Order Taking and Service Sequence
What you must understand
Candidates must know the full sequence: greeting and seating, presenting menus, taking drink orders, taking food orders, entering the order, serving courses in the correct order, checking back, clearing, offering dessert and coffee, presenting the bill, and farewell. Understand ordering from the guest's right, serving and clearing from the right (with exceptions such as serving from the left in some fine-dining styles), and serving women and hosts first only where the venue's policy requires it; modern practice is to serve in a way that does not interrupt conversation. Know how to take an order accurately: repeat it back, confirm cooking preferences, ask about allergies, and note special requests clearly. Understand course timing and the role of the kitchen pass.
Traps in questions
Questions test sequencing: drinks before food, starters before mains, and clearing before the next course. A frequent trap is taking the food order before offering drinks. Another is assuming a guest has finished because the cutlery is placed together when the plate is still full. Watch for options that skip repeating the order back, or that promise a dish without checking availability. Also be careful with "upselling": suggesting a starter or wine is good service, but pressuring a guest or ignoring a refusal is not.
Worked example
A guest orders "the chicken, medium." Strong response: "Chicken, medium - thank you. Any allergies I should tell the kitchen about? And would you like a starter or a glass of wine with that?" This confirms, protects the guest, and offers without pressuring.
Rule of thumb
Always repeat the order back and confirm allergies before leaving the table.