Expert Advice to Teach a Novice How to be a Great Waiter.

Congratulations! You've been hired, As a novice you may be asking yourself "now what do you do?". Well now is when you consciously decide to excel. You ask yourself: "how do I become a great waiter?" Even more importantly, "what is great?". What skills should I possess?; here are some tips.

Fortitude

Facility with english

Be organized in your thinking

Mannerable

Affable, efficient

Like people

Thick skinned

Be part of a team

Willingness to work

Good with numbers

Durability

Additionally:

Keep your uniform in excellent condition - ironed, stain-free and neat, creased pants,polished shoes. Leave personal problems at home, or at least not at work.

Always on the floor where you can be found. Managers/Hostesses shouldn't have to look for you.

Necessary Items:

Pens and notepad.

Wine opener.

Lighter for candles, or cigarettes.

Crumber(if applicable).

You should be made aware of other items not listed while training. What other approaches will lead to being top notch? If you ask a guest, you'll get one set of answers. If you ask coworkers, you'll get another set of answers. Some will probably overlap, but we know the guest is the most important when the dust settles. That said, since you'll deal with coworkers first when training, let's focus on that first.

When starting out, you"ll be working closely with a lead waiter to follow and see how things are done. In most places, a overall tour will familiarize you with the areas you will need to know about. During this training period, you will acquire information on the level of service to be provided, which varies from unit to unit.

You may be given materials comprised of menu items, wine list--by the glass and by the bottle. There may also be a basic liquor and beer list, after dinner liqueurs, dessert etc. Depending on your experience, you may be familiar with a lot of this, but if not don't worry, ask questions, and the rest will come in time.

While training, be aware of details as you follow your trainer.Observe the food presentation, and develop within yourself how you would best describe it. Listen for exceptions, and write them down for follow up when time permits. A lot of items/preparations may be available just not listed.

Whether working with your trainer, or attending guests, anticipation of their needs is always a plus. Take the high road and ask trainer if performing certain basic tasks would be o.k. Greeting a table, taking drink orders, delivering food are all helpful, and may buy needed time.

Table clutter is an often overlooked part of being a waiter, especially when busy. You may or not have bussers with this responsibility. Even so, in the end it\'s still your territory. Clear all unnecessary items, and place settings for next course. There will most likely be an approach for clearing guests one at a time or all at once, depending on how upscale a venue it is.

Be aware of mis-en-place, in this case tools for performing various aspects of service. Examples would be: wine carts, decanters, coasters etc. for wine service, or items needed for french/tableside service.

From bosses to dishwashers, always be courteous. As the new kid on the block, keep your opinions and non restaurant related conversations to a minimum. Let your trainer or manager be your problem solver if the need arises. This is a prudent approach for your own benefit, as it will help prevent the impression of you being a bad fit.

Article Source: http://www.thedrinkingplace.com/articles2

For further techniques on how to be a great waiter,check out the Waiter Tips|Training blog by Brent Newby, or get more expansive waiter service basics at this website. Click here for other unique 'waiting tables' articles.

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