Sticking Out in the Biz

Keeping this blog going consistently can be tough. I remember when I was in Europe how much easier it was to blog about everything almost everyday because I was spending so much of my time just soaking in my surrounding and thinking about it in literary terms and how I would describe it all on my blog.

I don't really see myself doing that anymore. I don't really walk into work and say, "As my slip-proof black leather shoes grip the floor and the smell of roasting bacon and raw chicken soaks itself onto my uniform vest making me irresistable to rabid dogs and raccoons alike, I see my Bengali coworkers and think, 'how do you say hello in Bengali?'"

These things don't really happen. They are part of the everyday grind and don't really stick out. What sticks out is the customer that walks in wearing a dress that shows the rolls of back fat that she has and then complains about everything not being absolutely perfect and looking for a way to get free stuff.

This is sadly what has become the norm at my restaurant. A lot of people looking for a reason to not have to pay for their meal or if they do have to pay for their meal, how to get the most free stuff on top of the check where they will leave a 5% tip.

I can't tell you how refreshing it is though when you have a table that is remarkably nice. They love everything. They appreciate every step of service that we take, and when we make their night special by offering them a complimentary dessert for their birthday and write "Happy Birthday" on the plate in raspberry icing and simply add a candle, they light up and then leave you a 30% tip.

Naturally, I don't expect that to be the norm. But I will tell you that customers that really appreciate what the restaurant does truly does make a big difference. Here's why.

Ultimately, my coworkers and I are all salesmen. And everyone knows that in order to be a good salesman you have to believe in the product that you are selling. At my restaurant this is very easy. The meat is absolutely outstanding and we offer an atmosphere of class and fun in a very specific way that most other restaurants don't come close to touching. This helps each of the employees to take pride in the work that they are doing because they know that they are part of something special. They are part of making someone's evening memorable. Helping them to try something new, to learn something, and maybe create a wonderful memory.

Honestly, it's not about the return customers for me. It's not about offering them the best experience so that they come back over and over again. It's about those few minutes that I have with that table to make an impression on them. It's my chance to say to them, "You want to have an amazing time? Let's do it!" And it's fun!!! When something goes wrong like when a table has to order 5 different wines before they finally find one that we actually have in stock, you don't consistently apologize over and over as if I had done something wrong. There was nothing I could do about the wines being gone. So by the time they finally get their wine and they take that first sip, it's truly a victorious moment to see the look of satisfaction cross their face.

It's all in the details. The details make the largest difference in the world at a restaurant like ours. And I pride myself in paying a lot of attention to the details that are written all over my customer's faces.

It's part of the reason I want to get into counseling actually. God has given me a gift where I can read people very easily. I can see when someone just wants to be left alone and when they want to talk some more purely by instinct. It makes a huge difference in the restaurant because you begin to be able to know what's going to get you the bigger tip.

We have a server who will get a tip off of one table of $100 probably once a week. This has happened to me I think once or twice in the three months that I have worked there. Why does it happen to him more frequently? Maybe it's luck of tables. But I think it's something more than that.

I think he sees who is going to be paying the check, and he does whatever he can to make sure that they are impressed. He's looking for the guy that wants to get laid and is willing to pay $300 on a dinner to help him. He will buy the wine that is $150 and then this server will compliment him on his choice and tell the lady what great taste the guy has, thus impressing her and making a larger impression on her for the rest of the evening.

Hate to say it. But this is how it goes. I know because I've seen it. I've had those tables myself and I don't help him. I will recommend a nice bottle of wine and tell the gentleman that the two of them will really enjoy the bottle. But I don't look at any particular male customer and think, "I'll help you out if you help me out." This whole, "I'm gonna get mine" mentality is not at all why I am working as a server.

That's not to say that I don't work hard to get a good tip. But I use the rules of courtesy and good service in order to get that tip, not an overarching sense of greed for money or sex.

These things stick out though. Every server has their ways. Perhaps another time I'll mention how girls will consistently get better tips than guys, especially if their attractive. It's just a fact of life.

In the meantime though, I will continue to do my job to the best of my ability knowing that consistency will ultimately win out. It plays a much larger role than we recognize and I believe that it plays a large kingdom role as well. It demonstrates to those who have eyes to see that we need to be looking at things with a big picture mentality. With eyes looking towards eternity and God's kingdom glory. That's the point. And that's what I hope sticks out.

Ciao!