5 Tips to be a Great Waiters
5 Tips to be a Great Waiters
Wondering how to provide a better service to your customers as a waiter or a waitress? Or maybe you’re new to the job and aren’t exactly sure how to start?
If you’re in need of some useful waitressing tips, you’ve come to the right place because we are going to help you to be the best employee you can be right from the start.
All you need to do is read these five simple serving tips, and you will learn how to be a good waiter/waitress in just a few minutes. There’s nothing to worry about, just stick around and read on!
How to be a better waitress?
Professionalism and good manners are probably the most desirable traits in this line of work, so if you can make your guest feel good about coming to eat at your restaurant, you’ve pretty much done your job.
No matter if you’re experienced or working as a waiter for the first time, these are the steps you can take to ensure that.
Professionalism and good manners are probably the most desirable traits in this line of work, so if you can make your guest feel good about coming to eat at your restaurant, you’ve pretty much done your job.
No matter if you’re experienced or working as a waiter for the first time, these are the steps you can take to ensure that.
Be kind and smile
Out of all the people working in a restaurant, waiters are the ones who communicate with the guests the most. In a way, you as a waiter or a waitress are the face of your restaurant, so leaving a good impression on the people who come in is exceptionally important.
And simple things like a smile or a bit of kindness can really do wonders for people who’ve had a tough day and have come to your restaurant to relax a bit with their friends and family. Be kind and smile, and people will want to come back again.
Know your menu
If you’re a new waiter on the job (Velju is a great place to find this kind of job, by the way), do your best to memorize the menu as soon as possible. Knowing exactly what your establishment has to offer will help you provide a much better and efficient service.
However, you should do more than just memorize the names of the dishes and drinks you offer. Do your best to know the ingredients too so that you can immediately say if something guests have ordered contains allergens, gluten or anything else people may want to avoid.
If you’re a new waiter on the job (Velju is a great place to find this kind of job, by the way), do your best to memorize the menu as soon as possible. Knowing exactly what your establishment has to offer will help you provide a much better and efficient service.
However, you should do more than just memorize the names of the dishes and drinks you offer. Do your best to know the ingredients too so that you can immediately say if something guests have ordered contains allergens, gluten or anything else people may want to avoid.
Outfit
As we’ve said, you as a waiter are the face of your restaurant, so how you’re dressed is very important. You want to leave a good impression on people walking into the place where you work.
So, make sure that the outfit you’re working in is always as neat as possible, without any stains and wrinkles. Anything other than that will send a not-so-good message to your prospective customers.
Don’t let them wait for you
If you see new customers coming in and sitting down, don’t let them wait. Not unless you’re otherwise engaged, of course. This can seem quite disrespectful, especially if they see that you’re not busy but are instead chatting with your colleagues or something.
Come as soon as possible, offer your guests a smile and ask them what you can do for them today. That’s an excellent way to get things started and make your new customers feel comfortable right from the start.
This job is all about providing a good service, and good service is always quick, no matter which line of work we’re talking about. Ask yourself – would you like to wait for someone to come and serve you, be that in a bar, a restaurant or any other place?
If you see new customers coming in and sitting down, don’t let them wait. Not unless you’re otherwise engaged, of course. This can seem quite disrespectful, especially if they see that you’re not busy but are instead chatting with your colleagues or something.
Come as soon as possible, offer your guests a smile and ask them what you can do for them today. That’s an excellent way to get things started and make your new customers feel comfortable right from the start.
This job is all about providing a good service, and good service is always quick, no matter which line of work we’re talking about. Ask yourself – would you like to wait for someone to come and serve you, be that in a bar, a restaurant or any other place?
Don’t lie and embellish
If something has gone wrong with your guests’ orders, be direct and tell them right away. Usually, this is just the matter of them having to wait a few minutes more than usual, so if that’s the case let them know right away. Most customers will be perfectly fine with it. The same goes if a bigger problem arises, too.
Just be professional and open about it, no beating around the bush.
Additionally, embellishing things is also not desired. If you’re just baselessly praising every dish, people will see you’re not being genuine, and that’s a major turnoff. Also, if you don’t know something about a dish, don’t be afraid to tell your customers that you need to check. That’s always better than people not getting what they expected, which can lead to some really unpleasant situations.
If something has gone wrong with your guests’ orders, be direct and tell them right away. Usually, this is just the matter of them having to wait a few minutes more than usual, so if that’s the case let them know right away. Most customers will be perfectly fine with it. The same goes if a bigger problem arises, too.
Just be professional and open about it, no beating around the bush.
Additionally, embellishing things is also not desired. If you’re just baselessly praising every dish, people will see you’re not being genuine, and that’s a major turnoff. Also, if you don’t know something about a dish, don’t be afraid to tell your customers that you need to check. That’s always better than people not getting what they expected, which can lead to some really unpleasant situations.
Conclusion
As you can see, being a good waiter is not really difficult, provided you’re willing to dedicate yourself to the job. Just be kind, professional and honest, and people will respond positively to the service you provide.
Avoid any unnecessary embellishing, and try to be as quick as possible when you see new customers entering the restaurant. Don’t be afraid to ask for understanding if a dish is a bit late because guests usually don’t mind waiting a few minutes more, provided they are notified on time about that.
In short, do your best to provide your customers with the experience you’d like to have when you come into a restaurant – in that case, the results will surely come!
Pitanja
From which side should the waiter serve?
Usually, everything is served from the left, no matter if you’re in the US or in Europe. However, there are some differences when it comes to removing the dishes from the table. A waiter should remove a plate from the right side of the guest in the US, but in places like the UK, for example, this too is done from the left.
Glasses, however, are placed on the right and should be refilled from that side, as well.
How to earn more tips?
First of all, do your best to provide your customers with a great dining experience and try to be at their service as much as possible. Be kind but helpful when it comes to recommending the dishes, and try to connect with the people you’re waiting on. Also, don’t rush things and try to create a relaxed atmosphere for everyone involved. Read more about how to earn tips.
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