What is the Service procedure or Rules to be observed while Service the guest in big hotels??

RULES TO BE OBSERVED WHILE WAITING AT THE TABLE

The following rules have to be observed by all service staff members while waiting at tables in order to exhibit professionalism.

• Acknowledge the presence of guests and never ignore them

• Pull out the chairs, especially for women and aged guests.

• Offer high chairs or booster seats to children. 

• Serve water as soon as the guests are seated.

• Be attentive all the time and anticipate the guests' requirements. 

• Give menu cards to all the guests of a party and allow them time to go through the menu 

• Do not lean or rest your hand on the table or on the back of the chair while converting with guests

• Remove extra covers from an occupied table before commencing service, 

• Always carry cutlery to the table on a full plate lined with cloth.

• Whenever any work is carried out from the right-hand side of the guest, move clockwise Me anticlockwise when it is done from the left-hand side, which makes the wait staff walk forward 

• Carry with the left hand and serve with the right hand at the table.

• Do not cross the guest while placing cutlery, crockery glassware, or while serving food. For example, do not stretch out to place the side plate for a guest to his/her left while you are standing to his/her right

• Keep from the right all knives, spoons and glassware on the right-hand side of the guest and place from the left the forks and side plates on the left-hand side during service 

• Carry all cups and saucers, bowls, underplates, glasses, etc. on a lined tray.

• Carry tray, flats, and dishes over the folded waiter's cloth on the flat palm of the left-hand. Do not use tray for carrying half and full plates.

Also read

Various types of restaurant

• Place the dishes served in coupe, bowls, cups, and glasses on the underplate with doily

• See to it that the items placed on the table are within the reach of the guests. Place the items with the handles, if any, to the right of the guest for his/her convenience. 

• When you are ready to serve and the guest is busy with something, which will give you room for serving.

• While serving a dish, announce the name of the dish being served. 

• Wait for everyone to finish eating before clearing.

• Do not fill glasses to the brim.

• Do not stir coffee or tea after making according to the guest's preference at the table as the guest has the privilege of handling his/her cutlery

• Serve hot food on hot plates and cold food on cold plates 

• Serve cold food before hot food. 

• Serve bread and butter from the soup till the end of the of main course.

 • Do the following tasks from the right-hand side of the guest:

- Presenting the menu 

- Taking down the order

- Serving water and other beverages

- Placing of plates 

- Placing plated food 

- Clearance of dirty dishes and glassware except side plate with side knife.

• Do the following from the left:

- Service of bread on to the side plate

- Placing of bread basket and butter dish

- Transferring food from container on to plate with the help of service spoon and fork 

- Clearing side plate and side knife 

• Always serve children first, followed by elderly ladies, then ladies, elderly men, then men, and at last the host/hostess.

 • Never touch the blade of a knife or the bowl of a spoon or any part of cutlery that is used for eating

• Always handle cutlery by the neck with index finger and thumb, and glassware by the base or stem.

• Make sure that water glass is replenished regularly and remains full throughout the meal.

• Remove any unnecessary pieces of cutlery and accompaniments from the table before serving any dish

• Correct cover and place necessary accompaniments for the dish to be served.

• Serve potatoes and vegetables with the main course. Place potatoes at 12 o'clock position and vegetables at 10 o'clock position of the plate.

• Use separate service spoons and forks for different dishes. Avoid using the same. 

• Gravy is served at 3 o'clock position or over the food as per the choice of the guest. 

• Remove bread basket, butter dish, accompanying sauces, salad plates, and cruets before serving the sweet course.

• Offer finger bowl towards the end of the course.

• Crumb the table to remove crumbs and pieces of food that might have fallen on the table soon after the main course. (It may be done as and when necessary during the course of the service, especially when there are children at the table.)

• Bring down the dessert spoon and fork that are laid on the top of the cover for table d'hote menu before the service of sweet.

• Take away the cutlery kept for the sweet course if sweet is served in coupe/glass on an under plate with teaspoon 

• Take away the menu stand before serving coffee.

• Do not clear the water glasses and coffee cups till the guests leave the restaurant.

• Present the bill in a folder.

• Do not ask or wait for tips. 

• Acknowledge tips with thanks.

• Help the guests, especially physically challenged, elderly people, and ladies, when they are preparing to leave by pulling out the chair and say politely Thanks for visiting us, Sir/Madam. I am sure you had a good meal experience. Hope to see you soon, Sir/Madam. Good night". 

• Hand over their personal belongings, such as coats, umbrellas, if you have taken them on their arrival.