People have a different attitude. In many ways they either polarize on the side of crazy unnecessary drama or they're amazingly laid back. They come in all shapes and sizes. There are the crazy gossip chains, the rumors, people sleeping around with other co-workers, death threats (joking only... well, sometimes) muttered under the breath over the table of demanding "guests", people having a mental meltdown (ha ha, that was me), and a plethora of inside jokes. It's amazing. More so than any other job I've had, this new one takes the cake for it's crazy little secrets and quirks. The closest I've ever come to it is the coffee culture that comes with being a barista at any number of different coffee shops out there. Another world altogether, but one that's much easier to access if you're a regular.
When it comes to the restaurant business there really are two sides. The customer on one, the staff on the other. What a customer sees is usually nothing close to what's actually happening. And what a server sees is totally different. It's like a massive collision of two different perspectives in an age-old setting. And it works! For example, when you're the customer, you see the hospitality side of things, the good front, the cheery face, the mom/highschool student/college kid/two-job worker who's there to make sure that you get to eat and eat well and in a timely manner. Your whole experience is what you're getting out of it and how many stars to give it. On the flip side, as a server, you have a different outlook. You're the totally normal (or hey, maybe you are the odd child and you know it) yet totally unique and individual team member who's working to make sure you get as much out of the table as you can. Those tips are vital, a good review, key. You're also completely in it for what you can get out of it, but for different reasons. You're far from the model employee with the generic smile and scripted presentation. You're fiesty, chill, angry, stressed, overjoyed, hyper and any other crazy emotion out there. You have your bitch session around the corner, catch up on your co-worker's life, grab a quick smoke between tables. It's far more involved than I realized. It's fast paced (most of the time) and totally kicks your ass.
Now I know that every job has it's own "thing", but serving is a much different world in it's layout and presentation than I gave it credit for. Movies like "Waiting" now make a lot more sense.
And that's all I have to say for now. Lol
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