5 Simple Ways for Servers to Get Better Tips

5 Simple Ways for Servers to Get Better Tips

When you’re a server, you often live on your tips. Increasing them by a dollar or two per table can make a big difference over the course of a night. Of course, you can’t reduce yourself to begging your tables to tip better, so how do you increase those all-important tips? These simple tips will help you increase yours.

Introduce Yourself by Name

Did you know that offering your table your name–regardless of whether you’re male or female–can lead to an average of $2 more in tips per table?

Introducing yourself by name helps create a sense of connection between you and your customers.

Introducing yourself by name helps create a sense of connection between you and your customers. They’re more likely to identify with you as a person, decide that they like you, and therefore tip higher as a result.

Dress Up a Little

Perceptions matter, and servers who are perceived as being attractive are more likely to get higher tips than those who aren’t, before you go to work, take the time to clean up. If you’re female, do your makeup and fix your hair. If you’re a man, same goes!

Also, try to avoid stains on your uniform or apron, and if you need to, freshen up occasionally throughout the evening. You might be surprised by the results!

Get Closer

Making eye contact with your customers is a great way to encourage them to develop a connection with you and increase the amount of your tip. Crouch down by the table so that you’re looking at them at eye level, rather than staring down at them.

Watch your customers for cues; some would prefer that you keep your distance.

You can also try standing a little bit closer to your customers when they’re ordering. Watch your customers for cues; some would prefer that you keep your distance.

Encourage the Customer to Like You

When you repeat their food order back to them, you encourage customers to identify with you and think of you as “like them.” Letting the customer know that they made a good choice in their meal tells them that approve of them and that you like the same things they do.

You can also convince the customer that you’re on their side through the concept of reciprocity: convince the customer that you’ve done something for them, whether it’s writing “thank you!” on the back of their receipt, taking care of a minor inconvenience, or bringing them a little something extra like mints with the check.

Offer Great Service

At the heart of a great tip, is a great server – that is, one that provides a high-quality experience to every customer who comes to their tables. Strive to do this regardless of how your day is going, how you perceive the customer, or what they order.

At the heart of a great tip, is a great server.

There are some things that are beyond your control: the speed of the kitchen and whether or not they get the order exactly right, for example. Other things are well within your control. Make it a priority to keep drink glasses full, to bring food out as soon as it’s ready, and to be cheerful whenever you check on a table.

Learning to read your customers is one of the most critical parts of being a good server. Some tables are high-maintenance, but will pay well for it; others will pay for the privilege of discreet service and being left alone to enjoy their meals. As you learn to evaluate your customers’ needs from the moment they arrive at the table, you’ll discover that your tips start going up as a result of your improved service.

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How to Prep Your Restaurant for the Holiday Season

How to Prep Your Restaurant for the Holiday Season

This time of year everybody’s thinking about how to hire restaurant staff in time to be ready for the holiday season. While you are getting your hiring program in gear, there other steps to take now to satisfy holiday demand spikes.

Encourage early bookings

Market your special services early, and provide incentives to clients to get their orders in as soon as possible. Tell everybody that you are ready to take early orders and will offer coupons with serious discounts for comfortably early bookings. If your catering program racks up extra reservations, you have time to staff properly.

Earlier catering orders from your customers will allow strategic moves such as staffing additions, schedule changes and supply sourcing.

Promote early using the social media tools that your community prefers. (Thinking of expanding into another social platform? Do that early, too!) Mention that you offer 10% off on early reservations for holiday party catering on your printed menus and add the pitch to your recorded phone messages, too.

Use annual trends to plan ahead

Yes, you must hire enough people and give them enough time to learn your systems. When restaurant guests wait for long stretches to place an order because you provide only one waiter on a shopping weekend, there’s a possibility that they’ll never come return to your establishment. Understaffed restaurants do significant damage to their brands.

Having those year to year records to compare makes your judgment call much easier. If you know from annual trends that you will need a certain level of help for the holiday season, you can line up quality seasonal staff by starting outreach early.

Understaffed restaurants do significant damage to their brands.

If you have been in business for under a year, or have been open at a particular location for less than a year, be bold and invest in generous holiday season customer service. You can cut back next year, but you may not be able to make up for the diminished reputation that a bad holiday experience can engender.

Start hiring earlier rather than later

Now that you’ve started planning for the holiday season, you should have a better idea of how much additional staff you’ll need and when you’ll need it, so don’t wait until the last minute to actually get the word out.

Also, decide what channels you’ll be using to hire. Online hiring platforms, like Sirvo, are great because they’re easy to use and can increase your reach to potential candidates. Not to mention, having a talent library to search through can help you, the employer, be proactive during the process.

Prevent your staff from getting in the weeds

During heavy demand, your staff will walk a tightrope, having to balance providing great service with turning tables quickly. Conflicting impulses and tired shoppers can create stress and alienation among your servers.

For exceptionally busy times, consider offering a shorter holiday menu to make decisions easier

You can help prevent holiday burnout and even address slowed service during a rush with just a few suggestions to your staff. For example, encourage servers to make compelling verbal suggestions when or even before a menu is presented. For exceptionally busy times, consider offering a shorter holiday menu to make decisions easier.

Keep the kitchen stocked

Running out of advertised dishes is never the mark of a solid restaurant operation, but it is much worse at the time of special splurges and meaningful holiday meals.

Keep a healthy inventory, and don’t run out of your signature dishes. Ordering what you need for increased demand will instill confidence and show that you take the season seriously.

Your employees want to make a good living in a good restaurant. Providing them what they need to keep your holiday diners smiling will help everybody win.

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Open Call: Comida at The Source & The Stanley Marketplace

Open Call: Comida at The Source & The Stanley Marketplace

Big news: Comida is hosting an open call on Nov. 2nd-3rd and Nov. 9th-10th and hiring talented individuals for two of their locations, The Source in Denver and The Stanley Marketplace in Aurora!

Comida at The Source

Nov. 2nd-3rd, Nov. 9th-10th

3350 Brighton Blvd, Denver, CO 80216

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Please bring a resume or print your Sirvo profile

Comida will be hiring for the following positions with hiring managers on site conducting interviews: Bartenders, Bussers, Dishwashers, Foodrunners, Hosts, Line Cooks, Prep Cooks, Servers. Job descriptions can be found on their Sirvo pages at Comida at The Source and Comida at The Stanley Marketplace.

Comida is “Mexican-inspired street food made from sustainable, quality ingredients and an extensive cocktail menu in a festive indoor/outdoor space.” Started as a taco truck back in 2010, this amazing concept has grown tremendously over the past few years, and is now hard at work preparing for their newest location opening soon at The Stanley Marketplace.

“Stanley Marketplace is about community, and it’s about fun,” says owner Rayme Rossello. “I like both of those things a lot!”

If you are looking to work in a creative, energetic atmosphere and have a passion for hospitality, then be sure to attend Comida’s open call Nov. 2nd-3rd & 9th-10th. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity for you to put a face to a name, showcase your experience and get your foot in the door with one of the best restaurants in Colorado.

“What if I’m not able to go to the open call?”, then just login to your Sirvo profile and apply to the number of positions Comida has listed on our Sirvo.

See you there! 

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Why You Should Become a Restaurant Expeditor

Why You Should Become a Restaurant Expeditor

Have you ever wondered how even the busiest of restaurants are able to coordinate kitchen and service staff while ensuring orders are accurately recorded and cooked to perfection each time? More than likely, those establishments that are able to accomplish this have hired effective restaurant food expeditors.

What exactly is a restaurant expeditor?

At its most basic, the job description of a restaurant expeditor is to serve as a middle-man between the workers in the front and back of the house – in other words, the service staff and the kitchen staff. Expeditors work to ensure that service staff accurately communicates customer orders and that the cooks are preparing those orders properly and promptly. The principal goal is to keep solid communication between the two groups so that customer service is the best that it can be.

Their principal goal is to keep solid communication between the service and kitchen staff so that customer service is the best that it can be.

Expeditors typically work in the kitchen and are often seen checking order tickets to confirm that orders are being called and prepared accurately. These individuals are also responsible for ensuring any incoming special requests are done correctly. When they find something being done improperly, the expeditor is to inform the kitchen staff before the food is taken out front to the guest.

What skills do you need to be an expeditor?

To be effective at their jobs, expeditors must be excellent communicators with top-notch customer service skills. When a restaurant is regularly busy, it is often not productive for the front and back staff to communicate with each other directly. That is where expeditors come in. Besides checking tickets, it may also be their responsibility to read them and call out the orders as they come in.

While not a requirement, basic cooking skills can be assets to expeditors. As is familiarity with the menu because it’s expeditor’s job tell whether or not a dish has been prepared correctly with just a glance and update service staff regarding any changes to the menu

Managers will frequently ask the expeditor for their opinions on how service is going and if something needs to be changed.

Many restaurant kitchens are fast-paced environments, so it’s vital that an expeditor is able to handle the pressure, as they may spend their entire shift moving between the front and back of the establishment with no break, particularly on busy nights.

Because this individual is in such a unique position, managers will frequently ask the expeditor for their opinions on how smoothly everything is going and whether something needs to be changed to improve the flow of customer service. This input is extremely helpful and important to the continued existence of the restaurant.

How do you become a restaurant expeditor?

In many cases, it is as simple as putting in an application, which you can do on Sirvo in just minutes. However, in busy high-end restaurants, at least some experience is likely to be required. Individuals who have worked in both the front and the back of the house will be at an advantage.

Most of the time, hiring managers are less concerned with credentials and prefer to find individuals with the right personality for the position.

Generally, the more experience an applicant has in a restaurant setting, the better. Most of the time, though, hiring managers are less concerned with credentials and prefer to find individuals with the right experience and personality for the position.

The job of restaurant expeditor is the perfect position for those who possess strong communication skills and enjoy working in all aspects of a restaurant setting. It is also a solid step forward for anyone who wants to work toward a long and rewarding career within the restaurant industry. To search for expeditor jobs on Sirvo, click here!

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Sirvo Presents: 2016 Colorado Restaurant Show

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Join Sirvo at the 2016 Colorado Restaurant Show! The Premier Restaurant and Foodservice Conference in the Rocky Mountain Region!

Wednesday, Nov. 2, and Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016
Crowne Plaza Denver Airport Convention Center

Presented by the Colorado Restaurant Association, the Colorado Restaurant Show is the premier networking and learning event for restaurateurs, chefs and restaurant and bar managers in the Rocky Mountain region. Over the course of the two-day event, the leading restaurant suppliers in Colorado and the nation will meet with industry leaders and tastemakers at the Crowne Plaza Denver Airport Convention Center, to discover the newest trends, ideas and products in the business. A selection of panels led by industry experts aim to inspire professionals, and spark collaboration between sponsors, exhibitors and attendees.

Sirvo will have a booth both days of the event so be sure to come by and say hi! We’ll be doing some giveaways and will have a special surprise for all those who stop by! We’ll also be presenting a panel discussion with some of the top thought leaders in the industry on the future of human capital in the restaurant industry. Read below and don’t forget to register!

Panel Details

The Future of Human Capital: Hiring and Retaining Great Employees for your Restaurant
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016
3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Panelists:

Craig HakesSirvo
Michael PullmanZuus Workforce
Taylor StonackSnooze A.M. Eatery
Andrew HudsonAndrew Hudson’s Job list
Rayme RosselloComida

Show Schedule

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2 :: SHOW DAY #1

  • 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Hall open to attendees / educational sessions concurrent
  • 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Hall open to attendees / dedicated expo floor time
  • 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Hall open to attendees / educational sessions concurrent
  • 5 p.m. Hall closes to exhibitors and attendees

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3 :: SHOW DAY #2

  • 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Hall open to attendees / educational sessions concurrent
  • 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Hall open to attendees / dedicated expo floor time
  • 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Hall open to attendees / educational sessions concurrent
  • 5 p.m. Hall closes to exhibitors and attendees

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Sign up now to find hospitality jobs and hire top industry talent.