Waiting tables seems mindless, but
it takes lots of multitasking skills along with concentration and efficiency. If
you try to get every guest every single thing they ask for at once, you will be
running around the restaurant none stop. Here are simple ways of thinking that
will help facilitate life as a server and multitasker.
Before getting your table the extra
napkins they asked for, make sure you ask all your other tables if they need
anything else so you will only have to make one trip. If you get sat two tables
at once, treat it as one big party and take all their orders at once that way
you won’t have to make multiple trips to the kitchen when you can just make
one.
At first, people who have not
served tables before are overly concerned with getting everything to everyone
immediately. Truth is, most people will not time you on how long it takes you
to get them something, and if they do, they will most likely get upset about
everything else too.
“If you try to get every guest every single thing they ask for at once, you will be running around the restaurant none stop."
ReplyDeleteThis is simply not true. That's why you go to the table with a pad and pen, even suggesting things.
A lot of servers try to "wing it" per say and not write down request. ALL request should be written down on a list.
"Before getting your table the extra napkins they asked for, make sure you ask all your other tables if they need anything else so you will only have to make one trip."
NO WAY, that's HORRIBLE ADVICE! That's ********CUTTING*********** DOING IT THAT WAY AND IT'S **********VERY*******************UNFAIR********************, VERY UNFAIR********** OF YOU!
For example, let's say table 1 just asked for 2 refills, the next table by you asks for their check, the next table after that(table 3) asks for extra napkins, a side of ranch, and a side of mayo as well as 3 refills. If the server gets the 2nd table their check first they are cutting in front of the 1st table's thirst.
What's the "MORALLY RIGHT" thing to do so you won't cut is to get the 2 refills first so that way your 1st table waits the *LEAST* amount of time as it is SUPPOSED TO BE SINCE IT WAS ********THEIR TURN*****. Then get the check. Then make a totally separate trip for the 3rd table's things.
If you decided to get table 1 and table 3's on one tray, do you realize how much *********TIME*********** you are taking up of table 1's and if you got the check before table 1's refills you are cutting in front of their turn.
Sorry, but this is the WORST, LAZINESS, and MOST UNCARING as well as MOST **UNFAIR** ADVICE I HAVE EVER HEARD OF!
GO IN THE *ORDER* IN WHICH REQUEST CAME IN!
We all have turns just like a customer can't go up to you while you are taking a food order and get to interrupt that table's turn, same difference.
"If you get sat two tables at once, treat it as one big party and take all their orders at once that way you won’t have to make multiple trips to the kitchen when you can just make one."
NO, because we are *******NOT******** ONE BIG PARTY UNFAIR BITCH!
SERIOUSLY, YOU ARE A FUCKING CUTTER! I HOPE YOU GET CUT IN FRONT OF FOR BEING FUCKING ASS LAZY ASS!
Once, we waited 10-11 minutes to get 2 COKES at Outback because the waiter was triple sat just because we were the first table out of the 3(We were a party of 2, the second table had 5 people, and the 3rd table had 2).
Do you think it's fair or right that we had to wait that long for 2 cokes to do it your way, huh?
NO, it's UNFAIR! We all have turns. I can't go up to my server while she or he is taking an order to ask for my check or a refill for example and expect that my server will stop what they are doing to do my turn, well same difference that if that's cutting, so is *********WHAT YOU ARE SUGGESTING**********! IT'S THE GOD'S TRUTH!
You are just TOO LAZY and UNCARING to serve in the correct manner.
Continued next posts:
"Truth is, most people will not time you on how long it takes you to get them something,"
ReplyDeleteYou are VERY WRONG about that!
This is my blog on blogger:
http://howtobeagoodserver.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-to-be-good-server-in-restaurant.html?commentPage=4
Stef319 is/was a Red Lobster waitress and this is what she had to say:
"In my opinion, MT, once an order is taken, it should be put into the computer IMMEDIATELY. Once my guests place their order with me, the clock begins to tick. They should be getting their apps 5-10 minutes after they PLACE their order, and their entrees should take between 20-30 minutes (where I work). You really should not start off a new table with an appetizer or dinner order on hold.
The guests who just placed their order (who are hungry) are watching you approach another table. You then have to build your rapport, go over the specials, and possibly answer questions. This can potentially be very time consuming and your guests are not going to appreciate the delay in your service.
There are other times when it is acceptable to work all your tables together, but when you have a food order you shouldn't be doing this.
The correct way to handle this is to approach the table (with the other tables' menus in hand) and acknowledge their presence, and tell them YOU WILL BE RIGHT BACK. Then you ring in the order, go back to the table, and then you can do your greeting, go over specials, answer questions, etc. Now you can take your time with the new table cause you know that your other tables' food is getting worked on by the kitchen.
I know that this can be time-consuming but it really is worth it. Waste no time getting food orders in."
See how she see's that customer's clock is ticking away and how you are actually CREATING customer's camping by making them stay longer because the LONGER YOU WAIT to put the orders into the computer, the LONGER they wait to get them. The longer you wait to get their refills, checks, etc., the LONGER they stay. You are not making more money by doing this. You are getting LESS CUSTOMERS by creating LONGER dining sessions instead of quicker.
You don't realize that, do you? I am talking about for the average table, not your true campers that stay for hours, but for customers that are coming to eat and want to leave after. You wait 10 minutes to put in our orders, we may wait 15 minutes more because of it now that other orders have been put in from other servers and bartenders that BEAT our orders into the computer system.
You are the type that isn't a hard worker. Hard workers will go in the order in which request came in. If let's say a couple asks for their check, but no one calls you over and you don't have any previously ordered items to get at that moment, you shouldn't be voluntarily going to see how they are doing, you should be ONLY going to get their check and while the customers are reading it, THAT is when you can check on other customers. Then let's say that table you are checking on wants refills, you go back to the table you gave the check to see if they are ready to pay first before you go get the refills since they asked for their check first and that's a part of their turn of the check.
Continued next posts:
You are a VERY LAZY AND UNFAIR PERSON! Servers that do this shit get bad tips from us. I would NEVER condone cutting. I don't get why you are SO GOD DAMN LAZY that you aren't willing to do the MORALLY RIGHT THING by serving in a *FAIR* manner, huh?
ReplyDeleteLet's say table 4 wants to order their food so you take their order, then as you pass by table 5 asks for 2 refills, you should go put in the order for table 4, not get the 2 refills first. The longer you wait to put in that order, the longer you won't get more tables which is where your money is at. The less money you will get as well as customers watch you not go to that computer. I watch servers to see if they are going to do the right thing or not. The ones that DISRESPECT our turns by cutting get bad tips. You want a good tip, give us *RESPECT* and *COMMON DECENCY* to have *MORALS*!
QUIT BEING SO GOD DAMN LAZY AND DO WHAT Stef319 suggest. It's not just an opinion even though she says in her opinion, it's a *FACT* that it *IS* cutting doing it your way and the person "MT"'s way that's on my blog.
"treat it as one big party"
But we *AREN'T* one big party! WE WAITED IN THE WAITING AREA FOR EXAMPLE LONGER THAN THE NEXT PARTY DID, SO WTF SHOULD THEY GET THEIR DRINKS, THEIR FOOD ORDER TAKEN BEFORE OURS, HUH?
It's NOT FAIR.
If you are double sat, you greet the customers ask what they want to drink or any appetizers, you leave their table, as you pass by the next table you will say "I'll be right with you all in a moment" and go put in the appetizer order for that table if they ordered one and get the drinks, come back with the drinks if it's not bar drinks and if it was bar drinks you would have put those into the computer along when you put the appetizer order into the computer. You go back to the first table to get their food order IF they are ready, if not, go to greet your next table. If they are ready, you get their order and go to put the orders into the computer. It's only fair if they wait longer since they were second. It's not fair to take up the first table's time for the 2nd table. BE FAIR AND NOT A CUTTER!
Do you at least hand things off a tray in the order in which they came in? If not, you are a real bitch. Once, a Red Lobster waitress had our 2 entrées on a tray as well as 2 side salads for another couple that wasn't even there when we ordered our food. The bitch unfair waitress actually had the GALL to hand the side salads out first instead of bypassing their table to give our HOT FOOD which is SUPPOSED TO COME FIRST TO US FIRST. She got a dollar tip. FUCK HER TIP! You do me wrong, I do you wrong CUTTER BITCH!
LEARN HOW TO BE *FAIR* and you will get a better tip. TRY TO WORK HARDER, NOT LESS IDIOT! The way you are suggesting takes the first table longer. That's NOT FAIR! Do you like it when people cut in front of you? I bet you don't, then don't do it to us then!
It's not more efficient for the first table, did you *EVER* consider that, huh? It's also not more efficient when the 1st table is waiting longer so you won't get that table faster with other customers IDIOT!
ReplyDeleteIf table 2 asks for their check, table 6 asks for their check, and table 7 asks for their check, getting all 3 checks at the same time saves you work, but doesn't save time for the first 2 tables. It only saves time for the last table and that's UNFAIR since that's cutting.
If table 3 asks for 2 refills, table 4 asks for 2 refills, and table 5 asks for 3 refills, getting 7 refills on one tray doesn't help table 3's time. It's not more efficient for table 3 and it's not more efficient for table 4 either. That's CUTTING!
I would get table 3's refills first go back to get 2 more refills for table 4, and then go back for the 3 refills for table 7. While I may be doing more work, I am *EARNING* it CORRECTLY MORALLY RIGHT SO UNLIKE YOUR LAZY SELF!
I skimmed through your reply... LOL sorry fellow server. This is a bullshit blog I HAD to make for a copywriting class. I wrote each post in like 5 minutes to get the assignment done. Sorry if I offended you.
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