If there is one thing that I truly can't stand, it is people that make me wait. If I am meeting someone at 2:00 and they show up at 2:20....they've really done both of us a disadvantage.
Time is the one thing in this world that we will absolutely never get more of.
Source: Pixabay.com
I see the same thing everyday at work. Certain people show up on time, some show up 20 to 30 minutes early, and other individuals are 20 to 30 minutes late.
There's actually a lot of leeway regarding in times in the restaurant industry because you are almost like an independent contractor. Our very tiny hourly wage goes to pay tax on our tips. Therefore, if you are scheduled at 11:00 and you show up at 11:30, it doesn't really cost the company anything except for maybe a dollar.
However, being late does have a cost associated with it. That cost is that you will not be at work when the customers show up.
While other servers are making money hand-over-fist you will be struggling to do your ops duties and get on the floor.
It winds up being a race. When will I get my first table!!
Maybe you should have been on time.
Even better, the people that arrive early are able to take the very first tables because they don't have any work to do when the doors open for the first guests. You see, they arrived early so they were already able to get all their work done ahead of time.
Brilliant.
Source: Giphy.com
The same thing applies wherever you go.
Perhaps you're meeting your sister for lunch and you've only got an hour to spend with her. If you show up 30 minutes late, then you're only going to get 30 minutes of time. Not only that, but she's going to be frustrated with you and your experience will be dampened and disturbed.
That's why I make it a point to be early wherever I go. I'm not saying that I'm never late, but it is pretty rare.
Getting to work 20 minutes early means getting to have a customer before the people that are late. You'd be surprised how many people cannot get to work on time.
Arriving a few minutes early to a meeting with a relative or a friend means that there won't be any frustration on anyone's part because no one made anyone else wait. That's very important for a relationship.
It always surprises me to see people that are living their lives a few minutes behind wherever they go. I know that we all have tons of commitments, but there's always time to change things for the better.
So next time, set your alarm a few minutes early. Walk out that door before you feel like you need to.
Being early should be more than a habit, it should be a lifestyle.