I recently
read an article in the Wall Street Journal that touched upon the subject of how
waiters give service at restaurants. The article talked about how waiters are
now being trained to judge a table by the vibe they are giving off and than
tailoring their service based on that “vibe.” Examples included a couple
fighting and a business meal.
I thought
this was an interesting article because when you are a server you need to know
how to deal with different and sometimes difficult customers. However the
article failed to touch upon a few other types of customers that I have come
across in the past.
This is my
re-write of:
“How Waiters Read Your Table”
Children are so cute, except when in
restaurants:
When
approaching a table with kids… Wear gloves, a mask, and a space suit. Bring
over a spray hose, plenty of crayons, and hide the knives and salt and peppers
shakers. If possible bring out the kids food first to keep them distracted!
Star struck:
When you
have a table with a celebrity filter every word that comes out of your mouth.
All you are thinking about is the movies they were in, the songs they sing or
the work they've produced. When a very well know basketball player came into my
job I made a remark along the lines of, our lasagna is really big also and
probably will fill you up, no one else could finish it alone... Way to go
Rachel... I hid the rest of the night.
No Entiendo:
When you
have a table that doesn't speak English don't try to communicate using hand
signals. You end up looking like a caveman and will most likely get the order
wrong. Try to find someone who speaks their language and if not just order
something everyone likes and hope for the best.
Just what the doctor ordered? :
When the
lady at your table looks like she is going to go into labor any second yet is
ordering raw fish and bottles of wine, say a prayer and hope that is just what
her doctor ordered.
Milk the cow:
For first
dates, be extra nice to the women, bring over a candle, make fancy suggestions,
be very attentive but also be sure to give space. Making the nerves of the guy
calm down will only help everyone out, getting them drunk in the meantime will
make for a great goodnight first kiss. If the guy really wants to make a good
impression he will shell out a lot more for a tip than usual. Win-win for
everyone!
Here is the
link below for anyone interesting in checking out the original article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204909104577237152011781364.html
I really like this! it was quite entertaining. I'm sure that as a waitress you encounter many types of people that aren't easy to deal with. I think that the suggestions you have made for these different situations are on point. Good job :)
ReplyDeleteI think I prefer your take on “How Waiters’ Read Your table”. Also, I am so surprised that The Wall Street Journal used sexist and outdated language in their article. Server is actually inclusive whereas waiter/waitress is not.
ReplyDeleteThat's so interesting. I use to waitress and that is exactly what I did. I wish they wrote more on those customers who complain about everything, are celebrating something, the regulars, etc. There are so many types and different ways to deal with them. And if you know how to deal with those people, that makes you an even better waitress/waiter. Patience is a virtue.
ReplyDeleteThis is soemthing that can be very heloful for those who work in restaurants. it's always important to be able to adjust at every incoming angle, that way you can be valued at your job at your versatility. More importantly, this will prevent any further issues becuase there are very "complicated' people to please, and as much as one can "hate" them, they as the customer is always right.
ReplyDelete