A Superior Guide on How to Wait Tables & Make Your Guests Smile

The restaurant owners always try to serve the guests in the best way they can. Besides, as the number of restaurants is getting increased, the competition is higher. At this time, you have to make your guests satisfied at first. In this case, it’s a must to know how to wait tables ideally. 

The customers prefer to spend their time in a restaurant nowadays. So if you can make their time more enjoyable and quality full, it can be a great scope for both you and your guests. But how?

Let’s find out the key steps that must be considered to be a good waiter as well as to make your guests smile while waiting for the food in your restaurant. 

What are the Expectations of Customers in General?

In a restaurant, the customers come to take the food. Okay, it’s a reason but not the only reason. The customers have certain expectations while coming into a restaurant. 

Some of them mainly focus on quality time, and some of them only on food. But in general, the guests of your restaurant come for different purposes. 

Sometimes, the official meeting, birthday, marriage, get-together party, etc., occurs in a restaurant. So you have to be prepared for any of the arrangements at any time. 

The customers of a restaurant have some typical demands like

• Friendly service
• Receive services that they ordered
• The tasty foods
• Minimum waiting time
• Promptly payment system
• Noise-free environment 
• Passing more times after or before taking meal

How to Wait Tables Stress-Free & Make Your Guest Happy?

Maintaining the restaurant operations is overwhelming, but have you ever realized the necessity of customer satisfaction? In this case, you should know how to wait tables.

The restaurant industry has to offer more exact services to the customers to make them happy. Different individuals’ tastes and food requirements are different. But if you ensure a good ambiance and adequate customer service, you can quickly get more customers.

The waiters of your restaurants serve the service users directly. The service providers or staff of your restaurant must be well trained and competent to serve the guests. 

10 Pro Tips on How to Wait Tables without Having to Stress

1. Prepare the Mindset

Your waiters know well when the rush hour of your restaurant begins. Besides, the individual team works in a restaurant in different shifts. So when the waiters can know the scheduled time and the given team they will work together, they have to prepare their mindset at first.

Sometimes the teammate of a waiter can be changed or replaced by another one. In this case, the waiter should get ready to work with the new team members.

So you have to plan the day, and before service, get prepared for your mindset.

2. Welcome the Guests

Smile, yes smile can change the direction of your entire service. Unfortunately, while greeting the guests, maximum restaurants fail.

It’s the first impression, and it can go a long way. So a warmly greeting can change the scenario of your foodservice business.

If you can welcome your guest perfectly, it will help you to build rapport with your guests. At first, ask them what they would like to take cordially.

It takes the guests’ attention that you are really ready to serve them and listen to their needs. There is no way to avoid this step as the first impression brings the last.

3. Focus on Customers’ Needs

Customer satisfaction is the first and foremost focal point for the restaurant industry. Therefore, it’s essential to make sure that your customer’s requirements are offered perfectly.

In this case, you have to check in with your customers periodically. For instance, the napkins and the drinks refill activities are done correctly. If they are comfortable with the services, it will be okay; otherwise, you have to ask them for further requirements.

The customers may get frustrated when they face any problems. So you need to know about the exact issue and solve it right away.

If you think that you will avoid the issue anyway, the problem can turn into the worst situation. 

4. Accept Complaints

The customers of your restaurant may have some opinions about your services. You have to give them the scope to share their feelings.

In this case, you should avail the feedback system for your customers. The customers can give positive or negative reviews or comments about the overall services.

If the waiters don’t have the power to change any service or the way of services, they should show the confidence that it will be solved soon through the management. 

Sometimes the customers can get upset, but your reassurance can make the customers happy.

5. Available Comp Items

The offered items to the customers can create an adverse situation like the food can be prepared incorrectly, or the dish may not be tasty to the desired level of customers.

In this case, you have to offer the additional dishes to your customers that are called comped items. It’s free of charge.

When your customers face an issue taking the provided meal, you should tell them to wait for a while, and you are going to fix the issue shortly. 

“If you are more supportive to the customers, they will be more cooperative with you.”

The comp items are additional platters that should be available in the restaurant for any coincidence. One thing you must note that it doesn’t include the sales list.

6. Keep Clean

The customers can take some desserts after completing their meal. The waiters should promptly clean the tables after finishing the meal before serving the desserts or extra drinks items.

If you are not aware of this thing, the customers’ impression will be negative for sure. So keep the desk clean as soon as possible. 

Besides, you have to refill the drinks and serve the next guests without facing any uncomfortable situation. 

If you clean the desk timely and the customers can feel you are aware of this kind of stuff, it helps to increase the customer satisfaction level. 

7. Avoid Delay Services

It’s a common scenario in restaurants, especially crowded restaurants where customers have to wait to place an order.

If your restaurant is crowded, you should have more waiters as more guests need more tables and to serve them you need more staff.

Suppose your guests complete the dining, but you are too late to make the payment. It negatively affects the customers’ minds. 

Generally, the customers want to check themselves while they want to move out. 

8. Stay Positive

Your customer’s day may not be a good day, so their mental condition can negatively affect the behavior. In this case, you have to be always positive.

It’s easy to realize that you can’t change their situation, so you don’t need to focus on it. There is no need to take their bad attitude personally. 

As a service provider, it’s your main duty to serve the customers as your best. So you can ensure the proper service to your customer at first before considering their mind.

Sometimes the customers can show you a harsh attitude. In this case, you have to keep patient and just focus on your service.

9. Be Confident & Cooperative

When your waiters are not proactive and confident, your service won’t be satisfactory to the customers. You have to know your job first.

Knowing your job means what your responsibility is and when the guests ask you and about your job, if you don’t reply to them confidently or with a smiley face, it can create an adverse situation. 

Besides, the waiters should be cooperative with the guests. If the waiters realize that your staff is not helpful or cooperative, it creates a negative impression.

Moreover, you have to be aware that your workforce is well trained to serve the guests properly. 

10. Always Ready to Say Thanks

Okay, you serve the best food to them as per their requirements. But one thing you need to consider most. What is it?

Wish them farewell. Yes, if you are not sincere in this case, your entire service will be worthless. The guests always want to get from you one thing that is a warm thanks.

If your customers don’t need any service that you offer, you should immediately keep it away. Besides, when they leave your place, you should thank them. 

“Your thanks can be the reason for next time greeting.”

How Can You Ensure the Customer Satisfaction?

The customers of your restaurant are the main target. You have to create a new strategy and new technique to facilitate the customers smoother way. It is essential to know how to wait tables 

In this case, you can follow the below steps to make sure your customer’s satisfied.

• Focus on customers’ needs
• Serve customers best way
• Provide them extra facilities
• Offer the discounts
• Treat them well
• Show them a positive attitude
• Never wait for them too long
• Serve promptly
• Make their time valuable
• Avail miscellaneous services

On the other hand, some activities can augment the satisfaction level of your customers. 

Silly But Essential

For instance, your customers come to your restaurant to take the meal. Your waiters welcome them and request them to take the desired seat. 

You can offer them a welcome drink which can make a better impression. Then based on their requirement, you can pass the order to the kitchen accurately.

Secondly, the customization facility of items can be a better scope. Suppose the guests place the same order for every individual. But someone prefers something different tastes.

In this case, if you can provide them the dishes as per individual expectations, it will positively affect the customer satisfaction level.

Let’s Integrate the Modern & Dynamic System to Manage Your Restaurant’s Table

The modern era gives us more flexibility in every sector. The corporate sector is not excluded. The business management software is not only a time-worthy solution for businessmen but also a cost-effective solution.

The online restaurant reservation system makes the foodservice industry more convenient to the customers so that people can ensure taking mean sitting on a restaurant while sitting on the chair of their home. 

Sometimes the business personnel thinks that the maintenance of the software can be an overwhelming task. But the dynamic and proactive restaurant business owners see it as a solution to increase productivity and profitability.

The online table booking system provides great benefits to restaurant owners. It includes-

• The guests can book the table from home.
• The customers don’t need to wait for a while to take the meal.
• The management of the restaurant will be systematic.
• People can select the desired date from the website or the mobile application.

Why Should You Choose Online Restaurant Reservation System?

The online table booking or restaurant booking software helps you manage your entire business operation and get a responsive website by which the customers can be aware of your services.

The essential features of the online restaurant table booking system are-

• Real-time table booking alert
• Confirmation alert system
• A dynamic restaurant website
• Online ordering system
• Online delivery system
• Restaurant POS system
• Sales management system
• Supply chain management
• Restaurant inventory management system
• Accounts management system
• A typical dashboard
• Android and iOS app integration system
• Waiter management system
• Kitchen management system and so on.

Adopting a new and modern restaurant management software can be your ultimate solution to your foodservice business. Successful business owners always follow the trend so that they can successfully win the customers’ intention as well as the business goals.

If you are a smart business owner and want to make a profit by sustaining in the marketplace, the competitors are the primary obstacle for you. 

When you think one step ahead of your competitors, your success will be certain. What are you waiting for? Manage your waiters, manage your business activities and face the challenges of your business smartly and confidently through a single system.

Manage Your Restaurant Table System With Bhojon. Grab It

Final Words

The restaurant business owners try to serve the customers in the best way. But sometimes, some unexpected occurrences can negatively affect the business operation.

In this regard, a gap is developed between the service providers and service users. Here, the basic and advanced tips are given on how to wait tables perfectly.

However, modern technology assists restaurant business owners in automating their entire activities. So it’s high time to integrate restaurant management software to accelerate your business.

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