was poorly dressed and therefore would not make a statement to clients."

Now, I don't typically even watch TV nonetheless give regard to reality stars, but this one struck a cord with me. I have always been under the impression that first impressions are everything, that people can make up their mind about you even before you speak (as Ms. Singer did and rightfully so in that situation).

This lesson is one of the easiest learned at a restaurant. If there isn't a strict uniform, it is the server's responsibility to dress appropriately. It's best to think of yourself as a performer and to dress for your character. If you're working the bar shift 7PM to 3AM, you're going to dress a bit differently than if you were waiting dinner service.

We all know that if you're a female bartender, a little shorter of a short has great potential to result in high tips from male customers. For family themed restaurants, keep it G (not PG, but G-remember that rating for "general audiences"). However in both situations, a t-shirt and nice fitting jeans (PLEASE WITHOUT RIPS) can result in a professional look and moderate to high tips.

Dressing the part is half the battle.

Lesson One: Leave It At The Door

Naturally, the first lesson is the door. Leave everything there; but don't worry, it'll be right there when you come to pick it up later. Think of the door as your "DO NOT PASS" line on the subway terminal.

To quote the character, Fred Jung,

"Sometimes you're flush and sometimes you're bust, and when you're up, it's never as good as it seems and when you're down, you never think you'll be up again, but life goes on."Blow (2001)

My best advice is to leave it all at the door. Work can be a surprisingly welcome distraction from the stresses of the outside world. Allowing the outside distractions to follow you in can compromise the quality of your service. Customers and coworkers quite frankly don't care about you or your problems, they want service with a smile. The same idea goes for after hours- why carry it home with you? Are you getting paid to stress about how the ketchups weren't filled before your shift? No, so take a breath and let it be.

This idea can be used in any business or even in school. I try to leave all of my outside thoughts and concerns at the classroom door. This enables full concentration on the task at hand which will allow one to give their best effort.

*picture from weheartit.com

Hi! My name is Lauren, what can I do for you today?

Salutations! My name is Lauren Nicole, I'm currently studying public relations and advertising at Flagler College. I have spent seven of my twenty-one years of life in restaurants and have been working since I was ten. I've worked in cafes, diners, hookah bars, bars bars, upscale dining and fast food (to say I've been around the "restaurant block" would be accurate).

Let's jump right to the meat and potatoes, shall we? I was inspired to begin this particular blog after thinking about what I have accomplished and how I have done so thus far in life. To say one of the least interesting answers is, I worked. As my education comes to a close this upcoming December, I reflect on the things I have learned while working in the service industry (specifically, restaurants) and would like to share them with the community.

I have always and remain skeptical of those who are in any kind of business or communications positions yet have never waited tables. There is so much to gain from the experiences of say, a table stiffing you on a tip or dealing with poor management that have potential to teach you life long lessons that can serve both business and personal benefits. Please don't take this the wrong way, there are other ways to obtain these lessons, I simply find that they can most easily be obtained from waiting tables.

This blog is dedicated to those I have worked with and for who have taught me many lessons, my customers and of course you, my readers.

So please, take a seat wherever you'd like and I'll be with you in just a moment!

*picture is from weheartit.com