Have you ever been to a bar or restaurant and found the service to be completely horrible? Or, vice-versa, the best service you ever had?
When you go out to eat, you need at least two things to satisfy you — the food and the service. Since service is such a big part of the restaurant experience, restaurants try to hire hardworking, charismatic people who know what they are talking about when it comes to food and drinks.
As those who have worked in the restaurant industry, even just for a summer, have discovered, there's a lot more to being a successful bartender or server than just serving drinks or food, and in turn, these jobs can teach you a lot about life. Here’s why I think that everyone should work in the hospitality industry for at least a few weeks of their lives.
Be independent and work as a team
When you work in a restaurant, you work with a team of servers, bartenders, managers, owners, chefs, food runners and more, and since many who are employed in the hospitality industry full-time spend at least 50 hours a week in their restaurants (including nights and weekends), it's important to learn how to work well with others of all ages and backgrounds, no matter how tired or frustrated you may be in the moment.
The ensuing comradery helps build you up as a person and also gives you core skills that you can take out of the restaurant industry. Of course, you also have to be able to hold your own in a restaurant, which gives you a sense of independence.
Handle frustrating patrons
When you work in a restaurant, you sometimes have to deal with customers who are rude, loud, drunk or disorderly and it can be incredibly frustrating to keep a smile on the whole time. However, in life, it does help you learn to think on your feet and come to rational solutions to problems, rather than being impulsive or rude back, even if someone deserves it.
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Unfortunately, you can't please everyone, even if you try your best at what you do and keep a positive outlook. Learning how to deal with this will give you 'thick skin' to those who are nasty to you outside of your workplace as well.
The value of a dollar
They didn’t teach us enough about finances in high school, and being in the restaurant industry helps those of all ages learn the true value of money. Working in a restaurant as a server or bartender, you are usually required to 'tip-out' the staff that helps with service — so you quickly learn how fast that money can go, dollar by dollar, similar to when you find out just how much of your well-earned cash you owe the IRS.
However, on a positive note, you will also learn that the harder you work, the more money you’ll make. If you're friendly and helpful to customers, you'll make more in tips — it's just that simple.
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Working in the restaurant industry full-time certainly isn't for everyone, but trying a stint, whether as a teenager or to make a few extra dollars, will help you learn invaluable lessons that you can take with you forever.
Michael Politz, a lifelong New Jersey resident, has worked in the restaurant and bar industry for 20 years. He currently bartends at Water and Wine Ristorante, an upscale Italian eatery and bar in Watchung. His beer, wine and liquor column, Spirits of N.J., appears Wednesdays.
https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/entertainment/dining/2019/05/22/why-everyone-should-work-restaurant-least-once/3708120002/ 2019-05-22 12:00:00Z
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