🍸 TRL Weekly: Never Say This

Your weekly lesson and tactical reminders inside.

November 17, 2024

Happy Sunday, future server/bartender millionaire.

In today’s lesson Brandon is teaching us why we should never say “I’ll check for you.”

Our Last Three Lessons:

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

Today at a Glance:

  • Weekly Lesson: Never Say “I’ll Check For You”

  • Tactical Reminders: Your Video Lessons

🍸 Weekly Lesson:
Never Say “I’ll Check For You”

It is a HUGE turn off to all guests when a server doesn’t know the answer to something.

Even if you don’t notice it, I promise, they care.

Especially if you have to leave the table without taking the order and come back.

I know sometimes it is UNAVOIDABLE, but then you have to be confident about it and make a joke.

So in the worst case scenario you would say something like this:

  • “Great question! I have been here 20 years and never been asked that! I’ll find out!” with excitement and enthusiasm.

And if you are new, you can confidently say this:

  • “Great question! I am new so I haven’t been asked that yet! I’ll find out!” with the same level of confidence. Confidence is key!

Hopefully it never happens though and here is how you are going to avoid it.

Step One: You have to get your knowledge up.

Sorry if you don’t want to hear this, but 99% of servers' knowledge is awful compared to what it should be.

The best way to actually get your knowledge up is to ask yourself (or your lead staff) questions that guests HAVE asked or WILL ask.

How do you know what to ask…?

You won’t always know everything, but use common sense to make up your own questions to ask the chef.

“Can this be gluten free? How so? What about…?”.

Make it a new rule for yourself to ask the chef and the lead bartender at least 5 questions every single shift.

Another great way to memorize the menu is by making flash cards for yourself. 

Step Two: Always have a back up plan so you can somehow take the order.

Here is my favorite example:

My fiancé asked what high noon flavors they had at the restaurant and the server knew it was either pineapple or watermelon, but she had to run and check.

Instead, she should’ve asked us something like “usually pineapple or watermelon, which would you prefer?” and then we answer and then she can say “and if we don’t have pineapple you are good with watermelon, right?”.

Then she doesn’t have to run back and forth.

And sometimes the guest will say “No I wouldn’t want watermelon” and then she can say “Okay what would your back up be then?”.

You can do this with so many different things that they would order and it's not hard at all.

🚀 Tactical Reminders:

  1. Brandon - 3 Things NOT TO DO -

    Video Lesson: Click here.

  2. Jess Advanced Skill - Fronting the Table -

    Video Lesson: Click here.

  3. Derek - Ask this Question -

    Video Lesson: Click here.

That’s all for week thirty four.

See you next week,

The Restaurant Launch Team