Not Treating Every Customer like Your Best
It is literally human nature to judge, our brains need stereotypes to categorize all of the information that we receive every day. While you can’t stop your subconscious from categorizing, you can, and should, stop your conscious from acting on those stereotypes. Even if your try to fake nice your customers can sense your true feelings which is why it is important to treat every customer like your best customer. Sure you will still get some not so great tips from some not so great people but treating each and every one of your guests like your favorite regulars will make your overall bottom line increase.
Your Guests Judges Too
Yes you are working a double, yes you will leave tonight smelling like food, and no that is no excuse to not look nice when you come to work. As a server you are not only representing the brand of the restaurant, you are also representing your own brand. If your guests perceive you as disheveled or unkempt they are automatically going to include that in their over all judgment of you, and even if the food and service are perfect, they will associate it with a poor experience, which will in turn lower your tips.Talking About Other Guests/Servers on the Floor
We get that sometime people rub you the wrong way but it needs to be dealt with in the back of the house. You would be surprised what your guests can hear, any negativity, even if it is not directed toward them, will result in them viewing you poorly. Complaining on the floor makes guests believe that you really don’t like your job and if you don’t like doing it then why would they pay you for it?Talk Too Much or Too Little
The art of conversation is a difficult one and you must be able to read your guests and understand how much communication they want and need. If it is a group of old friends catching up, they don’t want you there interrupting their conversations. However a single individual may welcome you sitting down with them and having a whole conversation. Understanding when to leave a conversation or the importance of silent service may mean the difference between 10 and 20 percent.Forgetting What T.I.P.S Stands For
TIPS started as an acronym for To Insure Prompt Service and slowly became something in which we all expected. A table that tells you they are fine may need something two seconds after you walk away, even though you don’t know it and they know you just left the table but seeing you mess around with your friends on the floor really irks them. The same goes for messing around with your friends in the back of the house and sending text messages instead of making sure your attending to your guest’s needs.