Working in a restaurant can be a great way to earn a living, but only if you know how to do it well. Over the past eight years I have worked as a waitress and bartender, with enough income to allow me the time and monetary resources to pursue my hobbies and dreams. If you have worked for tips, you know that tip percentages vary, you might make more or less money from the same amount of sales than your co workers. I have been experimenting with ways to increase my tips over time and I find that these are some of my jewels.
1. Learn to budget your cash. Its very hard to budget when you bring home cash everyday. You may feel like you are rich, but at the end of the month you haven’t saved anything for your bills and its time to work double shifts. When you aren’t stressed about money, and you don’t feel pressure to pull a certain amount of money from a shift, it obviously relaxes everything about you. Customers are more perceptive than you think, and its true that you should work as if you don’t need the money.
2. Clear your mind when you walk into work. For the next however many hours you can’t take care of personal business adequately anyhow, so just forget about it when you come to work. When you are constantly complaining, texting, talking on the phone etc. you are neglecting your job, and if your customers see or hear you (especially when they need something) your tips suffer.
3. Never act like a customer is inconveniencing you. Kindly ask if the mother with her three children needs a few minutes to look over the menu (although sometimes she says no, and makes you stand there while she questions the children about what they would like to eat) but don’t treat her like she is inconveniencing you, this is your job, and she is spending money.
4. Always offer a to-go beverage. Offering something out of the way is like saying thanks for coming out to eat, please feel free to come back anytime. Most servers wait until they are asked for a to-go beverage.
5. Carry things in your apron that appeal to your surroundings. Crayons, sharpies, mints, lollipops, toothpicks, bottle opener or whatever you want. People just like free stuff, and its nice to be prepared.
6. Circle the total on the check and write thank you or something of that nature. A little personal touch never hurts.
7. Try your best to remember something about each of your regular customers. Hows your dog, cat, bird, sister, new baby etc.
8. Compliment people when you mean it. Don’t fake compliments, people can usually see through them. If you like someone’s earrings, wallet, shirt, hair or anything honestly, let them know.
9. When someone irritates you, say something nice to them, it was probably a misunderstanding anyway. We all know that sometimes working with people can be frustrating due to the lack of common sense held by the general public, but bad moods are contagious.
!0. Thank people for their patience. When you are in the middle of a busy lunch or dinner rush, and it takes you a minute longer than you would like to get to your tables, thank your customers for their patience. Patience is a virtue that everyone strives for, thanking someone for it is like complimenting them, people like that.
Your attitude and the way that you treat people is the most important thing when working for tips. Remember to smile, and of course personal hygiene is a must. Know the menu, answer questions before people ask, know the food and which meals are your favorite. I never tell people that things are bad, but I tell them if something else is better, honesty is appreciated. If there is something that you do not know, offer to find out and promptly return, then make it your personal mission to memorize the unknown information. When you can answer all of the questions that someone asks you, it makes you seem more professional and less hung over.
There are restaurants where your waitstaff is intentionally rude, and people come in for the entertainment as well as the food. You require a unique sense of humor to find this kind of dining experience appealing, but it takes a specific kind of person to work in a restaurant. If you work in the right kind of establishment (usually a bar), where children are not allowed, you can banter with your customers. Be aware of the possibility of offending people, and hurting your tip, but some people enjoy the gamble.