How can I make more tips?

Question

I'm a waitress in a small hole-in-the-wall resturant. I make decient tips, but I would like your opinion on what you would tip more for.

Answer 1

Smile!!! Act like you love the customer and you're their one of their close friends. Make small chit-chat when it seems appropriate, like the weather or sports. It's all in the schmoozing.

Answer 2

Either go to a higher class restaurant.

Or be the biggest butt kisser to your customers they have ever seen. The more your customers like you, the more they will tip you. You have to sell yourself to every single person that sits at one of your tables. Even if a person is physically repulsive and makes you want to throw up, you have to make them feel special. Then remember, it doesn't matter how nice you are, if the food takes extra long, people will not tip you. Make sure you get the order right and get it out quickly. Nobody likes to wait. That's it. That's the job of the waitress.

Answer 3

As a former waitress, the best way for you to make as much money as possible is to treat each guest/customer as if they were the only person in the restaurant. This means continuing to have a warm, inviting personality, being attentive (without being intrusive and overbearing), and making sure that every small detail is accounted for (i.e. drink refills, condiments, etc.). Introduce yourself and try to get their names as well...and REMEMBER them! :o)

Another wonderful thing to do is anticipate your guest's needs. For example: if someone orders a burger with fries, be sure to go ahead and bring ketchup, plenty of napkins, and sides of mayo and mustard. This way, you don't have to make tons of trips back and forth...and anything they don't want/need you can always clear off of the table. Also, be sure to keep constant communication going with your guests - ask how they are doing, if they need anything else, etc. BEFORE leaving the table. This way, you can get all you need for all of your guests in fewer trips.

Also, keep the table clean! I hate when I've finished with a dish and my server comes to and leaves my table without clearing the dirty dishes.

Be sure to put orders in promptly...if the kitchen messes up on an order, there isn't much you can do. However, if you forget to place an order or take too long to place the order, this can delay the delivery of your food which will naturally upset your guests.

Utilize suggestive selling and upselling. Suggestive selling comes in handy when you encounter people who ask, "What do you recommend?" Use this as an opportunity to sell the menu and showcase your knowledge of it (it helps, believe me). Upselling comes in handy when someone asks for a vodka and cranberry, for example. Instead of serving bar vodka, suggest something of better quality (anything from Absolut to Grey Goose).

Be concerned about your appearance and cleanliness. Keep your nails short and clean, wash your hands at least twice an hour, and (if you have hair that is past your shoulders) keep your hair pulled back. Make sure your uniform is always clean and pressed, and try to keep it as clean as possible while working. These things may sound trivial, but they do make a difference.

Study and learn your guests - depending on where you work, you will encounters families with small children, college students, elderly people, etc. Although not everyone is the same, if you pay attention to the type of guests you have and how they generally expect their experience to be, that will help you when dealing with other similar guests.

Ok...this is quite long but I have one more thing: I would write "Thank you!" and sign my name on each check. It only takes a couple of seconds but it makes people feel really good...some people would actually write nice notes back. :o) Also, if you have someone celebrating a birthday or other special occasion, write a congratulatory note or something. A little does go a long way.

So, hopefully these pieces of advice help...I know how hard it is working for and living off of tips, but I took the advice of those who were doing well and it paid off. Literally. :o)

Answer 4

Upsell. The more money on the check the bigger your tip will be. I also saw an article on how waitresses who drew happy faces on hteir checks got better tips. i dunno - but I always did it and made good $. You should go to a more expensive place though. If the menu is double the price, you'll make double the tips. and sucking up helps, but some poeple are just cheap. It does get you regulars though, who always tip the best.

Answer 5

A lady I know told me that a waitress, when seeing a couple out to dine-should treat the lady like a queen. It's true too--when my bf & I would go out to eat, if a waitress treated me really nice, showed a really good sense of humor, he is a good tipper, but if I said to give her more, he would. Take care.

Answer 6

I always tip big for exceptional service but the waitress has to be great and that only happens when you treat you table like they are the only table you have. have a great personality and keep seeing how they are doing if you can get anything else etc....good luck

Answer 7

well, aside from changing jobs to a larger, more frequented restaraunt, i would recomend the following:

be nicer to your female customers. people in the food service industry wrongly assume that women are not good tippers, and therefore often don't give them as good service as they do male clients. the reason women do not appear to be good tippers is they are not getting good service... i tip 25% when i get good service, but I have left as little as 10% when i have received poor service (i NEVER leave less than 10%).

make sure you are neat and clean in your appearance. i am not implying that you are not clean, and i know the messy look is popular along with black or dark color fingernails, but i don't want to see this in the person that is carrying my food to the table. and if you are sick, please try to stay home until you are well, or take something to stem the runny nose, sniffles and cough...

Answer 8

make more suggestions or recommendations on what meals or drinks to have. Incorporate more choice on the menu by suggesting that you will make a special request to the chef for the customer to have their meal their way!

Dont just suggest a rare or medium rare steak, ask the customer if they want the extra crispy fat on the steak. Go that extra mile and see the tips rollin in!

Answer 9

When you greet your customers at the table do you greet standing up, or bending down? My friend did a study in college on your same question. Her results were, she received better tips when she took the orders bending down on her knees making eye contact. I guess it seems more personal. Also, try to remember their names, when they leave the establishment say thanks for coming Sandy and Steve. The next time they come in they'll request you, which results in a better tip.

Answer 10

Ok, I will give you my paypal address later for the advice.
First is your image, trim your nails, if you are a female pony tail, no excessive make up, no strong colognes, no exessive jewelry, no smoking, no chewing gum, bad breath is an automatic 10% tip, uniform if any- well ironed and clean- same with apron and shoes. pens, waiter pad, corkscrew, cromer, lighter and if you cash your own checks, enough change. NEVER use a cell phone, put you cell phone, key and loose change somewhere else. Second is your station, make sure you have everything that you are going to need because when the rush will hit you that will save you to run like a chicken without head, clean tables, chairs, menus, check presenters and everything that the guest are going to be in contact with (condiments, sugar cadies, etc).
Third: The service, allways personalized your service, say your name, ALLWAYS make eye contact, even when your are extremely busy, take a deep breath and be calm, act like is your first table of the nigth, try to get rid of tables as soon as they arrive, do no try to collect 5 orders at the same time, your are going to work 5 times more because you are going to do exactly five things at the same time, instead of 5 different thing that is much easier, run with your head not with your feet, be organized, and be in CONTACT with your guest, let them know that their food is on their way, talk to them, avoid bad comments, like cold weather, politics, religion, accidents, deaths and stuff like that, always possitive, if they ask you what dish do you recommend between two of them, do not tell them, I like this.., if that this is on the menu is because your chef and some other people like it too, so the most polite way to answer that is knowing your menu and describing both dishes, always mention dishes with strong ingredients, like anchovies, onions, olives, bacon, etc, do not assume that because the menu says so they will read, besides that they will appreciate your concern. Do not be intrusive, if poeple are talking to much, and they do not pay attention to you when you are standing up waitingfor them to order, try to talk with the person closest to you that is not talking and ask him/her very discretely if there is any question about the menu. Do not rush guest to order, ask for questions. Anticipate: refill sodas, water, iced tea when they are half full, for wine and cocktails ask them if they want another drink when they finish the one thet they are having at that time, place propper silverware before food arrives, Follow up and feedback is very important check after two minutes or two bites how is the food, if the soup is hot and if is everything ok, ask them if is there anything else that they need. CLEAN your guest's table , used plates, silverware, sugar, straws, empty bread plates and baskets, do not assume anything always ask, if they want more bread, most of the time people is afraid to ask, but the more comfortable they are with you because you keep that eye contact and a smile the more you will be rewarded, if possible try to memorize your regulars names, they will be amazed and they will bring more friends to THEIR restaurant. When opening bottles of wine, be sure you have a good corkscrew, you don't want to break corks and always use a napking. When is time to pay a lot of people start resuming how was their dinning experience so even when you give then the check, do not just leave it on the table, give it to the person that ask for it and thank him/her but just a simple thans, because you are saving some lines for after the final goodbye when they received their cash back or credit card slip, thank everybody and tell them your name again for a future visit.
Do not be afraid to touch, a little rub on the shoulder while saying thank you to the one thet is paying the bill is ok, remeber we will always going to have problems, but the most important part is HOW are we going to solve them, communication with your guest, tip extra to your busser, runner and bartender, be nice with your hostess, if you can do that your tables will be always clean and ready to be used, your food is going to be delivered faster and your drinks are going to be ready, so guest will preffer to be seated with you because everthing is faster in your station. I been working in this business for a while, I do not wotk for 15% or 20% I expect always 25%, not because I know too little or too much is because I try to provide a great dinning experience, people is going to pay for your service, for what they think they received not for what you think your worth, that means that every experience is different, well now smile and enjoy your wonderful shift and the most important part make a lot of money.