TIPS FOR SERVERS.

I'm a stickler for good service, however, there is little difference between bad service and overbearing service.

People know what bad service is - being ignored all night, wrong orders, rude server, blah blah blah. One thing that isn't usually covered is overbearing service. 

The other night at Fox and Hound, my server was a very sweet girl, but, she came up to our table just about every 5 minutes to ask us the same question, 'are you all doing okay?'

Let me make one thing clear - I was a server for a good 6 years at a high end restaurant and at a country club. I am therefore entitled to give my opinion on serving, whereas someone who has never been a server is not.
I know that there is that awkwardness of, 'I don't want to ignore my table... but I don't want to annoy them either.' I get that. But as a server, one must also keep in mind different factors.

1. Is it a bar? - if yes, it is more laid back. People will typically flag you down if they need you. Just keep yourself visible, walk around every 5 minutes or so and QUIETLY (this means don't talk to them) do a table check - are the drinks low? if yes, ask if they'd like another. if no, don't talk to them.
    -If their drink is low, but they don't want another one right now... don't ask again unless its at least 45 minutes later. Then, resume keeping yourself visible and walking around doing checks every 5 minutes.
2. Is there a game on? - if yes, tables are more likely to sit around longer and linger, because they are watching a game. People are obviously there for the game, and don't want to risk missing a play because you won't stop talking to them. The best service is silent service. If there is no game on and it looks like some kind of business meeting or old friends catching up, again... silent service. Keep yourself visible.

3. This all my be redundant so let me just make one fact clear in case you didn't get it: keep yourself visible. Even if your table doesn't need or want anything from you, there is nothing more annoying than knowing if you DID need or want something, your server is nowhere to be found. And don't keep yourself visible by chatting up another table for hours. If they chat you up, be polite, talk with them for a bit, but make it clear you are not there to slack off and that you have a job to do and other tables to attend. I can't stress that enough how annoyed I get whenever my server is being Chatty Cathy with a table all night and I feel rude interrupting them. I also get annoyed if I feel like that table is getting better service than me.

finally,


4. Always put yourself in the position of your guests. Do they look deep in conversation? If you were one of those sitting at the table, would you want to be interrupted at that point? Keep this in mind.