It doesn’t matter if your servers have waited on 10 tables or 10,000 tables- there’s always room to grow. Even the most experienced servers can still improve! Educating your servers is one important task that can help your restaurant provide better service. Here are 10 things you should make sure all your servers know.
1. Your menu
It sounds obvious, but it’s super important that your servers know your menu inside and out. If customers want recommendations, your servers should be able to give them. They should also be able to tell diners exactly what’s in each dish and whether or not it contains any allergens.
2. Wine and drinks
If your restaurant has an extensive wine list, your servers should definitely be able to recommend wines for each of your meals. They also need to be able to describe your beers and cocktails to curious customers.
3. Your restaurant
You might think your servers understand your restaurant and what you’re all about, but do they really know what your mission is? Do they understand your brand?
4. How to multitask
Servers have to do approximately one million things at the same time—make sure your servers are able to handle juggling various tables and orders.
5. How to upsell
Upselling (and cross selling) are important skills that can help your restaurant easily make extra money. Teach your servers how to suggest pricier drinks or entrees and suggest drinks that would pair well with certain dishes.
6. Communication
Your servers don’t need to be stand up comedians, but they do need to understand how to entertain and communicate with a variety of customers. Make sure your servers can maintain eye contact, be polite, and keep customers happy.
7. How to handle difficult customers
Of course you don’t want your servers to deal with many difficult customers, but it’s bound to happen from time to time. Your servers should know how to calm down angry customers and what they can do to please them.
8. The right appearance
Do your servers know how to dress appropriately for the job? If you don’t have a uniform, be sure you educate your servers about the correct attire and the message it sends to your customers.
9. Teamwork
Your servers are part of an important team—your staff. Train them to work together!
10. Your restaurant’s layout
Sure, your servers know where the kitchen is, but do they know where to find extra supplies, or where to go in case of an emergency? Educating your servers about the layout of your restaurant can save you a lot of time and hassle.
No matter how great your servers are, there’s always room for improvement! Make sure you educate your servers about these 10 important areas.
Gordon Food Service is committed to delivering uncompromising quality, outstanding value and exceptional customer service. Gordon Food Service entered the Canadian market in 1994 and has grown into a national presence, distributing to foodservice operators coast to coast in Canada and throughout the Midwest and Eastern half of the United States. If you’d like more information on the products or services we can offer, visit the Become a Customer page.
Source: restaurantnews.com
English 
French 
