Know The Menu and Earn Bigger Tips

A good server will know the menu practically inside and out, thus Earning much bigger tips! There are so many average waiters and and waitresses that you should strive to be a cut above that by knowing your menu. Don't be shy about asking the cooks or manager questions about food. Your customers are going to ask and when you can answer them intelligently you will not only impress them but you will genuinely be helping them. In their eyes you've done something extra for them and you will certainly be rewarded for it in a bigger tip.

Too often a server does not even know the basics of what is on the menu. You should know exactly what's on that specialty burger. What are all the condiments that come with it automatically? How much is the pre-cooked weight of the burger? What kind of seeds are on the bun? You should know the sauces that come with dishes and be able to describe them. When there is a house special that is popular, know it inside and out! Just break it apart one piece at a time when there are a lot of ingredients and memorize a standard answer. Too often servers stumble through this day after day and week after week. It's silly! You know the question is going to come up every day so learn it and sound intelligent when asked and make bigger tips in the process! You cannot possibly learn everything 100% but you should know the basics of the menu at minimum. And that means more than just what's written on the menu that the customer can clearly see!

Depending on where you work there are many common questions that come up when serving guests. Let's take a popular and simple topic, butter. What type of butter is used, a 60/40 blend, margarine or 100% butter? Some restaurants will use for example, the blend on their breakfast toast while baking with margarine and yet serve 100% butter packets with dinner rolls. You need to know these things! Is the shredded cheese served on the salads or any dish for that matter, 100% real cheese or is it a blend or imitation cheese which is not cheese at all? Are the mushrooms being served on that steak or pizza canned or fresh? The list goes on and the more hours you waiter or waitress, the more you will discover the need to know the answers to these types of questions.

Baked, fried or grilled is another often asked question. A chicken salad for example, will have pieces of chicken on it and often the customer is eating this because they are watching their calorie intake. Baked chicken and deep fried chicken are worlds apart in calories and they are going to ask. Know the difference and what your restaurant serves. Often they don't offer both on the menu but if you know that grilled chicken can be offered instead of deep fried, and you offer that suggestion to your customer who doesn't want the fat, you've just increased your chances of a bigger tip!

Learn substitutions. Know without asking what can and cannot be substituted for certain side dishes at no cost. Also know the additional cost for certain substitutions. You look like a pro when you can answer questions like these without having to go ask someone. Avoid saying "I don't know" at any cost. Simply say "Let me find someone who can answer that for you better than I can"
Dessert questions will pop up once in a while also. There's money to made in the dessert rush so know your stuff! What brand of ice cream do you use? Is it real whipped cream or just whipped topping? Coffee is popular with desserts so know if you are serving half and half, non dairy creamer or heavy whipping cream. If your sauces or toppings are made with real fruits, know that and use it as a selling point. What about the pies? Is the crust hand made or frozen or from a box? Is the fruit fresh or canned? If the fruit is fresh, often it is purchased locally, another great selling point, but only if you know that!

These are just a few examples to get you thinking while at work. Look, you are there anyways and you want to make more tips, right? Then utilize your time and when curiosity crosses your mind about a menu item or a customer asks something, make it your goal to learn about it and remember it. You cannot learn everything about every little ingredient used but the real question is are trying to learn anything? Be a great server! Learn more about what you are serving and watch both your compliments and tips grow!