The Money Making Waitress Book for Beginners and Pros...

How to be a Waitress and Make Big Tips

by Romana Van Lissum

Canada

Publisher: Profits Publishing

Master the powerful knowledge Romana gained over 15 years in the strip bar industry and make more money than you thought possible!

If you are new to the serving industry, or an old pro, this book is a must read. Whether you serve drinks or food in a cocktail bar, lounge, high end hotel, piano bar, nightclub, golf course, restaurant or exotic show lounge, this book will give you the “insider” information to come out on top in any situation you come across.

In this book of professional waitressing, Romana Van Lissum offers you detailed information and strategies for increasing your efficiency and maximizing your tip earning potential by learning how to master waitressing and securing your place at your work by becoming an important asset to your employer. Written with humor, this informative book is sure to captivate you with skilled time saving tactics and the inside facts on the fun and unusual side of the serving business.

Discover:

•Why Every “Successful” Server Needs “S.H.O.E.S”

•How to Handle Your Room When You get Slammed

•Basic Bar Terminology

•How to Make Yourself the Top Earner

•How to Secure a Tip

•The Art of Upselling Drinks

•Some Handy Memorization Tips

.How to Handle “Come Ons”, the Stalker, the Jealous Woman Customer, Young Clientele, the Drunk…

•How to Deal with the Non-Tippers

•The Inside Scoop on Strippers

•The Unbelievable Stories when you read the BONUS CHAPTER on 100 of Romana’s Unforgettable Customers!

•And much, much more…

“Thanks for the book Ro! I haven’t been able to put it down since I got home. It is 6 in the morning and I can no longer read (my eyes keep going blurry). I’m really enjoying it and can’t wait to finish. I would like to buy two more copies for my best friends who are also servers. Great job! xx

—Amanda Noel, Server for 5 years

“I love this book for one very important reason. Any book that can help people live better lives is number 1 to me. Romana’s book shows waiters and waitresses how to dramatically increase their income with simple to follow common sense strategies. If you truly want to dramatically increase your income in the hospitality business you should buy this book.”

— Bob Burnham, Author of: 101 Reasons Why You Must Write A Book: How To Make A Six Figure Income For Writing And Publishing A Book

“I found this book very interesting and a fun read. The ideas are presented in a straight forward manner that helps them be understandable. No one idea is very earth shattering but when taken together they provide the blueprint of being a highly successful server.

Romana has been a highly professional server for years and is certainly sought out by clients who find they enjoy their time in the bar more by having her service. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the service industry.”

— Roger Welch, President of Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows Arts Council

“After working with Romana for thirteen plus years, I can think of no one more qualified than her to write this book helping not only new servers, but experienced servers to improve their skills. A very informative read! Way to go Ro!”

— Barb MacDonald, Former Server for 28+ years

“Perfectly professional and profound! There are no other words to describe Romana’s style at work and her book is the key to your new found success! As a former waitress turned dancer, I personally recommend this as an exceptionally informative read and her tricks and tips of the trade are exactly what’s needed to get the job done right! Working within this industry isn’t exactly as easy as it may seem, but with this book added to your collection, you’ll be well on your way!”

—Charlie, Server for 2 years, turned dancer. Dancer for 6 years.

“I have to say, that I do have a new found appreciation for waitressing after reading this book. Certain parts of the book made me feel like I was right there in the bar with Romana while she was taking orders and dealing with customers. I loved the line, “If you feel anxious or seem to be in a bad mood, SNAP OUT OF IT QUICK!” Great job Ro.”

—Ann Marie Gillie, Author of: If Walls Could Talk: Don’t Let Epilepsy Control You!

“Wow! After reading Romana’s book, she has some great information and stories. If only I had a guide to waitressing 16 years ago, I probably would never have started dancing! I was a bartender/waitress 1990-1992 but couldn’t deal with the stressful busy rushes.”

—Anita Margarita, Server/Bartender for 2 years, almost 20 years ago. Dancer for 15 years, Owner of an online bikini business: www.fascinodiva.com

”This book puts everything on the table; an honest and clear truth about serving in a strip club. Romana shows you how to handle sometimes unfavorable situations with grace and ease.”

— Jolene Jensen, 6.5 Years dancing. Currently working towards becoming a Nurse

“Thanks for the eye opening read! In this day and age transferable skills make anyone a valued employee – clearly the experience one gains by serving the public can serve anyone in any occupation! The win/win scenario Romana writes about tells us that by shining in your role as a server gains the best returns for you, the best for your company’s and ultimately the best for your customers as they return again and again – creating that steady stream of business that keeps us all employed! The fun manner in which it is written makes important points easy to remember and the quirky anecdotes serve to punctuate the different points.”

— Leanne Pearson, Civil/Structural Designer

“This book will most definitely get you off to a head start in waitressing and is a must read regardless whether you`re just starting out or have been in the industry for some time and are looking for ways to separate yourself from the rest. Not only filled with excellent tips and short cuts that will get you off to a good start, there are also many entertaining stories of what you thought could never happen and how you would deal with these situations successfully. And even if you weren’t thinking about getting into waitressing, you will certainly be entertained with the insider’s perspective of what it’s like to work in a strip bar as a waitress. I mean, how often do we get to have a peek behind the scenes?”

— Ronaye Ireland, Author of: How to Find Trouble Free Horse Boarding, Even If You’re New to Horses, HorseBoardingSecrets.com

“I found this Book to be an Inspiration! Servers all over the world can use these tactics to make it through any shift imaginable. I believe that every personal experience by Romana is something that one server or another has faced time and time again. It moves me how dedicated a woman can be to her job and how important an eye for detail is. This book is a must read for any starting out server to help them on their feet but also will connect with someone ten or more years into this lifestyle. It is a great laugh and a touching tale.”

— Kimy Demitor, Serving for 3 years and counting

“How to be a Waitress and Make Big Tips is a remarkably easy read, bursting with valuable industry advice. The addition of personal accounts makes the material relatable and engaging. Van Lissum truly delivers an insightful and entertaining tool for everyone currently involved in/or thinking of joining the service industry. Blahopřeji!”

— Erin Gourlay, B. Kin, Kinesiologist and server of 6 years

“I found this book to be well thought out and put together. I couldn’t stop reading it until I had read it all in one sitting! The anecdotes sprinkled into the general text made it even more interesting. I do believe it will be a valuable “handbook” as some of the tips and ideas work for all types of servers- food, alcohol and even retail sales. After all, it doesn’t matter what we’re serving, we are still dealing with the public and they can be an interesting and sometimes difficult group.

I noticed that a lot of things are still basically the same now as back when I first started serving. I first started in the 60’s and was only able to serve food. Bars were still segregated, split into beer parlors and cocktail lounges where female bartenders and servers were unheard of- MEN only!

My first experience working as a bartender was when I moved to Las Vegas in the 70’s. I worked in a small bar that was frequented by the Snowbirds flying team and other military personnel from the Nellis Air Force Base. They were a great bunch and were my regulars who took turns coming to stay with me on the nights I closed the bar and made sure I was safely into my car before they left.

I have my “Serving it Right” License and still volunteer once in a while as a bartender for weddings and New Years dances.”

—Teresa Leggett, Retail

“I truly enjoyed every aspect of this book! I have been a server for twenty years and I am able to relate to the stories as well as learn from the “tips” Romana has provided to make even more money! Hilirarious read too!”

—Kimberly Ann Williams, Server for 20 Years, Now a Full-time Hair Stylist

“I have been in the service industry for 6 years now and can fully relate to this book. There are so many little tricks of the trade in this book that will increase your sales and your tips. I wish there was a book like this around when I first started! I had to wait and learn over time. I love it Ro!!!”

—Katherine Blackwell, Server and Shooter Girl for 6 years

“Wow, was I surprised! I never thought I could get my questions answered so fast and with so much detail. Romana knows her stuff so well, she taught me so many tricks of the trade that helped me to pick up the pace with my service delivery, how to handle certain clients, and of course earn lots of cash, much more than I could of dreamed. This book will do the same for you.”

—Antonia Balshaw, Server for 8 years, Now Working in the Banking Industry

“I love how you break down the art of serving and totally agree the “simple things” truly work! You cut down on wasted time, unnecessary mistakes, make more money and I love keeping a clean section. Not only do you draw more customers into your section but getting off shift is a breeze because you have less to clean! It’s also a great way to make good money and working hours that work for you! I have a career and still love picking up shifts to have some fun and make a few extra dollars. Serving is one of the best things I ever did because where else can you laugh your ass off, dance at the bar, have a blast and leave with money than you came in with and not have a hang-over the next day!”

— Shawna Johnson, Server for 12 years, Now with B.C. Corrections

“As a chef and a business owner I find Romana’s book an invaluable tool for any restaurant owner. Your servers are your direct contact with your customers and your first line of defense. Good service is the key to a successful business. Not only will this book help your staff increase their earning potential but it will increase business in any establishment.”

—Shon De Vet, Owner of The Bushwood Grill

“The practical knowledge and time-saving suggestions in this book will maximize any server’s profits! From beginners to seasoned pros the detailed chapters cover basic know-how to clever tricks of the trade that will polish serving performance to top notch quality. Specifically, the first chapter “Yourself: The Server” provides a vivid description of what you can bring to the role of serving to portray yourself in the best light to costumers, your boss, and co-workers, while still maintaining genuine enjoyment of your job.

I found the author’s personal descriptions of how to convey yourself in a light-hearted humorous and personable way to your customers to be very insightful. As well, the author paints a realistic picture of the upsides and downfalls to the industry, which provides the novice server with an established sense of working in this environment.

I waitressed for two years in a hotel with a fine dining restaurant and separate lounge, and wish I had read this book at that time, as it would have given me some much needed tools to keep myself organized, moving up the ladder, and raking in the cash, all with a smile on my face. I think we have all had poor service and this book is anything but!!!”

—Gia Cartel, Dancing for 3 years, School: B.A. in psychology, currently completing M.A. in psychology through correspondence while dancing

About the author:

I have always wanted to try waitressing. It looked like a fun job that I would be good at and I liked the fact that I would go home after a shift with tips! For many months, I dropped off my resume at waitress establishments but I wasn’t given a chance to try the job, as I had no experience. By fluke I managed to get hired in a nightclub (after competing in a bikini contest) where I worked my first year of waitressing. It was here that I was thrilled to learn the skills to be a successful shooter girl and beer barrel girl which would lead me to eventually getting hired as a server.

A year later, I went to work at a local strip bar as a cocktail waitress where I discovered the many skills I possess today that make me the strong server I am. Over the 15 years that I have been employed at the strip bar, I learned to handle many difficult situations dealing with the crazy and sometimes unpredictable public.

I wanted to put together a very informative book to help all servers (whether they are new to the industry, or an old pro) to help them learn many important, yet sometimes subtle server traits and skills that may get a customer to decide to tip or not. This book is geared towards the cocktail waitress, but most of the information can be used by any other waiter or waitress who is serving the public in the hospitality industry. During my 2 1/2 years of writing, I decided to add many of my unbelievable stories throughout the book to entertain and shock you!

I will guarantee that you will find some tips to make this job easier, some information to make more money in tips and also have a newfound kind of respect for your fellow server!