Being a Server
Being a server or a waiter is not a simple job; it takes special skills such as being able to know the client, being able to maintain calmness under really high pressure, and being able to multitask. I have worked as a server for three years at four different restaurants around Martinsville and Henry County. Those four restaurant have helped develop my unique procedure of serving my clients, this procedure includes greeting the clients, taking their drink order, taking their food order, knowing what to do while their order is being cook, and knowing what to do after the clients have finish with their meals. Of course this procedure has to be done by the help of the skills mentioned before.
First, I usually start by greeting the clients, each server has their own different ways of doing this, and me personally I don’t like to keep it too short or long. I start with a simple, “Hey how are you all doing? My name is Luis and I will be your server for today.” While doing this I like to keep a smile on my face in order for me to reflect a positive vibe and hopefully transmit this feeling to the client. Knowing how the clients’ response to my greeting is an important factor, if they respond with a positive attitude that means I can try to do my best to keep them smiling and laughing a bit. But if they respond with a more serious attitude that just means try to keep everything formal without stepping out of boundaries. Sometimes there might be cases where the clients’ attitude might be a bit harsh; if that’s the case I simply try to keep any negative comments or attitude to myself allowing the whole process to continue running smoothly.
Secondly, I proceed to the next step which is taking the clients’ drink order. I simply ask each client, “May I take your drink order?” While I do this I like to maintain eye contact with the person who’s speaking, letting them know that they have my full attention. The next step to drink ordering depends on the clients’ response, if they ask for sweetened tea, unsweetened tea, or water I usually offer them lemons to go with their drinks. If they ask for any alcoholic beverages and they look under 30, I make sure I ask them for some type of identification with their birth date, so that I won’t take the chance of serving alcohol to a minor.
Afterwards, as soon as I deliver the clients’ beverages I ask, “Are you all ready to order or do you guys need a few more minutes?” If they’re not ready I usually wait until they put their menus down, letting me know that they have finally made up their minds. I follow the same procedure as I would when I take the drink order, I also try to keep calm if I’m under any pressure so I won’t make the clients feel as if I’m rushing them. When they have finish ordering I usually repeat the order back to