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New server — day 1

Work through these in order. It takes about 45 minutes, and it is designed so that each step is something you will do within your first hour on the floor.

Do it on a real till, not by reading. Ring things in, then void them.

1. Clock in​

You cannot do anything else until you have. Your manager gives you a PIN.

→ Clocking in and out

Practise: clock in, clock out, clock back in.

2. Open a check and add items​

Find the menu, add an item, watch it appear on the check.

→ Taking orders

Practise: open a check, add three items, void one.

3. Answer modifier questions​

Some items ask questions before they can be added. Required ones must be answered.

→ Modifiers

Practise: ring in an item that asks a required question.

4. Send the order​

Adding to the check is not sending it. The kitchen sees nothing until you send.

→ The life of an order

The single most common new-server mistake

Building a perfect check and never sending it. The guest waits, the kitchen has no idea, and nothing anywhere shows an error. If food has not arrived, check that the order was sent before you check anything else.

Practise: send an order and watch it appear on the kitchen display.

5. Course and fire​

Starters now, mains when the table is ready.

→ Coursing and firing

Practise: send an order with a held course, then fire it.

6. Split a check​

Split by item when people pay for what they ordered; split evenly when they are sharing.

→ Splitting and transferring

Practise: split a check three ways by item.

7. Take payment​

Card and cash. Watch where the tip prompt appears — it differs by restaurant.

→ Taking payments · Tips

Practise: take a card payment, then a cash payment with change.

8. Know what you cannot do alone​

Voids after sending, refunds, reopening a closed check and changing a tip are usually manager-approved. Knowing this in advance saves you finding out in front of a guest.

→ Job titles and permissions

Before your first shift​

  • I can clock in and out
  • I can open a check, add items and send it
  • I have watched an order appear on the kitchen display
  • I can fire a held course
  • I can split a check
  • I can take a card payment and a cash payment
  • I know who to find for a void or a refund

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