How to be a professional Waiter in Nigeria.

Four quick tips on how to be a professional waiter in Nigeria. Not only will these tips show you the way, but they will also help you have a successful career as a waiter in Nigeria. 

Are you jobless? Do you consider yourself a waiter at a restaurant? If yes, then take your paper and jot things down. You are about to learn from one of the very best waiters Nigeria has ever seen. Someone who was in practice for more than 10 years before he got fired for stealing meat. 

By just reading these four tips, you can be sure that you will become a professional waiter in Nigeria. No other training is needed. These tips are secrets most professional waiters in Nigeria, do not want you to know. 

No. 1 Understand how the menu works:

To be a professional waiter, understanding what is on the menu is your first priority. Even if you have never tasted any of the meals on the menu, it is your job to tell the customer that everything tastes amazing. I am not asking you to lie, I am asking you to be a professional. 

Do not care about how the food is made, what's important is the price. If you know the price, you know the meal. The more expensive the meal, the sweeter the meal is. 

When customers arrive at your restaurants, make sure you greet them with a smile on your face. Offer them a seat, and immediately give them the menu. Don't give them too much time to think about what they want. Tell them what to buy, and if they choose something else, tell them you don't have it. 

If they waste too much time picking a meal, bring the most expensive meal and tell them that the way they were looking at it, it looked like they chose it. This might cause a little uproar, but trust me, they will still eat it and pay. After all, they did not come to the restaurant to look at the menu, they came to eat.

Another method is to inform the customer that everything is available. If they want Chinese rice with Japanese sauce and Zambian fish, tell them it is available. As a matter of fact, you had it yesterday afternoon. When they ask you how long it will take, tell them it will only take a few minutes, even if you know it will take two hours. I am not asking you to lie, I am asking you to be professional. 

You have to get used to words like “not long," "a few minutes," "let me go and check," and “almost ready.” These words will not only show your brilliance as a professional waiter but will also save your job during critical conditions.

No. 2: The "A.E.P." Rule:

The A.E.P. Rule is an acronomy only professional waiters in Nigeria know. It is an apology mechanism you will need to understand because, whether you like it or not, the customer will be frustrated. Whether it is your fault, the fault of the chef, the fault of his pocket, or the person they are with, something must upset them, and thats where the A.E.P Rule comes in. 

The A.E.P. stands for: 

Apologize 

Excuse 

Promise

After wasting their time, apologize. After bringing the wrong meal, apologize. After adding money to their bill, apologize. You must be ready to apologize for everything. An apology doesn't mean you are wrong, you are only showing that the customer is always right. 

Next, make excuses. You're never at fault. Blame the chef if the food isn't good; tell the customers that the actual chef is ill or his wife just gave birth, so he is not around. 

Blame the management if the prices are too high; tell the customers that management has been trying to work on the prices but the economy hasn't been smiling. Blame the customers who ate at the space before the new customers came in if the place is dirty. Tell the new customers that the old customers were eating like pigs, which is why the place is messed up. At the end of the day, you are never at fault. You're only a professional. 

Lastly, make promises. Promise them that the next time they come, the prices, the meals, and other things will be better. You know that is a lie, but still promise them. I am on my knees, never ask the customer if they are enjoying their meal. Will you change it if they are not? You're a professional waiter, not the chef. 

Start with an apology, continue with an excuse, and end with a promise. And that's the A.E.P. rule. Youre welcome.

No. 3: The man pays the bills.

This might be controversial, but it is an important aspect. As a professional waiter, you need to understand restaurant principles.

If a couple walks into your restaurant, 99.9% of the time, the man brought the woman and is paying for the meal. If it's two women, the one that looks more like a man is the one who is going to pay. If it's two men, the one who talks less is the one who is going to pay.

On no account should you give the POS or ask the woman to pay. You will only make the man feel bad about himself and lose respect for the woman, the food, the restaurant, you, and his existence. Women do not pay for anything except attention. Be a professional, and be smart!

No. 4. There is no change:

This is the final test of your professionalism. As a professional waiter, you do not give your customers change, no matter how big or small. 

Once they pay, thank them very much and tell them you hope to see them again. If they ask for change, tell them the restaurant story. Tell them how the guy with cash went 2 miles away looking for change for another customer. You can offer them items in exchange for change. For example, bottled water, extra beef, toothpicks, or sweets. If they still persist, look at their face for a long time and inform them that “you have marked their face.”

This means that your brain has worked at its full capacity and you have captured their faces. This is so that when they next visit, you will give them their change. You can collect their name, phone number, email, or all of those details. It doesn't matter. Doing this will only make them feel loved and trust you. If they come back again (even if it's the next day) and ask for their change, tell them you are a new staff member who resumed that morning. The shock will humble them. Proceed to number one—give them the menu.

Conclusion:

Well, congratulations to you. I know how you're feeling right now. On top of the world as a professional waiter. Anyway, if there are other professions you want to learn, kindly send me a message at [email protected], and I will write a special episode just for you. 

Until next time, CheckEdgar here, and Edgar doesn't lie. By the way, you can read other stories, listen to my podcast, or watch my movies or shows. Enjoy. 

Ever wanted to know the tips and techniques for excelling in various professions the Nigerian way? Allow a jack of all trades and a master of all, teach you from his bowls of wisdom with four simple tips. Be a professional in minutes. CheckEdgar Out!