I believe some people already born with this qualities but I also believe that you can acquire them. So it's up to you to develop them and make the best out of it.
Restaurant guests are no different than any other customers walking around in a shopping mall or any other business. Guests come into the restaurant to spend a certain amount of money, not to browse.
They maybe not buy the most expensive bottle of wine, but they will buy something. Your warm greeting, customer read, product knowledge, smart selling, language, focus and enthusiasm will determine just what that is. Around 75% of guests walking into a restaurant want a wine suggested to them.
After a long day at work, or just the anxiety over what to wear to dinner, your guests may need a little guidance to unwind. Take the edge off with a little humor, setting the tone for the rest of the meal.
Once you establish a bond, it is easy to lead them down the path to their choice. what guests want is the one thing money can't buy, positive, intimate relationships that enhance their memories and experiences.
Give your guests a warm greeting, and bond with them as much as they allow within the guest/server relationship context.
Don't assume customer type based on physical appearance!
We've all been there. You've saw them coming into your section and started looking to your wine list, trying to figure out that awesome recommendation, and then you get a cold shower when they order wine by the glass.
We'd love for all guests to be in the "low maintenance" category, in general, however, guests fall somewhere between high and very high maintenance.
The highest maintenance guests demand constant attention and recognition. Get used to it. It's simply part of the business.
It's amazing how much you can learn by listening to your guests demands, and following through on them. Remember, it is all about them and their experience.
Our job is to present guests with all of their options, starting with the best. Just as you present and then sell through multi-course tasting menus, appetizers and entrees, so should you suggest the glasses and bottles of super premium bubblicious, white, red and dessert wines.
Do not cross the line from upselling to being pushy.
Note the guest body language, facial expressions and sense of comfort. Run your finger across the price so that the decision is made discretely. Ask for a general price range, again using your finger and asking "something in this range?".
Remember, present guests with the full array of options, starting with the best, and keep smiling even when they order at the low tier.
Product Knowledge-Know your List
Study the wine list and pick items in the high, medium and low tiers for each major type of wine. You must know what type of food in your food menu, this wines will pair better. Guests will be eating out of your hands if you are expressing the pure joy of what these pairings can bring.
At the year-end holidays and at Valentine's Day be fluent in Champagne-speak. Have a full awareness of what is available, especially at the upper end and don't be afraid to recommend the best. also memorize and then recommend the most expensive cognac, ports, etc... Write down and memorize a few sexy buzzwords for each high end product on your list. Review these cards often and update as new products are added.
It is a myth that in order to recommend a wine that will please your guests you need to know hundreds of facts.
Enthusiasm - The Razzle Dazzle Factor!!!
Keep it simple. While more than a few wine geeks are out there, the typical guest doesn't really care about clonal selection, barrel types. If a guest does ask specifics and you don't know the answer, say something funny, pause and give them a smile. If they ask how it tastes and you don't know, simply say with a smile, "It's smooth". They'll either buy it or not, but at least they'll have fun along with you. Joke about it all you want, but as long as appealing words are used, the message gets across that the wine in questions is going to be just fine.
Make up for what you don't know in enthusiasm. Give them some razzle-dazzle!!!
Ask leading questions that require a committed answer such as:
"Would you care for a glass of Champagne?""May I make a recommendation in wine this evening? We've got a great Merlot."
"May I suggest a lighter-bodied Chardonnay such as our Chablis by the glass?"
"If you prefer, I'd be happy to bring you the fuller-bodied, richer, Reserve Cabernet?"
Using your greeting, customer read, smart selling, product knowledge, language focus and enthusiasm will take you a long way on the road to pleasing your guest and fattening your wallet. When things get tough, remember that more guests are coming and that the shift will come to an end soon enough.
Each new table is a chance to forget stormy seas and embark on a new adventure. Embrace this opportunities and have fun!
As you know, there is so much more to serving wine than simply opening a bottle. here are simple tips on how to give better wine service. They include being aware of how you move, being prepared, using language focus and learning a few basic wine service techniques.
Guests pick up on things like the pace of our movement, the sweat on our brow, etc.. Our presence needs to calm the guests and enhance their total experience, no matter how stressed we may be.
Despite the insanity in the back of the house, once you enter the front, take a deep breath and remember you are on the stage. Quick, sharp movements are perceptible arbiters of discomfort and do nothing to bring that "oasis" feeling to guests.
Move gracefully no matter how stressed you are.
Wine ordered by guests is their possession. Treat their bottle that way. Keep it in their line of vision if you have to step away and open it or decant it. Don't assume you can taste it. This will depend on the house policy, but in general, unless the guest offers, don't take a taste.
Don't overfill glasses, especially with more costly wines. Top up lightly and often, requesting permission each time, "may I pour a bit more wine for you?". Keeping in mind that the wine is their purchase, use phrases such as:
"May I remove the cork?"
"May I remove this glass?"
"Is the temperature to your liking?"
"May I place this wine on ice?"
"May I decant this wine for you?"
"May I bring another bottle?"
Service Temperature of Wine
The only rule you need to know is that wine should be served at the temperature that the guest prefers. If they want their red wine on ice, do it. If they want their white wine sitting on a ledge in direct sunlight, do it.
Sure, there is common knowledge of "proper" service temperatures, but ultimately it is up to the guest.
-Champagne 42-50 degrees -Whites 45-55 degrees -Reds 50-62 degrees
Coasters and Underliners
Placing a bottle of wine on a table, side table, or bar counter is like serving a steak without a plate. In a perfect world, set a coaster or underliner on the table for the wine bottle. Coasters are also the ideal way to present the cork. Nothing from wine service should touch the table without an underliner. For decanters use a napkin-lined plate.
Using Your Wine Service Linen
Service linens for wine are different from service linens for food. You may fold and place in your pocket, they need to stay long and crisp for "cradling" the bottle and for draping over arm for wine service. Service linens become stained with red wine drips quickly. Get another use out of them by reversing them and recreasing the fold. Another way is using black linens to wine service. It will save the restaurant money.
Always handle a wine bottle below the neck and from the back label or bottle bottom. Do not handle by the neck as you might a bottle of beer. For elegant service this applies to all beverage bottles handled in the front of the house.
Present the bottle to the host, using a linen to line and cradle the bottle as it rests on your hand and wrist. Use your other hand to point out the brand name, type of wine, appellation, vintage and any other distinguishing information, saying each word aloud, giving the host the chance to absorb what he or she has ordered and to approve it.
Open either at a nearby station in full view of the guest, in a ice bucket, on the table, on a coaster, or if your establishment is casual or prefers, in the air.
Trim the foil below the neck in two movements, both towards you, without spinning the bottle. Wipe the top of the cork before and after extracting it. This applies to screw caps as well. Present the closure on a coaster or underliner to the host/taster's right. After all guest are served, return to the host and remove the closure, ask simply "may I take this out of your way", placing the underliner and closure in your pocket in one motion.
Leave the bottle on the table on a coaster if this is ok with the guest, or on ice, after determining wich temperature is to their liking.
All beverages are served from the right. Exceptions are when guests are leaning into each other, or when space limitations make this impossible.
After the host has tasted and approved the wine, pour 1/3 to 1/2 glass for each guest, moving clockwise around the table, women first, men second, host last.
For larger parties, pour clockwise, women and men in the same revolution. Wipe the bottle after each pour, but do this behind, not in front of the guest, not in their line of vision. What helps with this is a slight gentle twist to catch the drip. Keep the glasses 1/3 to 1/2 full, unless the guests have different preferences. For practical purposes, the large parties pouring is slightly higher. You're a pro. If you weren't, you wouldn't be reading this. Take charge of your destiny by mastering these few simple techniques. Remember to be smooth on the floor no matter how frazzled you are in the back. Be prepared well before service. Focus your language to serve you and your guests better. Think about the temperature of wine in relation to what the guests wants, not to "the rules". Remember to treat wine with the same respect as the food you are serving, and most of all, keep in mind that no matter what your title, your primary focus is to serve the guest.
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
Please, feel free to participate with your comments, any questions or suggestions.
by Lusitano
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