House rules and behaviour

What the waiter does with off-menu requests, the rules it always follows, and how it recommends.

The Behaviour tab sets what the waiter does, as opposed to how it sounds. This is where you make it match the way your floor runs.

The Behaviour tab of the tamr waiter editor, with off-menu handling, built-in rules, and recommendation style
The Behaviour tab. Off-menu handling, the built-in safety rules, upsell, and recommendation style.

Handle off-menu requests

When a customer asks for something you do not serve, choose how the waiter responds.

Suggest the closest dishdefault
"No carbonara, but the pappardelle is the same comfort." Keeps the conversation moving.
Politely passalternative
"That's not ours, but here's what we do best." Straight back to your menu.
Older profiles may show a third option

Some early profiles carry a legacy "escalate to staff" setting. If yours does, pick one of the two options above to update it.

The built-in rules

Three rules come with every waiter and cannot be turned off, because they protect accuracy and safety.

  • Never invents dishes. It only ever talks about what is on your menu.
  • Says your allergen disclaimer. It flags allergens and defers to your staff.
  • Stays on the meal. It keeps the conversation about your food.

Upselling

An optional toggle. When it is on, once a customer picks a main the waiter offers one pairing, a drink, a starter, or a dessert, then leaves it. When it is off, it never suggests add-ons. It is a single, tasteful nudge, not a hard sell.

Recommendation style

When a customer asks "what should I get?", this sets what the waiter reaches for first.

Read the table, pick what fitsdefault
Balances the request against the menu.
Push the chef's picks firstcurated
Leads with dishes marked as Tonight's Pick.
Push tonight's specials firstpromotional
Leads with your active specials.
Only recommend when askedrestrained
Holds back unless the customer asks directly.
Most teaching happens on the dishes

A good waiter's note and complete allergens on each dish do more than any single setting here. See edit dishes →.

FAQ

Can I stop the waiter from recommending anything?

Yes. Set the recommendation style to "Only recommend when asked" and turn upselling off.

Why can't I turn off the allergen disclaimer?

It is a safety rule, so it is always on. Accurate allergen data on your dishes is what makes it useful. See edit dishes →.

The waiter keeps handing off questions. How do I reduce that?

Check the Waiter tab in Insights for the most common fallback reasons, then add the missing detail to the dish or your house rules. See insights →.

Related

Cards and specials

Choose the rich cards the waiter can show in chat.

Insights

See where the waiter falls back, and fix the gap.

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Last reviewed July 16, 2026