I was pretty stoked (yeah, I’m old) to get this great review in my email today from Guy who writes Guy’s Work Blog.  Guy writes a great server blog, but I was unaware he also had a copy of Tips².  He has been serving even longer than I have, so I was really interested to see that he found the book helpful as well.  I will let him tell you in his own words:

“As someone with over 20 years experience in the business, I bought this book knowing that I would learn a thing or three from reading it. I was not disappointed in the least with my decision. After reading it, I brought it into my work for others to benefit from, and was surprised to see how many of my co-workers made remarks such as “I don’t need to read that” or “I already know everything that book could teach me.” However, about three others devoured it as enthusiastically as I did.

 
While there was much I already knew to be found in reading it, there was much I did not, and also much that I needed to be reminded of and put back into practice. David begins his book the same way as I train new hires – by focusing on all that must be done before you even approach your first guest, if you want your shift and your job to be more profitable. And making more money this is the primary upshot of all that David writes about.
 
As a result of reading the book, I now pay much more attention to sincerely thanking my guests for coming than I ever had before (something easy to take for granted). I practice David’s “squared and present” concept always now, with great results. I also “take credit” for my recommendations in a way I had not ever thought of, and compliments guests’s good choices, and I’ve seen how their feelings about the meal get transferred to me and my tip more than I had ever thought was possible before reading Tips Squared. My up-selling has always been good, but now I think it’s better thanks to this book (especially the “deserts to go” pitch David teaches.. I generally hate selling deserts, haha!). I’ve also stolen – where appropriate – David’s easy to rehearse and memorize lines on wine sales, which amazingly are useful (and profitable) no matter where you work or what wines you serve. There’s more I might say about organizational skills, rapport, and sales, but you need to read it for yourself, in David’s words.
 
Any current server who thinks they don’t need this book (paraphrasing the author but on a different topic) are “choosing conceit over profits.” I would bet that this book paid for itself the very first week I implemented what I learned from it in fact, and has since done so many, many times over.”
Wow!  That is a killer unsolicited review.  I think Guy really hit the nail on the head.  I would never contend that this book in entirely new information for a professional restaurant server.  Instead, it serves two very important purposes.  The first is to remind you of many of the things you let slide and the important of the basics.  The second is to give you some new techniques that will help you get better results from the interactions you are already having with your tables.  It is not about reinventing the wheel, but rather finding ways to make it faster and more efficient.  In an industry where the difference between 15% and 20% can come from a single interaction, I feel you owe it to yourself to gain every advantage available to you.  So pick up your copy of Tips²: Tips For Improving Your Tips today.
While you are waiting for it to be delivered, go check out Guy’s Work Blog .  You will be glad you did.