How Waitressing Taught Me to Be a Stellar Employee

April 27, 2016

Finding the right path after college often calls for a plan B. In classic New York tradition, I spent my early twenties working in restaurants and cafes to pay the bills while I chased my pipe dreams of being a writer and performer. Though food service gigs don’t add up to the traditional resume many employers expect to see, the years I spent in an apron gave me an invaluable skill set that’s served me well in every job I’ve had since—in more generic office settings, and beyond. Below, five pieces of wisdom from my waitressing years.

1. Engaging people is worth the effort.

In the restaurant business, you never know what hungry person might come through the door next, and you always have to find a way to understand their needs. At my first job in New York, I served pastries to an array of tourists and impeccably dressed fashion-industry folk at a bakery in the Flatiron district. As a hostess at a Madison Square Garden restaurant, I made small talk with visiting Rangers fans and businesspeople on their lunch hours. I dealt with everyone from entitled New Yorkers to foreigners who only spoke a few words of English. I even had some brushes with celebrities (I kept it together, even with a certain Broadway star whose presence rendered me pink-faced and nearly speechless). But regardless of whom I was talking to, I tried to forge a connection. I’d often compliment peoples’ shoes or ties, ask regulars how their days were going, and get excited when people ordered my favorite menu items. Engaging with people takes effort, but it also kept me energized. After years of practice, I’m confident that I can communicate with almost anyone, which is helpful in all types of workplaces. (It also makes me an exceptional party guest.)

2. Work ethic is everything.

In the grand scheme of things, the stakes were pretty low at the restaurants where I worked, and that meant some employees didn’t take their jobs seriously. But when you’re part of a team and you slack off, people notice, no matter how inconsequential your duties might seem. I had a co-worker at a cafe that would take unannounced breaks and, in an effort to leave early, started putting away the pastries before closing time—making it awkward for customers to order a slice of cake that he was trying to whisk out of sight. Management eventually asked him to take a “hiatus.” While I’ve always been a reliable person, this experience made me realize that laziness catches up to you. On the flip side, meticulousness pays off. I’ve found that even small gestures of conscientiousness, like arriving early for a shift, eventually translate to promotions and good references, as well as a general sense of purpose.

3. Speed doesn’t trump quality.

As a customer, I’ve always valued personal service; as a perfectionist, I have a natural inclination to double-check my work. When I was chastised by a colleague at a coffee shop for not churning out lattes fast enough, I was able to point out that I’d never messed up an order. I may not have been the fastest, but I did the job well. For my money, a good product is far more valuable than a quick one.

4. Negativity poisons the well.

I was once part of a happy, well-functioning team at a cafe that completely fell apart after a new manager was hired. On paper, she was well qualified, but in person, she was toxic. She would scold her staff in plain view of customers (not a vibe you appreciate while trying to enjoy a cupcake) and gossip relentlessly. Under her watch, employee turnover increased, and a health inspection failed. She was later fired because of her bad attitude, but she left her mark—morale remained poor even after her departure. The takeaway: Like the plague, negativity is infectious, and even a simple eye-roll can spread sarcasm and impatience. The very best of jobs quickly becomes miserable if there’s tension in the air.

5. Focus on the garlic fries.

There’s nothing worse than feeling blasé about your job. It’s rarely fun to get up early to serve coffee to other people, but it was essential for me to find something exciting about it. When I worked at a bakery with a tyrannical owner, I told everyone how good their cookies and hot chocolate were. When I was a hostess in a fast-paced restaurant filled to the brim during hockey season, I raved about the turkey burger and garlic fries. Without some sense of enjoyment, menial tasks can feel soul crushing; conversely, they can be fulfilling if you focus on a point of pride. It’s important to feel passionate about some aspect of your job, be it big or small.