With long hours, awkward attempts to gracefully glide between tables with 20 pounds of food precariously held above one’s head, taxing patrons and sometimes meager tips, one might wonder how one can handle being a waiter.

However for Duane Wilson, a server at Court of Two Sisters, the sense of family the 50-year-old restaurant gives off makes the job worth it.

“It’s a really nice mom and pop type of restaurant, and I feel like the quality of the restaurant is when they want to build a family environment,” Wilson said. “You build a bond with them, [and] I feel like I’m family now.”

The thing Wilson believes to be most important to do when being a server is to not think about yourself and to think about what is the dining experience you would want to have and to give that experience to who you’re serving.

“Since I became a waiter, my momma’s just been proud of me,” Wilson said. “She’s liked the way I’ve handled the money I’ve come in to.”

While waiters can have nightmares for customer, Alan Harris, a server at Pierre Maspero, said New Orleans’ customers are easygoing. However even the best service and good customers don’t always add up to a great tip.

“It’s competitive because you’re working for tips,” Harris said. “You can give the best service in the world and some people are just going to tip how they’re going to tip.”

Other days, however, the money is what makes the job great for Harris. According to him, he can sometimes pull in $200 a day.

“It’s a good to chance to be able to save money and buy things that you want,” Harris said.

Karl Baumgarter has been trying to make patrons satisfied since 1997. Currently the server captain ad trainer at Tableau has been a server since 1997. A server captain and trainer at Tableau, he takes care of guests, handles complaints, and makes sure his station is running smoothly.

Baumgarter’s advice to new servers is to keep a level head, remain focus, do their job and absorb everything that they can.

From dirty diapers to peeved customers, Baumgarter has seen it all in his 17 year career, but to him the job has been worth it.

“Sometimes it’s chaotic, but when you’re a seasoned professional like I am it’s smooth sailing,” Baumgarter said.