Colegio de San Gabriel Arcangel, Inc.

“An Institution for Leadership and Transformative Education”

Founded 1993, Recognized by the Government: DepEd, TESDA and CHED
COLLEGE OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY
City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, Philippines

PROHM 1: Fundamentals in Food Service Operation

CO3: Communicate with the guest effectively in
Promoting food and beverage products.

Topics :

A. Take table reservation

B. Welcome and Greet the Guest
C. Take Guest Orders

Lesson: Take table reservation.

Reservation
In the food industry reservation is defined as an arrangement to have something (room,
table, or seat) held for your use at a later time. A guaranteed seat brings in more
customers and increases revenue.
Types of Restaurant Reservations
There are two types of restaurant reservations, the manual reservation and the online
reservation. The Manual Reservation System depends on the person designated,
usually a host or hostess, to answer the phone, record the details of the said
reservation, and taking their credit card information as a guarantee. They may also
answer guest’s questions, give accurate directions to the restaurant, and provide clear
information about parking. On the other hand, the Online Reservation System makes
use of the internet through a website, where all the necessary information needed for a
reservation is keyed in by the guest. Other information about the restaurant, such as
directions to the place, parking, active promotions and discounts are also available
online, instead of depending on the host or hostess for these details.

A growing trend in reserving a seat in a restaurant is the Call Ahead Seating. Doing so
reduces the guest’s wait time upon arriving at the restaurant. With this type of
reservation, the guest calls when they are on their way and sets a specific time they will
arrive. Usually restaurants will hold a table for 20-30 minutes. However, in cases where
there is a long line of walk-in guests waiting for seats, calling ahead may not ensure
them a seat.
Restaurants would often opt to serve guests on first come- first served basis. Other
restaurants also ask for the credit card information of the guests to ensure their seats.
Since this guarantees the transaction, the restaurant manager has to make sure that
there will be no over booking of guests and are accommodated right away at the time
reserved for them.
Not all restaurants accept reservations, though a lot of customers find making one
convenient for them. These are restaurants who frequently experience a high number of
walk-in guests and prefer to serve them as they arrive.

How to Take Reservation

Before taking a reservation, make sure to know the answers to the questions which are
likely to be asked. Following are tips and some possible questions in taking
reservations:
Possible questions of customers when taking table reservations:
 What kind of cuisine do you offer? (French, Italian, Cantonese, Modern
Australian, etc.)
 What style of menu do you offer? (A la carte or table d’ hote)
 Do you accept credit cards? If yes, what type of credit card do you take?
 Can we bring in other food drinks bought outside?
 Is there corkage for the food and drinks bought outside? If yes, how much?
 What time do you start serving? For lunch? For dinner?
 Do you accommodate children?
 Do you cater to persons with disability?
 Can we bring in pets? What accommodations can you provide for pets?
 Are all rooms air-conditioned?
 Do you have parking facilities?
 Do you cater for specific functions?
 Do you have a smoking area?
 How do we get there? What is the nearest landmark?

Most reservations are taken over the telephone. Therefore, the telephone operator
should be friendly and accommodating. Customers may easily be discouraged and may
never call again if they are not treated well.
 Always answer the phone immediately.
 The reservation book should always be ready at hand.
 State the name of the establishment clearly
 Greet the caller courteously by saying, for example, “Good morning (Good
evening)! Thank you for calling (name of establishment)! May I help you?”, “May I
have your name please?”
 Answer questions clearly and politely. If you do not know the answer, find
someone to help you and ask if they are willing to wait for a few minutes. You
 may also ask for the contact details so you can call them back or request them to
call you back.
 Politely decline if the time requested for reservation is already filled. Suggest
possible times and other options to accommodate the reservation.

Tips in taking table reservations

 Answer inquiries promptly, clearly, and as accurately as possible.
 Take note of specials, and changes in the menu and make sure to inform guests
about it.
 Gather all pertinent information on the reservation from the guest politely and
efficiently
 Accurately record reservation data on forms based on establishment standards.
 Repeat the details of the reservations with the customer.
 Confirm customer reservations prior to their arrival
 Impart additional information to the guest such as parking conditions and
directions to the establishment
 Always be calm and polite when speaking to guests.
 Avoid double booking

Confirm all the details by repeating the name, date and time of arrival, the number of
people in the party, and the contact number. Make sure all these details have been
clearly written in the reservation books.
Be courteous and hospitable in closing a conversation. You may say, “Thank you Mr.
Arcos. We look forward to seeing you at the party.”

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Taking Reservations

Accepting restaurant reservation has both its advantages and disadvantages both for
the guests and the restaurant. The main advantage for the establishment is the
knowledge of dining details, such as a definite number of guests who will eat at the
restaurant at a specific time, which will guide them in their preparations. For guests,
they get to have faster service. On the other hand, sales may be affected especially
since reservations may limit the number of guests.
Here are some advantages and disadvantages of accepting table reservations.

Restaurants provide many advantages to you and your customers. Here are a few
significant ones:

 Easier kitchen and staff management: When you know how many people you
need to feed at a given time, you can better plan for your kitchen and waitstaff
needs.
 No waiting: Customers who make reservations don't have to wait in long lines or
deal with unpredictable wait times. This means happier guests for your servers.
 Better dining room planning: If you go with a reservation-only approach, then
you can precisely plan the layout of your dining room for the best experience.
 Higher profits and tips: Reservations often bring large groups, and those
groups tend to spend more and tip better.
here are drawbacks to accepting reservations, though. Before you start booking tables
in advance, consider the following downsides, and how to alleviate them:

 Limiting sales potential: The more reservations you take, the more you're
limiting your capacity for walk-in customers, which could put a ceiling on your
sales. To circumvent this problem, try to always leave a set number of tables
open for walk-in seating.
 The cost of no-shows: There are always those who book ahead and then
change their minds or run into scheduling conflicts. Every empty table costs you
money, though, so make sure you have a plan to deal with this issue. Many
restaurants require a credit card to hold the table and will charge a set fee if
patrons don't show up or call to cancel within a certain time frame.
 Losing some customers: Especially if you go reservation-only, you will
automatically cut off certain customers from ever trying out your establishment.
Many people simply don't want to have to plan ahead for their meals out. Again,
you can avoid this by always accepting a certain portion of walk-in customers.

Alternative to Reservations
In the case of some restaurants who do not accept reservations or for those who cannot
accommodate a large number of guests, the following options can be considered:

The waiting list

Guest give their names, stay inside the restaurant, and wait for their names to be called.

The call-ahead list

Guest call ahead to place their name on the waiting list and inquire how long it will take
to wait. They will come only once a restaurant staff calls to inform them of the next
available table.
Pagers
Many restaurants employ electronic pagers in lieu of calling out customers’ names when
tables are ready. This device flashes, vibrates, and sometimes makes noises when a
table is available. The downside of this gadget is that when it malfunctions
Lesson: Welcome and greet guests.
Welcoming and Greeting Guests in a Restaurant
It’s often said that first impressions are the last impressions. That’s why it’s vital to make
sure that your establishment offers excellent customer service. the provision of a warm
welcome and ongoing attentiveness can be one of the things that sets you apart from
the competition, ultimately helping to drive loyalty with customers.
Things to do:
 Show a genuine interest
The host charged with greeting guests should always do so with a warm and
welcoming attitude. Since this is the initial rapport with your customers, it’s crucial
that it is done so in a genuine and polite manner.  
Establish a standard type of greeting that your restaurant hosts can use, and
make sure that they are asking about your customers’ needs, while expressing
real concern for any special requests.  
Hosts need to make guests feel comfortable, and also offer extra assistance to
any disabled or elderly guests, like seating them closer to the doorways. And
always remember to smile. 
 Strategically seat guests 
To reduce frustration and wait times, pre-plan the seating arrangements ahead of
time. This preparation will ensure that your guest’s reservations are all honored
correctly and allow for better management of walk-ins at your restaurant.  
Common sense is usually the best tool to help determine where to seat guests.
Tables will need to be allocated according to the party size or the number of
guests and the host will need to be strategic in placement of the tables.  
 Provide accurate wait times
To avoid impacting the customer's dining experience, it is important that the host
provides true and accurate wait times. Most guests will be more accepting of a
wait at a restaurant if they are pre-advised with an accurate forecast.
 Keep calm and positive 
The hospitality industry can be tough, but it’s important to remember that no
matter what happens, hosts need to keep calm and be positive. A positive
attitude will help improve even the worst situation.  
Providing the best experience possible for guests is the most important factor.
So, if the guest has a complaint about food or some other issue, handling it with
 a calm and positive attitude can make all the difference to the customer service
experience.  
 Provide menus 
It’s also best practice to provide guests with the drinks and food menus when
seating them.  This gives the customers time to look at the menu while waiting for
the server to arrive and complete orders.  
As an additional bonus, have your hosts take initial drinks orders, or at least bring
water to the table for those thirsty diners. This can make customers feel
extremely welcome and comfortable.  
 Act with kindness even when busy
One of the hardest elements to manage is responding promptly during busy
times. Hosts and servers will be juggling many different tasks during busy
periods. However, these are the times when it is most important to greet and
respond to guests promptly.  
Even though it’s hard to provide the same level of service compared to quiet
times, it’s important to still take the time to greet and serve customers to that
same standard.  
When restaurants are busy, it’s also possible that customers have been a little
neglected by servers. So if they flag you down, always acknowledge and respond
with kindness and understanding. 
 Examples of what to say when greeting guests
Even though this task will generally be the job of the hosts, it’s also important that
every employee is trained to greet guests as well.
Developing a general phrase that can be used as a standard welcome is ideal.
For example: “Good Morning/Afternoon/evening, welcome to (Restaurant
Name)"
Ask about reservations and any special requirements:
 Politely ask “Do you have any reservations?” to ensure you know whether to look
for them or find a table
 If they do have a booking, follow up with “Can I please have your name?”
 After checking the reservation, repeat the details back to them “Absolutely
(address by name if appropriate). You have a table booked for (Number of
guests).  
 If they don’t have a reservation, ask the diner “How many will be dining this
evening?” and if you do have space ask if they have any preferences. 
 With space established, ask about any special requirements.  Is there a child in
the group and will you be needing a high chair, are there strict dietary
requirements?
 Lead Guests to their table
When seating the guests, it’s important for the host to maintain eye contact, and
continue smiling in the same friendly manner. To avoid any confusion, have the
host lead the way to the table and be careful not to walk too fast.  
Additionally, when you reach the table, check with the guests that this area is
right for them, giving them the opportunity to confirm their expectations. 
 After seating the guests
Once the guests are seated, implement the above tips. Provide the guests with
the menus and offer to take a drinks order.  
Before the host leaves, ask if there is anything else they need and wish the
guests a pleasant evening. At this point, a service staff member will take over
and complete the next steps.  
 In Conclusion
It is always beneficial to be polite and courteous when greeting a guest at your
restaurant. Proper training of all staff members on correct greeting practices will
ensure there are no gaps in service and better maintain the level of service. 
Lesson: Take food and beverage orders

Every establishment has a specific protocol for taking orders from the table and giving
them to the kitchen and assembly areas. Taking an order is a very skillful art
which reflects efficiency and standard of both waiter and the establishment. Every
Food & Beverage Service staff should have good command over order taking to ensure
that each guest gets proper food he ordered and importantly in right sequence.
If you’re waiting tables at a restaurant, it’s important to provide great customer service
to ensure your guests have the best experience. One of the most important parts of
working at a restaurant is making sure you take each customer’s order quickly and
accurately. After the customers first sit down, be sure to greet them and offer drinks or
starters. When the table is ready to place an order, be sure to write down everything
they tell you so you don’t leave off any of their items. Throughout the meal, just be sure
to check back with the table to make sure they’re enjoying everything!
How to take orders.
Greeting the Table
 Smile and greet the customers when they first arrive. Try to talk to your
guests within 2 minutes of them sitting down. As soon as you approach the table
for the first time, smile and make eye contact with each of the guests so you
seem more friendly. Introduce yourself by name and let them know that you’ll be
serving them during the meal. Keep a conversational tone so you seem friendly
and approachable.
 Let the table know about the restaurant’s specials if there are any. Even if
you have a printed list of specials on the table, make sure to talk about at least 1
or 2 so the table knows about them. Try to describe the specials as well as you
can and mention anything unique about them, like if they’re made from local
ingredients or use a different cooking method than normal. Be ready to answer
questions about the dishes since the customers may want to know more.
 Label a notepad with the table and seat numbers. Put the table number at the
top of the notepad’s page so you don’t forget the order. Write the number “1” in
the left margin of the page and leave a 3–4 lines to write down the order.
Continue numbering down the page for the number of people at the table.
Choose 1 person at the table and assign them the first seat. Assign the rest of
the seats clockwise around the table so you remember who ordered what meal.
The table may not be labeled anywhere else except for a floorplan at the server’s
station. Make sure you’re familiar with how the tables are numbered so you can
accurately write it down.
 Ask for the table’s drink order first. Rather than just asking what everybody
wants, try to offer specific drinks from the menu to upsell to the group. Start with
the person who seems the most ready to order and continue going around the
 table clockwise until you get all of the drink orders. Write down each of the drinks
in the correct seat so you remember who to give them to. You may need to
submit the order to the bar if your restaurant has one, or you may need to fill the
drinks yourself.
 See if the customers want to start their meal with an appetizer. Recommend
1–2 popular appetizers from the menu for the table to see if they want a dish to
share. Allow the guests a few seconds to think it over for a few seconds before
they answer. Don’t try to force your customers to order something if they don’t
want it. If they do order an appetizer, write it down on your order slip and submit it
to the kitchen.
 Give the table more time if they aren’t ready to order yet. When you come
back with the drinks or the appetizer, ask them if they’re ready to place their
order. If they aren’t, step away for 2–3 minutes so they have time to look over the
menu and make a decision. Pay attention to when the customers close their
menus since this could mean they’re ready to order.
Writing down the Orders
 Listen intently while you write down each customer’s order. Start with the
person who looks the most ready to order and find their seat on your notepad.
Make eye contact with the person who’s telling you their order and lean in closer
so you can hear them better. Only look away from the customer when you write
down what they’re ordering. Be sure to write everything legibly so you don’t make
any mistakes when entering the order later on. Continue around the table
clockwise as you take the orders, making sure to write everyone’s order in the
correct seat.
 Ask how they want their meal prepared if there are multiple options. Some
meals may have optional sides or different cooking temperatures, so inquire
about how they want it done. List all of the available options the customer can
choose from so they know their options and make sure to write down whatever
they say so the kitchen cooks it properly.
 Suggest and upsell add-ons or sides for the order if there are any. If your
restaurant offers additional ingredients or optional sides, try to recommend 1–2
for each customer’s order so they can think it over. Be sure to list how much
extra it will cost if they include it in their meal so they aren’t surprised when they
get the bill. Don’t be too pushy or force them to buy an item if they don’t want it.
 Repeat the order back to the customers to ensure it’s correct. After a table
completes their order, read it back to them to make sure you wrote it down
correctly. Be sure to emphasize any changes or requests that they’ve made to
show that you didn’t forget about them. Ask if everything sounds correct or if you
need to make any changes. If you got the order right, thank the table and collect
everyone’s menus.
 Enter the order into a point-of-sale system if the restaurant uses one. Take
the order slip to the computer at the server’s station and select the table that
 made the order. Go in seat order and punch in each item the customers ordered,
making sure you make note of any special requests they had. After you put in all
of the items, compare what’s on the computer screen to the order slip to make
sure you punched it in correctly.
Following up during the Meal
 Check on the table 2 minutes after they start eating to see if they’re
satisfied. After delivering the food to the table, let them take a few bites first so
they have time to taste their meals. Make sure to visit the table again within 2
minutes and ask if everything is okay. Pay attention to any requests or concerns
the customers have and try to correct them as soon as possible.
 Watch the table to see if they need refills or assistance. While everyone at
the table eats, pay attention to their body language and how much they have left
of their drinks. If the customers are looking around or have stopped eating, check
on them to see if you can get them anything. If you notice the glasses are less
than half full, go back to the table and offer to refill them.
 Ask if anyone wants dessert before they finish their meal. Wait until
everyone at the table is nearly finished with their entrees before asking about
dessert. Let them know about 1–2 specific dishes so they have options to choose
from. Don’t force anyone to buy dessert if they don’t want any.
 Clear plates or dirty dishes when all the guests finish their meals. Wait until
everyone finishes eating so other people don’t feel rushed to finish. Stack the
plates and silverware so they’re easier to carry and clear them as soon as
possible. Leave any glasses or dining ware on the table that the customers are
still using
 Thank the customer when you give them their bill. Place the bill in a central
location on the table, or give it to someone if they specifically ask for it. Don’t try
to rush the table to finish their meals or pay for the bill so they feel like they still
have time to sit and chat when they’re done eating. Thank everyone for coming
to the restaurant and tell them to have a good rest of their day after they pay.

References:
https://pdfcoffee.com/fbs-table-reservations-module1-pdf-free.html
https://www.eposnow.com/us/resources/welcoming-and-greeting-guests-in-a-
restaurant-a-how-to-guide/
https://www.wikihow.com/Take-an-Order-in-a-Restaurant