I am a waiter at Home Town Buffet. My boss told me I need an improvement by talking to the guest more.?

Question

I was feeling so bad when my manager told me that I need to talk more with the guest and must remember the regular guest name. Make them love me and want to sit at my station anytime they come to the restuarant.

I want to talk with the customer so much but I don't have any question to ask them other than.

1. How are you doing?

2. Is the food ok?

3. Bye, Take care and have a great day!

That's it. Please tell me any question that I can ask them.

Please give me some questions that I can ask them and keep them happy and come to site at my station whenever they come to eat...

How and what is the methot should I take in order to remember the regular customer name. Do I need to ask their name or any trick that can make them tell me by yourself, because I feel silly to ask customer name direct without any related conversation first.

1. Please help me create more question to ask my guest every time I walk pass them or take the plate from their table...

Great Thank In Advance

Answer 1

This may not be true for your restaurant but the Home Town Buffet in our area is mostly frequented by older people.  As a Gerentologist I would suggest to you that you will be remembered and appreciated by older people by applying the following:

A. Many older people have some degree of hearing and/or visual loss.  It is helpful when you communicate that you get in their best visual field bend down make solid eye contact and that you speak distinctly and slowly enough to be well understood (do not shout or talk unnaturally slow but do your best to optimize their ability to see and hear you).

B. Older people often crave respect and attention as they may be in isolating circumstances. I always address older folks politely with their surnames, until and unless they ask or give me permission to address them by their first names.

C. Older people often have amazing senses of humor but it is not always the humor that young people enjoy- be sensitive to this.

D. Older folks who are well and have access are often amazingly cognizant of current events, especially local news items and so that could be a topic of conversation.  You can ask about the local sports team, the crop situation if you are rural, the last trip the took, any visits from relatives, etc..

As  for remembering names it helps me to creat a mnemonic and I often use the first letter of their name.  For instance maybe you've noticed that Mr. Campbell likes coffee.  Or that Andrew  has an artificial leg.  Maybe Miss Dickerson drops her fork occassionally.  Melanie always orders a meringue pie.  You get my drift.  Also it helps if you say the persons name when you speak with them a few times, this creates salience and makes it more likely that you will retain the name over time.

And just in general.  If you are female and you dote all over the male at the table ignoring the females he is seated with BIG turn off and vice versa.

If you are too intrusive/ friendly it may be annoying to the diners who have come to eat and not to visit with you.

Don't treat someone poorly because they have tipped poorly in the past.  They might be inclined towards greater generosity when the service improves.

Inspect the cleanliness of the service as you approach a table and remove any items that don't appear to be completely clean and return with a clean replacement immediately.

Keep commonly requested items on your person (apron pocket) including extra straws, napkins, replacement silver so that if requested can be produced immediately.

If you ask how was everything and someone has a negative comment, don't take it personally and really listen to the comment objectively and seek to rectify in a professional manner.

Don't lurk around the tables, but learn to discern signs that you are needed from across the room.  Is the diner rotating his/her head looking for you, looking up from the table or away from the fellow diner-- seeking your attention.  Look for the signs when they are ready for a check and pop in to make sure that they are not waiting endlessly.  Waiting forever for a check can make an othewise generous tipper frustrated just when you are "closing the deal".

Just some suggestions.

Answer 2

I think that waiters that talk to much are annoying. Don't ask their name, I would take that as a little weird.

Just ask what they would like to eat, tell them that one of the dishes is good, and make sure not to mess up the order. Personally, a good waiter is one who brings the correct order, served to the right people, and smiles and looks happy. The chattiness (bringing your daily life into ordering) seems a bit over-the-top. ;)

Asking how the food is is a good thing to do, but not every five minutes either. It really depends on where you work. Checking back: A lower-class restaurant (local burger joint) once each meal. A middle-class restaurant (dining room, neatly organized, not-so-expensive but not-so-cheap either) twice-four times a meal. Upper-class restaurant (expensive) twice-three.

Just keep an eye on your customers and see if they are in distress or not. Really, they are there to have a good time with friends/family.. no offense, but they aren't really there to have a good time with the waiter.... =o

I probably didn't help because I am going against your boss' wishes, but just putting in my two cents. ;)

Answer 3

Hope this helps................Im a cook at a diner and from what Ive seen the girls do, they have casual but limited conversation as to not clogg guests eating or interrupt a date. I also noticed the girls don't go out of their way to be a "Saint" they just make normal convo like they would friends and/or family and from what Ive seen the guests love it. We had a girl who was overly polite and the guests figured her as one trying to always get a tip (which "a tip" is always good for you guys). But no sense on getting 1$ for blowing sunshine when one could get more for just being themselves. =)  GL!

Answer 4

Why ON EARTH does your boss want you to talk to the guests?  Maybe it's a cultural thing.  Do you live in a rural area in the Midwest or South or something?  People in places like that tend to ask personal questions that are none of their business and try to tell you their whole life stories, as if it were any of *your* business.  If you were my server, I'd prefer you *just* the way you are.  

When I go out to eat w/ friends and the servers start getting too talkative (which is pretty unusual since around here that's called being *rude*), we just look at each other w/ quizzical looks and wonder how much longer this annoyance is going to last.  We go out to dinner to talk to *each other* and don't appreciate being interrupted by some stranger who we *were* planning to tip handsomely to just bring us our food and go away.

Answer 5

Personally, when I am at a restaurant, I don't really care to have an in-depth conversation with the waiter.  In fact, I find it annoying.  

I want to have an in-depth conversation with my dinner partner(s).  That's why I go out to eat - to be with friends.  

A good, attentive waiter is important, but he is not my friend.

Perhaps your manager has other ideas, but I don't think they particularly agree with his clients' wishes.

I think you should stick with "Is everything OK? May I bring you anything?  Shall I clear your plate for you?"

Answer 6

Hi  (name).  Good to see you.  How are you?  What  drink would you like to start off with today? When return, compliment them on clothes, hair, something. Talk about the weather.  Discuss new food items.  Ask about the food. Bring drink refill.  Ask if they need anything else. Tell them it is nice to see them.  Small talk.  Ask questions they must answer, not just a yes or no question. Be polite, personable, but not a pest or bothersome. Being polite and courteous and some small talk to make them feel welcome is all you need to do.  Be sure to thank them and invite them back when they finish. Don't go overboard, some boss have no idea what customer like and all they want is more revenue. Work on it slowly.

Answer 7

everyone can give you a whole bunch of stuff to say... but simple state your name, hows their day?, hows the food? if its hot outside...bring up what a hot summer day isnt? and so on and so forth...but mainly maybe you just gotta SMILE and say things in a positive tone.... smile is the key and then your name how can you help them if they need more napkins, hows the food did they see the dessert area if they are done with the main meals... and etc...