I recently got a job at TGI fridays, and so far have not done to good in tips. I always refill drinks when they are halfway, am very nice, always smiling, etc. Many people have coupons, in which they pretty much will get half off an order and tip me around $2 to $3. Any SERIOUS tips and advice on how to get more tips whent the bill is not much? And no flashing or any of that stuff LOL|||Always be nice and smiling (like you already are), don't pay too much attention to the diners (by this I mean give them some space, be sure to check on them once or twice, but checking in on them too much can be annoying. If they really need you for something, they'll call you over), if something goes wrong, don't apologize too much (this one I cannot stress enough. Last week I ate at a restaurant with some family and our ticket got backed up waaay too much [we had to wait for more than an hour for our food], and we were mad, but the waitress apologized too much. Surely you need to act sincerely sorry, but apologizing too much is very annoying.), strike up small talk and conversations (if you are working in a restaurant in a town that is a popular tourist destination ask something like where they're from, how long they're in town for, or if they're enjoying they're stay. If it is a place where mainly locals come in, learn to recognize regular diners. People like to feel like you are their friend, and not just their servant), and if something does go wrong, take action. Talk to your manager, chef, or someone in charge in order to solve the problem that has come up. You are the direct passage between the diner and their food, and even if you are not responsible for their food, the diners view you as responsible.|||Be sure to always present yourself well. Look clean, act respectfully, and remember the customer is always right. No matter what, apologize and immediately fix any problems. Study the menu and make offers to the customers that will show that you have their best interest. Take note of what families, business, friends, couples, etc.. order. Remember this and recommend meals you think they'd be interested in. Give the customer your opinion, don't lie. Be completely honest about meals. Waitressing is about connecting with the customer and knowing what you are selling mainly. Congratulations on your new job, and goodluck!|||all this sexual stuff is ridiculous! sometimes you can over-do attentiveness to the point of being there too much. i hate being interrupted and bothered too much by the waitress or the bus person. also, don't talk over the food. you don't need to tell the person what the entree is when you bring it. that's over doing it. don't handle drink glasses at the top of the glass where people put their mouths to drink. you don't have to smile a lot. that's nuts. just be polite and get the food and be clean. i'm really bothered by waitresses who talk over your food. also i've had a lot of servers flirt with my husband for their tip. they always hand him the larger steak. we both noticed these things and makes us not want to go back.|||Is there any way you can present the check BEFORE the coupon and say "here's the bill, now let me get that discount for you".
Then they have time to look at the bill and see how much they should be tipping you
Also, I think you should look for something other than a chain. They attract a different class of people. I work at a privately owned steakhouse, and I am shocked when I DONT get 15%.|||Try to treat each Customer as if they were the Only One There. Be Friendly and always ask if there is anything else that you can get or do for them. If you see someone come in with a small Child, ASK them if they would like a Booster Chair and Comment on what a Precious Child they Have. Don't wait for them to ask you for the Booster Chair. None of these Things Require you to Be Sexy or " Too Friendly"! This is what My Best Waitresses have done and the Made Great Tips.|||i have the same issue at the restaurant that i work at, and i found the best way when giving back the check after the coupon, is to say the original total was ____. also look people in the eyes it's more personal, and talk a little be friendly not just a server.|||Ask if everything is okay everyonce and a while. if 2 old people are eating act like some one old people will like. if two 20 year old guys are eating act like someone they would like. do this for every body. if you see people are trying to not spend alot tell about some cheap meals that you offer. ask them about there day and make them feel special. good luck|||You don't have to flash or anything, just try to make yourself look sexier, some cleavage, and a miniskirt? I mean... if you can. And hopefully it's a part time job cuz being a waitress isn't that nice.|||Take Michael's advice - but most of all be yourself. Try to put yourself in the diners' position, give your customers your undivided attention while your with them don't bore them with your problems. show interest in them.|||1 be hot
2 be nice and funny
3 smile alot|||YOUR DOING GOOD, JUST BE NICE. SMILE ALOT. AND OU CAN MAKE THEM LAUGH =]|||Smile a lot, talk with the people, make jokes!|||Haha honestly show cleavage, wear tight jeans, and be flirty it'll work like a charm!|||keep that coffee flowing !!!!|||look prety :)|||be nice, attentive and flirty.that is all.and bring me my sammich.now. :D!|||I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but when I was a waitress, I would bend over backwards for customers and still barely make any money. Look at the hours you are working. (Try to work more in the evenings). Also, I found that keeping tabs on customers that were drinking helped. Like after they hit the halfway mark on their drink, be like, "did you want me to go ahead and put in another margarita with the bartender?" Not only will they appreciate it, but the more drinks, the higher the bill, and the higher the tip (usually). Also, make sure you know the menu front and back. I always tip extra when waiters/waitresses don't need to write the orders down. (so practice!) Good Luck and I hope you start earning what you deserve!|||Flashing and waving your boobs around aren't going to get the job done. Really good service will. Every time you walk into or out of your station, you need to look at every table in your station. I mean make a real effort EVERY time. You would be surprised how often wait staff will walk to a table with an order, serve it, and then walk back out to the busing station or the kitchen without looking at the other tables.
You are looking for everything - but most importantly, you are looking for the diners who are looking for you. People eating look at their plates and at the people with them. They tend to sit hunched slightly forward with their head down a bit. When someone is sitting upright with their head held high, and they are looking around the restaurant - they are looking for you. If you can't go over right then (have your hands full of plates, etc.) make eye contact and nod - let them know you see them. Then get over there right away.
Serve a table, then give it about 5 minutes and come back. Is everything O.K.? Nothing annoys more than something wrong with the meal and having to wait 10 or 15 minutes while everyone else eats before the waitress shows up. (This is the guy above, head up looking around, looking for his waitress.)
Build your tab. You can't control the price when they come in with a coupon (by the way, they should be tipping based on the non-coupon price - but a lot of people don't know that.) But you can suggest wines that would go with the meal, offer drinks from the bar, and - the best tab builder of all - dessert! Know your desserts. I mean well enough that you can describe them in terms that will leave your customers drooling on the tablecloth. Make them say no to you 3 times on dessert. Most people really would like to eat something rich and sweet at the end of the meal, but need to be given permission. If you ask them 3 times, a lot will give in. Coffee with dessert. You have just added maybe $20 to $30 on a table of 4. That should boost your tip by another $2 to $6. On a 10 table station that's maybe an additional $40 or $50 a night. Add in a drink before dinner and a bottle of wine, that is going to add maybe $75 to $100 a night.
Your smile and a genuine interest in your customers will do you a lot more good than your cleavage. Waitressing is hard work. It can be rewarding - but you will earn every bit of it. Good Luck!|||Just be yourself, relax, have a good attitude, and everything will fall into place. It really is that simple. When customers see your bright attitude, they will automatically trust you, and want to talk to you (ie. have a conversation with you about the food there, how long you've worked there, or anything about you and not necessarily about the restaurant). When they feel connected to you this way, they will naturally want to leave you a 15% or larger tip.
Pass by their table 2-3 times during the meal so that they know you're around in case they need anything. It's not necessary to talk to them or do stuff at the table everytime you pass by because then they'll feel they're not given freedom to take their time and enjoy their food.
When I go to a restaurant, if the waiter seems to enjoy his job (which you always should no matter what job you're at, otherwise you'll get grumpy and snap at customers, and that means NO TIP!), is patient explaining the menu (even if I am tempted to get impatient and just want to read the menu alone, I still can't be mad at him =) ) walks by a couple of times during the meal so I know he's doing his job and I can call on him for anything, but does not interrupt my meal all the time, because this will make me think you just want a big tip, and want me to leave soon. By the end of the meal, I will tell the waiter how grateful I am for the meal and his service. And then I will almost always leave a 20% tip, and if the meal was small, maybe even a 25% tip.
It is important to remember though, that although everybody wishes for a bigger tip, a tip is still an option, not an obligation. If you think of it as an obligation, customers will feel your pressure, and think you're not genuinely sincere about your service. You'll either end up trying to hard and pushing the customer away or completely ignore the customer. I've had experience in both and neither is pleasant. For the waiter who wasn't around at all while I saw other waiters going in and out frequently, I knew she was lying when she said "something was wrong in the kitchen" and that's why my food was taking a long time. As for the overly pushy waiter, I had an instance where one waiter asked me if I'll like an additional can of soda. I thought, that wasn't a little too much, And is misleading making me possibly think that it is like a free refill when it is not. The same waiter at another time, took my unfinished can of soda and poured it into my glass for me. I was taken aback thinking, that was rude, because while some people might think he's being VERY helpful because he just wants to take away a soda can, I'm thinking I have my reason for not pouring all of the soda from the can into my glass (I didn't want all my soda to get diluted with ice too quickly while I eat).
So the bottom line is, be around, but don't badger the customer. Helpful, and not annoying. Good luck.
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