by: Lia Andrews
After opening the front door and taking in the first delicious smells of hot food, customers look to be greeted by the hostess who will lead them to their table and into their dining experience. Although this is the customers’ first impression of the restaurant, it is the server who guides the customers through their meal and leaves them with their final impressions. Some restaurants’ front of house management entrust servers to create their own personal greeting, while other restaurants produce greetings for their servers to convey. But which approach is better?
The New York Times’ “Server’s Bible: 101 Tips How to be a Good Restaurant Waiter” wrote that servers should be professional at all times and not announce their names, “be cute” or make jokes. This nonchalant approach allows customers to focus in on the menu and the restaurant’s atmosphere rather than the server. It also leaves less room for the server to overshadow the meal. But not every restaurant deems silent service as the best method.
On the opposite side of the spectrum are those who believe the customer-server connection to be crucial to the dining experience. In his article entitled, “Things to say when Greeting a Table” author William McCoy wrote that a server should warmly introduce himself by name and then verbally list the specials. This communicates the server’s familiarity with the food and drinks he sells and allows the table to feel more comfortable asking questions and enjoy themselves. It also sets a certain mood for the dining experience that may have been lost had the server not been so amiable.
While both of these greetings may achieve the same over-arching goal of having the guests return, a problem occurs when management forces the server to give a full greet when it is unwanted by the table, or when a server must remain professional when guests would prefer speaking to a more “humanized” server. Thus, while both sides make strong points for themselves, I believe a middle ground is the best bet.
After greeting hundreds maybe even thousands of tables at an upscale-casual brewery-restaurant, and gaining eleven years of experience in the hospitality industry from various restaurants, I’ve learned that customers should be greeted according to the mood they give off to the server. But before I explain, I should note that this only works when the front of house management can trust their servers to want to make a good impression upon their tables. As long as the servers have pride in their work, themselves and their communication skills, they will give the flawless greeting management desires.
Now, back to what I was saying, the decision of what kind of greeting should be relayed to the guest solely depends on the guest, and the server’s ability to read that guest. This is not mind reading. This is a server’s job.
Within one to two minutes after the customers are seated, the server must greet the table. As the server welcomes everyone, if he finds the guests engaging themselves within his greet by making eye contact or smiling, then that is the cue for the server to give a warmer greet with a drink or food suggestion and maybe an interesting fact about the restaurant’s history or achievements. This will create a stronger connection between the server and guests, and more importantly, it will generate a sense of restaurant culture that will have people coming back.
However, if a table seems slightly bothered by the server’s presence, disinterested in her words, or if the guests appear to be more interested in speaking with other members in their party, then the server should keep the conversation short and maintain a low-key connection. Some tables are solely there to enjoy each other’s company or escape niceties for an hour or two. If this seems to be the case, then let a simple greet be the answer.
It may seem difficult for the front of the house management to allow servers to be the reigning judge over their tables, but if servers are hired based on their communication skills, multi-tasking abilities and quick-witted intelligence, then management should rest assured that the servers will do what is being asked of them. In return for their independence, the servers will create the perfect atmosphere according to each table’s needs and keep the customers anticipating their next return.
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