In their Real Server Training YouTube series, industry pros break down how to turn refueling into a journey diners love. Watch as they roleplay different scenarios, focusing on customer interaction skills like timing, attention to detail and anticipating needs.
In this video you’ll learn how to handle orders for 1-20+ people and deliver great service. The goal is simple: turn customers into regulars.
Also check out our article below for more information and tips on how to serve in a fine-dining restaurant.
Table of Contents
1. Warm Welcome and Seating
Greeting guests with a smile
Greet guests with a warm welcome as soon as they walk in. Smile big, make eye contact and let your body language say you’re happy to see them. Introduce yourself by name and ask about their day so far as you escort them to their table.
Along the way ask open ended questions to gauge their mood and interests. Are they celebrating a special occasion? What brings them in today? Use their responses to customize their experience and connect with your guests.
Assist with seating preferences
When you get to the dining area, give them seating options based on what you’ve read about the guests. Offer window seats to take in the view, suggest quiet spots away from the action or steer families to booths. Give recommendations but let them decide what’s best for them.
Make them feel looked after from the start. Your warm welcome and escort sets the tone for the rest of the meal by showing guests you want to create a personalized visit for them.
2. Menus and Recommendations
Delight guests with menus and enrich their experience with smart recommendations. Place menus in front of each guest and aim for synchronized distribution around the table. As you put each menu down, highlight specials and limited dishes to grab their attention. Reassure them you’ll guide them through this culinary journey.
Explaining specials and recommendations
After they’ve scanned the menu, swoop in as the resident flavor expert. Call out your personal favorite dishes—maybe a beautiful bestseller from the chef or seasonal ingredients at their peak.
Describe the sauces, cooking methods, secret ingredients—anything that will tantalize their taste buds. Get them into dishes they might not have ordered but will love.
Dietary preferences or allergies
Next ask about any preferences or dietary requirements. Ask each guest openly and with compassion. No one should feel restricted. With so many options let’s make sure we meet individual tastes and needs. Address preferences and restrictions head on so they can fully enjoy every drink and bite.
Let’s get those taste buds tingling for the flavors to come!
3. Drink Orders
Taking drink orders with enthusiasm
Approach your guests with a wealth of beverage knowledge and options. Pull out your notepad or mobile device and get ready to deliver their drink demands. Offer naughty and nice drinks, from classic sodas to creative cocktails.
For the beer lover, have notes on the perfect pint pairing. Got a wine snob? Have petite pours to help them choose the right glass. Get their request exactly and accurately when you put the order into the kitchen or bartender.
Let them relax and enjoy
Once you’ve put in their drink orders, give them a little breathing room to sip and unwind. But stay alert and ready to jump in when the glass is empty, or a new thirst emerges. Be Johnny-on-the-spot with refills and extra napkins so they can keep on sipping.
Options, options, options
When it comes to drinks, variety is the spice of serving. Not everyone likes the same flavors so offer a wide range of options from coffee, tea, juices and everything in between. Keep the bar stocked with top shelf spirits for the cocktail connoisseur.
Give them samples of the wines you’d pair with their upcoming courses. And keep adding to your arsenal of drinks so there’s something for everyone.
4. Menu Guidance
Recommendations
With so many choices, guests need a map through the menu. As a server, that’s your chance to sparkle! Tell them about each dish’s flavors, special prep and perfect pairings. Share what you love to order when you eat here too.
Get them salivating with your words. Then make recommendations based on their preferences to get them started.
Menu descriptions
When an ingredient or cooking method is unknown, guests may not order something amazing. Turn confusion into curiosity by explaining the unknown dishes so they sound wonderful.
Describe the flavors and textures in mouthwatering detail. Share the cultural background that makes the dish special. Educate their palate so exotic feels exciting not scary.
Ingredient questions
Today’s diners need servers to be up to date on how dishes are made, and ingredients are handled. When asked, answer confidently about allergens and preparation.
If modifications are needed, tell guests you’ll take extra care and will check with the chef so everyone can try something new and feel safe.
5. Taking Food Orders
Putting the order in to the kitchen
Get to each table ready to take their food orders, from the usual to the off-menu modifications. Listen attentively, ask questions and get the details right.
Repeat the order back verbatim so the kitchen can get it just right. Time is of the essence—get those orders in quickly so the chef can work their magic!
Order accuracy
Before you send the order through the kitchen doors, pause for an accuracy check. Check special requests and dietary needs to avoid mistakes. Show the guest you really care about getting it right by checking overall accuracy too. Better to clarify upfront than to fix later.
Time is of the essence
Nothing ruins dinner like hearing the rumble of the stomach between courses. As soon as you put the order in, your hands become the guest’s hunger defender. Put the order in the POS, check with the cooks, then inform the guest if anything is delayed.
Stay on the lookout for long waits that kill the vibe because you’re on a mission not to let that hunger go unsatisfied!
6. Food Service and Clearing
Food delivery with flair
Turn food delivery into a moment of magic when you present each dish. Elevate the plates on stands so the food has a stage to shine. Describe the components and prep as you serve each plate with pride.
Make them feel like stars as you announce their order with panache. This is their red-carpet dining—roll out the red carpet!
Clearing empty plates
Once they’ve finished the last bite, swoop in to clear the table and prevent clutter. Ask if they need anything else as you remove the used plates with care, so as not to disrupt the flow. Your timing and speed keep the space clear and the conversation flowing.
Keeping the dining area tidy
Scan your section like a hawk looking for mess. Discreetly clean up spills and crumbs before they ruin the vibe. Adjust silverware, wipe surfaces and refresh linens to keep it all perfect. Table maintenance makes the space feel relaxed yet refined and keeps every guest happy.
7. Table Maintenance
Replenishing drinks during the meal
Be their personal refreshment attendant, hovering nearby to refill empty glasses. Be on the lookout to quickly top off every empty drink from water to signature cocktails. Don’t let that drinker wait a minute past seeing the bottom of their glass. Your attention shows the customer their experience is top priority not an afterthought.
Making sure they have everything they need
Go above and beyond service by anticipating needs before the guest asks. Discreetly check tables for low condiments, unused utensils or empty napkin stacks. Drop off extras or offer replacements to keep the meal flowing. Be their personal dining genie, ready to grant their culinary wishes.
Clearing the table as needed
Though the food is savory, a messy tablescape can kill the vibe. Make it your mission that no crumb or spill lasts long. Master the art of invisible service by quickly refreshing the table between courses. Reset with clean plates and polished glasses so each new dish can shine. With fluffed napkins and tidy settings, let your maintenance be their little secret.
8. Guest Feedback
Check in with a smile
Make the rounds with a smile, ready to hear their raving reviews…or not! Ask how everything is tasting to their palate. Are the dishes as good as the menu promised? Take the time to actively listen and find out if we’re hitting the mark or missing the target. Your willingness to listen is key to improving their next visit.
Fix it fast
If anything is off, swoop in to save the day! Listen to them fully, then tell them their satisfaction is top priority. Go into solution mode and take action to whip up something more to their liking. With politeness and empathy, turn a mistake into a service win.
Always offer solutions or alternatives to fix the issue, and work with the kitchen or management team, if needed.
Going above and beyond
Meeting expectations is important but exceeding them is amazing! Look for opportunities to surprise the guest by going the extra mile. Maybe it’s an off-menu item based on something overheard they’ve been craving. Or a birthday treat delivered to the table with candles and song! Be creative and customize the delight to create a lifetime customer.
9. Desserts and Add-ons
Dessert options
Leave room for more! As plates are cleared, fuel those happy tummies for one last act. Pull out menus filled with decadent cakes, rich custards or artistic soufflés to get those taste buds tingling.
Describe each dessert vividly, listing flavors and textures to help the guest decide. Offer ink-dipped strawberries for the chocolate lover. Mention the cheesecake for the traditionalist. Guide them to the grand finale.
Add-ons
But why stop at dessert alone? Encourage guests to keep the meal going with creamy liqueurs, fine aged cheese or a few bites from the late-night menu. Weave in options into the conversation that even full diners can’t resist.
See a special occasion? Bring over a cupcake with a candle! Special touches make for lasting impressions.
The whole experience
This whole dining experience is a team effort—from the plates to the service. Desserts and suggestions are the final flourish on this work of art.
A little more attention shows we go above and beyond every step of the way. Now let’s send them off with a smile as sweet as Crème Brulé!
10. The Grand Finale: Checking Out with Style
The clinking of silverware on empty dessert plates is the cue for our show to end. As guests lean back, full but already thinking about the next meal, it’s time for that smooth, quiet check presentation
Hand it over discreetly while collecting final dishes so as not to interrupt their post-meal chat. Smile as they finish up and thank them for letting me help them through their meal.
I ask them to come back soon and then wish them a fantastic rest of their day. And just like that, the curtain closes on another show where I played a supporting role and nailed it! I’ll be back on-stage tomorrow night!
The Verdict
It all adds up
In hospitality every touch and task combine to create something more than the sum of its parts. From the genuine smile at the door to the heartfelt thanks as they leave full, we want to feed them body and soul.
When service flows across well-set tables, courses in order and staff anticipating every need we create an experience that gets better with every touch.
Build a loyal following
By taking care of all the details of hospitality we build relationships with our guests. We show them that their satisfaction is our top priority. And seeing them come back again and again is the ultimate compliment.
So, let’s elevate every small moment to service perfection. This is how we turn customers into partners who trust us to make every visit special and tell others about the restaurant!
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