Tag Archives: Kansas City

The Fine Dining Service Conundrum

Posted on March 7, 2012 by David Hayden| Leave a comment
fine dining

I bet I know what he is thinking

Since most of you are not from Kansas City, a bit of background is in order.  The most popular show on our local public television station is called Check Please.  It is a show that allows three people to talk about their favorite restaurant.  Each of the three guests selects a restaurant and all three have a meal there.  Then they get together on camera to discuss them.  You can watch this recent episode online at the KCPT website.

Here is a quick synopsis for those who don’t have time to watch the whole clip.  Two people loved the restaurant and one was not as impressed.  I think this holds true for all three restaurants on this episode and most every episode of the show I have seen.  One line from this episode caught my attention.  The guest who had recommended the home style buffet restaurant said of the classic Kansas City Steakhouse, “For the prices they were charging, I felt like I should have my own server.”

Every since I have made the leap to fine dining, I have postulated that this thought goes through a number of guests’ minds.  This is the first time I heard it actually expressed aloud by a guest.  Her issue was not that the service was inadequate, but rather that it did not meet the level of service she was expecting to accompany the price tag.  This sort of “sliding scale” of service is a factor faced by many fine dining servers.  It is also one of the most frustrating.

While I can’t speak of the service provided at the buffet, I can speak of the service provided at most fine dining restaurants.  Most of the servers in these establishments make it their goal to not be noticed.  Most of them have years of experience at less expensive restaurants that allowed them to move up to a fine dining establishment.  Most of them are armed with a wealth of knowledge about the food, wine, and cocktails they serve.  Most of them can provide you a plethora of information about the local area, nightlife, and romantic spots for after dinner.  Most of them strive to provide non-intrusive service.

This creates a tough standard for the fine dining server.  If 20% at a casual dining restaurant is full drinks and friendly service, what is it at a fine dining restaurant?  There is a limit to what you expect of a server at any restaurant.  Included in the price of the meal at a nicer restaurant are a much more relaxed time frame and often multiple courses.  During that time you receive friendly service and your drinks remain full.  To some people this does not merit the same percentage of a tip as it does in a casual dining restaurant.

This double standard is frustrating as a fine dining server.  I will gladly recite facts about any topic you ask about.  I will present you with specials in a way that will make you salivate.  I will pair the perfect wine with your meal.  I will allow you to relax as I perfectly time multiple courses for maximum enjoyment.  I will patiently refill your drinks as you linger after your meal.  I will not worry when you stay for a meal that lasts three times as long as the average meal in a casual dining restaurant.  During this time, I will be mostly invisible and not disrupt your meal.  My goal is that you do not even know I am there when you do not need me.

At my last restaurant, they had a copy of my “Best Server in Kansas City” plaque in the lobby.  I asked them to take it down.  The owner of the restaurant I work at now offered to promote my book on serving in the restaurant.  I politely declined because I understand the fine dining server’s conundrum.  I don’t sing, dance, lead conga lines, or do magic tricks.  I assume if you are at my restaurant you do not want a server who does those things.  My job is to allow you to not have to worry about a thing while you are at my table.  This is the job of all servers. 

What makes a professional server so valuable is the ability to do this while making it look effortless.  Unfortunately, in the perception of some guests this means they are not earning their tip.  Service standards should not change based on the price of the meal.  We have grown to expect less from casual dining restaurants.  Guests will excuse basic mistakes with less expensive meals.  The standard should be higher for fine dining, but it must still be attainable.  I am not sure what guests who want more than flawless service at a fine dining restaurant are looking for.  I often question whether they know themselves.

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Posted in About, David Hayden, knowledge, Restaurant Hospitality, Server Waiter Waitress, tips, Tips2book

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Skill Focus: Selling As A Server

Posted on September 4, 2011 by David Hayden| Leave a comment

server

Of all of the concepts I have introduced on this blog and in my book, this week’s sales focus deals with the topic that I feel most strongly about.  This is the one area I am most disappointed with how it is addressed by the restaurant industry.  So many restaurant companies now refer to their serving staff as the “sales staff” or some derivative of that term.  Incredibly few of them provide an ample education on selling as a server and even less provide an explanation of why sales is actually part of service.  It is instead explained as a way to increase your tips by increasing their sales. 

Now don’t get me wrong here.  I also think selling as a server is a way to increase your tips and improve a restaurant’s sales.  I don’t think this occurs as a result of “upselling and add-ons.”  I am not going to tell you how much you could make over the course of a year if you just sold 12 more desserts a week.  You have heard it before and you have probably learned it doesn’t work.  Selling superfluous items by constant suggestive selling may increase the amount of the check, but the guest still determines the tip.  They will also determine whether or not they return to the restaurant.

So now that I have agreed with every reason you have to dislike trying to sell as a server, please read the next paragraph with an open mind.

Selling as a server is not about trying to get the guest to spend more.  Selling as a server is about trying to get the guest to spend wisely.  The guest came in to buy food, drinks, or both.  It is in your best interest for the guest to order the best (not necessarily the most expensive) meal on the menu.  You have the benefit of having tried most things on the menu and having received the feedback of countless guests.  You are the expert on the food you sell.  If you can direct the guest to the best possible meal, they will appreciate it as an added service you provide.  This will result in a higher tip and a return guest.

Now if every restaurant explained sales in that way, servers would not be so resistant.  Selling is an extension of service.   Some of you might be nervous about the concept of selling due to experiences you have had with bad salespeople.  That is completely understandable, but you should not judge sales by the actions of a bad salesperson.  This would be similar to a guest judging you at the beginning of the meal based upon the actions of the worst server they have ever had.  Take a look at the chapter this skill focus is based upon to further understand this concept.

Chapter 34: In Defense Of Selling As A Server

That is by far my favorite chapter in the book.  It is the one I go to when I do readings for the public and it receives an incredibly favorable response.  No one wants to be sold to.  Everyone wants to receive the benefit of a knowledgeable expert when making a decision.  Selling as a server is your opportunity to provide your expertise to the guest.  When you do so, they will reward you and return.

Tips2: Tips For Improving Your Tips is the new book from the author of The Hospitality Formula Network. It contains the 52 essential skills of the exceptional server. This book teaches the philosophy to turn average service into an exceptional guest experience that will rapidly increase your tips. This book shows how you can provide better customer service and dramatically improve your tips. Enter the coupon code “squared” to receive 20% off your copy today.

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Posted in Server Waiter Waitress, Skills Focus, Tips2book

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Creating A Server Community

Posted on July 13, 2011 by David Hayden| Leave a comment
community

Is this a first step towards building a community?

One of the coolest parts of spending over a decade in the restaurant business is that you know someone at most every restaurant.  Last night, my girlfriend Ali (who complains about not getting mentioned enough on here) and I went to check out a new restaurant.  We scrolled through a list of six people we knew between us that worked there.  Unfortunately only one was working, but I did see two more that I didn’t even know worked there.  The owner, who wanted me to be sure and say hi to the owner of my restaurant, paid us a visit.  By the end of the meal, our server even met two new industry folks who would vouch for him if asked to.

There are over 17,000 servers in Kansas City, but among the ones who have worked at more than a couple of restaurants, there is generally only a couple of degrees of separation between them.  Background checks are fairly simple amongst this group because someone on the staff knows someone who has worked with them.  It is a very small world and one that it is important to maintain your reputation within.  I am still not sure that I would call it a community though.  Even in a time when social networking is a part of daily life, there is still relatively little opportunity for servers to gather, share ideas, and advance common goals.

This is why one website has really captured my interest.  I haven’t written about The Employee Lounge on this blog before because I wasn’t sure what it was going to develop into.  I also wasn’t sure what sort of appeal it would have to people beyond Kansas City.  I saw the potential for what it could become, but I think it has extended far beyond that potential.  As it continues to grow, I think it will prove to be a model that should be emulated around the country.  This has the potential to create the framework to build a sense of community between servers that has been lacking.

I should also point out that today’s profile was about me.  This is how I managed to tie in the relevance to my audience.  Even if you read this blog daily or I have waited on you, there is still a much broader picture of the person painted by one of their profiles.  This serves as an example of how they manage to get the person behind the persona.

What I like about this site so much is that it puts a spotlight on the servers, bartenders, chefs, and others that make this industry work.  It is more than just a bio or resume.  Tina and Linh, the founders of The Employee Lounge, really strive to get to know the people they are writing about.  As a reader, you get to know far more about them too.  I read about servers who I know and still learn something about them.  They have a tremendous ability to put their subjects at ease and everyone looks cooler through Tina’s lens.

There is not a lot of fame that comes with being a service industry professional.  Most servers will never get the chance to do an interview or have a story written about them.  This site seeks to change that.  It is now my “go to” source for finding out about servers changing jobs and finding old co-workers.  It creates an appreciation for the people who make up this industry and helps guests see us as more than “just a server.”

The site is also great about spreading the word on community events.  They sponsor some of the more interesting server/bartender related happenings.  Their list of service industry nights, cheap wine deals, and brunch spots is the best on the web.  They end every interview by asking what the subject would do to make Kansas City better.  They take the lead by doing what they can to make it better too.

The purpose of this post is not to say how cool my city is.  It is not to get you to go look at pictures of me looking cool.  It is not even to help promote a very deserving site.  Those would all be good reasons to write a post.  I think the message is a little bigger though.

Your city has just as many cool servers, bartenders, and chefs.  You may not be as good with a camera as Tina or be able to turn a phrase like Linh, but you can help create a community.  Introduce yourself to the next person to wait on you.  Help spread the word about job openings.  Get to know the people around you in this industry and help plant the roots for a community.  For far too long we have been treated as a group of people who are simply between jobs or waiting to finish school.  You are more than that and so are the people around you.  Recognize that and build upon it.  We have much more to offer when we view it as a community than when we see ourselves as individuals.

Tips2: Tips For Improving Your Tips is the new book from the author of The Hospitality Formula Network. It contains the 52 essential skills of the exceptional server. This book teaches the philosophy to turn average service into an exceptional guest experience that will rapidly increase your tips. This book shows how you can provide better customer service and dramatically improve your tips. Enter the coupon code “squared” to receive 20% off your copy today.

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Posted in Kansas City, Server Waiter Waitress

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The Reviews Are In

Posted on June 29, 2011 by David Hayden| Leave a comment

reviews

Read any good books lately?  When I sent out advanced copies of my book, I was hoping someone would say something nice about it in their reviews.  All of the people who had read it previously did so to edit it.  Something about getting back all the previous copies covered in red ink made me wonder if it was ever going to be ready to be released.  It turns out that, judging from the reviews, it was better than I thought.  I have written a lot about why I think you should by this book, but here are some unbiased reviews from around the web.  Click on the link below any of the quotes to read the full reviews.

“If all servers in Kansas City took their profession as seriously as David Hayden — waiter, blogger, consultant — the local restaurant scene would be a very different place.”

-Charles Ferruzza, Restaurant Critic, The Pitch June 23rd, 2011

“If you also want inspiration how to increase your tips I recommend the new book of David Hayden.”

Crazy Waiter June 23rd, 2011

“Servers:  go here and buy this book.  Once you read it and apply Mr. Hayden’s techniques and insights, you will start making more money immediately.”

Do You Do That At Home? June 23rd, 2011

“I Recommend This Book For Everyone Who Wants to Make More Money.”

Waiter Extraordinaire June 23rd, 2011

“Everyone involved in the restaurant business can benefit from “Tips².” I’ve been waiting tables for a couple of decades and I got a lot out of reading it. If you run an independent restaurant, unburdeded by the advantage of company-mandated corporate training materials, you should buy several copies of this invaluable resource for your staff. It’ll undoubtedly make your store better and everybody more money.”

These American Servers June 23rd, 2011

“This is a gem of a book.  It’s a detailed took at the guts and sinews of our business, full of tips and techniques that can easily make any restaurant shift more pleasant . . . and more profitable.”

Life On A Cocktail Napkin June 23rd, 2011

“What you need to know about this book is that it is not a collection of stories about serving and it is not a Dummy’s Guide to Waiting Tables. This is a book designed for someone who is in the industry and wants to advance themselves.”

Sock Puppet Army June 24th, 2011

“Let me be blunt – if you are a waiter/server/bartender and you don’t buy this book, then you really don’t care about how much money you make. This book is a multiplier of skills and bank. It’s written in a clear, concise yet comprehensive style. It’s laid out logically and covers just about every topic that a waiter needs to know in terms of maximizing his or her earning potential.”

So You Want To Be A Waiter June 24th, 2011

Each of those bloggers received an advance version of the book because I respect the writing they do and the passion they have for the industry.  I recommend checking out their reviews and their blogs.  They also do a much better job of selling the book than I do.  I still try though and I even made it on television to promote the book.  You can see me discussing the book and the state of service on the local CBS affiliate’s morning show by clicking here.

It has been a tremendous honor to have so many nice things said about something I wrote by writers who I enjoy reading so much.  Thank you to all of them for taking the time to write reviews of the book.  I hope that it has the same effect on everyone that reads it.  Want to be one of them?  Head over to the official site of Tips2: Tips For Improving Your Tips and pick up your copy today.  Enter the coupon code “REVIEWS” at checkout to receive $4.00 off until December 31st, 2011.

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Posted in Tips2book

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Seeing Your Restaurant Again For The First Time

Posted on June 3, 2011 by David Hayden| Leave a comment

(Author’s Note: The video above was shot in the Jazz Club of the restaurant where I work.  I think it will prove relevant to the post as you read on and also serves as a nice soundtrack provided by the incredibly talented Bram Wijnands)

When I went in to interview at the restaurant where I work, I made a conscious effort to make notes of my first impressions.  As I approached the door, I wanted to experience what someone walking in for the first time would.  I remember how comfortable the lobby looked.  How ornate all the molding and the ceiling was.  How the 100 year old bar looked like it came directly out of central casting.  It reminded me of the restaurant from the original Godfather movie.  If there was an old fashioned chain toilet in the bathroom, I would have looked behind it for a gun.

I did this, because as I drove to the interview I was thinking about my last interview.  I walked into my previous restaurant and was blown away.  Rich mahogany wood lined all the walls.  A stained glass dome enveloped the restaurant and dwarfed the 20 foot tall bar.  As the manager greeted me, I told him that he had an incredible looking restaurant.  He looked up and said, “yeah I guess so.”  It was apparent that he hadn’t looked at it that way in a while.  By the time I left, I hadn’t either.

Last night, I was opening the restaurant when a guy wondered in.  I asked him if he was joining us for dinner and he replied, “I’m sorry, I should have checked to see if you had a dress code.”  I told him our only code was that he had to be dressed and if he promised not to strip, I would show him to a table.  He was the only guest in the restaurant and was in town with a convention.  I poured him a couple samples of local beers and explained that our steaks come from cows raised less than an hour away.  He asked about the restaurant, and I explained that it was 100 years old.  How the basement was a speakeasy during prohibition and the second floor had been a house of ill repute.  We talked about how the great political boss of Kansas City had an office upstairs and that we recently learned a couple of mobsters had been murdered up there.  He asked about ghosts and a co-worker jumped in to tell him some stories as I started his order.

About this time, our house musician came in and sat down to the piano.  When he started playing, the guest was blown away.  I explained that he plays upstairs twice a week, but it really gets hopping when his trio plays the jazz club downstairs.  His phone rang and he immediately says, “Can you hear that piano in the background?  That guy is playing at some restaurant I wandered into.”  I guess I had become a bit accustomed to having a world class jazz pianist to entertain me a few nights a week.  To me he is just Bram.  We talk foreign politics on the back dock while taking a break.  The guest asked when he would be back, I told him Thursday night and the guest said he would return.  I gave him a great local barbeque place to eat at in the interim.  He left a 30% tip when he paid the check.

After just a few months, the 100 year old tiles on the floor had just become a pain to mop.  The 100 year old bar meant that we had to be careful where we set pitchers.  The former speakeasy in the basement was a flight of stairs I had to climb anytime I needed something from the kitchen.  The political boss’ office was just something that people only asked to see when I was in the weeds.  It only took a few months to forget that first impression.  It only took one guest to remind me of what it was.

I am not writing this to brag about the restaurant where I work.  It is pretty cool though.  I am not trying to show off the tremendous Jazz we have downstairs.  You should check out the video above though.  I am instead trying to provide a challenge.  The next time you walk in your restaurant, look at it as a first time diner would.  Take a step away from it being the place you work and appreciate what sets it apart.  Be impressed with the place you work and you will find an additional level of pride in your work.  Know what sets you apart and never be afraid to brag to your guests about it.  Take some time to see your restaurant the way your guests do and you might find your perspective changing for the positive.

Tips2: Tips For Improving Your Tips is the new book from the author of The Hospitality Formula Network.  It contains the 52 essential skills of the exceptional server.  This book teaches the philosophy to turn average service into an exceptional guest experience that will rapidly increase your tips.  This book shows how you can provide better customer service and dramatically improve your tips.  Enter the coupon code “squared” to receive 20% off your copy today.

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Posted in Kansas City, Managers, Server Waiter Waitress

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