December 8, 2010
David Hayden
Servers
12/4, 12/4T2, eight, five, four, how to be a better server, make more tips, nine, one, rule seven, Rules for Servers, Rules of Serving, seven, six, ten, three, top, two
Unfortunately, none of the class could read the rules. Those who cannot read Animal Farm are doomed to repeat it.
Rule Seven: Be the coworker you want to have.
Once you have been at a particular restaurant for any length of time, the floor chart can tell you a great deal about how your shift will go. Most servers can see the people they are working with and find reason for either optimism or frustration. Some shifts, you see names that you know can take care of whatever is thrown at them and still be able to help you if you need it. Other shifts, you are surrounded by people who are lazy and unwilling to help. The difference between a smooth shift and one you have to struggle through can often be just a couple of coworkers.
Which begs a question. When your coworkers see your name on the floor chart are they put at ease or anticipating extra work? No one likes to work with a person who is a ball of stress and can barely keep ahead of their own section. No one likes working with someone who does only the minimum to keep their guests happy. If you are not someone who people feel confident working beside, then you are part of the problem.
Read the full post at Tips For Improving Your Tips
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August 29, 2010
David Hayden
A Little Humor
awkward moment, awkward restaurant moments, awkward restaurant stories, awkward server, blushing, blushing server, customer service, embarrassed, embarrassed server, embarrassing, embarrassing restaurant stories, funny restaurant stories, justin bieber, medical meetings, oops, penis straightening, Restaurant, Restaurant Customer, Restaurant Guests, Rules for Servers, Server, Server Blog, Servers, Service, Serving, sex at restaurant, sex in restaurant, Tips, tipsfortips, Waiter, Waiting
Hi, may I take your order?
Over the last 15 years I have spent in the service industry, I have had to change my approach. 15 years ago, I was a gangly 6-foot tall 125-pound server with a voice somewhere in the Justin Bieber range. I looked only slightly older than him. A head of grey hair has made me change my demeanor a bit. Nowadays I can pull off the professional waiter role as well as most anyone. The only thing I haven’t learned to control is the shade of red I turn when blushing at awkward situations.
In the past I have written about moments I have made awkward. There are still the “foot in mouth” moments that cause me to be extremely embarrassed. I have not learned to control the physiological response of turning red enough that if I was a lobster, someone would pull me out of the pot. The thing that was left out of the previous post was the fact that I do not cause most of these situations. While I do create awkward situations from time to time, most of the time the blame falls firmly on the guests.
Read the full post at Restaurant Laughs
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August 19, 2010
David Hayden
Foodies, Servers
catfish, clams, eat seafood during pregnancy, eating seafood safe, expectant mothers, expected, expecting, Facts, Food, Foodie, mercury, mercury in fish, mercury in seafood, methylmercury, mom, moms, mother, mussels, oysters, pregnancy, pregnant, pregnant women, pregnant women eat seafood, restaurant server, Rules for Servers, safe seafood for pregnant women, Salmon, scallops, seafood during pregnancy, Servers, Service, Serving, shark, shrimp, swordfish, tilapia, Tips, tipsfortips, tuna, Waiter, Waiting, waitress, women
If you sell seafood at your restaurant, you will inevitably come in contact with pregnant women concerned whether or not it is safe. During pregnancy the only thing you get more than designer baby clothes that the child won’t be able to appreciate is advice on what not to eat. Seafood is confusing to expectant mothers because it’s health benefits are touted as frequently as it is warned against. The key for servers is being able understand what the warnings are about and what seafood to caution against. Being able to concisely explain to expectant mothers what is and is not safe is relatively easy once you understand the reason for the warnings.
Seafood contains a great number of benefits for both mother and child. Seafood contains DHA a type of Omega-3 acid that actually helps with a child’s brain development. Seafood can also be high in calcium, iron, and vitamin D. It has also been linked to delaying premature births. For mothers, seafood is low in fat, but high in protein. The Omega-3s in seafood have even been shown to reduce post partum depression.
Read the full post at Foodie Knowledge
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August 14, 2010
David Hayden
A Little Humor, Servers
breakup, co-worker, company ink, dating boss, dating coworker, dating employee, dating hostess, dating server, dating waiter, dating waitress, dipping pen, flirting, funny breakup, funny restaurant stories, hook-ups, hookup, relationship, Restaurant, restaurant dating, restaurant hookup, Restaurant Manager, restaurant server, Rules for Servers, Server, Server Blog, server dating, Servers, Serving, Tips, tipsfortips, Waiter, waitress, workplace dating
On the downside, you work a double with them tomorrow
It is that time of year. Love or at least heavy lust is in the air. That means just one thing in the restaurant business. It is too hot to sit on the patio. Well that and co-workers are starting the annual mating ritual. At the most recent count, there are six confirmed couples at my restaurant. I was discussing this with some co-workers when someone said, “hey, you should write a blog about that.” I had pondered it before, but never thought there was much to cover. My opinion is simple and based on a great deal of experience. Dating co-workers is a horrible idea. My friend disagreed and offered to write the counter-point. So today we kick off a two part series on dating co-workers.
I am a child of the 80s and was raised on John Hughes movies. The hopeless romantic streak runs strong in me. I have been in this business for 15 years and of course I have dated co-workers. I have seen 15 years worth of work couples and even been in a few of their weddings. I have seen co-workers have babies. I have seen co-workers divorce. My opinion is still clear though, don’t date your co-workers.
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August 13, 2010
David Hayden
Foodies, Managers, Servers
breast, buffalo wild wings, buffalo wings, chicken, chicken wing prices, chicken wings, chicken wings cost, cost vs price, customer service, Facts, Food, Foodie, hooters, hooters girl, hooters wings, hot wings, how to be a better restaurant manager, how to get servers to sell, increase sales, Restaurant, restaurant costs, Restaurant Customer, Restaurant Guests, restaurant prices, restaurant server, Rules for Servers, Server Blog, Service, supply and demand, Tips, tipsfortips, Waiter, Waiting, waitress, wing vs breast
I only chose this picture because I heard she was an economist
Yesterday’s post on extra charges for the various items a guest requests caused me to ponder on a larger scale. It is remarkably common to hear guests say, “I could buy that steak/wine/etc at the store for half that much.” This is the same principle as walking into a car dealership and demanding a price based on the total price of the steel, glass, and plastic contained in the car. In both cases, the price of production goes far beyond the cost of the raw materials. Next week, I will be addressing in detail the difference between the actual cost of an item as simple as a burger and also the actual price of production. When the cost of labor and overhead is factored in, a burger is far less profitable than the average consumer would imagine.
First, it is necessary to establish as a premise that food is a commodity. A meal is comprised of many components each of which has a finite supply. There are only so many acres of wheat or corn being produced. There are also only so much beef, poultry, pork, and seafood being brought to market. This means that supply is more of less the same and therefore demand is what determines the price restaurants pay. The commodity we are all most familiar with is oil. When demand for oil rises worldwide the price rises as well. This is followed shortly by a rise in the price of gasoline. We as consumers understand why this affects gas prices, but rarely do we relate it to restaurants.
Read the full post at The Manager’s Office
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August 2, 2010
David Hayden
Servers
1111, advice for servers, budget, budgeting for servers, how to be a better restaurant server, making money as a server, Restaurant, Rules for Servers, Rules of Serving, saving money as a server, Server, Server Blog, server income, server tips, server wage, Servers, Service, Tips, tipsfortips, tipsfortips.com, Waiter, Waiting, waitress
Rule Six: Never spend money you haven’t made.
I am glad July of 2010 is behind me. I cannot recall a month that was less lucrative in my serving career. My income dropped by well over 50% last month. Unbearable heat combined with a disproportionate number of patio shifts took a chunk out of my savings. I had planned for a slow month, but not one this slow.
I was fortunate enough to follow my own advice on saving and budgeting. I keep my living expenses low and save during good months. This allowed me to avoid the month being devastating financially. I stay out of debt and carry no credit cards. My car is paid for and my rent is minimal. My savings was depleted, but not drained.
Read the full story at Tips For Improving Your Tips
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July 29, 2010
David Hayden
A Little Humor, Designated Drinker, Index, Managers, Uncategorized
customer service, Facts, Food, Foodie, how to be a better restaurant manager, how to be a better restaurant server, Restaurant, Restaurant Customer, Restaurant Guests, Restaurant Manager, Restaurant managers, restaurant server, Rules for Servers, Sales, Selling, Server, Server Blog, Servers, Service, Serving, Tips, Waiter, Waiting, waitress
July 16, 2010
David Hayden
Servers
1111, customer service, how restaurant owners can increase sales, how to be a better restaurant server, how to get servers to sell, How to increase sales, How to increase sales as a manager, increase restaurant profits, increase restaurant sales, increase sales, managing servers, motivating servers., Restaurant, Restaurant Manager, restaurant server, Rules for Servers, Rules of Serving, Sales, sales for servers, sales techniques for servers, sell more, Selling, selling specials, Server Blog, server contests, Servers, servers sell more, Service, Serving, teaching servers to sell, The Rules for Servers, Tips, upsell, upselling, Waiter, waitress
Rule Five: Always recommend what is in the guest’s best interest, not yours.
(Note: There are many hyperlinks today that will send you to posts were I have previously addressed specifically issues that I address in this post.)
This is the second time in two days I have sat down to write this post. Yesterday, I got caught up in a tangent which I think serves as an important preface to this post. It even inspired a comment immediately that proved its accuracy. In the preface, I discuss how restaurant companies have encouraged servers to focus on upselling and thus significantly damaged the relationship between servers and their guests.
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July 15, 2010
David Hayden
Servers
customer service, how to be a better restaurant server, how to get servers to sell, integrity, Restaurant, restaurant server, Rules for Servers, Sales, sales for servers, selling specials, Server, Server Blog, Servers, Service, Serving, teaching servers to sell, The Rules for Servers, Tips, upsell, upselling, Waiter, Waiting, waitress
I sat down today to write about rule five. As I did so I realized that a preface was in order. This morning I sat on my patio drinking coffee and reviewing the outline that I have scribbled on a legal pad. I began thinking about why this post was even necessary. It should be common sense not to try to rip off your guests. “Always recommend what is in the guest’s best interest, not yours” should go without saying. Unfortunately, it directly contradicts what many servers are being encouraged to do. So much so that even the guests know it.
I experienced this yesterday. Waiting on a large group of teachers at lunch, I offered recommendations off the menu. I suggested the sockeye salmon the chef was offering as his daily special. I mentioned the flavor difference of wild caught salmon. I discussed the life cycle, diet, and high levels of omega 3. When I took the order, most of them chose my recommendation. The last one looked up at me and said, “you are a great salesman, so I will have the salmon too.” I was taken aback by this statement. My description was more reminiscent of a teacher or a food critic than a salesman. I did not use a “close” or try to appeal to their emotions. I tried to sell them the best item by educating them and allowing them to make an informed decision. My response to her was, “The difference is I will be here for the entire time you have the plate in front of you. That is a guarantee no salesperson can make.”
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July 7, 2010
David Hayden
Servers
customer service, describe desserts, dessert, Desserts, how to be a better restaurant server, how to get servers to sell, increase dessert sales, increase restaurant sales, Restaurant, Restaurant Manager, Rules for Servers, Sales, sell more desserts, Selling, selling specials, Server, Server Blog, Servers, servers sell more, Service, Serving, Waiter, Waiting, waitress
I suppose I should start this post by thanking all of the servers who are still reading after my six post series on management and motivation. I know it is a server blog, but I also recognize that a large portion of my readership is comprised of managers. I hope those who read it found it interesting. I promise to stick to server information for the next few days. Today I wanted to come up with a big payoff for those that stuck with me through the series.
Today is one of my most loyal readers birthdays. I noticed this and decided to dedicate a post to her for her birthday. Becky was the first person I met as a result of this blog. This is actually her second mention in the blog. As I thought about what to write about in her honor, a light bulb went off. In honor of one of the sweetest people I know, a post about desserts is in order. I can’t buy her a free dessert, but I can write a free post about one. So for Becky, I am for the second time digging into the folder titled “book” and posting some previously written material on desserts.
Let’s be honest. If chocolate, cheesecake, and apple pie were healthy, calorie free, and provided you with all your daily vitamins and minerals, would you ever eat a salad? Most people like steaks, salads, and pastas, but they love dessert. Yet most servers will sell far more entrees than desserts. Your guests come to the table with a great number of expectations and beliefs. One of the most common beliefs is that ordering dessert is gluttonous or wasteful. While you should not try to change that belief, you can always take a shot at being an exception to it.
Selling desserts is about exploiting the contradiction between what the guest feels they should do and what they want to do. Buying a dessert is an emotional decision rather than a logical one. You have to make the dessert appeal to their senses. You have to instill the belief that the pleasure they will receive will outweigh any guilt they may feel afterwards.
In order to capitalize on these emotions to sell desserts, keep in mind the following concepts.
Read the full post at Tips For Improving Your Tips
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