“Would you like fries with that?”

The joys of service jobs

By Natalie Hall
Courier Staff

The last time you were at a restaurant, did your waitress give you the wrong order or did your food take too long to come out of the kitchen? Did you ever think that perhaps your waitress, or the person who was cooking your food, was having a bad day? Or that they were up late with a sick baby? Working a double-shift just to make ends meet?

When you go to a grocery store or restaurant, do you think about the person who is waiting on you? Do you commend them on a job well done or leave them a generous tip? It seems that we, as Americans, aren’t patient or observant enough to see the people around us who are trying to help.

I’m currently working as a cashier at a local grocery store. My job consists of helping people find what groceries they are looking for, ringing up their groceries, taking their money and eventually bagging what they bought. It seems very mundane and simple which is the truth of the matter. 

Frequently people will come through my lane, never look me in the eye and instruct me, “Miss, double sack those and make sure you give me my receipt.” As a people-oriented person, I always ask how my customers are, if they found everything okay, say “please” and “thank you” and tell them to have a nice day. Often I don’t get a response, a “thank you” or even a smile.

Have you noticed that at some of the new stores the check-out lanes don’t even have cashiers! You can ring your own items, pay yourself and sack what you purchase. Whatever happened to small town grocers, friendly ladies behind the counters and bag-boys to carry out your bags? As our society becomes more technologically advanced, we seem to stray from interpersonal relationships.

As a former waitress, I have served eight tables, carried enormous and heavy trays and wore a full uniform, I sometimes felt like giving up. I worked at a country club and noticed that my customers couldn’t have given two hoots if I dropped dead as long as their sirloins weren’t undercooked.

 Some of the ladies would get huffy with me because I didn’t bring their bill fast enough, while others complained they weren’t ready for theirs even after they had finished eating and their dishes had been cleared and their coats were on.

The next time your waitress asks you how you are, smile and reply, “Fine, and how are you today?” Leave a good tip and be patient when your order takes a few minutes longer than you’d like. You never know how many other tables she’s waiting on, what cooks are harassing her in the kitchen or how many hours of sleep she got the night before.

Be considerate of those who provide the services you take for granted. You are not the only one with a hectic schedule and timely needs. There are others out there with feelings too. So, please take a deep breath, wait and smile.