Being a waiter is not an easy job. You have to be quick on your feet, ready to take orders from different tables at once and able to keep track of everything going on around you. Some people might think that this also means that being a waiter is not so hard after all, but the truth is that it’s actually one of the hardest restaurant jobs out there. That being said, serving others can also be one of the most rewarding experiences ever. It requires a lot of passion and personality — not just because you’re interacting with people all day long, but also because you need to be able to understand their needs and anticipate their needs without them having to ask you for anything every three minutes.
How to be a good waiter: the skills you need
It’s obvious that to be a good waiter, you need to be able to do the job well. But what exactly are the skills that you need in order to be a good waiter?
- Communication skills. Being a waiter requires you to be able to communicate with people in different ways at different times. You need to be able to talk with your coworkers and your manager, but you also need to be able to talk to customers and make them feel comfortable and happy with their experience.
- Reading skills. This is related to communication, but it’s also something that you use in different situations. Reading customers’ faces, their body language and even the tone of their voices can help you understand better what they need and how you can help them.
- Organizational skills. You have to be able to keep track of a lot of different things at once. You have to know who ordered what, when they ordered it, when it needs to be done, when to pay for food, when the drinks need to be refilled, etc.
- Being a good waiter also means being able to multi-task. You can’t just focus on one thing and forget everything else. You have to keep track of everything that’s going on and be ready to jump in and help out when needed.
How to greet customers and be friendly
When greeting customers, you want to make sure that they feel welcome and comfortable. This is not only a way to make them enjoy their stay more, but it’s also a way to ensure that they come back to the restaurant. The main goal of any waiter is not just to make their customers’ experience as pleasant as possible, but to make them want to come back for more. That’s why greeting customers with a welcoming smile is so important. You don’t have to be fake about it, but you also have to be genuine. You have to make sure that your smile comes from the heart and that you’re truly happy to welcome them. You also have to make sure that you’re using correct etiquette when greeting customers. For example, when greeting a couple, you should always greet the woman first before greeting the man. It’s also important to greet all customers, not just the ones sitting at your tables.
How to take orders
Taking orders can be one of the hardest things for a waiter. Not only do you have to write down what everybody ordered and remember their drinks, but you also have to be able to suggest the right dishes to each customer. You have to know what your restaurant’s menu includes, what each dish includes and how it tastes. If a customer has a specific dish or flavor in mind, you have to be able to recommend something else that they might like better. Taking orders also involves knowing the different meal options if a customer is choosing from a menu. For example, if a customer is choosing between steak and salmon, you have to know whether they’re both a la carte, whether one of the options is a special dish or if one of them is a special salmon dish with a specific salmon preparation. Taking orders can be one of the hardest parts of a waiter’s job, but it’s also one of the most important. If you’re not paying attention to what your customers order, you can make mistakes and get them wrong orders, which is not only bad for the restaurant, but also bad for you because you will get in trouble.
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