How many of us have ordered a mouth-watering dish in some good restaurant or cafe, and had it delivered to our table? I think almost everybody have been there, right? How many of us think about the person who delivers your food and drinks to your table? Not many of us, I think. That person is called the waitress and is mostly invisible to the people attending the restaurant, unless she is very good looking, right? This article talks about the real life of a waitress and how hard it can be, although not very noticed by us.
Back in 1990 I was a waiter myself and I have been related to some waitresses to this time, including my actual girlfriend. So, believe me, I have a firsthand experience of this not-very-well-known culture.
For starters, waitresses don't have free holidays...if that day falls into your weekly schedule, forget it, you are set to serve even more customers, because most people are free and they wanna hang out and have a good time. Where? At the restaurant you work, of course. So, it's even worse, because you would love to be with your significant other on those holidays, celebrating, chilling out, enjoying your private life, but...life sucks for you, right? You have to be there no matter what, and, if by any chance you fall sick on that exact day...forget it, you'd better show up or they might think you're faking it and may make a report on you. If not, at least they are going to have a strong suspicion about you and may gonna start putting the eye on you. This, my friends, is the everyday life of a waitress, for real. You talk to them every day about that medium-well steak you want with a nice beer or wine or a soft drink maybe, and nothing besides, except...ahh, I forgot to mention another thing. You have been serving dozens of tables, you are tired, maybe you have a kid at home, maybe it's that time of the month, and there shows Mr. flirt, who's wanna show you how slick he is in the art of seducing women, you know...of course he's gonna start hitting on you right away. This guy will start telling you about how beautiful your eyes are and wait until you get the beers. Then, he will ask about your age and if you are single. Then, he will give you a business card to impress you. Of course, these guys are always single, because, even if they're married, they are "having a difficult time with their wives, are separated or divorced"...at least regarding to you. Sometimes these people can be really old, with sagging skin and all the elderly features. I know that if you are or have been a waitress and are reading this right now, you might feel some empathy about it.
Well, let's not forget about the boss. These people are usually money-hungry and they want a return on their investment. Guess who's gonna deliver it? You, of course! Most of these people breath down your neck all day, questioning you about the service of this and that table.
Now, let's not forget about your peers. They vary from place to place, but there is always a competition about who's getting the highest tip of the day. In some places they put all the tips in one place and then distribute it evenly among all the waiters and waitresses at the end of the day. In this case, even if it might seem fair to everyone, it's really unfair, because some waiters or waitresses will do the least they can, leaning on you, because they know they're getting their cut at the end of the day, no matter what. On the other hand, when everybody has to hunt for their own tips, there is a cutthroat environment all along.
Of course, not everything is hell for a waitress. As all things in life, there is a bright side about it. Sometimes you get off work with your pockets full of money, and, oh boy, isn't it just awesome to start counting it when you get home!?!(not considering the tips customers have put on their credit cards for you) Then, there is the after-hours employees hang-out, which they honestly need to do in order to relieve the all day stress. This, of course, may not apply to single moms, because they simply can't afford that lifestyle anytime soon, but they still have to go home to count all the money that hard night earned them. It's a hard life, but there will always be a waitress for all of us. That's life.
Don't forget to log in to The Coconut Bistro Channel on YouTube! This has been a great addition to The Coconut Bistro, showing many related videos, complementing my articles and beyond. And it's growing every day! Also, don't forget to post and share your comments here at The Coconut Bistro.
Well, let's not forget about the boss. These people are usually money-hungry and they want a return on their investment. Guess who's gonna deliver it? You, of course! Most of these people breath down your neck all day, questioning you about the service of this and that table.
Now, let's not forget about your peers. They vary from place to place, but there is always a competition about who's getting the highest tip of the day. In some places they put all the tips in one place and then distribute it evenly among all the waiters and waitresses at the end of the day. In this case, even if it might seem fair to everyone, it's really unfair, because some waiters or waitresses will do the least they can, leaning on you, because they know they're getting their cut at the end of the day, no matter what. On the other hand, when everybody has to hunt for their own tips, there is a cutthroat environment all along.
Of course, not everything is hell for a waitress. As all things in life, there is a bright side about it. Sometimes you get off work with your pockets full of money, and, oh boy, isn't it just awesome to start counting it when you get home!?!(not considering the tips customers have put on their credit cards for you) Then, there is the after-hours employees hang-out, which they honestly need to do in order to relieve the all day stress. This, of course, may not apply to single moms, because they simply can't afford that lifestyle anytime soon, but they still have to go home to count all the money that hard night earned them. It's a hard life, but there will always be a waitress for all of us. That's life.
Don't forget to log in to The Coconut Bistro Channel on YouTube! This has been a great addition to The Coconut Bistro, showing many related videos, complementing my articles and beyond. And it's growing every day! Also, don't forget to post and share your comments here at The Coconut Bistro.
(Photo courtesy of Luigi Morante @ flickr.com/creativecommons)
2 comments:
Well written article. I waited tables in college. It's very mentally and physically challenging, especially when you have a lot of tables. The worst is when you work a busy shift 'til late, then go home to sleep, and dream about work all night.
I like the article. I have never been a waitress, but some of my friends have, and after hearing some of their stories, I am pretty much always sure to leave a good tip.
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