The status given to waiters in a restaurant varies in different parts of the world. For example, in some places working as a waiter is seen as having low status, like being a servant. In other places, it is viewed as a useful and important role and people who do the job well are respected. Eddie Lam has been a waiter for four years and clearly thinks he has a good job. He is proud that he knows how to give good service to guests in the restaurant where he works."I enjoy learning about people—their likes,dislikes and moods. I make an effort to show them that I care," he explains."It takes experience to understand how to make someone happy." Eddie knows that when he talks about his customers, it may sound like he is talking about his friends or family."There are actually many similarities in the relationship,although the relationship between waiters and customers may only last a short time," he laughs. Eddie believes that waiters have to be very observant. They need to notice quickly when a customer is bothered,for example, if they don't have a knife, or if they want a glass of water. It is also important for them to recognize when someone is in a hurry or when a couple want to be left undisturbed for a while. And all this should happen without the customers realizing; they just get what they want. He points out that when service is good, the customers are often not aware of it. However, if customers receive bad service in a restaurant, they usually react very quickly."I suppose the tips left by customers are part of my financial reward," says Eddie,"but I also get a lot of satisfaction just from seeing customers relaxing and enjoying their meals."