Good dining experience begins with interaction with the serving staff. Get it right every time!

1. How to interact with
the serving staff
when you are
dining
By Urbanista Image
Consulting LLP
Picture Courtesy: blog.myjeanm.com

2. Much of the success of your
meal hinges on your
interaction with your waiter
or waitress.
Treating a server as a robot is
unforgivably rude, and an
imperious or condescending
manner shows you not as
superior but small.
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3. Respond with a
“Hello” when the
server first greets
you, not a
demand
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4. Answer waiter‟s questions
with actual words, not
grunts.
Be clear with what you
want.
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5. Add “please” to your
requests.
For example
• Please get me a glass of
water.
• Please serve me the soup.
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6. Look at the waiter when
he recites the specials,
and don‟t make a face if
he describes something
you don‟t like.
Picture courtesy: wichitafallsfoodie.blogspot.com

7. Before you order, make sure
everyone else is at the table
is ready to order.
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8. WAITER CODE OF SERVICE
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When you want
your plate to be
cleared, signal by
placing your knife
and fork in the I
am finished
position, besides
each other
diagonally on the
plate.

9. WAITER CODE OF SERVICE
Call the server by catching his
eyes and giving him an
expectant look. If he is some
distance away, you can raise
your hand to chin level and
finger pointing up.
The usual loud „Hello‟ or
„Excuse Me‟ is seen in bad
form
Picture Courtesy: www.123rf.com

10. WAITER CODE OF SERVICE
• If you want your plate to
be cleared while away
from the seat, place your
napkin roughly folded on
the side.
• Service is always from the
left and clearance from
the right. Give the waiter
the required space.
• During French service,
stop talking and look at
the waiter while the food
is being served
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11. HARD TO PRONOUNCE DISHES
• Don’t shy away from ordering the dish. Rather
request your waiter to describe the dish and
point to it on the menu
• Its okay to attempt the pronunciation of a dish
that you are not familiar with, suffixed by “is
that right”? It shows you tried and are open to
being corrected.

12. • Don’t complain about the food “after” you
have eaten it
• Tips equate to salary for waiters. See the next
slide for percentage around the world. Its 15%
in India.
• Waiter could be busy waiting other tables. Be
patient and allow them to get to serving you.

13. Courtesy: MINT

14. Sheena Agarwal, Director of Urbanista Image
Consulting, enables you to develop and represent your
personal brand and create a mark in whatever you do.
Sheena caters to students, executives, and
entrepreneurs by conducting workshops and individual
coaching in appearance, behavior, communication &
presentation skills. Sheena closely involves her clients
at workshops, enabling them to bring about major
transformations in their appearance, attitude and
behavior, paving their way to a new persona.
Career at a glance
• Early career at Goldman Sachs, promoted to Trade Management team, first "big”
project within six months.
• Post Grad from Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad, she specialized
in Digital Media and Brand Management.
• Certified Image and Professional Development Consultant - London Image
Institute and Academy of Image Mastery.
• Graduated in Human Resource @ Christ College, Bangalore
• Attended Mayo College, Ajmer.

15. Thank You
Contact Details
Email: info@urbanista.in
Phone Number +91 96504 18886