By Daria Lev, Contributor
Tips are the life source of income for restaurant servers, but getting enough tips out of guests isn’t always easy. Even if you employ the common hacks of dressing well, being polite and friendly, writing thank you notes on the check, and providing an unforgettable experience, can still lead to basic or subpar tipping. But if you’re hitting all those checkboxes, what could be the problem?
Hopping from one job to the next won’t help you secure better tips. People feel socially obligated to leave tips, but that only gets you stuck with minimum amount. To get better tips, you need to go beyond just being friendly and dressing nice. You need to learn to read the table well and tailor a personalized approach to each group of guests.
Here are a tip hacks that can help you read a table and get better tips.
Read Your Guests’ Energy
One of the first things you should do, as a server, approaching a table is read the group’s energy level. What do they seem like they’re there for? Are they about to have a serious business meeting or is it a group of friends looking to burn off some steam after a long work week?
Figuring out their motivation for being at your table is huge in terms of supplementing the experience they’re looking for. The last thing you want is to mess a good vibe among your tables by pushing the wrong conversation.
For instance, while serving a chatty group, it would help if you offered to serve more drinks or refills, as they appear to be in a more social and enjoyable mood. You wouldn’t want to halt their party quests by bringing the check too early and asking questions that would make them uncomfortable. Apart from taking their business elsewhere, such a group won’t be generous while tipping. Offer insights such as top-shelf drinks that would light up their party, some desert pairings, and be talkative to foster a more engaging relationship.
Actively Listen to Your Tables
Listening doesn’t mean that you should eavesdrop on your guests’ conversations. While making an order, listen to their tone and observe their body language. That can tell you a lot about their mood and current state.
For example, while serving a couple: if they seem to be arguing over something or in the middle of an intense conversation, it would be best if you keep the interruption at a minimum. Ensure that you get their order right but don’t overstay or try to push for small talk. This gives them the needed space to carry on with their conversation, and with the right serving, prompt them to tip generously.
Meanwhile, tables with a more light-hearted atmosphere that are mowing through their apps and drinks may need extra check-ins for refills and additional food orders.
Your Timing Counts
That well-dressed guest that ordered lunch early might have a busy schedule ahead. The last thing you want is to make it harder for them to quickly grab a meal and carry on with their day’s plans. The best way to handle such a customer is to offer faster services and recommendations of the best meals that won’t take forever to prepare and eat. The customer will appreciate your fast and efficient service that makes their rush a lot more manageable, prompting them to leave a better tip.
You may even want to ask if the guest would like the check with the meal, so they can quickly eat, pay, and get back to business.
How’s Your Table Dressed?
Reading a table by their outfits is an old trick that still works relatively well. This is especially useful while serving a group. The well-dressed individual is usually the head of the group, and tailoring your service around them could win you huge tips. Barring this, if you take a few moments to read the table, you can get an idea who (if anyone) is the focus of the occasion – such as birthday parties or celebrating a promotion, etc.
Don’t, however, neglect the others as their input could water down your efforts. But giving a little extra TLC to the right people at your tables could help boost your tip take-home at the end of the night.
Reading tables and tailoring your services to get huge tips isn’t a cakewalk. However, with the above tips, you can improve your endeavors and pocket better tips.
