The Crappy Truth about the Service Industry ✨ 🍔
and how it can prepare you for the job.
You might be thinking that if a lot of people are servers, it can’t be that bad, right? Wrong; it can get bad sometimes, but can still be a fantastic job.
Since the age of sixteen, I have worked in the service industry. I have a little over two years of experience as a waitress and a hostess in a restaurant. I also did social media marketing for that same restaurant. Those two years consisted of some of the most draining but also fulfilling moments. But this post isn’t about those fulfilling moments. It’s about the especially crappy ones.
But, hey, this post isn’t to discourage you! I really did benefit from working in the service industry, and it can be great too! It’s just to inform you about the hard truth that sometimes comes with working in the industry.
If you’re considering joining the service industry, here are some things to keep in mind 🤔💭:
People may not treat you like a person just because you are a server.
The Tipping System is really hit or miss.
The hourly wage is almost always terrible, so you better hope your shift isn’t slow.
It’s chaotic.
You are judged on appearance.
Extensive Shifts.
Don’t be scared away! I'll also mention some of the things I appreciate most about working in the sector at the end of the post.
Waitress = Automatically Incompetent
You might have read the title and thought, “You can’t be serious, right?" I am serious. More people than you think look at service industry workers as incompetent or as if they are nothing compared to them. People will try to “put you in your place” by acting as if your only purpose is to be a waitress and you don’t have a life outside of work.
It’s kind of ironic, given how difficult it is to work in the service industry, that people have the guts to treat you as if you aren’t a person worth respecting. A lot of people catch an attitude for absolutely no reason other than the fact that they think they are better than you because you are working in a restaurant.
It’s definitely unfortunate and unmotivating when you stumble across these types of people while working. My best advice is to act unphased. Don’t go above and beyond for these people, because their tip is probably already made up in their mind from the moment they met you. Just be yourself! Know that it is good enough, and those people are probably just taking their problems out on you.
Teaching Tip Culture
Believe it or not, some people were never taught how to tip. For instance, I’ve seen this in several instances: A group of children or teenagers dine alone without parents. And often, they tip $0 because of their lack of understanding. For children, it can be excused because many learn the tipping culture as they get older. But some people were just never taught to tip, so it can be sucky for you as a waitress, but it happens.
Shitty enough, almost every single table with just kids is never worth the time. In my personal experience and my previous co-workers experience, kids almost never tip. But adults might not tip either. I remember one time a customer told me to get the kids in the restaurant under control. But it is not my responsibility to discipline other people's children. But of course, I couldn’t say that because “the customer is always right,” right? He then tipped me $0 on a $100 bill. He’d probably feel bad if he knew my hourly wage.
Pray for business
Yes, those $500 tip-outs after a shift can make everything feel worth it.
But trust me, I’ve glanced at my watch several times mid-shift when it was slammed at work. I was shocked at how fast the time went by, but I also could not wait for that weight to be lifted.
But in reality, you’re not always going to make hundreds of dollars a shift. Sometimes there are rainy days, or it is just a slow day. Sometimes several shifts a week can be slow, so your pay can fluctuate. Since most waitresses are paid $2–$5 an hour (in NC), you could walk home with less than the minimum wage at the end of the night.
Sometimes no one comes in, so you just won’t make as much. Therefore, it can be an unreliable source of income, so you must budget accordingly. I was paid $2.15 an hour at my previous job. Sometimes my average hourly pay could be $30 with tips. But sometimes I could work 12 hours and only make $100, which, in comparison to retail hourly pay, is terrible.
Serving in a restaurant is not for the weak. I mean it.
Being a waitress is not an easy task, I can promise you. It involves great skill in multitasking and quick thinking. Being a good waitress means you can react quickly to customers' needs.
You must be attentive and considerate, especially when helping unhappy customers. Because you are serving customers directly, it can be exhausting. Sometimes, after a long shift, I would sit in silence for an hour because I felt like I had talked so much that day. It’s all about being a people-pleaser.
A lot of people in the service industry call out or show up late. Or sometimes you can just be understaffed for the night for whatever reason. This could lead you to be doing three different jobs all at once. Sometimes we used to not have a host at one of the restaurants I worked at, so I would have to wait tables, answer the phone, do takeout orders, greet people at the door, and close by myself.
At my first job, I had this one coworker who lived 45 minutes away and would be over an hour late every single day. Then, of course, I had to work twice as hard because I expected to have extra help that night. Not to mention that this coworker would bully 16-year-old me just because I was young (she was 50 years old).
I’m not saying you’re always going to have unreliable coworkers; I’m saying that circumstances like these do exist.
Do looks really get better tips?
The restaurant industry is twisted sometimes. People are prone to tip you differently if they think you are more attractive than average.
In fact, a Cornell Journal Research Article titled "The Center for Hospitality Research" professes “that several researchers have found attractive waitresses earn larger tips than less attractive waitresses.” Screwed up, isn’t it? There is some surprising psychological research behind this correlation.
Speaking from personal experience, I’ve been hit on while working several times, and creepily enough, those people tip more. I’ve even had someone call back to the restaurant and try to get my number. Of course, I said no. My best bet was always to ignore it or ask to switch tables.
Extensive Shifts
Sometimes, in the service industry, you can be scheduled to work doubles. This might mean you are working for 12–14 hours a day. This can be very exhausting for some since a typical workday is usually about 8 hours. I mean, somehow my 16-year-old self could handle it, so it couldn’t be too bad.
Furthermore, you might not always get off right at closing time. Since it is waitresses and bartenders' jobs to close the restaurant, they must do all the closing tasks. Some of these are sweeping, mopping, cleaning the bar, or cleaning the bathrooms. So, if you close at 9 p.m., chances are you won’t get out at 9 p.m.
On several occasions, I have gotten off work over an hour late because customers came in right before close or just stayed after close. It can be frustrating, but people will inevitably walk in 5 minutes before closing, and you will probably have to serve them.
Why Working in Restaurants Can Be Rewarding Too!
So you don’t get discouraged by some of the bad aspects, let me briefly educate you about the good ones too!
Here are just a few of the many benefits of working in the restaurant industry:
Personality Development 🧠
Chance to learn new skills 🔎
Customer Service Experience 📝
Great money 🤑
Opportunity for Overall Growth 📈
I have noticed since working in the service industry that it has turned me into more of a social butterfly. I became more outgoing after having to strike up conversations with customers. I noticed my personality developing and becoming more mature as I spent more time working.
Not only did I gain maturity and outgoing traits, but I also gained experience and got better at problem solving, organization, being empathetic, and becoming a better active listener.
Since you will be dealing with customers all shift every shift, you will inevitably gain customer service experience. This is a wonderful experience to have because many employers look for it when hiring candidates.
I know I mentioned that you should pray for it to be busy. But if you work in a restaurant central to a city, chances are you will have steady business and, consequently, a great income. Since I was only a high schooler when I started working in the restaurant industry, the money I was making was great compared to all my other friends.
Even my parents were surprised when I would bring home a couple hundred dollars after a four-hour shift. But don’t get the wrong idea; it wasn’t easy; I had to work my ass off for it. But it was so worth it. The benefits really overcome the negative aspects.
So, yes, it’s tough work.
Don’t be scared away! The job may have a few bumps in the road, but don’t let this discourage you—but rather prepare you for the obstacles you may face in the process. It can all be worth it and extremely rewarding.