Cleverly Master Your Memory – The Proven Six Step Method to Memorizing Orders

Waiters and waitresses do have the luxury of not really having to participate it too much manual physical labor. Now that doesn’t mean it’s any easy job, oh it’s far from it my friends. For the little that is required in physical work we compensate by using our mental functionality to strive in our occupation. If you were to ask most of my acquaintances, they will gladly tell you how forgetful I am.  Now if you ask my guests, they will tell you I am some sort of memorization freak of nature.  Memorizing orders comes down to it being a skill rather than a talent.  Broken down to a fundamental level, a talent is something you are born with.  A skill is something you get better at through technique and practice.  I am an absent minded person who has trained himself to be highly proficient at memorizing orders.

When I begin my journey as a server and memorizing orders I was not taught a specific method.  No one has written a book on it and no technique is generally passed down and taught through training.  Even the waiters from all the different restaurants I’ve worked at that I have asked could not explain how they do it. They would use vague descriptions, crediting it to intuition. I wasn’t quite sold on this idea. My curiosity led me to wonder how I did it myself. Over the past few months I have been working on defining and breaking down my technique to a science.  Becoming fully conscious and aware while paying very close attention to what is happening in my head as I receive this information has allowed me to understand how I am able to achieve it.  Through this understanding, I think I have developed a method that can be duplicated by others with enough practice.

Without further ado: I present to you the trusted proven method

My Six Steps to Effectively Memorizing Orders:

Tension Prevention – Answer Questions:

In order to adequately memorize orders you must first place yourself in a mental state of mind where you are receptive to receive information.  If you are asked a question, you brain must shift back to providing information.  This transition can scramble everything you are putting in your brain and cause you to lose crucial essential details.  For this very reason, I personally make a trip to the table while they’re deciding what to choose to answer questions.  Approaching the table by saying, “Are there any questions over the menu I can go over for you?” allows for the customers to ask their questions in advance.  If they do have questions, you can answer them and then let them decide if they are all ready to order afterwards.  This technique alone will alleviate 90% of the questions they will normally ask during the time of them officially ordering.

Mentally Project and Envision the Plate:

When a customer orders something off the menu, I want you to picture the plate in your head with very immense detail.  As they modify the side items or the entrée, visualize that as well. Visualize the plate, the portion, the smell, as much senses you can incorporate as possible. The more senses involved with this visualization to more your brain will consciously remember the plate. This is incredibly effective if you are a visual learner.  It comes in very handy to experience seeing the entrees at your restaurant through a taste testing or just heading to the back to watch the expeditors’ ship out the plates of food to their tables. This is my primary method of memorization with the other steps serving as repetition.

Visualize the Menu:

For this one I will request for you to mark the spot on the menu from where your customers are ordering from in your head.  This is safeguard prevention against any distractions that may occur before completing the other steps.  If for any reason whatsoever you lose an order in your head, this will provide you with the ability to retrieve the mental picture.  This also allows you to keep straight any often confused items that can be found on separate places throughout  the menu.

Make Repetition a Tradition:

Now here is a strategy that will be greatly beneficial for the non-visual learners. This quite possibly can quickly become your primary method of action.  After the guest tells you their order, repeat it in your head multiple times. Now you have the order in their voice and in your mental voice. Make sure when you do use this technique that you use a clear mental voice to state it in the proper order for the computer and with the name you are familiar with.  If you’ve correctly have been using the steps that I’m showing you here then by this step you should have a mental picture of the plate and how you will order it on the computer, POS system, etc.  Don’t rush this process, if it makes you feel more comfortable, take a brief second before looking to the next guest to “lockdown” this information.

Repeat to Bring the Proper Treat:

This will be the step that will grant you the most positive feedback and has been proven to affect your tip percentage by a large amount. Make sure you no matter what, to repeat the order back to the guests.  This step serves three key purposes.  Firstly, it confirms their order in front of the entire table to prevent future problems from transpiring.  Secondly, it allows you to clarify in what order you will be delivering courses to provide a roadmap of the meal.  Thirdly, and personally the most amusing is that some guests seem to think it is the coolest trick on earth!  For tables that state it aloud or between one another while whispering that I have not been writing down the order, I will often skip the person who pointed it out.  This allows them the excitement of thinking they have me stumped, before I come back to them.  Showmanship will always be a plus to receiving more tips.  If the table is large and confirming would be time consuming and annoying, step back and mentally confirm to yourself from a distance.

Write it Down:

Now yes the tricks I’m showing you will have you looking like some type of memorization superman, but it’s not totally necessary. This following step may be the real secret to memorization.  These tricks that I’m sharing with you all have a limited lifespan in your brain.  Inevitably you will walk by a cook, or bartender shouting out orders and confusion will set in within your mind.  If for any reason you cannot ring your order right away, WRITE IT DOWN.  This is especially important if you work in a restaurant where you are responsible for properly pacing your own courses.  When you write it down, make sure to take the time to note all modifiers within the meal.  Failing to do so is the most common source of mistakes.

Your Take Action! 

Over the years I have used some of these methods independently. They have been shown to be trusted and true. The key is redundancy.  The more methods you use simultaneously, the more likely it is that one of them will make your new found habit stick.  Even if you have your own style, try blending in a couple of these steps to improve your outcomes.  Don’t be afraid to experiment, and see what works personally for you. While you are at it, why not share your any techniques for the other fellow servers in the comment section.  Did you give this method a try and want to talk about your results? Any questions that you didn’t quite understand?  The comment section is wide open for feedback, and we are more than happy to hear from you.

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The Power Of Trust and Influence

Trust is the most important component in any business transaction, human interaction, or relationship. It’s a fundamental part to life, and If you cannot trust anyone or in anything, life becomes intolerable—a constant battle against looming disaster and paranoia.

See within our occupation it is extremely important in the waiter/guest relationship. The customer is entrusting the waiter to provide them a great experience and the waiter in return trusts the guest to pay them for their service in the generally accepted way. Fair enough right? As you can tell, there’s an implied contract between the two and the best way to assure that both ends are taken care of is by the waiter establishing the trust of the restaurant.

There are numerous amounts of ways to do this but the one that we will specifically discuss in this precise installment is the display of an aura of competence. In order to display an aura of competence, this is done by being quick to answer food and beverage questions and to keep a professional bearing around the table. As a wise mentor of mines always liked to say, “You’ve got to know your menu and bar offerings”. It’s essential that you are able to be proactive in guiding the guest when they need or request help.

If you see a guest struggling over the wine list, don’t hesitate to jump right in and start asking questions like…

Elaborately Expose Your Expertise

“What kind of wine are you looking for – white or red? Red? Wonderful.”

“Do you like a full-bodied chewy wine or would you like something softer and more approachable?”

“What’s chewy you ask? Well allow me to elaborate for you.
Chewy is that sort of sandy feeling you get with some wines, well that’s the tannins in the wine which plays a role in part of the chewy.”

“Oh are you not a fan of that? Well, why don’t you try a good pinot noir? It’s quite delightful; much lighter and softer as well, might I add. Oh, you don’t like pinots?”

“Would you like something fruity then? We have a nice merlot that’s pretty big but not harsh. It’s kind of bright and zingy”.

“Sounds Good? Excellent, I’ll bring it right out”.

This sort of exchange demonstrates to your customers that you know your job. Here’s the thing though – there are some merlots that are done in a style similar to a cabernet, so if you bring one of them, you jeopardize and risk the carefully built image that you have constructed. So it’s crucial that you have to know your product and know what you are recommending.

Expand your Verbiage

Another way to establish competence is by using culinary terms judiciously. When you talk about the fine brunoise of red pepper that laces the red pepper coulis, you sell yourself as someone who knows what they are talking about. That sounds far better than saying that the chef has added cut up red peppers to the red pepper purée. The funny thing about it is that most people won’t even ask you what a brunoise is (a very small perfectly cut cube approximately 3mm on each side). However, they will ask you what a coulis is (and hopefully you’ve pronounced it as the chef did – cool-E) and you should have a ready answer tailored to your audience – if it’s a seemingly unsophisticated table, you can put them at ease by saying, “It’s just a fancy term for a smooth sauce”. If it’s apparent that the table is obviously somewhat well versed, you can leave out “a fancy term” and substitute purée for sauce.

As you can see trust is a vital component within the relationship you build with your customers. You become their trustee, their fine dining confidant, and most importantly their go-to trusted server whenever they come back! Try building a connection and trust with the next guests you encounter with. Use other skills I’ve shared with you in other posts such as How to Build a Connection with Guests & Increase your Tips Or also How to Create Rapport & Connection in a Small Amount of Time. Leave your questions and feedback in the comments, and begin to see your tips skyrocket!

How to Evolve From an Order-Taker to The Ultimate Server

Would you like to know one of the secrets that has single handily propelled me from a scrub waiter to a food and beverage consultant in an immense way? As my time and experience in this industry progressed I began to add additional strengths into my tool belt that have also increased my overall net worth exponentially as a server for my restaurant. With that being said STILL to this day, the following implementation that I’ve added into my game is by far in my opinion my strongest asset bar none. Prior to this knowledge I was new to the staff and struggling to hit decent sales as all other co workers were blowing right past me. It’s shocking the drastic turn around in my sales that commenced once I began to utilize this new skill in my took box. Now it’s time to pass the blessings to you my fellow waiters and waitresses!

Origins of the Great Sizzle

Way back when there was an old school advertising term that emerged from way back in the day that applies in regards to waiters and waitresses. See now the urban myth originally says that the term emerged from the mouth of a mid-60’s chain-smoking, mad man back in Boston describing how he could make a client’s product pop by making it as mouthwatering as a sizzling steak on the Weber Grill.

The actual original phrase is “Sell the sizzle, not the steak” but you normally don’t hear the last half of the quote. However, the whole quote illustrates the concept better because, let’s face it, if you were confronted with a sizzling steak on the grill or a shrink wrapped, perfectly marbled porterhouse, which do you think would push your buttons more?

Thrive or Deteriorate?

Since the concept is a food metaphor in the first place, I believe it’s particularly appropriate for servers.

Now if you are one of those simple passive order-takers, I suppose this is irrelevant to you, but then again, that just makes you a mediocre waiter. You really don’t want to be one of those, do you? OF COURSE NOT, That’s why you’re here! (at least I hope). Remember you should always continue to Grow as a Waiter and as a human in general. If not, life will just pass you by. I talk all about this topic for further insight or for just some motivation click here for more. You and me are on here on this planet whether we like it or not.  Should we complain, play the victim role and blame others for our misfortunes while we hope for the best? OR should we accept that fact that we are in this situation and make the most of it. Hmmm, I wonder which sounds more reasonable…..

Soothing Sizzling Sounds

It’s a commonly-held psychological fact that people respond on an emotional level to “s words”. Actually it’s one of the reasons that the vowel-filled French language is a “romance” language and the consonant-ridden German language is not. The sound of “s” and vowels are soothing (even the actual word soothing embodies this concept). It’s in particularly true when the “s” is followed by vowels. An example I can provide for you in order to illustrate this is for instance, the words “shit” and “sharp” are not necessarily soothing. See now the word “soothing” is…well…soothing. There are specific consonants that mimic vowels to a certain extent. For instance, “w” is a softer consonant when following an “s”, this is therefore meaning, you could consider “sweet” as one of those “sizzle” words.

But a word doesn’t have to be an “s” word to be a sizzle word, specifically in the culinary world. Another word that fits right in there is “Crisp”. The word crisp is a sizzle word even though it has an “esss” sound at the end of it. Another word that fits this criterion is “Toasty”. The word Toasty is a sizzle word as well. As you can already start to come up with examples in your mind, the list goes on and on.

Emotional Sensory Triggers

The best way that I can describe this concept to you is look at a sizzle word as a word that triggers an emotional response within humans in the brain similar to a sense-driven trigger comparable to that of smell. One of the giant axioms in the restaurant business is that we eat with our eyes. Really? Yes, this is true. Now what if I was to tell you that we also eat with our ears? Yes this is true as well.  That’s why fajitas are so damn popular – the sizzling mound of meat is sooo enticing to the human ear. A great example of this sensory conditioning in action is the smell of popcorn. You smell the buttery smell in the air, the effect? You want to buy and consume food now (at least more than before you smelled it). See now, the goal at hand of you being the ultimate waiter and maximizing on your sales, tips and service is by you wanting your words to be the aural equivalent of hot buttered popcorn. Skeptical? Here, answer me this. Which option sounds more appealing to you aka sounds better?

“We have a nice 24 oz. porterhouse as our special tonight”
OR
“I love the olive oil brushed, broiled, perfectly marbled porterhouse that we’re offering tonight. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it”?

The application of an appropriate sizzle word or phrase conditions the guest to be pre-disposed to wanting that item. When you say our “Crispy, deep-fried tender calamari” sounds so much better than “fried calamari”. Essentially, you want the guest’s brain to start manufacturing in their minds the very qualities that you are describing, by painting an image in their head as you bedazzle them with your stellar repertoire of sizzle vocabulary words.

Now I have received controversial comments and emails questioning my teachings by saying “Isn’t that manipulation?” My response to that is…. Sure it is. In case you haven’t noticed, All successful selling is.

Time to Hone This Skill into an Art

Start coming up with your own list of sizzle words – words that make your own mouth water. Words like savory, buttery, succulent, soft, luscious, tasty, feminine, unctuous, round (the last four tend to be only used when it comes to describing wines). Phrases like subtly spicy, seared rare, perfectly broiled, and outrageously decadent. Not enough examples? How about triggers like Caramelized crispy skin, tequila-laced, and steaming hot cappuccino.

TAKE ACTION

Here is my take action for you. I want you to start pairing those words and phrases with appropriate menu items that your restaurant offers and you’re well on your way. Once you’ve accomplished that, gain the understanding of how to stretch the words out slightly or emphasize them just enough to get your ideal reaction. Uncover how to build a vocal rhythm to your spiel, similar to a skilled playwright creates music from dialogue. Now I’m warning you as of right now DON’T GET TO SING-SONGY AKA DO NOT OVER DUE THIS. The goal is to try to elevate your spiel from a flat, uninvolved line reading, to something of effortless ease that just flows right out of the tip of your tongue causing the guest’s taste buds to water with every sentence.

Once you get practiced at it, you’ll find that you can influence and guide your guests into an above-average dining experience by suggestively selling the strong (and expensive items) that your kitchen has to offer.

You’ll be single handily responsible for moving this:

To this with ease:

How to Serve and Maximize Business Meeting Dinner Tables

The characters you meet when you immerse yourself in becoming a server as your occupation is very extensive. Of course depending on your restaurant you’ll see couples, old folk, teenagers, kids, at least at my establishment you see just about a bit of everything. Now I want to bring your attention to a certain type of people you encounter throughout your server journey. The type of people who come dressed in Hugo Boss refined sleek wool fabric suits. From funny looking handkerchiefs hanging from their jacket pocket down to the Ferragamos on the feet. I’m referring to sophisticated business men coming in for a business meeting dinner. Some waiters and waitresses get daunted by handling such a crowd, or don’t know how to properly coordinate things to have you end up a happy server at the end of their stay. I have a special treat for you guys. The best way I can possibly further expand on this topic is by dissecting my own experience which I had with such a group not too long ago..Come take a seat!

Deconstruction starting from the Introductions

As I approach my section I realize the new guests I have received that just arrived. They were a group of 7, which were all late 30s – mid 40s. Dark suits. Well groomed smooth attire. They were all discussing within one another as they sat down. I observed from afar until they established their seating locations. As they settled in, you could clearly distinguish they were very all hooked in conversation, joking a bit and smiling.

I approach the table and provide an introduction along with a few sparks of positive comments attentively observing the responses to detect a sense of where each one of them is in terms of engagement.  As I brought them their menus, I scanned the table and saw that every one of them was either laughing or had a smile on their face. Clearly it was obvious they appeared to be in the mood to enjoy their time together. As I passed out the menus, I asked them if they were interested in taking a look at the wine list. One gentleman pointed to another, who pointed to the other and two of them pointed to another guy. After a small chuckle I said “Guess you’re elected by majority vote”, which elicited some laughter around the table.

At this point, due to my past experiences, knowledge, and prior references, I knew that they were going to be a pleasure to wait on.

First Impressions Are Vital

One important factor to ALWAYS REMEMBER is the initial impression of the table, whether it is a business table, bachelorette party, or any table for that matter will determine what your service form of approach is going to be. Your strategy and game plan can vary very drastically between the ways you preset yourself even if the two tables are right next to one another! All the gentlemen in my table were dressed in a formal manner yet their demeanor was one of leisure, loosening up, and relaxation. See now if any single one of them had conveyed any shade of seriousness when they sat down, I would have approached the situation in a much formal fashion. Even if they had been dressed carelessly and casual but came across to me “business-like” I would have also been more reserved. Key concept to go away with here is be sensitive to all aspects of your tables and discover the recurring patterns from all the guests you deal with throughout your time working. Things from their suit, their dress, their body language, facial expressions, to their mood are all key things to look out for.

So at this point during my intercommunication with these fellow chaps, I disregarded the wine list and proposed if they would like one of our specialty cocktails, which they did. I mentioned a few recommendations added on with some juicy adjectives and I had a round coming right up.

Introduction to how the “Business works”

Now for the beginners or for the ones who haven’t waited on a lot of business people before, I recommend that you WRITE THIS DOWN. Majority of the time, everyone is highly inclined to start off their experience with having a round of cocktails, EVEN if they’re going to have wine later. What I’m saying here is DON’T try to jump the gun & manipulate a wine choice out of them. A round of cocktails will always be a good sign to a great start. 9 times out of 10 the purpose of an opening round of cocktails is going to get them loosening up and settled.

Moments after the delivery of the cocktails, I approach what seemed to be the “alpha” of the group and showed this gentleman the wine list. As we began conversing about the variety of wines, he mentions some wines in the $100 category so respond with a swift recommendation of a superb option I believe he shall enjoy at about $115. His response seemed delighted. See in this scenario I possibly could have moved him to the $150 area but, (AND THIS IS HUGE) with a table like this… greed should not be acknowledged as a viable option in your mind. Not to mention he ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir alongside the other bottle. The sheer fact and observation that this man ordered a Pinot Noir as well as accepting my advice showed me that he was well educated with wines, he had everyone else’s interest at heart by looking out for the welfare of the other men at the table, and was also confident enough in himself to trust the waiter.

Let the Wine and Dine Commence

When the bottles come guess what I do? I ordered two bottles of each of course. Was that the gentleman’s initial order? Nope. Did I ask him? Nope. To start off, luckily in my restaurant I have the privilege to return an unused bottle back to the bar. Secondly, I have no idea how many are going to drink the Pinot Noir and how many are going to drink Cabernet. And lastly, I’m positive that I’m going to sell at least a second bottle of one or the other. Another great reason is what happens if the bartender did not remember to inform me that I was selling the final bottle or that there was only one left in stock and another table orders it before I can. Always hedge your bets whenever you have an opportunity to do so. Now this doesn’t mean that I’m going to pour the entire bottle of either on the spot either. The obstacle at hand is that I currently don’t know how many people are going to want Cabernet or Pinot. To discover the solution I asked how many people would be drinking the Pinot. My mental guess estimation turned out being correct. Fewer people would be drinking the Pinot Noir oppose to the other bottle. Now I know that up to 5 people will be drinking the Cabernet. After I properly present the bottle, I go around to the Pinot abstainers and pour approximately about 4 oz. for each person. This left about 5 oz. in the decanter. See you might be curiously asking, why didn’t I just pour the whole thing knowing there wasn’t much left? I did that because I confirmed that they’d be receiving a second bottle shortly. Essentially, I’m telegraphing through the nonverbal that I’m not out to leech or drain them of every single penny out of their wallets.

I began pouring a little more wine for the two others who wanted the Pinot Noir, what remained in the bottle was still less than a full glass. In this instance with only two people, I established that I probably wouldn’t get a second bottle out of them unless I really forced them and I wasn’t about to kill the goose that might lay the golden egg. Could I have probably forced a second bottle? Yes, but they probably wouldn’t drink a lot of it. The result would have been adding another $80 on the check, but heck, it was going to be a pretty freaking good check regardless. I’m a strong believer of sub communications and I strongly believe that some guests just like you and I are able to tell when someone is trying to get the last penny out of them and this type of service will penalize you in the end.

Finding That Balance

After displaying and serving the wine, it became very apparent that these guys weren’t going to need a lot of entertaining, as they proceeded to crack jokes and were deeply entwined within their job discussion.

I insert myself back into the picture after some time has elapsed and offer them some appetizers. The rest of the interaction was pretty standard. Appetizers were served and eaten, plate’s bussed, new silverware, salads dropped, and bussed shortly after, followed by entrée dishes delivered.

They began to partake in a deep discussion on hiring a occupant for a position in their corporate business. At this point, I lay back and used my intuitive sense to gauge the proper times to give some space and to also be attentive without being a nuisance. Of course I did remain within eyesight for majority of the time. Whenever a refill was needed or some type of glass or plate removed, I was swiftly and silently in and out.

Cruising to the Finish Line

One pattern that tends to repeat itself with these types of groups is when they finished their meal; they were pretty much ready to wrap up their fine dining experience. I did throw in a request if anyone was interested in a dessert menu but as I suspected they weren’t interested, but hey it never hurts to try. They rejected my dessert request but the question did inspire a round of coffees and espressos to go around because of it. So it never hurts to ask.

As the night came to a conclusion I presented the check and the gentleman said, “Great service as usual”. The bill ended up $873.45. I of course expressed my appreciation for their time and dining with us. I thanked him, shook his hand and then began a quick lap around the table to shake each of the other guests’ hands one by one.

Too much you say?

Trying too hard you say?

The tip?

$173.45

Nice.

Seal The Deal

As from this observation and countless others that I’ve dealt with throughout the years, I’ve come to the result that business dinners can be lucrative if you are present with your undivided attention enough to acknowledge the cues that your guests are presenting to you. This is something that you will instinctively pick up on much more efficiently over time. Not every business dinner is going to go this smoothly or have a generous payoff. The idea here is to watch and listen attentively as you go where they lead you, establish yourself with the table, befriend everyone by making jokes and funny remarks, and pay attention to NOT interrupt whatever business that they might be conducting. Take this a reference that you refer back to and use as a guide for whenever you’re dealing with a business table. Some of my coworkers get intimidated by these groups of people. I say, Embrace these opportunities; it’s your time to shine; it’s your time to capitalize on a great chance to show them what you got and most importantly make that money!