Is the fine art of service dying?

During our conference days in Oregon, we decided to patronize a popular breakfast institution near our hotel. I was imagining fluffy pancakes and eggs, fresh steaming hot coffee and all the sinful meaty sides one orders with a 1000-calorie waker upper. Forty minutes later, however, we were still waiting for our order to be served. There were only four service staff in this big restaurant that can fit 100 people – a senior service staff who already looked so tired, a young receptionist cum server and two cooks. Apparently, there no longer is good service in most parts of the country when you dine out. Unless you go to a fast casual or fast food place where standards are still “served in 5 minutes or it’s free.” More pricey places simply do not have the people to serve you.

In our hotel in Oregon, rooms are only cleaned after every three nights, even at a five star hotel. I am careful though not to generalize as I had a daily cleaning service in San Lorenzo, California. Oh, how I miss Asian hospitality where hotel and restaurant staff still manage to smile and chat with guests. In more advanced economies, Australia included, friends have shared that good service  is now hard to come by. So where are all the service people? Many claim it was caused by the pandemic when  service staff realized they can get “work from home” jobs and take care of their young children. Some do a side hustle while working from home, as shared by an employer whose WFH staff was heard wrapping packages while on a call. She (the staff) apparently had a side hustle and was packing goods for her online business when her real office called.

Café owners have lamented the difficulty of hiring baristas, wait staff and cooks locally. Are they all going overseas or have they moved back to their hometowns? In the US, a minimum wage or entry level of $18.25/hour still does not attract the applicants. If that is the case, where is the fine art of service headed? It will surely be an expensive choice to demand the same level of service we got used to just a few years ago.

When we took up Hospitality Management, it was because we loved people and the hospitality business is about serving people, customers, clients and the general public. You were pre-conditioned in school to treat every customer as king or queen, because they paid the bills. Old sayings like “the customer is always right” was taught in service academies. You have to please each customer like they were your first priority. Who will be doing this kind of service now?

As we moved to another city in the US, Palm Springs to be exact, we went to visit an old institution, a Jewish kosher delicatessen. I remember when my father would take me to Jewish delis in New York City and he taught me to eat lox and bagel with cream cheese. This is exactly what I ordered and guess what, this institution still had “good old service standards.” You have heard the joke that in a land of choices which is the United States, just ordering breakfast can be a complex situation: How do you want your eggs? Scrambled? Answer: Fried. Question: Over easy, over medium, over well?

What bread do you like? Sourdough, wheat, white or rye?

What would you like – coleslaw or fries?

Do you want mustard? Sweet or spicy?

And the choices go on…but that is what makes eating out an experience. The service staff really deserves her tip of at least 15 percent going up to 20 percent if you are extra happy with her service. Yes, it can be expensive to eat out and you just hope the service is up to par.

Another café we went to only had two guys who alternated between being a bartender and a waitstaff. They could manage a crowd of almost 30 people between the two of them. They seemed to enjoy their jobs as they chatted up their customers. Imagine two staff for that many people. Now, I call that customer service with a smile that deserves a fat tip.

We go out to be served because it is one of the luxuries of life. We work hard for our food budget and sometimes it feels good to feel like a king or queen, and be served like royalty with an added budget for tips. But it is sad that this is now a dying art as labor becomes very expensive and restaurants are not able to keep up. The few places where you can still find good service will soon be very few, what with travelers opting for fast food and casual dining to fit their budgets.

Service, or better yet good service, is an art to be preserved and to be enjoyed as one of the luxuries we can still afford. People who work in hospitality must remember that hospitality is a commitment, just like taking a Hippocratic oath for medicine. If you choose the field of hospitality, it should be second nature to you to serve and be happy doing it. One must be like a concierge in a hotel, where you can exchange small talk with customers but know where to draw the line. One must have an innate sense of humor and a listening ear, especially if you are a bartender or a maitre d’. If you have had a bad time at home, you cannot take that mood to work. Because people pay for good service, sometimes even if the food is ordinary. It is actually service that they pay for.

In smaller cities in the US, you may still find good service from Mom and Pop cafes. In the Philippines, I sometimes go to a favorite place because of good and personalized service. It truly is one of the luxuries we may still be able to afford.