Everybody loves a night out. But as a waiter or bartender, you are intimately aware of the ups and downs that come with a serving job. Between the long hours on your feet, the late nights, and the unhappy customers, you may have wondered, How do I transition out of the restaurant industry?
There are any number of jobs that rely on the exact same skillset you’ve cultivated as a front-of-the-house restaurant worker. And one of the better paying ones? A career in logistics.
Perhaps you’re unsure if you’re qualified. But we have a secret for you: you already work in logistics, even if you don’t know it yet. At Granite Logistics we love our former restaurant workers, and are always looking to hire more. Why? Keep reading, as we outline how your skills make you an excellent candidate for a very lucrative career shift.
You’re excellent at time management.
On the floor at your restaurant, you know when you can task-switch effectively and when you need to focus on one challenge at a time. Sometimes you can take three customers’ orders while pouring a drink and noticing that the appetizers for table 23 are ready for pickup. Other times you know the ten-top with multiple guest allergies that wants you to split the check needs your undivided attention.
As a logistics coordinator, you will use your innate sense for when challenges require your immediate and full attention, and when you can juggle multiple tasks at a time for efficiency’s sake.
Your customer service skills are unparalleled.
As a restaurant worker, you have one of the most customer-facing jobs in the world. You have a strong awareness of when your customers are happy, and when they’re dissatisfied. And you know how to turn negative experiences into positive ones and positive ones into extraordinary ones.
When the ticket-printing machine in the kitchen ran out of paper and a table was missing one of their entrées, you apologized, rushed out a new entrée for your hungry customer, comped their appetizer, and made them feel heard and taken care of. In the end, all was well.
In logistics, as in food service, mistakes happen. You’ll rarely lose a client over one mistake. But when you bring your customer service A-game to fix oversights, you are developing loyalty and trust that will pay off in the long run.
You have relationship-building down pat.
You know your regulars. You know their likes and dislikes. You may even know their order before they’ve walked in the door. You’ve cultivated those relationships over weeks, months, or years.
But you’re also used to building relationships quickly with first-time customers. Two patrons grab a cozy corner booth and order a bottle of wine? Perhaps it’s a date and you need a gentler hand. A party of fifteen celebrating a birthday? You can have a little fun with that group.
As a logistics coordinator, you’ll utilize both of these skills. Your portfolio is your “regulars.” You know how they like to work and communicate. But when you add new clients to your portfolio, you need to build that relationship quickly and determine how you can best serve them.
You know how to work within a team.
In your restaurant, you know how to communicate with your team to deliver an excellent experience. You anticipate problems and work with your teammates to come up with solutions.
When you ran out of the daily special you sent your runners to the store for the missing ingredients while you paced the coursing of the appetizers and asked the kitchen to rush those specials out as soon as possible. That doesn’t happen without teamwork.
This skill is essential in logistics. There are a lot of moving parts in this career. And it takes a skilled and effective team member to coordinate and satisfy all parties.
What’s so great about a career in logistics?
As a restaurant worker, you’re already used to your take-home pay being directly tied to how hard you work. You want to provide excellent service to as many customers as possible to keep those tips coming.
But when you make the move to a logistics career, you will see your earnings explode — without having to be on your feet all day. You can watch your income climb to staggering heights as you build a healthy portfolio. And when your commissions are uncapped, as they are with Granite Logistics, you earn more with every client you add.
Another benefit of a logistics career is the normal and predictable hours. You'll no longer be pulling into your garage after midnight. Instead, you can count on a predictable 8am-5pm M-F schedule.
Am I ready to transition to a career in logistics?
If you imagine the office as your restaurant, your clients as the guests, and the warehouse and transportation as the kitchen, you’ll realize that not only are you qualified for this career — you’ve been doing it all along!
At Granite Logistics we’re excited for you to start capitalizing on your skillset now. If you want to watch your earnings grow, take our career personality quiz or check out our current openings.
