The World of Service

Let's face it, there is no way that I can blog and not mention the world of service. Being in the service industry for my whole adult life, I have learned a few things. Reading them, it might seem like common sense, but you'd be amazed at the types of different people I have, and do come across on a daily basis.

The life of a restaurant server is not a glamorous one. Not only do you get the pleasure of wearing a restaurant mandated uniform (and let's face it, when you close Saturday night and have to open Sunday morning, that thing ain't getting washed!) You get the pleasure of dealing with all kinds of people, most of whom could use a class or two taught by Miss Manners herself.

• Please-A simple, one syllable word. Easy to say, quick to say. But as a server you rarely hear it.

• Eye Contact-Simply said, "When someone speaks to you it's common courtesy to make eye contact" If you start your request with a "please" and end it with a "thank you" that is the ultimate added bonus. Keeping your head shoved into the menu while you demand your lemonade is just plain rude. (Don't even get me started on the people who ask for water with lemon then proceed to make homemade lemonade at the table with the sugar packets)

• Tipping-Tip according to service, I am a firm believer in this. But please remember that the standard for good service is 20%. If the service is baaaadd, don't leave a penny! But, if the service is excellent, feel free to throw and extra fiver down with that tip. Honestly that $5 will not make or break you, but you'd be amazed on how that little extra could make a server's night.

• Kids-OK, I'm a mom. We go out to dinner with the kids quite often. I do have a few rules for the kids when it comes to dining out. They must order for themselves, this starts by "May I please have..." They will NOT take all of the sugars out of the caddy to play with. They will not make a mess of the table. Now, I understand that if you have a barely 1 year old it is nearly impossible to avoid making a mess at dinner. You are offering all kinds messy snacks like cheerios, teething biscuits, crackers...whatever it takes to keep the little one happy so you can enjoy at least one meal that week. But keep in mind that the server is the one who has to clean after your little bundle of sweetness. So please remember that when you fill out the tip line on the charge slip.

And my ultimate rule of eating out. This is geared towards families that like to spend their time in those restaurants that are full of TVs and all around noisiness. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING is worse that witnessing a family where the Mom spends her whole time on her phone, the Dad is watching his sport(s) of choice on the various TVs located throughout the place. Young Johnny is playing on his brand new hand held video game system and little Sally is on her bedazzled, pink cell phone texting all of her friends about how boring family dinner is. ARG! This drives me nuts! Spend some quality time together! I have an idea...ask your son how his day was. Use this time to see who Sally's new BFF is. Anything but completely ignoring each other. (For the record we have a "No video games, cell phones, or TV during dinner rule")

So a little time has past since my server days. I could go on for days with the do's and don't of eating out. But I'm past that. Now I am currently working full time in a professional, office environment..."Doing what you may ask?" Customer Service. What can I say? I actually like helping people. And let me tell you, dealing with one person at a time on the phone is a hell of a lot easier than helping 20-30 guests sitting in your section at a restaurant. Dealing with the ins and out of this business can get a little grueling I have a whole other set of "Things Not to do When You Call Customer Service" But we'll save that for another day...