Past and Present Food Service Employees?

Question

Chefs, servers, busboys, whatever! Whats one bit of advice you'd like to give to people (customers) who have never worked in the food service industry.

Mine would be, don't automatically assume that just because we are doing this kind of work tha we are dumb.

Answer 1

i totally agree with you.

Answer 2

the standard tip is 15% or 20% for really good service, a lot of people pretend not to know this

also, many people i worked at serving had a BA and were just waiting for a better job.  i went on to be a professional and am so glad to be away from serving.  it's hard!

Answer 3

everyone has to do some of the remedial work in this world. If anything is learned by doing these jobs it's---"I don't want to do this the rest of my life"--study hard--get a real job. Most important--Wash your hands before returning to work--don't get caught "not watching your hands"---Everybody is watching and you don't want that in your "employee folder file"

Answer 4

AMEN!

Answer 5

Don't come in the middle of a lunch rush and order 200 dollars worth of food.  Call ahead.

That happened yesterday.

Answer 6

That is good advice!

Also, don't think you can treat us like dirt. Have some respect and show common courtesy. We are providing a service that is necessary, and if we weren't here to do it, you might not get fed!

I hate the way that people think that they can be plain rude to you, as though they are better than you! Food service employees are providing a service just as lawyers and doctors, so don't disrespect us!

Answer 7

I agree with what you said. I've worked at  a few different places, and people assume that just because you work there that you are an idiot. When in fact, a lot of us are students trying to make some money so we can pay for classes... I know I was.

Answer 8

I feel like telling some of the "holier than thou" attitudes.....

I probably make more by the hour than you do, so bite me!!

I of course, love what I do, and would never disrespect a customer like that, but I can't help thinking it!!

Answer 9

nice

Answer 10

I agree!!! That and don't take it out on your server when your food is late/not good/you don't like it. Most of the time it's not our fault. Also, leave a nice tip!!! Like 10% is the MINIMUM unless your server is bad of course. But if they were good, then stop being so cheap and leave at least 10%. If you can't afford that don't eat at the restaurant!

Answer 11

I'd like most people to know that a wait for a table on a weekend night is not unreasonable.  I'm over people who stand there and discuss if they should wait or not while there is a line of others behind them.  They always wonder where else they should go, but where are you really going to go where there is not a wait on a weekend in any good place?

Answer 12

ha, i had a new server (who is goin to school to be a preschool teacher)  ask me "So is this your temporary job while you look for your real job?"

whether the answer is yes or no, i dont think i have ever been so insulted.  i couldn't help but think of how much MORE money i make than a teacher...

AGH

Answer 13

I'll agree with you there when I cooked most of the servers were collage students. Where I worked was in a town with a small collage and we had a university about 20 miles away. I also worked with one server who had a BS in social science had got a job as a social worker. wasn't making enough money so start wait tables on the week end then started waiting table on the week ends. found out he could almost make as much money two night of wait as he could work 50 to 60 hours a week as a social worker . So he quit his job as a social worked and start serving full time and was making about double what he was before.

The other thing I think they should know is how hard the job is and how much stress there is working in food service.

Answer 14

Today, at work I was watching the elementry kids today eat their lunches.  I saw a school kitchen staff blowng her nose with her gloves on. I was so grossed out.

Take off the gloves & then blow.  Geesh.