As a waiter, it’s great to be sympathetic, smile, and engage in small talk. You can even start long monologues about the virtue of enjoying the moment and sharing a meal with your loved ones. But first, you have to do your job.

If you don’t know an answer, check with the cook and come back. Don’t put plain water in glasses filled with sparkling water. Wait for the guests to finish their meal before clearing the table. Be careful not to throw away things when doing it. Learn to engage in small talk without being intrusive.

Of course, you can learn from the interactions you have and the advice you receive from senior waiters. But you also need to develop empathy to understand that one client will enjoy something while another might hate it.

The successful approach is to showcase the positive side of your personality as a host while minimizing what can be seen as annoying.