It is my sincere belief that every single person on the face of this earth should be required to spend at least one week working in the food service industry – and no, it’s not because of the pay.
Some of the greatest lessons that I have ever learned have come from personal encounters with customers. As a server, these have ranged from inspirational to downright abysmal.
The inspirational: I’ve seen a couple celebrate 65 years together, with that occasion being just another day in love. One look has never said so much.
The abysmal: I’ve seen a woman obnoxiously send her salad back to the kitchen for being “just too cold.”
Still, every single encounter that I have had continues to define me as not only a server but also a person. Every moment, positive or negative, has shaped my future outlook in ways I never could have imagined.
For instance, prior to life in a restaurant, I never fully grasped the concept that patience is truly a virtue, not a trait that is bestowed upon humanity at birth. Rather, it is something we all must work towards, struggle amid and maintain once we discover it. There is no easy way to become patient, no quick fix for the all too human concept of frustration.
Still, some lessons resonate more than others.
Over break, one of my fellow employees uttered some of the finest off-the-cuff poetry that I have ever heard by saying, “The greatest trick the Devil ever played was to convince the world that the customer is always right.”
At first, I laughed his advice off as nothing more than a joke, but then slowly throughout the night – as couples arrived, food flew out of the kitchen, and families devoured their meals – the real severity of his assertion hit me, and I realized just how applicable that statement is to real life.
If customers didn’t always approach sales situations (of almost any kind) with the mindset that they were inherently right, I would imagine interactions would be more pleasant, and most bartering situations would run at a much more productive and smoother rate.
Right now, with this egocentric mindset, which only emphasizes the seemingly subservient aspect of jobs such as those in the restaurant industry, we play into the grubby, power-thirsty hands of the human subconscious. In essence, our attempt to make every customer feel like a million bucks – so that they will hopefully spend a million bucks – has driven certain consumers to the point where they sometimes forget that they are dealing directly with another human being.
This is not to say that the alternative is any better. To the contrary, I would say that a world where “the salesman is always right” would be absolutely mad. I just believe that – like with all things, ranging from the political polarization to the socioeconomic disparity gap forming in our nation – we just need to move closer to moderation.
The relationship between consumer and service provider is no different than one receiving a new introduction. Both parties just need to remember, in every situation, to be humble, courteous and, for lack of a better word, gracious.
After being in a position literally labeled “server,” I cannot stress enough the difference that one great encounter can make on your day. A smile, a laugh, whatever it might be.
So, in 2014, please consider making your resolution to change every encounter you have into a positive one.
And don’t forget to tip your waiter.
Maxton Thoman is a sophomore majoring in biology. His column runs weekly on Wednesdays.
