Through Life of A Former Restaurant Housekeeper
Another 3 Lessons Learned From Being A Housekeeper In A French Restaurant
While people choose their job according to passion, I choose not to turn a passion or hobby into a job.
I love to do housekeeping at home, but to be a housekeeper isn’t my cup of tea very much. Because when I am tired at work, I give up housekeeping at home.
After almost going a year and half to two into housekeeping, I feel that is enough. It is mentally exhausting, physically daunting, and morally discouraging.
I feel I am walking into an emotional state of depression between housekeeping and caregiving. I need to do something else.
The least that I can think about are the lessons from the work itself. So, here are another few lessons I leave for you to pay attention to…
Let’s read…
1 — I learned to detach from any emotional involvement or showing sympathy for those who confided to me their woes about work
People loves to complain or confide to me their struggles and unhappiness with another colleague. However, they will not try to surface it to the person.
They are hoping I will be voicing out. They want to be in safe space, not being hated. They rather hide behind me like a human shield.
I learn that it is not my responsibility to speak up for anyone at work. They must speak for themselves. Even if the same thing happens to me, I speak for myself only.
2 — I learned who I socialize with matters and for that I should not work with people who are quiet quitters
The aunties are people who want to work less, at minimal. They want to do work just nice for the day. They are just passing time away to earn.
Having younger people means to cover more work for them. Having minority of race means to work more that they can do lesser.
It is the mindset that there will always be someone to do the work you. There is nothing motivating from people who already live life retiring daily.
If you want to grow in learning, you must look for mentors who will not wait until you decide to resign to draw a pathway for your trainings.
If you want to grow in learning, you must not sit with the aunties and uncles who already choose semi-retiring mentality.
Because while you are growing, they will feel slighted. They will not admit however you know when they give you one kind of gesture.
You will know it when they keep saying they can afford not to work at all. You will know it when they brag about just passing by the time to work so that people do not know they have money.
Often people who say they work to be humble that people may not know they have money are often not humble.
3 — I learned that it wasn’t the locals who didn’t want to work in F&B, but the foreigners too when it comes to housekeeping or cleaning roles.
I am referring to those who are educated with diplomas and university degrees.
Yes, the foreigners will not want to work as a housekeeper or steward also. The nature of the role is daunting and physically demanding.
Everyone rather be a server who only serves food and beverages. If possible, a server prefers not to clear the tables after the guests leave.
Even clearing tables and wiping clean the tables are cleaner’s role. This is the mentality of most people I come across in the F&B industry.
What are your thoughts about a restaurant which needs a housekeeping team? Will it be better to rotate everyone in the Front of House to do the housekeeping instead? Will it be better that the roster only released on the day itself when the staff arrives at work?
