How You Treat Your Server

OK, so being a server has been a really good experience for me. It's a completely different work environment than I'm used to, and I feel like I'm learning a lot from it.

One of the things I've noticed is that when people eat out, how they treat their server often says a lot about them. The reason is because servers are of no real value to the guest. The server gets their food and drinks, and once they walk out the door, the guests will most likely never see their server again.

I can almost always tell right away what kind of table I have. For example, the second I walk up to a table and introduce myself I can usually tell whether they're going to be rude to me or not. And it has nothing to do with age, sex, or appearance. Patrons who look at me when they order, or refer to me by my name are generally caring people. They are the people who will be patient when the food takes longer than expected, and almost always tip generously.

A lot of people are just the opposite though. These people don't look at me when they order, and make me feel like I am a nuisance every time I stop by the table. When I get this kind of table, I pray that their food comes out quickly, because if it doesn't then I, or my manager, will hear about it and my tip will go right down the drain.

I don't judge the people at my tables, or base their service on how they treat me. In fact I will try harder to accommodate the more difficult tables. And, I aware that sometimes people are just having a rough day and my experience is not an accurate representation of their character. But, I still believe that how a person treats their server tells you a lot about their character.

So, when you eat out, how do you treat your server?

Keep it real,

Ben