Servers: go here and buy this book. Once you read it and apply Mr. Hayden’s techniques and insights, you will start making more money immediately.
The majority of servers I know HATE upselling. Recently, I had to attend a mandatory meeting on how to be a better server. At 8 AM. What it boiled down to was an hour lecture on why upselling is good. Well duh, but how do you do it without straight out asking, ”Would you like fries with that?” And since when is upselling the mark of a great server? I left the meeting wondering, “What would David do?” and wishing I had spent an hour reading his blog.
As a long time reader of Tips for Tips and The Hospitality Formula Network I know what David would do. By using his techniques I’ve learned to upsell, with sincerity, to the benefit of my guests. The techniques Mr. Hayden outlines in his book are so awesome guests won’t even think of it as upselling, but rather having something they forgot they wanted. Yes, in the end this means more money for you, but isn’t that what it’s all about.
The book is not the advice of someone who has been waiting tables for a couple of years; it is the successful every day methods perfected by a 15 year veteran of the food service industry. Chapters include everything from the essentials such as looking your best and being early (yes, it seems self evident, but trust me, it isn’t) to dealing with problem customers and/or managers. All servers will face one unhappy person (and depending on where you work, it might be one per hour) so knowing how to treat that guest will not only help you keep your job (if you want it), but also allow you to keep control of the situation and defuse it.
Best of all you will learn to be a knowledgable professional rather than someone who brings people their food. This book will change your life. Really. I’m not lying. I tried to use Mr. Hayden’s advice in the shit hole where I used to work, but I realized I was beating a dead horse. His methods weren’t unsound, the business attracted customers you would expect to find at a tractor pull. So I quit my job and found a classier restaurant. Now I use so many of Mr. Hayden’s tips I could pass as his clone, and my bank account loves it.
Managers, this book is not just for servers. Reading it will give you a leg up on being the best manager around. Handling your waitstaff is less about being bossy and more about understanding. If you know what is expected of servers, you will be able to help them serve the guests (because counting the money at the end of the night isn’t your only responsibility). Happy servers = happy guests = job security for you. This book will help you be part of the solution.
Don’t just buy one copy either. Buy one for yourself and one for the waitstation because I’ve learned in the last month, nothing earns you more money than great teamwork.
