How to be a great server

As a local restaurant operator, its a big part of my job to dine at every restaurant in this city, from the sandwich shop to the trendy establishments. Every time we travel, I make it a point to dine out at a different spot. Even before I claimed a stake in this industry, we enjoyed dinner out often. Over the course of our travels, we've experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly of restaurant service. So what makes a good server? Here's my two cents worth ... I encourage your feedback on this topic and look forward to hearing about your own experiences!

My top 5

1. As the server, you are the face of the restaurant

While you may not own the place or cook the food, patrons will always view you as the restaurant. You're likely the first point of contact. You control the flow and the feel of the guest experience. For better or for worse, as a server, your tip is based on the meal, the presentation and your action (or inaction). This may appear unfair to you, since you have no control over the meal, but it is a by-product of how guests correlate you to the restaurant. Your best option is to simply accept it and work with it. When a customer is happy, let them know that you appreciate their business and look forward to having them back. When they're unhappy, find out why, and what you can do to make it better.

You'll look like you're in charge when you use positive phrases such as the following:

I can
I will
I have

On the other hand, you won't impress your customers using phrases like;

Hang on
Let me check
I don't know

Using positive, take-charge phrases will help you gain your customer's respect, which in turn improves your image in their eyes. It also helps with hard-to-please customers, who tend to make more demands when they view you as just the messenger.

Another popular phrase to avoid; No problem. I would hope it's not "a problem" to go out of your way to do your job well and look after your customer. A much better response to a guest "thank-you" would be "you're welcome" or "my pleasure", NEVER "no problem". This one will take constant effort to eliminate from your vocabulary (and mine).


2. Attitude is everything; Your opinion matters

The restaurants with notable service are those with happy, smiling servers who show real personality.

When we ask for a menu recommendation, don't say, "Everything is good." This translates to: "I'm too lazy to tell you," or "I haven't personally tried any of the dishes." Again, you are the restaurant's representative, and you must know your products. We want to hear what you like. We want your passion and enthusiasm to show through. We appreciate that you know your dishes. If you must play it safe, point out dishes that are popular with other guests.

Customers also like to hear that they made a good choice after placing their orders. Your affirmation (ie: "Great choice, the veal is wonderful!") is like a compliment, which makes the customer feel like they did the right thing.

Being a server can be a stressful job. Smiling while you're trying to juggle five tables of hungry diners is never easy. However, just remember that your demeanor should be pleasant and you should be smiling when you're on the floor.

3. Be proactive with your tables

Experienced servers know that the people at some tables are amazingly easy to handle while other people can be impossibly difficult. While luck deals the cards, there are things that you can do to make things go as smoothly as possible when you do get a high maintenance group.

After entrees have been served to your tables, instead of asking whether they need anything in general, ask about specific items such as condiments, utensils or refills. By specifically calling out items, you'll avoid being called over a few minutes later for something the customer forgot the first time around. Also, you'll appear as detail-oriented and genuinely caring of their comfort.

In addition, refilling drinks before they are empty is always a sign of good service and really shows that you are paying attention.


4. Understand your customers

Some customers want their server to be an unobtrusive background experience. Other diners prefer interaction and conversation. As any good salesperson knows, it's important to identify what type of customer you have and to modulate your own personality accordingly to build rapport. An experienced salesperson will often match your energy level and rate of speech because it makes you feel more comfortable. Knowing how to interact with each group will improve your experience as well as theirs.

Many front-line customer service jobs have adopted the motto, "The job would be great if not for the customers." It's true that one bad experience can ruin an otherwise great day. The key is to find ways of dealing with those bad experiences so that you can get by it and continue doing your job and making your other customers happy.

If a customer is unhappy, find out if they have a legitimate complaint (food prepared wrong, lengthy delays, unruly neighbors), and if so, deal with it appropriately. To diffuse a simmering customer, try asking, "What can I do right now to make you happy?" It's a great customer service line that puts the ball in the customer's court and forces them to vocalize their needs.

In the event that you snag a customer who is just plain negative, just tell yourself that some people in the world are simply not happy, no matter what you do. Try not to take it personally, some people enjoy being miserable.

5. Smile!

It's a fact: happiness is contagious. If you smile at someone, chances are they'll smile back. Experience also shows that even if you're not happy, acting happy will actually make you feel better.

Share your thoughts! I'd love to hear what you think.

//Norm

We’re Turning Up The Heat this August

Come to the TC this month!

We’ll burn the bill for one lucky guest who visits with us each week night

Every night from Monday through Thursday Norm will burn the bill  for one lucky guest.

WOW—this could be you!

WOW - I didn't expect that!

I didn't expect that!

When was the last time you were surprised by the service is a restaurant, or the food quality, or when someone went out of their way to make your day special?

Hey - we're hearing that all the time! We're out to exceed your expectations ... its not the same old Trans Canada any more. We've made some huge changes at the TC in the last year. If you haven't been in to see what's new ~ we're looking forward to seeing you again!

We're all about great food, good times and awesome experiences. Why not try something new ~ something unexpected that you wouldn’t make at home ~ discover some new flavours while you connect with family and friends. Discover Dryden's exciting casual dining experience tonight.

Here is our Promise to Our Guests ... because we know the best surprise is NO SURPRISE!

• A sparkling clean restaurant, inside and out.
• Great tasting food, freshly prepared that delivers outstanding value.
• Great staff to serve you that are passionate about what they do, are friendly and knowledgeable about what they serve.
• A few surprises that you’d never expect (like free stuff for our loyal guests).
• An interest in our community that we share together.

We're working hard to be YOUR destination of choice in Dryden!

Pay It Forward Scholarship

Hey folks ... its August already ... and we are seeing visitors to our place that are making that dreaded back to school shopping trip. Kind of reminds me of that hilarious Staples commercial on TV ...

While you're planning for back to school ... keep in mind that the TC is offering a scholarship this year for our VIP guests families wanting to further their education beyond secondary school graduation. Encourage your kids to apply!

Here's the details ...

At the TC, we believe in community. We know that a strong community is built by people who are engaged and committed. We take pride in creating an environment where people invite their friends and family.


We have had the pleasure of hosting several groups of young people raising awareness and funds for worthwhile causes. These engaged and committed people will soon become our leaders of tomorrow. In todays me focussed society, its refreshing to see the commitment these folks demonstrate to helping others and their community.


In 2000, a novel entitled Pay It Forward was published and adapted into a Warner Brothers film. In the movie it described a concept of "Pay it Forward" as an obligation to do three good deeds for others in repayment of a good deed that one receives. Such good deeds should be things that the other person cannot accomplish on their own. In this way, the desire to help one another spreads exponentially through society, making the world a better place.


At the TC, we're adapting this concept as the theme for a scholarship fund. We will award a scholarship to a graduating student who commits to furthering their education at a post secondary institution and who has demonstrated their commitment to helping others and the community in the spirit of Paying it forward. The scholarship will be in the amount of 1% of our restaurant sales on Monday nights during the school year, from September through May.


The scholarship will be awarded based on the students demonstrated active contribution to others and their community over the school year. Help us help the community - lets get involved Dryden!

Mondays will become our community awareness event night to maximize the value of this scholarship. We are extending an invitation to school clubs, teams, groups and community service organizations to participate at the restaurant on Mondays! Contact us for more details.