Circle of Service - Waiter - UK

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Seaside Toldboden

CIRCLE OF SERVICE WAITER

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Seasidetoldboden

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Seaside Toldboden

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www.seasidecph.dk

Seaside Toldboden

Nordre Toldbod 18-24

1259 København

CIRCLE OF SERVICE WAITER

“When you are a waiter at Seaside, you always have something to do.”

As a waiter it is your job to welcome the guests, explain the concept, make sure that the guests have everything they need and that they leave Seaside with a positive experience. The goal is for the guests to leave Seaside happy and satisfied, with the desire to come back another time.

As an employee at Seaside, it is important to have a positive appearance. You should always have a smile on your face, thrive in a fast-paced environment and be a good and attentive host and colleague.

Seaside is a big place, so watch your step. Make sure you always have something in your hands when moving from A to B. If you don’t clean up on your way, your colleague must do it.

Effective communication is important; therefore, we use ”Yes please” if it is possible for you to solve the task, and ”No thanks” if it is not possible to solve the task.

WHEN YOU CLOCK IN

Wear your uniform and have a pad, pen, and corkscrew on you. Ask the daily manager/check the floor plan to find out which section you are responsible for that day.

Find out about any out-of-stock dishes. Find out if we have a special dish of the day.

YOUR SEATER HAS ASSIGNED YOU A TABLE

Always pay attention in your section if you are assigned new tables. Your section is your responsibility.

We give the guests 2 minutes to settle in before we go and welcome them. It is important that all tables are welcomed after max 2 minutes, even if there is someone in the toilet/you must serve another table/they are still waiting for some other guests to arrive etc. It is important that everyone feels seen and heard as soon as they arrive.

Say: Hello and welcome! I’ll come down and tell you all about our concept in a moment.

When everyone is gathered: introduce yourself by name and our concept. The first half hour is crucial for the guests’ experience of the entire visit. After this, you ask what they would like to drink.

Pro tip: suggest a certain drink, then there is a greater chance that they will say yes. In general, remember that many people are thirsty on arrival or have been looking forward to a delicious drink, so it’s nice to be able to order this right away.

If the guests don’t want any drinks yet, tell them that you have put down a menu of our drinks, and ask if they would like some water for the table in the meantime.

Pro tip: Ask if they want some snacks while they are choosing their drinks (oysters, almonds, or olives, for example. Suggest what they seem to like).

ORDERING DRINKS

Serve the water and let the guest place the drinks order.

Make the classic ”waiter block” so you know who ordered what. Remember the table number so, you don’t forget who the order is from.

As soon as the drinks are ordered, you remove the needless service (e.g., wine glasses or water glasses).

SALES

3 glasses of wine // 3 drinks → suggest a bottle of wine or a pitcher

5 GT / 10 shots → suggest a bottle of spirits

When you know our wine list, it is important that you have a dialogue with the guest about what type of wine they like and that you recommend something specific. You will then be in control, and, after a dialogue, you can more easily influence the guest’s order.

ORDERING FOOD

Ask if the guests want some dishes started before others. Please note that all the food is started at the same time, but not necessarily served at the same time. Ask the guests if some of the dishes are for sharing, if so, get them sharing plates immediately.

SERVING DRINKS

Drinks are generally always served on a tray. It looks more professional, and you can carry all the drinks at once.

- Water:

Can be placed on the table or poured, depending on the situation:

If everyone is drinking the same or there are only 2 pax, we always pour the water. If there are 3 pax or more drinking both with/without bubbles, it is okay just to place the bottle/bottles on the table.

Pro tip: If you serve water to +4 pax, bring 3 bottles. Pour the first one (take it with you) and place the other two on the table. This way you avoid having to change them right away.

- Soft drinks/beer/cocktails

Serve women and children first. Serve whoever ordered, and don’t ask who ordered what.

- Bottle of wine:

Always open the wine at the table – and always let the guest who ordered taste the wine. After this you serve all the guests. Ladies first, then the men and finally the guest who ordered the wine. Remember that it is your responsibility that the bottle can be distributed properly among the number of guests.

Pro tip: You serve the oldest ladies first, then the younger ladies, then the oldest men, and lastly the youngest men.

Pro tip II: When opening corked wine, smell the cork to check it is ok.

Pro tip III: after the bottle is served, you continuously checkup and serve some more. The guests will be happy and drink faster → Win Win!

- Glass of wine:

Bring the glas and the wine bottle to the table. Place it in front of the guest who ordered it. Show the wine bottle, pour it into the glass while talking about the wine. Make sure to always serve the glass of wine in front of the guest.

You must always tell the guest something about the wine, it doesn’t have to be much. Remember that you can always ask a manager or look in the wine folder if you need a few words. “Here we have a dry Riesling from Germany, with notes of citrus. I hope you like it.”

Pro tip: when the guest has almost finished drinking, bring the bottle that the guest is drinking and ask if they would like one more glass. They feel seen and we get more sales → win win.

In general, it is important that the guests do not have empty glasses. When they have ¼ left in their glasses, ask if they want more drinks. As soon as glasses are empty there is a risk that the guests are leaving. Therefore, it is very important that we always have a focus on this.

FOLLOW UP

It is important for optimizing revenue and the guest’s overall experience that we are good at following up on how they feel throughout their visit.

Food & drinks: How does it taste? Are you missing something? Music: is the music level fine for your guests? Otherwise turn it down in your area.

Additional sales on drinks: Refill on soft drinks for the children? Pour the last of the wine into the glasses and ask if they want another bottle. If it’s the weekend, prepare your tables for shots, pitchers, large bottles.

COFFEE AND DESSERT

5 minutes after the main course is cleared, we will bring the guests a dessert and cocktail menu. After 5 more minutes, we will come back and ask if there were anything they would like.

Pro tip: espresso martini is delicious as a dessert, many people like Bailey’s in their coffee and those who drink black coffee often enjoy a little rum on the side.

PAYMENT

When the guests ask for the bill, you remove the last dishes before bringing it. You DO NOT bring the bill to a table with dirty dishes.

Always print the receipt for the guests. Make sure to handle your own tables –it will complete the experience for the guests.

End the conversation in a way that the guests leave Seaside wanting to come back. “Thank you very much for the visit. I hope you had a great time”.

THE PERFECT TABLE DURING THE GUEST’S VISIT

Circulate around and be visible and available to the guests. Remember to smile when you walk around, be enthusiastic and have good energy.

NO empty glasses or glasses with only drops left. Ask the guest if you can take it with you. This way you can also start the conversation about whether they need some more drinks.

Clear plates and wipe down the table if needed. Guests don’t want to sit at a dirty table.

Make sure the guests have fresh water every time the bottle only is a quarter full. When paying DKK 35 for water ad libitum, they must not lack water at any time during their visit. On hot days, the water quickly becomes lukewarm, so change the water occasionally even if it is half full.

There should always only be necessary things on the table: One menu, the napkins they use and only filled glasses and bottles.

New service: We aim for the guest to order several times. Dirty napkins, cutlery and sharing plates must be removed between courses and replaced with new ones. Always stay alert that the guests have spoons for the sharing dishes.

The table should be cleared just as the guests have finished the meal. We do not want the guests to be sitting at a table with old and dirty plates while they are enjoying themselves.

TABLE FLIP

It is important that you are quick to clear, wipe and set the table again when the guests leave. If there is a free runner, you can ask them to help, so you can focus on sales and the guest experience.

Important! Inform the seater about the status of your table. This is relevant information for the seater if a table has just asked for the bill or has left, so that they can seat new people at the table as soon as possible.