Courtesy of waiters
Working in a restaurant can be a stressful job, but it can also be very profitable and enjoyable experience if you approach it the right way and develop appropriate skills. If you are kind, reliable, and a capable multitasker, serving food in a restaurant can be a long-term profitable endeavour.
People who visit certain restaurants do not visit those places solely for the food. Going to lunch or dinner is an experience that we share with our loved ones, and certainly want it to be positive, which greatly depends on the restaurant staff. Professional recommendation, service, and a warm smile can go a long way. Helpfulness and friendliness of the waiter can be one of the decisive criteria when selecting the caffes or restaurants and the service they provide can contribute greatly whether guests come back again or not.
So how to be a good waiter? Let us point out some tips that can help.
The first thing we notice when when approached by a waiter are his expression, accessibility and responsiveness. You do not have to be a professional entertainer, but surely you must have good communication skills. Silent waiters are desirable just as good public speakers. It is important to use good body language, listen carefully while you’re serving guests and to be efficient.
What do we mean by good body language?
Greet your guests with a smile when they enter the restaurant and approach their table with a smile. It is not said in vain that smile opens every door. Establish visual contact, but avoid a long look at a person because that could make guests feel uncomfortable. Try giving a fast response to any questions a guest could have, and help indecisive ones make their order. Take orders in the clockwise direction. First, ask the children, then women, and then gentlemen. This is the right moment to offer them the house specialties and current special offers. When serving drinks, it doesn’t hurt to ask your guests if they have any doubts or changes to their order.
But the communication with guests is not the only thing that makes a good waiter because their job does not end once they leave our table. The order must be forwarded to the rest of the staff of the restaurant, responsible for the preparation of ordered food and drinks. Quickness and good communication are important because the waiter is actually playing the role of mediator between the customer and the chef / bartender. Write as clearly as possible or use a computer. If a cook can not read your order, it can lead to misunderstandings.
Carrying a tray with drinks and hot plates is difficult enough by itself. But doing it half of your working hours, can be very exhausting. If you are in good shape, the task will be much easier and simpler and the transfer of plates will be much more comfortable, faster and safer.
If the preparation of food is delayed, kindly approach the table and apologize for a long wait, giving the guests a brief explanation. When the food is finally done, it is desirable to briefly say something about the food, especially if it is prepared in a certain way, or some exotic ingredients are used. After that, move away from the table and wait for five to ten minutes, and then ask guests whether they are satisfied with food and if they need something else. Listen to what they are saying and watch their body language because, while some people expose their comments and critics loudly, others are uncomfortable talking about problems. If you notice that something is wrong, give your guests some explanation, if there is one, and ask them how you can fix it.
If one of the guests want something, they will look for you. Learn to observe the guests as you move across the restaurant. Most of them will use visual contact as a sign that they need you.
Do not rush with clearing the table. Do this only when you are sure that the guests had finished eating. If you see that someone is in the middle of the conversation, but there is food on their plate, wait and come back later. When finished eating, most people will look around at neighboring tables or through a window. This can be a sign that they are ready and that you can pick up their plates. Be sure to ask your guests if they want something else, and if you can recommend them some dessert. If the guests are having fun at the table and enjoying each other’s company, ask them if they want to drink something else.
When it comes to payment, do not assume in advance that the man at the table will pay. It is best to put the account in the middle of table and come back later.
What if things go wrong?
It all starts and ends with the waiter. No matter how stressful the day has been, the waiter is the one who stands for and represents the restaurant. It is a difficult task, but the speed and efficiency are crucial for a restaurant to function properly.
Today, with the development of technology and the hard work of computer scientists, there are many different tools that help caterers taking orders, thereby reducing waiting time, so the waiters can pay more attention to the guests and the presentation of the restaurant. Not so long ago number of caffes introduced digital ordering, where the order is directly forwarded to the bartender and the drinks are prepared immediately after taking orders. This way the waiter can take orders from multiple tables at once, and when he returns to the bar, drinks are already waiting for him.
Today we have gone one step further, the restaurants can greet guests with menus available in digital form. With each dish and drink there’s a description and a photograph, and more information on what is being ordered. Guest makes and confirms his own order which is immediately forwarded to the waiters. If the customer wants to add something to his order, that it is also possible, as well as calling the waiter and request for a receipt. The process is much faster and easier, while the application is very interesting, innovative and easy to use. Guests are better acquainted with the offer of the restaurant, there is no ambiguity about the order, and it is easier for waiters to maintain calm and positive attitude. Too bad there are no applications for serving and carrying bulky trays. 🙂
