You have five tables and they all need something at the same moment. How do you decide what to do first?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests section management and multitasking. Describes how they prioritize several tables at once, combine trips, and keep track of what every table needs.
• Strong answers: Quick acknowledgement of everyone, prioritizing hot food and new greetings, combining trips, and asking teammates for help.
• Likely follow-up: How do you keep track of everything in your head during a rush?

Another way it may be asked: One table wants the check, another just sat, one is waiting on food, and one wants refills. What is your order?

A structure to follow: Answer, explain, example, limits

1. Step 1

   Answer

   Give your direct answer in the first sentence so the interviewer knows where you are going.

2. Step 2

   Explain

   Say how it works or why you would do it that way, in plain words before jargon.

3. Step 3

   Example

   Anchor it in something you have actually done or seen, with the detail that shows hands-on experience.

4. Step 4

   Limits

   Say when your approach would not be the right one. It shows judgement.

This is guidance on shape, not a script. Use your own real experience and facts; never invent details to fill a gap. See the STAR guide and answer frameworks.

Common slips

• Reciting a definition without showing you have applied it.
• Using terms you cannot explain if asked a level deeper.
• Claiming experience beyond what you can discuss in detail.

How to practise it

Say the answer in 90 seconds, then answer the follow-up as if it were a new question.

Related questions

• You just got sat with a new table of four. Walk me through the first few minutes.
• A guest tells you they have a serious nut allergy. What do you do from that moment until their food arrives?
• How do you make sure an order with a lot of changes gets entered correctly?
• A guest asks what you recommend and seems unsure. How would you help them decide?
• Tell me about a time a guest was unhappy with their meal. How did you handle it?

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