How to Be a Good Waitress

Posted on October 1st, 2009 by Elaine

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Being a waitress may look easy, but it’s not. The staff is very important for any restaurant or diner, because they are the ones representing the entire place. Being a good waitress is a crucial factor to ensure that your patrons always think of the establishment as a good place to go to. Here are several helpful tips on how to be a good waitress.

General Tips

Always be on time for your shift. If you’re working in is a fairly busy place, they’ll need all the help they can get to ensure quality service. If you need to take a day off, make sure you inform them.
Don’t go to work if you’re not feeling well. You can easily transfer whatever virus you’re carrying to the people around you.
Memorize the menu. This will impress your customers, especially if they have questions about certain dishes. Also, you should know the specialty of the resto or the special of the day.
Know your way around the resto. You should also practice carrying trays and balancing them in your hands.
Smile. Always be pleasant to the diners, even if you’re having a terrible day. A positive and upbeat attitude gives the place a great impression.

Appearance And Overall Behavior

Look good. Your uniform should be pressed and clean, your shoes polished, and your hair pushed back in a bun, so it won’t fall into your food. Apply a small amount of makeup to look pretty.
Smell good, but don’t wear overpowering fragrances. Don’t smell like smoke or fish or anything unpleasant.
Be nice to the kids. Parents would appreciate you for doing this. Smile and act friendly.
Do not ignore your customers. If you see new diners coming in, and the waitress assigned to their area is busy, don’t hesitate to accommodate them. If the order is taking too long, reassure them that it will only take a couple of minutes.
Always be courteous and tactful, even when faced with difficult customers. Keep your cool and avoid arguing with them.
If you get regular customers, find out what their names are. People find it nice to have a restaurant who have servers who know them.

Working With Others

Respect your managers and fellow waitresses and waiters. Work with the staff, and not around them.
Don’t fight with other waiting staff over tables. Your focus should be on delivering the best possible service. Set a good example to your fellow waitresses and waiters by creating a great working environment.

Taking Orders

Provide the diners with a menu as soon as they’re sitting down and comfortable. Give them your name, tell them the special of the day and ask them if they would like for you to come back in a while so they can decide their orders. If they do, come back after a couple of minutes.
Jot down the order clearly, making sure you heard everything correctly. Before you leave, repeat the order. Take the menus with you when you go.
Always check on the table. Make sure the diners have enough utensils and condiments.
Be thoughtful and watchful. Ask if they want water while waiting. If their bottomless drinks are running low, ask if they would like a refill.
If you see used plates or glasses that are empty, ask the customers if it’s okay to remove them before doing so. This will prevent the customers from feeling that they are being rushed. If you’re working in a fine-dining restaurant, though, it’s not appropriate to remove a used plate until everyone at the table is finished.

Getting The Check

When the meal is finished, ask the diners if they need anything before asking if they need the check. They might be interested in dessert or they might need more table napkins.
Be gracious when getting a tip. The standard tip for good restaurant service is 15% to 20% of the amount from the check. If the tip seems a bit low, never complain.
Never count your tip in front of the customers.

A mark of a good restaurant can be seen in its staff. With these easy tips, you’ll impress your customers and provide quality service all the time.