How to Earn More Tips

If you're a waiter or a waitress at any restaurant, chances are that you wish for better tips from your customers. But is there any way to control the outcome on your end? You bet. How you treat your customers has everything to do with how they tip you. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Make a Lasting Impression

1. Introduce yourself by name.

2. Be friendly, because friendly people get better tips. Give your customers a warm, genuine smile. They'll feel good about you, and you'll enjoy your job more.

3. Anticipate the customer's needs, such as ketchup for their burger or extra napkins for families with kids.

4. Use humor if you're comfortable. Disarm your customers with a little joke if you feel it's appropriate.

5. Treat all of your customers as you would want to be treated. Don't allow personal bias to affect the way you treat your customers.

6. Remember your regular customers. Learn their names if you can. Recalling little details, such as sugar for their coffee or salsa for their scrambled eggs, will make a good impression.

7. Try a few gimmicks to help your customers remember you. Wear something unusual like a fancy pin, write thank-you on the check and include a smiley-face, and give them candy.

Take Orders Like a Pro

1. Repeat the customer's order to make sure you've gotten it just the way she wants it and to help you remember any special requests.

2. Squat next to the table to take the order if you're allowed. Squatting gives you eye contact with the customer.

3. Impress your customers by remembering the order without writing it down.

Keep the Customers Happy

1. Check on the order for the customer if the kitchen is slow.

2. Look over each meal as you pick up from the kitchen, and check for accuracy.

3. Fix the kitchen's mistakes before you reach the customer's table with their meals. For example, let the customer know that his steak was accidentally prepared well-done and that a new rare steak is on its way.

Know How to Handle Tough Customers

1. Pay attention to your facial expressions. Don't let it show that you're peeved at the table with the toddler who's spilled three glasses of milk. Put a smile on, do your job extra well, and your patience may be rewarded at the end.

2. Be professional and courteous, no matter the situation. If a customer is becoming upset, your gentle tone may help to calm him down.

3. Know when enough is enough. When a customer picks a fight, harasses you or is extremely rude, step aside and bring in your boss to handle the situation.

Evaluate Your Performance

1. Learn from your low tips, and consider each table a learning experience.

2. Ask yourself whether your service was slow, you may have said something upsetting, ignored a customer's request, or turned the customer off in some other way.

3. Ask a co-worker to tell you where you can improve your service.

Tips & Warnings

• Never abandon a table. Whether the customer sees you busy with other tables but ignoring theirs or doesn't see you at all until you bring the bill, this is the No. 1 way to lose a good tip.

• Do not stare at a customer's disability, revealing dress or unusual appearance.

Resources

• The Elder Wisdom Circle website summarizes how to be a better waiter.
• The Make Better Tips website is a great resource for restaurant employees.
• The Cornell website recounts a study on proven tip-getters.