Seating The Guest & Taking Order

Greeting, Seating, Presenting Menu to Guest at Restaurant

Greet the guest according to time of day:

Good (evening), madam. Good (evening), sir. A table for (4)?

Do you have a table reservation?

No reservation:

 That’s all right. May I have your name, please?

 Would you prefer the smoking or non-smoking area, (Mr. David)?
 This way please. (Take the guest to a table. Converse with the guests as you
walk.)
 Is this table fine?
 Allow me (when pulling back a chair for the guest or when presenting a
napkin).

Has a reservation:

 May I have your name, please? (How do you spell that, please?)

 This way please, Mr David. (Escort the guest to their table. Converse with
them as you walk.)

 Allow me, Mr. David (when pulling back a chair for the guest or when
presenting a napkin).

Note: Handling Table Reservation Problems

In restaurants, all guests should be welcomed at the entrance within 1 minute

of arrival; guests are greeted warmly with good eye-contact.

Guests are escorted and seated within 2 minute of their arrival, if seats are
available; menus and wine lists (where applicable) are presented immediately at all
meal periods.

Presenting the menu

Here’s your menu Sir / Mr. David

Today we have a special set menu / Chef's Special

May I recommend the Chef's Special ?

We also have a delicious buffet for you today.

This is our special (breakfast / afternoon tea) menu.

I’ll come back in a few minutes to take your order.

At lunch, menus are presented immediately upon being seated.

Menus cards should be free of dirt, stains and worn edges.

At dinner once guest is seated and settled guests are asked if they would like an
aperitif before being presented with the wine list and menu.

Table settings should adjusted to the number of guests at the table.

Seating the guest is started from the process of escorting them. With some of
the following process:

1. When escorting the guest, make sure you maintain eye contact and sincere smile
by saying “This way please, sir / ma’am / madam while showing your palm.

2. Never show the direction using finger

3. Never ask the guest to find his own table.

4. You must walk first in front of the guest while keep the distance.

5. Don’t walk too fast and look back to the guest to make sure they follow you.

6. If all seats are occupied, politely inform the guest by firstly saying sorry and
direct
them to an appropriate place such as Lounge, to wait and will let them know as
soon as you have free table/seats.

Below are the processes of Seating The Guests & Taking Order:
1. Arrive at the table before the guest and standing behind the chair.

2. Place both hands on the back of the chair and pull out the chair

3. Let the guest choose the position of their seat.

4. Seating the guest from the ladies first, however if they come with children
prioritized the children first.

5. Help the children to get into pull high chairs.

6. Seating the ladies. The process are:

a. Stand straight 9-12 inch behind the guests’s chair.

b. Hold the chair from both the hands from the sides of back.

c. Lift the chair about 1 inch from behind and pull it back, ensuring that there is
adequate space for the guest to go between the table and chair.

d. When the guest proceeds to sit down, move the chair slowly towards the guest,
till it is comfortable for the guest and rest the chair of the floor.

e. Make sure the chair is not dragged

7. Unfold the napkin and laid it on the guest’s lap. It can be started from the ladies
or the guest honor if it is in the case of specific event.

8. Unfold napkin from the guest’s right hand side.

9. Move anti-clockwise to other guests.

How to Take Guest Orders in Restaurants

Taking an order is a very skillful art which reflects efficiency and standard of
both waiter and the establishment. Every Food & Beverage Service staff should
have good command over order taking to ensure that each guest gets proper food
he ordered importantly in right sequence.

How to Take Food & Beverage Guest Order:

1. First give time to guests after his/her arrival to feel comfortable with the
environment.

2. After the guest is seated and feel comfortable then present the menu and stand
away to give guests some time to decide what to order. Remember don't be hurry.
Give proper time to the guest. Try to evaluate guest and understand when reaches
to decision to order.

3. When we feel that the guest wants to order then approach toward him and
courteously ask this way "May I take your order sir" or "Would you like to order
now?"

4. Before taking order first ensure that we are fully ready. We have to have a
notepad, a pencil or a pen and an eraser to take notes.

5. Although ordering depends on guest but try to maintain sequence that means
first convince the guest to give beverage order and then food.

6. Don't lean too close to the guest and especially the host is a lady guest and also
don't keep one hand in our back. Just be smart, stand straight to the left side of the
guest and bend slightly forward to guest.

7. Always focus on what guest order. It will make guest insulted if he has to repeat
his order again or again or if our attitude shows that we are not concentrating to
him fully.

8. It is must for a waiter or server to have full command on the menu items. Guest
may ask different types of questions. So be prepare for that. We should know what
are the ingredients of the foods we are offering, what is the special food of the day,
which food is not suitable for vegetarians or different religious people etc.

9. Many times it may be happened that guests are uncertain what to order. In that
case it is our time to show some expertise. We can give him some options to
choose by asking this way "Do you like to have smoked English ham or roast beef
with gravy" or "May I suggest you to have any Indian dishes".

10. It is very important to keep sequence while we present food. In our notepad we
have to write down both the sequence of the food and the person who order.
Generally it is done by clockwise direction. First take order from host and then
start following to his right and give an identification number to each guest.
Another way is to give number to the person who is sitting nearer to the service
door. We should plan some coding method by our own so that we can easily
understand who order which food. As a professional server we should not ask that
"who order xyz” or it will look worst if we place wrong food in front of wrong
guest.

11. Generally guest order appetizer, then beverages and then main courses and at
last some dessert items. So if guest order haphazardly, it is our duty to serve food
according to the sequence.

12. Give proper time to guests to enjoy their beverage items. If the glass gets
empty then we can graciously ask him whether he wants replenishment or not by
saying this way "Would you like to replenish your glass, sir?"

13. If the guest is in hurry and seek our assistance then suggest him some "Ready
to serve" food items rather "Cooked to order" items.

14. Suggestive selling is a good skill of a waiter but if our guest is a couple or
student then it is advisable not to suggest hugely expensive foods. We have to keep
increasing our sells but also remember not to lead our guest in an embracing
situation. This may hamper repeat guest.

15. Repeat the food items guest orders and ask him whether he want to have
anything else or not.

How to Seat Guests in Restaurants

At first when a guest enters into restaurant premises then it is the duty of the waiter
to greet and seat the guest. By using commonsense we can understand where we
should seat guests.

Different seating arrangements should be made for different types of guests like
single guest, kids, family, old people, couple, teenagers etc.

Generally young couples like to be seated in corner where as family or old people
do not like to be seated there. On the other hand old people do not prefer to be
seated in loud, noisy places rather near the entrance to avoid walking distance
whereas a group can easily be seated anywhere. So, if we have options then try to
ensure proper seating arrangements according to the types of guests.

How should we seat guests:

Here are some tips to let we know what is the perfect way to seat guests. If we are
a service staff then we should follow these steps well.

 At the time of arrival, approach to guest with smile.

 Greet the guest according to the time like "Good Morning" or "Good
Afternoon".
 Check whether they have prior reservation or not, if not then ask how many of
them like to be seated.
 If you are not sure about how many person they are, then politely ask "How
many are you, sir?" or "Table for one, right?"
 If all seats are occupied then politely inform that to guest by saying sorry and
write down the host name or give them a coaster pager and ensure him that
whenever suitable seat would be free you will let him know.
 Help guest to pull out the chair. If there is a woman with guest then usually
male guest pulls out the chair but if he does not like to do that then you should
do that.
 If you are busy with a table and a guest seat at another table which is in your
station then try to greet them properly and ensure them you will be available as
early as possible.