OBJECTIVES:
01 Determine the information relayed on
assisting the diners;
02 Appreciate the importance of assisting
guest with special needs;
03 Perform a role play about assisting
guest with special needs.
Assist Diners
Food & Beverage Services
TVL
Assisting Guests with Special Needs
It is imperative that food service
establishments strive to make all guests feel
welcome and comfortable. Serving guests
with special needs such as children and
persons with disabilities is just as important.
Servers should treat guests with special
needs as they would any other
customer, addressing disabled guests
directly, without assuming that they
want or need help. Keep the following
guidelines in mind when serving guests
with special needs:
•Remember it is primarily through hearing and
touch that blind people maintain awareness of
what is happening around them. Seat guests
with sight impairment in a relatively quiet place
within the restaurant so that they can find it
easier to concentrate on conversation with their
companions.
•Never overfill glasses, cups, or soup bowls.
•Communication may be difficult when a guest is
hearing impaired. In these cases,
*Stand in such a position that the customer is
able to see your face clearly and speak directly to
the customer.
*Speak slowly and distinctly.
*Describe food and drink items in simple, precise,
and plain language.
*Seat hearing impaired customers away from
excessive noise, as this is very uncomfortable for
customers wearing hearing aids.
*Read back the food and beverage order to
confirm all requests.
•Guests with limited mobility should be given
the following considerations.
*Place wheelchair users at tables where there is
adequate space for maneuverability.
*Position the guest off the main corridors of
customer or staff movement.
*Position him or her within easy access of
washrooms, exits and fire exits.
*Crutches or walking sticks should be placed
where they are easily accessible but do not
present a risk of injury to other customers.
•Children also require special consideration in
order to ensure their comfort and safety. The
following guidelines apply to children up to age
eight:
*Ask whether a booster seat or highchair is
needed.
*Ensure that the seats are clean and that the
tray on high chairs are clean and sanitized.
*Remove any sharp objects from the table.
*Remove glassware from the covers of small
children. Lidded plastic containers for children's
beverages are generally appreciated by parents.
*Talk to the children as you serve them.
*If your establishment offers children's activities
such as paper placemats and crayons, bring these
to the table.
*If the parents approve, help children select an
appropriate menu item.
*Serve children as quickly as possible, and serve
them first.
*After the guests depart, make sure that the area
beneath the table is thoroughly swept.
Changing Ashtrays
Another duty of the server is changing ashtrays
in the establishment's smoking section. Do not
wait for the cigarette butts to accumulate before
changing an ashtray. To make sure that ashes do
not fly into guests' food or beverages, invert a
clean ashtray and hold it over the soiled one.
Dispose the contents of the dirty ashtray safely,
and then place the clean ashtray on the table.
Customers Falling
Sometimes there are unfortunate situations such
as customers getting ill while being served in the
restaurant. If this occurs, servers and persons in
authority should take immediate action.
•As soon as it is noticed that a guest is not feeling
well while in the restaurant, a person in authority
either the captain waiter or restaurant manager
should immediately be informed.
•The person in authority must inquire if the guest
needs assistance. At the same time, he/she must try
to judge whether the illness is of a serious nature.
•If the illness appears to be of a serious nature,
immediately call emergency services for an
ambulance with a doctor for primary inspection
before taking the guest to the hospital.
•If the illness is not serious, and after a short
period of time the guest recovers and continues
with the meal, a fresh cover should be laid and
the meal should be returned from the hotplate.
1. Why we should treat
our customer with special
needs nicely?
2. Why do we should
change and clean the
ashtray?
3. Why we should
help when someone
fell on the ground or
floor?
