1) The Art of Expectation Setting: The difference between a good waiter and a great one, is their ability to set a customer's expectations. If the customer is told, in advance, that the kitchen is backed up, they're more likely to be satisfied with the timeliness of their meal than one whose waiter is hiding behind the swinging doors, giving no update at all. Someone much wiser than me once said "satisfaction is determined by how short the distance is between expectation and outcome". This nugget of wisdom is the ticket to top performance in the workplace. It doesn't matter if you're dealing with hungry customers or anxious clients, the situation is the same and employees who inherently get it, rise to the top.
2) Fake it 'Til You Make It: Smiles get tips and when your livelihood depends on them, you better believe you'll fake a good day no matter what. The same is true in the office environment. No one wants to work with a grump. To be fair, Pollyannas don't always resonate either, but the point is, success in business relies heavily on building relationships and if no one wants to be around you, how far do you really think you'll get?
3) Anticipate Needs: Think of how nice it is when a refill is brought to you before you've emptied the first glass. That's how your boss feels when you anticipate their needs. Being known as someone who doesn't always need to be asked will put you on the fast track to promotion.
4) Urgency and Accuracy: Whenever I hear the words "sense of urgency" I cringe, mostly because it's so often misapplied. Still, in food service you'd better get it fast and get it right. People who've made a living off getting those two things right don't forget them when they enter the office. Not to mention, they're already stellar note-takers. Was that no tomatoes with extra profitability? Coming right up.
5) The Importance of Tips: Every waiter gets the importance of tips, which translate directly to kudos in the workplace. I've written about this before, so I won't wear out my point, but saying "thank you" in all its varied forms never gets old.
6) Own It: I once spilled an entire tray of beer on a customer at a fine dining restaurant, that was obviously my fault and I apologized profusely. But what about the less obvious mishaps? For example, when a steak is delivered well done when it was ordered rare, does the waiter apologize and correct the situation, or throw the chef under the bus? At the end of the day, only one of those solutions has a chance of keeping the restaurant's reputation in tact. Stepping up and owning your customer's experience is the only solution if you want to get ahead in the long run. Knowing how to own your work, apologize when things go wrong, and putting forth the effort to find solutions is what makes a great leader.
7) Do the Unexpected: Any waiter worth their salt has offered up free dessert for a birthday or anniversary. Why? Because it sweetens the customer experience all around. It's no different in the corporate world. Doing the unexpected in a positive manner gets people's attention and makes them see you in a whole new light. What have you done lately to sweeten your situation?
By the way, flare only matters when you've got the performance to back it up.
