Usually this is clearly marked, but it is a sign of a good server to make this point clear. David Hayden was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. To be a waiter, work on your communication skills since a big part of being a good waiter is being friendly, talkative, and a good listener. Your remaining three fingers should be free and exposed. Make recommendations based on your intuition. Perhaps your customer is on a limited budget and your menu offerings are on the pricey side. Your clue will be that all your guests will have closed their menus, or placed them back on the table. The key concept to remember is that a plate is secure once it has three balance points. Watch: Waiter falls while carrying four meals, doesn’t drop a single plate. However everyone I work with carries 4. Carrying three plates in one hand is one of the first tricks many servers are required to learn. Keep your original check or ticket as this is your record of the food that you have ordered from the kitchen, and from which the final bill will be prepared. Your customer needs to feel important and that their patronage is appreciated. One of your jobs as a server is to be a salesperson. You will often encounter a customer who has either never been to your establishment, or really is unsure of what they would like to eat that day. If when you deliver the plates any of them have food from another plate on the bottom, you have failed to deliver them intact. You should also practice multitasking so you're ready to take orders, communicate with the kitchen staff, and act as the face of the restaurant, all within a fast-paced environment. It is good customer service to invite your guests to return at some point to see you. Many times they will order the special because it is on sale. While there is a certain expectation that at least 15 percent of the bill should be paid to you, not all countries follow this custom, and you may very well have a table full of Europeans who are accustomed to having the gratuity included in the price of their meals. Nandos and lower do more. Be helpful. It is not the ideal way to carry plates, but it is far superior to making three trips to the kitchen because you carry only one plate in each hand. Keep your fingers out of the food, and handle the dishes by the edges only. Do NOT focus on the tip. 317. This book teaches the philosophy to turn average service into an exceptional guest experience that will rapidly increase your tips. While your tastes may not be the same as your customer's taste, it is appropriate to mention two or three menu items that you do enjoy and you can even say why you like them. The classier the place, the less plates you carry. After checking about water needs, share the soft drink and beer menu with your guests, as well as any varieties of ice tea that you offer. Check back with your guests to ensure that they are satisfied with their meal. No part of your hand or another plate should ever touch the food on another plate. You will also be asked by someone who is new to your restaurant what you like the best. online course in Waiter and Waitress Training, Introduction to Waiter or Waitress Training, Types of Service and Table Settings in Waiter and Waitress Training, Dealing with Special Situations for Waiter and Waitress Training, The Importance of Team Work as a Waiter or Waitress, Other Duties Required as a Waiter or Waitress, Liability, Legal, Maximizing Revenue and other Restaurant Management Considerations, A Manager's Overview of a Company's Accounting Processes, Telephone Etiquette: How to Handle Any Phone Call with Professionalism and Style, Special Event Planner: Preliminary Work for the Event, Understanding Marketing and Promotion as a Travel Agent, Best Cleaning Practices for Kitchen Sanitation, The Essentials of Customer Service in Restaurant Management, Concierge 101 How to Run a Personal Service Business. No part of your hand or another plate should ever touch the food on another plate. The customer who is unsure is a little more difficult. As you work in a restaurant you will discover that you have some customers who know exactly what they want to eat, and despite every attempt you make, they will order only what they want and will not be persuaded to order anything else. Balance the third plate against the edge of the second plate and your wrist. It is your job to ensure that the food arrives at the table in the condition in which it was served from the kitchen. There are rules for every aspect of serving food, but most are easy to learn. This way you will offer your guest an additional choice, and they will frequently take you up on the offer. The Waiter and Waitress Guide to Properly Taking Food Orders from Restaurant Guests, How to Take Customer Orders in a Restaurant. If a mistake has been made, run a line through the mistake, and, if necessary, have the manager initial it. By discovering why your customer is uncertain about what they wish to order, you can then make appropriate suggestions. Water should be brought to the table at this time, whether by you, the busser, or the hostess. Showing up to work looking clean and spiffy is imperative. This is a very useful skill in high volume restaurants where the use of trays is discouraged. Who was eggs?” Me (highly educated): “In a sense…” (scrunching up eyes to read her name badge) ”…Barbara. You should have seen the waiter struggle to carry this. Jamie Shoebridge, 24, has been waiting tables for three years but may consider a career at a circus after this incredible juggling act. By adding an additional plate in the free hand, you can now carry five plates at once. If your establishment does not have a set rule for how to serve plates of food, then serve and remove dishes from the patron's right-hand side. This trick will save you steps and decrease the time your guests spend waiting for their food. As for making a suggestion about other parts of the meal, always try to suggest a salad or vegetable plate for added nutritional value. You are in the business of selling food and service, and the more you sell, the higher the check at the end of the night. Vote. No one wants a server who has never tasted anything on the menu. The important thing to remember here is that the top of the plate is sacred. An individual waiting tables (or waiting on or waiting at tables) or waitering or waitressing is commonly called a waiter, server, front server, waitress, member of the wait staff, waitstaff, serving staff server, waitperson, or waitron. Perhaps your customer will ask about a dish and what makes it special. First impressions are exactly that. If you're right-handed, place the heaviest plate in your left hand with your thumb on the outside edge of the plate and your index finger on the bottom rim of the plate. The longer you keep the transaction open, the more food you will sell. Hi there. If you are doing Turkish get ups to get the weights up, you can add in a 25 meter walk between the get up and the get down. Generally trays are carried on the left hand slightly on the above of the left shoulder. The rule to follow when approaching your guests is to pleasantly greet them at table within one minute of them being seated. Bring all food for the table out at the same time. This is the impressive moment a Nottingham waiter fell to the floor carrying four meals - but didn't drop a single plate. To add a fourth plate, I move the third plate back. Servers who are always "rush" orders will find themselves placed at the back of the queue, more often than not. Taking time with them can often be rewarding. You can ask what looks good to them, and if your establishment makes this an option, you can serve items a la carte, or in a smaller portion, to allow for their budgetary needs. If your customers feel they are unimportant in your eyes, they will find an establishment that does appreciate their presence and patronage. For hygiene issue, you should try to keep away the tray from your neck or mouth. By creating a list of questions for every menu item, you will be prepared when you are taking the order, and will not have to return to the table when the kitchen asks you for the missing detail, because you forgot to ask. Once or twice a week, the loaded carry can be the waiter’s walk. Most likely he or she is either a manager of the place & has got years of experience in waitress/waiter. Some establishments will have a tasting prior to the opening of the doors for the evening so the servers can see, smell, and taste what the offerings are, and they can honestly tell their patrons that they really enjoy the dish. This is where you can shine as a salesperson. The fourth plate then uses the third as two balance points and the knuckle of my thumb as the third. Now that your have learned how to carry three plates, additional plates can be carried from this base by utilizing balance points. When you pick up the payment, and the payment is in cash, be sure to mention that you will bring their change back to the table for the denomination of the bill that is presented. Such a special has a way of making the guests who try it feel as though they are having some input on the menu of their favorite restaurant. Here is a step by step guide to this practice. Practice good hygiene. Place the next plate under the first. Answer any questions about the menu; give your guest a list of the items included in a dish, if they ask, and be familiar with how each menu item is prepared. By knowing exactly how it is prepared, and perhaps something specific about it that makes it unusual, you will often intrigue your guests and they will order based on your suggestion. You should have seen the waiter struggle to carry this. ... **We Want Plates** crusades against serving food on bits of wood and roof tiles, chips in mugs and drinks in jam jars. The basic three plate carry is more a matter of technique than balance. Place the first plate between your thumb and first finger by the edge. Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter to receive updates. Offer to package something in a special way if you can. Four Plates The procedure for carrying four plates is as follows: 1. By combining tact with good salesmanship, you will be able to help your guest feel you are being helpful, rather than pushy and trying to pad the bill for your own benefit. Posted by just now. Rotate the plate away from your body. If you are unable to determine who the host may be, place the check near the center of the table. Specials can also be something the chef is trying out and has never made before. Be aware that plates under heat lamps are hot! Imagine each of the circles above as a plate. The important thing to remember here is that the top of the plate is sacred. Your job, as the server, is make it easier for them to make such a choice. This is a good time to ask if there are any questions about the menu. This uses my arm as two of the balance points and my body as the third. Most of the time, you will never know when you have permanently lost a customer; they will quietly leave, and never return. Your remaining three fingers should be free and exposed. Make sure that yours is pleasant, welcoming, helpful, and neat. You should never be expected to carry more than 4 plates. Teamwork will make your first impression a good one. Meeting The Rude Restaurant Guest The Next Day, Transitioning From A Restaurant Manager To A Restaurant Server, Five Questions To Know For A Restaurant Server Interview. 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