…I learned while waiting tables.
I was a terrible waitress. The kind that gets complaint letters sent to the restaurant.
It wasn’t because I was mean to the customers, I just didn’t have the sort of brain that could handle the job. Or so I thought. And when it got busy, really busy, I was dropping orders and forgetting stuff all over the place. But, I learned a few things.
lesson 1: it’s all about customer service. Every single action is about customer service. Every drink or salad that you forget says “you’re not important” to a customer. Every smile, or unrequested drink refill says “you matter to us”. This is a fundamental of customer service.
lesson 2: the customer is always right. No matter what the issue, no matter how much of the steak got eaten before they complain, offer a way to make it right, and get creative. Chances are, you won’t get hate mail, and you could probably get them to come back again if you wanted.
lesson 3: Take care of the people who take care of you, whether co-workers or bosses or clients. it’s a win-win for all. Plus if you don’t you’ll probably get fired.
lesson 4: When you don’t have tables, go do your sidework. If you don’t, you’ll be doing it at 2 am when you’d rather be sleeping. Sigh. If only I could remember this one more regularly….
lesson 5: Memorize the menu. learn the computer system. know your facts. If you don’t you might promise something that isn’t on the menu. conversely if you do know your menu, those extra requests can turn out to be lucrative up-selling opportunities.
lesson 6: A customer’s experience should feel effortless: never tell them that the chef just yelled at you, so you’re afraid to go into the kitchen. They don’t care what the problem is, or how it happened. They just want to know that you’re going to fix it.