Restaurant Server Training

Training restaurant servers is one of the most important tasks you will do in your business. Provide your own restaurant server training so that everyone that agrees to work in your business is on the same page. You'll want to make sure that everyone knows your goals for your business, staff and customers.

banquet set up image copyright @ healthy1chef 2004

Not everyone has what it takes to be a great server, we'll share our restaurant server training guidelines that you can use in your own business to find and keep the best staff workers. If you're considering becoming a server, these tips will help you too so that you'll know what is expected of you in the workplace and whether or not you think you can be a server as a viable job opportunity. For many servers, it's their primary job and how they earn a substantial income from wages and tips.

Your server staff will need to know many skills such as organizing time, being efficient, knowing great communication skills, proper food handling techniques, serving food and alcohol, keeping a clean working environment and learn how to deal with customer complaints or dealing with customers that results in fewer customer complaints. Face it, the server will spend the most time with the customers throughout the meal so that how they approach the table, verbal and non verbal skills and everything else they will do is extremely important. Often, it means whether or not your customers will return for future business with your restaurant and result in repeat customers and positive word of mouth recommendations.

I like to hire slow and fire fast. That is, take your time to hire the right employees, check their references, take time to talk to them, give them an application to fill out in your business (not at home where someone else maybe fills it out for them), find out their strengths and weaknesses and be willing to do what you can to get and keep the best employees. Offer a specific probation period that allows the employee time to adjust to your business and gives you time to determine if they're a good fit for your business. 

•      It starts at the hiring process. Professional servers will usually arrive well dressed, well groomed with neat hair and nails since they understand the cleanliness aspect of the food service industry. They have taken the time to create a resume to include past experiences and jobs which will help you in knowing their background and how it can work with your business. Take the time to interview potential servers asking specific questions such as how they carry heavy trays of food, how they deal with coworkers that aren't team players, how they communicate with customers, what they would do in a certain situation with a customer complaint, etc. You'll learn a lot from asking simple questions that relate to the job and how they have dealt with it in the past or how they would deal with it. Explain your restaurant uniform policies and make sure they are acceptable to the employee - either you provide the uniform or you expect a black slack/skirt/white shirt for example.
•      Inexperienced servers aren't necessarily a bad thing and could be perfect for your restaurant.  When you talk to them, you can determine if they're willing to do a great job, are enthusiastic, are trainable and sometimes end up to be the very best staff. Don't dismiss an inexperienced server.
•      Explain your policy and procedure manual. Many employees and servers are no exception appreciate knowing that you have rules and guidelines already in place for what you expect of them. Reinforce the need for cleaning, restocking and setting up too.
•      When you offer a server a job, have them read your policy and procedure manual and then sign it when they're done. Read on tips on how to create a policy and procedure manual.. This ensures that they have read it, know the rules and can either continue with the job or decide they can't do it and won't take the job. Under no circumstances, do we ever allow employees to get on board without reading or without signing the policy and procedure manual. 
•      Give a tour of your restaurant, the server work area, the storage areas, the kitchen, the dining spaces and the break areas. 
•      Create a schedule for the new server that works for him/her and works for your business.  We always make sure the new hire understands that weekends and holidays can be the busiest times and we expect them to be there, so they realize at the start that call offs on those times are pretty unacceptable (unless of sickness of course).
•      Team your new server up with your official server trainer or if you don't have one, choose someone long standing with your restaurant that is a good worker, strong server, well organized and someone willing to teach and train. (We suggest offering a bonus pay for the official trainer).
•      Create and use your server set up checklist and cleaning checklist so everyone knows what to do and makes sure it's done. 
•      On the first day for your new server, pair them up with the training person. They should follow and learn first before they are allowed alone with customers. This ensures that specials are explained correctly, they're familiar with the menu and they feel comfortable alone. 
•      Allow as much time as needed for training. Usually a few days to a week is sufficient for most new servers. They also need time to learn your POS system, entering menu orders, working with the kitchen, delivering food and cashing out.  
•      Schedule at least one day for the new server to work in the kitchen. We always do this as a way for everyone to really know what it takes to prepare and server food, all the steps involved and new servers gain a greater appreciation for what you business offers customers and can better explain the menu. 
•      Teach new servers your customer complaint policy. Do you immediately return the dish, prepare a new one, offer them something else entirely, give a free drink or dessert for inconvenience or offer a complimentary gift certificate? Or, do you have servers send a manager to the table of unhappy customers and they offer any of the above suggestions? Whatever your policy is, make sure everyone knows it and follows it for consistency. 
•      Teach how to do cleaning and restocking chores. I've always said that it's one of the most important tasks in a restaurant and many servers don't understand how key it is. Cleaning can and should be an ongoing task throughout the shift and as they get better at their job, they understand this and will be more efficient so it's not all time consuming. 
•      Give the new server one or two tables of their own after the above is all completed, preferably near the official trainer's table section. This allows the trainer to observe without being right on top of the new employee and can later offer suggestions or pop over to the table if help is needed immediately. 
•      Make sure to teach your new server how to cash out at the end of the night, how to calculate tips earned and perform any tip out necessary (for a bus person or host/hostess for example).
•      Once your new server starts making good tips and develops a customer base that ask for them each time they come in, they will be very happy employees that stay with your company.

Help your new servers with excellent specific restaurant server training that is clear, concise and  understood so there is no confusion as to what you expect and the role they plan in your business. You'll know soon if the employee will work out or not and most often, the ones that find it too hard or don't want to clean or aren't team players weed themselves out. Check out more of our Staffing a Restaurant Tips here.

   I hope these server guidelines help you to build your team of trustworthy, hard working staff. Let us know which of these items is the most helpful right now and which you already do in the comments below.

 Until next time, thanks for reading and Cheers!