Hints & Tips on Serving Seniors
Don Miller, R.D., C.E.C.
Success Coach

Dining Room

• Keep the room warm and cozy. 70 degrees F may be considered too cold to seniors. 68 degrees F is definitely cold to seniors.

• Excessive noise of any kind would ruin the dining experience. Soft music would be nice.

• A well "LIT" dining room is very important. Seniors don't like darkness during the dining experience as a general rule.

• Easy access in and out is a must.

• Chairs need to be comfortable and at the right height (very important). Seniors like arms on the chairs to assist them in getting out of the chair at the end of the meal.

• The table should be the appropriate size and height.

• Seniors don't like lines - avoid or minimize.

• Signs are not as effective as a live person directing traffic. Seniors just don't focus too well on signs - even large ones.

• Drafty air from the outside, or the air conditioning is not good.

• A fresh flower on the table would be a "good thing".

Verbal Service

• Use the persons last name unless instructed by customer to do otherwise. Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith, etc.

• Error on the side of formality.

• Never talk down to seniors. They require and deserve compassion, respect, and courtesy.

• Speak clearly, directly and not too fast, making good eye contact. But, don't speak too loud unless you know their is a hearing problem. And, be advised that some seniors will not wear a hearing aid even when they have a hearing problem.

• Do not show impatience. Seniors operate in slow "mode". They are unable to go fast. We need to understand that. Slow down when taking their order.

Serving

• Serve from left, "clear" from right - unless it is structurely impossible due to pillars in the way or some other obstacle.

• Whatever you do, be consistant. Seniors enjoy consistency.

• Service should be timely. If everyone at the table has a salad except one person, it's not a good thing. Try to serve everyone at the table, the same course at the same time. But, sometimes this is not possible due to certain customers that are much slower than the others at the table. Just be careful and do your best to be timely and coordinated.

• The entree is served at 6:00 not 12:00 (exception - sandwiches, french toast.)

• Minimize paper products except for emergencies.

• Don't handle silverware by the eating end, use the handle.

• No fingers or thumbs on the rim of the glass.

• No fingers or thumbs inside bowls or mugs.

• If you refill a glass or mug, don't pour over the table. Pick up the container, and pour away from the table, not over the top of it.

• Don't overfill glasses or mugs.

• Do "bussing" quietly. No banging china please.

• Don't approach a table with customers, holding a bunch of dirty dishes.

• Return a mug or glass to the same location.

• Do not "buss" the table until the customer is finished. Be careful on this one.

• Do not deliver the entree until the salad or soup course is finished

• Do not scrape dishes in front of customer.

• Do not interrupt a conversation

• Do not join in a conversation without being invited.

• Seniors love the boss or the chef to pay attention to them. It makes them feel special. This practice can cause the customer to overlook minor problems instead of complaining about them.

• Service style may vary in different parts of the country.

• Seniors like prompt resolution of problems.

• Seniors are more likely to complain about food, because their meal is the highlight of their day. It needs to be right.

Losers say, "I can't do it because....." Winners just do it.

Food Quality Tips

• Portion size and plate presentation are important. Use a garnish when the food looks like it needs a little showbiz. When in doubt - garnish.

• Don't cancel the garnishing program because 2% of your customers don't want it. Just leave the garnish off those that dont' want it. Use eatable garnishes when possible.

• Make sure lettuce salad doesn't look dry. Have plenty of dark green lettuce mixed with the iceburg lettuce.

• Make sure meat is not tough. This is why we have a D/10 cooking school for institutional cooks.

• Generally all meats should have a gravy, glaze or sauce.

• Coffee must be great and consistant.

• Water must not have "OFF" flavor. If it does, use bottled water or get a water filter.

• Sandwiches should always be cut.

• Salads should always be bite size.

• Fresh fruit is best cut into bite size pieces.

Servers Appearance & Attitude

• We need servers with pleasant personalities that are happy to be alive and happy to be serving our customers.

• The uniforms are very important. We recommend black and white outfits. A white shirt (perma press) with a collar and buttons down the front is attractive. Black pants (not 100% cotton), and black aprons or black vests is suggested. A bow tie or a "dickie" finishes the job. The shirt should not look like it's been wadded up in a gym bag for 2 weeks, or appear to be yellow in color due to lack of bleach.

• Hair, nails and hands need to be well groomed. A purple mohawk hairdo is a "NO GO". Rings and studs inserted in the face will also not do.

As I was writing this training module I was reminded that it's not easy to be a waiter or waitress, especially to seniors. Just look at all the details that need to be attended to. As a professional success coach, I must share with you that I would not expect a minimum wage person, or anything close to it, especially part time, to do this job well. The minimum wage is for entry level positions. The Destination 10 Quality Improvement Program says that only a professional skilled craftsmen/women would be able to do a waiter/waitress job exceptionally well. It's just common sense. Actually the same goes for cooks and numerous other positions in institutional food service. Look at all the details. So what would I do? Well, that's easy. Winners just do whatever is necessary to win. They don't get locked into the rules, tradition, or status quo. I would go to my boss and sell him/her on the fact that if they want and expect great service for the seniors, it will be necessary to pay a decent wage per hour. I would consider minimum wage or anything close to it as an act of ignorance, and an insult to the person doing the job. How much should you pay per hour? That's easy, whatever it takes. But what about the budget? Change the budget. For the record, I am always able to find a way to offset a necessary new expense. And, worse case scenerio, perhaps the facility should just "suck it up" as a cost of doing business. The bottom line is that to win we need to employ a little common sense. To win, we need to be able to sell reality to Administration. If they are not sold, then perhaps we need to learn how to sell Administration better. For example, don't forget to explain that real (professional) wait staff earn significant monies from tips. Sometimes it's hundreds of dollars per night.

Don Miller, R.D., C.E.C.
Nancy Yezzi, R.D., L.D.
Bill Klein, C.I.C.
Success Coaches

Don Miller and Associates
346 Crestview Drive
Bonita, CA 91902
(619) 656-2100 PST
(619) 656-1321 fax
chefdon@cox.net
http://www.chefdon.com