by Sherri Garrett

Created on: November 03, 2008

In my 20 years of restaurant work I experienced many personality types among restaurant workers. I enjoyed every one I encountered besides gaining a learning experience from it. It helped me develop a skill to better support my family through making much better tips and earning more money.

When I first start at the young age of nineteen I encountered a man who had worked the business for over 25 years as a bartender who had a smile that went with a perfectly mastered drink. He took great pride in what he served. Working by my side on the floor was another young girl that had a free spirited personality who enjoyed what she was doing that reflected in the customers who in turn reflected it in their gratuities! I watched them with great intent hoping to boost my much needed revenue to put myself through college. I knew the personality was what brought the financial support in.

Years later and two jobs later I had seen so many personalities in the restaraunt business that I had become an excellent general manager that could hire workers that would stick around for years to come and boost business to unbelievable amounts. I mean don't get me wrong-I encountered a bad apple here and there but it happened very seldom.

I have learned through the years that personality types of different sorts belong in certain positions in restaurants. Alot of owners made this deadly mistake costing revenue through the years. You don't take a outgoing person that is very sociable and make them a dishwasher-train them and make them a bartender!

If anyone ever tells you several different personalities cannot work together-they are so very wrong! I had several individuals from every walk of life and different education levels work together and it kept such a happy medium that sometimes I thought how it could of been possible. I had developed a worksheet at the interview process that asked questions of different circumstances they might encounter working in that business. Of course they weren't obligated to do it-it was their choice-but I always loved to see their face when it was put in front of them!

So, yes you will encounter many different types of personalities in the restaurant industry whether a worker,manager, or a customer spending their hard earned money. But if you want to have an excellent business you will have several different types of personalities instead of a cluster of the same for it will never generate what is needed for that business to grow. Those personalities are the top of your revenue source-remember that!

Learn more about this author, Sherri Garrett.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.