See for yourself why waiters are the hub of motivation and hard work.
Why ex-waiters make awesome employees
We all have to start somewhere.
No one became a company leader by simply having a pretty face. Take a look at Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Computers, who started out as a dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant, or Terry Lundgren, CEO of Macy’s, who shucked oysters at a local restaurant.
What you might not know about restaurant waiters, is that they can hustle from sun-up to sundown and are immersed in an environment that preps them for a fast-paced work life.
From the lessons of hours in ‘the weeds’ to the amazing ability to actually pay attention when people are talking, see for yourself why waiters are the hub of motivation and hard work.
Waiters are hustlin’ everyday
Mornings are tough for many of us and while hitting the snooze button one, two, even three times is common, waiters are awake and ready. Shifts at a restaurant, especially one with delish food and floods of customers, are insane. As a waiter, you have to take orders for multiple tables and make sure everyone is consistently taken care of – no empty water glasses or guests scanning the restaurant for wait staff. The ability to negotiate while maintaining peace and happiness is not learned from bagging groceries.
You have to treat customers like it’s their birthday. This makes for great lessons in customer service, in addition to prioritising tasks and producing in high-pressure situations.
When life hands you lemons, waiters make you a lemon drop
People are demanding. One second they need a refill and the next they need extra napkins, all before their main dish is ready.
One of the best pieces of advice I got as a waitress was to ‘keep a running list of everything you need to do in your mind’. An example list: table 20 needs refills, a new table just sat down and needs to be greeted, and table 26 needs their bill.
Knowing how to prioritise and remain flexible to unexpected changes is a skill that serves well no matter what industry you’re in.
Knowing how to prioritise and remain flexible is a skill that serves well no matter what industry you’re in.
Waiters are givers of free hugs & high-fives
As a waiter, every aspect of your job is aimed at people-pleasing.
Waiters learn how to react to a variety of personality types while remaining calm and composed. Some customers are laid-back and enjoy humour, others would rather be left alone until they need something, and some are just downright demanding.
Reading body language and facial expressions is crucial for keeping your customers happy, as well as being able to problem-solve quickly if something does go wrong, such as a child knocking over a full plate of food.
Having an ex-waiter’s people skills on your side is sure to keep even your most difficult-to-please clients appeased.
Team work makes the dream work
Waiters get it: you want your food and fast. To solve this problem, waiters call upon their band of teammates and hustlers to keep the ship running smoothly.
Having the ability to see when someone needs help correlates with the ability to identify when you’re the one who needs help. Ex-waiters know how to rally the troops to work together and ask for help when they need it, which is ideal when you’ve got your business’s name on the line.
We can all argue that these skills may seem obvious in terms of what you’re looking for in a future employee, but sometimes it isn’t until your new employee has been around for a few months that you find out they don’t actually possess these skills. Hiring an ex-waiter guarantees you’re not hiring a stranger to hard work.
Next time you see a resume with food service listed under experience, take a second look. You could be looking at your new employee.
Anna Crowe, Digital Media Analyst, seoWorks
