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A guide on how to take orders from the guests.

You know how to place orders, but do you know it is an art to know the way to take orders.  Here are a few simple steps that make you stride better while taking in the orders by hand.

  1.       Wait out for the guests to settle and feel comfortable with the environment
  2.       Smile, make eye contact, and be patient – wait for the guests to call you
  3.       Present the guests with the menu and move away to give time for them to decide what to order. Try to evaluate or fill them in with the day’s specialties and let them decide.
  4.       When you understand that the guest is ready to place an order, and then courteously ask, “Would you like to order now?”
  5.       Prior to taking the order, ensure that you are fully equipped with the notepad and pen/pencil.
  6.       What to order is totally choice of the guests but you can suggest them to either have a beverage/soup/starters based on their order
  7.   Leaning toward the guest while taking the order isn’t appropriate. Always stay a little away and bend forward to hear clearly and make note of the right items
  8.   Concentrate on what the guest is ordering, repeating oneself while placing order makes few guests unhappy and insulted. To avoid such situations it is better to focus on what the guest is saying.
  9.   The waiter/waitress must be thorough with the menu items, the availability, and so forth. Guests could ask any kind of question regarding the ingredients of the food items. It is always good to be abreast of every detail on the menu.
  10.   At times guests are unsure about what to order. They either are new to the hotel or would like to prefer some specialties of the place. Either way, this is the time; you can pitch in and show your expertise. You can suggest to them the best dishes/most wanted dishes in your hotel, and before that check, what kind of cuisine they would prefer.
  11.   No one likes jumbling especially when it comes to food. To avoid confusion, ensure you write the right notes. Make a note of the dishes, the sequence in which the guests ordered/requested, and the people to whom to serve. A simple trick for this is to number the guests of that particular table and accordingly serve.
  12.   Generally, few guests do not maintain order while ordering food items. But, being a professional make sure the appetizers are brought in first, then the beverages, the main course follows, and to end it with some dessert time.
  13.   Between every course give some time for the guests to enjoy and then go for the next one. If they are having drinks, then check if they would like to replenish/refill. Every time you ask a guest the talk should be straight and well mannered
  14.   Not every guest comes in with the same mood, some come in a hurry, some to relax, some really hungry, and some to try out new cuisine. Based on the type of guest you are taking orders from, check their status, and accordingly suggest food items. For example, if a guest is in a hurry you can advise upon having some ready to serve items.
  15.   Suggestive selling is a plus point for a waiter but you should be aware of the type of guest you are serving to. If it is a couple or a student, it is better not to advise for costly food items.
  16.   At the end of all the courses, ask your guests courteously if they would like to have anything else.

Many of them are in the notion that being a waiter/waitress is an easy job. But, a note to all these apprehensions that being a waiter/waitress is not as easy as it appears. The individual should be adept not only with the hotel rules and with regulations, but from the start of the meal until the end, a waiter is responsible for the presentation of the place, food, and the decorum. So, it is not easy!

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