On Serving: Part 2

As I've said before, I haven't been in this business for a long time but since last September, I've learned a lot. So here's a short(ish) list of some things working in restaurants has taught me-

1. You're an actor all the time. The saying "fake it till you make it" applies to every aspect of being a server.
2. Guests will yell at you whether you they're the only ones in the restaurant or if you have a full section.
3. If a guest yells at you there was probably something that had happened or has been happening in their life where they needed to take it out on someone so they took it out on you.  
4. Explaining to a guest that you will do everything you can to try and fix a situation doesn't always make them any less angry. Crying in the back or behind the bar is kind of inevitable because being yelled at while at work feels like it's a personal attack. 
5. Going to the soda station and telling one of your fellow servers about how unruly and needy a table is being is a great time for a laugh or to let off some steam. 
6. Some dry humor and a Starbucks Double Shot make a 14 hour day a hell of a lot easier. 
7. Spilling wine on a guest, dropping glassware on marble floors, and dropping plates full of food are things that happen. Everyone has at least one horror story. 
8. Your personal checkbook is your lifeline. You make sure none of your checks or cash spill out of that baby during a shift. Also never let it out of your site, try finding it when there are at least 20 other black American Express checkbooks sitting around the server stations. 
9. Always tip out your busser, bartender, and hostess a little extra at the end of every shift. These people work their asses off for you so giving them a few extra bucks will keep them working hard for you. 
10. Managers will always have your back unless you screw something up big time. There is never a time when it is ok for a guest to mistreat a manager's staff. 
11. The kitchen staff are some of the most hard working, humble, sarcastic people you will ever meet. They work their buts off for people who don't have faces to them. 
12. However, working 15 hour days doesn't mean they won't make you some food at the end of the night. 
13. Your coworkers will take orders for you, drop checks, or go talk to a table for you if those pesky guests created this temporary hysteria where you cannot stop crying. 
14. These same coworkers will also drop food or drinks or clear a table if you ask them nicely because you just got triple sat. 
15. Spending more time with these people than you do your roommates and friends creates relationships real fast. There's a certain family atmosphere that comes along with working in this industry because of how stressful things can get at times. 

I often complain about how I don't like being a server in this industry but I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had through it, the lessons I've learned, and most importantly the people I've met.