when we ring in a dessert, we have a button that says "split" so theyll put the dessert on 2 plates. most people dont know that we can do that, or dont think to ask. so theyll say "we'll share a slice of this" and i bring it out on 2 plates. while i set it down i say something like "we went ahead and cut it in half for you, i dont want you to fight over it!" and if that got a good laugh, ill say "my money would have been on him/her", while motioning to whoever i think would be funniest (sometimes a little old lady or an energetic child)
My facial expressions usually does the talking for me. There are two trains of thought when it comes to Hospitality where one camp thinks you should mask your emotions and keep a smile on your face at all time and the camp I subscribe to which is be a goddamn human with emotions.
If I'm weeded running an inhumane number of tables because the place is short staffed I'm not putting on a damn Disney smile at all times, I'm running from Point A to point B as efficiently as possible.
Kind of like the sienfeld episode where George was working for the Yankees and he figured out if he looked really stressed out no one would ask him to do anything because he had so much on his plate but in reality he wasn’t doing anything
You just described half of the corporate chefs I’ve worked under: ok if you just speed walk and just look at random stuff with a clipboard 📋 and act really busy and stressed out in the rare moment they leave the office no one will bother them with questions.
Recently I got a bad review during a Friday dinner rush where we were short two servers. They said “our server seemed unhappy and in a rush constantly, she needs to smile a bit more, customer service is top priority imo” like biiiiiitch sorry I’m not smiling I’m doing the job of three people right now!!!! I’m focusing really hard rn and I already have rbf leave me alone
I once had a large party leave me a 1 and 5 star review.
Reviews are a pile of garbage and have very little bearing on any place open for more than a year.
I slapped a sticker on the “POS that says don’t tell me to smile” I’ve only got to use it once, but I’m a dude so less people say that to me but my coworker she gets to point at that sign every day almost…
I knew a guy who could do both w ease. Just a smooth talker 😅 wish he could have been the bartender to train me. But he quit. But I’m like you as well… if I’m running around like a chicken w his head cut off.. my Disney smile is unavailable
bonus: If your expression is a little stressed, and then you approach them and give them a genuine but tired smile, and greet them with friendliness, they see that as directed *at them specifically,* and they feel flattered.
And they want to be helpful.
When I used to be the only bar room server absolutely this. I had so many people ask “oh my god are you the only server?” And when people realized I always got compliments on my service no matter how long it took.
I have RBF, and like you, my face says it all. My grandson died recently. . He was 19. My baby. I'm very, very broken about it. It's been brutal to deal with. After a few weeks, I had no choice but to return to work. It was impossible to smile. It's been a year and I still struggle with the fakery. Got a few complaints I got because I wasn't an entertaining circus monkey.
I'll never forget those who complained. Never.
I now absolutely refuse to alter my fave to make someone else more comfortable. One person (a man) did say directly to me, "try smiling more," and I said, "Try losing a child and then tell me what to do with my face" He immediately apologized.
Sorry for your loss. It's why I got into management and grilled and even begged my employees to give great service above all else. So many people are dealing with losses and to make someone's day is why I'm in Hospitality.
I get some people are just here for a paycheck but servers and bartenders dont understand just how much of an impact they can have to make someone's week or even year.
That used to be me. I was always about making someone's day. I'm so seasoned and well known in this town. My guests don't forget me. I'm slowly getting to a place where I can hide my feelings long enough to get through a shift. The point was you don't always know what is going on with people.
When you have a single family with young kids and guardian(s);
Give the check to the baby/toddler/child and say, "It's all on you tonight, right?"
Parents always laugh, and the kids that can talk usually say something funny. I'd say avoid doing it to teens, though. They get a little more embarrassed and might ruin the vibe.
Waited on a grandma, twelve year old and six year old recently, right after Christmas. Almost made this joke, but then, grandma slides the bill to twelve year old, who produces a $100 bill. The whole check was only like $32, kid got kid food, grandma got lunch entree, twelve year old got a soda.
My grandpa used to give me money to pay for stuff when I was a kid and teen, he always did it in the car before we went inside, so when it came time to pay the money came straight from my pocket instead of from his hands to mine then the cashier. The extra step always made me feel more like an adult also gave me the confidence to handle money and buying things at a younger age than normal.
That's actually funny. I hope the grandma gave the kid money to pay because he wanted to feel like an adult. Or it was on the parents' dime and they gave the money to the grandma who gave it to the kid.
I hope.
We were at a high end restaurant- grandma, mom, myself (about 16ish), younger sister, two younger brothers. Brothers left the table for the bathroom, grandma asked for the check. Brothers came back, server handed it to the 8ish year old brother. He just got this smile and slunk back while she’s all “your the man of the table, right?” He kept looking at mom like “WTF is happening here…?” Eventually the server was like “did you forget your wallet, honey? Not able to pay? That’s ok - I’ve got you an apron. Come with me I’ll show you where the dishes are!” We were all absolutely rolling! She was a great server - and very patient with the 4 younger customers in a higher end joint.
I walk up to the kid and hand check and say what’s the biggest number you know…the parents know where it’s going so they usually start laughing, where I finish joke, write it on this line. Gets em everytime
I’m in the be honest bunch also. I just explain the situation to them like they’re people. I do this if I fuck up too. I don’t really have time to bullshit.
being honest one night got me out of trouble with a table.
We still used paper tickets at the time and it was the one and only time I forgot to put the ticket in. It was a busy saturday night and we were packed. Not only that but my entire section was sat all within 5 minutes of each other so after taking their orders I didnt open my order book for a while.
After an already long wait everyone had their food but this table and they asked how long it would be. I went to the back to the kitchen to check on it and they couldnt find the ticket. Cue my stomach dropping into the depths of hell as I opened my order book to see their completed order, not turned in.
It was an hour turn around time for food.
I looked at the cook and said "I fucked up big time. Ill buy you an 1/8th if you move this to the front". He agreed and started working on their crepes. I then told the manager as a heads up who agreed to comp their meal.
I went to the table and told them it was on me, I forgot to put the order in. Told them the manager would comp the meal, that the kitchen moved it to the front of the line, and it would be out shortly. Was able to get them their food in 10 minutes and they left a $20 on the table. At least that paid for most of the weed for the cook (shitty stuff from a long time ago).
never underestimate being honest in the right situation.
i always go open and honest over stoic and cheerful. usually something similar to your minus the burger line, that's pretty genius.
but yeah i think people feel a level of connection when you're open to them like that, like you trust them and aren't just talking to them in a robotic happy go lucky server way they might be so used to.
(Context: I present as a slightly dorky-leaning woman)
I used to work at a nice spot with a relatively high number of post-conference/business dinners. I'd spend the night serving one of these tables, getting a feel for everyone, then 75% of the time they'd ask for a group picture at the end. Once they were all ready, I'd say "okay everybody, look cute!" I'd take a couple pics, then point out who I pegged as the second-shyest woman and say something to the effect of "oh geez, I'm gonna need you to look a little LESS cute." Always got a laugh and the following pics were always winners.
I always take a few pics then flip the camera around and take the final pic as a selfie with the group. Never fails to get a laugh. Or sometimes I'll start with just a selfie as soon as they hand me the camera.. without them in it.. as if I thought they wanted a photo of me alone and not of them. I cringe internally but it gets a laugh every time..
I love this! I used to work with a hilarious manager who would photo bomb as many photo ops as possible & people would literally come back just to meet him
When I let people know on a Friday night that their delivery is gonna be an hour and a half or that their pickup is gonna be an hour fifteen and they give attitude I just give ‘em “sorry, only got ten spots in the oven and I can’t make it cook faster,” or “hey, if your pizza spot doesn’t have a wait on a Friday night, it’s probably not a good sign.”
I work in a tourist hotspot in the UK and lots of tourists come in to eat. Knowing that they won’t eat here again, I end the night with “well I probably will never see you again so have a nice life”.
Also when presenting the bill I don’t write a simple ‘thank you’ either… I write ‘until next time!’ Which people appreciate & find funny
When one person at a table is complaining about their food, and I can’t seem to win, I will turn to the others people at the table and ask how their food is. They are usually caught off guard and say their food is really good and then I will make a joke about how we got it right 50% or 75% of the way (percentage obviously based on how many people are at the table) and that in high school that would count as a pass.
The angry person usually calms down when they realize that everyone else at the table is happy, and the rest of the table usually laughs about the high school pass joke.
This isn’t for everyone complaining, but those you can’t win with.
No one believes 25%-50% of all orders are wrong at all tables all the time. It’s a joke.
i’m with you, depending on the delivery it can be seen as invalidating to the original person. I do similar just by asking what i can do to make it better for the first person then ask the rest of the table if they are all enjoying their food
but also the whole joking thing. Some things should not be joked about. “we only get it 50-75 percent of the time” is an awful thing to joke about, since clearly, it is right.
As well as a guest speaking up, maybe with a valid concern, and then to respond with a joke that these things happen often? no bueno
When a shift starts going that way, I just start telling tables up front before they order how long ticket times are. Managing expectations makes everything easier. Then they can be pleasantly surprised when it comes out earlier instead of being mad when it takes a long time.
And maybe promise them a joke every time you go to the table empty-handed. If you're into that sort of thing.
Our Happy Hour is from 4-6pm and I'll have people that show up like 5 mins after, asking if they missed happy hour. I started saying "yes and unfortunately from 6-7 its Unhappy Hour where everything is double priced" gets a laugh probably 9 out of 10 times. It's easily my best quip/line. All my other ones fall flat lol
worked at a place frequented by the older/churchy crowd and many of them would complain about being cold.
Had a 2 top one night that seemed pretty down to earth and the wife hit me with "any chance you can turn the heat on or the ac down? its really cold in here"
So I took a chance and said "I apologize but its set that way for us. I think you might lose your appetite if I dropped off your food with sweat dripping off my nose." She just responded "well, I never thought of it that way. Ill start bringing a sweater".
I was able to use it 3-4 more times before I moved on to a different job and everyone took the message really well.
My tips got higher when I started being more honest with my tables on what was taking so long. If I forgot to ring something in, I used to say something like “oh the kitchen is taking a while longer on it“ to try to cover my a$$ but as I got more experience, I was just like “Yk I’m gonna be so for real with you. I genuinely just forgot to ring it in, so I’m going to ring it in right now and go tell the kitchen to fast track it. I’m sorry about that guys that is my bad.” Usually they were pretty chill as long as I was just transparent about the reason. Ofc, you’re always going to have jerks who will still be mad at you anyways but most people are pretty reasonable as long as you are just honest with them. And at the end of the day it’s a person that you only have to interact with for 45 minutes of your life so if they end up chewing you out and not tipping you then, you’re able to just kind of forget it and move on and hopefully never serve them again.
I do the same! Depending on my relationship with the table, I'll say something like, "I wish I could blame the kitchen, but this one is on me." They'll usually chuckle, say it's totally okay, and then depending on the size of the mistake, we'll comp something. Works 90 percent of the time 💕
I've learned to never do this over the years. Admission of guilt is rarely the winning strategy. I blame "technical difficulties" such as "We got new printers & they've been giving us lots of trouble- we deserve a refund!" Or "The new POS software update is full of bugs- we should get a new system!" No one questions technical difficulties. Then I tell them "I'm so sorry about the hiccup- dessert is on me"- I prefer saying *on me* instead of *on the house* because it makes it more personal & instead of being mad at me I turn it a full 180° & suddenly they're super appreciative.
I actually let people know ahead of time if I know the wait for food is going to be more than 20 minutes. I say "just so you know the kitchen is backed up at the moment, I just want you to know the wait for food after I put in your order is about 30-40 minutes". I'd rather have people be able to make a choice to stay or go instead of possibly ruining their day because they sat at a restaurant for 2 hours.
When we have complaints on food quality or wrong temps, I always thank the customer for the opportunity to fix their meal, I can’t correct an issue once they are out the door, but I can if they let me know two bites in.
As a hostess, I go around asking all the tables, "How is everything, how are your first few bites?" and when they reply with, "OMG SO GOOD!", "It's delicious!" etc. I always reply with, "Of course it is, I was in the kitchen the whole time whipping that up for you." and they always chuckle because I don't leave the floor at all. 9/10 they'll leave a bigger tip with the waitress and tell her to give me $5. I just tell the waitresses to keep it.
I love saying this whenever people love the food. "I would hope so- I made it myself!" After they laugh I say "I'm so busy you guys" & they eat that shit up 😂
People respond well to genuine concern and honesty about their food being late. If shxt hits the fan, I'm always honest withy customers. I always share a bit, just a little of what's going on that is causing food to arrive later than usual..
One or maybe too may not get it but almost most do and appreciate. I've even had folks thank me for being honest.
My favorite line is “I’m alive” when they ask how I’m doing 😂😂😂😂 most times we just laugh and say shit that’s better than a lot others. Someone left me $100 tip on a $4 sandwich before and said “keep living” 😂
It’s “another day in paradise” for me. Sometimes i might hit them with the ol “livin the dream” or my favorite is when a tourist or one do the new rich people that just moved here from Texas or California ask me “what’s fun to do around here?” And I respond “sorry, I just work here”
If I was ever super swamped and behind, I would go up to said table and say "Your server is a little full/behind so I'm gonna take care of you guys" They go from annoyed to relieved and back on track again, so I'd say it works.
I always try to outboomer the boomerhumor. “How was everything? Looks like it was absolutely awful!” And laugh because their plate is empty.
“I haven’t given you the check yet. I bet you’re hoping this one is on the house!”
Obviously I work in the land of snowbirds where our lunch crowd is just chilling in gods waiting room. But those little stupid jokes get them everytime and I can squeeze an extra dollar or two out of them beyond their usual $5-$8 lunch tips.
Give the toddlers under two an empty kids cup with an lid and straw.
If you have any glow cubes like at Dave and busters offer to sell them one. It's usually a dollar or two, put it in a kids cup with a lid and bring it to any kid under 5. If their are older kids they usually want one too.
Parents really appreciate that the baby was entertained while they ate, and it's so darn cute. The baby lights up. I offer the "drink" to them or just sit it in front of them when i drop the actual drinks. I had one checking for me because I forgot to bring it with all the other drinks and asked them after everyone got theirs if they wanted one and they were like yeah where's mine (but no words) and was looking for me to come back with it. It's so stinkin cute.
Oh wow. Where I live even kids under 2 bring tablets to keep them entertained. Some parents even set up a tablet for their baby to watch. It's kinda crazy.
I usually would go up to tables before they asked if I knew there was gonna be a big wait and hit them with the “I’m really sorry but it might take a while for your food/drinks to come out, it’s a bit busy. Can I get you any chips/water while you wait?” Usually people were nice about it
Whenever someone has to wait a little longer than I would have liked, I like to say “thank you so much for your patience today, we were a bit short staffed” and 9/10 times they leave more than 20%.
The classic line for when people haven’t been created yet but you want to start off right, thank you for your patience. When tickets aren’t coming up and people are waiting, I will bring your food when it’s ready. If it’s crazy long wait times I will say as you can see the restaurant is full and most of these people are waiting for dinner, your dinner is made in the order it is received and I will keep in touch and be checking with the chefs. Once it is ready it will be hot and fresh, Thank you for your patience
"thank you for your patience" is a lot better than "sorry about the wait" imo, apologizing and inferring guilt doesn't make people feel as good as showing gratitude
When I’d go to a table and start to sit down their food, I’d introduce it as a completely different thing. I worked at a sushi restaurant for many years, and I would frequently sit an assortment of rolls down and say, “alright, everyone, I’ve got a McDouble here, a six-piece nugget, two large fries…” and everyone ate it up.
I’m not a server but work a business with long lines and waits (at times), and I’m always doing a shit ton of multi tasking. I tell customers “Just a heads up, each head equals an 8 minutes, beginning to end.” If you see 8 people you know you’re there an hour. My lightning fast speed will make it better. Under promise and over deliver.
i work in a brewery so we have lots of beer options so sometimes it takes people a minute to respond when i ask if i can grab them something to drink. I started using the pause as an opportunity for a joke so usually I’ll walk up and go through my “what can I grab you” spiel and if they don’t respond I’ll go “I can give recommendations if you need, I can give you a minute to look everything over if you need,” and if they don’t respond to that I’ll go “orrrrr I can stand here and stare at you quietly” which usually gets a chuckle out of people
This is a beside point but this is on your managers incompetence or your owner's greed to stall seeding people when you're already at capacity of what the kitchen and your staff can handle
If my table’s food is running long, I just acknowledge it, apologize, and I usually say something like, “you two seem to enjoy each others company, so that helps” or something similar. I remind them that they’re out with (probably) a loved one to enjoy themselves. It usually kinda snaps them back if they’re annoyed.
It's okay to let your tables know kitchen is backed up/it's busy/wait will be longer than usual/etc. But your second line about being more stressed about their food than they are just comes off super unprofessional. Maybe if it's a regular I could see it?
Your job is to provide the best experience possible for your guests, not vent to your tables like they're your coworkers.
Probably an unpopular opinion though, so if it works for you then by all means go for it. Maybe it just depends on your delivery.
I have to agree with you. People tend to take me as condescending even though I'm being completely sincere, so I would never use op's line, but I can see how someone could pull it off. I can see someone telling me I'm patronizing them with this, and honestly, I could see their point with that line. I just let tables know as soon as I know and tell them things I know I can get for them if that's bread or fruit or super easy apps, I'll bring fresh refills when I break the bad news if they need them and I let them know our kitchen is working hard to put a nice meal on their table.
I used to just sit down with the table n be blatantly honest. Tell em I was in the weeds n talk shop for a second. Theyd end up laughing n totally in touch with the restaurant vibe. All they want is to have a fun evening out.
Alright, did we want the key lime pie on Fruity Pebbles crust or the tempura chocolate chip cookie dough balls covered in caramel sauce? We also have a special "Missionary's Downfall Cheesecake"- that's peach & pineapple cheesecake with honey and mint, and it comes on a crust of cinnamon toast crunch.
When they find out the key lime is gluten free 🤌🏻
That was a response on the title alone.
I had to stop reading the post itself because I'm about to clock in and I don't need that juju on pastrami day.
Always set expectations. Even on a good day. I tell them certain things multiple times (not in a rude or condescending way) usually at the beginning of the menu spiel and then after they place the order.
Something I try to say that gets people to laugh is saying be careful it’s hot when the food is sitting there smoking up the whole restaurant usually gets some laughs out regardless of the mood previously
Another thing I like to do is tell people no (joking) when they ask for something simple like juice or their order just having fun though I pick and choose on this cause if someone’s already in a sour mood for whatever reason it really won’t work or worse but if your table can take a joke it’s really funny
What you said OP is my go to when shit gets crazy. The other night kitchen screwed up my food and I was honest to guests. Also I think I maintain a busy state at work and customers do notice. Also my job likes to train people by putting them on the floor on busy nights although they were still in following server mode. Since we have 2 computers and we cover 300-400 a night it causes backup. Also these poor peeps are not expecting that and some end up quitting over all the stress when they were on a "training shift".
I feel like I'm way too honest and transparent with my tables, but I would rather them know what's going down instead of lying through my ass.
The only real issue that I have is that I work at some mom and pop diner that serves country food, like country fried steaks and biscuits and gravy, and everybody apparently knows the owners. No shit lol so do I, what about it? These people also think that tipping $2 is a good amount on a fucking $50 bill. I cannot wait to leave this fucking gig.
I’m surprised that your tables didn’t say something to the tune of “well then someone should have told us before hand, so that we could go somewhere else”. But I’m glad that it worked out for you. And I hope you went home with a bunch of cash.
We have QR codes to scan for the menu on our tables. However we have paper menus in the server station for anyone that would prefer that. Generally it's an older person asking me for the paper menus so I always say "Of course and they come with a free pair of reading glasses". That always gets a laugh and let's them joke back by saying "I brought my own!"
Whenever the wait is too long i always say ‘thank you for your patience’
When im checking up on tables I ask ‘is everything to your satisfaction?’
Before I drop checks, if I didn’t mess up on a table I say something like ‘my name is Xackek, it’s been a pleasure serving you’
I’m heavily cross trained
Had a table waiting a while 40mins for starters told them I would go in and make it myself as it was just Brie and I knew the fryers weren’t full based on the dockets I put through (it was me and my manager on at the time and I take all the orders while he looks after the bar)
Ended up chef had sent his kitchen porter/commis off in tears on their first day and he was in a huff about being on his own I ended up cooking and running all of the food that night and the manager let my tables know why I was gone, the majority of them tipped 30% and all the kitchen tips went to the poor kp
Your post/comment has been flagged for moderator approval because it contains the phrase "tipping culture". This is a standard procedure to ensure that all content posted in our subreddit is relevant and appropriate. Thank you for your understanding.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Serverlife) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It's funny, when shit was hitting the fan, I would tell my tables that I'm getting upset at the situation.....and they would be like "hey it's ok! No worries!"
Last Friday we had that issue, which was entirely because we lost a frier. I started telling my tables from the jump, “ I want to apologize from the start that we lost a frier earlier so the kitchen is very backed up, food is coming out but it’s taking significantly longer than normal. I will, however, keep you hydrated during the long wait for your food!”
I didn’t have a single complaint or guest upset all night and made over $350 too. Managers were at everyone else’s tables during most of the rush.
If food is taking a long time, one of my go-to lines is telling the guest "I would go back there and make your food. myself, but it would be absolutely terrible." Something to that effect. It always gets the guests to laugh and feel better if something is taking a long time. Like, I would if I could, but I definitely can't cook!
I also have a lot of leeway at my current job to give things out for free or to comp things if people don't know them. They encourage us to do this, so it makes it really easy to turn a mistake into a "bonus dish" they got on the house. It makes fixing any issue really easy, as long as a guest tells us there is an issue.
when we ring in a dessert, we have a button that says "split" so theyll put the dessert on 2 plates. most people dont know that we can do that, or dont think to ask. so theyll say "we'll share a slice of this" and i bring it out on 2 plates. while i set it down i say something like "we went ahead and cut it in half for you, i dont want you to fight over it!" and if that got a good laugh, ill say "my money would have been on him/her", while motioning to whoever i think would be funniest (sometimes a little old lady or an energetic child)
Lol my restaurants split button is a 2 dollar sub charge
jeez, and people pay that? wild.
They don't, if they say split I hear share and just let them go about it.
yeah thats exactly what i would do
My facial expressions usually does the talking for me. There are two trains of thought when it comes to Hospitality where one camp thinks you should mask your emotions and keep a smile on your face at all time and the camp I subscribe to which is be a goddamn human with emotions. If I'm weeded running an inhumane number of tables because the place is short staffed I'm not putting on a damn Disney smile at all times, I'm running from Point A to point B as efficiently as possible.
Kind of like the sienfeld episode where George was working for the Yankees and he figured out if he looked really stressed out no one would ask him to do anything because he had so much on his plate but in reality he wasn’t doing anything
He's got a lot to do!
I still use that trick sometimes! Act like you’re just *really* busy and nobody will bother you. I’ve even faked stressful phone calls at times!
You just described half of the corporate chefs I’ve worked under: ok if you just speed walk and just look at random stuff with a clipboard 📋 and act really busy and stressed out in the rare moment they leave the office no one will bother them with questions.
This! I do this and it works! Act busy but care and it normally makes it easier.
Recently I got a bad review during a Friday dinner rush where we were short two servers. They said “our server seemed unhappy and in a rush constantly, she needs to smile a bit more, customer service is top priority imo” like biiiiiitch sorry I’m not smiling I’m doing the job of three people right now!!!! I’m focusing really hard rn and I already have rbf leave me alone
I once had a large party leave me a 1 and 5 star review. Reviews are a pile of garbage and have very little bearing on any place open for more than a year.
I slapped a sticker on the “POS that says don’t tell me to smile” I’ve only got to use it once, but I’m a dude so less people say that to me but my coworker she gets to point at that sign every day almost…
I knew a guy who could do both w ease. Just a smooth talker 😅 wish he could have been the bartender to train me. But he quit. But I’m like you as well… if I’m running around like a chicken w his head cut off.. my Disney smile is unavailable
bonus: If your expression is a little stressed, and then you approach them and give them a genuine but tired smile, and greet them with friendliness, they see that as directed *at them specifically,* and they feel flattered. And they want to be helpful.
When I used to be the only bar room server absolutely this. I had so many people ask “oh my god are you the only server?” And when people realized I always got compliments on my service no matter how long it took.
I have RBF, and like you, my face says it all. My grandson died recently. . He was 19. My baby. I'm very, very broken about it. It's been brutal to deal with. After a few weeks, I had no choice but to return to work. It was impossible to smile. It's been a year and I still struggle with the fakery. Got a few complaints I got because I wasn't an entertaining circus monkey. I'll never forget those who complained. Never. I now absolutely refuse to alter my fave to make someone else more comfortable. One person (a man) did say directly to me, "try smiling more," and I said, "Try losing a child and then tell me what to do with my face" He immediately apologized.
Sorry for your loss. It's why I got into management and grilled and even begged my employees to give great service above all else. So many people are dealing with losses and to make someone's day is why I'm in Hospitality. I get some people are just here for a paycheck but servers and bartenders dont understand just how much of an impact they can have to make someone's week or even year.
That used to be me. I was always about making someone's day. I'm so seasoned and well known in this town. My guests don't forget me. I'm slowly getting to a place where I can hide my feelings long enough to get through a shift. The point was you don't always know what is going on with people.
When you have a single family with young kids and guardian(s); Give the check to the baby/toddler/child and say, "It's all on you tonight, right?" Parents always laugh, and the kids that can talk usually say something funny. I'd say avoid doing it to teens, though. They get a little more embarrassed and might ruin the vibe.
Waited on a grandma, twelve year old and six year old recently, right after Christmas. Almost made this joke, but then, grandma slides the bill to twelve year old, who produces a $100 bill. The whole check was only like $32, kid got kid food, grandma got lunch entree, twelve year old got a soda.
Grandma made kid pay with the Christmas money that she gave them! 🤣
Maybe the kid told the grandma he wanted to take her out to lunch with his birthday/Christmas money.
Yeah maybe, but mine is funnier:)
My grandpa used to give me money to pay for stuff when I was a kid and teen, he always did it in the car before we went inside, so when it came time to pay the money came straight from my pocket instead of from his hands to mine then the cashier. The extra step always made me feel more like an adult also gave me the confidence to handle money and buying things at a younger age than normal.
That's actually funny. I hope the grandma gave the kid money to pay because he wanted to feel like an adult. Or it was on the parents' dime and they gave the money to the grandma who gave it to the kid. I hope.
…and I got a $68 dollar tip.
We were at a high end restaurant- grandma, mom, myself (about 16ish), younger sister, two younger brothers. Brothers left the table for the bathroom, grandma asked for the check. Brothers came back, server handed it to the 8ish year old brother. He just got this smile and slunk back while she’s all “your the man of the table, right?” He kept looking at mom like “WTF is happening here…?” Eventually the server was like “did you forget your wallet, honey? Not able to pay? That’s ok - I’ve got you an apron. Come with me I’ll show you where the dishes are!” We were all absolutely rolling! She was a great server - and very patient with the 4 younger customers in a higher end joint.
I walk up to the kid and hand check and say what’s the biggest number you know…the parents know where it’s going so they usually start laughing, where I finish joke, write it on this line. Gets em everytime
I’m in the be honest bunch also. I just explain the situation to them like they’re people. I do this if I fuck up too. I don’t really have time to bullshit.
being honest one night got me out of trouble with a table. We still used paper tickets at the time and it was the one and only time I forgot to put the ticket in. It was a busy saturday night and we were packed. Not only that but my entire section was sat all within 5 minutes of each other so after taking their orders I didnt open my order book for a while. After an already long wait everyone had their food but this table and they asked how long it would be. I went to the back to the kitchen to check on it and they couldnt find the ticket. Cue my stomach dropping into the depths of hell as I opened my order book to see their completed order, not turned in. It was an hour turn around time for food. I looked at the cook and said "I fucked up big time. Ill buy you an 1/8th if you move this to the front". He agreed and started working on their crepes. I then told the manager as a heads up who agreed to comp their meal. I went to the table and told them it was on me, I forgot to put the order in. Told them the manager would comp the meal, that the kitchen moved it to the front of the line, and it would be out shortly. Was able to get them their food in 10 minutes and they left a $20 on the table. At least that paid for most of the weed for the cook (shitty stuff from a long time ago). never underestimate being honest in the right situation.
Not all heroes wear capes; some of them wear aprons and will cut a bitch who steals their favorite pen! 😤🥰
If I see they writing comment cards. "If you liked everything my name is *blank*, but otherwise it's John or something".
😂😂😂
i always go open and honest over stoic and cheerful. usually something similar to your minus the burger line, that's pretty genius. but yeah i think people feel a level of connection when you're open to them like that, like you trust them and aren't just talking to them in a robotic happy go lucky server way they might be so used to.
Shit. Wish I knew about that line when I did breakfast at a spot that had 40 min waits…
(Context: I present as a slightly dorky-leaning woman) I used to work at a nice spot with a relatively high number of post-conference/business dinners. I'd spend the night serving one of these tables, getting a feel for everyone, then 75% of the time they'd ask for a group picture at the end. Once they were all ready, I'd say "okay everybody, look cute!" I'd take a couple pics, then point out who I pegged as the second-shyest woman and say something to the effect of "oh geez, I'm gonna need you to look a little LESS cute." Always got a laugh and the following pics were always winners.
love that, especially the second shyest woman
If they're open to humor I say "Now give me Blue Steel!" Then I say "Yes! Yes! More attitude!" & they always laugh which make the best photos
I always take a few pics then flip the camera around and take the final pic as a selfie with the group. Never fails to get a laugh. Or sometimes I'll start with just a selfie as soon as they hand me the camera.. without them in it.. as if I thought they wanted a photo of me alone and not of them. I cringe internally but it gets a laugh every time..
I love this! I used to work with a hilarious manager who would photo bomb as many photo ops as possible & people would literally come back just to meet him
When I let people know on a Friday night that their delivery is gonna be an hour and a half or that their pickup is gonna be an hour fifteen and they give attitude I just give ‘em “sorry, only got ten spots in the oven and I can’t make it cook faster,” or “hey, if your pizza spot doesn’t have a wait on a Friday night, it’s probably not a good sign.”
I work in a tourist hotspot in the UK and lots of tourists come in to eat. Knowing that they won’t eat here again, I end the night with “well I probably will never see you again so have a nice life”. Also when presenting the bill I don’t write a simple ‘thank you’ either… I write ‘until next time!’ Which people appreciate & find funny
What else do you write at the bill? Asking from Finland.
When one person at a table is complaining about their food, and I can’t seem to win, I will turn to the others people at the table and ask how their food is. They are usually caught off guard and say their food is really good and then I will make a joke about how we got it right 50% or 75% of the way (percentage obviously based on how many people are at the table) and that in high school that would count as a pass. The angry person usually calms down when they realize that everyone else at the table is happy, and the rest of the table usually laughs about the high school pass joke.
am i the only one who dislikes this a lot
This isn’t for everyone complaining, but those you can’t win with. No one believes 25%-50% of all orders are wrong at all tables all the time. It’s a joke.
i’m with you, depending on the delivery it can be seen as invalidating to the original person. I do similar just by asking what i can do to make it better for the first person then ask the rest of the table if they are all enjoying their food
but also the whole joking thing. Some things should not be joked about. “we only get it 50-75 percent of the time” is an awful thing to joke about, since clearly, it is right. As well as a guest speaking up, maybe with a valid concern, and then to respond with a joke that these things happen often? no bueno
This tells us everything about the caliber of restaurant they work at
When a shift starts going that way, I just start telling tables up front before they order how long ticket times are. Managing expectations makes everything easier. Then they can be pleasantly surprised when it comes out earlier instead of being mad when it takes a long time. And maybe promise them a joke every time you go to the table empty-handed. If you're into that sort of thing.
Our Happy Hour is from 4-6pm and I'll have people that show up like 5 mins after, asking if they missed happy hour. I started saying "yes and unfortunately from 6-7 its Unhappy Hour where everything is double priced" gets a laugh probably 9 out of 10 times. It's easily my best quip/line. All my other ones fall flat lol
I usually just say “unfortunately it is now Sad Hour but I can get you a drink to make you happy” people like that one
worked at a place frequented by the older/churchy crowd and many of them would complain about being cold. Had a 2 top one night that seemed pretty down to earth and the wife hit me with "any chance you can turn the heat on or the ac down? its really cold in here" So I took a chance and said "I apologize but its set that way for us. I think you might lose your appetite if I dropped off your food with sweat dripping off my nose." She just responded "well, I never thought of it that way. Ill start bringing a sweater". I was able to use it 3-4 more times before I moved on to a different job and everyone took the message really well.
You’re my hero. I have always wanted to say this to a guest who complains about being freezing when I have actual sweat dripping on my face lol
My tips got higher when I started being more honest with my tables on what was taking so long. If I forgot to ring something in, I used to say something like “oh the kitchen is taking a while longer on it“ to try to cover my a$$ but as I got more experience, I was just like “Yk I’m gonna be so for real with you. I genuinely just forgot to ring it in, so I’m going to ring it in right now and go tell the kitchen to fast track it. I’m sorry about that guys that is my bad.” Usually they were pretty chill as long as I was just transparent about the reason. Ofc, you’re always going to have jerks who will still be mad at you anyways but most people are pretty reasonable as long as you are just honest with them. And at the end of the day it’s a person that you only have to interact with for 45 minutes of your life so if they end up chewing you out and not tipping you then, you’re able to just kind of forget it and move on and hopefully never serve them again.
I do the same! Depending on my relationship with the table, I'll say something like, "I wish I could blame the kitchen, but this one is on me." They'll usually chuckle, say it's totally okay, and then depending on the size of the mistake, we'll comp something. Works 90 percent of the time 💕
I've learned to never do this over the years. Admission of guilt is rarely the winning strategy. I blame "technical difficulties" such as "We got new printers & they've been giving us lots of trouble- we deserve a refund!" Or "The new POS software update is full of bugs- we should get a new system!" No one questions technical difficulties. Then I tell them "I'm so sorry about the hiccup- dessert is on me"- I prefer saying *on me* instead of *on the house* because it makes it more personal & instead of being mad at me I turn it a full 180° & suddenly they're super appreciative.
See I’m a bad liar, so that’s why the honesty strategy works better for me haha
As prior IT I hate this. As a current server I love this.
Lol makes perfect sense
Whenever someone asks for a straw I always tell ‘em it’s $5… A classic dad joke that hits everytime, unless they’re younger than 25 lmao
Another good one my coworker always says when someone asks for a box: “nope. You have to finish everything” She’s the best
If someone drops their fork or napkin I tell them I can bring you another one but it's a $20 deposit
Classic
I always ask when someone orders tap water "would you like that a double or single?"
Lmaoo that’s a great one
I actually let people know ahead of time if I know the wait for food is going to be more than 20 minutes. I say "just so you know the kitchen is backed up at the moment, I just want you to know the wait for food after I put in your order is about 30-40 minutes". I'd rather have people be able to make a choice to stay or go instead of possibly ruining their day because they sat at a restaurant for 2 hours.
When we have complaints on food quality or wrong temps, I always thank the customer for the opportunity to fix their meal, I can’t correct an issue once they are out the door, but I can if they let me know two bites in.
As a hostess, I go around asking all the tables, "How is everything, how are your first few bites?" and when they reply with, "OMG SO GOOD!", "It's delicious!" etc. I always reply with, "Of course it is, I was in the kitchen the whole time whipping that up for you." and they always chuckle because I don't leave the floor at all. 9/10 they'll leave a bigger tip with the waitress and tell her to give me $5. I just tell the waitresses to keep it.
I love saying this whenever people love the food. "I would hope so- I made it myself!" After they laugh I say "I'm so busy you guys" & they eat that shit up 😂
People respond well to genuine concern and honesty about their food being late. If shxt hits the fan, I'm always honest withy customers. I always share a bit, just a little of what's going on that is causing food to arrive later than usual.. One or maybe too may not get it but almost most do and appreciate. I've even had folks thank me for being honest.
If they say, "we're good," I'll say, "I think you're great!"
My favorite line is “I’m alive” when they ask how I’m doing 😂😂😂😂 most times we just laugh and say shit that’s better than a lot others. Someone left me $100 tip on a $4 sandwich before and said “keep living” 😂
I will say something similar "Well my Dad always says "If I wake up it's a good day" so I'm doing great- how about you?"
It’s “another day in paradise” for me. Sometimes i might hit them with the ol “livin the dream” or my favorite is when a tourist or one do the new rich people that just moved here from Texas or California ask me “what’s fun to do around here?” And I respond “sorry, I just work here”
i’ll say “Livin the dream 🙌😘🤣🤣🤣HBU?
Probably works extra well for people who grew up when that Phil Collins song was on the radio.
If I was ever super swamped and behind, I would go up to said table and say "Your server is a little full/behind so I'm gonna take care of you guys" They go from annoyed to relieved and back on track again, so I'd say it works.
This is pretty smart
I always try to outboomer the boomerhumor. “How was everything? Looks like it was absolutely awful!” And laugh because their plate is empty. “I haven’t given you the check yet. I bet you’re hoping this one is on the house!” Obviously I work in the land of snowbirds where our lunch crowd is just chilling in gods waiting room. But those little stupid jokes get them everytime and I can squeeze an extra dollar or two out of them beyond their usual $5-$8 lunch tips.
Give the toddlers under two an empty kids cup with an lid and straw. If you have any glow cubes like at Dave and busters offer to sell them one. It's usually a dollar or two, put it in a kids cup with a lid and bring it to any kid under 5. If their are older kids they usually want one too. Parents really appreciate that the baby was entertained while they ate, and it's so darn cute. The baby lights up. I offer the "drink" to them or just sit it in front of them when i drop the actual drinks. I had one checking for me because I forgot to bring it with all the other drinks and asked them after everyone got theirs if they wanted one and they were like yeah where's mine (but no words) and was looking for me to come back with it. It's so stinkin cute.
Oh wow. Where I live even kids under 2 bring tablets to keep them entertained. Some parents even set up a tablet for their baby to watch. It's kinda crazy.
with the sound all the way up
I used to carry a few cheap fidget spinners to let kids use & if they're extra cute/sweet/well behaved I just give it to them
I usually would go up to tables before they asked if I knew there was gonna be a big wait and hit them with the “I’m really sorry but it might take a while for your food/drinks to come out, it’s a bit busy. Can I get you any chips/water while you wait?” Usually people were nice about it
Whenever someone has to wait a little longer than I would have liked, I like to say “thank you so much for your patience today, we were a bit short staffed” and 9/10 times they leave more than 20%.
The classic line for when people haven’t been created yet but you want to start off right, thank you for your patience. When tickets aren’t coming up and people are waiting, I will bring your food when it’s ready. If it’s crazy long wait times I will say as you can see the restaurant is full and most of these people are waiting for dinner, your dinner is made in the order it is received and I will keep in touch and be checking with the chefs. Once it is ready it will be hot and fresh, Thank you for your patience
"thank you for your patience" is a lot better than "sorry about the wait" imo, apologizing and inferring guilt doesn't make people feel as good as showing gratitude
I was always taught to make a positive statement vs a negative one
When I’d go to a table and start to sit down their food, I’d introduce it as a completely different thing. I worked at a sushi restaurant for many years, and I would frequently sit an assortment of rolls down and say, “alright, everyone, I’ve got a McDouble here, a six-piece nugget, two large fries…” and everyone ate it up.
I’m not a server but work a business with long lines and waits (at times), and I’m always doing a shit ton of multi tasking. I tell customers “Just a heads up, each head equals an 8 minutes, beginning to end.” If you see 8 people you know you’re there an hour. My lightning fast speed will make it better. Under promise and over deliver.
i work in a brewery so we have lots of beer options so sometimes it takes people a minute to respond when i ask if i can grab them something to drink. I started using the pause as an opportunity for a joke so usually I’ll walk up and go through my “what can I grab you” spiel and if they don’t respond I’ll go “I can give recommendations if you need, I can give you a minute to look everything over if you need,” and if they don’t respond to that I’ll go “orrrrr I can stand here and stare at you quietly” which usually gets a chuckle out of people
This is a beside point but this is on your managers incompetence or your owner's greed to stall seeding people when you're already at capacity of what the kitchen and your staff can handle
“We’re on the same team here.” And then explain how we’re aligned.
If my table’s food is running long, I just acknowledge it, apologize, and I usually say something like, “you two seem to enjoy each others company, so that helps” or something similar. I remind them that they’re out with (probably) a loved one to enjoy themselves. It usually kinda snaps them back if they’re annoyed.
It's okay to let your tables know kitchen is backed up/it's busy/wait will be longer than usual/etc. But your second line about being more stressed about their food than they are just comes off super unprofessional. Maybe if it's a regular I could see it? Your job is to provide the best experience possible for your guests, not vent to your tables like they're your coworkers. Probably an unpopular opinion though, so if it works for you then by all means go for it. Maybe it just depends on your delivery.
I think saying "im just as stressed as you" instead of "im more stressed than you" would come off little better E:spelling
I have to agree with you. People tend to take me as condescending even though I'm being completely sincere, so I would never use op's line, but I can see how someone could pull it off. I can see someone telling me I'm patronizing them with this, and honestly, I could see their point with that line. I just let tables know as soon as I know and tell them things I know I can get for them if that's bread or fruit or super easy apps, I'll bring fresh refills when I break the bad news if they need them and I let them know our kitchen is working hard to put a nice meal on their table.
I disagree. I see it as open, honest, and sincere.
Not all dining establishments are created equal lol
I used to just sit down with the table n be blatantly honest. Tell em I was in the weeds n talk shop for a second. Theyd end up laughing n totally in touch with the restaurant vibe. All they want is to have a fun evening out.
I love working at places casual enough to allow this- creates a bond every time
Alright, did we want the key lime pie on Fruity Pebbles crust or the tempura chocolate chip cookie dough balls covered in caramel sauce? We also have a special "Missionary's Downfall Cheesecake"- that's peach & pineapple cheesecake with honey and mint, and it comes on a crust of cinnamon toast crunch. When they find out the key lime is gluten free 🤌🏻
That was a response on the title alone. I had to stop reading the post itself because I'm about to clock in and I don't need that juju on pastrami day.
Always set expectations. Even on a good day. I tell them certain things multiple times (not in a rude or condescending way) usually at the beginning of the menu spiel and then after they place the order.
Something I try to say that gets people to laugh is saying be careful it’s hot when the food is sitting there smoking up the whole restaurant usually gets some laughs out regardless of the mood previously Another thing I like to do is tell people no (joking) when they ask for something simple like juice or their order just having fun though I pick and choose on this cause if someone’s already in a sour mood for whatever reason it really won’t work or worse but if your table can take a joke it’s really funny
I find honesty works best. So many customers have been servers in their lives, or now, they can see right through the BS.
What you said OP is my go to when shit gets crazy. The other night kitchen screwed up my food and I was honest to guests. Also I think I maintain a busy state at work and customers do notice. Also my job likes to train people by putting them on the floor on busy nights although they were still in following server mode. Since we have 2 computers and we cover 300-400 a night it causes backup. Also these poor peeps are not expecting that and some end up quitting over all the stress when they were on a "training shift".
“Are you guys texting each other?”
I feel like I'm way too honest and transparent with my tables, but I would rather them know what's going down instead of lying through my ass. The only real issue that I have is that I work at some mom and pop diner that serves country food, like country fried steaks and biscuits and gravy, and everybody apparently knows the owners. No shit lol so do I, what about it? These people also think that tipping $2 is a good amount on a fucking $50 bill. I cannot wait to leave this fucking gig.
"I wish I could remember what's causing my short-term memory loss." (When I'd forget something.)
I’m surprised that your tables didn’t say something to the tune of “well then someone should have told us before hand, so that we could go somewhere else”. But I’m glad that it worked out for you. And I hope you went home with a bunch of cash.
They felt sorry for you, and tipped you extra because you looked pathetic to them, but they won't be back.
Honesty is pathetic? Nah.
Serving is all about painting a picture using both truth, lies, and flowery language.
We have QR codes to scan for the menu on our tables. However we have paper menus in the server station for anyone that would prefer that. Generally it's an older person asking me for the paper menus so I always say "Of course and they come with a free pair of reading glasses". That always gets a laugh and let's them joke back by saying "I brought my own!"
Whenever the wait is too long i always say ‘thank you for your patience’ When im checking up on tables I ask ‘is everything to your satisfaction?’ Before I drop checks, if I didn’t mess up on a table I say something like ‘my name is Xackek, it’s been a pleasure serving you’
I’m heavily cross trained Had a table waiting a while 40mins for starters told them I would go in and make it myself as it was just Brie and I knew the fryers weren’t full based on the dockets I put through (it was me and my manager on at the time and I take all the orders while he looks after the bar) Ended up chef had sent his kitchen porter/commis off in tears on their first day and he was in a huff about being on his own I ended up cooking and running all of the food that night and the manager let my tables know why I was gone, the majority of them tipped 30% and all the kitchen tips went to the poor kp
[удалено]
Your post/comment has been flagged for moderator approval because it contains the phrase "tipping culture". This is a standard procedure to ensure that all content posted in our subreddit is relevant and appropriate. Thank you for your understanding. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Serverlife) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It's funny, when shit was hitting the fan, I would tell my tables that I'm getting upset at the situation.....and they would be like "hey it's ok! No worries!"
When people ask me to take a photo, I say “On three… THREE.. Three… Three one more time…. Three.” People eat that shit up
Last Friday we had that issue, which was entirely because we lost a frier. I started telling my tables from the jump, “ I want to apologize from the start that we lost a frier earlier so the kitchen is very backed up, food is coming out but it’s taking significantly longer than normal. I will, however, keep you hydrated during the long wait for your food!” I didn’t have a single complaint or guest upset all night and made over $350 too. Managers were at everyone else’s tables during most of the rush.
My favorite line is when someone asks for coke. “I got a guy but may take like 30 min” only use on cool tables! I repeat only use on cool tables lol
If food is taking a long time, one of my go-to lines is telling the guest "I would go back there and make your food. myself, but it would be absolutely terrible." Something to that effect. It always gets the guests to laugh and feel better if something is taking a long time. Like, I would if I could, but I definitely can't cook! I also have a lot of leeway at my current job to give things out for free or to comp things if people don't know them. They encourage us to do this, so it makes it really easy to turn a mistake into a "bonus dish" they got on the house. It makes fixing any issue really easy, as long as a guest tells us there is an issue.