When I started my first serving job years ago I worked for a company I will affectionately refer to as “Five Four.” That isn’t what it says on the signs out front, but it what we all called it. My first day a manager who introduced himself as “CSV” told me that if I couldn’t figure out how to carry three plates at once by the end of the shift, I was fired. I wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth, but I learned to carry three plates. A couple days later I was training with a guy named “Timmy” who never wrote down his orders. I asked him why and he said, “Only rookies write down orders.”
There are any number of managers who would read that last sentence and be horrified. The thought of not writing down orders puts fear in the heart of managers who are responsible for the rise in food costs related to misrung food. A former boss once put it this way; “I would rather have a stubby pencil than a sharp mind.” The debate on whether or not to write down orders has pretty much been won by the side of managers who want to eliminate mistakes. I do not disagree with them, but I also do not write down orders.
The problem most companies have with memorizing orders is the mistakes that can come from doing so improperly. I would never advocate memorizing orders unless you had the skills to do so. In my next post, I will disclose my technique for memorizing orders. It is an acquired skill, and not a talent you are born with. Anyone can be taught to do it, but it takes practice. In the meantime, here is my reasoning behind still memorizing orders.
There are three primary reasons why I memorize orders.
Professional Skill: A large part of what brings your tip to higher levels is demonstrating that you have a higher level of skill than the average server. Memorizing orders is a trick that impresses your guests. Guests will ask me all the time if I have a recorder in my pocket. This is a trick that reminds guests you are a professional. This makes the value of what you are doing seem greater to guests who appreciate such things.
Maintaining Presence: With most sales jobs, one of the first things you learn is how to fill out an order form. The reason why is that you do not want to take the focus off the customer at that critical juncture. The same is true in serving. Guests have an inherent fear that you are more concerned with selling them something than recommending items for their benefit. Being more concerned with writing down the order than remaining focused on the guest only confirms this fear.
Avoids Dependence: I have seen great servers who were unable to take an order without pen and paper. They have had to ask a guest who was ready to order (buy) to wait for them to come back with paper. I have even seen some who have former coworkers swipe them order pads from their old employers. They are so used to using a particular format that they are somewhat dependent on it. Having the skill of memorizing orders, even if you do not use it every time, enables you to avoid this.
Keep in mind that all of these are contingent upon being able to remember the order accurately. Failing to do bring the guest what they ordered more than wipes out any goodwill you have gained. Tomorrow I will address in greater detail how to do this accurately. In the meantime, what is your opinion on memorizing? Do you write everything down or memorize? Drop me a line in the comment section and let me know if you agree or disagree.
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I will always write them down if there are more than two people. I’m just stupid that way!
My husband and I had a wonderful dinner at Antoine’s in New Orleans years ago. Our waiter, Mike, was a Louisiana native who decided that being an honest narcotics detective in that state was bad for his (life) health and quit the job when his partner held a gun to his head. He had some great stories and regaled us with them as he carved our chateau briande for two and set flame to our cafe brulot. He memorized, unflinchingly, our very complicated orders and did everything perfectly. It was a perfect evening in general. I asked him if he ever forgot people’s orders and he assured me he didn’t, but that if he had to wait on a party of more than 15 people, he would write it down.
He then told me about the man who trained him for his job, who worked at Antoine’s for 40+ years and could take the orders of a party of 30 absolutely perfectly without a hitch. He also told me the guy made about $800 a night after tipout.
Mike was a busboy for 7 years before he was promoted to a waiter. There’s a reason people stay at Antoine’s, and one of them is it’s a career.
Now, here in KC, I have a favorite brunch venue. I won’t name it, but I always sit at the bar because I love the bartender, but also because the few times I’ve sat at a table, the service has been terrible. A server once took our party of four’s order without writing it down and we got all sorts of things we didn’t order and didn’t get lots of stuff we did order.
I’m sure you’re better than she is. 🙂
You start with two tops and build from there. The other factor that makes it more complicated is multiple courses. If you are going three or four courses deep it is tough to keep them straight that long. The other secret is that if I can’t ring it all right away, I stop to write it down in the side station.
I will always write them down if there are more than two people. I’m just stupid that way!
My husband and I had a wonderful dinner at Antoine’s in New Orleans years ago. Our waiter, Mike, was a Louisiana native who decided that being an honest narcotics detective in that state was bad for his (life) health and quit the job when his partner held a gun to his head. He had some great stories and regaled us with them as he carved our chateau briande for two and set flame to our cafe brulot. He memorized, unflinchingly, our very complicated orders and did everything perfectly. It was a perfect evening in general. I asked him if he ever forgot people’s orders and he assured me he didn’t, but that if he had to wait on a party of more than 15 people, he would write it down.
He then told me about the man who trained him for his job, who worked at Antoine’s for 40+ years and could take the orders of a party of 30 absolutely perfectly without a hitch. He also told me the guy made about $800 a night after tipout.
Mike was a busboy for 7 years before he was promoted to a waiter. There’s a reason people stay at Antoine’s, and one of them is it’s a career.
Now, here in KC, I have a favorite brunch venue. I won’t name it, but I always sit at the bar because I love the bartender, but also because the few times I’ve sat at a table, the service has been terrible. A server once took our party of four’s order without writing it down and we got all sorts of things we didn’t order and didn’t get lots of stuff we did order.
I’m sure you’re better than she is. 🙂
You start with two tops and build from there. The other factor that makes it more complicated is multiple courses. If you are going three or four courses deep it is tough to keep them straight that long. The other secret is that if I can’t ring it all right away, I stop to write it down in the side station.
I never write drink orders, but unless it is a small table, I always write food orders. It isn’t a memory problem, but if people mess around and start asking me a thousand questions, I will forget the other orders. Also, I hate it when servers don’t write down my order because most of the time, the food comes out wrong. I tend to do what I like servers to do for me.
Questions are definitely a killer. Was talking to a very good server friend who reminded me of the memory killer that is the guest asking, “Shouldn’t you be writing this down?” I will address my solution to the question problem tomorrow in my strategy.
I never write drink orders, but unless it is a small table, I always write food orders. It isn’t a memory problem, but if people mess around and start asking me a thousand questions, I will forget the other orders. Also, I hate it when servers don’t write down my order because most of the time, the food comes out wrong. I tend to do what I like servers to do for me.
Questions are definitely a killer. Was talking to a very good server friend who reminded me of the memory killer that is the guest asking, “Shouldn’t you be writing this down?” I will address my solution to the question problem tomorrow in my strategy.
As a guest, memorization doesn’t impress me at all. Not one teeny, tiny bit.
Bringing out the food as I ordered it does.
You seem to be an expert server; the post following this one (haven’t gotten there yet) indicates you have a mnemonic technique.
That’s great.
Just know that while you smile confidently as my four-top recites their preferred salad dressings, I’m sitting there fighting the urge to ask you to please write down my order because I’ve been burnt so many times in the past. It’s infuriating to send food back when it could have been avoided by using a pencil.
I’ll say it again: if my food comes out correctly after a memorized order, I’m not impressed. I’m merely relieved.
Fair enough. So once your order comes out correctly I am at worst in the same spot as if I had written down the order. I can accept that. On a different table I am way ahead though for getting it right. In no way am I advocating that anyone do this half heartedly or if they lack the ability to do so with accuracy. If the order arrives correctly, it has little downside, but a fair amount of upside to guests who appreciate such things. Some out there really do. Every table is different and the key is to try to put yourself in a position with the highest likelihood of impressing the table.
As a guest, memorization doesn’t impress me at all. Not one teeny, tiny bit.
Bringing out the food as I ordered it does.
You seem to be an expert server; the post following this one (haven’t gotten there yet) indicates you have a mnemonic technique.
That’s great.
Just know that while you smile confidently as my four-top recites their preferred salad dressings, I’m sitting there fighting the urge to ask you to please write down my order because I’ve been burnt so many times in the past. It’s infuriating to send food back when it could have been avoided by using a pencil.
I’ll say it again: if my food comes out correctly after a memorized order, I’m not impressed. I’m merely relieved.
Fair enough. So once your order comes out correctly I am at worst in the same spot as if I had written down the order. I can accept that. On a different table I am way ahead though for getting it right. In no way am I advocating that anyone do this half heartedly or if they lack the ability to do so with accuracy. If the order arrives correctly, it has little downside, but a fair amount of upside to guests who appreciate such things. Some out there really do. Every table is different and the key is to try to put yourself in a position with the highest likelihood of impressing the table.
I asolutely HATE when a server does not write down my party’s order. It it NOT impressive, it is an invitation for mistakes. Only pride would have a server try to memorize an order tableside. I refuse to return to any establishment that allows the practie.
To eat his own and you are entitled to that opinion. I think most people judge such situations by the outcome. I don’t care if someone writes it down, which hand they use, or which color ink. If my meal gets messed up I am not happy, but if it comes out right I am. I won’t eat at a place that has Fox News on the TV. Everyone is entitled to reasonably petty neuroses about eating out, but it is best to accept them for what they are.
I asolutely HATE when a server does not write down my party’s order. It it NOT impressive, it is an invitation for mistakes. Only pride would have a server try to memorize an order tableside. I refuse to return to any establishment that allows the practie.
To eat his own and you are entitled to that opinion. I think most people judge such situations by the outcome. I don’t care if someone writes it down, which hand they use, or which color ink. If my meal gets messed up I am not happy, but if it comes out right I am. I won’t eat at a place that has Fox News on the TV. Everyone is entitled to reasonably petty neuroses about eating out, but it is best to accept them for what they are.
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