Waiter Training Newsletter
Monthly Tips, Tricks and Insight.
- RESTAURANT TRAINING MANUALS AND SEMINARS :
Susie Ross
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Article Archive
- Customer Service: Fact or Myth?
- Suggestive Selling Sells Itself!
- Beware of the Sidework Slacker.
- What about your hosts and Buspeople?
- Training Outside the Box.
- Listen to What Your Customers Aren’t Saying.
- Employee Incentives
- Reviews and Evaluations
- The Interview Process
- Lend Me Your Ears
- A Healthy Staff is a Happy Staff!
- The High Cost of Loss
- Documentation is Everything
- Proper Training and Documentation
- There's a Thief Among Us
- Healthy Menu Items: Roots and Wings!
- You Never Know Whom You Are Serving
- Tips and the IRS
- Care About Your Employees
- Another Summer
- Struggling With a Limited Staff
- Giving Criticism in a Positive Manner
- Hiring Inexperienced vs. Experienced People
- A Message for Wait Staff
- The Much-Maligned Host Position
- Guest Article by Trainer Paul Paz
- The Invisible Guest
- The Two-Minute Rule
- Beware the Single Diner
- Your Servers and Food Safety
- Slow Seasons and Training
- Team Atmosphere and Camaraderie
- Suggestive Selling
- How to be a Waiter
- Some Tips on Tips
- Write it Down!
- Now That's What I'm Talkin' 'Bout!
- Tricks and Treats
- Pre-Shift Meetings
- Why Mystery Shopping Works
- At the Risk of Repeating Myself
- The Crabby Customer
- Must Love Food
- Check References
- Choosing the Right Place to Work
- You Got Time to Lean...
- Look Sharp - Use Trays
- Technical Skills and Great Service
- "Hey! Front Waiter! Do You Have My Back?"
Technical Skills and Great Service
I have been accused of being a stickler for "proper" service, or technical skills, as I like to call them. I confess, it's true. In a perfect world, I imagine that owners and managers are hiring fabulous, gregarious personalities that love food and wine. We all know that's not always the case.
The truth is, I am a stickler for it because too often we forget common courtesy. In my mind, proper service is based on the comfort of the guest - common courtesy. The trick is to weave one's charm and personality into the service routine.
In talking to people who go out to dinner for an experience, I've learned that most people don't really care about proper service. They certainly don't want a server to reach across them and be rude in general; they just aren't all that concerned about whether or not you serve on the left and take away on the right.
Most important to them? They want to be engaged in a positive, comfortable transaction with the server. Don't misunderstand; I'm not talking about idle chatter and giving your guests your life story. I'm talking about having a conversation about their breakfast/lunch/dinner experience with you. That may mean that you are asking questions and giving suggestions; it may mean you're simply finding out how they want to be served. You may read your table and discover the best service for them is silent service. Believe it or not, you can still have a personality while being silent.
To be fair, the people I tend to chat with the most are people who are in sales and have those personalities that sparkle and shine and make you want to talk to them. That is what they expect from their server because they recognize that you and they are in the same line of work - sales! They want to be engaged, informed and have suggestions made. Ideally, they would love it if you would not allow them to look at the menu. If I may be so bold, they want you to sell them something!
GASP! CHOKE! AAAAHHH!!!
Yes, I used the four-letter "s" word - twice - and once in plural format! This word, in all its forms, gets a lot of resistance. Automatically, servers believe I mean pushy and annoying. Not true at all - I simply mean that you should start with the intention of selling something to everyone who walks through the door. After all, they have come into your house to be fed and nourished. What's wrong with offering a few select beverages to get their minds off of "out there" and invite them to join us "in here" for an experience?
They can only say yes or no; they certainly won't say yes if you don't ask. You know how to read your tables; you can tell if someone isn't open to your suggestions. That's ok - move on.
I think most people would agree that to be a great server, you have to be hard-working, organized and proactive in your thinking. All that's true. The most important quality you can have is your personality. You simply must have a salesperson's attitude and like people. If you don't - you're in the wrong business.
There you have it; I have eaten a little crow regarding proper service. It didn't taste too bad! Of course, everything tastes better with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon!
I still train on the proper technical skills - never fear! I've simply been reminded that the personality goes a long way in this business and it is perfectly fine to serve on the right and take away on the left. Just use the correct hand!
Have a great month and best of luck out there!Training and information is the key! Contact me, Susie, at Waiter Training, either by phone or email. My business number is (720) 203-4615, and email address is Susie@waiter-training.com. Web address is http://www.waiter-training.com.
Excellence is an act won by training and habituation.
We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence,
but rather we have those because we have acted rightly.
We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.
- Aristotle
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