Common Courtesy | Teen Ink

Common Courtesy

April 29, 2009
By Anonymous

I believe that every person should be forced to work at least one job in the service industry.

Every one loves to go out and eat and be waited on hand and foot by the unfortunate being who is granted the honor of being their waiter for the night. Yet, most people tend to think that since they are paying for the food, that means that there is no need to pay for the service; although, this method of thinking is completely incorrect.

I use to be just like everyone else and think that leaving five dollars on a fifty dollar check was more than sufficient due to the fact that the server also recieves a regular paycheck and my tip was just a little extra for the pocket. With my first job, I soon realized this was the complete opposite of the truth.

My freshman year in highschool I landed a job waitressing at a little family restaurant down the road, I thought I was about to be rolling in money. My first day I was one of the most enthusiastic people you could have ever met, yet my mood quickly vanished. My first table approached and I began to feel butterflies due to the excitement of my very first group of people that I would ever so graciously aid in their dining experience. Well, Two hours later while I am drenching in sweat due to the never ending demands coming from my wonderful first table, I am left with three dollars for a check that exceded one hundred. After this first table, I quickly adopted the policy of always tipping twenty percent no matter how high my bill is. I also quickly realized that servers are only paid enough hourly so that they do not owe to the government at the end of each pay check, what a rewarding career this was ending up to be.

Three years later, although not at the same restaurant, I still work in one of the most unappreciated occupations in the world. However, I can always spot that considerate, well tipping individual who use to hold the same job, and I appreciate every moment that I get to help their dining experience.

Unfortunatley, most people do not realize how underpaid servers are and the only form of finance they receive is from the tips they earn every night. Only those select few businessmen, lawyers, and doctors who use to have that college job are fully able to understand everything that goes into the service industry. I think the only way to correct this unfortunate mishappening is to force every person to work at least one job in the service industry at some point in their life and then all would be correct in the universe of restaraunts.



Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 0 comments.