http://waiterextraordinaire.blogspot.com .I have been posting on the new site for nearly a month so you can catch new articles from there.No longer will I be posting on this site.
Thank you
A couple got sat in my section after being on a wait at the bar area and on my greeting noticed that the lady was in fact quite tipsy on the verge of slurring her words.She piped up instantly and told me that she had ordered drinks at the bar and that they hadn’t arrived yet.At which point I found out that the drinks that they had ordered was a beer for him and a Double Mai Tai for herself.Now for those of you who do not know , a Mai Tai is one of those fruity drinks with a fair bit of rum in it already and this was a double!
I was pleased to notice that her friend must have been the driver because he was quite sober.What I didn’t know was at the bar she found some glass in her drink which came from a glass that broke earlier in the ice bin or in that proximity.The ice bin was cleaned but a piece must have been overlooked.So unfortunately I had a table that one person had already too much to drink and on top of that was not a happy camper due to the broken glass she encountered.
I was very relieved when they ordered a big meal with appetizers and an entree and were sipping their drink.The Mai Tai lasted the entire meal which meant I did not have to cut her off while she was eating her meal.The manager had mentioned that we would have to cut her off at some point if she ordered another one.It is never a comfortable situation when cutting someone off and you never know what kind of reaction the guest might come back with.
When it was time to clear the lady asked me if she could have a container to take the rest of her meal home.That was fine and both agreed the meal was delicious.
The manager earlier on did want me to let him know when I was billing them.Immediately upon clearing I went to him when at that time he discounted the bill.I printed out the bill and with the container went and presented it to them apologizing again on our behalf for the broken glass and thanking them and hoping to see them again soon.
Skipping the dessert menu was probably the smartest thing to do at the time because when she replied ” oh we were going to order another drink,” I thought there would have been my opportunity lost to say good night right there and then.Sometimes it is better to forfeit a sale than risk having someone stay who may be trouble later.You just have to do it in a diplomatic fashion at the right time.
All ended well , the male friend wanted to leave anyway , they left on a high note having enjoyed their dinner , the lady was beginning to sober up rather than drink more and I pocketed a fairly good tip after all.
Link: www.stevetalks.ca
One of the most important attributes a restaurant can have besides great food, atmosphere, wine and cocktail list , is a very highly attentive trained staff. This goes without saying so why is it so few restaurants get it right out there? With the exception of the grand opening when all new staff are hired and there is an outpouring of information on how the Food and Beverage Operation functions, relatively little thought is put into staff training afterwards.
In fact , most employers would rather look for someone who has all the experience necessary upon hiring so very little time and expense is needed. Yes that would be the most desirable situation but the seasoned veteran can often bring their baggage and bad habits with them that could prove to be a detriment to the employer and co-workers.
What in fact should happen is the employer take on the enthusiastic person who is willing to learn and fit in right away. This employee is more apt to stay on longer and show more dedication.
Now what I see going wrong at this time is the enthusiastic server is not given the proper attention in their first few shifts. Now I have worked in restaurants where the training took place over a few weeks and others where the training was here is your section let’s see how you do.
Usually what the employer will do is stick the new person with one of the top waiters and have that person shadow them. This works well in the big restaurant chain where there is a number of employees to choose from. If it is a small family run restaurant look out because nowadays usually they are working at bare minimum staff levels which makes it hard for any waiter to train due to the fact they are running around themselves just trying to keep up. That’s why very few waiters like to train simply because they do not get anything extra for it and because of the competitive nature of watering a lot of information is not passed on. The new employee is scared to ask questions so a stalemate can result.
Quickly the new keen employee turns a little timid and is second guessing himself. What is so great about working here they may ask.
My idea on how to train a new person in the restaurant or bar is very simple. As a manager I will work closely with whomever I pair the new employee up with during the service and monitor what is going on. I do this for two reasons. One is I check that the waiter I paired him up with is teaching correctly and the other is I am watching the new one and see how he handles the pressure. If neither of them like that it is too bad. After all who is going to get the stuff from the fan if the new employee doesn’t work? I want them to hit the ground running and be ready as quick as possible.
As an owner or manager it is my responsibility that it works out. After all it is probably I that hired them. Too often the owner and manager will pass too much responsibility to the head waiter or bartender without so much as a follow-up until after service when the head waiter has to give his or her rendition of ” Another one bites the dust.”
Aside from the manager being present on the floor and not cooped up in their office there should always be training provided to everyone on a regular basis. Going over concerns in the dining room from service , presentation , interaction with guests , new drink or menu items , special guests , reservation policy , and the list goes on and on. A simple pre-shift meeting each night before service can handle most of these concerns. Let me ask how many restaurants have you worked in where there was any pre-shift meeting to keep everyone up-to-date on what is going on?
In conclusion , training should never end but keep on going. With most restaurants training ends after 2 days and never returns. The great restaurants keep it going.
When I was in my 30’s one of my goals was to become a Maitre’d or Restaurant Manager in a Fine Dining Restaurant somewhere in Canada.
I had just received a promotion on the cruise ship I was working on to Maitre’d from waiter in the dining room. It was going to be great! More money , using what knowledge I had learned from working in various dining rooms , and especially my 3 years up to that time working on the ships would serve me well.
Now what do you think my salary was going to be a month for being a Maitre’d?
It was going to be a mind boggling $50 a month. Yes you read that right , a measly fifty dollars a month. So why do you think I was so excited. It was because I was going to receive double the share of the gratuities that a waiter would earn. In other words if the waiters made $3,000 a month in gratuities I would make $6,000. A significant increase indeed and justified too as the added responsibility I would undertake would mean more hours and crisis to solve.
When I returned to Canada to work and started in management positions I noticed a big difference in take home pay. I was working longer hours at salary than the waiters were and making less money. I quickly reverted back to waiter and dismissed any idea of being a restaurant manager.
Now perhaps I should have stayed in Europe when I got off the ship to earn the big bucks that restaurant managers make over there and are still highly regarded by the population. But just having married with hopes of seeing my family down the road with little take home pay and long hours did not appeal to me.
So here I am approaching 50 and a waiter who earns gratuities and is able to make a decent living and a good lifestyle as well. By the way my wife is also a waiter and does well too. We both could have been managers in our own right.
Although I mention often of reaching for the top in the Hospitality Profession you have to do what you have to do in order to fit your own needs.
My barometer of whether to work for gratuities with a small hourly wage or a salary comes down to this , how much are you taking home each month? Is it enough? If not you may have to go back to waiting on tables or find a position where there is profit sharing or bonuses for the successes you bring to your place of employment.
If you are not willing to go back as a waiter then starting up your own business might be the best outcome.
As one person said to me a time ago , it’s not what you make but what you keep that makes the difference. I am happy I made the choice I did and that was to put aside my ego and do the right thing and make some money and see my kids.
