Guest Opinion: Thank others for your success
BY ANDREA HANSEN | Director of development, UnityPoint Health Foundation
Co-founder, VenueFox
In the final installment of her six-part series about how her experience waiting tables has served her well throughout her career, Andrea Hansen talks about how accountability and diplomacy can often turn a bad situation around and leave customers and clients satisfied with their experience. Her final tip for service: Thank Guest and Give a Warm Farewell with an Invitation to Return.
The last happy customer just left their table and it’s closing time. After a long day, it’s time to cash out and head home with a fat stack of tips. Great job by me!
At least, that’s how I felt the week I began waiting tables.
I quickly learned that my everyday success as a server was dependent on other people. No one works in a vacuum, especially in restaurants.
I remember one particular lesson when I first started waiting tables. I was running around trying to keep up with the demands of my tables, making sure they got their drinks on time, and that their food came out correctly and in order. At the end of the night, I counted my tips and saw the immediate reward for my hard work — I had made good money! I wanted to keep it all to myself, so I did.
The next night, drinks were slow to come up, the food was taking too long, and my tables were unhappy. It then dawned on me — and to my deep embarrassment — that I wasn’t doing all the hard work. The rest of the staff were also in my corner, doing their jobs too. I wasn’t the one greeting guests at the door, or wiping down tables, or making drinks for my customers, or cooking the food. We all were doing our best.
My customers were OUR customers.
That night I ate a large slice of humble pie and tipped my teammates generously for their assistance in my success, which, ultimately, was our shared success.
Since then, I developed a habit of thanking those who help me — and I ask for help all the time! It never hurts to thank people, but it can hurt sometimes when you don’t. We’ve all seen the awards shows where someone gets left out of the thank-you speech, and social media goes nuts. While the mistakes are inadvertent, I’m sure, the reaction clearly demonstrates how much people value a thank you.
Here are a few things I feel gratified by when I thank people:
- People enjoy being thanked (even for simple things and even when they say, “No thanks needed” or “It was nothing”).
- Genuine sentiment is appreciated.
- Thank them in the moment, or thank them later. It doesn’t matter. Just do it.
- People smile when you thank them. To quote my favorite holiday movie, “Elf,” “Smiling is my favorite.”
- People will be more apt to help you again when you need it.
Lastly, by thanking people, you’re really sharing your successes, small and large, with those around you, and that makes people feel good about themselves and about you.
I’ve read articles that tell us to celebrate more than just the big milestones, and I believe the same can be said for thank yous. Hand them out freely for the big and small gestures that contribute to your day-to-day and long-term success.
So thanks to Lift readers for allowing me to bring this series to you. I appreciate the opportunity, and your comments and emails along the way.
Related: #1 – Success and waiting tables
Andrea Hansen is a director of development for UnityPoint Health Foundation in Des Moines and co-founder of Venuefox.com, an event planning website. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and social work from the University of Iowa and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan. Having returned to Iowa with her husband to raise their family, she enjoys being a part of programs and projects that help make the Des Moines area a great place to live and work.
CONNECTION POINTS
Connect with Hansen on LinkedIn or via email at andrea@venuefox.com.
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