Guest Post by Michelle Anderson
At the height of the pandemic, I still worked, nearly every day. I was so terrified of not having money I could have thrown up. We were just beginning our lunch shift when the Governor came on the news; my heart sank because I already knew what was about to happen. It was happening everywhere, “No way,” I thought, we live in rural Midwest, there was no way it could touch us here. Boy, was I wrong! We had to put a complete stop to indoor dining, but we could still run our To-Go window. The servers that still wanted to work, rotated shifts so that everyone could have a chance to earn money, through hours and tips. Our boss allowed us to come in and do deep cleaning of the restaurant so we that we were still making money. The community really pulled together at the beginning; it was so amazing to see a small community come together in such a big way. This restaurant is not corporate, it is family-owned. My boss and his family have been active in our community for nearly thirty years, and to see all that good karma come together was really an amazing sight.
However, the kindness and generosity did not last all that long. The general mass of the community was still fairly friendly; yet the agitation was still there. Before the pandemic you could laugh and joke with your patrons, but now, they could not even witness your smile. A smile puts customers at ease and sets a type of mood for a dining experience. We could not get close to our tables so hearing the order was difficult, you would lean in a little closer to hear and they would get upset. Then they would get upset that their meal was not their order. Most would be kind, then there were several that were not.
Working in a restaurant full-time is no easy task. Most people who work at one do it was a part time job. Working with the public can be mentally exhausting. You spend all day granting every wish they express; you wait on them hand and foot. There are some people you just cannot please though, no matter what you do or how nice you are. We are all hard to please at times, some far and few between, some no matter what. When you work in the hospitality industry, you are fully expected to roll with the punches. But when the world was meant to come together, we were never more divided. Different political opinions, different feelings toward the pandemic. And naturally, a restaurant is a place where people gossip. Patrons would pull you into their conversations and expect you to answer the way they wanted you too. It was all very exhausting.
As more people started to come out again, we got busier and busier. And as the pandemic continued, the more staff we lost. We would hire, they would quit a few days later. Several servers decided to take a break and would start work again when it was safe, there was very few of us left. There was no one to turn to for help when you needed a break. We hired and we still hire, it is never enough. The staff that did stay that were new hires were very unreliable. Showing up extra late or didn’t show up at all. Customers get angry when their food takes longer than fifteen minutes to be served. They get even more angry when it takes a server several minutes to wait on them. They didn’t care when we told them that we are short-staffed. Their advice was to hire more people, you cannot hire someone when there are no applications being put in.
We went from quarreling over shifts to practically giving them away whenever there was a chance. Us servers used to want extra shifts. You know it was all about the money and it was good. Now we were hoping another server would offer to take a shift for you so we didn’t have to deal with the public anymore, or we were so exhausted we couldn’t possibly work another shift. The crazy thing is, it’s still happening! Recently we have had to close the restaurant one day a week, we don’t have enough kitchen staff to be open seven days a week anymore. The owner (my boss) is cooking 7 days a week, and the other line cooks are being overworked. It’s an all-around mess.
I fully understand that people are not working because employers refuse to pay a living wage. I feel like it’s a strike, globally, but for some employers, it is not that simple to just pay you more. Big corporations, heck yes! Pay the people! As JW “Bill” Marriott would say, “If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers and your business will take care of itself.”
As you return to social settings, bars, restaurants, and retail stores, please be kind. We are understaffed, underpaid, and exhausted. We are doing the best that we can. Our jobs are to take care of you. Please take care of us in return. We are all human, and we all need each other. Especially in such difficult times. Smiles are being seen, and we are watching.
About the Author, Michelle Anderson
Michelle Anderson is an up-and-coming freelance writer. Even though she loves to write about her current career in the hospitality industry and travel, her focus is ending the stigma on addiction and mental health. Currently, Michelle is working ferociously on her Associates Degree in Liberal Arts, where she will later Master in Linguistics. You can join her fight by going to michellebthebadaddict.com or you can travel with her at traveler-report.blogspot.com. Follow her on Twitter @caliber_writing.