Unsung Training Ground

In the past week, I experienced two starkly different sides of customer service: one that reminded me of the magic that happens when a team operates with precision and heart, and another that showcased what happens when that foundation is missing.

In Kentucky, I had the pleasure of dining at the restaurant at the Jim Beam distillery. From the moment we arrived, everything flowed like a well-oiled machine. The staff wasn't just competent, they were excellent. There was a rhythm to their work. A quiet choreography that made the guest experience seamless and welcoming. The managers were visibly attentive, the servers alert but never overbearing, and everyone radiated a sense of pride in their role. It reminded me of the craft behind service. The kind that only comes from talent, rigorous training, and an unrelenting commitment to the guest experience.

Contrast that with a painfully frustrating attempt to book a hotel room using a wedding discount. I was hung up on by the sales department not once, not twice, but three times. It was a perfect case study in the absence of service mindset. No accountability. No effort to solve a problem or retain a customer. That moment underscored a truth: great service is a skill, not an accident.

I spent seven years in the service industry, bartending and waiting tables, and I can say that those were some of the most formative years of my life. 

The service industry teaches you to:

* Handle pressure: You learn to juggle a dozen demands at once, all while staying composed and personable.

* Read people: You become adept at reading the room. Picking up on tone, energy, and unspoken cues.

* Own the outcome: When you make a mistake or a guest is unhappy, there's no passing the buck. You fix it. Period.

* Deliver under stress: Even on your sixth straight double shift, you’re expected to bring the same energy as your first.

These are essential skills. They become muscle memory, and they translate directly into sales, leadership, and business success.

I recently mentioned on a podcast that anyone who's cut their teeth in hospitality gets automatic bonus points from me in an interview. Why? Because I know what they've survived. I know they've been yelled at, stood on their feet for 12 hours, and still managed to smile and say, “Is there anything else I can get for you?” That kind of grit is rare. And when it shows up in a sales team, it’s a competitive advantage.

So CHEERS to the warriors of the service industry:

* The ones who know the burn of a double shift.

* Who can carry a tray with eight drinks without spilling a drop.

* Who’ve mastered the smile that calms an angry customer.

* And who go home reeking of beer, bleach, and salsa. Counting their tips not just as money, but as a tangible reminder that their hard work mattered.

Service is not a fallback job. It is a launchpad. One that trains some of the most resilient, resourceful, and empathetic professionals out there.