I read an interesting article in the Wall street Journal, it is about how waiters can read your table. Which isn’t an easy task, as within a few second a waiter has to figure out what the clients enter are expecting from the evening or what they want… All just to be able to provide the best service obviously. Having worked in my dad’s restaurant during a lot of weekends, I can tell for a fact that it is sometimes very difficult to know when somebody is ready to order. Normally when the menus are closed this would mean that they are indeed ready, but what to do if they didn’t even open it? You have to find ways to remind them they have to place their order… as otherwise no food. It has never happened that I talk soooo much (and I talk a lot) that I don’t want to order, for me that is usually priority nr 1 😉

A simple trick  would be the old “The hand on the table” trick, by putting a hand palm on the table, just to catch your groups attention … But of let’s be honest, this trick wouldn’t be appropriate in every type of restaurant , I don’t see a waiter in a 3 star restaurant put his hand palm on the table 🙂 🙂

Some restaurants even have a “waiter script” how to read tables, in these scripts it says for example that if a laptop is on the table, the guests will most probably don’t take appetizers . The way people at a table react depends also of how many they are, is it a business lunch or a romantic dinner.

Did you know that you might sometimes being sending signals to the waiter? (and now I don’t mean winking at the waiter). For example:

–       If you’re chatty… A waiter is more likely to assume a friendly, chatty table is there to party. Get ready for more offers of drinks, dessert and a talkative waiter. So that’s why waiters always want to give me more 🙂

–       If you’re wearing a suit at lunch… Diners who look like they just stepped away from their cubicle, whether in a suit or business casual, are bound to get speedier service. The exception: If the waiter realizes the boss or valued client wants to set a slower pace by asking for more time before ordering or pulling out papers for a sales pitch.

I have to admit that it is a very interesting and funny article at the same time.

And you thought a waiter’s life was easy?