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Step 1
Be polite and courteous about any special needs a customer might have. This ranges from dietary restrictions to handicaps. A server sets the tone for a meal; be calm and collected, and set your customers at ease about any special needs.
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Step 2
Anticipate allergies. From peanut oil to shellfish to nearly everything else, food allergies are becoming a big deal. Adept servers establish their own "disclaimers" about food and ask tables about any allergies. This saves a lot of headaches from possible allergy problems by informing customers before they order.
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Step 3
Know your meats and veggies. This is particularly important in soups and other places where meat or meat stocks may be "hidden" in seemingly vegetarian choices. As more and more people choose to limit their diets to vegetarian options, a good server can become great by helping vegetarian diners know what to order.
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Step 4
Have a list of healthier choices or smaller portions in your head for a customer who might ask. Not everybody goes to a restaurant for a big meal, although some corporate restaurant people may want that to be the case. Unless your boss is a real battleaxe, try to accommodate customers who just want a little bite to eat, for dietary or other reasons.
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Step 5
Work with problems as they occur. When you show frustration with special needs, it can get the table morale down. You can be frank about the efforts of bringing back food to the kitchen (or blame it on the chef with a little humor) but generally, the more cheerful you are, the better things will turn out.
