As one of the most popular shows of 2023, The Bear has been streaming in millions of homes nationwide, giving regular people an inside look at the tortured souls in the restaurant industry.

While the show has been getting critical acclaim for its accurate portrayal of the sometimes ups but mostly downs of running a restaurant in a post-COVID world, quite a few general business lessons are coming through the screen simultaneously.

In addition to laying down lessons for aspiring restauranteurs, there is also plenty of wisdom for general businesses, including the commercial debt collection industry.

Small Business Operators Are Always Overwhelmed

The most obvious lesson for anyone watching Carmy try to keep up with the constant demands of the restaurant business is that small business operators will always feel overwhelmed and undercapitalized, even ones who find more than a quarter million dollars in their tomato cans!

The Bear is unapologetic in showing the never-ending number of fires the crew has to put out, and anyone who has ever run a small business knows that this is no exaggeration. Every small business operator you encounter will deal with the same thing, and demonstrating an understanding of that will instantly help you establish a relationship with them.

Show the small business operators you interact with that you understand how overwhelmed they are by taking up less of their time and getting to the point of whatever you need to work out with them.

Earn Respect the Hard Way

The restaurant industry is notorious for putting chefs through absolute torture before showing them any respect, and this is true for just about every character we meet throughout both seasons of The Bear.

Similarly, respect is a critical component in the collections industry. If you have it, you can win. But to get it, you must work hard and show that you deserve it. Keep that in mind with every contact you make throughout your day.

Rage Doesn’t Work

Throughout The Bear, Carmen learns that being the chef who screams and yells at his staff is not the way to get his desired outcome. While this may be a prevalent approach in the restaurant industry, it isn’t the best path to achieving results.

Whether running a Michelin Star restaurant or attempting to collect an outstanding balance, model the behavior you want in return from the people you work with. You will be much more likely to get what you want faster and more efficiently that way.

Allow People to Be Human

One of the best aspects of The Bear is that we can see each character develop and show us different sides of themselves over two seasons. Everyone we interact with is human, and many people deal with issues outside of work that bring them down.

This is even more true in the collections industry, where the consumers collectors interact with are more likely to struggle with a wide range of business and personal issues. Empathy for real-life struggles can make the difference between someone returning your call or not.

Chaos Will Always Happen

As we saw repeatedly throughout season 2 of The Bear, chaos will always show up at the worst possible time to throw a wrench in a business plan. This is also true for even the most conservative repayment plans.

When this inevitable chaos strikes one of the consumers you are working with, remember that it is simply part of the game and that the best way forward is to work to adjust and create a new plan.

Whether you are building the next great restaurant or attempting to collect from a delinquent account, remembering these basic business lessons from The Bear will help you show empathy, better connect with the people on the other side of the table, and ultimately get what you want more efficiently.