Many restaurants train their staff to respond to both a customer request and a customer’s thanks with “Absolutely!”
I vehemently disagree with this—because that response makes it sound as if whatever you’ve been asked to do is nothing.
If a customer says, “Can I have an extra slice of lemon?” and you reply “Absolutely!”, it dismisses the effort you’ll be making—and that’s neither accurate not helpful to you. It’s effectively saying, “I cut lemons and bring them to tables all day long, whether you’re here or not.”
It is some effort to go into the kitchen and cut off another slice of lemon. Maybe the chef is pissed off, and he’s like, “What are you doing in here? You’re taking up too much room!” Maybe there’s a long walk from the kitchen to the customer’s table, and while passing a different server’s station another customer flags you down for a favor. You sliced and delivered the lemon specifically for your customer; and you deserve to score points for it.
Hospitality isn’t pretending that you’re doing nothing. It’s about letting your customers know that you are doing something for them, so they can feel special and cared for.
So what do you say instead of “Absolutely!”?
In response to the request, get your name in. “Of course! You’re in LeeAnne’s station! (using your name rather than mine). I’ll get it for you right away.” That tells the customer you’re ready to go above and beyond for her because you’re special, and you’ll always treat her as special too.
When you deliver the item and the customer says, “Thank you,” respond with “Thank you.”
That’s effectively saying, “Yes, it was an effort; but thank you for being here.” And it’s also saying, “Thank you for letting me provide this service to you…because I know your tip will reflect it. Thank you in advance for that bump above 20%.”
Whether the customer subconsciously picks up on both meanings or just the first one, at least you’re not dismissing your effort with a robotic “Absolutely!” (as in “No problem! I love cutting lemons!”). Even a polite “You’re welcome” is dismissive, because it’s so instantly forgettable (“You’re welcome, I do this all time, and it’s as automatic for me as this response…”).
A reply of “Thank you” isn’t the norm, and that makes it stand out.
And what you want to do as a server is stand out from the crowd—albeit in a positive way that affirms how special both you and your customers are.
LeeAnne Homseys Uncommon Restaurant Solutions 
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