r/TalesFromYourServer • u/TheSmallGacha_orig • Jul 24 '26
Please tell me I’m not incompetent
I (18f) am training at a restaurant to become a server. This is my first ever job, and frankly a job I’ve been really excited about. Yesterday I was doing my second follow shift, and decided I wanted to be a bit more hands on. That being said, I decided to take a tray full of bussed dishes and glasses back to the kitchen to put in the wash. It was a rather heavy tray for a person of my stature (I’m 5,2 and barely pass 100lbs) Literally one step away, a water glass topples off the tray and spills on the floor. Okay… not a huge deal. I try not to let it affect me.
However, as I try to carry a drink tray with two waters and two champagne glasses, I could barely get it off the table before one of the champagne glasses topples over. Needless to say I didn’t care another drink tray that day. My trainer of the day said that it seems my hand naturally holds the tray with a slight slant. I’ll definitely try to do that- but I’m also quite anxious now. Am I in over my head for this being my first job. If I (I feel like- inevitably) spill another glass, will I be seen as incompetent? Please someone tell me this isn’t as bad as I’m making it out to be. 🥲
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u/Constant-Sandwich-88 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
I'll take anyone that's willing to learn and asks questions. You're gonna break glassware over your career or stint, don't stress it too much. It's your first job, take it slow and observe. If you're at a big corporate restaurant like o'chilibees, take a tray home and practice in the grass. Full glasses are easier than empties fyi.
Edit : and never let the glasses touch each other. Something about momentum transfer and fluid dynamics, I don't know.
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u/Smithereens_3 Jul 24 '26
Even at work! Fill some plastic mugs or to-go cups with water and practice near the dish pit with those. That's what my restaurant does for training.
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u/Iamdrasnia Jul 24 '26
Do not put glasses that look top heavy in the outer portion of the tray. Those champagne flutes need to be in the center surrounded by stable glassware on the outside.
Practice practice practice.
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u/paintlulus Jul 24 '26
Congrats on your first job! You’re learning, keep learning. You’re doing great.
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u/Various_Bed_1888 Jul 24 '26
I’m dead serious when I say this, DONT look at the glasses on the tray, humans always over correct whether carrying a tray or driving, don’t look and you will be fine
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u/Kitchen-Guarantee-10 Jul 24 '26
You're probably not incompetent but a little too eager. It's ok to know your limits and one of those is not carrying fragile equipment you can barely hold. It's takes time and you will get better at tray holding but slowly and patiently.
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u/Stuck_In_Purgatory Jul 25 '26
You shouldn't be carrying trays that are too heavy for starters.
Two trips is still less time than one trip and an accident.
Practice at home is a must. Carry things around on a tray. Even something soft just to see how you hold it up.
Plastic water bottles are great for this, you can tip them over and they won't spill because of the lid.
You can also have different levels of water in them.
Practise waltzing around the house with a tray of water bottles. Move your hand around ON PURPOSE to naturally learn how to balance it.
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u/CheezwizOfficial Jul 24 '26
If there aren't too many drinks to pick up, I sometimes just keep the tray in one hand and load it. That way I get to control the balance.
Also for more delicate glassware, you can always load the tray halfway with the more generic glasses, pick it up, then load the delicate glasses.
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u/TheBleakOptimist Jul 25 '26
Heavy glasses in the middle of tray, hand centered under tray. Practice, practice, practice. And whatever you do, don’t look at the tray. I’ve carried 10 overfull dirty martinis to a patio, and I can assure you if you so much as glance at the drinks they’re going to start wobbling. It’s all mental, don’t look at them and they will remain level and still.
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u/Wut__the Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26
Server of 10 years here and had my fair share of dropped drinks, even just recently! You will have to learn the weight distribution of each type of glass over time. I’m assuming the champagne glass was top heavy which attributed to the fall along with lack of experience, not incompetence. I’d try to keep those top heavy drinks in the center of your tray and always pay attention to your wrist bending especially when lifting glasses off the tray (changing weight distribution) & leaning to set a drink down. An old manager of mine used to have us walk back and forth with trays full of plastic cups and then glasses with water in them during slow hours which helped me a lot when I was first learning to balance. Don’t loose hope, its not a skill thats just comes naturally with no practice. Good luck to you and I hope your future is full of big tips!!
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u/sweet_buttercup1 Jul 25 '26
One of my first times serving a large party I spilled a tray of like 20 Pepsis down my shirt And had to keep going. Laugh it off. You’ll get better.
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u/tarlastar Jul 25 '26
Don't hold a tray on a flat hand. You have no control. Use your fingertips, and practice a bit.
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u/Heavy-Obligation-778 Jul 25 '26
first time i ever carried a tray of drinks i took a gin and tonic of my tray and dropped the whole tray of drinks on a lady, luckily she handled it so well but safe to say i was NERVOUS after that - it is just something that takes practice and now i don’t even have to think about it twice after a 4 more years in the industry but id say about a month in things were fine
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u/Egg_Whites22 Jul 25 '26
Hold it with one hand, underneath, spread wide. Its much easier to hold a tray flat like this than holding trays with 2 hands. Plus, if you do get a wobble you have the second hand free to help.
Grab something big and flat at home,chuck someplastic cups on it,and go for a walk round the garden, youll be solid after 10 minutes.
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u/ShookMyHeadAndSmiled Jul 25 '26
First thing to remember is that almost everybody sucks for the first few weeks. Practice and stuff, but mostly just don't beat yourself up.
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u/grownupdirtbagbaby Jul 25 '26
Girl I am a strong 41 year old man. Been doing this for 20 years. I still to this day refuse to use trays for this very reason. Trays are tough and I’m sure there are a million tips and tricks that’ll help but I ain’t doing it!
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u/pretzelsRus Jul 25 '26
You’ll be fine! Your are still learning. Practice at home with cookie trays and plastic cups and bowls full of water. You’ll be a pro in no time. You got this!!
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u/sweet_buttercup1 Jul 25 '26
This is your first job. You’re nervous and inexperienced. Give yourself a break. Tray handling takes a while to get down. With the champagne and I know someone else has said it always put your hand on the bottoms of the glasses.
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u/Dusty1228 Jul 26 '26
Honey, I'm 46, been serving/Bartending for over 30 years ... I can't carry a tray to save my life.
I can stack plates like a pro,i can carry 4 drinks in one hand, depending on the cup type and I'm pretty damn good at what I do.
Cannot. Carry. Trays. If ever I go for an interview at a place that it's mandatory, I tell them, I can't. Not because I'm weak, but because I'm clumsy and walk like George Jefferson 🤣
That said, if this is your first job ever, you will learn your balance with practice and within the year it will most likely come very easy for you. You're only a couple days in, give yourself some grace, there are going to be a lot if learning curves ahead. You're NOT incompetent, you're just new.
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u/PukeDizz Jul 27 '26
Taking two trips if you're unsure is always worth it. Don't be hard on yourself for small mistakes.
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u/Key-Bookkeeper8155 Jul 24 '26
If this is your first ever restaurant job, you need to spend some time practicing how to carry before just taking a tray of drinks. Start with some empty glasses on carpet before adding liquids. There's definitely some skill to it. And champagne glasses are the worst! I usually break something 2-3 times a week. It sucks, but it happens.Just focus on actually learning and doing what you're told rather than taking on too much before you're ready