Important skills to harness while working as a server

Someone once told me that I was just a waitress. Till this day I still get enraged every time I think about it. Being a server is much more than the job itself. These experiences taught me valuable skills that have helped me throughout life and these are skills that I continue to use in my current career. I’d like to share them with other servers to allow you to succeed in any career path.

Build your network.

A good server is someone who can talk to any type of guest and ensure that they are having the best experience possible. Often, guests who have a nice time will turn into regulars. A good server knows their regulars’ dining habits and eventually will get to know them on a personal level. Leveraging your stellar social skills and relationships will help you build a network that you can then use for career advice, contacts or help with an interview when the time is right.

Fine-tune your sales skills.

Servers are always looking for ways to sell the menu to increase the check and tips. But it’s important to perfect these sales skills so you are able to up-sell in a calm, cool and trustworthy way. Trust is an important aspect of the sales interaction — if your guest feels like you have their best interest in mind, you are much more likely to sell them on something new and different. For example, if your guests are looking to try a new wine, don’t immediately offer up a more expensive option, but introduce them to a comparable wine you know they’d like. Overtime, you can slowly get them to try more expensive wines or order multiple bottles. These skills can be applied to your future job, whether it’s working with new team members or clients in any field.

Get behind the scenes.

Working at a restaurant, bar or nightclub provides great exposure to how a business is run. Be proactive and talk to your manager about learning the different business elements they deal with on a day-to-day basis. If you show interest, most likely your manager/owner will appreciate this curiosity and take the time to teach you. Understanding the inner workings of the establishment will come in extremely handy in the future when you may want to start your own business. It can also point you to other fields you want to pursue, whether it’s accounting, purchasing, real estate, distributing, or design, to name a few.