Give You and the Guest Time

When carrying out the dinner service I find it impolite to rush people through their meal. Like having their entree arrive while they are still eating their appetizer. Nothing worse than making the guests feel rushed and hurried like you want them out the door.

If the guest has ordered something hot like a French Onion Soup give ample time for them to enjoy it and you time to clear it before the next course arrives. Look at the tickets on the pass before ordering that rare cooked steak. If there is no line hold back a few minutes before punching that steak in or that steak will come out pronto while that onion soup is still not finished. Chefs and expos don't like when they send out food only for it to be returned because the guest was only halfway through their appetizers.

The reverse is true when the line is long. To avoid the guest waiting and waiting , I will send that well done steak through to the kitchen even before they have received that French Onion Soup on a super busy night. But don't forget to check the appy pass either. You may have to wait 10 minutes for that onion soup. Will that affect the arrival time of your entree?

Same goes for appetizers. If you have a big table and they are having all kinds of appetizers wait till they get those appetizers before punching in the entrees. Give yourself time to get some more drinks , clear the appetizers , put new cutlery down , and give your guests a break in between courses. A big table can wait 10-12 minutes before their main course arrives because they will be chatting amongst themselves.

A table of two you may only want them waiting between 3-5 minutes before getting their next course.

The big thing I want to emphasize is give yourself time by thinking about what the guest has ordered and how long will it take for them to eat it once they receive it. Give yourself time to clear afterwards.

You have got to control the flow. Only you know what is going on in your section not the kitchen. The kitchen will just go ahead and cook whatever you order right away.

A waiter has to think about what kind of people are in their section. You know if the couple has ordered a bottle of wine and holding hands they like some space in between courses. The family with the young kids want everything yesterday.

Now if you work with a POS system where you punch in everything by course selection then it is much easier. You just call pick up when you feel it is time allowing a few minutes for the kitchen to prepare the finishing touches to the dish. This allows the waiter to pour some more wine etc..Tasting menues are a prime example. Each course comes out and you have the wine ready for that particular dish.

Don't get caught running around for stuff when the main course arrives because you didn't give yourself enough time. Make each table feel special by the thought you put into it. Ordering food through to the kitchen is all about timing and how you do it will affect your gratuity accordingly.

It is the difference between a good waiter and an average one.

The State of Mind The Guest Is In Makes the Difference

I haven't posted lately so that I could catch up on some rest and do something else rather than plant myself in front of the computer. In fact it does one good to switch focus once in a while as family members have taken turns being sick in the house whereas I have so far managed to escape all that , touch wood.

But tonight's topic isn't so much about what has gone on the last few days but what I have been doing for quite a long time now and that is putting up with guest's special requests and general character. First of all there are more good people out there than bad ones. Let's be clear on that because if it was the other way around I don't think too many would be able to afford a living much less put up with the guests in the first place.

Which brings me up to the point of this post. You see I work with people half my age and I see them get a little flustered when they get treated shabbily by the guest. After a time they will either look for something else in another profession or get over it. It is that simple.

Now I confess a number of years ago when I first started out if someone did not leave much I sometimes felt a little bad for myself. It is normal. But then as time went on it became normal to find someone who would not leave much or they would sit there for countless hours before leaving and so on. It never changed. Someone would always complain about something even if it wasn't your fault but you had to fix it.

The difference was after a time these obstacles during service became normal. No matter what happens in the dining room a waiter has to acknowledge the fact that it is not an attack on him or herself personally.

It is , and get this , the state of mind the guests were in before they entered the restaurant.

What happens during the evening has nothing to do with you , the waiter! Understand that and you will go through each night smoothly.

Just think of it for a second , when something is not going right in someone's life they look to pass blame on someone or something and who better than the restaurant they are eating in and the server who is serving them.

Sure anyone can make a mistake but it is the guest's reaction that explains a lot about that person. Why do some think a mistake is no big deal and others make it like it is their biggest ordeal?

It is not you , it is them and what was going on in their heads before they arrived. I cannot solve their personal problems of which I know nothing of.

The only thing I can do is welcome them , take the order , give good service and bill them. That is it. I can make them feel better than they had felt before they came in but if they cannot generously tip me at the conclusion of their meal that is their fault and not mine.

This is why you see lousier waiters make more money than others sometimes simply because they had happier people sit in their section that evening. They could make mistake after mistake or neglect to do the table maintenance etc. and still be left a good tip.

In conclusion , the tip you will receive will depend on the customer's state of mind before they came in. If they were in a bad mood at all upon their arrival , whether you get a good tip or not will depend on their acceptance of your good service and overcoming their negative state of mind at the beginning.

If you take anything away from this post and it helps you deal with the public better let me know. I am always open for discussion.

My Train Of Thought Before I Start A Shift

Here is what I have been doing for a long time before I start a shift in order that I get an edge in my mind and psyched up.

I think everyday I show up at my job my performance this evening is going to be my last. I know it is crazy but last night is history. It is what I do tonight that counts. No one I am serving tonight was here last night so whom I serve tonight and how well I do it will determine what money I make and my future employment.

I think as well that it might be that guest's first time in our restaurant. Maybe they had some bad news today and need to take their minds off things and enjoy a meal. Honestly , I have no idea. Maybe that guest was abused , a recovering alcoholic , was robbed , bankrupt , on drug rehab , or anything else like that. It is amazing when you talk to anyone , they know someone who is , or knows someone who knows someone else who is having some difficulties.

Another thing I think about doing when serving others is no matter what they ask me to get them I get it as quick as I can. It is all about the service. I am a freakin' robot. I just get it. On the ship I got a lot of practice waiting on tables for 6 plus months in a row everyday. One hundred per cent of the guests filled out comment cards. No room for error. If someone wanted something I got it. That was the golden rule of service.

I worked for a guy one time who asked everyone how they defined luxury. His correct answer was "service."That is what we do as servers and bartenders , supervisors and managers , we give as good service as possible.

Not every night will be perfect but leave your thoughts at the door and when you start your shift just think this is your chance to make someone's night and work like you need the job. Our job is only as secure as the night we have this evening. If it is not our best then there is tomorrow. A new beginning to improve on the previous night.

We owe it to ourselves and our guests to try to work and serve even better than the night before. Just work with that thought in mind before your shift and you will have focus and that edge you need to have a great night.