Want more tips? Here are 5 ways to increase your tips:
1. Make a Great First Impression
Appearance may not dictate success, but when it comes to serving customers, the first thing they’ll see is... well, you. Smile, make eye contact, and just be aware of when you make your first impression to a table. A warm welcome and short introduction are sure to leave a lasting impression on patrons, especially during busy hours when they might not even have another chance to talk to a server!
2. Give Personal Recommendations
There’s no better way to show off your personality and uniqueness than by doing it with food! Tell your customers your favorite menu items whenever you get a chance, and why you love them. Bonus points for making up a short backstory about a dish that’ll give it a unique character and entertain your guests. (Rick and Morty szechuan sauce, anyone?) Even if they don’t take your suggestion, they’ll appreciate your efforts to help them navigate the menu. Or at the very least, they’ll never look at McDonald’s szechuan sauce the same way again.
3. Refill the Water Jugs
Seriously, no one enjoys chasing down a server to refill their water jug. If it’s too busy, just run around with a few jugs and give random tables water, they’ll love you for it.
4. Touch your customers
Yes, according to research, lightly touching people on the hand or shoulder while returning change leads to a significant increase in tips. If done properly, patrons should hardly notice it yet will be subconsciously inclined to give larger tips. It’s not recommended to try this on couples or if you are a male server.
5. Perform a random act of kindness when bringing the bill
This can be as subtle as writing “Thank You” on the back or bringing along some mints. It’s your last chance to influence your diners’ willingness to tip, so anything that could slightly improve their mood helps. It doesn’t even have to be directly attributable to you; in most cases a happy customer means a large tip!
Last but not least, enjoy your job! Smiles are infectious, so if you’re having a good time, chances are your customers are too. It’s perfectly fine to apply to places you’d love to work at, even if you already have a steady job. And especially with all the great places to work on JobGet, there’s no reason you should settle for less, whether it’s in tips or happiness with your job.
