We all know that a good joke can really lighten the mood with a table. Most servers are also aware that we are not stand up comedians. Standing in front of your table and telling a two minute joke is not your job. It is a fine line for a server. You need a joke […]
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Creating Regulars
One of the most valuable skills of an exceptional server is the ability to create regulars. Having a core of customers that come into your restaurant and ask for you can insulate you against the slower times of the year. It also can make you look outstanding to the managers and hosts that frequently hear […]
Building and Maintaining Rapport
This morning I woke up a little more groggy than normal. As I was making my morning spin around the internets, I ran across a post from our friend the only slightly cranky waitress about rapport. It seems her company has taken this up as a replacement for “hospitality†as their new Beetlejuice word. I […]
How To Make Hostile Guests Love You (Part Three)
(Note: in order to get the most out of this post you should read parts one and two. They create the foundation for this summary post and will be referenced frequently.) My friend Marcy has the innate ability to intimidate people. She is a beautiful 5’8†blonde attending law school. She is aware of having […]
How To Make Hostile Guests Love You (Part Two)
Years ago I had the good fortune of working for a man named John Maria. I have had many bosses over the years, but none had a better fundamental understanding of human nature than John. One day he gave me a book and told me to read it. He said the answer to almost every […]
About The Author
David Hayden was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He took his first serving job in 1996. Since that time, he has worked for over a dozen different restaurant companies. He has held both hourly and salaried positions at independent and corporate restaurants. He has waited on over 100,000 guests and trained hundreds of servers. He has been named "Best Server in Kansas City" the last three years by the local weekly paper.