🍸 TRL Weekly: Server Skills Pt. 2

Your weekly lesson and tactical reminders inside.

September 08, 2024

Happy Sunday, future server/bartender millionaire.

In today’s lesson Brandon teaches us the second part of our Server Skills.

Our Last Three Lessons:

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

Today at a Glance:

  • Weekly Lesson: Server Skills Part Two

  • Tactical Reminders: Your Video Lessons

🍸 Weekly Lesson:
Server Skills Part Two

Brandon told us last week: server skills might not be as fun as an upselling, but boy do they make you a lot more money.

These are mostly going to get your tip % up, but keep in mind, better service makes your sales game stronger.

(If you missed Skills #1 and #2, you’ll want to head over to last week’s newsletter and read them there).

SKILL #3: EFFICIENCY

It drives me crazy when I see a server have to run back and forth because one guest asked for one thing and they didn't ask the other guests what they wanted.

When one person asks for a ketchup you should respond with “Ketchup, what else? Who else?” and look at every person at the table.

It also drives me crazy when a server goes from one table to the kitchen and then back to one table then to the POS then to one table and so on.

GO TO ALL YOUR TABLES EVERYTIME.

  • Fill up your hands!

  • Do two drink orders at once!

  • Pre mark tables while you run another table's drinks.

  • Bring ketchup for 2 tables at once!

There are about 1,000 things you can think of to do to save yourself time in the future.

You have two share plates you are bringing to table twelve?

Bring a pitcher of water as well.

Drop the share plates and then go fill up thirteen and fourteen’s water THEN ask all of those tables if they want another cocktail, etc.

SKILL #4: SPEED

This one is relatively easy, but way too many servers walk way too slow.

Everything you do should have a sense of urgency.

You are never running, but you definitely should have a pep in your step.

A guest asks you for a straw, you say “Straw, of course, what else?” they say “Nothing” and you actually walk away with some pep in your step to go get it!

It is as simple as that and shows the guest that you CARE.

You care that they are sitting without a straw for their drink and they want one.

Or you care that they already got their sandwich and now they want ranch with it.

Whatever it might be, when you walk away with some urgency, they notice.

🚀 Tactical Reminders:

  1. Server Pet Peeve - Brandon - Server Pet Peeve #1-

    Video Lesson: Click here.

  2. List Side Items - Jess - Stop pointing to side items  -

    Lesson: Click here.

  3. First Drink - Derek - Getting the first drink order. -

    Video Lesson: Click here.

That’s all for week twenty four.

See you next week,

The Restaurant Launch Team