In college, I was a waiter. I suspect this is the case with many of you as well.
Recently I had a conversation with a friend about it, and as I reminisced about my waiting days I realized that waiting tables actually taught me a lot about the way a successful business works. The same principles that make you successful as a waiter make you successful at any venture that involves that key aspect of business: people.
People Are Looking For an Enjoyable Experience
When you wait tables, people are your bread and butter. You learn to read people, to anticipate their needs, to make them feel appreciated.
When a table (or more importantly, the person with the money) feels like you understand their needs even before they do, not only will they tip you well, they’ll come back and ask for you by name.
When a business understands me (or I perceive that it does), I take note; I tell my friends about it.
Specific Suggestions Are Key
In marketing we talk about perceived need. If I wanted someone to buy dessert, I didn’t say, “Would you like dessert?” I said, “How about the creamy and delicious cheesecake this evening?” Sounds much harder to resist, right?
Along those lines, knowing your product is the key to selling your product. I could talk about how good the cheesecake was because I had actually tried it.
Upsell–But Don’t Piss People Off
In order to get the best tip possible, I had to convince people they needed more than just an entree. I had to make appetizers, desserts and drinks appealing to them. The larger the bill, the bigger my tip.
But some people got annoyed by someone obviously selling them something (me). I had to learning to push these people just far enough and no further. If they set boundaries and felt that I respected those boundaries, they were much more likely to come back.
Some People Won’t Enjoy Themselves No Matter What You Do
These are the customers every waiter hates. The ones who complain about everything, make the job very difficult, and then leave scraps for a tip (if anything).
A server gets face to face time with some of the most depressing people in the world. And sometimes it can be difficult to deal with their bigotry, their angry diatribes, or the small things that you did (or didn’t do) that annoy them.
But the thing I had to tell myself about these people is that they’re looking for a reason to be upset, and no matter what I did, I was never going to make them happy.
The important thing is to not let too much negative feedback alter your focus. Because once your focus is thrown off, your entire job performance starts to go down the drain.
A Smile Goes a Long Way
When I was a waiter, I had to learn to self-market to my customers. They not only had to like what I was selling, they had to like me. And being pleasant to be around made all the difference.
A Good Business Fosters Community
Markets are communities waiting to happen. At no point was this more evident than when I was a waiter. Our repeat customers knew us by name, and we knew them. And that mutual relationship kept them coming back.
How are you fostering community? Do your customers feel anticipated and respected?
I’ve given you what I learned as a waiter, but I’m sure you’ve had some odd jobs as well. What lessons did you learn from them?
Photo credit: Erik Charlton
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