Working at a restaurant is one of the best ways to fully understand the idea of being the person at the bottom part of the totem pole. At the beginning, you will have to work your way up from the bottom. You might start with being a cleaner, then a server, then bartender if you are lucky and eventually manager if you are really good. The best thing about it is that you have to earn your promotion, if you are a lazy person, it will never happen.
There is always a good side to this humbling experience of working at a restaurant. Before you franchise a restaurant it is better to get the hands on experience to give you a clear picture how the business works. It will actually make you a better professional and person in many ways.
1. A Tolerance For Difficult People
Restaurant customers know that “customer is always right” saying and love asserting it even when they are actually wrong. Some of them even enjoy asserting it especially when they are wrong just to rub the restaurant employee the wrong way. As the server for difficult customers, you can’t run or react negatively towards the customer; the only option is remaining kind to the difficult patron and giving them the best service.
2. Faking It Until It’s Over
You might have personal problems, a huge hangover, sick, and a throbbing headache or going through any other situation that will make speaking and serving people challenging; it doesn’t matter. You have to maintain your composure, and put up an enthusiastic front in front of the patrons. You have to fake it until your shift is over, because if you let slip your composure, then you go home empty handed with no money.
3. Unrelenting Optimism
If you are not an optimistic person then you will learn it in this trade especially during the first days. Working in a restaurant requires optimism always. You will break a few glasses, get yelled at, spill food on yourself and be part of many annoying things that will happen. You will have to laugh off all the annoying stuff and work towards being great at your job.
4. Adapt To Multitasking
If you want to learn how to multitask, then there is no better school than a restaurant environment. The scenario is like this; a drink order for table 2, water for table 4, extra napkins for table 1, a food order for table 13, an extra food order for table 3 and so on. The harder you work the more orders you get and in the end, the more tips and money you make.
5. Facing Your Problems Head-on
There are jobs where you can dodge the annoying customers and the restaurant is not one of those. It doesn’t matter if you are having a terrible day and the annoying patrons walk in, you will have to face them. You learn how to face your problems head on by putting on a good smile and serving that annoying customer.
6. Learning Teamwork
In a restaurant, you never know when you might need a favor from your co-workers. You might be swamped with orders and need a colleague’s help, or they might be swamped with orders and require your help. It is all about helping each other out and one of the best instances to learn teamwork.
Takeaway
Working in a restaurant is definitely not a cup of tea; work it at least once before you franchise one. At the end of it, you walk away a different person and very ready to start your killer restaurant.