Waitersfriend

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Posts Tagged waiter resources

Presenting a Bill

Feb 15

Posted by Mark Wilson in Blog - Life as a Waiter

There are a few potential sensitive spots that relate to bill presentation;

1.  A BILL SHOULD NEVER BE PRESENTED UNLESS REQUESTED BY A CUSTOMER!

2.  Don’t retrieve the bill too quickly, unless it is obviously ready to be paid.  This can seem pushy and some guests take their time in paying!

3.   Always return any left over cash to the table - don’t assume it has been left for a tip.

A good waiter will always know where their tables are up to.  This form of anticipation is important for any good, professional service.  If desserts have been ordered or menus offered then it is a [read more...]

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2007 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz

Feb 15

Posted by Mark Wilson in Wine

After having talked about the Coonawarra Bin 128 in the previous review I thought it was best to discuss another of the Shiraz that we tried - The Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz.

The fruit was selected from vineyards across South Australia including the Limestone Coast, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek and of course the Barossa Valley.

After experiencing the cool climate  2008 Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz, which I thought was very good, I was much more at home with the warm climate full flavoured Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz.  The 2007 growing season also challenged the viticluturists with some searing heat and low rainfall but [read more...]

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2 Comments

Farewell the Customer

Feb 14

Posted by Waitersfriend in Uncategorized

Saying goodnight is just as important,  if not more important, than greeting them when they arrived.  It is the last thing they remember about your restaurant.

At lunch you can use a more relaxed tone such as, ‘thanks for coming” but at night a more formal approach like, ‘thankyou, and good night’ will work well.

Don’t forget to return any items such as coats or bags.  It is also a good opportunity to hand them any information regarding menu changes or upcoming events.

It is important to remember that the customer must always feel well looked after by you.  Saying goodnight has the same [read more...]

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Farewell the Customer

Feb 14

Posted by Mark Wilson in Blog - Life as a Waiter

Saying goodnight is just as important,  if not more important, than greeting them when they arrived.  It is the last thing they remember about your restaurant.

At lunch you can use a more relaxed tone such as, ‘thanks for coming” but at night a more formal approach like, ‘thankyou, and good night’ will work well.

Don’t forget to return any items such as coats or bags.  It is also a good opportunity to hand them any information regarding menu changes or upcoming events.

It is important to remember that the customer must always feel well looked after by you.  Saying goodnight has the same [read more...]

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2 Comments

You Gotta Know it to Sell it

Feb 6

Posted by Mark Wilson in Blog - Life as a Waiter

Why do people go to restaurants or any other eatery?

Most of them do it to get out of the house or away from work, or to entertain (show off to) others.  So providing a place where they can come and relax, as well as enjoy good food or beverages while being served by well informed and happy staff is the secret.  The staff will make the night and the rest is just filler - which is of course very important, but no matter how satisfying the environment or the food or the wine is - it just isn’t the same if [read more...]

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Position Numbers

Feb 1

Posted by Shaun Cooper in Blog - Life as a Waiter

The easiest way to look like an absolute professional in the customers eyes is to use position numbers on your tables.  This is something generally used in most top end restaurants but there is no reason why it cannot work in any restaurant.  It allows food to be taken from the kitchen and delivered to the person who ordered it without standing at the end of the table and screaming, ‘WHO ORDERED THE SPATCHCOCK?’

To make it work, a manager needs to assign a seat on each table that will be called Position 1 - it needs to be a system that [read more...]

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17 Comments

Remember Names

Jan 29

Posted by Mark Wilson in Blog - Life as a Waiter

A good server should always remember customer names as well as likes and dislikes. 

A customer that frequents your venue should be greeted by their name and with respect.  It depends on the type of restaurant that you work in whether you call your guest Peter or Mr Jones.  The customer feels important when you remember their name and if you can remember where they like to sit or what wine they drink you are in good shape for a healthy dose of that instant gratification thing or even a nice fat tip!

Remember that remembering names is a discipline not a [read more...]

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Dealing With Customer Complaints

Jan 28

Posted by Mark Wilson in Blog - Life as a Waiter

Complaints are an every day occurrence across our industry.  Some are justified and others not.  The one thing we must accept is that they occur.  Dealing with complaints is no different than having good food knowledge or knowing your wine list.  It is just another skill all good waiters & managers should have.  Once you have knowledge of how to deal with complaints you can take control of them and not take them personally.

When a customer complains, ensure that you listen very carefully, not just with your ears but also with your body language.  It is much better to have [read more...]

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5 Comments

A Cracking Bloody Mary

Jan 11

Posted by Waitersfriend in Cocktails

As we near the end of the holiday season and the body starts to feel the wear & tear of the booze fuelled weekends & late nights it has endured, it may be necessary to kick yourself a couple of times to get going in the mornings.  Here is a classic cocktail with a couple of tweaks to help get the heart started and overcome that terrible racket inside your head.

My Bloody Mary:

30ml of vodka (60ml if in a hurricane glass or boston shaker),

150ml tomato juice,

15ml lemon juice,

10ml soy sauce,

Teaspoon horseradish (fresh if possible),

10ml worstershire sauce,

5 drops tabasco sauce (adjust [read more...]

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Sommelier

Dec 20

Posted by Waitersfriend in Blog - Life as a Waiter

We had an incredibly talented sommelier at the last restaurant I was working at.  He was one of the select few in Australia with official recognition as a Sommelier, and he definitely knew his stuff. 

He had a thorough knowledge of any wine from pretty much any region around the world and his ability to dissect the wine and match it perfectly to any dish was astounding.  Add this to his ability to sell obscure wines from places like Spain and Portugal to the discerning Aussie public (who can be religiously patriotic to their own product), and you can understand why he was a recognised [read more...]

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4 Comments