Back in 2005 a movie was released that might have made a lot of people cringe while those that have been a part of the food and hospitality industry might have been pumping their fists in validation and even remembering moments when life was mirrored by cinema. Those that have worked in this industry know very well how tough it can be and how unappreciative those they serve can be at times. But back then most people didn’t know much about pandemics, and the current mess we’re in wasn’t even thought of as of yet, unless it had been concocted for a disaster movie. But while Waiting was a ridiculous and somewhat insane movie, there’s far more truth to it than many want to admit. While the pandemic might have made a huge mess of more than one industry, food service workers are essential since like it or not, some folks couldn’t boil water on accident. With that being said, here are five reasons why the movie Waiting is even more relevant.
5. Being a food server is harder than a lot of people think.
As far as education goes, the basics require a high school education at best, but if one wishes to make a career out of this type of work then it does require more education, more experience, and a great deal of time to learn what they need to in order to be the best they can be. On top of that, dealing with people isn’t always easy since some customers are bound to be pleasant, appreciative, and even grateful for those that are serving them. But the most trying days are those that are brought on by troublesome customers that are never satisfied and various other factors that can go wrong in this business.
4. It’s a privilege and a luxury to eat out, and people need to remember that.
Going to a restaurant isn’t something that everyone gets to do anytime they’d like. In fact, it’s something that is a luxury for some folks, while others tend to take it for granted. The fact that people feel the need to go out is quite normal, it’s nice to have a place to go when one wants to get out of the house, a place they feel that they can stretch out and relax. The trick however is to remember that the place that a customer relaxes is the business that several employees rely on for their paycheck, which means that it’s to be respected as well as enjoyed. Waiting gave people a look into a place that made it a point to welcome and relax people, which is the point.
3. Your server does have a limit to their patience.
This was made quite clear in the movie since Naomi was perhaps the least patient server of all, at last back in the kitchen. Out on the floor she was just as sweet as anyone could expect since that’s the job, being pleasant to the guests and making them feel welcome. In fact, a lot of the time quite a few servers will be pleasant on the outside while on the inside they might be having one of the worst days of their life. This is why the customers need to remember that despite the fact that the servers are there to serve their needs, they’re still expected to maintain some sense of respect for the people that are doing their best to keep them happy.
2. Your experience in a restaurant is what you make of it.
It’s almost an ironclad guarantee that there is no one in the restaurant is trying to make people lose their cool or otherwise have a bad experience. Not only would that be foolish and immature, but it would be horrible for business. Those that walk into a restaurant acting like they own the place are going to alert the servers and everyone else that they’re problematic and need to be handled carefully, while most others are going to be treated with the regular amount of courtesy since this is the type of business that needs all types of folks to come in so that it can work. In other words, restaurants are there to be enjoyed, but it’s up to the customer to actually allow themselves to be satisfied.
1. People need to remember the cardinal rule, “don’t fool with people that handle your food’.
This kind of goes back to patience, and in the middle of a pandemic one would hope that no one would ever, EVER mess with another person’s food. If they did such a thing today there’s no doubt that there would be criminal charges being pressed. But the trick here is that the more a customer messes with their server and/or the chef, the less likely it is that either of them are going to care if your food is ‘to your liking’ any longer. People might not want to hear it, but the customer isn’t always right. There’s a lot more truth in this movie than some folks care to admit.
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