Servers - tips on balacing drink trays?!
Servers - tips on balacing drink trays?
I just started a new job serving tables. I'm looking for a couple solid tips on balancing the drink tray both when I carry it out and as I remove each drink to serve the customer.
Answers:
One thing I learned from waitressing is to keep the tray away from the table. The few times I have dropped a entire tray of drinks was because some lady or a small kid tried to help and take their drinks off a full tray, knocking my entire tray off balance.
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE...it's a balancing act really. Work from outside edges to the center when removing from tray, start with the center when filling the tray. Try it at home first to get the hang of it. Make a game of it, makes it a lot of fun! lol Time yourself...involve your friends. Good luck!
one thing i can recomend is never let anyone take the drinks from your tray beacuse this will make you loose control of the tray and you might spill the drinks.... another advice always hold it from the center or the middle, you'll be able to balance it better ... good luck!
Put your main hand )right if right handed as a serving hand balance tray on left palm open.
Then put drinks on tray as a four corner type deal, if three use a pyramid, two one up and one down, more than five put them around the edge.
Serve with right hand the first drink, and use right hand to balance if needed.
Geometrics my dear. Walk as slow as you need eventually you'll just do it like a pair of NIKE"S
Serve the lightest first heaviest towards center and serve it last. Ladies first if you have too.
Don't carry more than you can handle number 1. Don't hesitate to ask to have a follower if you need it. Always try to position your hand in the middle of the tray and foucus most of the weight of the drinks near that. Serving is a bit difficult but will become second nature once you get it down. If your afraid of dropping them find a near by table and set the tray down and serve off of it from there or calculate the balance and take from outside from your hand toward your hand you should be able to determine weight capacity by the feel of your tray. Just practice when you can and don't let it intimidate you cause you can do it. hope I made sense enough to help....good luck
Balancing glassware: cluster glassware and bottles on a beverage tray so they touch, as it will stabilize the balance as you move through a crowd. Place glasses on the tray first instead of on the counter. Transferring the glasses on a counter to the tray after icing is far too many extra steps. With a large ice-scoop you can ice three or more glasses at once verses filling one glass at a time.
As long as your arms are strong enough to carry the trays, you will get it. Just make sure you don't carry it by the side, because that will never work! Some people like to put the tray on their fingertips, that way they can adjust as they take the drinks off. I think it is easier to just put it flat on your hand, you can use your fingers and palm to put pressure on it from the bottom, to help with the weight distribution as you remove the drinks. And make sure when you put your drinks on there that the weight is pretty equal all around, not heavier on one side, that makes it a pain to balance. It'll come to you naturally, don't worry!
Hold your left arm out, turn your palm up, and spread your fingers as wide as they go. Then put the tray on your arm, with your hand taking most of the weight, but the flat underside of your arm taking a little too. Load the tray with drinks starting in the middle, and work outward, so the weight on the tray stays balanced on all sides. When unloading the tray, start with the outside and work inward, taking glasses from both sides of the tray to keep the balance level. When raising or lowering a heavy tray, use your free hand to steady it. And walk slowly until you get the hang of things!
I don't know how the place you work for says it, but I always balanced my tray in the crook of my left arm. Drinks went out from the outside in. And I did a clockwise pattern so everybody got the correct drink. I have terrible balance due to a condition, but it always worked for me. Put the taller glasses in the middle for better balance. Nobody wants to see a bloody mary or strawberry daiquiri tumbling at them.
Keep your hand firmly near the center of the tray with your fingers spread out as far as possible. It also helps to press the tray against and arm or shoulder when removing drinks. It helps maintain balance.
All the answers are good but i have one more tip. if you are right handed carry the tray with the flat side of your RIGHT hand your right hand is stronger and you will be able to balance it better serve with your left hope this helps
Put your heaviest thing (drink) in the middle and lighter things on the edge.
Don't let customers help themselves to drinks from your tray, this will catch you by surprise and may overbalance your tray
. Place your hand right in the middle of the bottom of the tray with the tray resting on your arm.
Use your other hand to steady the tray whenever you need to .
PRACTISE PRACTISE PRACTISE!