by David | Jan 11, 2011 | Building Rapport with Guests, Guest Interaction
One of the most valuable skills of an exceptional server is the ability to create regulars. Having a core of customers that come into your restaurant and ask for you can insulate you against the slower times of the year. It also can make you look outstanding to the...
by David | Dec 14, 2010 | Best of Tips Squared, Building Rapport with Guests, Guest Interaction
This morning I woke up a little more groggy than normal. As I was making my morning spin around the internets, I ran across a post from our friend the only slightly cranky waitress about rapport. It seems her company has taken this up as a replacement for...
by David | Nov 29, 2010 | Guest Interaction, Handling Upset Guests
(Note: in order to get the most out of this post you should read parts one and two. They create the foundation for this summary post and will be referenced frequently.) My friend Marcy has the innate ability to intimidate people. She is a beautiful 5’8” blonde...
by David | Nov 24, 2010 | Guest Interaction, Handling Upset Guests
Years ago I had the good fortune of working for a man named John Maria. I have had many bosses over the years, but none had a better fundamental understanding of human nature than John. One day he gave me a book and told me to read it. He said the answer to almost...
by David | Nov 23, 2010 | Guest Interaction, Handling Upset Guests
One of the most difficult situations any server faces is the hostile guest. I call them hostile, because they are angry with you long before you have even greeted them. Some people just bring all the hostility of their day in to a restaurant and dump it on their...
by David | Nov 18, 2010 | Best of Tips Squared, Guest Interaction, Selling as a Server
“Subtlety is the art of saying what you think and getting out of the way before it is understood.” –Anonymous We as a society have really lost the power of subtlety. It could be because we have lost the patience to unravel it. We receive far more information on a...
