What are some tips on being a waiter at a resteraunt (casual)?

Question

What are some tips on being a waiter at a resteraunt (casual)?

Answer 1

Tip# 1 Always be courteous to the customer, no matter what they do.

Tip # 2 Don't get upset if the customer isn't happy with your service, you can't please everybody. But in the restaurant biz you have to try your hardest to do so.

Tip # 3 Wear comfortable shoes!!!!! You'll be running your booty off!!

Answer 2

Tip#1....learn how to spell "restaurant," for starters!!!

Answer 3

The best advice is just be yourself and remember what's like to be a customer. Don't think to hard on it- you'll just make yourself crazy. Relax - it's just a job.

Answer 4

I trained wait staff for too long!

From start to finish:

Always greet a table, even if you are busy, look them straight in the eye and let them know you or someone will be right with them.  Remember: If you have time set some one else's table up for them, do so.  They might be your customer next time.  By looking them in the eye, you let them know that you acknowledge they are there. Do not address a table from the next table, or while you are cleaning up the table near them, walk over and speak directly to them, as though they are the only people in the restaurant.  You will always, save your self of the embarrassment of calling a guy with hair past his shoulders, "Ma'am" when you look him in the face and see the five o'clock shadow, rather than addressing him from behind.  Bikers do not like to be called "You ladies" when one is a guy with his back to you, and the other one is his girl friend, or mother.

Do not sound rehearsed in your conversation:  If you know the customers name use it, if not always call them ma'am or sir.  If there are children present, always ask the parents first.  I use, "So, do the children order for themselves, or would you like to order for them?"  When child askes for something that is free, like another straw or napkins, okay.  But, anything that will be charged for, ask the parents first.  Don't assume, while Dad is in the bathroom, that little Susie has permission to order that 5.99 slice of cheesecake or that 4.99 milk shake.

Never assume someone is on a diet, because of what they order.  The lady ordering diet dressing on her chef's salad, (the one with fried chicken, ham, two kinds of cheese, and boiled eggs) doesn't want to be reminded she is blowing her diet.

Make sure you know you soups, vegetables of the day, gravy's, sauces and desserts.  Nothing will blow a tip faster than hemming and hawing when it comes down to the kind of soups you have, or if you have baked potatoes ten minutes before closing.

Don't let the table take the lead in how the visit is going to go.  Introduce yourself, and leave it at that, roll right into getting them drinks and appertizers if wanted.  If you tie yourself up with the "How are yous" then you are wasting time that could be spent getting other things done.  They don't care how you are, what kind of day you've have or are having, or if your dog got hit by a car this morning.  They care about you asking them, and getting their food.

Know your degrees of cooking for meats:  Tar-tar, charred, rare, med-rare, med, medwell, well.  Do not write on a check, burnt.  Be it for meat, bread, eggs, what ever.

Know your eggs.  poahed soft, poached med, poached well, over light, over med, over well, well, scr soft, scr well.  A custor who eats eggs cooked lightly will settle for an egg cooked a little more than they order, but not vice versa.  A person who eats over med eggs, will gag about an over easy egg.

Adult men go out for food, sometimes company; adult women go out to be seen and sometimes company.  Kids go out because they are drug along.  But letting them know by addressing them, that they matter, will increase the tip.

Never ask any one is the other person would like some thing.  Like the younger woman in the bathroom, do not ask the older man that looks like he could be her grandfather, "Would your granddaughter like some more to drink."  It might inflate his ego, but the lady when she returns and he jokes about it, will definately make her mad.  Same goes for little old ladies, dinning with younger men, they get totally mad, when you ask, "Would your grandson like more soda?"  Who knows, may grandma was planning on getting lucky.  And as for people you know outside, if you see them in, don't ask things like "How is your wife?" assuming it is lunch and of the three women with him, they are all co-workers out for lunch, done that.

Do not assume a woman is pregnant.  She get's really mad when you ask when she is due, and she's not.  Been there, done that.

Do not put any thng in front of a kid, unless you tell the parents.  And if it is hot, give it to the parents.  Do not put a grilled cheese in front of a kid, just because Mom has cleared a spot for it, hand it to Mom, and let her do the rest.  Because the one time Little Johnny decides to fling hot soup all over the station, and spills in on his little brother, will be the one time you set it in front of him.  If a child's meal isn't ready, and you have to take the adults meals, of say, the adults have salads before a meal, do not leave :Little Johnny with out something to do.  Take him something too, make carrot sticks or crackers or bread.  Just some thing to keep him from howling, while his parents are trying to eat their salads.  Cause you know, if Little Johnny shows him self out at dinner, it is your fault their dinner is ruined.

When people complain about the wait, they don't like the joke, "Well that's why the call me the WAITER".  Do not pass the buck.  They do not need to know what is going on behind the lines.  If you are short staffed, a new cook, the dishwasher gone postal, does not matter, they are hungry and some species of animals will resort to cannibalism if pushed too far.

Remember, every thing is peachy!  Apologize to high heaven cause the cook, the hostess, the bar tender and the kitchen help is still getting paid.  If one of them messes up, your customer doens't see it, they see YOU.  And YOU are the one making less than minimun wage and counting on that tip.

Happy Waitering......