After all the years I have spent in this business, I thought I had encountered most every type of guest. Working for over 13 companies in restaurants around the country had left me confident of this. My current job proved me wrong. My restaurant is located just blocks from the convention center. This has resulted […]
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What If I Don’t Like My Guests?
Recently, I wrote a skill focus post on the importance of developing a positive rapport with your guests. In the post I emphasized the importance of letting the guest know that you liked them. Remember that one of the easiest ways to make someone like you is to let them know that you like them. […]
Creating Regulars
One of the most valuable skills of an exceptional server is the ability to create regulars. Having a core of customers that come into your restaurant and ask for you can insulate you against the slower times of the year. It also can make you look outstanding to the managers and hosts that frequently hear […]
Building and Maintaining Rapport
This morning I woke up a little more groggy than normal. As I was making my morning spin around the internets, I ran across a post from our friend the only slightly cranky waitress about rapport. It seems her company has taken this up as a replacement for “hospitality†as their new Beetlejuice word. I […]
The Most Important Phrase You Are Not Using
The space between reality and urban legend has spawned the story of the single greatest marketing idea ever. This phrase was so powerful that it nearly doubled the sale of the product it was written for. Two simple words that did not even need advertised. Two words that added to the label caused sales to […]
About The Author
David Hayden was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He took his first serving job in 1996. Since that time, he has worked for over a dozen different restaurant companies. He has held both hourly and salaried positions at independent and corporate restaurants. He has waited on over 100,000 guests and trained hundreds of servers. He has been named "Best Server in Kansas City" the last three years by the local weekly paper.