Have you ever served in a restaurant before? Or wondered what is it like to be one of those wait staff with big trays? How long are they on their feet each day, and do you think they have it easy?
Waiters are very noble beings. They wake up each day with a common purpose – to bring their best service to your table. Many times, we may have taken them for granted, and they really deserve more appreciation and respect; appreciation from customers, and respect from their employers.
We spoke with a few friends in the industry, and have them share with us some hidden messages they wish to share with customers so as to help make their workplace a better one, and for them to be motivated to serving you better.
Here are 5 things your waiter wants you to know:
#1. WAITERING IS A VERY DEMANDING JOB. BE NICE, THEY ARE HUMANS TOO
It is physically taxing and very back-breaking. Waiters have to deal with heavy trays and kitchenware on a daily basis, and it is not as easy as it seems. Imagine having to hold five 1-kg plates on a single arm, or balancing a tray of three bottles of wines on one palm. Imagine reporting to work at 6am for two hours of mise en place, then three hours of non-stop rush hour breakfast service, another hour of turnover before the lunch crowd comes in and keeps you busy for another three hours, and finally another evening of dinner service. This is the daily grind of a full-time waiter, and you bet it is not easy at all.
Be nice to them. A word of encouragement suffice to keep them motivated and to tide them through the long day of work. The next time you meet your waiter, smile and thank them when they bring you your food and cutleries. Tell them you appreciate their service and promptness.
#2 A WAITER DOESN’T GET PAID VERY WELL
They are not the best paid, neither are they the most respected profession. But they are in a noble line of service, and without them, our dining experience is incomplete. While they play such an integral part in an F&B business, they are actually not very well paid, and more often than not, they are the ones to sacrifice their weekends and public holidays to be at your service.
Some may ask, “why not implement minimum wage for the service industry so that they get paid more?”. It is not as simple as it sounds in reality. By implementing a minimum wage of $10 per hour, it puts the worker at risk of losing their job because it would mean additional cost to the company, and in order to keep costs down, they will be sure to terminate workers with poorer performance.
In the long run, will the remaining waiters get paid more than the minimum wage if they become better waiters? What if it takes ten years to raise the minimum wage?
To help a waiter do well in his job and earn more, restaurant owners should invest in equipment and systems that allows him to do more without having to work longer hours. This will increase the profits for the restaurant and a part of these profits can then be shared with the waiters.
As customers, we can give our feedback to the restaurant’s managers to commend good waiters, as well as give constructive suggestions how the restaurant can be more productive, instead of complaining on social media.
Show them your support by tipping them. This is the most practical way to show your appreciation. It brings us joy to give, and it definitely brings sunshine to their days.
#3 WAITERS ARE NOT THE ONES WHO MAKE YOUR FOOD AND DRINKS
Waiters are always the first point of contact, and they are responsible for serving you. They set your table, they bring you the menu, they put your order on the table, but one thing that they do not do is to prepare your food and drinks. Waiters have no control over whether your steaks are cooked to the right done-ness, or if your drinks are well-concocted.
Many times, we see unreasonable guests kicking up a fuss and screaming at the waiters because their orders are not in place, but is it really their faults? Why take it out on them and spoil their days? It is alright to be disappointed and angry when you do not get your order right, but instead of making life difficult for the waiters, why don’t we convey our unhappiness to the chef instead? This allows better communication and parties that are involved can step in to rectify the issues properly without unnecessarily causing unhappiness and demotivating anybody.
#4 WAITERS TAKE ORDERS FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE CAPTAINS
And so, many times when you are displeased with a certain action or lack of, it is actually not their decision. They have their bosses too, and the bosses are the ones to come up with the list of do’s and don’ts’s, can’s and cannot’s.
For example, when the waiter in a Korean restaurant serves banchan (complimentary Korean side dishes), the manager will probably instruct the waiters to give smaller portions so as to save cost as well as to prevent food wastage.
If you’d made a request and it is not acceded, ask the waiters politely what the issue is, understand their predicament and try speaking to the captains themselves instead of making it difficult for them.
#5 YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY DINER IN THE RESTAURANT
We all hate waiting, and the frustration from not getting what you want (fast enough) sure isn’t a nice feeling. But let’s face it – every waiter is responsible for a section/ number of tables, and you are not the only one they are waiting on. We cannot expect our glass of water to come immediately.
As diners, we deserve good service, but we have to exercise patience and empathy, too. During peak hours and busy times, give your waiter a bit more time to get to you. Your understanding will be very much appreciated by them, and they will definitely reciprocate with the best service they can give.
Waitering, and in fact, no other job should be a dead-end job. Employers granting respect to their employees and the job means that they should pay waiters fair wages for their work, and ensure that their skills are being constantly upgraded so that they are able to progress in their career.
F&B establishments should also send their waiters to attend customer service courses to equip them with the necessary skills to manage customers who throw a fit. With skills upgrading, it also makes internal career progression possible for waiters so that it does not become a dead-end job and motivates them to do well in their job.
Why should waiters be limited to minimum wages when they can get a career that pays better with progressive wages?
This message is part of a ladyironchef x Labour Movement project where we seek to share with you insights on the different initiatives by the Labour Movement to give workers in Singapore better jobs, better pay and better work-life balance.
I’m a waitress as well and those 5 facts above are what I have to deal with daily. Sometimes customers are the reason why I want to stay in the hospitality industry but sometimes they make me want to give up right away. Hope this will help everyone to have a whole new and fresh look about us. Thanks ladyironchef.
You are Amazing for writing this article. This sums it up. I hope this article goes out further to the masses!
I’ve been a captain in celebrity chef restaurant and I totally agree for this solution and project. Waiters and captains need to be paid more as they are the front lines who makes your dinners smile and happy . Waiters who delivers the best service and a once and a life time experience in life while enjoying your food to your restaurant.