OPINION: Please be kind to service workers

By CYDNEY HEED
Editor

They’re everywhere: Reddits, TikToks, and Instagram posts describing customer service horror stories.

Ranging from “so ridiculous you can’t stop laughing” to “how are you even alive?!” these seemingly endless posts often provide a welcome source of entertainment.

But as someone who has spent their entire adult life working in hospitality—as everything from a waitress to a hotel manager—some of these stories hit a bit too close to home. It would appear that the old adage “the customer is always right” has made a deep imprint on impatient patrons, leading to some truly nasty interactions.

For those who enjoy complaining because their server is too busy, said they were out of something, or simply because it gives you a rush of endorphins, I have a rather blunt message: cut it out.

The people who get paid to serve you are not trying to ruin your day. They did not bring you regular Coke instead of diet on purpose. They did not leave your food in the kitchen just to make you wait longer.

People who work in the service industry literally build their careers on making others happy. In general, having happy patrons makes our job easier and our days happier.

Asking questions and making reasonable requests are usually welcome. Rudeness and entitlement are not—especially with a global pandemic making many customer service jobs way riskier than they used to be.

For those wondering how to ensure themselves a smooth customer service experience, here are some do’s and don’ts.

DO tip at least 20% when dining out.

While the minimum wage in Michigan is $9.45 per hour, tipped workers are exempt. That means that employers can lawfully pay servers, bussers, and other tipped workers less than the minimum wage.

Most servers make $3.67 an hour. They literally pay their bills with tips.

The standard tip when dining in is 20%. During the pandemic, there have been calls from service workers for tips to rise in order to make up for the increased risk of catching COVID-19 on the job.

Additionally, since not every restaurant has deemed it safe enough to reopen for in-person dining, some tipped workers are trying to survive solely off of carryout. While a carryout tip should not be less than about 10%, there are valid reasons to tip more during the pandemic.

When tipping for delivery, remember to add on a little extra if you are ordering from a restaurant that’s far away from where you live. More driving time equals more work and more gas for drivers.

DON’T bypass the host. The host (or any gatekeeper) exists to ensure that the employees don’t get overwhelmed and the guests get smooth service. If you ignore the host and seat yourself, you’ll probably wind up with no silverware trying to flag down a server who wasn’t prepared for you.

Additionally, COVID-related social distancing rules could mean that you seat yourself too close to another table or put the restaurant overcapacity. On top of being a safety issue, this can lead to hefty fines for the business.

DO tell us what you need. If you need a highchair, let us know as soon as possible. If you have an allergy or a medical condition, explain it to the staff before you place your order. The last thing we want is to compromise somebody’s health or give them a bad experience just because they were lacking something basic, but we can only meet the need if we know what it is.

DON’T yell, curse, threaten, or belittle the people serving you. Ever. For any reason. Even if they royally messed up, there is a calm way to express your concerns. Abuse is outside of everybody’s pay grade.

DO wear your mask. We get it—the mask is sweaty and uncomfortable and we are all hoping for a day when they are no longer necessary. But regardless of anyone’s personal feelings, masks are the law of the land for the foreseeable future. The staff at restaurants, hotels, stores, or any other public place have to enforce this rule no matter how they feel about it. And yes—they even have to enforce it if you complain. It doesn’t bring them any joy to make customers miserable, but for the time being, these are the rules.

DON’T tell us how to do our jobs. While we want to make our customers happy and fulfill as many reasonable requests as possible, we are responsible for adhering to certain rules. Businesses have policies for a reason. If we say we can’t do something, don’t contradict us. The bottom line is that the employees know how the business works, and the customers don’t.

DO be patient. Nothing is ideal right now, but service staff are still doing the best they possibly can to give their guests a good experience. If things are taking longer than normal, or if some services aren’t available, the best response is patient kindness.

Remember that people who work in the service industries are human beings doing their best to provide you with a positive experience. While we want to give everyone the best experience possible, we are much more willing to go the extra mile for kind, respectful customers.

Comments

comments