One summer in college, I waited tables. Waiting on tables is hard and many times frustrating work. I wasn’t very good when I started, and I never got much better.
In fact, I might have peaked as a server the day before I started working.
Why? I didn’t know what I was doing wrong, and I certainly didn’t know what (if anything) I was doing right. I didn’t have a coach or a mentor. I didn’t receive any feedback – positive or negative – other than tips, and that’s not the best indicator since tips have come to be expected. Although, when I didn’t get a 15-20% I wondered if the customer was cheap or was my service lacking.
I was flapping in the wind. I wasn’t looking for thanks. I was looking for constructive criticism.
Now, when I go out to eat, I make it a point to let the server know when they exceed my expectations and when they fall short.
If I have positive feedback, I’ll tell them straight up, “You delivered my entrée at the perfect time” or “I wasn’t planning to have desert, but you really made me want the bread pudding.”
If there are improvements to make I’ll write comments on the back of the check. “I waited 11 minutes for you to refill my water glass,” or “You need to tell the manager that the kitchen slowed down your food delivery and your customers noticed.”
These efforts aren’t difficult, don’t take much time and cost nothing. But to the person receiving the feedback they are money in the bank.
Think about that the next time you leave a $4 tip on a $20 meal. Give the server a little feedback too.
Posted on
Mon, March 30, 2009
by Sean Taylor Simpson
filed under