Quote: When you are at work, do your job, get your tips, and that's it. After work do all you want for pickup. Getting fired for picking up girls where you work as a waiter isn't a good idea. As a potential employer for you if you got canned there and applied with me, and I heard that was why you weren't employed there anymore after checking references...yeah probably not who I want in my business.
I agree. I worked as a waiter for over 10 years.
You can be charming, outgoing, funny, and flirtatious, to an extent. But, you have to be very careful not to cross the line. And "the line" is going to be different for each guest.
The way you greet the table can kind of set the tone for the interaction, whether it is going to be more friendly or more business-like. Don't start out being flirty. Start out being friendly, by approaching the table with energy and charisma. Then, you have to gage the how the table responds to you. If they match your energy, then maintain the friendly approach, but do not escalate. Let the table determine where the interaction goes. In my experience, if the table sees you as a fun, outgoing, charismatic guy, and they want to engage in some flirty fun with you, then they will take it there.
If you approach the table with energy and charisma, and they kind of look at you like "wtf is up with this guy?" then tone it down a little bit. You don't want to annoy the table, because it will affect your tip. Not everyone is going to be in a fun-loving mood or want to interact with you. Some people just want to eat their meal and be left alone.
You have to be very careful though. Most restaurants do not look favorably on you flirting with guests, because if they are uncomfortable, they aren't going to come back ever again. I have seen guys get fired for flirting with a table before, even when the table was fine with it, but the manager saw it and was not fine with it. I have also seen guys get fired for flirting with a table, and thought the table was fine with it, but then they complained to the manager on their way out or called the next day and complained.
Quite honestly though, your best move is to play it safe and not try to sarge your tables while at work. You can do plenty of flirting with your co-workers. And, as you said, waiters always go out to bars after work, so you'll have plenty of opportunity to hit on some girls after your shift. You probably only work a 5 or 6 hour shift anyway, so you'll survive 5 or 6 hours without hitting on girls.
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