🍸 TRL Weekly: Biggest Server Pet Peeve

Your weekly lesson and tactical reminders inside.

April 28, 2024

Welcome back, future server/bartender millionaire!

Time is flying and this is already our sixth week of The Restaurant Launch Newsletter.

So far we’ve covered:

And we’re back for another lesson from Brandon this week:

Today at a Glance:

  • Brandon’s Weekly Lesson: Biggest Server Pet Peeve

  • Tactical Reminders: Your Video Lessons

  • Quick Question: Answer a Quick Question in our PS Section

🍸 Brandon’s Weekly Lesson:
Biggest Server Pet Peeve

Almost every server I have ever trained has had to break this bad habit.

They were all acting like they were too busy to give their tables attention.

And I get it, you might be very busy, but when you are at a table, you have to STOP looking around at your other tables.

You also have to stop walking away from the table slowly while asking if they need other things.

STOP ACTING BUSY!

If you actually give your table your undivided attention and make them feel like you want to genuinely help them, they will do 2 things:

  1. Love you and tip you MORE.

  2. Actually ask you for the things they want the first time instead of making you run back and forth 8 times.

Here are some examples of some verbiage changes you should make if you haven’t already:

  • Changing “did you need anything else?” to “what else may I bring you?”

  • “What else? Who else?”

  • Banter with them - “come on, there has to be something else?” (smiling / joking around)

Do 2-3 checks with them before leaving the table!

For example, someone says “can I get some ketchup?”

I would say:

  • “Ketchup! Of course! What else? Who else?”

    • Pause

  • “Nothing else? You sure!?”

This isn’t a verbiage change, but anticipating the guests needs will help a TON.

Meaning, bring the guests things they will need before they realize they need it.

A guest should never have to ask for more napkins while they eat their wings.

You should notice that they ran out OR that they are running low and bring more out on your next trip.

I also always hear servers complain that they can’t give their table attention because they are already in the weeds.

My argument to this is that giving the table more attention will actually help get you out of the weeds.

When you appear busy, guests are less likely to ask you for things they might really want. 

In fact, approximately 80% of guests are nice and would rather go without something than inconvenience their server. 

But this same guest will ask the bus boy or the manager or the other server that doesn’t appear busy.

Then the bus boy will get the wrong item or ask you to get it anyway or ask you to get the wrong item. 

Or worse, the guest will never get the thing they wanted.

What happens now?

This guest won’t complain.

This guest just WON’T COME BACK!

It is not because they didn’t get that one thing they needed.

It is because of how they felt at the restaurant.

They didn’t feel WARM.

They felt like they were an inconvenience.

🚀 Tactical Reminders:

  1. Pet Peeve - Stop walking away from tables -

    Video: Click here.

  2. Attention to Detail - Jess explaining the importance of CARING -

    Video Lesson: Click here.

  3. Mirroring - Why [and how] you should mirror your guest -

    Video Lesson: Click here.

That’s all for week six!

See you next week,

The Restaurant Launch Team

PS - We are in the process of creating courses for servers and bartenders.

What topics would you like to see us cover?

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