Waiter Job: Your Guide to Becoming a Successful Waiter

Introduction to Waiter Job

Learn about the responsibilities, skills, and career prospects for a successful waiter job. Find out how to become a waiter and excel in the hospitality industry. Waiters assist restaurant patrons by noting their order, serving tables their requested meals, and preparing bills at the end of the table’s meal. Waiters are also responsible for asking customers if they are satisfied with their meal and providing any assistance should the customer not be satisfied.

To be successful as a waiter you must have the endurance to stand for long hours and have patience with difficult customers. A good waiter anticipates the needs of customers and provides all services in a friendly manner.

The right Waiter/Waitress uplifts the dining experience for customers. We are looking for someone who will have the patience, personality and perseverance to thrive in this role.

Waiter/Waitress responsibilities include greeting and serving customers, providing detailed information on menus, multi-tasking various front-of-the-house duties and collecting the bill. If you are able to perform well in fast-paced environments, we’d like to meet you. To be a successful Waiter or Waitress, you should be polite with our customers and make sure they enjoy their meals. You should also be a team player and be able to effectively communicate with our Kitchen Staff to make sure orders are accurate and delivered promptly.

Keep in mind that Waiter/Waitress duties may require working in shifts and/or occasionally during weekends and holidays.

Ultimately, it is the duty of our Waiters/Waitresses to provide an excellent overall dining experience for our guests.

Waiter Job: Your Guide to Becoming a Successful Waiter

Responsibilities of a Waiter job

1. Customer Service

Good customer service is important in the restaurant industry because it can determine the overall success of the establishment. Here is a list of reasons why it’s so important:

Happy customers generate more positive feedback and reviews for your restaurant.
Excellent customer service can increase revenue.
Satisfied customers are more likely to become regular customers.
The longevity of a business usually relies on good customer service.

Here is a list of nine examples of good customer service with explanations for each:

1. Greet the customer with a smile

Example: As a family of four walks into the restaurant, the hostess smiles and welcomes them. She then asks the family if they prefer a booth or a table. The father, Chris, says they would like a table, and the hostess says she has one ready for them. As she walks the family to their table, she asks them if they’re dining out for a special occasion, and the mom, Janet, replies that it’s her husband’s birthday. The hostess wishes the husband a happy birthday and offers the family a discounted appetizer with their meals before seating them. Explanation: As soon as a customer walks into the restaurant, their customer experience begins. Try to greet customers enthusiastically as soon as they enter the building. As you walk them to their table, you can ask them questions like if they’ve had a good day or if there’s any special reason they’re dining out. Many customers appreciate this friendliness as you seat them at their table. Small gestures like these show customers that the staff cares about providing a positive dining experience.

Order Taking and Serving

If you’re waiting tables at a restaurant, it’s important to provide great customer service to ensure your guests have the best experience. One of the most important parts of working at a restaurant is making sure you take each customer’s order quickly and accurately. After the customers first sit down, be sure to greet them and offer drinks or starters. When the table is ready to place an order, be sure to write down everything they tell you so you don’t leave off any of their items. Throughout the meal, just be sure to check back with the table to make sure they’re enjoying everything!

The procedures of Order taking for a waiter job

Smile and greet the customers when they first arrive.
Let the table know about the restaurant’s specials if there are any
Label a notepad with the table and seat numbers
Ask for the table’s drink order first
See if the customers want to start their meal with an appetizer
Give the table more time if they aren’t ready to order yet.
Ask how they want their meal prepared if there are multiple options
Upsell add-ons or sides for the order if there are any.
Repeat the order back to the customers to ensure it’s correct.
Enter the order into a point-of-sale system if the restaurant uses one.
Check on the table 2 minutes after they start eating to see if they’re satisfied.
Watch the table to see if they need refills or assistance.
Ask if anyone wants dessert before they finish their meal.
Clear plates or dirty dishes when all the guests finish their meals.
Thank the customer when you give them their bill.

Skills Required for Waiter Job

Waiters and waitresses greet customers, take care of their needs and deliver fast and accurate service. Waiter/waitress skills are those needed to take patrons’ orders accurately, handle food safely and provide excellent customer service. Waiter/waitressing skills include both the hard and soft skills needed to ensure customer satisfaction and excel at their serving duties.

1. Knowledge and experience using point-of-sale systems

Waiters and waitresses need technical knowledge and experience with point-of-sale systems to perform their duties. Point-of-sale systems differ between restaurants, but general knowledge and experience with one system are typically transferrable to other systems. Using point-of-sale systems includes:• Assigning patrons to tables
• Taking and entering orders
• Submitting orders to the kitchen staff and processing paymentsRelated: Interview questions for a server (With examples)

2. Food safety is essential for a waiter job

Another critical waiter/waitressing skill is food safety. This skill shows knowledge of handling food safely to contribute to your patrons’ wellbeing and health. Food safety is about proper hygiene, safe interaction with both food and utensils, sanitation and cleaning procedures and understanding the restaurant’s food safety policies and procedures.

3. Knowledge of the regulations on alcohol consumption

It’s essential to know the regulations surrounding alcohol, including how to verify a patron’s identification and age to ensure you comply with the regulations. The legal age for consuming alcoholic beverages without food is 18.Related: 35 waiter interview questions (with example answers)

4. Effective communication skills

To be a good waiter/waitress, you need practical communication skills to express your ideas and information verbally and in writing. This also includes making sure that others understand your communication as you intend it. In addition, effective communication is necessary to help patrons understand the restaurant’s menu, details about pairing food and beverages and food substitutions.Another element of effective communication skills is recording patrons’ orders correctly. This may require asking questions for clarification or paraphrasing orders to confirm their correctness. Ultimately, effective communication skills help you convey customers’ orders successfully to the kitchen staff and address customers’ questions about their orders.Related: 36 waitress interview questions

5. Attentive listening skills of a waiter job

Attentive listening skills refer to the ability to listen to others to understand their message without being distracted by internal or external factors. It includes asking questions to improve your understanding, summarising and paraphrasing to make sure you understood their request. In addition, listening to a patron shows that you respect them and are trying to give them a pleasant experience while dining at the restaurant. Restaurants can often be noisy, and focusing on the patron is essential to performing your waiter/waitressing duties successfully.Related: Waiter Cover Letter: Tips and Examples

6. Multitasking

In waiter job, you often have to manage multiple tasks at once. For example, sometimes the patrons at one table will be ordering beverages while other patrons may have ordered desserts. Therefore, waiters/waitresses need to multitask by remaining aware of the status of each table at all times.

7. Positive language

When you communicate with patrons, using positive language is critical to explain your services to them. Positive language skills include the ability to frame statements and to share information positively. For example, if a patron wants a food substitution that the restaurant doesn’t offer, it’s better to provide them with alternative options instead of just stating that you cannot meet their request. Positive language helps convey your focus on customer service and enables you to communicate to patrons that you want to help them.

8. Problem-solving skills of a waiter job

For a waiter job, you need excellent problem-solving skills to help you find solutions that suit both the restaurant and the customers. Problem-solving includes identifying a problem, identifying solutions and providing the patron with several options to solve the problem. Examples of problem-solving for waiters or waitresses include customising orders based on the customer’s dietary needs or food substitutions. In addition, problem-solving may require that you collaborate with the restaurant manager to offer gift cards or discounts to customers when they are dissatisfied with their experience at a restaurant.Related:Customer service skills: Examples, definition and how to demonstrate

9. Patience

Patience is a particular skill for waiters/waitresses. Patience involves continuous support and interaction with patrons to provide each patron with the same level of attention and service. For example, explaining the restaurant’s menu to patrons, taking orders and accommodating patrons’ requests require patience. Patience may also be helpful when the restaurant is busy and many patrons demand your attention. Being patient shows patrons you respect their needs and value their time. In addition, it helps you build trust and earns the respect of your patrons.

10. Resilience

Resilience is the ability to provide excellent service without internalising the attitudes or problems of other people. It also refers to the ability to remain positive despite challenging situations. Resilience is essential for providing a high-quality service when the restaurant is busy or you are dealing with a difficult patron. Being resilient can help you to ensure that a difficult situation with one patron doesn’t affect another patron’s experience.

Social perceptiveness refers to an awareness of the reactions of others, including understanding the reasons why others react the way they do. This skill can help you gauge a patron’s satisfaction and anticipate their needs. It allows you to notice a patron seeking your attention and assess their satisfaction with their meal, beverage or the restaurant as a whole. This ability will enable you to adjust your service based on your perception of the patron to ensure the best experience for them.

12. Memory

Every customer is unique and may have food preferences. Although a waiter/waitress may use a pen and pad, they need to have an excellent memory to help them remember details about the customers and their orders during their shift. In addition, waiters and waitresses need a good memory to recall information on the restaurant’s seasonal or daily dishes.

13. Ability to remain calm

Waiters and waitresses need to work at a fast pace while maintaining a calm and confident demeanor. A good waiter or waitress will work fast and accurately without looking like they are rushing between tasks.

Career Prospects for Waiter Job

Here are a few examples of future career path for waiter job in UAE

Career advise Waiter job

Waiter Job: Your Guide to Becoming a Successful Waiter

Introduction to Waiter Job