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Getting Hired & Getting to Work

If serving hungry Sims while chatting the day away is your idea of a dream job then look no further than the restaurant job track. The Restaurant job track is a fun way to spend time with friends and earn a few extra Simoleons and charisma skill points on the side.

You can get the restaurant job two different ways. The first is by using the "Look for Job" option on the newspaper that is delivered by the paper girl each day, or by using the nearest computer to "Look for Job". There are 4 jobs all together, and not every one is displayed in the paper or computer each Sim day. Try using both methods several times to get the restaurant job. If you are still unable to find the job using both methods, you may have to wait until the next Sim day.


Restaurant Job Found

Your typical work day will last from 11:00am to just after 7:00pm with four "rounds" during your shift. Each round lasts for 10 minutes, with a one minute break inbetween. A car will be sent to your lot just after 10:00am and will automatically queue the go to work interaction. If you missed the car, you can use any phone to call a taxi to pick you up and take you to work. It's best to arrive at work with five green bars so start greening up around 8:00am.


Work session in progress

When you arrive at the diner make sure you enter the building before the shift starts. If you don't you will have to wait until the next round (10 minutes) and you don't get paid or gain skill points for standing outside the building.

Shift Walkthrough

It's best to decide who will do what before the beginning of the shift. There are two popular methods that are used with you have two or three workers on the lot. The first method is to have Mary take the counter, Joe take the floor and Max take the booths. The next method has Mary taking all the orders, Joe delivering the food, and Max socializing with the customers. If you use the last method, be sure to shout out the orders in the property chat so your delivery person knows where the food is going.

 
Taking Orders

Now that the shift has started your customers will start to arrive and seat themselves. They can arrive in groups of one to four Sims. After they are seated you can click on their table and choose "Take Order". Once you take their order, you will be presented with a dialog box showing the order details. Make sure to take note of this by using the property chat. Once you click "OK" on the order dialog box, click on the P.O.S. (Point of Sale) terminal located on a podium near the front of the building and "Add Ticket". The order is then sent to the kitchen for the staff to prepare.

This is now a good time to socialize with your customers. Socializing with your customers helps raise the tip that you will be getting once the customers finish their food. If you are too busy to socialize, this part can be left out as it normally does not have a great effect on the pay.


Diner Point of Sale Machine

Once the order is prepared and ready for delivery, the chef will place it on the silver table in the kitchen. You can pick up the order by either clicking the table or the food itself. Clicking the table will display the name of the food, and most people find it easier when there is a lot of food on the table. Keep in mind your Sim can carry up to four meals at once. Deliver the food to the customers table by clicking on it and selecting the food you want to place down.

The final step to completing a table is to present the table a check. The check can be placed on the table while the customers are still eating, and they will pay automatically once they are done eating. If you don't present the check in a timely fashion, the customers may get upset and leave without paying.

When the shift is over a dialog box will pop up telling you how much money you have earned in the round. Another box may pop up at this time telling you that you were promoted to the next level. At the end of a work day you will get an additional pop up telling you what you need to improve on to be promoted. This could either be friends, skill, or your overall mood (green). During the intermission or 'coffee break' you can do things to help keep your Sim green, back cracks, hustle dances, flying hugs, etc...

If you receive a message that you have been demoted, it is likely your Sim no longer meets the requirements to work at the current level. This could be a lack of required skill points, or friendships. It is best to use your available skill locks to lock the required skill for the job at 10.00, or the highest level it is at so you will not be caught off guard by skill decay. For friendships, make sure to keep in touch with all your friends frequently, just a little bit of daily interaction will top off your lifetime relationship score.

Once demoted, you will loose the number of shifts you have worked towards your next promotion and be placed back in the level below your previous one. There is no need to worry too much though, because to get promoted back to where you were all you have to do is meet the requirements and work one round at your current level.

Tips

Here are a few tips we have created using our experience when working in the restaurant:
  • The ignore button is there for a reason, if a person shows up and does nothing or if someone is there causing problems, use it. This makes it so that you will never have to work with them again.
  • If you are working alone don't worry about giving customers social, unless you need it, this just takes up time and in the end loses you more money than it gains as you can serve more hungry Sims in that time.
  • Even if you are working alone yell out your orders, "Bob and party - ss, cs, hc" That way you'll be able to look back later on and see who ordered what.
  • When working with a group it helps to use a numbering system for tables. For example, the seats at the counter can be numbered C1 and so on, the tables T1 and so on, and booths B1 and so on. Make sure your team is aware of all the locations.
  • Keep an eye on the staff! Busboys and chefs are prone to goofing off so keep them in line with a good scolding when the need arises.
  • Remember a Sim will eat what is put in front of them even if they didn't order it, they won't be as happy though or tip quite as much.