by Victoria de Martigny

Created on: March 01, 2007   Last Updated: April 17, 2007

I worked in the restaurant business for almost 10 years before I traded in my apron and notepad for a suit and a PC. During that time, I realized that waitressing was a very rewarding gig since the bulk of my earnings were generated from tips - and the size of the tip I received from each guest was reasonably within my control. As I learned the ropes, perfected my serving techniques and scoped out the more lucrative restaurants, my average income steadily grew from less than $50 per shift to $300 or more. Let me share some of what I learned along the way to help me double my tips:

(1) SELL, SELL, SELL!

Since most patrons calculate the tip based on a percentage of the total bill, the fastest way to increase your tip is by selling more to raise that bill. Keep an eye on the drinks and as soon as one is finished offer another. Propose a specific appetizer and if your customers tell you it's too much food, suggest they share. Upsell the main course by adding little extras such as a shrimp skewer with the filet mignon, chicken on the Caesar salad or a loaded baked potato. When it's time for dessert don't ask if they want anything else, ask them WHICH delicious treat they would like and then upsell it with a specialty coffee or after-dinner drink. Your customers may not bite at all your offerings, but it doesn't take much to increase their bill and your tip!

(2) TURN YOUR TABLES

Restaurants typically have a lunch rush and a dinner rush and these are the periods where you can really rake in the cash if you can move more volume through your section. The key to doing this is to know your menu so that you can recommend items that have a shorter preparation time, such as pasta or fish instead of steak. Your customers will appreciate your candor since they don't want to wait an hour for their main dish any more than you want them occupying a table for that long. It also helps to communicate with the kitchen staff so that you can foresee any problems such as a large group ordering 30 pizzas and creating a bottleneck in that section. Letting your customers know about these types of delays will ingratiate them to you and generally result in a more favorable gratuity.

(3) BEFRIEND THE BUSBOYS

When you're busy or "in the juice" as we say in the business, you never have enough hands, so if your establishment has busboys, BE NICE TO THEM! A good busboy will clear tables, fetch drinks from the bar, bring plates out of the kitchen, refresh water or coffee and even find the elusive ketchup

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