Being a Waiter?

Question

So I work at Chilis, just started serving by myself yesterday, and I feel completely overwhelmed. Is there any tip of suggestion?

Answer 1

Relax and think of your customers as friends. Put yourself in their situation and think about how you would expect your waiter to act. Just practice and study the menu in your spare time so you can answer questions confidently.

Answer 2

After having 7 years of experience in bartending and waitering I can relate to being new and nervous. First of all, ask what overwhelms you. Is it that feel pressure having too many tables? Tell the host/hostess or manager. Believe me, they want to help you to do well, everyone suffers if you are under the gun and will only wind up making mistakes. REMEMBER, you are in control. Don't let the customer or kitchen, or host make you think otherwise, because then you will screw up. Everyone makes mistakes, do your best. Ask for help from a bus boy, another server, anyone. Before you know it you will have a routine and pace, everything is about timing and once you master multi tasking. thinking ahead by printing checks ahead of time and taking care of all your tables together rather than running back and forth, you will have time to actually work on getting better tips by socializing with your guests. Feel free to ask me more if you need it. Good luck.

Answer 3

Never seem overwhelmed to your guests. Whatever is going on behind the scenes, don't let em see you sweat. If they see you going/acting crazy, they will know something is up. Just be cool and attentive. Also, consolidate all your trips out to your station. If you have to take an iced tea to table 3, also grab that wine for table 7, and take the extra thirty seconds to run the credit card for table 12 and deliver it back...all in the same trip. And, if the food doesn't look right or you know it's wrong, don't serve it. I tell people often that the 'chef' wanted to serve the perfect meal, so it will take just a few more minutes - most guests will be appreciative of that. Try and always be visible to your guests. Good luck....Any more questions, just ask. Keep the tables clean.

Answer 4

How many tables are in your section? Maybe you can ask to start off with a smaller section (like 3-4 tables). Also, write everything down so you don't forget. Chili's has a high "turn over rate" (# of tables/customers) and an average meal is probably 45min-1hr. I suggest you pay real close attention to your tables & notice when you are being sat. Also, don't run other server's food. It is a waste of time, plus they should be taking thier food to thier own tables. A costomer ALWAYS appreciates it when their server brings them their food.
I know it can be hectic... but you WILL get the hang of it.

Answer 5

Always treat your entire station as a whole. Every time you go to one table, look at all your tables to see what they need. You don't have to talk to them each time but, gaze over the table. Do they need more drinks? Should you buss the table? The idea is to not run yourself ( you'll have enough guests do that for you!) Consolidate steps and anticipate your guests needs before they have to ask. Keep filling up their drinks until they so no more. Focus on table maintenance. It takes time to get a rhythm so, use your personality to make up for it. People can't get mad at a happy energetic person that's sincere.
P.S. Always apologize for your mistakes and don't blame them on others!

Answer 6

Just stay cool, calm, and you'll get the hang of it. Don't let them wait too long for their drinks, salads, or appetizers. Learn to read people, if they are still reading the menu, give them another minute, if they are looking around impatiently, hurry over and ask if they are ready to order.

Answer 7

Be friendly make jokes and laugh. If people like u you'll get a bigger tip and the feeling will fade away

Answer 8

I bartended, waited tables, and managed restaurants for several years....I have several suggestions for you. I'll start at the top.

The primary thing to remember is perspective. Nothing you do is life or death. It seems stressful. It becomes stressful. But at the end of the day no one is going to die from bad service. Unless you screw up with an allergy or something. We used to call it burgers and beer....all you're really doing is serving burgers and beer.

As far as waiting tables...the most important thing is effiency. Try to always be accomplishing things while you move. You're walking past a table on the way to fill a drink? Prebus it. You take dishes back to the kitchen? Grab something on the way out like glasses or ice that you'll need in your station. I can tell you that I went out of my way to help servers who were team players...and I went out of my way to force non-team players out the door.

Learn to carry plates and glassware. I can't explain this over a computer. Go to an experienced server there who has been in the industry and ask him/her to help show you how to carry 4-5 plates at once.

The most important thing to remember at a place like chilli's is get em; in and get em' out. Take theor order quickly...get their food out quickly....take care of their check quickly.

The vast majority of tables don't want to talk to you. Don't be intrusive. Don't be overly friendly. It annoys them and it slows you down. Just do your job. Smile and be friendly...but don;t sit there fishing half an hour for tips. It usually doesn;t work anyway. Studies have shown that service doesn;t actually effect tips much anyway...and that the best tips resulted from efficient, professional...BRUSQUE...service.

Don't ever LOOK like you're rushed..even if you are. It sends a bad message to guests and other employees. Keep it inwards....take a deep breath...and fight through it.

If you get double, triple, or quadruple sat.....treat all the tables as one table. Contrary to most servers bitching and moaning about it....being multi sat is easy to deal with. Go to the first table, take a drink order. Go to the 2nd..take a druink order...go to the third..take a drink order. Go make drinks for all three at once. Set them down one after another. Go back to the first table and take a food order...etc....etc....

Don't *****. Especially about bussers and hosts/hostesses. They won't help you as much...and it usually isn;t warranted anyway.

Be friendly to your bartenders. Do favors for them. Grab them ice. Don't rush them. The bar can be your best friend or your worst enemy. I know what i'm talking about. If someone pissed me off while I was bartending their drinks slowed down.

Try not to let tips get to you. I always had problems with this...but....the best thing to do is not even look at your tips. Just takem the checks....and count your money at the end of the day. Looking at the checks tip by tip just gets you pissed off..and it shows to your next table.

Prioritize tables. Give everyone good service when you can....but if i have two women splitting a sandwhich and drinking water...they are just not that high a priority to me. I want to give everyone the best service I can, but another table with bottles of wine is more important.

Learn wine presentation and opening. It impresses guests. It looks cool. Ask an experienced server for help..someone with a fine dining abck ground.

Hope this helped.

Answer 9

make sure to acknowledge your guests as soon as they are seated especially if you are busy. try to take their drink order a.s.a.p. at least in my experience my customers have been more forgiving because i took the time to acknowledge them when i was busy.. three years as a server now a restaurant manager...

Answer 10

Don't ever sit down at the table when taking orders and what not.