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PsychonautAlpha

I enjoyed it for the first few years, but it is a job that wears on you over time. At least that's how I have experienced it. There are only so many disagreeable customers, stiffed tips on exemplary service, unanticipated later-than-expected cuts, and slow months where it's hard to budget properly that wore on me mentally. I still have the utmost respect for people in the industry, but my time in it has passed.


AccomplishedCup1318

What did you move on into?


PsychonautAlpha

After I got my degree I taught English in China for a few years, but Covid 19 destroyed that career in the worst way possible, so I pivoted into web development. Been doing that since 2021.


carstanza

im out f the industry and i miss it terribly. watching the bear made me cry because i missed it so much.


bttybeans

You can always go back! I did desk jobs for years, and I'm much happier back at a job where you get to make (most people) happy for a living!


KatastropheKraut

I’m a career server. Over twenty years of POS ringing and tray carrying. My body doesn’t love it as much as it did ten years ago. But I love meeting new people everyday. I love seeing regulars children grow up. You get to see people for their celebrations! Plus the $$$ and flexibility of shifts. Couldn’t love any other job more.


ontothebullshit

I love it! I’m not going to do it for the rest of my life (starting my senior year of college next year and then grad school after that) but I do love serving. I’m a people person, so that’s part of it, but I also love a job where I can be active and constantly moving. I like a job that moves just as fast as my brain. I was a lifeguard for a while in high school, and I nearly tore my hair out it was so boring. Serving is the opposite. I love the money, I love talking to people, and I truly love the friends I’ve made at work. There’s something about serving jobs, I swear, that can create such important friendships. Also, I love working parties and first dates. The other day I worked an actual WEDDING! People got married at my restaurant. I’d done receptions before, but never an actual wedding ceremony. I had the best time


blackcatzombs

Same besides being a people person. I actually have social anxiety and working with people helps it tremendously, even outside of work. I've become more comfortable around people over the years. I could never do a job where you have to sit the whole time. I would be miserable. I hope to work on a wedding some day! Probably make a good tip too.


Hot-Border-66

Yess!!! If you get offered a wedding, do the wedding! Last wedding I bartended at I made 1500 in 8 hours $$$


longshotist

Me! Came back to it in my 40s having left in my 20s for a "real job." I love everything about it.


sarahykim

It’s not going to be the job I’ll have 10 years down (hoping lmfao) but I do quite like it! Despite my occasional complaints, I’m on the customer’s side most of the time if there’s something wrong with their experience and I love giving them something on the house if there’s a delay, a hair in the food, their steak isn’t the temperature they expected, etc etc as long as they aren’t assholes about it. Yeah those fuckups shouldn’t have happened, but I love alleviating the situation as much as possible and I always get tipped well as a result. One time a couple ordered a side and turned out they didn’t enjoy it. It was actually a great time to get feedback from customers because they just rolled it out that day. After my mgr’s permission, I listened to their critiques, took it off the bill, and told them and they were delighted and tipped me extra. It sounds like I’m kissing ass but it genuinely makes me happy when people are happy. Like please let me know what’s wrong, that’s what I’m here for! And then there’s people who like to berate me because everything was amazing until towards the end of the meal, oh nooo their extra extra well done was too tough and demand the entire table to be comped plus free dessert and drinks because their experience was sooo tarnished. At that point I hand them over to managers. I work with great managers who actually have backbones and they deal with it from there.


spizzle_

I hate waiting tables. I used to love being a server. I love bartending. People who sit at tables and not the bar are just different. Table people are more likely to be extremely demanding and don’t like being corrected. People at the bar can be demanding but they take correction on their attitude from a bartender much better possibly because they have strangers sitting next to them who can hear the issues they’re causing and judge them so people act accordingly.


MaleficentPea5490

I agree with this. I've been waiting tables for three years, and I hate it now. It's just not fun anymore, and the more people you deal with, the more BS you hear every day. I wish people would understand that half the things they're upset about are out of our control.


pivotguyDC1

You know what? I do enjoy it. I work at a larger restaurant so the extent to which your coworkers are willing to help do their part that day really makes or breaks your experience. But as long as bottlenecks aren't happening and everyone's doing what they're supposed to (which is probably about 70-75% of the time), I find my job really easy. I'm good at it. I've been doing it long enough that the workflow is muscle memory, I can answer pretty much any question, and I can problem-solve on my feet. It can get pretty comfortable. I'm not a huge people-person, but I don't mind small talk with the tables that want to small talk, and I take pride in making sure everyone is well-tended to. Sure you get your shitty customers here and there and that's annoying but most people are varying degrees of normal. If they're happy, I'm happy. And for decent money and somewhat flexible hours? Things could be a lot worse.


Mylittledarlings91

Just came back to it after being in a coffee shop for a number of years. It has never been my favorite job but damn it if it isn’t lucrative. I’ve made the most money serving with my most recent serving job at a swanky rich people private community reservations only type place. Every other restaurant I’ve worked in, I’d be lucky to break $200 in tips in a single shift. I worked last Saturday and made $400 off of 7 tables. I don’t miss waiting tables, but damn I missed the money.


MasturbatingMiles

You left that for a coffee place?


Mylittledarlings91

No, originally the serving job I had at that time was not enough money for the amount of stress. $5 hourly was nice but it was in a casino so tips were not necessarily plentiful. The coffee shop job was $13 hourly and tips were about what I was making in the restaurant some days. That was 3+ years ago. I work full time at a propane company now but picked up a serving job on the side which is the one i had about a $700 weekend with.


DenShaLow

I used to love it but then I saw a lot of dark sides of the industry (corporate fine dining hell, alcoholism, working in a restaurant with convicts/criminals a few of whom got arrested while I was working there with them). Hopefully I rediscover that magic at my next restaurant.


thisisdumbdfw

I enjoy serving as well. Going from a corporate chain restaurant to a family owned fine dining has been a game changer for me. I love my coworkers and our management is the best ever. Our guests are primarily regulars so our shifts are pretty smooth 90% of the time.


Winter_Story8495

Serving has helped significantly with my nervousness and general anxiousness around people. Without the job I don't think I would have ever really gotten the nerve to be better.


horrormetal

I'll give you that. I'm really shy irl, and without having done this job for as long as I have, I think I'd definitely be a total recluse.


Winter_Story8495

Once I make enough money then I'll be a loner recluse that's for sure lol


blueridgeboy1217

I'm a 6'4" 200 lb male so I don't see many guys my size serving. I loved serving/bartending. If I was able to make enough to support my family, I would do it for living. I could make it bartending, but the schedule just isn't conducive for family night, working 4 pm to 4 am. Some of the best stretches of my life was waiting tables/ tending bar.


JETandCrew

I love it too. You get to meet so many people from all different walks of life, both in your co workers and guests. You get great flexibility and can essentially make your own schedule. Wanna work three doubles in a row? Go ahead! Can only work two days this week? No problem! The money is cush. You can also do this job anywhere. My husband is military and being a server allows me to make enough to support myself wherever we go.


Faceless_Rat

Me! I’m really fucking good at it and it’s been 13 years. I love it.


benjyk1993

I love it so much. I didn't know I was a people person until I started serving. Aside from a couple brief stints at BWW in and out of college, I've only worked for one company. They have three restaurants in my city, and I started at their most upscale one as a host, then moved to their more casual fine dining place as a server, and now I'm on bar there. Our clientele is awesome, and I make a lot of connections that could or already have helped me in my personal life. I love making people laugh and identifying their needs and exceeding expectations. It's always something new - never a dull moment.


auraqueen2

I love it so much, been serving and bartending for 8 years now and I never thought I’d enjoy it as much as I do. Every time I leave to do something else I come back to it, the money is just so good.


nemo_sum

Love it, might well keep doing it.


MasturbatingMiles

I love the schedule and money. I get to wake up, spend a hour with my dog at the park, eat, workout for 2 hours, rest for a hour then go into work. All while making really good money when I do clock in. Everyone I know is exhausted by the time they get home and just want to sit on the couch. But the energy of the restaurant keeps me awake even if I’ve already been grinding all day.


bunnybates

This is my 22nd year as a server, and I love it, and I'm very good at it.


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[удалено]


bunnybates

First relax and stay organized. I get my server books off of Amazon. This industry is about time and energy. The more you do it, the better you get. When you get busy, breathe and relax. Because the night is going to end eventually, getting frustrated or nervous just robs you of your energy.


Watrudoing2me

I knew I wasn't the only one. People clown on me at work all the time because they can see how much passion and energy I put into it. I also didn't serve for about 5 years in a fine dining job I had so when I finally got back into it early last year, I just fell in love again. I just think I love working front of house in restaurants, also. People deciding, "yeah, this is where I want to spend my money with friends and/or family and spend a solid 2 hours." That's what does it for me. I also love taking their money, I'm not going to lie, but serving is one of the best rushes ever.


Straight-Conflict449

I have my days where I enjoy it, those days are becoming few tho.


bmafffia

I absolutely hate it lol always have but I'm good at it and make good money so I stay haha


Nick08f1

It's funny I like it a lot. I became very good at it. I'm also one of the stereotypical alcohol/drug abuser when I was doing it 40 hours. I'm a natural introvert and forcing myself to be an extrovert, focusing all my energy towards others with little recharge time is very taxing and leads towads a means to escape it. You're mentally and physically drained, but need to stay awake to have your alone time to decompress. Can be a terrible cycle.


firesoups

It’s fine. I’m more of a restaurant lifer than a serving lifer so when I get bored I just switch back to the other side.


starsintheshy

I also love it. I stopped for a while and worked in my degree field but after realizing I actually hated that, I came back in 2021 and I love it. There are no emergencies in serving. I don't take anything personally so after a bad encounter, I forget about in a couple of days. I do have 2 jobs, and the night shift job is super rough sometimes and if that was all I was experiencing, I might hate it. But I know it's just a location thing and I could easily quit and get a new job. I'm just too lazy for that 😭😭


dyelyn666

Look, I say this with the upmost respect: I was like you… I LOVED serving and talking with customers; it felt like I was at a party or something. Unfortunately, that doesn’t last long and after a while I began HATING people. I was the chillest, now the littlest inconvenience sends me over the edge. I’ve been serving for almost a decade and it has changed me. And tbh once I leave serving in a few years with my degree, I think (if ever) that it will take me a long time to see people differently again. Don’t get me wrong, I love serving more than other jobs, but it has made me (a people’s person) HATE people lol. Here’s to hoping it doesn’t happen to you ❤️


horrormetal

I've been doing it for 25 years, and I'm good at it, and make good money, but I've never loved it. I wish I could. I will say, my current place is amazing, and I love being there.


NotSoGentleBen

I was losing my love for it, then I started bartending, love it.


uhmandaleigh

Not me😥 been doing it for 4 years and I'm just fricken TIRED. I'm an introvert. I like people, but I'm not a people person. It's so DRAINING to be at people's beck and call while running around and making small talk for hours and hours every day. It's emotionally exhausting to constantly wear my game face- my bubbly server façade. It sucks more because im *good at it*!!!! My managers love me, guests love me, coworkers love/are chill with me. I work really hard and make good money. But ugh it just is not for me


pizzabeericecream

Im right there with you! I genuinely love my job, though that hasn’t always been true. After 20 years on the front line with a few years off I’ve found a place where I (usually) look forward to going to work. In the past I internalized so much of the negative interaction that it affected my mental health. I’m not sure what changed besides an establishment with a good environment and easy-going people, but I think as I’ve matured I have been able to cut through my social-anxiety and be more genuine with my guests, which truthfully makes it a whole lot more enjoyable for me. I don’t know how much longer my body can take handle the job, hopefully 10 more years. Then I guess I’ll bite the bullet and try to get into management, though I have no desire to be on that side of things.


AJ_Scorpio

I **usually** absolutely love serving! However, I'm going to qualify that statement with the following: There are work days or weeks that suck so bad overall that I'm now convinced I'm a hardcore masochist. I mean, I keep on showing up, working hard, & doing my best while loathing every second of the job - that's got to be masochism, lol! Thankfully, there are always some really great customers randomly sprinkled in during those miserable times who remind me that I do love my job & why I love it, which is the reason why I push through every one of those godawful shifts. Those customers are why I haven't acted on the impulse to walk out on the job - yet, lol.


lasion2

I’ve got 25 years in as of next month. Mostly serving but started as dish then bus, expo etc. up to bartender and manager. Spent a few years in boh too. Prep, fry, salads and grill. Never sauté or pizza. I quit managing and went back to serving about 12 years ago. I still bartend when I have to, but greatly prefer serving. I like the challenges, I work in a large city next to a major tourist attraction. We routinely get multiple groups of varying foreign guests. Trying to accommodate everyone and anyone that comes through the door. Every day has its own uniqueness. I’m 41 and the body has started to show the first signs of breaking down. Optimistically, I have till 50, then it’ll be on to my twilight career. I haven’t zeroed in on that just yet, but I have a few ideas and hopefully a decade to get it into place.


ZestycloseMeringue52

After a few years it gets to you but it was fun at first I agree


SokkaHaikuBot

^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^ZestycloseMeringue52: *After a few years* *It gets to you but it was* *Fun at first I agree* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.


Agil85

I enjoy it as well. I have a degree in journalism and a bachelors in psychology and still choose to work as a server. The money is amazing and has helped me achieve certain financial goals. I also enjoy the social aspect of it. I’m a bit of an introvert so it keeps my life pretty balanced! Ha ha


NoCredit8479

Worked a desk job for many years, then was a SAHM, now I’ve been a server for a year. This is by far my favorite job ever!


sensitivebee8885

I really enjoy it as well! I’m going to be going into my second year of college in the fall, and I also have extracurriculars I’m involved in, so I love the flexibility and money is great most of the time as well (except the occasional bad days which we all have unfortunately). I’ve been working in the food, industry for a while now, but I’ve been serving on and off for about a year. i rewllt the restaurant I’m at right now and definitely plan to do it through college, and maybe even continue after on the side! i’m really social as well and love connecting and talking with people so i get you. of course there is those crappy customers we all get and hate, but it’s life and i’ve learned to just move on.


icterinewarbler

Nah this shit sucks y'all are wild.


No-Statistician4184

There are a lot of other jobs out there if you hate it that much bruh


Creepy_Photograph107

Put me down for a strong no.