Whether you’re a waiter, front of house staff or a bar person, there are a few things that you may have noticed during your time in the hospitality sector.
Here are just a few of our favourites.
Holidays don’t exist
New Years, St.Patricks Day, Easter, Halloween, Christmas and bank holidays don’t really exist when you work in the hospitality sector. Unlike everyone else, you will probably have to work on these holidays. Not that you’re bitter of course.
The shifts are long
If you hear one more person complaining about their 9-5 job then you might just lose it! Working in the hospitality industry means that you are well-used to working unsociable hours. If you want to go out with friends at the weekend it needs to be planned at least a month in advance and you can forget about last minute dinner plans.
Tips glorious tips
Tips are just one of the perks of working in this sector. There’s nothing quite like walking out of work laden down with your day’s takings. You might be exhausted but at least you’ve got something to show for it.
Having to start the ”Happy Birthday” song on your own
You’re not a natural born singer but you have to give this all you’ve got. It’s the person’s birthday after all. Prepare for some serious screeching.
Battle wounds
Hot plates, sharp knives, wet surfaces it’s no wonder that hospitality staff are notorious for their battle wounds. Your efforts to juggle multiple items at once will often result in cuts and scrapes, unfortunately, it’s all just part of the job.
Unauthorised substitutions
This is a problem that faces all front of house staff. Every so often a customer will decide to rewrite the menu for themselves. They will ask for stew with no carrots, burgers with no lettuce and if you could just remove the onions from their lasagne that would be great too. Unfortunately, you’re the one who has to tell the chef this…*gulp*.
Working on your ”smile”
You know the one. It’s not plastered on your face because you’re deliriously happy all the time. It’s actually the smile you put on when you’re greeting customers. You’ve perfected it over months of practice.
Collecting approximately 12,452 pens every week
But somehow you still manage to not have one when someone asks you to take their order.
Being asked about the wine/whiskey/gin list
You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about but you completely wing it anyway. Will a sauvignon blanc go well with the dessert of the day? Eh, probably.
The dreaded phrase ”Can I speak to the manager?”
No sentence will make a hospitality staff member panic more. By all means, let me call my supervisor so you can publically embarrass me in front of everyone else here. It’s not like I know my job and business better than you.
