A way I hope to be…

At the restaurant lately, with the weather change, so too has the mood. People come in happy, relaxed. Average tips been on the increase. One couple really made my mood improve too.

They were an older couple – probably early to mid sixties. When I first saw them I figured they’d be the typical kind-of-annoying-ten-percent-tipping old people of myth and legend.

My first surprise with them was their almost giggly good mood. They were happy to be out. Happy to be with each other. They were seated at the food bar that allows customers to watch the kitchen operate, and as they sat and talked, they moved their chairs closer, and they would, in what seemed unconscious movements, touch each others shoulders or arms, or perhaps they would absently touch hands. Their affection was so natural and genuine.
“Have you had a chance to make up you minds,” I asked after greeting them, taking their drink order, and returning with drinks.
“Everything looks so good. I wish I could try it all,” the woman said, and then giggled. “Guess we’ll need more time,” the husband said as he smiled and rubbed his hand along the wife’s shoulders.
Normally, this kind of response would make me a bit peeved – mostly because as a server, you want to get the process in motion. This time however, I just smiled. A real smile. Not the “I’m waiting for my head to explode” smile. This couple was so happy to be with each other, so happy to be out and enjoying each, just so happy, I couldn’t help but share in it. It was like being caught in a fog of laughing gas.
So their meal went fine, everything was great for them, they were great customers, and by the end of the night I really didn’t care if they tipped well or not. They made me feel better, and that was enough. I’ve never as a server felt happier after having waited on someone, never really expected to.

When they left and I checked out the tip – well I didn’t expect it, but maybe I should have – they left 25%.



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