"Why do you make it sound like waiters are doing all these drugs? Do you think that I've never been asked by, say...a vice president from a large corporation like Merrill Lynch if I had a tough week, and then passed a joint across the bar?

So it's not just people in the restaurant industry. Okay...maybe it's a little more in the restaurant industry.

--Waiter at a restaurant in the WTC area

.....

I got an email from Dave, a guy in Philadelphia, asking me how to get started as a waiter in Manhattan. My first response is, "Dave...have you been reading this site? Do you really want to become part of the drama? Really? Okay, cool."

So from many sources I've been told that the first thing you've gotta' do is lie. That means beefing up the resume and pretending you have more experience than you really do. One waitress from the Czech Republic told me that she got her first job by listing the two biggest hotels in Prague, realizing nobody in their right mind was gonna' call Prague.

I'll also add that she has blonde hair, and she says that probably helped her get her job.

From two different waiters, both very professional, I've heard that the best place to start is at one of the Steve Hanson restaurants, specifically, either the Blue Water Grill in Union Square, or at Isabella's on the Upper West Side. Both of these places continually hire crazy amounts of staff. Now the fact that a place is experiencing high staff turnover should tell you a bit about the quality of the work environment, but you gotta' start somewhere.

And Dave...It also helps to be a blonde woman from Prague.

Here's the last installment of my interview with Roger, a regular guy from Chicago trying to make it in the acting world. Best wishes, Roger. Hope you make it some day...

***************

I feel like this all the time, that I hate people, all the time. I think it has to do with an issue of respect. I feel as people that we should respect each other no matter what you're doing.

The guy who's taking out your trash, "You say hi to or thank you to." That's just respect to someone who's doing their job. You respect them for doing their service.

I get good customers too, people who are friendly and start a conversation, and then leave a nice tip. That happens a lot. But just as much as that happens, you get people, "This doesn't taste right. This is horrible!"

I've been at restaurants and actually been served the wrong thing. And I'm, "This looks fine." And I'm not gong to make a big deal our of it, 'cause I know what they're going through.

I won't take it out of the tip if they correct the mistake.

But I think people have this power over you, "You better do everything right or I'm not going to leave you money! If you mess anything up, that's a dollar I'm taking away."

And then I feel like a whore 'cause I'm doing everything I can to make money.

"I'm sorry, sir. What else can I do?" And then under my breath, I'm like, "Asshole!"

And sometimes there's something so fake about it. You can't say how you're feeling, because you are trying to make that money. You do want them to come back, because that makes money for the bar and that makes money for more servers and you don't want them telling your boss that you gave them bad service.

All the time you get people who don't know how to say please, or you ask a direct question...This always gets me. You walk up to a table, "Hey is everybody okay? Does anybody need anything else?" And they just ignore you. They look up at you and just keep eating.

I asked you a question. Just say "no" or "yes". Whatever, and then get back to your conversation, get back to eating. Just take a moment to acknowledge that I asked you a question and I'm standing there. I'm just doing my job.
8:26:14 AM     comment []