When I was studying abroad in Colombia, I worked as a waitress at an Italian restaurant called Cartagena, which is visited by many tourists. Unlike Japan, Colombia has a slow flow of time and you can work relaxedly. Basically, you don’t get impatient. It’s normal for a meal to come out in a Colombian restaurant an hour later, and even if the cashier is lined up at a supermarket, no other employee can help. Even so, I see on a daily basis that employees are talking to customers without hesitation.
The restaurant I was working in was small, with an owner and chef, an aunt in the kitchen hand in the morning, a waitress in the afternoon, and a small group of me in the evening. The restaurant here was also very loose.
Here, I would like to talk about the tips for working part-time in such free Colombia.
Everything is relaxing
Not like a work
At the restaurant where we worked, when there are no customers, we attract customers in front of the store, but during that time we lean on the car parked on the road and talk about another waitress and sing. It was my daily routine to go, dance, and buy and drink coffee sold on the street. In addition to coffee, I occasionally invited customers while eating cookies and bread. Other part-time workers were calling in while licking ice cream and candy.
However, despite being so tired, some people complained, “I’m tired but I can’t sit at all” and “I’m busy with work.”
You don’t feel lazy
At first, I have a Japanese tingling sensation that if I don’t do something, I might feel lazy, or I have to do something, and what should I do? I didn’t know if it was good. However, I have become accustomed to working in Colombia, which is completely different from that situation, and now I am free and enjoyable.
It seems that I will have a hard time working after returning to Japan.
What to be careful at work
You need connection to find a job
It’s hard to find a job in Colombia without a relationship of trust. That’s why, in many cases, you ask your friends and acquaintances to introduce you to people in your workplace and find a job from there.
Let’s call it “Tsute”. Rather, you can’t find a job without this kind of “tsute”, in other words, connections. Making as many acquaintances as possible and having a large community of your own is the key to your chances.
Don’t trust people too much
Of course there are good people in Colombia, but there are also many who want to take advantage of them. If you are a foreigner, there is a possibility that it will be used even more. Some people have a habit of asking you to lend money, but you have to be careful even if you get along well. Their “lend” means “give me”. Even if you lend it, you should only lend it to someone you can trust that it is absolutely okay.
Colombia has a tip system, but if you trust people too much, you can be fooled. It’s sad, but you have to be careful because if you trust people too much, you’ll end up strangling yourself later.
コロンビアのチップ制度
At restaurants in Colombia, customers voluntarily pay 10% of the total amount. However, an acquaintance who works at a restaurant stole 10% of the tip and lied to the store manager that many of the customers did not pay the tip. I’ve seen some people charge more than 10%.
Also, my boss says that 10% will be shared by everyone, but more than half is in his wallet. We waitress got only a little. There are many problems like this, so you have to be careful not to get involved.
Communication with customers
Enjoy talking to customers
In South America, there are many people who like to talk. It is important to be polite, but it is also important to serve customers with a smile and friendliness. If you can afford it, you can get closer to the customer by having a little conversation.
It seems that I’m rare in Asia, and sometimes I get my name remembered and my contact information. Some of the customers wanted to take pictures with me, and some of the customers who were staying on the trip came to the store every day during their stay. Thanks to that, the customer service at my restaurant was a wonderful experience with many encounters.
People are creative
In South America, there are many people who like to talk. It is important to be polite, but it is also important to serve customers with a smile and friendliness. If you can afford it, you can get closer to the customer by having a little conversation.
It seems that I’m rare in Asia, and sometimes I get my name remembered and my contact information. Some of the customers wanted to take pictures with me, and some of the customers who were staying on the trip came to the store every day during their stay. Thanks to that, the customer service at my restaurant was a wonderful experience with many encounters.
Don’t trust people too much
When I started working part-time in Colombia, my salary was low, some people lied with tips, and at first I felt like a terrible country. However, after working part-time for a while, I was able to meet wonderful customers and learn that Japanese customer service is appreciated in the world, and I think it was a very good experience. Also, I learned that unlike Japan, there are obviously bad people and there are many people who do not have money, so it is important to devise ways to live.
When working with Colombians, I think it is most important not to trust the other person too much in order to get the job done. Of course there are many good people in Colombia, but not all. That’s why people who have the opportunity to work in Colombia should be careful. It’s sad, but if you live foolishly honestly, you will sometimes lose money.
It is important to learn the culture of the country and adapt to the way of the country while showing the good parts of the Japanese people in the workplace.
Leave a Reply