🍸 TRL Weekly: Ditch These Bad Habits

Your weekly lesson and tactical reminders inside.

August 25, 2024

Happy Sunday, future server/bartender millionaire.

In today’s lesson Brandon teaches us which bad habits we need to ditch.

Our Last Three Lessons:

You can read the rest of the past weekly lessons here.

Today at a Glance:

  • Weekly Lesson: Ditch These Bad Habits

  • Tactical Reminders: Your Video Lessons

🍸 Weekly Lesson:
Ditch These Bad Habits

The first bad habit you have to ditch is responding to a guest's order by saying “Good choice” or “My favorite”.

This is common sense, but it makes everyone at the table think, “Was mine a bad choice?” or “Should I get that too?”…

You have even probably had some guests say that to you.

This is a simple switch.

Instead, you should just repeat the order back to the guest exactly how they said it and immediately.

So if they say:

  • “I’ll take a burger, medium rare with cheddar”

You would respond with:

  • “Burger, medium rare with cheddar. And what about you?” And go to the next person.

The next bad habit is using the word “Guys”.

I am fine with you using it when you are talking to all guys at a more casual restaurant, but if there is a single female at the table you shouldn’t use guys.

You might argue that it is gender neutral, but that is your opinion and even if 1 woman out of 100 gets slightly annoyed by it, then it is not worth it.

The risk outweighs the reward.

Just use words like…

  • Everyone

  • Y’all

  • Folks

  • Or just say “Hi, welcome in!”

The third and last habit you have to ditch is waiting for the guests to ask for things.

If a guest has to ask you for more water OR even for another cocktail: you failed.

You should either be the one asking OR if it's free and you know they need it, JUST BRING IT!

AND…don’t say a word. Just drop it and let them enjoy themselves.

You should also try to get good at anticipating their needs so you end up bringing it over 7 seconds before they realize they want it.

Your goal is for them to say something like:

  • “How’d you know I wanted that!?”

  • “You’re a mind reader!”.

The more times this happens, the higher your tip goes!

🚀 Tactical Reminders:

  1. 3 Habits to Ditch - Video lesson on bad habits -

    Video Lesson: Click here.

  2. Small Wow Moment - Brandon - Wow moment by asking for condiments - Video Lesson: Click here.

  3. Elevated Verbiage - Jess - Ditch “is everything OKAY?” -

    Video Lesson: Click here.

That’s all for week twenty two.

See you next week,

The Restaurant Launch Team