Why don't waiters sell more expensive dishes? Our test results
In 2024, we visited 23 restaurants in the Tatra district to check how service handles the wine list and desserts. We tested exactly 84 people in waiting positions. The results clearly showed: the problem is not a lack of willingness to work, but a specific psychological block against being perceived as an intrusive salesperson.
Fear of guest evaluation blocks sales
During our workshops in October 2024, we asked waiters why they don't suggest a second bottle of wine or a more expensive appetizer. As many as 59 out of 84 surveyed people answered that they don't want to 'rip off' the customer. This is a key error in thinking that costs owners an average of 3,450 PLN of lost revenue every weekend. Employees treat the proposal of an additional dish as an attack on the guest's wallet, and not as taking care of their full culinary experience.
When a waiter thinks that 120 PLN for a bottle of wine is a lot, they subconsciously won't suggest it to the table. We noticed this in 14 venues where the average price of a main course exceeded 65 PLN. Staff themselves decided for the customer what was too expensive for them. Numbers don't lie: where a waiter isn't afraid of the menu, the bill grows by an average of 18.4% without any effort from the kitchen. A change in attitude, which we implement during one evening meeting with the team, is enough.
Waiters often decide for the guest's wallet before the guest even opens the menu.
Lack of taste knowledge is a lack of self-confidence
We did a quick knowledge test in July 2024 in three large taverns at Krupówki. Only 11 waiters out of 42 asked were able to describe the difference between two types of local cheeses in the appetizer. If an employee doesn't know what something tastes like, they can't talk about it with passion. Instead, they say: 'Everything is good'. This is the worst answer you can hear in gastronomy. The guest then feels that the waiter doesn't care what they eat.
In restaurants that regularly do tastings for staff, dessert sales are 34.7% higher than in places where waiters only see cakes through the display window. At Tatry Peak Management, we teach how to describe a dish in three specific words that build appetite. No literary descriptions are needed. Specific information about temperature, texture, and the main aroma is enough. Work done on time in this case is quick information that closes the sale in 15 seconds.
Decision paralysis with a menu that is too long
Another reason waiters remain silent is a menu that is too complicated. We analyzed 19 menus in the region and in 14 of them we found over 50 items. The waiter, instead of advising, waits for the guest to fight through all those pages themselves. This is an error. In one of the hotels in Kościelisko in August 2024, we shortened the list of recommended wines from 12 to 4 items for one evening. The result? Bottle sales jumped from 3 to 11 units in just 6 hours of work.
When a waiter has too many options to choose from, they themselves feel lost. Our work system involves designating a 'dish of the day' and 'wine of the week'. We give the employee a ready-made tool. They don't have to wonder what to suggest. They have a specific goal and a specific argument. No more wasting goods that sit in the warehouse just because no one knew how to promote them at the table. Simple rules work best in high tourist occupancy conditions.
Fewer options on the menu is, paradoxically, more money in the register at the end of the shift.
A 12-minute briefing as a remedy for low bills
Most managers make the mistake of having long, boring meetings once a month. We introduced short briefings before each shift in 8 of our friendly facilities. They last exactly from 10 to 12 minutes. During this time, the floor manager discusses only two things: which dish we earn the most on today and which wine goes with it. That's enough for the waiter to feel confident before the first guest. Results from November 2024 show that these short meetings raised the average bill by 12.20 PLN per person.
Remember that the waiter is your first salesperson. If they don't believe in the offer, the guest won't believe in it either. At Tatry Peak Management, we don't play around with sales psychology from textbooks for corporations. We focus on hard data and simple messages. Proven in Tatra conditions, methods allow us to extract more profit from the restaurant without hiring new people. It's enough to correctly set up the ones you already have on board and give them specific guidelines.
