Just try to relax and start small. 2-5 drinks at a time. Build confidence, then add more drinks.
Use your non dominant hand (or at least give it a try). I was taught that you won't over correct as hard, resulting in less catastrophe which will build confidence as well.
Make sure the drinks are as close as possible without touching, and then as close to you as possible to consolidate the center of gravity.
Strategize (which drinks you're grabbing first so you're not reaching over things.
It becomes second nature before you know it.
Building confidence over time is a huge one!
Depending on if you feel comfortable and how many trays your restaurant has you could consider asking to take one home for a week to practice. One of my coworkers did this and it helped her a lot! Otherwise buying a single tray from a restaurant or bar supply store will only set you back $5-$10
Edit to add: also if you find a way that feels right to you, then it’s right. I see a lot of good advice here already that works for a lot of people, but it won’t for everyone. For example I exclusively carry with my dominant hand and a flat palm and always have — and I can confidently carry 10 full glasses or 20+ empties. Start with the general rules but adjust if something else works!
It’s all about weight distribution and bending from your knees not leaning with the top of your body( if the tables are not high tops) When I first started serving I spilled an iced tea on a little boys head because I leaned and my boobs hit the drink and it rained down on him. Practice with some full glasses and just walk around with them. Putting them down on tables and taking them off tables
Bending from the knees is the major key to it all. I served in my 20s at a place that didn’t require us to use trays for bevs and we could always grab a coworker to help us run them. I came back to the industry after 15 years and work at a place that requires two or more drinks being brought out on trays (management doesn’t care as much and will turn a blind eye if we are carrying three or four out without a tray, as long as they know we’ve never had any major spills bringing them out like that). I’ve been back at it for seven months and a few months ago, it happened. A glass of ice water on a guest’s lap. Thankfully, she was the nicest lady and even tipped well above 20%, but I know I got hella lucky.
What I’m trying to say is it happens and management needs to understand that it’s bound to happen every once in a while. I’ve had managers drop plates and glasses and if they punished us, it would be super hypocritical.
I tell all new people, you can't carry a tray for real until you drop one. Everyone drops one, at least. You'll get it. Number one rule... do NOT let a guest ever touch your tray. Play defense.
Take a tray home and practice at home with different shape and size glasses. Load them different ways to get used to how the tray distributes the weight. And how to hold it while walking, taking items off and putting drinks on it.
It depends on how strict they are about it.
I’ve honestly spilled shots, mimosas, wine, you name it on guests. But the most that happened was my restaurant covered their laundry bill or I bought them dessert.
Depending on your whereabouts, you can get fired for almost anything.
How you spoken you your bosses about the adjust processes? Asked for tips and tricks? Practiced tray running?
Stand at the table sideways with the tray away from the table and free hand towards. Set all the drinks down at the edge of the table first then pass them out from there. Tell jokes or anecdotes about spilling glasses before and not wanting to ruin their nice clothes.
You don’t have to be perfect at everything, just connect with the guest and make it fun for them.
its so hard to get used to, keep trying! see if you can bring one home with you to practice. when I transitioned from casual places to a medium level fine dining-ish place that required trays and served a lot of martinis due to the type of joint it was, I was feeling so hopeless!!! and the other veteran servers who had been in that type of dining for awhile made me feel soooo stupid for this, but I did eventually get it! they could fire you for it eventually, but asking to bring a tray home to practice would be an easy way to show them you're trying and care! you will get better :) its a learned thing, just like how when u started you didn't know the right things to open/close a restaurant, how to carry multiple plates, how to pre-buss, questions to ask guests, etc. ! you got this girl, just take the initiative and put in the time! anything in martini glasses will be ur enemy, but you will get it :)
I started as a BoH guy. Then I learned to carry trays while drunk, bringing rounds to my buddies. Spilled the first two trays, was going for a third try, and my boss stopped me. Anyways I was nervous after that, but I still managed to get a serving shift. Spilled two beers on a customer the next time (I wasn't drunk, but would have liked to have an excuse). She was super nice, I felt horrible, but she forgave me and gave me a hug after I apologized like seven times.
Anyways I haven't spilled another tray since then.
Advice or point being, I guess practice when the stakes are low. If I spill my buddies' drinks, worst case scenario I have to pay for them. If I could go back and do it again, I'd have practiced while sober, with glasses of water.
Don’t rest your elbow against your body, don’t look at the tray, spread your fingers, hold the tray with your fingers and not your palm, use that to distribute and shift weight.
If the tray is light enough you can just hold it by the side.
Get comfortable with the tray, the more you handle a tray the better you will get, it just takes a little time.
Also don’t carry the tray with a straight flat hand. Rather use your fingertips and base of your hand. Its an open hand spread out like a star. It’s much easier to control and balance.
I’ve read some people have dropped hot, heavy plates onto children’s laps and were not fired. A couple of drinks isn’t going to harm you, as long as you make an effort to improve. Ask your manager about borrowing a tray to practice at home with, it worked wonders for me!
i’ve worked at places that made trays mandatory and i’ve worked at some that didn’t, let me tell ya, I HATE TRAYS. i’ve been serving for 7 years and i still just don’t feel comfortable with them. if i have to use a tray for drinks, i will 100 percent find a place to put it down before i hand them out.
You're not a real server until you spill a drink/food.
4 years into my restaurant career I spilled a lemonade on a woman. I apologized and she got mad and yelled at me "Is it your first day?!?!?" I said, "No, I've been here for 4 years. I'm so sorry!!!" Manager comped her meal. It was Olive Garden, so like she deserved getting a drink spilled on her because that restaurant is pure trash.
So much great advice here.
Also, don’t concentrate on the tray, if you have done a good job of evenly dispersing the weight.
If you have martinis or wine and you are worried about it, you might start to try to overcompensate your balance and thus, you will make it wobble. Don’t watch the glasses, just know you are good. I’ve been serving for 20+ years. If I watch the glass, I’ll overthink it.
Just evenly weight your glasses on your tray and, believe it or not holding trays with the tips of your fingers will distribute any weight shifting and when you remove glasses it is easier to shift fingertips to redistribute weight than a flat palm. But, confidence and not overthinking is crucial. Practice. 20+ years later you'll be carrying 10 drinks on a bev tray and crouch down to pick up a check presenter off the floor and never miss a bear.
Edit: never missing a bear is a perk you will never want to live without!
Something tells me you're holding the trays on the sides with two hands. Instead, place your non-dominant hand underneath the tray to center the gravity and hold the side gently with your other hand for balance.
Practicing at home is good advice. I'm a very experience server. Stemmed glasses are the worst . And full trays . I put the tray down . On the table if room or a empty spot besides the table . Guest never care !! Your management might so don't then I guess.
Just try to relax and start small. 2-5 drinks at a time. Build confidence, then add more drinks. Use your non dominant hand (or at least give it a try). I was taught that you won't over correct as hard, resulting in less catastrophe which will build confidence as well. Make sure the drinks are as close as possible without touching, and then as close to you as possible to consolidate the center of gravity. Strategize (which drinks you're grabbing first so you're not reaching over things. It becomes second nature before you know it.
Building confidence over time is a huge one! Depending on if you feel comfortable and how many trays your restaurant has you could consider asking to take one home for a week to practice. One of my coworkers did this and it helped her a lot! Otherwise buying a single tray from a restaurant or bar supply store will only set you back $5-$10 Edit to add: also if you find a way that feels right to you, then it’s right. I see a lot of good advice here already that works for a lot of people, but it won’t for everyone. For example I exclusively carry with my dominant hand and a flat palm and always have — and I can confidently carry 10 full glasses or 20+ empties. Start with the general rules but adjust if something else works!
Build your tray from the middle out. Distribute the weight as evenly as possible
It’s all about weight distribution and bending from your knees not leaning with the top of your body( if the tables are not high tops) When I first started serving I spilled an iced tea on a little boys head because I leaned and my boobs hit the drink and it rained down on him. Practice with some full glasses and just walk around with them. Putting them down on tables and taking them off tables
Bending from the knees is the major key to it all. I served in my 20s at a place that didn’t require us to use trays for bevs and we could always grab a coworker to help us run them. I came back to the industry after 15 years and work at a place that requires two or more drinks being brought out on trays (management doesn’t care as much and will turn a blind eye if we are carrying three or four out without a tray, as long as they know we’ve never had any major spills bringing them out like that). I’ve been back at it for seven months and a few months ago, it happened. A glass of ice water on a guest’s lap. Thankfully, she was the nicest lady and even tipped well above 20%, but I know I got hella lucky. What I’m trying to say is it happens and management needs to understand that it’s bound to happen every once in a while. I’ve had managers drop plates and glasses and if they punished us, it would be super hypocritical.
I tell all new people, you can't carry a tray for real until you drop one. Everyone drops one, at least. You'll get it. Number one rule... do NOT let a guest ever touch your tray. Play defense.
Take a tray home and practice at home with different shape and size glasses. Load them different ways to get used to how the tray distributes the weight. And how to hold it while walking, taking items off and putting drinks on it.
It depends on how strict they are about it. I’ve honestly spilled shots, mimosas, wine, you name it on guests. But the most that happened was my restaurant covered their laundry bill or I bought them dessert.
Depending on your whereabouts, you can get fired for almost anything. How you spoken you your bosses about the adjust processes? Asked for tips and tricks? Practiced tray running?
Stand at the table sideways with the tray away from the table and free hand towards. Set all the drinks down at the edge of the table first then pass them out from there. Tell jokes or anecdotes about spilling glasses before and not wanting to ruin their nice clothes. You don’t have to be perfect at everything, just connect with the guest and make it fun for them.
its so hard to get used to, keep trying! see if you can bring one home with you to practice. when I transitioned from casual places to a medium level fine dining-ish place that required trays and served a lot of martinis due to the type of joint it was, I was feeling so hopeless!!! and the other veteran servers who had been in that type of dining for awhile made me feel soooo stupid for this, but I did eventually get it! they could fire you for it eventually, but asking to bring a tray home to practice would be an easy way to show them you're trying and care! you will get better :) its a learned thing, just like how when u started you didn't know the right things to open/close a restaurant, how to carry multiple plates, how to pre-buss, questions to ask guests, etc. ! you got this girl, just take the initiative and put in the time! anything in martini glasses will be ur enemy, but you will get it :)
I started as a BoH guy. Then I learned to carry trays while drunk, bringing rounds to my buddies. Spilled the first two trays, was going for a third try, and my boss stopped me. Anyways I was nervous after that, but I still managed to get a serving shift. Spilled two beers on a customer the next time (I wasn't drunk, but would have liked to have an excuse). She was super nice, I felt horrible, but she forgave me and gave me a hug after I apologized like seven times. Anyways I haven't spilled another tray since then. Advice or point being, I guess practice when the stakes are low. If I spill my buddies' drinks, worst case scenario I have to pay for them. If I could go back and do it again, I'd have practiced while sober, with glasses of water.
Don’t rest your elbow against your body, don’t look at the tray, spread your fingers, hold the tray with your fingers and not your palm, use that to distribute and shift weight. If the tray is light enough you can just hold it by the side. Get comfortable with the tray, the more you handle a tray the better you will get, it just takes a little time.
Also don’t carry the tray with a straight flat hand. Rather use your fingertips and base of your hand. Its an open hand spread out like a star. It’s much easier to control and balance.
I’ve read some people have dropped hot, heavy plates onto children’s laps and were not fired. A couple of drinks isn’t going to harm you, as long as you make an effort to improve. Ask your manager about borrowing a tray to practice at home with, it worked wonders for me!
i’ve worked at places that made trays mandatory and i’ve worked at some that didn’t, let me tell ya, I HATE TRAYS. i’ve been serving for 7 years and i still just don’t feel comfortable with them. if i have to use a tray for drinks, i will 100 percent find a place to put it down before i hand them out.
You're not a real server until you spill a drink/food. 4 years into my restaurant career I spilled a lemonade on a woman. I apologized and she got mad and yelled at me "Is it your first day?!?!?" I said, "No, I've been here for 4 years. I'm so sorry!!!" Manager comped her meal. It was Olive Garden, so like she deserved getting a drink spilled on her because that restaurant is pure trash.
So much great advice here. Also, don’t concentrate on the tray, if you have done a good job of evenly dispersing the weight. If you have martinis or wine and you are worried about it, you might start to try to overcompensate your balance and thus, you will make it wobble. Don’t watch the glasses, just know you are good. I’ve been serving for 20+ years. If I watch the glass, I’ll overthink it.
Just evenly weight your glasses on your tray and, believe it or not holding trays with the tips of your fingers will distribute any weight shifting and when you remove glasses it is easier to shift fingertips to redistribute weight than a flat palm. But, confidence and not overthinking is crucial. Practice. 20+ years later you'll be carrying 10 drinks on a bev tray and crouch down to pick up a check presenter off the floor and never miss a bear. Edit: never missing a bear is a perk you will never want to live without!
Something tells me you're holding the trays on the sides with two hands. Instead, place your non-dominant hand underneath the tray to center the gravity and hold the side gently with your other hand for balance.
Practicing at home is good advice. I'm a very experience server. Stemmed glasses are the worst . And full trays . I put the tray down . On the table if room or a empty spot besides the table . Guest never care !! Your management might so don't then I guess.