10. SINGLES FIRST, DEUCES SECOND, THREES 3RD, 4+’S LAST
General rule of thumb. Waiting for something when you are only one person at the table makes the waiting time seem so much longer and your needs more pressing than when you are in the company of others. So get to them first, then sort the others out. The larger the table, the less people will notice if the bread is taking long. True story.
11. TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
This may sound like a tired cliche, but it remains true as ever. Without your teammates you cannot give good experiences for your guests, I don’t care how good you think you are. I’m a fan of pooling tips for the same reason, that way it is in everyone’s self interest that guests have the best experience possible. Everyone makes money, worries less, customers get the dream. Win-win.
12. ANTICIPATE TO WIN
Anticipating the needs of your clients will make your life much easier. Think of the steps that should follow as you sit down in a restaurant. What would you want next to happen? And then? And then? Keep in mind that this is part of the dance and that you will have to learn what makes different clients tick. So learn the steps, anticipate the next one, and lead with grace.
13. THINK OF THE PERSON AFTER YOU
Again, as in life in general, if you use something, bring it back. If it’s broken, fix it. If you can make it better, do so, and then leave it better than you found it for the next person after you. It is little things like this that will make your life easier, your workflow better, and the world a better place (please recycle!).
14. ORGANIZATION WINS BATTLES
This one took me much longer to learn than the others. Eventually you come around to the fact that it is much easier to deal with chaos or uncertainty if your life is somewhat organized and sorted out. Little things like having extra socks, getting ready earlier, knowing where all your gear is will make your job much simpler and enjoyable. . . Same goes for the restaurant. Having your setup ready and systems in place before the guests show up is really a third of the battle.
15. DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY
It may happen that you did everything perfectly well and still things didn’t turn out well. Such is life. Sometimes guests may not jive with you, sometimes you may have an ‘unfunny’ day . If the guests reject your every opinion and suggestion and ignore you it is OK. Their loss. Life goes on. No hard feelings ever eh? The job is NOT ABOUT YOU.