There is a lot more to waiting tables than just serving food and drinks; customer relations is the biggest part of being a good server, because the majority of your income relies on how much your customers tip. To ensure that you receive a good tip you must do a number of things. Most importantly you must be polite, and of course remember that no matter what, the customer is always right. Secondly you must do things with a proper procedure, serve drinks, appetizers, soups, salads, dinner, and dessert in that sequence. Not only should you do these things in this order, but you must also do them in a timely fashion, because no one likes to wait. When you go to a table that has just been seated, you must be prepared for any question that may be asked.
You should know the specials, the soup du jour, your vegetables, and the starches that you are serving. Of course, not all restaurants use the same procedures so you will have to adjust to their format. You should also carry the proper number of menus according to the number of people at the table, and it is always a good idea to bring a wine list along with you. Always ask how your customers are doing, (even if you dont care), and reply that you are great even if you are not. Even more important always introduce yourself to your table, this will put you on a first name basis and make you a person rather than a waiter. Then once youve gotten their drinks and given your patrons a few minutes to peruse their menus you take their order.
Pursasive Paper on Why College Gap Years Are a Good Thing
Another reason gap years are a good thing is that is enforces responsibility. When a student wants to undergo a gap year there are a lot of steps and processes that need to be made. Some might say that this might just overwhelm the student anyways, but it will not. It helps the students understand the responsibilities to have this goal of their pursued. Gap years, like stated before, are not just ...
Exactly how you take an order is up to you, all waiters have their own method that works best for them; youll just have to find yours. Most classy restaurants have bussers to assist with the serving and cleaning of the tables. Once youve gotten the order youll either have to put it into some sort of computer or directly hand it to the kitchen staff, it depends on the restaurant. When it is time to serve the food, no matter what it is, always announce it to the kitchen so that they know how much time they have. While presenting the food to your customers, you should also tell them what it is, not only as a safety precaution so that you give the right food to the right person, but so that they think that you know even if you dont. When serving food it is proper to serve the food with your left hand, and hold your tray with your right, but if this is too difficult for you no one will really know the difference either way. Never just reach in front of someone and grab their plate, even if youre positive that they are finished.
Always say something like May I get that plate out of your way sir/madam? You also must remember to look positive and happy even if you not, to ensure a good tip. The standard gratuity for a server is fifteen percent for a good job, but a good server doesnt want fifteen percent, they want twenty. If you receive less than fifteen percent think back on how well you waited on your table, if you did everything you were supposed to than maybe they were just bad tippers. If you did everything that you were supposed to and you got the standard tip dont think Well I did a good job, think What could I have done better to get twenty percent? A good server does more than just his job; if that is the way you look at it you can almost assure your customers of a good experience, and yourself a very good tip.
