This post provides detailed information on the waiter job description and career, to boost your knowledge of their duties, tasks, and responsibilities.
What Does a Waiter Do?
Waiters and waitresses work in establishments where foods and drinks are served to guests or customers. These include hotels, bars, and restaurants.
The waiter job description involves serving drinks and foods to customers or guests in a polite and friendly manner.
They are responsible for taking orders from customers or guests and presenting it to the kitchen staff exactly the way the customer wants it, and delivering the prepared food or drink to the customer promptly.
Other tasks they may carry out include suggesting to customers the menu to pick and handling register as the case may be so as to make sure all customers are accurately and quickly checked out.
They also perform duties such as informing customers of the day’s specials and prices, and presenting menu information to them.
Waiters and waitresses are usually required by their employers to have excellent customer service skills because of their direct contact with customers and guests.
They should also have good knowledge of formal dining room service standards, safety and sanitation regulations so as to provide outstanding and enjoyable service to customers or guests.
The waiter’s job requires continuous walking and occasional sitting. It also involves frequent lifting of light to medium loads, occasionally heavy loads with the support from other people.
The job also requires squatting, bending, kneeling, crawling, and climbing.
Waiter Job Description Example/Sample/Template
Shown below is an example of the kind of job description usually presented to newly hired waiters by most employers to execute.
It consist of vital tasks, duties, and responsibilities that form their daily activities at work.
Read communication pad at the start of duty, read the day’s menu, and check board for special instructions, guests, and room trays
Serve food and drinks to guests applying knowledge of appropriate menu and diet order
Obtain menu order politely by smiling and speaking clearly to guests
Responsible for serving and cleaning tables applying the right procedures
Perform table bussing carefully and silently
Prepare room trays correctly and efficiently
Ensure room carts are delivered and retrieved on schedule
Make beverages following list and place on the right table
Wash dishes following laid down procedures and soak bowls, silverware, and other materials as instructed
Observe and ensure the right temperatures are maintained for dish machine
Adhere to dish and utensil handling procedures to avoid cross contamination
Wash pots and pans, air dry them and keep in the right location
Perform correct wing refrigerator stocking
Ensure work environment is kept neat and organized
Establish good relationship with guests, customers, and colleagues
Perform other duties that may be assigned by the supervisor.
Waiter Job Description for Resume
When preparing a resume for the post of waiter, the job history section of the resume can be made by using information from the job description sample shown above.
Waiter Requirements: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for Career Success
When hiring a waiter or waitress, employers usually look for certain traits, skills, and knowledge from the applicants to be sure they will be efficient and effective on the job if hired.
Below is a list of required traits, knowledge, abilities, and skills that waiters and waitress should possess that enhance job performance.
High School Diploma or GED
Ability to apply positive interpersonal skills to relate cordially with guests or customers and co-workers
Good physical strength to be able to move up and down, including going up and down staircases
Bilingual, with a good command of English
Strong knowledge of placing foods in its right category
Strong stamina to work long hours
Well motivated with ability to function effectively in a team
Well presentable with clean and friendly appearance
Ability to work under pressure without being stressed out.
Waiter Salary
The average salary for a waiter is $34,422 a year.
The best paying states for waiters/waitress are: Hawaii, $60,010; District of Columbia, $55,200; Washington, $40,700; New York, $39,510; and Arizona, $38,400.
In the United States, there are currently over 1,934,825 host/waiters employed.
Women make up 10% of all host/waiters, while men make up 90%.
An employed host/waiter is 29 years old on average.
White hosts/waiters are the most common ethnicity (56.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (20.4%), Black or African American (10.3%), and Asian (9.2%).
Women were expected to earn 96% of what men would earn in 2021.
With a waiter career, you can climb to various job positions, like head waiter, restaurant supervisor, and kitchen supervisor.
Waiter Career Opportunities
A waiter has various career opportunities to explore, including:
Head Waiter
A head waiter is responsible for organizing the schedule and assignments of other waiters at a restaurant.
This position requires great communication skills.
2. Restaurant supervisor/Manager
A restaurant supervisor oversees the kitchen and other employees in order to help manage the company to make sure they are running well.
They also do research on what foods are being ordered by their customers, as well as plan out meals and seat people at tables.
Some restaurant supervisors are also responsible for ordering supplies, as well as making sure that the facility is clean and ready to serve customers.
Restaurant managers are also commonly called “chefs”.
3. Kitchen Supervisor
A kitchen supervisor basically oversees the kitchen staff and employees in order to make sure that they are running smoothly.
They assist in making food during busy periods of the day or night.
Some kitchen or restaurant supervisors are also responsible for ordering supplies, as well as making sure that the facility is clean and ready to serve customers.
4. Assistant Manager
An assistant manager oversees a single restaurant or eatery and helps organize the staff in order to make sure that they run well throughout the day or night.
Some assistant managers are also responsible for hiring and firing employees, as well as training them in the organization’s standard operations.
These positions require a high level of school and previous work experience.
5. Food Scientist
A food scientist is someone who tests food to make sure that they are safe for consumption, that they aren’t contaminated by dangerous organisms.
Food scientists help prepare new types of foods or food products.
They may be employed at a restaurant or catering company, as well as many different kinds of agricultural companies.
Some even work for the government or private labs to help test the safety of agricultural products across the world.
6. Nutritionist
Nutritionists, simply put, study the nutritional value of food.
These professionals may work in their own companies or restaurants, as well as for insurance companies, to help determine which foods are healthy and which are not.
7. Interior Decorator/Stylist
An interior decorator is someone who works for a company that specializes in designing and managing the look of restaurants and other establishments.
They also work with clients to make sure they are satisfied with the way their establishments look.
8. Human Resources Specialist
A human resources specialist hires, trains, and fires employees.
Some specialize in various areas like recruiting, training, and development, benefits, or payroll.
HR specialists are often employed by large companies or corporations like restaurants and stores.
9. Restaurant Operator (Franchisee)
A restaurant operator opens their own restaurant. They may hire employees, obtain recipes and produce, and supply items such as tables and chairs.
They may also purchase supplies, such as kitchen equipment, food items, and table linens.
Challenges faced by Waiters on the Job
The following are the common challenges that a waiter may face on the job:
Handling Drunken People
Being a waiter is a difficult job.
Dealing with drunken people and controlling them is one of the most common challenges that waiters face on the job.
Drunken people behave in an unruly manner and create a lot of hassle for waiters.
They start throwing their weight around and making the job more difficult for their waiters by coming to their tables and creating a scene over the smallest things.
2. Handling Really Gross People
The next common challenge that waiters face on the job is handling really gross people.
People who are drunk and do not have basic hygiene habits are a big turn off for waiters.
They often make remarks about their bad breath and appearance in front of other customers and this creates a lot of confusion and awkwardness among them.
3. Talking to Strangers
Waiters must deal with meeting and talking to a lot of strangers.
Many people who go to restaurants are often very friendly with their waiters.
They talk about the food and drink, and make jokes over the smallest things.
This can sometimes be hard for some people because they are not used to talking with strangers.
4. Dealing with Stressful Situations
Another common challenge that waiters face on the job is dealing with stressful situations.
People are always in a hurry and this creates a lot of stress for waiters who have to deal with multiple orders all at once.
How to Become a Waiter
To work as a waiter or waitress, no formal education is required.
Most waiters and waitresses learn through on-the-job training that lasts a few weeks.
Trainees are usually paired with an experienced waiter or waitress who teaches them the fundamentals of serving.
Major Benefits of a Waiter Career
The following are the major benefits of working as a waiter:
Independent
The ability to take control of your career and determine your own fate and route is a major benefit of working as a waiter or waitress.
You’ll be able to decide where you want to work, what type of job you want, what kind of pay you need, and when you’d like the job because it is flexible.
If needed, you can even change jobs at any time without having an impact on your ability to work.
Flexibility
The ability to work at different places and get to know the people you interact with is a major benefit of working as a waiter.
You’ll be able to meet new people with different interests, personalities, and different backgrounds than your own.
You’ll be able to raise your social status as you meet more and more people from different fields.
Meeting New People
Since waiters have to deal with a lot of people every day, they’ll be able to meet lots of new people and make friends.
You can also meet celebrities like sports stars or singers and make a name for yourself.
Good Income
Income is another major benefit that waiters have. You’ll get good salary as you will be provided tips by the customers for your service.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ data for May 2011, the mean annual wage for waiters was $21,550 per year. The median annual wage of waiters and waitresses was $18,250 per year.
Saving Money
You’ll be able to save a lot of money by working as a waiter.
You’ll be able to save your money on food and other expenses such as transportation, entertainment, and clothing by not having to buy these things by yourself.
You’ll also have favorable hours that you can work because you can work when it is convenient for you.
Making Friends
Another benefit of working as a waiter or waitress is making friends with the customers who you serve.
Customers who are comfortable with you will be more likely to come to your table and make conversation.
You’ll probably make a lot of friends at work as you interact with many people every day.
Stimulating World’s Culture
Working in a restaurant often involves much travel. So when you work as a waiter, you’ll be able to increase your knowledge about the culture of different countries because you get to interact with people from all over the world on a daily basis.
Conclusion
Working as a waiter or waitress can be flexible and give you the ability to control your career.
You’ll also get to meet new people and make friends with them which is a big benefit.
The income you will earn from this job is good and you’ll be able to save money by not needing to spend on food, entertainment, and other things that you can get on the job.
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