How to increase you tips...a guide for waiters and waitresses

Having worked in the food Service business for over seven years now, I have had an opportunity to observe first hand the waiters and waitresses who consistently make excellent tips and those who don't. Working side by side and day to day with these men and women I have noticed a considerable difference in the wait staff that gets excellent tips and those who are always falling short of what they believe is their “due.” If you are interested in making larger tips, not just this summer, but year round here are some dos and don'ts that might help you accomplish that goal.

First and for most do stop thinking that a good tip, or any tip for that matter is something a customer owes you. While you may consider the tip as part of your pay, the customer thinks in an entirely different manner. To them a tip is a reward they give you for superior service, not as part of the bill for their meal.

If you approach a table with the attitude that you are going to provide the best service possible without the thought of reward, chances are that you will give the customer the kind of service that they feel rates a generous tip.

Do enjoy your job. People who like what they do are more enthusastic and it shows. No matter, how well you think you are faking it, the customer will know if your heart is just not in it. No one likes to be made to feel like they are a chore to someone else and customers who are paying good money for a service are especially sensitive to being regardied in such a manner.

Do be friendly and professional with all customers, not just the ones you are waiting on. Your customers will notice if you offer a smile and greeting to customers you expect nothing from. Making every customer feel welcome and at home, will make your own customers feel at home as well. They will not fail to notice that you go out of your way to be pleasant and courteous to everyone.

Do give your customers prompt service. If you are extremely busy and it takes you a few minutes to bring them a menu or take their order, apologize for the delay and mean it. Make sure that they are getting what they order before the order leaves the kitchen, and go back after a few minutes and check to make sure everything is the way they like it.

If something is not to their liking do offer to take it back and make it right. Knowing that you care enough to see that they get what they ordered the way they like it will leave a big impression.

Make sure that you do offer to remove any empty dirty plates the moment you see them.

From time to time every waiter or waitress will get the unreasonable customer, the complainer who nothing satisfies, or the grumpy customer. When you come across one of these do remain pleasant and courteous no matter how unreasonable you feel they are. Try and resolve their problem and if you can't then do offer to get a manager or someone else who has the authority to help them. Don't show impatience or anger towards the customer regardless of the provocation.

Don't make assumptions about a customers ability to tip based on the way they look, act, or dress. During my brief stint as a waitress some of my best tips came from customers who looked too poor to afford their meal let alone leave a tip. I also found that often times, it was the grumpy customer who I won over with my ready smile and cheerful attitude that left me whopping tips.

Don't complain to a customer about your boss, your co workers, another customer, or your job, regardless of how well you know them. This applies to family and friends who stop by for a bit to eat as well as strangers. Even if the customer you are speaking too does not mind such indiscretion, other customers who are sitting close by may be offended by such gossip and lack of loyalty. In fact, don't let your customers hear you gossiping about anyone at all. It is not professional and gives them a poor opinion of you.

Whether it is your customer or another servers customer don't let a customer who obviously needs something see you standing chatting on your cell phone or doing nothing at all. If you see a customer who is not yours looking about for their server go to them and offer to either help them with whatever they need or tell them you will get their server for them.

We all know that no one is perfect and mistakes are bound to happen. Perhaps, the customer inadvertently ordered rye toast when he meant wheat. Perhaps, a cook puts onions in an omelet, when the customer has asked that onions be omitted. No matter who is at fault don't place blame for the error on anyone else and certainly don't argue with the customer. Apologize and make it right. A simple “I'm sorry, let me fix that for you.” goes much further than explaining who is at fault and why. Chances are the customer doesn't care who made the mistake, they just want what they ordered.

By following these few dos and don'ts you will provide the customer with a friendly atmosphere in which to enjoy their meal. You will show them that you are concerned about their comfort and wishes and that you will do everything in your power to get them exactly what they want the way they want it.

In short you will show them in everything you do that you are a professional and are ready, willing, and able to provide them with the type of superior service for which they will only be too happy to reward you.