CHICAGO – Seasoned servers are always in demand to help keep a restaurant running smoothly. We interviewed a few veteran servers – with more than 80 years of waiting tables among them – managers and restaurateurs from Chicago to get the lowdown on how a service staff comes together and what the view looks like from the other side of the dining room:

What makes a great server?

“Someone who makes people feel like gold, like you genuinely care and that you’re not just slinging hash. I look at this like having a giant dinner party five nights a week where I don’t have to cook or clean and everyone leaves totally blown away.” – Mark McCracken, server at The Gage; has also worked at Avec and Aigre Doux

“A great server has the ability to read the guest and know what they want and how they can to give it to them.” -Shannon Lawrence, director of training at Lettuce Entertain You

“Having passion for the work and looking after the details for the guest.” -˜Ernesto Soriano, server at Adobo Grill

So, what do you look for in a server?

“Someone with an inherent eagerness to please. At Butter, I tried to make sure that when people walked in they saw a bunch of smiling people, because I think that sets the tone for your whole experience there.” – Jason Chan, a restaurateur who has opened several Chicago properties, including Butter and Room 21

“We look for dependability and loyalty, for people who are not doing this part-time but as a living.” – Donnie Madia, co-owner of Avec and Blackbird

What makes a great guest?

“Openness to a new experience and what the server is trying to offer to them: ‘This is an adventure; let’s see where this takes me.”‘ – Shannon Lawrence

“We are often told it’s about the guest, it’s not about you, but I like to think it is about me and the guest. It’s about us.” – Mark McCracken

“There are people who come in and actually give you constructive criticism on what was wrong – this has too much salt or the preparation had a long-winded description. These things can be changed.” – Bill Davenport

What customer behavior do you detest?

“Unless someone is dying in the hospital or your wife is having a baby, when you are dining with someone, turn off your cell phone.” – Bill Davenport

“Not letting us fix a problem. … You can’t complain about us not doing something if you don’t tell us.” – Shannon Lawrence

“When I come up to a table smiling and say, ‘How are you today?’ and they say back, ‘I’m from New York.’ Sometimes I say back, ‘Well, I like Rolling Stone Magazine.”‘ – Mark McCracken

What’s the best way to call your server over?

“I don’t mind people waving and saying, ‘Ma’am.’ Just don’t snap (your fingers).” – Shannon Lawrence

What should people keep in mind when visiting a new restaurant?

“Don’t come the first month.” – Bill Davenport

“Be patient . . . sometimes it is the first time the wait staff, the busmen and the kitchen will all be working together.” – Mark McCracken

“We want feedback – what they liked and didn’t like – ecause they are going to see stuff we will never see.” – Shannon Lawrence

“There’s a lot of fun and excitement and you have a lot of people (customers and servers) who know and love food. But it’s not going to be perfect.” -Laurel Sandberg, who has been a server and sommelier at Moto, Osteria via Stato and Osteria di Tramonto

“They are still working out the kinks. Not everything is set in stone. But that also means if you make comments, you have an opportunity to maybe shape things.” – Shannon Lawrence

Any odd requests from customers?

“I had someone ask for a glass of water, two cherries, three limes, an orange peel, a couple of lemons and a couple of packs of sugar because she was making her own drink.” – Brian Cash