If you are thinking of getting a job as a server there are some things you should know. A few of the most important things is appearance, attitude, and confidence. You should always make sure that you are well groomed before you start your shift. Customers don’t like their servers to look like crap. Check your hair and nails. Make sure that your outfit is up to par.

Make sure that you always seem confident with yourself and with the customer. Always make sure that you have a smile and a positive attitude. Customers can feel how you feel when you walk up to their table. How you walk, talk, pass out food, and even clean off tables allow people to dissect your personality and mood. Remember that you are the entertainment for the customer. All customers don’t want you to be their entertainment but some of them will. So just keep that good attitude. Treat every customer as if you have known them for some time but always with respect. Yes ma’am and sir are great tools for you to use.

If at all possible try to never tell someone no. If there is something that a customer is requesting and it is out of stock or not carried at the establishment kindly say, “ We are out of that at the moment,” or “We don’t carry that, is there any thing else that I could interest you in? “ If there is something else in close relation to what they were asking about, suggest that to the customer. Try to make sure you know when you start your shift what is in stock and what is out. Food, Beer, Wine, etc. Customers hate when a server is unknowledgeable of things within the establishment.

Always try to know things about the area in which the establishment is located. You never know when someone is going to ask you a question about the area! You being able to answer can make all the difference from your tips to your customer request base that you create as you further your serving career.  Start learning customers that are returns for you. If you know what they like from there drink to favorite food it also helps. They feel like you appreciate them as a person and not just money. But always remember that you might get a check from your employer but the customers are your check!!!! You don’t make money if the customers don’t like you. 

As you start your job you will be assigned to a section. Usually in the beginning you will have a 1-2 table section. As your performance gets better your section will grow to 4-6 table sections and then to parties of  6 or more. When taking an order set it up on your server pad like this. Example: Today, Susie 1, Steve 2, Rachel 3and Ray 4 are sat at your table. Take orders in a clock wise manner. Susie and Steve on the left and Rachel and Ray on the right. Ray 4 and Susie 1 are on the outside of the booth and Steve 2 and Rachel 3 are on the inside. Using this approach allows you to get used to remembering food and drinks that are ordered. And if memory fails you its on your pad as a reference. Now sometimes you will have customers who order out of tern. When this happens just write it down in the same manner. 1,2,3,4. Just remember to leave ample room between orders on your pad just in case you have a customer who makes changes to the order. Down the road this concept is usually dropped by most servers because you learn to remember who ordered what.

 If some one orders an alcoholic drink always ID them. You might think it will make you a cool person when you don’t ID people or let your underage friends drink but its bad for you and the establishment. You can get the place shut down and you both get a big fine. You might not be able to get another job as a server or further into bartending if that’s something that you plan to do.

Make sure before you send orders to the kitchen you double check them with your pad and then send. Always try to make sure that you send orders in a hasty manner. Make sure that if an appetizer was ordered you send that in first and then the entrees. Make sure you check on your customers as often as possible without becoming a nuisance to them.

When carrying drinks on a tray make sure that everything on the tray is level weight wise. If something is heavier then anything else you have to carry put it in the center of the tray.  Same thing applies when you are carrying out food on a tray. Now if your working at a place that doesn’t use trays then put 3 drinks in one hand side by side like a clover and have your hand on the bottom of the cups. Spread your fingers to support the cups. If carrying food with out a tray you can line them up 1 arm, usually 3 plates and 1 in your other hand.  

When refilling a drink at a table, make sure to take the drink off of the table. Never pour a drink over the table. As often as you might see people do this, make sure you never ever pour over a table. You never know when an accident might happen and its better etiquette.

Ok, now to something that can be a very nerve racking process. Presenting wine.  In most places you won’t have to worry about this but if you’re at a place that serves wine you must know how to present it. Take a linen cloth and make sure that it is clean. Place it on your right arm in a half fold. Have the bottle of wine in your right hand. Make sure the label is facing the customer when you approach the table. Take your right hand and hold the top of the wine bottle by the neck and your left is flat on the bottom, label facing the customer who ordered the bottle. After they have seen the label take your cork screw and use the knife to cut the metal cap off. Then take the screw and spin it about 3 -4 turns into the cork… Not too far or you will send cork into the wine and not to shallow or you will break it while pulling. Once in slowly pull the cork out… You want to make as little of a sound as you can.

Pick up the glass in front of the person that ordered the bottle and pour about 2 inch’s of wine into the cup. Hand it to the person who ordered the bottle and let them smell and taste to approve the wine. Then go to the person next to the person who ordered and pour their wine to about half of the glass. Do the same in a clock wise manner until you reach the person who ordered the bottle and do the same. After you have poured for everyone take the linen and fold into a square and put the bottle of wine on it on the table. Don’t get stressed by all of this. Just go with it and after a few times you will get more comfortable with it.  

Make sure to clean off  dishes when they are done with them. Pre-busing is what the term is. Never leave dirty dishes to crowd the table. As a server you will learn that the kitchen really could care less about you and your tables for the most part. Try to make as little friction as you can with them. They can make and break your money.  If you seem to have left something off an order try to let them know before the food is placed in the window if you can help it. If it’s in the window make sure that you get it fixed before it comes out. Just let them know what happened and try to keep your mistakes to a minimum when it comes to them fixing stuff for you. If you begin to have a lot of conflict, just get a manager to let them know what is wrong because it has to get fixed before the customer gets it so they don’t freak out.

So on that note, we will move onto customer complaints. Over your time serving you will see a wide range of complaints. Some people just want free stuff and others really are unhappy. Try to sooth over all problems with customers and if it’s something that you can’t, make sure to get a manager stat to take care of it for you. But save that if you can. It’s better for you to deal with fixing your tables and making them happy again. Some stuff you can’t control and is over your head but most cases you can fix what is wrong. Never tell a customer to calm down either!!!!! Big mistake. That will make them more aggravated and more likely to walk out on you.

Onto the ending of all of this. Delivering the check. Make sure you do it in a fashion that doesn’t seem like you are trying to get them to leave. When there entrée plates are all most empty come by and ask if they would like some dessert. If they say no, drop the check then. But let them know if there is anything else that you can get them for them to let you know. Big smiles!!!!  Well that is the end of this little tutorial. As a server you will learn a lot of other tricks of the trade but those you will learn as you go. Good luck and remember, STAY POSITIVE!!!! It will all work out just fine!