The professional waiter, or the basics of service

Programme

1. The waiter — the face of the restaurant

• Requirements for the waiter: appearance, knowledge of the menu, good speech, emotional restraint, etc.
• Appearance and hygiene requirements
• Personal preparation for work (uniform, the waiter's kit, etc.)
• Atmosphere, or how to make a Guest a regular

Equipment for serving guests

• Tableware: china and metal
• Cutlery: table setting and serving dishes
• The menu: types and purpose

Service standards and service

• Rules of conduct on the floor: communication, setting priorities, free hands
• Placing and replacing ashtrays and condiment sets on the table
• Serving cutlery
• The «open hand» rule. Serving a dish/drink to the Guest according to etiquette
• Working with a tray
• Pouring technique for drinks
• French, English and Russian service
• Sequence of serving dishes
• Rules for serving drinks

Active and effective selling techniques

• The importance of knowing the restaurant menu
• How to introduce yourself correctly and offer the Guest the restaurant's current promotions. The «24 seconds» rule
• The importance of the first contact and of profiling the Guest
• The «herringbone» principle
• Correctly asked questions as a method of shaping the Guest's order in the best way
• Discussing all the fine points of the menu, the method and time of preparing and serving dishes. Explaining ingredients
• The Sullivan nod
• «Imperative» verbs
• «A question as an answer»
• Motivating a choice or purchase

Service standards and food safety

• Service standards according to the concept
• Sanitary rules for waiters