It’s been tiring but enjoyable :)
I’ve entertained the thought of working at an F&B outlet for a while now, to experience how it’s like to be serving others, literally, and to push myself out of my comfort zones. Here are just some of my thoughts after the short stint of waitressing so far:
#1 Waitressing really pushed me out of my comfort zones. Serving coffee like cappuccino and latte (especially drinks in the tall glasses) seemed so daunting at first, and they were – I really took my time finding the best way to lift the full cup/tall glass of coffee such that it wouldn’t spill – and I’ve had a fair share of customers looking at me silently asking are-you-sure-you’re-okay? But as time goes by and you do more of the same thing, you get used to it and improve on your efficiency, and now I’m glad I can serve drinks more confidently, though there’s always room for improvement.
Working through peak hours is definitely a challenge and this job forced me to be on my toes both literally (well, almost) and figuratively. There’s always something for you to do – top up the water jugs, serve drinks, take orders, bill customers, arrange chairs/tables, refill this & that, arrange utensils etc. and I’ve learned to be much more alert to my surroundings, especially being extra attentive to customers, after all they’re to be ‘looked after’. I don’t think I would be able to multi-task this much if I weren’t at this job.
#2 Nike’s slogan was really apt throughout this waitressing stint. I used to hesitate before doing things which I’m unfamiliar with and it’s one of the reasons why I decided to wait tables – to get rid of this attitude and learn to go ahead and do things without reservations. I learnt that for so many things in life, if we’d just stop thinking of the what-ifs, and just go ahead to experience them, you’d be surprised at their outcomes. I used to be afraid of spilling coffee while serving, and I couldn’t even pour beer out decently (the first time I did, the beer foamed out of the glass on the table in front of the customer, so malu). But working peak hours don’t really afford you time to think and I found myself just doing it, and I did it! Now serving cappuccino gives me a feel-good feeling and it’s become something I kinda enjoy doing :)
#3 The service industry really lacks people/is not attractive. This is probably not something new but it only became apparent to me when it was pointed out recently and when I’m in the industry itself. Someone noted that how I described my experience (it sounded more toward the positive side) contradicted the majority who waited tables. The job sees staff working long hours with low remuneration, getting tired, and dealing with customers isn’t always going to be pleasant, so how is it enjoyable?
Personally, what keeps me going is the appreciation shown towards the staff by the outlet managers. The place I’m working at has the nicest managers around whom I respect. They are strict, they scold sometimes, but not unreasonably, and at the end of the day, they make sure the staff are appreciated, and thank us for our time. It makes us leave the workplace smiling. I really appreciate how they appreciate us, and maybe if F&B outlets around appreciate their staff more, it’ll make working a much more pleasant experience.
I guess I’m also fortunate in the sense that most of the customers at the outlet I’m at are tourists, so they are generally well-mannered and rarely have unreasonable requests, and I haven’t experienced any very ugly Singaporeans. (We get tipped too! But the tips go to the tip box haha) This adds plus points to my waitressing experience.
One more thing – I realised that I found it enjoyable because this has been a new experience for me, something I haven’t done before, and I’m doing it part-time. For full-timers, it becomes a routine, a tiring one, and lasting for months may be too much to handle. Come to think of it, so many things are like that, or at least for me, I find experiences interesting because I haven’t done them before/rarely get to do them, but when it becomes a full-fledged part of life, it’s another story.
#4 Coffee is fun! It’s interesting to know more about the different types of coffee out there – the difference between latte, flat white, café vienna, cappuccino etc. Most of them are only slightly different from each other, for example, (I may not be entirely right though!)
Espresso = one shot of coffee (quite concentrated)
Long Black = espresso + hot water (diluted version of espresso)
Flat White = Espresso + hot milk
Latte = flat white + more hot milk
Mocha = latte + chocolate syrup
#5 People are good at different things. Even though I am academically able and am fortunate enough to receive good education, I admit I suck at practical things in life sometimes. The people working at the café may not be able to have the privilege of good schooling but they’re smart nonetheless, and they’re endearing people too. Random note – my previous supervisor could speak in 4 different languages – English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil and he’s really good at communicating. Some others may not be book-smart but they’re good at multi-tasking and handling stress during peak periods, very street smart.
In general, working exposed me to a lot of different people in the world and they all highlight the fact that people shine in different ways, and how there’s always so much to learn from other people.
-----
Anyway, serving has been quite a joy. And every time I see tourists entering the café and opening their Singapore map I feel very happy cos people are exploring our little island haha. Today there was this elderly Caucasian couple who came up to me and asked, “We’re looking for Singaporean food, you don’t serve that here, do you?” I actually couldn’t think of a suitable place to direct them to, the best one was a kopitiam nearby which has chicken rice, mee pok etc, and will probably have to suffice. It’s so nice to actually turn people away from the café because they’re looking for local delicacies, hahaha. There’s that little bubble of Singaporean pride every time people express interest in local stuff.
Cheers to a day of rest tomorrow! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment