I hold the wine glass by its stem, raising it up to the light. I spin it between my fingers looking for even the slightest imperfections, easing them away with my polishing cloth. If the glass is not truly clean; if I find lip marks or dried on anything, I clean the glass by hand before running it through the dishwasher again. I have done this no matter where I have worked, no matter if it’s a dive bar or a fine dining restaurant.
Some call this attention to detail or a good work ethic, while others find it just plain tedious and unnecessary. I personally feel it’s more along the lines of quality control. Every guest deserves clean glassware, a clean table, and clean utensils. I feel this is a small necessity of good service. I’ve always spent any downtime at work doing things like general cleaning and polishing. I take pride in it. I am personally embarrassed if a customer finds something that I or someone else missed. I want them to trust in my ability to take care of them and all the little details so that they don’t have to.
I’ve worked in businesses where it was too busy to keep up on these things on a regular basis and it bothered me. I find it to be hardest behind a busy bar. There are so many people who are used to McDonald’s style service that they don’t care about perfection, they only care about immediacy. The “give it to me now” attitude drives me crazy. When put in those situations, I have learned to adjust. If a particular customer doesn’t care then it doesn’t matter if I care either. I can save my caring for the next person I encounter.
For someone like me, it’s hard to find the balance between caring and caring too much. Caring too much can create high levels of anxiety and unnecessary stress. That’s not a stress I want to add to my life and whether or not I let this stress in is one of the few things completely within my control. Finding that balance can be a challenge at times, but when I find that balance, it’s smooth sailing all the way.
My favorite part of being a server is watching my guests thoroughly enjoying their meal. Commenting on how good the food was as they sit back in satisfaction. Smiles, full mouths, and contented sounds are music to my ears. It is as satisfying on my part as it is on theirs and I am elated when a customer leaves with a genuine smile!
On that same note, it’s a horrible feeling when there are mistakes, either on my part or on the kitchen’s part. Deep down I know and understand that mistakes happen and are part of life and learning, but it still rattles me when I make a mistake. Depending on the severity of the mistake it’s sometimes hard to shake it off and move forward like nothing happened. I have learned to reign that feeling in rather than let one mistake create a domino effect and ruin the entire day or shift. The show must go on, right?
So every day before I get started, I put myself in super server mode. I tell myself to take things one step at a time and just do my absolute best. I take care of the little details and prepare as best as I can. I work with integrity and humility so that I can do everything in my power to make things right. I adjust my sails as needed and solve problems as they arise as seamlessly as possible. A shimmering glass, an inviting smile, a small joke, a full belly…satisfaction. I’m not just giving service, I’m giving hospitality.
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Jaimee's Journal 
Like the use of the dirty glass as an image that sustains throughout piece. The need to control is told through the object.
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