Tips to become a great waitress?

Question

Tips to become a great waitress?

Answer 1

Smile and look at your customers.

Compliment the women on their clothing or jewelry.

Don't compliment men when they are with their dates/wives.

Compliment men on their watches, shoes, clothing, hair when they are with other men or alone.

Answer 2

In addition to those 3 answers up there ^:



I recommend for you to also try to seem presentable. That means to try to look organized and neat. Don’t show too much skin. You can wear makeup, but not too much. Also, you must not smell bad. People like to be served by more presentable people. Remember, to become a great waitress, you must also look like a great waitress. =)

Answer 3

A great waitress is

(1) An efficiency expert.

Thinking of ways to save steps and time means having the time to handle your customers properly. If you don't get some mastery here then the 2nd item doesn't matter because you won't be able to give the service expected of you.



(2) Is flexible w/ their personality and adapts to what the her table desires.

Some people love having the waitstaff interact w/ them and being part of the dining experience. In fact some restaurant managers encourage this. For someone like me, great meal service is the server is there when we need them and not there when we don't need them. After all, when I share a meal w/ someone, I'm there to be w/ THEM not a server who thinks their on stage. So learn to read people and adapt to what they want.

Answer 4

Not sure what kind of restaurant it is, as the advice I would give might change a little depending on that but here goes (in no particular order) :



1. The kitchen is your best friend. You definitely want/need to keep them on your good side as they control the quality of all of your orders and how long it takes for your orders to come out.



2. Be conscious of how you course your meal orders as to assure everything comes out in the right order/time. Most likely you will be doing this through a POS system but it is good to communicate with the kitchen as well depending on the specifics of the order.



3. Again, depending on whether this is fine dining or not (going to assume that it's not being that this is your first job that would be less likely) you should be mindful of the direction from which you are placing items on the table and where. Even if it is not fine dining it is still important to know. Generally, you would serve beverages from the right/pre-plated items. Side items are placed to the left as most diners are right-handed so as not to crowd them.



4. Know what you're serving. Learn that menu backwards and forwards. Be aware of any ingredients that pose a threat to those with allergies as well. This goes for both food/beverages. Assuming you're not serving liquor as you're not old enough to do so (I'm in CA, not sure about the other states).



5. Know how to perform proper wine service. Whether you do it at this job or one in the future, this is important to know. Generally you bring the bottle to the table held by the base, label forward. Present the label to the host (person who ordered the wine) to assure it is the wine they ordered. Pour a tasting portion for the host and if he/she okays it you may then pour a standard glass for his/her guests. Always pour women's glasses first followed by all other guest's glasses, and lastly the host's glass. Leave the bottle/cork by the host (label facing them). If the wine is white/chilled you would leave it in a chiller near the host.



6. Handle mishaps gracefully.



7. Pre-bus



8. Tip out your host/busser/bartender properly!!!!



9. Know the proper etiquette that relates to the establishment/atmosphere.



10. Adapt. As someone else said, you must learn to read people. Some tables

will be chatty/desire your company and others will prefer to be left primarily to themselves. Learn not to overstep your bounds and be conscious of what type of people you're dealing with. Some tables are easier to please than others. Some tables are IMPOSSIBLE to please and that's okay. Just don't sweat it, but always be concerned with the quality of your service.



11. You can be friends with your co-workers, but know that restaurants tend to be filled with gossip. Be careful of what you say, don't talk excessively while working...etc. Generally, starting a relationship with anyone you work with is a bad idea. Steer clear. It happens a lot.



12. Be consistent. Don't be nicer to tables simply when you're dropping the check and awaiting a tip. Be nice throughout.



13. Keep up on refills, and always check back with the table after 2-3 mins after you've dropped an item/order to make sure everything is going okay. Don't check back TOO much, though. They're not there to hang out with you regardless of how nice or awesome they may be.



14. Find joy in the work you're doing because people can smell it on you when you hate what you do. It sucks for everyone, so have fun and be genuine.



15. Get to know regulars. Remembering their names/things they tend or like to order will score you points and bigger tips. People like to feel special/memorable after all!



16. Up-sell. Alcoholic beverages/appetizers/specialty items/desserts will increase your check amount which ultimately increases the possibility for a better tip. This is tricky, because you don't want to be pushy. Just make some recommendations but be mindful of how you're doing it. I also like to sign the checks I drop with a little note of 'thank you!' or something of that sort to personalize the experience.



Also, see these links...

http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/one-hundred-things-restaurant-staffers-should-never-do-part-one/



http://www.chefseattle.com/articles/how-to-be-a-great-server.html



http://www.chefalbrich.com/etiquette/



Hope that helps, and good luck :)