out of my comfort zone
Living in Topeka, I don't have too many options for entertainment. Therefore, most of my free time is spent at the bars. It's an excellent source of entertainment, let me tell you (hopefully you picked up on the sarcasm). However, it's become the "convenient" thing to do on the weekends. I work all day and all night, so by the time I get off at 10 or 11 the only thing left to do is drink. As a result, I have become quite the regular at most the bars I go to. When I go in, I'm automatically recognized. I walk right by the big scary men at the front door checking id's, and therefore skip the part of paying any cover. They all know me by name, and I usually don't have to tell them what I want to drink. I'm incredibly spoiled with the service I receive.
You see, in the service industry, you tend to remember those who are in the same field of work. How do they remember us over the others, you might ask? We tip well. We tip very well. The reason we tip well is because we get taken care of. That's not to mention the fact that we too work for tips and have a general understanding of what they go through in a typical night. I strongly believe most people are clueless to what service industry workers put up with.
Anyways, back to my point. This weekend I was in Wichita with my parents. I had gone down on a Friday night with Tyler and we all went to see the Blues Travelers at the local performing arts center. After the concert was over we decided to go out for a few drinks. There was a little bar just down the road from my parent's new house. It looked really nice, so we decided to try it out. We walked in and it was nothing like we had expected. It was nice, but it was dead in there. There were hardly any people in what looked to be a brand new building. That should have been our first clue to find another place to go.
However, we decided to stay around and see what it was like. So, we sat down in a booth and kind of skimmed the place over. There appeared to only be one bartender working, but since it wasn't busy we didn't figure we would have to wait very long for service. Then, after about five minutes, a short stalky man with a baggy t-shirt and jeans walked over to us and looked at me and Tyler.
"I need to see your id," he muttered to me and my boyfriend. It was in such a friendly tone, might I add (again I hope you are picking up on the sarcasm).
After we both showed proof that we were of age to drink, he gave us a quick head-nod and walked back over to the pool table where his half-empty drink was waiting for him. We waited about five more minutes and then my dad finally decided it would be easier to go up to the bar and get our drinks.
I watched as he went up to the counter and sat down. The bartender, a female probably in her mid-twenties, had to have waited on four or five other people that had come in after us. She would spot someone she recognized and go straight to them. She would get their drinks and then sit to chat for a bit. Just when my temper was reaching a height I had never thought possible, she walked her way over to my dad to get his drink order. She had to be the rudest person I had ever encountered. Being a bartender myself, I couldn't believe she possibly make any money that way.
After she delivered the drinks, she took my dad's money and lazily brought back his change. My dad left her tip sitting on the bar, and before he could even get up, she had snatched up the money, threw it in her tip jar, and moved on to a couple sitting on the other side of the bar. I could have killed her. I couldn't believe she was being so rude. There wasn't one reason I could come up with that would constitute behavior like that...and then it hit me. Do I do that? Do I cut in front of people when I go to the bar? Do I take care of people I know or people I know will tip before I take care of the next person in line? Am I short with people when I'm busy or when I just don't feel like working?
I've noticed I'm much more aware of my surroundings now, both when I work and when I go out. I make sure I'm not jumping in line ahead of someone else. When I'm working, make sure to ask who was next if I don't know who came to the bar first.
I couldn't believe that lady in Wichita treated my dad that way. I only hope she has the same thing happen to her some day. Then, like me, maybe she will take a better look at how she handles herself.
You see, in the service industry, you tend to remember those who are in the same field of work. How do they remember us over the others, you might ask? We tip well. We tip very well. The reason we tip well is because we get taken care of. That's not to mention the fact that we too work for tips and have a general understanding of what they go through in a typical night. I strongly believe most people are clueless to what service industry workers put up with.
Anyways, back to my point. This weekend I was in Wichita with my parents. I had gone down on a Friday night with Tyler and we all went to see the Blues Travelers at the local performing arts center. After the concert was over we decided to go out for a few drinks. There was a little bar just down the road from my parent's new house. It looked really nice, so we decided to try it out. We walked in and it was nothing like we had expected. It was nice, but it was dead in there. There were hardly any people in what looked to be a brand new building. That should have been our first clue to find another place to go.
However, we decided to stay around and see what it was like. So, we sat down in a booth and kind of skimmed the place over. There appeared to only be one bartender working, but since it wasn't busy we didn't figure we would have to wait very long for service. Then, after about five minutes, a short stalky man with a baggy t-shirt and jeans walked over to us and looked at me and Tyler.
"I need to see your id," he muttered to me and my boyfriend. It was in such a friendly tone, might I add (again I hope you are picking up on the sarcasm).
After we both showed proof that we were of age to drink, he gave us a quick head-nod and walked back over to the pool table where his half-empty drink was waiting for him. We waited about five more minutes and then my dad finally decided it would be easier to go up to the bar and get our drinks.
I watched as he went up to the counter and sat down. The bartender, a female probably in her mid-twenties, had to have waited on four or five other people that had come in after us. She would spot someone she recognized and go straight to them. She would get their drinks and then sit to chat for a bit. Just when my temper was reaching a height I had never thought possible, she walked her way over to my dad to get his drink order. She had to be the rudest person I had ever encountered. Being a bartender myself, I couldn't believe she possibly make any money that way.
After she delivered the drinks, she took my dad's money and lazily brought back his change. My dad left her tip sitting on the bar, and before he could even get up, she had snatched up the money, threw it in her tip jar, and moved on to a couple sitting on the other side of the bar. I could have killed her. I couldn't believe she was being so rude. There wasn't one reason I could come up with that would constitute behavior like that...and then it hit me. Do I do that? Do I cut in front of people when I go to the bar? Do I take care of people I know or people I know will tip before I take care of the next person in line? Am I short with people when I'm busy or when I just don't feel like working?
I've noticed I'm much more aware of my surroundings now, both when I work and when I go out. I make sure I'm not jumping in line ahead of someone else. When I'm working, make sure to ask who was next if I don't know who came to the bar first.
I couldn't believe that lady in Wichita treated my dad that way. I only hope she has the same thing happen to her some day. Then, like me, maybe she will take a better look at how she handles herself.
posted by valerieh @ 12:40 PM
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