There is a lot more to waiting tables than just serving food and drinks; customer relations is the biggest part of being a good server, because the majority of your income relies on how much your customers tip. To ensure that you receive a good tip you must do a number of things. Most importantly you must be polite, and of course remember that no matter what, the customer is always right. Secondly you must do things with a proper procedure, serve drinks, appetizers, soups, salads, dinner, and dessert in that sequence. Not only should you do these things in this order, but you must also do them in a timely fashion, because no one likes to wait. When you go to a table that has just been seated, you must be prepared for any question that may be asked. You should know the specials, the soup du jour, your vegetables, and the starches that you are serving. Of course, not all restaurants use the same procedures so you will have to adjust to their format. You should also carry the proper number of menus according to the number of people at the table, and it is always a good idea to bring a wine list along with you. Always ask how your customers are doing, (even if you don't care), and reply that you are great even if you are not. Even more important always introduce yourself to your table, this will put you on a first name basis and make you a person rather than a waiter. Then once you've gotten their drinks and given your patrons a few minutes to peruse their menus you take their order. Exactly how you take an order is up to you, all waiters have their own method that works best for them; you"ll just have to find yours. Most classy restaurants have bussers to assist with the serving and cleaning of the tables. Once you've gotten the order you"ll either have to put it into some sort of computer or directly hand it to the kitchen staff, it depends on the restaurant. When it is time to serve the food, no matter what it is, always announce it to the kitchen so that they know how much time they have.
