hot tea and a cup of soup before bingo night at the Golden Years Retirement Center? Have the to-go boxes handy, and you’ll score extra points if you remember to put the free bread in too. It doesn’t sound nice, but you must size up who you are dealing with to successfully navigate and turn the table that the hostess just screwed you with.
Body language and clothing are two huge clues to note. You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to know that the table dressed like they are straight from the Blue Light Special Aisle at K-Mart will be drinking iced tea (beer if they are livin’ large). Business men in suits are probably dining on the company expense account, so they are prime candidates for an up sell. A table with small children should get your immediate attention and without making them feel rushed, be prioritized to get the rug rats out of your station ASAP. Children have short spans of attention, and the last thing you need is Dennis the Menace ruining the experience for your other tables. Turn that table, baby. |
What is the body language at the table telling you? The mood at the table is key to your selling opportunities. If they are jovial and celebratory, a suggestion of a nice bottle of wine or champagne is in order. Perhaps they are deep into a business discussion and need you to be brief and efficient, which limits the sales opportunity. Maybe your table is a deuce with a look of despair and desperation, because they are on a blind date gone awry, so they need you to provide a distraction. You must become adept at judging the circumstances and adjusting your style of service to maximize the opportunity.
Sociability:
As defined by Webster’s, the quality or state of being sociable. This concept will help you, the extraordinary server, to deal with every possible situation. Three elements of your abilities are significant; confidence, facial expressions, and responsibility.
The first and most important rule of thumb; smile and the world smiles back. A smile glued to your face can | 
