Top food server skills needed to get the job.

What are the top 3 traits or skills every food server must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your food server expertise?

If you eventually want to go "fine dining" (REAL money) learn wine. The more knowledge you have the easier it will be to sell high end wine. Otherwise I would say top 3 things...

1. Organization skills: Have a place for every last part of your uniform (spefic pockets for lighter [for birthdays], wine key, pens, extra paper, change etc... Get in the habits of putting them in the exact same place everyday..every shift...every time. It may seem small and stupid but each little second you trim off here and there puts you "less in the weeds" and allows you to focus more on providing a positive dining expierience and not be searching all over the place for things.

2. Being preparred. Those who succeed most in high volume places (a step you need to take before you go fine dining) are very well prepared. Go to office max and buy a 48 pack of their cheap pens (they are like $5 I think) and keep tons of extra's on you. I never went to work with less than 12-15 pens. You always need them and customers always take/lose them. Also, bring a "change purse" to work. It will allow you to "turn" tables faster by getting them up and out as quickly as possible. Instead of having to go to the bar or track down another server to make change for a $20 you will have it on you already.

3. Know your product. Get as involved with this one as you can. When you get a serving job learn as much about every dish as you possibly can. What's on the sandwich? What kind of roll? What kind of sauce? What are the side options? If you want to bring it to another level learn the ingredients of the sauces..this helps out HUGE in allergy situations. Again...yet another way to save time. You know everything that comes on each dish so there is no need to constantly go to the kitchen everytime someone something

Host said: What are the top 3 traits or skills every food server must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your food server expertise?

#1 Personable (neat,clean & friendly)
#2 Knowledge of your complete menu.(including wine & all beverages)
#3 Organized(make sure you are well prepared & stocked for your shift!)

Host said: What are the top 3 traits or skills every food server must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your food server expertise?

hospitality and food sevice are 2 seperate skills you need to aquire in this industry. But they go hand in hand. make the customer feel welcome almost as if you were enviting them into you own home. taking the order acuratly and expediting the food promptly and hot. Everything else will fall in place. They will leave happy and you will be happy with the generous tip.

Another quality that is so important as a food server is: patience & ability to listen closely! If a customer has a problem with the food, or experience, don't automatically assume they are just a "difficult customer." Listen carefully to what they are saying, and do your best to satisfy their request, (to the point of asking them for their ideas on how to "fix" the situation.) Try to put yourself in their place.

Offer appetizers, drinks, main entree, dessert, after dinner drinks and ask if there are any special needs. Memorize their drinks so you can give better service. Always smile and if there is any doubt about a problem, get the manager. Thank them for stopping in.

Attitude. Most important, I think. Without a good attitude you're doomed.

ENSURING 100% GUEST SATISFACTION, BEING POLITE,NEAT AND HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF ALL ASPECTS OF THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS

Smile Smile Smile. I dont see this as much now a days in the service area of our restuarant business. Way to much seriousiness. It seems I as though, I the customer, is the one to break the ice with the server to get them to Smile or loosen up. So I recommend in these hard times Smile Smile Smile!!

you must accomodate the person or people u r taking care of as if it were yourself. when u go somewhere no one wants to look for their server.Make sure their drinks are ALWAYS filled regardless. Even if it is buffet! You must adjust your personality to each individual table. Remember to ALWAYS SMILE!!!! If im having a bad day, I will go somewhere to get away from everything and I would like a kind word and a wonderful smile. NO ONE wants to hear the servers problems!!! If there is a problem at work, DO NOT tell the consumer. It' not there problem! I am a server and I love my job. The point is treat them like you want to be treated!!!!!!!

1. SAVE STEPS: Scan your tables constantly. Remove plates as needed, notice if beverages need refreshing. Replenish stock often. Most often the needs of the customer can be fulfilled w/o saying a word. Take notice and be attentive.

2.BE A TEAM PLAYER: Help your cohorts! Deliver food or drinks when you have time, Replace stock if you take the last (i.e.) straws, lemons, creamers etc. NEVER be empty handed... bring out dishes etc. from dishwasher. Grab an empty glass when walking by. This can be done w/o brakeing a stride.

3.Be ATTENTIVE, to all clients! They may sit in your section next time. Treat customers as if you owned the establishment. Make them feel welcome, smile when you don't want to. Treat everyone with respect. Compassion goes along way.

4.A SENSE OF HUMOR. Laughter is the best medicine. You attract more flies w/ honey than you do with vinegar.

5.EMPATHY: When dealing with unruly guests, listen to the problem. If you cannot fix it either ask if they want to talk to a manager ( most often they don't ) or ask them " what can I do to resolve it? " They will appreciate that you are genuinely concerned.

6.ABUSIVE GUESTS: You do not earn enough money to take the abuse so many people dump on servers. If management tolerates this behavior, you need a new job. Employers should ALWAYS back their employees. There are grateful employers out there tho far and few. I find family owned to be the most appreciative. Chains follow rigid rules which rarely backs employees in my experience of 40 years waiting tables.

That being said, if you work for a place that is always running short, out of stock, not enough help and lazy managers, all the advise in the world won't help.

G.U.E.S.T.

G.= GREETING (a warm friendly greeting, introduce yourself)
U.= URGENCY (approach the table asap, keep hot food hot and cold food cold when delivering it to them, find out asap if checks need split so when they are ready to go they don't need to wait on you)
E.= EYE CONTACT (use eye contact so you are not just stare down at your order pad)
S.= SMILE (encourage others to smile with your smile)
T.= THANK YOU (sincere thanks for having them as your guest ... if you didn't have them you, you wouldn't have any money in your pocket or a job even)

master these simple things first AND learn as much as you can so you don't have to always ask someone for help - menu knowledge, wine service, supplies, how to use the computer, etc. but don't be afraid to ask- we've all had our first days on the job so anyone should be willing to help.

I definitely believe in SMILE, SMILE, SMILE! That's good advice for any employee, regardless of job sector. But I'm wondering about what you said about not seeing as much of it nowadays..... aside from the bad economy and a host of other legitimate things, could it be partly because of the lists of specials that servers are required to recite and particularly the "upselling"/marketing aspect that can be so annoying to a customer? These things can be overcome, STILL -- they're kind of a drag on the employee. And if you don't do enough upselling, you may be booted?

(One of my favorite places to dine is a little spot where it's "free-style" for the servers. They're good at what they do, and they make people feel comfortable and welcome. They don't "recite" anything and I don't think they're even required to tell you their name. They just greet customers warmly and treat them well, and they smile a lot maybe cause there's not so much other stuff required of them to have to focus on.)

helenstlkline in Long Beach, California said: Smile Smile Smile. I dont see this as much now a days in the service area of our restuarant business . Way to much seriousiness. It seems I as though, I the customer , is the one to break the ice with the server to get them to Smile or loosen up. So I recommend in these hard times Smile Smile Smile!!

Host said: What are the top 3 traits or skills every food server must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your food server expertise?

1. Communicaton Skills
2. Personality
3. Always remember that customers are always right, period.

Anthony Ruff in Cincinnati, Ohio said: 1. Communicaton Skills
2. Personality
3. Always remember that customers are always right, period.

customer isn't always right.