The Three Kings in a Manger scene offers valuable lessons in service and respect.

By Pauli Antoine

 When the Three Kings saw the Child Jesus, they bowed and fell on their knees. To show great respect for the King, they presented their gifts with warmth, sincerity and pride.

Show respect by welcoming guests with a warm and sincere smile followed by a well executed bow. Bend from the waist, keep your back straight, hands in a cupped position.

Respect means showing regard and appreciation for the worth of someone or something, including one’s self. We keep on saying that the “Customer is King.” Customer is money, money is king. No money, no salary. It is a logical argument but not something to be passionate about. The concept of “Customer is King” should be imparted and executed from the angle of respect.

The manger scene showed that there is more to respect than simply showing regard and appreciation. The kings were cloaked in imperial regalia, maintained their composure and poise, and observed the proper protocols of their time. It was not just the sight of the Baby Jesus in swaddling clothes that compelled them to fall on their knees, but also their knowledge of the prophesy that the child was the King of kings. If the kings lost their composure and opted to play with the baby, the story would have been different. Their greeting, presentation of gifts, and regal composure—while being mindful of the entire scene—are the three elements of respect.

THE GREETING

In a restaurant setting, the customer is king and deserves respect from the moment he approaches the restaurant’s boundary until he departs. So how does one greet a king?

Bows commonly accompany the greeting phrase or when thanking the customer as he departs. Basic bows originate from the waist with the back straight and the hands at the sides (for men) or clasped in front (for women), and with the eyes lowered. Bows for greeting are divided into three types: informal, formal, and very formal. Informal bows are made at about a 15-degree angle while more formal bows are at about 30 degrees. Very formal bows are even lower.

In the Philippines, it is acceptable for greeters to smile as the customer approaches and to execute an informal bow accompanied by the greeting phrase. Eye contact and a smile must be maintained. Most will agree that a sincere personal greeting is more appreciated than a greeting done in unison across the hall.

Here are five tips on how to welcome customers with respect:

1 Ensure that the restaurant is ready for service. Small things such as wobbling tables and earmarked menus say a lot.

2 Greet and welcome guests with a warm and sincere smile. Women are greeted first. Note that the rule changes in a bar setting. Female bartenders greet women first. Male bartenders greet men first.

3 Guide guests to the table. Use the “open-palm-up” gesture to direct the way. Never point.

4 Assist the elderly or disabled but always ask permission first.

5 Seat guests, women first, by pulling out and pushing back the chair. If space is insufficient, the seat must at least be angled towards the guest.

THE PRESENTATION OF GIFTS

What precious gift can you offer your customers? It is not just the food or the ambiance, but also the simple act of presenting the menu and taking their orders.

Here are five tips on how to present with respect:

Present the menu with pride as if it were the most valuable offering. Hold the upper part of the menu with your right hand and assist with your left hand at the bottom part.

1 Use “may” versus “can.” Say: “May I present the menu?”

2 Offer the menu to each guest, ladies first. Hold the upper part of the menu with your right hand and assist with your left hand at the bottom part.

3 Once you have presented the menu, you may state the specials not the entire menu. Do not rattle off everything on the menu.  Give the customer time to read and decide and only offer suggestions when asked. Do not leave until you have taken the order.

4 It is proper to excuse yourself when laying food or beverage on the table. If excusing yourself will further disturb the customer (i.e., when he is conversing), then serving quietly is better. The customer will be tolerant because he anticipates the service. The hard and fast rule is: excuse yourself when there is no other way to serve other than reaching across his plate.

5 Exit gracefully with an informal bow and say, “Enjoy your meal.”

THE REGAL COMPUSURE

22 Prime’s sincere way of thanking customers—executed with an informal bow, right hand on the heart. Excellent visual poise is achieved by keeping the left hand on the side with thumb and middle finger slightly touching.

Just like the three kings in elegant robes, it is important that the uniform is donned properly and with pride. Since serving requires movement, it is important to do so with poise and purpose. Being poised means having composure and dignity as well. A poised person has elegant body movements and carries himself in a fluid and deliberate manner. Here are five tips on moving with poise and purpose:

1 Maintain good posture. Use the “Lengthening Technique.” Pull your neck and torso as far up as you can. Tuck your stomach as far back as you can.

2 Keep ears aligned to the shoulder. Align shoulder blades to your lower back and derrière.

3 Look forward. Chin must be parallel to the ground. If you look down, your entire body pitches forward.

4 Walk on parallel lines. For men: shoulder width apart. For women: very close together, never cross your feet.

5 Poses for women are: informal with laced/clasped hands or hands on the side, thumb and middle finger slightly touching, elbows in; and formal with hands together in a lotus (palm up), inverted lotus (palm down), or cupped position (palms facing each other), elbows in and clipped, not like an opera singer.

The pose for men is: hands on the side. The side of the thumb should graze the side of the thigh, elbows slightly outward.

To render good service with respect is indeed a tall order. Remember that you are also a king and should take pride in what you do. When you keep the Three Kings and the manger scene in mind, you will see respect in a different light and your actions will come across naturally.

 
This article was published in the January 2011 issue of F&B World Magazine, Front of House.

Styling and Visual Poise Direction by Pauli Antoine. Photos by Mary Rose Peña/Shot on location at 22 Prime, Discovery Suites, Ortigas Center.