An Exercise

Here's an exercise for you to try. If you haven't been keeping a tip log start one. It's pretty simple, on a separate piece of paper in your order pad, record the sale and the tip from every table you have. You might also take a few notes like what section you had and what night of the week it was.

When I was delivering pizzas I actually made more money on the nights that I kept a log. I know - it makes no sense. I don't really care if it makes sense. My goal is to maximize my profits.

By keeping this information you might find out some surprising things. You may turn more tables in smaller sections. You may do better in bigger sections. There was a three table section that seemed to easily beat our some four table sections just because it was so much easier to get to them. You want to try and get assigned to the best section for you. To do that you'll need to know what that is.

This will also give you a good idea about what you can make in night in a section.

Here's the exercise

Once you figure this out...Set yourself a target. If you usually make $95 on a Tuesday in section 31, try and make $105. It's only ten bucks more --surely it's doable and ten bucks extra for a shift you were working anyway is like free money.

Magically when I monitor my progress and set the goal (if it is realistic) most of the time I make it. Maybe I hustle just a little bit more and get one more table that night or sell a few more desserts. Having a target makes it easier to keep going just a little bit more.

Try it and let us know if it works for you too.

Nightlife

If you are anything like me, when your shift is over you can't just turn it off, go home and go to sleep. You are energized, hanging with some awesome people either want to have someone wait on you or blow off a little steam. Usually at some point in the shift someone starts discussing after work activities.

If you are waiting tables there are limited options after work. The movies, amusement parks, and most of the stuff that normal people do are all closed down. There is usually a restaurant that is open later or a bar in your future. These can be some of the best times you'll have.

Here's something to think about: For the price of one of those nights you an probably join a 24 hour gym for a month. Try hitting he gym twice a week instead of going out every night. Put the cost difference in a fund for something cool. Maybe a trip somewhere, maybe an upgrade for your car or a little safety net. Just my opinion on this.

I loved going out, but when I started adding up what I was spending a week in my head...ouch.

The Man is trying to bring me down - or maybe your friends are - or maybe it's just me.

The worst thing a crab can do is crawl out of the bucket. When a crab tries to escape the other crabs will pull it back in. Sometimes your coworkers may unintentionally do the same. You'll notice when things start working there will be some who try and edge you from the path.

Don't snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

There will be times when it will be tempting to take all of your tips with you when you go out after work. "Don't worry about stopping by the bank...You can do that in the morning. We'll just be out for a little while and you won't spend much." A hundred bucks later you wake up with absolutely no cash and probably a decent sized headache. Just stop by the night deposit and drop some off on your way out. Sometimes if you actually head home for a bit first...you find you don't really want to go out, but if you do you can at least decide up front how much you will take with you and the maximum you should spend. These decisions are a lot better made up front than a couple of drinks in.

Maybe you have an exceptional night and want to celebrate. You should still drop some cash in a safe place and make your decision up front on how much you want to spend. I love celebrating - a lot: But you can easily turn an awesome $200 night into a $200 bar tab and a bunch of friends on the floor of your apartment. Which come to think of it can be a great night, but not if it means picking up three extra shifts later to make your bills.

Stop Caring

At one point early in my serving career a very nice older woman told me, "You are the worst waiter I have ever seen." This of course made me try harder and actually perform worse. I was running all of the time. I would rush to get drinks and if I forgot something I would practically run to the kitchen to get it.
I spent all of my time running and killing myself to please and it just made it worse for everyone. Then one day I had an epiphany (or I was just too tired to care.) I stopped trying to please everyone and just tried to do my job. I didn't run for one person. If I forgot something I just added it to my next trip. I never ran for one thing anymore. And you know what, people got happier and I got more efficient. Let me restate this:

The less I tried to please everyone, the happier my customers were.

I'm not saying ignore them. I'm not saying don't try and serve them. What I'm saying is focus on the whole job and not one person at one table. A little less concern reduces anxiety and stress, and makes things more pleasant for everyone. The job is stressful enough without adding more pressure on yourself. So consolidate your trips - so it may take a few seconds longer for that refill or the extra spoon, but you will be calmer cooler and have more time to take care of everyone.

Also don't take this as saying take a smoke break out back and neglect your tables. Take care of your tables. Just take care of all of them collectively.

Repeat exactly?

In a recent Interview on the Harvard Business Review Podcast Daniel Pink (http://www.danpink.com/) stated that repeating a customer's order exactly back resulted in %70 higher tips. I'm not sure where the numbers came from or what this is based on but it can't hurt. Repeating back exactly does show that you are focused on the customer and are taking the time to get the order exactly right. I can see where this could help.

However, 70% to me means that where you would normally get a $10 tip you get $17 instead? It still seems a little high to me.

If you are tracking tips, try this and please tell me what happens. I'd expect a much smaller increase but I love it when I'm surprised.

Pay Attention to the Details

Once you get the basics down now you can start refining. Start taking care of the little things. Make sure your shirts are pressed and you are clean. Make sure your tables look good and you pay attention to your patrons. Keep track of every penny of income. Take care of the little things and position yourself for the big things. I'm not saying the big things will take care of themselves. You still have to be mindful of the big things; but focus on the details. Just like when you drive your car, pay attention to the road and traffic but still aim the car towards your destination.

If you do a consistently great job, often you will find yourself in better, bigger sections as you prove you can handle it. This means more tables and more money.

Also you want your professionalism to stand out. This will help separate you from the pack and make you both more valuable to the restaurant and more appealing to your clients. One more thing; There will always be people who are lazy and willing to do as little as possible and claim as much credit as possible. Until you know better help out everyone you can and go out of your way to make them feel appreciated and on your team. Most of them will return the favor and make your work environment both more pleasant and more profitable. Another thing, when you make people feel good about themselves and work hard, you can develop an almost gravitational pull for good people.

Leaders stand out and it will help your chance for advancement as well as giving people a reason to want to work with you.

Waiting Tables as Your Start to Greatness

Most people don't think of waiting tables as a permanent gig. Usually it's more of a "I'll wait tables until I get through school" or "I can cocktail until I get a real job" (BTW the real job thing...I'm not sure it exists.) Some people fall in love with waiting and the flexibility it can bring, or the night life that starts right after work, or just meeting lots of people and helping them out.

Most of us burn out.

One of the best ways to keep from burning out is to focus on getting better. Once you stop improving you start a downhill spiral that will leave you disenchanted and unhappy. Don't forget to get better at the things that will help later as well.

It's in our best interest to keep in mind while waiting tables the skill sets and the connections that can be made. There are tons skills that you can learn as a server that you will have a hard time learning anywhere else. Where else would you be expected to deal with maybe 100 people a night, figure out what they want and help them have a good time? The school of serving gives you people skills that other schools cannot even start to teach. You learn to look at a couple and tell if they have been fighting or dancing or both.

You learn how to start the delicate dance of service just the right way. If you don't all of your nights are hard and you don't make much money. You get a chance to relearn these lessons many times every night. If you don't do it right you are given immediate feedback and when you do it well you are rewarded.

After you learn the beginnings of the dance you move on to the nuances. The "That burrito is soo much better with the green sauce." The "Why don't you try the Madras with the Grey Goose." The "The brownie is OK but the Oreo cheesecake is really good today." You have the check ready when they want it, the drinks stay full and you achieve a state of flow.

Years later these skills will pay off as you read your management, board members, and clients. You will be able to better sell pharmaceuticals, cars, apartment buildings, or companies.

How can I keep from blowing all of my tips?

So you've improved your game and you are making more money. How come at the end of the month you are still having to pick up shifts to make rent? I don't know about you but after waiting on people all day it was very easy for me to go and have someone wait on me. I had cash in my pocket and wasn't afraid to use it.

The problem is during the night I usually had no idea of what I spent, only what I had left.

The key here is to set aside something for monthly bills before you go out. There are a couple of ways to do this.

If you have any self-control at all just figure out about how much your housing expenses will be and divide it up by the days you are working and put that much plus 10 percent of your tips in an envelope and set it aside. The next morning you can consolidate it somewhere or bank it.

If your self control is lacking, get a checking account and a ton of deposit slips and instead of putting it in an envelope where you can grab it when you want another beer or two, drop it in the night deposit box.

At the end of the month you should be able to cover rent without totally freaking out and...You should have some extra in the account. If you want you can splurge with the extra (more likely you can use it to get your car fixed or for other emergencies) or better yet, drop it into a savings account for when an emergency hits. At a certain level you will have a ton of cash and can use it to improve your life.

Job choice and Cash

Sometimes to make more money you need to work at a more expensive restaurant. It's a tough truth but if your check average is $12 you have to serve a lot more tables to make a c-note ($100 bill) than if your check average is $100. However, Would you rather have 5 tables a night with a $200 average or 10 with a $100? Something to think about. A very high end place may not turn tables very quickly at all and one bad customer could really affect your tips. When you are looking for a wait job you should always be conscious of how much traffic as well as the price per check.

I realize if you are just getting you foot in the door you will often take whatever you get. Especially if you have no experience, the first job can be the most important. At that point you goal is to maximize your profit at that job, and build the skills that will make you valuable at either a higher end wait job, a bartending gig, or maybe you move to another job in sales. The skills you pick up in dealing with people and helping them make choices will translate to almost any sales job. Because, at its heart, a wait job is a sales job.

On a side note, how many of you know how many tables you see a night? How about customers? Does your station size affect you or can you sometimes turn more in a smaller section?

An exercise in sales awareness

I can't help but to do this. Since I started waiting tables, I consciously evaluate the wait staff at any restaurant that I'm at. Sometimes it's, "Wow! That was a really smooth way sell those drinks." or "Why isn't she trying to sell the specials?" Sometimes it's "The manager should be helping her out." or "He is really in the weeds." I've been both amazed and disappointed. The people who take pride in their work are really apparent and you call tell that they are rewarded for it. They have the happiest tables that still turn quickly and often are in the best sections.

I invite you, next time you are out, take notice of the staff. What are they doing well? What should they do better? What can you steal from them to improve your game?

How about a pitcher?

If a table orders two glasses of wine, two draft beers, or two margaritas - offer the bottle, or pitcher if it's an option. Sell it with - "If you think you might have another drink you guys should think about a pitcher - It's like getting a free drink."

Usually you get 5 drinks from a pitcher or bottle of wine and the it usually costs about what 4 go for on their own.

You are looking out for the client - and can save them if they are going to drink a bit, and if they are on the fence you might persuade them to have a little more. They almost always will finish the pitcher and then be glad you saved them the money. You facilitate them having a good time and they tend to favor you at the end of the night.

You want the rotgut or the goodstuff?

Opportunities for upselling are everywhere. My friend Micheal and I were working the bar one Valentine's day and I saw a great job from him. A guy and his date come up to the bar and he orders, " A margarita and a scotch on the rocks." Micheal without missing a beat replies, "You want the rotgut or the good stuff?" I'll say up front it was a little manipulative - I mean what guy is gonna say give us the cheap stuff on V-day in front of his girlfriend. That being said, - The girl was a lot happier with the top shelf Margarita and the difference in the Scotch was noticeable as well. He got a higher percentage tip on a larger tab and the customer was happier.

You don't need to go to the extreme of calling your well rotgut. I've had good luck with, "Do you want the house gin or something a little nicer? We have this really good Blue Sapphire if you want to try something a little nicer." I've guaranteed that before as well. "If you don't think this is worth the difference, I'll take care of it for you." You will need to learn to read your tables a little bit for that though.

Why Don't I have any Money?

You ever notice that you get off at the end of the night and you have a wad of cash, but you always have to pick up a shift or suffer to make rent? Do you really understand how much you make on a weekly or monthly basis?

Here's a little experiment. It may seem kinda difficult (I know it was easier for me when I delivered pizzas....) Get a small notebook or a page in the back of your order book and write down every tip you receive. Strangely I think I actually made more just from recording it. Then at the end of the night write down the totals and keep a running tally for a week. You might be surprised. Your weekly totals should give you a good idea about how much money moves through your hands in a month. (4 weeks or so.) If you haven't already, try some of the selling techniques. See if the numbers don't improve. I'll bet they do.

More about making More Money

I want to elaborate on something I kind of glossed over yesterday. Waiting tables is a commission sales job. If you are honest with yourself you understand that the normal commission for a competent server at dinner is in the 15% to 18% range. For lunches it can be a little less.

What is a competent server?

People come into the restaurant wanting:

• To be fed.
• To be waited on and not have to take care of it themselves.
• To have a good time.

A competent server easily takes care of the first two and is pleasant enough to influence the last. However, after you have met the first two the third can be out of your control. For 90% of the people you deal with, unless things get really screwed up and you fall down on one of the first two things, when the check comes they will perform some basic math and calculate your tip. Let me rephrase that.

For most people your tip will be based almost solely on the total of the check.

Making More Money

I worked in a suburban Tex-Mex restaurant and not a very high end place. I still made good money. Could I have done better? Of course.

Here's the (not so secret) Secret

Waiting tables is a commission sales job. All of those tricks - smiley faces, get at table height, get repeat customers etc. Those may move the needle a little bit but if you want to make more money you need to sell more. That can either be via quality or quantity. 5 more tables a night should be at least another $100 a week. Raise your check average from $80 to $100 and you should see a 25% increase in income.

Your job is to balance between aggressive salesmanship, providing a comfortable experience, and turning that table. Now it is true that some of the tricks that people talk about - smiley faces on the checks, getting down to face the customers, greeting with a smile can help. Most of these are about connecting with the client. Things like prebusing and bringing boxes out (or better, packaging the leftovers for the table) are about turning the table.

As far as aggressive sales goes.

I always thought that about 60% of the people coming in weren't sure what they wanted. So I told them.

For Instance, "We have this amazing special today, These are real Buffalo Fajitas - the buffalo steak is free range and lower in fat and cholesterol but the thing is - It has an awesome flavor that you just don't get anywhere else." Two things helped. Actually try and like the special. If the special was something that I didn't care for I would still try it, in case someone asked about it. "Some people really like the Guacamole soup, but it is a little spicy for me. If you love heat it might be great for you though." and then I would sell something I really liked from the menu. (If it was something I really thought was awesome, I would often offer to buy it if they didn't like it. "I tell you what, if you try the Burrito Verde and don't like it, I'll buy it for you." I bought one special over the course of a couple of years. (Actually I got the restaurant to comp it after I told the manager what the customer said was wrong with it.)

There is a double benefit to selling specials. You raise check average and you usually speed the decision making process allowing you to turn the table a little faster.

Is it possible to be a Millionaire waiter?

I worked as waitstaff in a pretty big restaurant for a few years. The thing that strikes me years later is just how much money slipped through my fingers. The old phrase, "If I only knew then what I know now." rings true. So the question arises, can you become a millionaire while waiting tables? I think you probably can. I started as a lousy waiter (server is the current lingo.) I could make enough money to eat and buy gas to get to work. After a few months I learned a few truths about serving. Once I understood these thing I started making pretty great cash. $400 or $500 dollars a week after taxes in the early 1990s was pretty great money. I actually took a pay cut when I got my first "real job" (As if waiting tables isn't a real job.)

I'd like to start a discussion on:

a) Best practices for making money waiting tables. (How can I maximize my income)

b) Best practices for building wealth while waiting tables. (Can I get rich?)

c) Why we don't use the best practices.

d) Next steps....Do I want to keep waiting tables? Do I want to do something else?

I'll try and flesh some of these out in future posts. Especially if there is any interest or comments that are from people who are doing this now.