Are you working on appointment?

Booked & Beloved: When Exceptional Service Turns Dining into a Personal Appointment

Are you working on appointment? Is your service level so high that people will only come and dine when you are working and no other server will do? Can you imagine providing service that is so exceptional that guests eagerly reserve their dining experience around one standout server...YOU?

If not, then there is clearly room for improvement.  And, yes, that is PRECISELY what we train people to do.  Of course, that leads people to ask us the question: "Do YOU work on appointment?" And, the answer is, "Yes." We built up a playbook that allowed us to pick and choose our shifts.  Why? Because patrons were calling up and requesting us to serve them at certain dates and times.  And, no sensible manager, owner or operator is going to turn down a reasonable request from a guest to have their favorite server.

And, yes, it's not uncommon to see 75% gratuities.  To give you an idea of my last private party, the bill was about $39,000; and, I got paid about $17,000 on that.  It was a 4 hour party for families, not a $10,000 table in a VIP room at a club in Manhattan.

So, what's the answer to the million dollar question: "Exactly HOW do you turn an ordinary server into a personal concierge—someone whose engaging presence makes every meal an exclusive event?

We are going to give you some basics right here.  And, if you decide you are willing to make an investment in yourself, we provide one on one coaching for individual servers.  And, we provide group coaching for restaurants, hotels, banquet facilities, resorts and hospitality organizations.

A quick aside: this program is transformational.  If you are not making a generous, six figure income while working in hospitality OR you are not continually booking yourself in to consistently better paying situations, then you are doing something wrong.  And, it isn't going to change unless YOU change.  So, this isn't going to be a few tips and "tricks." You are going to need to be willing to do what it takes to get the results that you want.  You are going to need to make the investment in yourself so you can live the way that you want.  And, that is going to take right action and dedication.  The nice part is that you don't have to do it alone.  So, are you ready to get the basics? GREAT! Let's go.

Transforming Mindset & Immersive Role Adoption

Look.  You've heard the saying that if you keep doing the same thing then you are going to continue to get the same results.  Well, a shift in how you behave on a long term basis requires an internal change in attitude and outlook.  If your thinking doesn't change, then you will fall back in to your old pattern of behavior sooner than later.  So, how you think and view the people who come in to the restaurant has to align with the overall results you want to see.  Otherwise, your gains will be minimal at best.  And, you may get so frustrated that you actually hinder your service product rather than enhancing it.  So, what do you do?

Embrace a Service-First Philosophy

If you are a server, you have to view EVERY interaction as an opportunity to enhance someone’s day. Your role has to extend far beyond taking orders.  You have to become a trusted guide, an engaging storyteller and a true ambassador for your restaurant.  And, if you are a manager, you have to train your people how to gain and live this outlook.

Some people are inspirational.  Some people, no matter how bleak things look, are a beacon to everyone else.  They just shine.  Well, you are in the "hospitality business."  Your JOB is to be provide a warm and friendly reception towards your  customers and even strangers. 

Your  duty is to  CREATE a welcoming environment where people feel valued  AND comfortable.  Attentive service is just part of your responsibility.  You have to show  GENUINE kindness.  You need to be treating your guests as if God just walked through the door. 

At the very least, they should be treated as a welcome and honored guest in your own home.  And, your livelihood and the welfare of your loved ones is on the line.  If you are not WILLING to adopt this mindset, then the hospitality business is not for you.  However, if you are are ready to embrace this mindset, keep going.  Because, you are on your way to greatness.

Let's face it. You probably see the logic in what you just read. You may even want to embrace this philosophy. However, you may feel stuck. Or, you just may not know HOW to get over the proverbial hump.

Don't worry. That's what we do in our one on one or group coaching sessions. And, they are perfectly adapted for YOU. Everyone is unique so the individual method for each person is going to be different.

That being said, what can you expect?

Define Your Vision and Purpose. 

To have long term change, you have to be motivated internally.  You need something that makes you want to get out of bed in the morning with a smile.  You have to have a PURPOSE.  What is your purpose? What needs to happen to give your job meaning? What impact do you want to have on each and every guest?

For me, I am in the business of putting smiles on faces.  I try to bring some joy to each and every person I come in contact with, no matter where I go.  For me, God put me here to be of service to Him and to my fellow man.  And, it's my duty and my privilege to carry that out.  Guess what they call that in business? It's called a Mission Statement. 

And, we will help you clarify your "Why" or your "Purpose."  And, then we'll help you come up with a BOLD Mission Statement to serve as your compass and your daily guide.  How does that sound?

Reframe your internal dialogue.

What you believe is what you will achieve.  Whatever you tell yourself on an ongoing basis is precisely what is going to happen in your life.  "As within, so without." Have you ever heard of "You reap what you sow?"  If you have negative, limiting beliefs, you have to identify them and replace them with empowering, uplifting beliefs.  It's usually the small ones that we tell ourselves each and every day.  It may be just as simple as, "I'm just a server." 

Do you know what I answer when people ask me what I do? I answer, "I am a curator of memorable experiences.  I am SOOOO blessed.  I get to put smiles on faces for a living.  I get to create a special occasion for each and every person with whom I do business."  How cool is that?

What are you telling yourself about your job on a day to day business? Whatever you believe determines how you will act.  And, your actions determine your outcome.

We'll quickly dissect what you are telling yourself and replace it with language that fuels your passion and your energy.  It will be in alignment with your PURPOSE and your MISSION.  Who knows? It may just be as simple as saying to yourself, "Today, I create magic in every interaction!"

Cultivate Peak Emotional & Physical States

You have to take care of yourself physically. For the most part, your physical state drives your emotional state.  Start your day with something that energizes you.  Do some power yoga.  Engage in some deep breathing.  Take a brisk walk.  Go and workout at the gym.  Enroll in a martial arts class.  Do what you need to do to elevate your energy levels. 

Tony Robbins is a master at this and he gets paid about $500,000 a day to teach these techniques.  You can get his book, "Unleash the Power Within" and learn how to anchor these positive feelings with the snap of a finger.  I went to one of Tony Robbins seminars in college.  After a couple of hours, I broke a board with my hand.  It works.  No kidding. 

One of our goals will be finding some type of invigorating activity that works for you and your schedule. It's essential that you FEEL great.  From working in hospitality, you may work alongside people who are EXTREMELY negative.  The sad part about losers is that they’d like you to be the same as they are. They envy any success you might attain. They’re happiest when they can drag you down to their level. I guess it’s because misery likes company.  So make certain you are centered and can weather the storm.  Do what you need to do to lift yourself up!

Immerse Yourself in the Role

Has any movie star just walked out on the set without learning their lines, with no rehearsal and just shot each scene of the movie in one take? Of course not.  In fact, did you know that a few minute scene from a movie usually takes an entire day of shooting to get it right? That's one of the reasons it takes so long to make a movie.  It takes an entire day of shooting to just get 2 minutes of footage. 

What does this mean for you?

If you are a server, you should be practicing real-life scenarios through immersive role-playing exercises.  If you are a MANAGER, you should be TEACHING your people how to act in different situations.  Simulate a variety of dining experiences, from a jubilant family celebration to a quiet, intimate dinner. Walk through each stage of the engagement.  If you have a lot of guts, hire your own secret shopper to come in and critique the heck out of you.  Or, have a fellow employee shadow you and give you honest feedback on your ability, temperament and performance.  If you choose the latter, pick the employee that you think can't stand you to be your judge.  You may gain more insight from them than anyone else.

Why are you role-playing?

You are practicing what is needed in order to be a SERVICE FIRST maestro.  You are playing out all of these different scenarios - both pleasant and upsetting - so that you can deal with them masterfully.  You are NOT a server.  You are an ambassador, a storyteller and a trusted guide.  Just like a professional actor gets in to character through hundreds of hours of rehearsal and pre-rehearsal, you have to embrace the idea that EVERY guest interaction is a performance where YOU are the star.  And, you are not going to get an Oscar unless you have put in the time to master your craft. 

Unlike a professional actor, you only get one shot. 

You are performing LIVE.  You really don't get do-overs.  You certainly are going to get a couple of dozen "takes" with any particular patron.  And, online reviews show just how unforgiving people can be, even if you DIDN'T do something wrong. From role playing all different kinds of situations, you will be able to display a SERVICE FIRST mentality.  You will be an ambassador who completely transforms a dining experience and provides fond memories for years to come.   

We will give you some different scenarios that many people face, yet, they have never been taught how to handle them properly. 

By the way, do you know when the most successful hospitality organizations stop training their people? Never.

Commit to Continuous Growth

Reflect at the end of each day.  Keep a journal.  Write down what went well and how you can improve.  Identify your mistakes and see how you can avoid them in the future.  Mostly, focus on how you can improve and continually get better.  The best way to keep weeds out of your grass is to have a very healthy lawn. 

Also, one of the best ways to learn is to get feedback from your peers.  And, all of the greatest performers in the history of humanity had a mentor or a coach.  If Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods had a coach, then we need one too. 

You want to ask people for honest feedback so that you can benefit from those insights and formulate your growth plan.  Learning from each and every interaction accelerates your transformation.  If you have a trusted confidante, great.  If not, we are happy to help mentor you in your current situation.  Sometimes it's helpful to have someone who is emotionally detached and can bring a fresh pair or objective eyes to a situation.

Take Massive Action

Consistency is key. If you are a server, use every shift as an opportunity to experiment with new approaches and refine your techniques. If you are a trainer or a manager, you should be doing A/B testing and see what methods work best on average.  If you are an EXCEPTIONAL manager or trainer, you should be devising a unique game plan for EACH and EVERY server under you.  That's something we can help you do so that all parties are rewarded.

In either case, every small win builds momentum towards creating a service that guests will specifically schedule.  After all, you don't want to be standing around hoping someone walks in the door and you happen to get seated.  You want to be showing up at work knowing that your schedule is full and you have SUPER HAPPY people that scheduled their dining around YOUR schedule.

This is just PART 1 of the playbook. 

We'll be teaching you tried, true and proven techniques on how to serve, how to engage people and how to manage difficult situations.  We'll be showing you ways to get people to keep coming back and asking for you by making their experience magical.

The only thing left for you to do is start.  It's time to transform your mindset and the entire dining experience.  The more you embrace a service-first philosophy, the more your passion for what you do will grow.  Your guests will begin to see you as more than a server.  They will see you as an essential part of their memorable moments, making them eager to “dine by appointment.”

It's time to go out there and create unforgettable experiences!  And, if you want to streamline the process and receive guidance from someone who has been through the initial stages and is seeing the results - getting a successful mentor - fill out the form below and let's get you on the fast path.  You'll be glad you did.