The first time someone snapped their fingers at me to get my attention, I was 17 years old and working at a Mexican restaurant. I’d been on my feet for six hours and had just apologized for the third time that day, for something that wasn’t my fault.
That job, like many customer service roles, taught me how to handle pressure, manage difficult people and remain calm when being treated poorly. It also taught me something far more revealing: the way people treat service workers, and especially the way they tip, is often a direct reflection of how they value others when there’s a power imbalance.
I believe everyone should work at least one customer service job in their lifetime. Not as a rite of passage or resume filler, but as a formative experience. Especially in the United States, where our tipping culture has turned basic human decency into something transactional.
According to Abel Personnel, early exposure to customer-facing roles can foster skills that are increasingly valuable in today’s economy: communication, empathy, patience and conflict resolution. Customer-facing jobs build emotional intelligence in ways that traditional education can’t. You develop a situational awareness and patience that’s immediately transferable to nearly every career path.
Jackie Brown, who previously worked at Olive Garden and now serves tables at Texas Roadhouse, shared some of the ways she has gained real-world skills as a server.
“I know how to talk to people or how to carry out conversations a lot better,” Brown said. “If I feel awkward in a situation or scared to talk to someone, I just pretend I’m at my job.”
Two diners share a meal at a small table by the window, enjoying a meal at Cafe Akroteri on Jan. 15, 2024 in Bellingham, Wash. The cafe has been serving Greek and Mediterranean food for over two decades. // Photo courtesy of Griffin Rinauro
John Solomon, a landlord for several rental properties in Cheney, Washington, has never worked a customer service job, yet acknowledges the difficulty faced by those who do.
“I have a lot of respect for those kinds of people,” Solomon said. “It’s a really difficult thing to do day in and day out. Anyone can do it for one day, but to do that all the time can be very draining.”
Solomon noted that managing properties can sometimes feel similar to serving, “I’ve always taken the attitude that I’m here to make the person’s stay like it’s their own place,” Solomon said. “I will try to make sure everything is taken care of, any maintenance, at a reasonable rate so that people can enjoy where they stay.”
There is also evidence that this kind of early work experience improves long-term job performance. According to Talent Logic, Inc., strong customer service skills don’t just improve client interactions, they also enhance time management. By streamlining communication and reducing the time needed to resolve issues, these skills can make workplaces more efficient overall.
And yet, in the U.S., many of these workers rely on tips to survive. Unlike many other developed nations, the U.S. allows employers to pay tipped workers as little as $2.13 per hour federally, relying on tips to make up the rest. While some states mandate higher base wages, workers in much of the country still depend on the goodwill of customers for financial survival.
“If I’m trying really hard it’s because I want you to have a good time, but also I want a good tip,” Brown said. “If they took away tipping culture I feel servers wouldn’t try nearly as hard or even want to work in the industry in the first place.”
This arrangement doesn't just create economic instability, it reinforces social hierarchies. It gives customers, many of whom have never worked a tipped job themselves, the illusion of control.
At Maple Bar, a small independent coffee shop, owner Adam Foy sometimes works the counter himself. For Foy, good customer service isn’t just about efficiency, it’s about creating a space where people feel seen.
“We run a small staff, I think the misconception is that everything can just get pumped out and we’re ready immediately but really, we’re making everything custom with every order,” Foy said. “We want people to have not only patience but to expect quality out of that experience too.”
I’m not suggesting that everyone make a career in customer service. But a temporary role during high school, college or early adulthood should be encouraged if not expected.
It builds humility. It teaches responsibility. And perhaps most importantly, it forces people to confront the ways we undervalue labor that is physically and emotionally demanding.
A customer sits alone at a table at Cafe Adagio on Feb. 6, 2024 in Bellingham, Wash. Solo diners can offer a brief pause in a shift often spent juggling multiple drinks and tip-driven expectations. // Photo courtesy of Griffin Rinauro
Kaitlyn Ward (she/her) is an opinion writer for The Front this quarter. She is a fourth-year news writing and editorial journalist minoring in psychology. When she’s not reporting, she loves singing and spontaneous road trips. You can reach her at kaitlynward.thefront@gmail.com.
