Okay, I should amend the title of this blog to “why being a GOOD waiter is something that you should put on your resume.” I remember many years ago I was fresh out of college and interviewing for jobs. I had read that if your resume is not full of experience that you should emphasize what skills that you had developed. Well taking this advice I attempted to convince a hiring manager during an interview that my experience as a waiter during college actually provided me with desirable skills. Needless to say the hiring manager was not impressed and I rarely used my experience as a server in interviews.
That being said, I should point out that I wasn’t trying to blow smoke up the hiring manager’s back side. I really felt that being a good server had helped me develop skills that would help make me successful in the business world. After many years of thought and reflection, I am more determined that this is true. I want to point out a few of the positives skills that I developed as a server that I use to this day.
The first habit I developed was to always approach people with a smile. I learned this skill early on in my serving days and I can not tell you how effective that this simple concept has been over the years. To this day, when I enter into a conversation, I try and always lead in with a smile. It sets a positive tone for the conversation and helps people let down their guard.
The next skills I developed was to maintain open communication with my customers. When trying to enjoy a meal with your family, nothing is more frustrating than not being able to find your server when you need something like a napkin or condiments. A simple stop by to check on a table does the job. “How is everything? Can I get you anything?” In the business world, failure to communicate can cause many issues. Taking a minute to drop an email makes all the difference. “Just wanted to let you know that I haven’t heard from the vendor regarding the meeting tomorrow.” Just be careful not to overdue it. We all know the server that drives their tables crazy checking on their tables too much or the person that can’t go to the bathroom with out emailing the whole world.
The next trait I picked up that I think is applicable is setting realistic expectations. A classic rookie server’s mistake is to tell their table that their food will be right up when they know that the kitchen is backed up. A veteran server finds a way to communicate to their customers that there will be a delay tactfully such as “I apologize but there is a back up in the kitchen but it shouldn’t be too long for your food. Can I get you some more rolls or any drink refills?” Setting realistic expectations in the professional ranks is also important. As hard as we try to meet all of our deadlines, things happen and deadlines get missed, sometimes to our own fault, sometimes not. Regardless as to who is at fault, communication is again the key. No one wants to hear that there will be a delay on what they are waiting for, but their frustration will be greater when then deadline is missed and they are blindsided. This can cause a domino effect in regards to other issues. If a person is aware of a delay before it occurs, it gives them a chance to plan accordingly.
The final skill that I acquired waiting tables that has been incredibly useful for my career in the IT field is the ability to answer for problems that I am not responsible for. As a server, you are constantly apologizing for problems with the kitchen or seating issues. Over my years of being a server, I became very accustomed to getting grief for other people’s mistakes. Though I don’t see this as a skill that all professionals will need, years of providing IT support this skill has come to use many times. “I am so sorry that the application that you need isn’t supported in Windows 7.” or “I know that you think that you need a high speed color printer at your desk but it wasn’t approved by my boss.”
Other positive skills that I picked up were listening, taking good notes and multitasking. But what all of my blog comes down to is that being a good waiter means developing excellent customer service skills and people skills. Applying these skills in a professional business environment has helped me in my professional career as well.