Service at Its Best: Waiter-Waitress Training

Ideal as a competency-based training guide or simply as a reference manual for specific service questions, this all-inclusive book explains the key aspects and responsibilities of today's food servers. It contains broad and in-depth coverage on everything a good waiter or waitress will need to know to be successful in this very competitive and dynamic profession―from restaurant industry statistics to how tips are calculated, the importance of poise and posture, the use of place settings, menu knowledge, the presentation of wine, recognizing the nonverbal cues and prompts of guests, understanding guest paging systems and touch-screen terminals, handling complaints, and much more. Self-contained chapters flow in a logical sequence and establish a step-by-step procedure for understanding and learning appropriate server skills.

Ed Sanders is the founder and editor in chief of the Hospitality News Group, which publishes regional foodservice industry newspapers and an international education guide. He is a Certified Food Executive and a Certified Purchasing Manager; his professional career has included being chief operating officer for a regional chain of restaurants, an associate professor of business, and procurement director of a large-volume foodservice operation. He has a master of science degree in international management from the American Graduate School of International Management, and a doctor of business administration degree in management and organization. He was the co-founder and director of industry relations for the Hotel, Restaurant and Resort Management Program at Southern Oregon University. He is also co-author of Foodservice Profitability, A Control Approach, 2E (Prentice Hall, 2001) and Catering Solutions: For the Culinary Student, Foodservice Operator, and Caterer (Prentice Hall, 2000).

Paul Paz has been a career professional waiter for over twenty years. Restaurants USA, Restaurants and Institutions, Nation's Restaurant News, The Washington Post, Principal The Wall Street Journal, and several other publications have featured him in his WaitersWorld profession. He has also appeared on ABC's 20/20 news show. His column, "Tips for Tips," runs regularly in the Hospitality News Group of newspapers and he has written numerous articles for other publications. Furthermore, he is a hospitality consultant and has presented a variety of seminars throughout the Pacific Northwest. He developed a number of training programs for the Oregon Restaurant Education Foundation and is the only professional waiter ever to serve on the Board of Directors of the Oregon Restaurant Association. The Association voted him the 1997 Restaurant Employee of the Year. He also has served as president of the National Waiters Association.

Ron Wilkinson is the founder and CEO of Profit Power Systems, developers of FoodcoCost Control Systems and AIMHIRE-Employee Selection Systems. He is also the founder and director of the International Food Service Foundation. His forty-year career has included owning and operating quick-serve, family, and formal dining restaurants, and he has been a training director and vice president of operations for several large restaurant chains. He has developed and written operational and service training manuals and has taught college foodservice and restaurant management courses. He has also served on academic advisory boards for restaurant and hospitality management programs. He has presented numerous workshops at food shows, hospitality association conferences, and restaurant chain management meetings. He is a recognized expert at maximizing profit for foodservice operations of all types.