Olive Garden Help!?

Question

I am getting ready to start a job at olive garden, it is new in my town, and i am very nervous. I have no experience serving but the manager says no experience needed. I am so scared. Ive heard a lot of things about people being so mean, Has anyone here ever worked at an olive garden? can you tell me, how well the pay is, and if its hard, work, I mean i am a hard worker I just want it explained to me.! thanks a lot :!)

Answer 1

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Answer 2

i  have never worked there but my advice is to be a really good server!! be nice even when they are mean!! i tip really really good when i have great servers.

and try not to be TOO nice. hahah.

:) good luck!! i hope you get all the tips!

Answer 3

well i'm a server for pappadeaux's and i've been doing this for six months. THe base pay is like 2.13 BUT, once you get good at what you do there is good money to be made. Try to work alot on the weekends and during the day when business people are at lunch and your looking at 20 or 30 dollar tips. Olive garden is a great place to work . I bring home about 400 dollars a week!

Answer 4

Your base pay is terrible but you can make good money in tips at Olive Garden, just try to upsell.  Offer wine, appetizers, dessert, shrimp in their pasta....anything to make the bill higher.  The bigger their bill = the bigger your tip.  It is not hard work.  For the first week or two you might feel like a spaz but once you get into a rhthym it is a piece of cake.

Good luck to you.  Try not to freak yourself out anymore please!! =]

Answer 5

Well, I've never worked there before, but I have experience being a waitress. Most customers are not mean as long as you provide good service. For those mean people, just ignor them, they are just naturally mean, it has nothing to do with you.

Answer 6

don't be nervous. aren't they going to train you first? they should be doing that.

good luck!

:)

Answer 7

Some tips that get me a few extra bucks and crazy high sales:

-Try to be accomodating as possible... with EVERYONE! (this includes your busser, the bartender, the host and of course, the guest.) If you can get your tables turned fast enough, it means you can get more covers in your section. If you're nice to the busser, they'll help get you're tables cleaned faster. If you're nice to the host, they'll sit you with "accomodating" guests. If you're nice to the bartender, they'll have your drinks made faster. (When I hosted and a server was being rude to me, I made sure to sit them with the family full of screaming kids, the British business men who I knew would not tip well, or the huge group of senior tourists who all wanted separate checks.)

-Be willing to pick up a table when your fellow servers are in the weeds.

-Upsell like crazy! If a guest asks for something like a Bloody Mary, say to them, "Oh you want that with Grey Goose right?" NEVER mention a low end liquor (Learn which vodka, gin, tequila, rum, scotch & whiskey cost the most at your restaurant.) And nod your head at the same time. The sense approval makes people feel better and in turn will get you more money.

-When it comes to desserts, bring the dessert menu or dessert tray over when they are slowing down on their entreés (I randomly walk through my section with an elaborate dessert at the guests' eye level, to get the idea of a tasty treat in the guests head.) As you set the dessert menu down say, "I wanted to give everyone a chance to decide on what they wanted for dessert." Don't ask if they are interested in dessert. Usually if they see a picture (or better yet, the dessert plate) they're more than likely to buy, which means a higher bill, which means a higher tip. BUT... if they have children who may not be able to spell, say to the parents, "Would you be interested in having D-E-S-S-E-R-T?" (one time a kid busted me, but it was cool because it got him riled up.) If the parents don't want their kids to have dessert, they will be sooooo appreciative that you spelled it out and didn't get the thought in the kids heads, in turn giving you a better tip for being accomodating.

-Learn a couple games and jokes that you can share with kids. If you have a large group with kids, it'll gives the parents a chance to socialize. (I once had a guest slip me an extra $50 for keeping their kids entertained.)

Hope this helps. =)

Answer 8

any serving job is bad. People are mean. VERY mean. At a not- olive garden restaurant that I worked at I only got paid 2.25 an hour but usually made 20-25 dollars an hour in tips. Serving is very hard work and almost none of your customers will know it. BE NICE. and your tips should be very good.

When my hubby and I go to olive garden our tip is usually 10 bucks! which would be like 20% of our ticket.

Answer 9

you'll be ok!!!!!   just calm down!!!!

Answer 10

you'll be fine...pay is horrible, minimum wage at best, but you get tips.

Answer 11

my daughter's father and grandma used to work there and they loved it.  They also made good money.  Relax.  It is always hard to start a new job, but I am sure you will be great!

Answer 12

if you have a good attitude it can make all the difference..  my former college roommate talked for over 5 years after graduation about how much she missed waiting tables at macaroni grill