I just got hired at chili's and the menu is huge so thats gonna be my main trouble, is memorizing all that shit. I am very outgoing and friendly so that wont be a problem.
Any tips that I should know about? I cant wait for the tips
Oh btw its been a while EF, how have y'all been
I worked as a server and bartender for ten years. It's not rocket science, you'll be fine.
The main ideas are:
-Never lose your cool or get panicky
-Punch in your orders as soon as you get them, don't get in the habit of waiting to do it and doing something else.
-Know the food, order items off the menu for your dinner so you know what the stuff tastes like, people love it when you tell them what your favourite menu item is.
-Stay organized, grab a billfold with some scrap paper in it and use it to write down your tables and their orders, especially with multi course meals
-Stay on top of your tables, greet them as soon as they sit down, even if it's just a wave, smile, and hello from across the room with an "I'll be right there"
-Don't give the kitchen attitude, they will do extra nice things for you if you are extra nice to them (offering to bring them soda and water, picking up orders on time, putting substitutions on the chit and not telling them at the last minute, not freaking out on them when they are slammed)
-Always always offer add-ons like drinks, dessert, and coffee. Your job is to SELL SELL SELL, people will say yes more often than not.
-Don't talk back to customers.
The bottom line is to make a good impression, bring the food on time, and stay organized.
Oh yeah, the money...the money is great, so be generous tipping out busboys/bar runners/kitchen staff, they'll bust their butt for you if you aren't stingy. If you have a bad first couple nights, well, it'll get better in time I promise.
Just have fun with it.