How to Upsell as a Waiter

When you work as a waiter the restaurant might expect you to try to upsell your customers. Effectively upselling is also good for your tips because many customers tip a percentage of the total bill. To upsell as a waiter, you sell something to your customer that he didn't know he wanted.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Establish good rapport with your customers. Greet them with a smile, introduce yourself, and give them their menus. Take advantage of the first opportunity to upsell by offering to get them an appetizer while they think about what they want for dinner. Suggest a couple
   of appetizers that seem like they would be appropriate for the table.

2. Suggest a more pricey entrée off the menu if your customer asks what is good or what you recommend. Be careful not to go too high in the price of your recommendation or the customer is less likely to follow it.

3. Ask the table if you can bring them a bottle of wine after you take their dinner orders. Based on the types and prices of the dinners that they ordered, suggest a bottle of wine that you think goes well with their meals at a price they can afford.

4. Offer dessert when all of the dinner dishes are empty. Suggest they have coffee or tea with their dessert.

Tips & Warnings

• There is a difference between upselling and over selling as a waiter. You should not do all of these techniques with every table. Take advantage of an opportunity to upsell a customer when it naturally presents itself, by always being on the lookout for your opening. Do not continually interrupt your customers dining experience by trying to sell him something else.