My First Week as a Waiter: Taking Orders Without a Notepad

Last month, I started my first job as a waiter. Well... I was excited, but honestly, I was terrified too. The restaurant was small, busy, and always full on Fridays. On my very first morning, the head waiter took away my notepad! Real waiters remember, she told me, tapping her forehead. No pen, no paper, just my memory. Seriously? I can't even remember my own phone number! Still, I practised every night with my flatmates. They ordered imaginary meals, and I repeated them back. Oh no... then came Friday, and a table of eight. I walked over, smiled, and asked, are you ready to order? One wanted the chicken, but with no onions. Another wanted the steak, medium rare, with the sauce on the side. And someone asked if the soup could be made without cream! I hurried back to the kitchen, repeating everything in my head. But when the food came out... something was wrong. I'd given the vegetarian pasta to the man who ordered the steak! My face went bright red... I just wanted to disappear. I'm so sorry, I said. I'll swap them straight away. Luckily, the man just laughed and said, don't worry about it. He told me he'd been a waiter himself, years ago. And guess what? He gave me some advice I'll never forget. Give every seat a number, and always serve in the same order. So now, seat one is always the chair nearest the door. I also repeat every order back before I leave the table. So that's one chicken, no onions, and one steak, sauce on the side? Customers actually like it. It shows you're listening. By the end of the week, I didn't need my notepad at all! Last night, I served a table of ten without a single mistake! Ha, even the head waiter nodded and said, not bad. Now, can I get you anything else? Just ask!