You’ve heard the expression before about what happens when you make assumptions. As a magician, I teach the other magicians I work with not to make assumptions about their crowd. When a magician approaches a table, he or she needs to read the table and get some positive feedback from those sitting at the table before proceeding. Making assumptions can lead to unhappy guests.
Servers are in the position to make assumptions all the time. The question you have to ask yourself is if your servers are making assumptions that can lead to the loss of business. This is very dangerous. The last thing you want is to scare off guests. Inadvertently, this is exactly what you might be doing because your server is making assumptions – and often without even realizing it.
You can train your servers to make some assumptions and then get confirmations on others. It’s okay to make an assumption based upon whether the family is looking to have a good time or if the table is all about business. By following some basic cues, these can be determined relatively easy. However, when it comes to delivering the check, upselling and more, it’s better to get a verbal reinforcement from the table.
Guests expect to have to communicate with their server from time to time. Many servers today are very timid to approach a table and ask a question. A server should be capable of doing more than just asking guests what they want to eat or drink. When there is strong communication at the table, the guests get what they want and the server is usually rewarded generously in the end.
Magicians can’t be shy. We’re in the business of SHOW business. If we were shy, no magic would be performed in front of anyone – and if it did, people wouldn’t be enthusiastic about it because we’re not enthusiastic about it. When you think about it, serving guests is very similar in this manner, which is why I have been asked to provide staff training within restaurants.
Making a few assumptions here and there about a table are harmless. In fact, they can help considerably. It’s the other assumptions that can be very dangerous. When servers learn what they can and can’t assume about a table, they learn when it’s necessary to communicate. As a restaurant manager, you get more satisfied guests who are more willing to return – and to tell others about their experience.
Watch Video about Assumptions, Awareness and Acknowledgment in the Restaurant
