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