The ability to communicate while not speaking a word is the key to success in the chaotic ballet that is service. Little things. Small gestures and procedures that do the talking for you.
Things used to make the table pretty, candles, flowers and the like, are more than purely aesthetic, they’re a signal to your staff that a table is clean and ready to be reset when pushed into a specific place on the table. As people’s hands, minds, and ears are full, a small action like a slide of a candle can say all you need to say.
Real high level joints will use hand signs to communicate water preference to a busser, giddy to fill your glass. Seat one wants sparkling (flutter of the fingers), seat two wants still (a solid fist), seat three wants still with a lemon (a small pinch of the fingers). The super secret spy stuff has to fit the caliber of the restaurant, mainly the nicer joints, but in the down to earth establishments, a simple thumbs up carries just as much weight. This table is wiped down (Thumbs up).
A touch of the lapel paired with eye contact is a classic. An idea born in Eleven Madison Park (best restaurant in the world 2017 located in New York City) that has spread to joints across the county, and probably the globe. It says “I need help” while saying nothing at all. It allows you to scream someone’s name across the dining room while staying completely silent. While maybe not seen every time, a staff that is hip to the idea will have their eyes glued to the lapels of their coworkers and it’ll become second nature. No lapel, no problem. This sign language is valuable whether you wear a tailored suit or a t- shirt during service.
Tried and true pen and paper works too. Communicating birthdays, allergies, and guest notes through a small piece of paper (chit), whether printed by a machine and passed in a beautiful leather booklet or a sticky note stuffed in the hand of a passing server, is a must. This is a space ripe with opportunities. Info on frequently ordered items, average spend, number of visits, names of spouses, water preference, dining habits, are all valuable tools for savvy servers. Tight turn on a table that showed up late, let the server know before they even greet them, get these guys moving! This guest loved a wine we no longer have, be ready with an alternative. A husband and wife always order the same dessert, send it out to them without then having to order it. Passing this information puts your staff in the driver seat, one step ahead of their guests and equipped with the information they need to best serve them.
Say an observant diner catches on to your game. Great. A well oiled machine is a pleasure to be served by and your efficiency isn’t something to hide. The dance is sexy. It’s the reason folks sit at the bar or a chef’s table. Dinner and a show! , not just in the kitchen or behind the bar, but in the dining room as well.
