Advice For Good Tips For Waiters and Waitresses

1. NEVER make small talk until the food and drink orders have been taken, because people want to eat, drink, and talk with the people THEY are with, NOT the waitstaff.

2. When taking the order always WRITE THE ORDER DOWN no matter HOW SIMPLE, because it's easy to forget.

3. Make sure the order is correct BEFORE taking it to the customer as far as things that are visible. This is so the server won't be embarrassed when the customer states the order is wrong and the server has more work to send it back or go get things that are missing.

4. Always ASK the customer if they want another refill or if they want bread, unless the customer can only get bread unless they order a certain thing, then they are SUPPOSE to get bread.

5. When taking the order, DON'T ask, for example: If a customer states ONLY lettuce, onions, and cheese, DON'T ASK "Do you not want the pickles or tomatoes?" If they state ONLY, that is what they mean. DON'T WASTE TIME asking something that is being told already.

6. Also, don't try to offer something else if the person specifically orders something. For example: I order the Presidente' Margarita at Chili's with Jose Cuervo tequila instead of Sauza tequila. I have been asked twice "Are you sure you want that type of margarita because that tequila downgrades the margarita?" I told the waitress and one time a bartender, "I have gotten this a bunch of times and I don't like Sauza." In other words, a customer KNOWS WHAT THEY WANT so DON'T ARGUE WITH THEM OR ASKS THEM WHAT THEY MEAN WHEN THEY ARE TELLING YOU SPECIFICALLY WHAT THEY WANT. That is WASTING TIME for EVERYONE in the restaurant. Don't try to second guess what they might mean. The customer KNOWS what they want, so just take the order down. If they lists items on a sandwich that they do want but don't say only or just, then I would asks, but if they are saying ONLY or saying a SPECIFIC thing, DON'T ASKS them things like "Are you sure?" The customer KNOWS what they want.

7. Don't go and clean up if a customer just requested something whether it's the check or a drink or dessert. CUSTOMER'S REQUEST COMES BEFORE SIDE WORK! Ask yourself a question: Do you like waiting when you are ready to leave or you want more soft drink? Well, if the answer is no, then you see my point. Sure cleaning has to be done, but NOT at the expense of your tip. Do you think it's right for the waiter or waitress to asks if you want anything else, which you say "Just the check", but instead of going to get it, the server goes to buss the table, meanwhile, making not only you wait, but the next people that may be waiting for a table to get seated. The LONGER the customer's wait to leave, the LONGER they won't have that table available for SURE. I know the table has to be cleaned off before new customer are seated, but the SOONER you get the check and ring it up, the SOONER the tables TURN so the customers can fill out the tip line on a credit card receipt and sign or get money out for the tip, meaning MORE TIPS, because MORE customers are being served in your section and making the customers that are at that table that have requested the check not wait for 3-5 minutes just so you can buss a table. Bussing the table can WAIT until AFTER the customers that are waiting to leave. DON'T make them wait for "YOU" to do your side work. That isn't right to make customers watch you clean up if they have requested something. That's just MEAN and UNCARING to do this.

8. If you forget something major like a drink or mess up someone's entree completely, ASKS the MANAGER what can we do so they won't leave mad. The manager may take something off the bill, so the customer won't be pissed off and never come back. You should let the manager KNOW if something goes majorily wrong, that is the SERVER'S job. Think about if that was you who just got a completely wrong entree brought or a margarita forgotten about, which I had waited 25 minutes for just last night. The waiter told me he was so sorry, even apologized twice, which is VERY IMPORTANT.

9. ALWAYS APOLOGIZE for ANY and ALL mistakes, no matter HOW BIG or HOW little. If you say your sorry, it makes the customer feel better about the mistake, but you also have to have actions to go along with it. Like if you've overcharged them, at least have the decency to drop what you are doing and go fix the mistake so the people aren't more mad when they leave.

10. It's the SERVER'S responsiblity to make sure the check is 100% correct. Even if the menu doesn't match the computer, tell the manager about the problem, don't make the CUSTOMER be the one that shows YOU the mistake, that really looks bad.

11. KNOW THE MENU. If you don't know what comes with something, it looks bad when you bring it out without the things they come with. For example: Knowing that cheese fries are listed on the menu as well as a side of ranch that comes with them. A customer shouldn't know the menu more than the SERVER does, that's RIDICULOUS! Especially if the server has been working there for months, but still doesn't know what comes with a certain item. That looks BAD.