Hiring Waiters

I remember my practicum days at Edsa Shangri-La Hotel. Of the ten departments I went through, I remember enjoying restaurant service the most. I thought it was fun but tiring. Standing up and walking the whole time is no joke. However, I thought that it was a task that was routinary and not too cerebral. It needs a lot of communication skills and a lot of love for guests.

While managing a hotel, I started to realize that not all waiters are born to be waiters. Some of them have to be trained and guided to the 'waiter' mold of your preference. I also realized that waiters who stay in their jobs for so many years become either a great waiter or one who has lost all affection for the job.

When hiring waiters, I consider mainly good working attitude and communication skills. Some restaurant owners tend to hire waiters for as long as they can take orders, carry a tray and buss tables. I think that above these skills, which can be easily taught, by the way, waiters have to be good communicators. They should know how to speak well and when to speak.

Why is that so? They're waiters, not guest relations officers. On the other hand, they are a restaurant' s main guest relations officers. Waiters should know the questions to ask in appropriate situations. They should be able to aid sales by knowing how to suggest-sell and know dishes that complement each other.

Of course, waitering skills are important. Guests who dine need waiters who can attend to their needs while dining. They need proper flatware and glassware and dinnerware and waiters should know which these are.

A waiter's customer service skills have to be in check as well. He or she should be sensitive to a guest's requests or complaints. Simply put, a waiter should be courteous and attentive to guests at all times. At the same time, ensuring that restaurant service policies are kept in mind and followed.

In summary, do consider the following before hiring anybody to be a waiter for even the simplest restaurant setup.

• Ability to communicate and express himself
• A natural friendliness and enjoyment to be serving people
• A desire to put their best foot forward for your restaurant

If your waiter turns out to be not the kind of waiter you want, you can either re-train them or let them go. A waiter is usually all that a guest sees of a restaurant's employee pool. So all means have to be taken to ensure that what a guest sees is all good.