Server training on precision service is about executing the basic mechanics of service in a seamless fashion so guests will know just how seriously your staff members take their jobs. When servers implement the strategies of precision service, guests have a better dining experience, check averages increase, servers earn higher tips, and your restaurant makes more money. Everyone wins!
Server Training to Impress the Guest
Precision service is the glue that helps hold the dining experience together. Like a musician, you have to know your scales before attempting Mozart. Nobody pays to watch an actress who doesn’t know her lines, or a mechanic who doesn’t know his way around a carburetor. Why should guests leave good tips for servers who don’t know their stuff?
Getting it Right!
For guests, there’s nothing worse than feeling like their words are going in one ear and out the other. The most basic component of server training on precision service is getting the order right! To do this, servers must pay close attention to their guests’ needs. Maintaining friendly eye-contact helps servers focus on what is being said. Train servers to repeat the order while serving to let guests know that they’re receiving the correct items.
The Two-Bite Check-Back
Getting the order right doesn’t do much good if the food isn’t prepared to the guest’s liking. Servers should always check back after approximately two bites. This allows for enough time to correct any mistakes right away. It’s frustrating when guests don’t like their meal and refuse to order anything else because it’s “too late.”
Train Servers on Product Knowledge
Let’s face it, we live in the age of information. If you can get the same basic product from about 50 different places, why is it that some businesses thrive while others fall by the wayside? The answer is simple: product knowledge. Today’s consumer sees value in knowledge. The more your servers know about your products, the more prepared they are to guide guests to selections they’ll love. Make sure all staff members (from greeters to service assistants, servers to bartenders) know every product you carry, how it is prepared or manufactured, and which items go well together. It’s good guest service!
Restaurant Service and Sales Training
The Service & Sales Excellence Waitstaff Training Series is based on Service That Sells!, a restaurant training philosophy developed by restaurant owners for restaurant owners. Click here to learn more.
