Serving Confessions

Let me guess - you need money! No, this isn't an ad for quick credit, but rather an introduction to one of those jobs people should work at some point. What profession? Waitressing, of course! Almost everyone I know between the ages of 17 and 25 has been a waiter, but like I said, almost everyone. Sometimes it's inevitable - you either work as a cashier in a supermarket or you work as a waiter. Let's not forget bartending too. I'm not talking about those bartenders who flirt with you the second you sit down at the barstool and try to guess your zodiac sign to make you a drink. I'm talking about those bartenders who, in their spare time, sit at the soda case and stare at their phone, dealing with orders, carrying heavy cases and kegs of beer.

I'm not proud of the fact that I'm a waitress, but I remember one of the delivery guys saying, "Waitressing is an art. If I pick up the tray, I'll drop it on the third step." In my case, waitressing isn't an art, because if it were, I'd be walking around with a towel around my arm, serving filet mignon and witnessing business deals indirectly and seeing men lead their mistresses around saying, "I picked this restaurant especially for you," at least ten times a day. It's not hard to carry a tray, but if you're a customer you're not going to say, "Look at her carrying that tray! What finesse! What grace! The balance is on point!”

I personally am speechless every time my colleague Ronnie carries the tray at shoulder level, whether the tray is full or there are three glasses and a beer. I carry the tray at the level of my stomach, but ultimately everyone has their own methods. Whether you carry it in your right or left hand, you're still carrying a tray. It took me at least a month to learn to carry three plates at a time, but panic teaches you. The plates are piling up, the guests are waiting, and you're on the verge of a nervous breakdown - no time to waste! You pick up the plates as best you can and carry them.

But let's put an end to the training. If you're not a member of the waitstaff, or thinking of becoming one, come with me on an "adventure" through "Serving Confessions". Like I said at the beginning, sometimes being a waiter is unavoidable. It's temporary, you won't be a waitress forever until your hair turns white, but it's enough until you decide what to do with your life. I haven't decided yet.

You have no money. You are applying for a job. They call you and ask you for an interview. By this point, the panic level on the ten-point scale is at least a three because everything begins or ends after the interview. There are two scenarios.

Scenario one:

You show up for an interview, you tell them about yourself, your boss tells you about the company, schedules, shifts, what is required of you, etc. You shake hands and they say, "I'll call you if we decide to hire you."

Result: you don't get the job. The second they say they'll call you, you automatically know you're unemployed because the boss isn't going to stay up day and night reviewing resumes to find the right person. The phrase "I'll call you back" is a slight hint to say, "I wanted to give you a chance, but I already have someone better" or "I wanted to give you a chance, but I'll wait for someone better".

You show up for an interview, you tell them about yourself, your boss tells you about the company, schedules, shifts, what is required of you, etc. You shake hands and they tell you, "Come in on Monday to see if you like the job and we'll see what happens."

Result: If you like it, you get hired, sign contracts, give them your details and voila - you're part of the team! But they might have been desperate. How do you know? Let's rewind the tape.

You have no money. You are applying for a job. They call you and ask you for an interview. If you apply and they call you the same day, scheduling an interview for the exact same day (totally desperate), or they schedule the interview for the next day (pretty desperate), then they are desperate. It's like giving a hungry person a meal that's been sitting in your fridge for three days and you're wondering if you should eat it or throw it out. You don't need experience in waitressing, but as the ads say - experience is an advantage.

I remember my desperate moment that led me to being a waitress. I was twenty-one, unemployed from October to March, and considering becoming a streamer in Twitch. Naturally, my laptop wasn't powerful enough to even record a game. I applied for a job as a waitress and got a call the very next day. We scheduled the interview for the day after.

I was already starting to envision my job as a waitress - good food, great co-workers, big tips, and few obligations. I used to be a barista and thought I would just have to make coffee and clean up after myself. But of course, I had to unload tables, chairs, be a requester, sandwich maker, ice cream vendor, pager, loader, cleaner, gardener, cut cakes. All for €2.73/$3.12 an hour.

I was a little nervous about the duties, but at interview I asked if I would have any hidden side work to do. I don't remember being told about such things, but it was exactly what I imagined - cleaning toilets, polishing cutlery, cleaning halls, wiping tables and serving customers. As time went on, other responsibilities came up that those more senior than me took on (because they had more experience and knew what was going on). I knew what was going on, but after the boss increased my wage, I thought I should let Sabrina handle it. After all, she gets paid more than I do.

For my first trial day, I was called in at ten in the morning and told to stay until one at noon. I didn't think that would be enough and stayed an hour longer. But overall, I didn't learn anything. Still, it was a trial day. They let me look at the menu, but I had already looked at it the night before. They told me which dishes were unavailable, explained about add-ons, ingredients, etc.

There is one BUT. I hadn't come across the seasonal menu. I didn't even know there was such a thing. I was asked about one dish and what it contained (and it literally says so) and I calmly explained to the customers that it was my first day and I didn't know (while it literally says so). I was then asked about a dessert what it was made of. Again, I explained to them that it was my first day and I didn't know. And finally, they ordered it.

Now, I hadn't done my research properly, but I ended up sticking with the job. I had read about Demiglace sauce from what it was made in case they asked, but they never asked me since I started working. Eventually I was only asked about this prosciutto dessert, which I was asked about from the beginning.

One week passed. I was second shift and on the next day I was first shift (from eight in the morning until three and a half in the afternoon). I was invited to a "team building" and we went to a bar. The bar owner was also the bartender that night and we stayed until five in the morning. I went home at five thirty in the morning, fell asleep after half an hour. I had to get up an hour later to get ready for work. I don't remember much of the night, but I remember I was first shift, trying to sober up, and suddenly three tables seemed like a lot. Messed up salad twice, forgotten bill, forgotten drink. I sank. By the end of my work day, I had a headache.

I got home at four in the afternoon, showered and slept from five in the afternoon until ten the next morning. Remember: don't go to bed two hours before your shift. If you can't drink, don't drink.

Now, this is just how I personally started. I couldn't really get the hang of ringing up orders, but my co-worker Ronnie explained it to me – drinks, salads and appetizers first. After ten minutes, you ring the mains. I thought I'd never get the hang of it, once my boss introduced Phones. You ring everything with a phone. You never have to walk up to the monitor just to ring something; you do it right at the table. The system even had a search bar. For me, it's way easier than the folder system because I learned what to look for. The ‘old dogs’ tend to teach the newbies about the folder system, so they don't mess anything up. But I learned about the search system by myself.

Everyone who tries the search system makes a mistake. I'm the only one who works with the search bar. Why? It's way faster. I don't waste time, especially when I have four seven-tops and I must be quick. And I am - because knowing what I'm looking for. Whenever a newbie asks me about the search system, the old dog jumps in: "Use the folder system only. You won't make any mistakes". It's not that I make mistakes, but the newbie will certainly make mistakes. Because it can be confusing sometimes. You search for what you hear, but not what is in the program. So... learn the program.