Increase Your Waiter Tip By
Knowing Your Lead Guest

Increasing your waiter tip is just tweaking your service level and adding in a few tricks of the trade. This article is about picking the lead guest at your tables. Although I always preach not to prejudge you’re your guests I also advise you to do your best to pick out the lead guest at your tables for a number of reasons.

In the past you had the advantage of knowing that you could pick out the man at the table that you felt was going to pick up the check, but today things are different and very often it may be a woman at the table. In either case you want to get a feel for the table and your guests when you first approach the group. A good idea is to get the name the reservation was put in before you approach so you have some extra info to judge from. If your hostess places a wine list on the table, look to see who goes for it. See who is the “A” personality at the table. Your waiter tip may depend on it.

Once you have determined who you think the lead guest there are a number of things that you can and should do to increase your waiter tips. For starters keep it in your mind that your lead guest will be probably be the one picking up the check. He or she will be the one probably picking wine for the table if they have any as well. What does that mean? It means that you had better make sure your lead guest and their guests better be taken care of.

If wine is ordered, proper wine service is expected, meaning pour ladies first and then the men, but regardless always end a bottle on the lead guests glass. This is a perfect in for you. Ending the bottle on the lead guests glass allows you to sell that next bottle to the to them right away in one easy motion.

Also try to get the lead guests name so you can make it a personal tip when the time to drop the check.

Don't forget to try to catch them when they leave and thank them again for dining with you!