🍸 TRL Weekly: Fix Your Verbiage

Welcome back, future server/bartender millionaire!

This is our fifth week of The Restaurant Launch Newsletter.

So far we’ve covered:

• “The Hi Method” - Read More.

• “What Else May I Bring You” - Read More.

• Don’t Recommend The Most Expensive Items! - Read More.

• Ninja Service - Say Less, Do More - Read More.

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

Today at a Glance:

• Brandon’s Weekly Lesson: Fix Your Verbiage

• Server Story: Quinn from Paris

• Tactical Reminders: Your Video Lessons

• Server/Bartender Poll: Take Our Quick Poll

🍸 Brandon’s Weekly Lesson:
Fix Your Verbiage

Verbiage is an ongoing issue that most servers don’t even realize they have.

Most of the phrases we are saying imply things that we should NEVER be implying.

For example, “are you ready to order?” is implying that YOU (the server) is ready for them to order, so they better be ready.

This is why the guest will sometimes say that they are ready, when they are most certainly NOT ready.

Then they start asking you questions about items that are clearly described well on the menu.

THIS IS YOUR FAULT. YOU RUSHED THEM.

Instead you should ask:

1. “What questions do you have for me?”

2. “What may I describe?”

The verbiage list goes on and on and on.

I will list 10 (not all) of our key changes that I want you all to make IMMEDIATELY.

EXAMPLES:

1. “Are you ready to order?” change to “What may I describe for you?”

2. “No Worries / No Problem” change to “Of course!”

3. When a guest says “sorry” - “It is okay / No problem” change to “don’t be sorry!”

4. “Did you need a box” change to “may I box/wrap that for you?”

5. “Did you save room for dessert?” change to “What are we thinking, a tres leches, chocolate cake, espresso martinis or maybe something to go?”

6. “Did you need more water?” change to JUST GET THEM WATER

7. “Did you need anything else?” change to “what else may I bring you”

8. “Did you want another drink?” change to “same thing or something different?”

9. “Did you want an appetizer?” change to “what are we thinking (list 3-10 apps)?”

10. “Did everything come out OKAY?” change to “How is dinner? OR What are we thinking?”

There are hundreds and hundreds of verbiage changes that you should be looking to make on top of these common ones.

When you are making your own verbiage changes you should be trying to do 2 things:

1. Make it more polished.

If you are unsure what that means, just try to think of what most servers would say, and make it slightly better while being authentic to what you would normally say to your family. 

2. You should be trying to shorten everything you say. Remove any words that don’t really matter to save yourself time. 

For example, this could be changing “Margarita, did you want to do that with cazadores?” to “Margarita, cazadores, casamigos or patrón?”.

As you can see, one is much more efficient than the other. I listed three tequilas for them to pick from in less words than some servers would list one.

I also want you to stop asking guests “what flavor did you want?” and instead, just start listing the flavors!

They are going to ask you to do it anyway. Save yourself a few seconds by cutting straight to the chase.

👩‍🍳 Server Story: Quinn from Paris

We were in Paris last week for Mike’s wedding, and one server (Quinn), stood out ahead of all the others.

Note: If you didn’t know (or don’t remember our other Server Story about Joe from The Royal Mile in Scotland): tipping is an American thing.

Our server, Quinn was incredible.

He mirrored our energy, he made jokes, popped in at the perfect moments, knew what we needed before we even knew what we needed, and went above and beyond for us.

And at no point was he doing any of this for a bigger tip.

The lesson here?

Do it for the guest.

🚀 Tactical Reminders:

1. Verbiage - Stop saying “no worries”.

   Video: Click here.

2. Mirroring Skit - Guest cuts off server, this is how to play it off.

   Video Lesson: Click here.

3. Auction Food - Jess Auctioning off food:

   Video Lesson: Click here.

That’s all for week five!

If you have a second please take the poll below to let us know what the number one thing you’re looking to gain from this newsletter is.

See you next week,

The Restaurant Launch Team