1. Restaurants sell food.
So do Grocery stores.
What is the difference?
Restaurants sell service, and as
a waiter you are the one who
provides this service.

2. Basic guidelines

3. APPEARENCE
 Should be simple and neat.
 Hair should be short or pulled away from the face.
 Fingernails should be clean.
 Uniform should be fresh and ironed.

4. APPEARENCE
 Avoid showy jewelry or piercings.
 Never touch your face or hair in view of guests.
 If you must, do so out of the view of guests.
 Wash your hands afterwards.

5. ATTITUDE
 A positive attitude is essential for a server: guests are
there to have a good experience.
 Your attitude should encourage them to relax and enjoy
their meals.
 Be pleasant and smile often.
 On the other hand, don’t be too friendly and always
maintain a professional distance.

6. SENSE OF URGENCY
 Always stay busy, even if you have no guests at the
moment, prepare for the next rush of customers.
 There is ALWAYS something to do: refer to the
procedures checklist and/or ask the manager on duty.
 Preparation makes you efficient when the rush hits.

7. CHATTING
 Never chat with other co-workers in front of guests
 The guests might not be your table, but if they need
something they will become frustrated watching servers
chat.
 Talk to other servers out of view of the guests, keep it
concise, and always keep an eye on the counter and
entrance areas.

8. FULL HANDS IN/
FULL HANDS OUT
 Being a waiter requires a lot of walking.
 Make things easy by being efficient: don’t walk around
empty handed.
 Always think ahead to where you are going and what
you can bring with you.
 For example if you have just taken a drink to a table
don’t simply walk back to the bar area: look around to
see if you can bring back any empty glasses or dirty
dishes, or if any table requires water or bread.

9. BLINDERS
 Servers that only pay attention to their own guests are
said to have ‘blinders’ on.
 If you see a guest that needs assistance, don’t hesitate
to help. If you cannot help them straight away,
acknowledge their request and let them know you will
be straight back.
 A successful server has a strong sense of teamwork.

10. SERVING FOOD
 Avoid reaching in front of a guest to serve another. If
you must, excuse yourself.
 Warn a customer if a plate you are serving is hot.
 Never hold a glass by the rim where people will drink
from.
 Always hold a plate so your thumb is not touching the
food.

11. CLEARING PLATES
 Keep the table clear of plates not being used.
Sometimes people find it rude to have their plates
removed if others are still eating.
 If the plate is pushed far away, or they ask you to
remove it go ahead and do so.
 Be sure to ask the guest if they are finished with the
plate before removing it.

12. INTERRUPTING
 Don’t interrupt the conversation at a table. Instead
make friendly eye contact with one of the guests not
speaking so they can quiet the speaker for you.

13. IGNORING
 Ignoring or avoiding a table is never the correct solution
to a problem.
 If a table’s order is taking longer than 20 minutes check
with the kitchen/manager and reassure the table you
have checked on their food.
 If the kitchen is very busy, le the table know and give
them a realistic estimate about when their order will be
ready.
 Often the table just wants to know they haven’t been
forgotten.

14.  Even if a guest makes a special request that you don’t
think the restaurant can accommodate, always check
with a manager.
 If you can’t accommodate that specific request make
other suggestions to the guest rather than saying a flat
out ‘no’.
Saying ‘NO’

15. RUNNING OUT OF
SOMETHING
 If the restaurant has run out of something and a guest
orders that item, don’t just say. ‘we’re out of that’.
 Instead say that you have run out of the item and
suggest similar menu items that the guest might enjoy.

16. TEAMWORK
 A restaurant runs on teamwork. Always ask your
coworkers if they could use a hand.
 Communication is extremely important to share tasks
efficiently and avoid asking a table the same question
twice.

17. CUSTOMER SERVICE
 Treat all guests with respect and professionalism.
Every guest, Every Time.
 As a server you want the guest to have a great meal
and a great experience.
 Never judge a customer by what they are wearing, their
age, gender or race. Treat all customers with your best
service.
 Learn the menu quickly. I you don’t know what
something of the menu is or how o pronounce it, ask
the manager or the head chef.

18. CUSTOMER SERVICE
 Try different dishes on the menu, so you can describe
and recommend them to guests.
 By knowing the menu, a server can guide the guests
through an enjoyable evening.
 Great customer service is expressed verbally and non-
verbally: having good posture shows confidence.
 Always show interest in the guest. Smiling and eye
contact are the best ways to achieve this.

19. EXPERT
CUSTOMER SERVICE
 Expert customer service means surpassing your
guest’s expectations by anticipating their needs before
they ask.
 If you can achieve this you will impress your guests and
assure they will recommend your restaurant to friends.
Also you will immediately brighten up their dining
experience making it easier to deal with any
problematic that could arise later on.
 E.g. If there are children at the table, bring extra
napkins, if they drop a fork bring a new one, etc.