The 4 Words Your Servers Need to Know

My husband and I went out to a nice restaurant recently. White tablecloths, thoughtful lighting, you know the kind of place I mean. However, each time I asked for something the answer was some version of “no.” It started when I scanned the menu looking for a plain green salad and there was none listed. One of the appetizers was served on a bed of arugula so I asked the server if it was possible to just get a small arugula salad and he said “no, that salad is already mixed.” Hmm, I thought, highly unlikely. 

So, I ordered a pasta entrée - without a salad starter - and when my pasta arrived I asked for some red pepper flakes. The runner flat out said “we don’t have that” and the server brought over a black pepper grinder. When I told him I wanted red pepper, not black pepper, he said they didn’t have it and offered me Tabasco. The manager, however, noticed this exchange and returned a minute later with a ramekin of – ta da! – red pepper flakes. At last, someone who knew how to say “yes”. My hero.

What would have saved this server were 4 magic words. The 4 words the server needed to say were “let me find out.” “Let me find out” is an important phrase for your servers to use because they impact the guest experience and the bottom line. Training your team to use these 4 little words can make a big impact your business. Here’s 5 ways Let Me Find Out (LMFO) positively impacts your business and bottom line:

1.    LMFO builds trust. When a server offers to find out information it allows him to satisfy the guest and build trust with him or her. If my server had just said, “I’m not sure but let me find out” I would have felt like he was looking out for my best interest. Trust is key to the customer experience; guests are more likely to trust the business when they feel like the server is on his or her side. 

2.    LMFO builds the check. I would have had a starter if I could have gotten a salad. But, since I didn’t, the check was $12-$15 lower than it could have been. All the kitchen had to do was put some lettuce on a plate and I would have paid whatever they wanted to charge me. Why? Because effort counts. And when a guest hears “no” too many times they are also unlikely to order more at the end of the meal (coffee and desserts) so less items go on the check overall. This is a missed opportunity to make a sale while making the guest happy at the same time. 

3.    LMFO creates regulars. There are so many ways to turn guests into regulars and finding new ways to please them is one way to do so. Whether the server could have gotten me an arugula salad is only half the point. Simply by asking the chef or manager, he would have demonstrated that he was on my team and that would have increased the likelihood of our returning again. Why? Because we would have felt like “this place cares.” With so many no’s we felt like they didn’t care so we’re unlikely to return. 

4.    LMFO gives decision-making power to the manager and chef. By training your team to “find out” you’re giving the power to the managers and chef rather than to the server or bartender (or: captain, runner & host). I have definitely seen servers who order all sorts of things without asking the kitchen (once, at a 5th Avenue hotel, a captain ordered a side of plantains for a guest. There were no plantains in the house!). So, by training the team to check with a manager, you’re removing the decision-making power from the server and giving it to those who are paid to make decisions on behalf of the business.  

5.    LMFO makes life easier for the server. When a server can simply ask the manager to make the difficult decisions then they can focus on the service and the guest. There is less for them to know and more leeway for the manager or chef to make decisions on a case by case basis. 

They key to LMFO is that there is a chef or manager available and willing to intervene to help the server out. If the server has to hunt for a manager or can’t approach the chef, then it will take longer to satisfy the guest, longer to turn tables and harder to maximize revenue for the operation. Time is of the essence so the “finding out” shouldn’t hold up the guest experience, or the ability of the server to input an  order for his table.  

This simple training tip can improve your guest experience and your bottom line. And the only way to see if it works is to find out for yourself! Let us know how it goes in your operation by leaving a note in the comments below.