THE UNIFORM
Fun fact about me: I don't own a single white oxford shirt or a pair of black pants. I actually don't even own a black belt. Nor do I own black non-skid shoes or black socks.
Essentially, I didn't own a single element of the required uniform. Also, I was broke and didn't exactly have the cash to buy nice things (I mean... it's my SECOND job. Of course I'm broke). So I gave myself a $75 limit, an amount I could easily make back my first week.
Step One: I went through everything my husband owned
This was the cheapest step. I found a large stash of black socks and a black belt that fit me. I was 40% finished before I even left the house!
Step Two: I got my broke self to the thrift shop (just like Macklemore!)
Amazingly, I had a huge supply of black pants to pick and choose from. I went to two, and found two pairs for about $15. One pair are from The Limited, and the second a very sensible pair of Dockers. Apparently white oxfords are a hot ticket right now, because I couldn't find a single one that would fit, even in the men's section. Unsurprisingly, there were no black non-skid shoes in my size.
Step Three: I went to Walmart
I really hate Walmart. I hate the fact that the employees aren't paid enough, I hate how many small local businesses they've undercut and run out of business. But sometimes I'm too poor to pick and choose, so I sucked it up and went. They didn't even have white women's oxfords, so I got a men's size small and it fits pretty well. I got two of them for around $30. The only black, non-skid shoes they had in my size were really really hideous black unisex crocs. Damn you size 11 feet! I would've kept looking, if only they hadn't been $20, the cheapest I'd seen, even beating out the ones online.
The most annoying part is that most of this uniform is covered with an apron, but I don't mind too much because it means that I only need to iron the sleeves, collar, and the top of the back of the oxford. But, compared to what I wore as a nanny (i.e. whatever the hell I wanted) I find that it stifles my creativity.
To help me feel more like myself, I wore small dinosaur earrings and purple eyeliner to work on my first day. No one noticed.
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| Tiny longnecks and purple eyeliner helped me keep my personality in my bland uniform |
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| We're not even talking about how awful and utilitarian and horrible these shoes are. Hubs says I can clean them in the dishwasher. Oh, joy. |
I'm not going to tell you where I work, because duh, Craigslist killer, but let's say it's a casual, family dining restaurant.
Now, remember, I've never been a waitress before, nor have I ever worked a Point of Service (POS) machine. I can also say without a shadow of a doubt that if there is ever something I do a crazy Office Space style attack on, it will be this machine. Everything is hidden in little niches and abbreviated and just not intuitive at all.
My coworkers have been nice enough to help me put things in when I'm visibly distressed, and they do so without judgement. Even if they just did that I'd be grateful. But they do even more. They help refill drinks, carry food out, put the finishing touches on food when it comes off the line, and sometimes are just there to say "am I the only one sweating like a pig back here in this kitchen!?" because YES, I AM TOO WHAT THE HELL IS THAT ABOUT.
They're also just strong, wonderful people. Some have kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives that they're trying to take care of. Some are struggling. But that never stops them from laughing.
Even the dishwasher in the back who calls me "princess" only does so because he's just trying to make the monotony of mugs and silverware exciting. He calls me princess because I never scrape the food off the plates with my hands. You wouldn't want to either if you'd seen what I've seen.
I've already fallen in love with the buzz of the coworkers. It's probably the best part of this job so far.
THE CUSTOMERS
Compared to nannying, I am kinda loving the clientele. Even if a table is being a pain in the butt, I know that they'll soon be gone, and in their place will be a fresh start. A clean slate. Working with the same kid everyday is nice because you know their quirks, but you have to adhere to the rules ALL THE TIME if you don't want your life to be a living hell. Not so with being a waitress. It's the same basic process, but I mix it up depending on the audience. With couples on a date I try to be discreet, for people I see are struggling to make conversation with each other I try to make small talk. Suggest nearby attractions to the out-of-towners.
Honestly, the worst part is that people think "oh, it's casual, I'm just having pancakes" and then only tip me $2 on a $22 tab. Not because they didn't enjoy their meal, or their service. Well, you still have a waitress, and I'm still getting you drink refills, bussing your table, making sure your food comes out in a timely manner, and basically being at your beck and call throughout your meal. I don't care what time of day it is or where you are, if you have a waitress, tip 20%. They'll think less of you.
If you're going to hang around, tip a crapload. You're not ordering more food and I'm going to be pleased when I see you were at my table for an hour plus and then left me $3. You've wasted my time and belittled everything I did for you throughout your meal.
But then today I had a lovely old couple pay for the soldiers sitting behind them, and dropping off their meals and telling them it was free felt awesome. Everyone left happy.
One day, when I'm not broke, I'm going to do things like that. I'm going to tip with reckless abandon and buy strangers their meal. For now I just get to enjoy seeing it.
FINAL VERDICT
Not a bad job. I like that I still have a good amount of my day left to spend with the hubs, and he's happy to see me working. He's also perfectly happy rubbing my feet, which is amazing.
Good luck in food service! I've been in it for 3 years. The POS machines are the worst!!
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