Good morning! I am looking for some new activities that emphasize the importance of anticipating guests' needs as a restaurant server. Any assistance/feedback is much appreciated!

The best way top anticipate needs is to experience them yourself.

Make sure your servers actually experience the restaurant as a customer. Have them get together in 2's/3's and have a meal. Ask them to pay attention to everything but call attention to nothing.

Have them discuss the experience and come back with an informal report out on what they learned and how it applies to their role.

Guest needs exist even before someone steps up to say "Hi...I'm your server." (Do we know about a special occasion...are there kids present...adequate seating in place...do they need separate checks?)Truly excellent service providers are constantly scanning for changes in guest behavior that signal either an unexpressed need or indicate they are ready to move to the next phase of the meal.

Your servers already have tons of experience in restaurants....as customers. The trick is to link their experiences with the values and expectations of your store. Doing it within the context of the actual restaurant, during regular hours adds a degree of fidelity you can never match in a classroom.

And yes....you pay their salary and their tab when they do it.

A slightly off the wall idea this, but you could try this flash 'game' which is based on a waitress meeting the customer needs.

I said it was off the wall!

Good afternoon:
Thanks for the responses! The good news is that we frequently send our team members to other restaurants to experience other ways of service - and yes, we pay them to go and for their meal!
Thanks for the really great "waitress" game. I may actually use this! I am specifically looking for activities that can be quick hits - maybe about 5-10 minutes to facilitate - during our pre-shift meetings.
Any other insight would be GREATLY appreciated!
Wendy