After a few days in Maine I had my health back (I swear by Airborne!) and I volunteered my help at the Appalachian Lodge and Café as much as possible. Weekdays I changed linens, did laundry and general housekeeping between client work and answered the phone as needed. But on Friday night I headed down to the Café and donned an apron, rolled up my sleeves and stood by with my bus-boy-bin and cleared tables in record time.
The café seats approximately forty-five and the moment I cleared a table it was filled again. The clientèle was an interesting mix of through-hikers (hikers who began the trail in GA) who were often bedraggled, bearded, and in need of a hot home cooked meal; day hikers decked out in top-of-the line hiking gear and excitement; and the local good ole boys who converged on the diner daily. The wait staff greeted many folks by name and asked if they were having the usual. Now that’s service! And did I mention the the food is delicious, homemade, and priced like an old fashioned diner.
I missed the part-time college job waiting tables but I did hang out with my sister as a teen while she worked at a sixties style drive-up diner. She hustled in her short-shorts and raked in the tips; service with a bit more than a smile. My husband’s mom raised a family of nine for several years as a single mom on a waitresses wage and tips in the fifties and sixties—she couldn’t have accomplished that without giving great service. Even without having experienced earning tips for a living I’ve always appreciated excellent service and tip accordingly. You get what you give!
Perhaps because this serving stint was temporary or only a reprieve from the computer I threw myself into the role wholeheartedly. At the end of the evening I was hooked and ready to do it again the next day! By Saturday I had graduated from bussing tables to greeting customers, taking drink orders, refilling coffee, delivering salads and condiments, and running the cash register and processing credit cards. Between waves I troubleshot the internet café computer and restocked books, gifts, and tee-shirts in the café store.
The staff welcomed me like they’d known me for years, and appreciated my pitching in while they were busy and short staffed. I had a blast! I thoroughly enjoyed the face-to-face meet-and-greet with the customers and the physicality of the job. Restaurant serving is not for sissies! (I had to soak in a hot tub and nap between the lunch and dinner shifts.) All of my previous careers have had a physical aspect to them; working with horses and pets, bookseller, and movie theatre manager. Working in the restaurant brought back fond memories of the frenetic pace of selling tickets, and serving popcorn and soda to three hundred people in less than thirty minutes!
My day-to-day tasks don’t get my adrenaline pumping very often. My work is sedentary so it’s vital that I build time into my day to move my body, and even though I wouldn’t want to keep that go-go-go pace up every day I sure loved the high in the moment! I recognize a job well done, service excellence, and team spirit that the AT Cafe staff modeled so well. Ya’ll rock!
Service to others is an honor and a privilege—whether we deliver a meal, a spread sheet, or a marketing proposal. Excellence is all about how we do what we do for others. A virtual smile can definitely be felt on the other end of a phone call or email!
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