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A lot of etiquette goes into how a waiter conducts themselves to ensure they exude professionalism and inspire a positive impression of the restaurant and its staff to guests. This servers code can affect everything from how a waiter greets and speaks to their guests to how and where they position themselves during the order taking process and other interactions.
When taking a costumer’s order, a restaurant waiter should position themselves a step away from the table and to the left of the guest they are speaking to. This will create a comfortable distance from the guests without inhibiting the waiter’s ability to communicate or the staff’s ability to operate around them.
In this article, we will discuss the importance of proper positioning for restaurant waiters. As you read, you’ll lean how distance, posture, and alignment can affect a guest’s experience and a waiter’s efficiency. We will also list several additional tips all restaurant waiters should know regarding order taking.
Why Does A Waiter’s Position Matter for Order Taking?
Individuals who are new to being waiters/waitresses often underestimate not only the effect they can have on a guest’s experience, but how much even the smallest details, such as their positioning and posture, can affect this.
A waiter’s position during the order taking process is one of many crucial elements of server etiquette that aim to make all guests feel comfortable, welcomed, and well cared-for. Proper positioning can also limit order taking confusion and ensure waiters are not inhibiting restaurant workflow around them.
In essence, there are two factors at play here: the guests and the restaurant’s workflow; both of which we will discuss in further detail to demonstrate their separate but equal relevance.
Creating the Ideal Guest Experience
Once a guest is seated, their waiter essentially becomes a physical embodiment of the restaurant. While there are other factors that undoubtedly affect a guest’s experience, such as the atmosphere or the food, a well-trained and skilled waiter can make an insurmountable difference in ensuring a guest has a pleasant enough experience to recommend the restaurant to others and return in the future.
Because waiters become the face of the business for this brief period, everything about them is on display, from their physical appearance to how they address their guests even down to how and where they stand.
Proper positioning can not only guarantee a waiter appears professional (ex. standing up straight) but can also help create a comfortable atmosphere. The reason waiters should stand at least one pace away from the table is because you don’t want to tower over or crowd your guest. While an intimate, friendly environment is important, standing too close can unnerve a guest and can be interpreted as unprofessional.
Of course, you don’t want to stand too far away, or you will have difficulty hearing you guest’s orders. This might also lead one or both parties speaking at increased volume that might disturb surrounding guests.
Lastly, it is important for waiters to always stand to the left of their guest when possible (table booth’s make this difficult, in which case, standing in the center of the exposed side is ideal). This is for ethical reasons, as it is part of server etiquette to serve from the left.
Supporting Efficient Restaurant Workflow
When taking orders, a waiter should always give their guest their undivided attention, but it is important to remember that while you are focusing on them, the restaurant is operating behind them. Other guests are being seated, servings are bringing out trays filled with succulent dishes or empty dishes, waiters are rushing back and forth with their guest’s orders and from one table to another.
When a restaurant is in sync, this scene that would otherwise appear chaotic runs smoothly and professionally, and a waiter’s position plays into this. While it is key not to stand too close to your guests for the sake of their comfort, if you find yourself standing too far away, you could easily block the entire aisle behind you and impeded restaurant movement.
This increases the risk of injury and accidents (ex. guests or staff running into or tripping over you), which could negatively affect a guest’s experience or a co-worker’s mood. To prevent this, all restaurant staff should be briefed on proper waiter positioning so it is universally known where they should be to promote the ideal guest experience without inhibiting workflow.
Other Important Order Taking Tips for Waiters
One of the biggest challenges of being a restaurant waiter is the sheer number of server etiquette rules that arise during the crucial order taking process that, when ignored or performed improperly, could easily make or break a guest’s experience. Proper positioning is just one of many, but don’t worry. We’ve listed some of our top order taking tips for waiters below, so you know which ones to prioritize.
The top five most important tips of order taking for waiters include:
- Have sound knowledge of the menu beforehand: this will help with providing recommendations, order taking speed, and reduce confusion when communicating with guests.
- Smile and maintain eye contact with the guest who is ordering: ensures an air of professionalism, friendliness, and respect
- Take orders clockwise: reduces pressure on guests to speak in a certain order and promotes a fast, efficient process
- Record orders accurately and legibly: minimizes the risk of confusion with kitchen staff. Repeating the order as it is recorded can further help to ensure this.
- Ask guests if they need anything else before you leave to enter their order: gives guests a final opportunity to alter or add information
Once you are confident you have these order-taking essentials down, you can start to focus on adding more elements, such as up-selling items, to further benefit the restaurant and enrich your guest’s experience.
Final Thoughts
Trying to memorize all the rules of server etiquette can be difficult to a new waiter, especially when they have to consider what might be deemed “little things” like standing at a specific distance or position. Luckily, these often become second nature over time, allowing you to focus more on how you interact with your guests versus how you appear to them.
Sources:
- https://www.hospitality-school.com/hotel-guest-order-taking-technique/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuhbWqZ1Kxw
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VyV2_XcUnw
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbFVPYD-Kfs
- https://www.webstaurantstore.com/article/90/fine-dining-etiquette-for-servers.html
- https://poloandtweed.com/blog/etiquette-tips-for-restaurant-server-training
- https://blog.typsy.com/restaurant-server-training-top-10-etiquette-tips
