- Waiter/ Waitress
The Work
Waiters and waitresses serve customers by taking orders, serving food and preparing tables. Making customers feel welcome and comfortable is an important part of this work.
Waiters and waitresses greet customers as they arrive and show them to a table. They also give out menus, and take orders for food and drinks. At the end of the meal they deal with payment of the bill, and then ensure tables are clean and tidy. Sometimes drinks orders are taken by a specialist wine waiter or waitress.
In more formal restaurants silver service is provided. This involves serving the main part of the dish separately to the vegetables or accompaniments. In such restaurants a team of waiters and waitresses may be supervised by the head waiter or waitress, known as the maitre d'.
Senior waiters and waitresses, responsible for specific tables, are known as chefs de rang. They advise diners on menu choice, as well as serving food. There are also commis de rang waiters and waitresses, who are learning the skills involved under the guidance of an experienced member of staff.
Waiters and waitresses sometimes serve food at a carvery or buffet. In gueridon service the food is cooked at the table.
Hours & Environment
Waiters and waitresses are usually required to work evenings, and some weekends and public holidays. It is common to do shift work. Those working for contract caterers are more likely to work office hours.
Most employers expect waiters and waitresses to wear uniforms. These are often supplied or paid for by the employer.
Waiters/waitresses spend most of their time in the dining area. Some time will be spent in the kitchen, where it is likely to be hot, humid and noisy.
Skills & Interests
Waiters and waitresses should be:
- welcoming, friendly, and polite
- comfortable with dealing with customers
- interested in food and have a knowledge of drinks
- clean and tidy, with high standards of personal hygiene
- able to remain calm under pressure
- aware of health and safety issues
- able to memorise orders
- numerate for dealing with bills and payments
- physically fit
- able to work on their own and as part of a team
Entry
It is not usually necessary to have formal qualifications to work as a waiter or waitress, but you must have a good standard of literacy and numeracy.
A working knowledge of a foreign language and previous experience of serving food, or customer service, would be useful.
Training
Most employers will arrange on-the-job training for new staff.
Some waiting staff undertake relevant courses such as:
- SVQ in Food and Drink Service
- Wines and Spirits Education Trust Courses
Some waiting staff progress to an SVQ Level 3 in Hospitality Supervision which covers supervisory and management skills.
Specialist courses are also available in areas such as food safety, and food hygiene awarded by organisations including the REHIS and RIPH.
Apprenticeships may be available for those under the age of 24. (See Modern Apprenticships in the Funding section)
A list of courses Hospitality Training provide for Waiters / Waitresses can be found here.
Opportunities
Employment opportunities exist in hotels, restaurants, cafes, bistros, bars, fast food outlets and contract catering companies throughout the UK.
It is possible to work overseas, although this usually requires a working knowledge of the language used.
Promotion prospects are related to the size of the organisation. Smaller organisations are unlikely to have a career structure. It may be necessary to change jobs to gain a promotion. Larger organisations are more likely to have a clear promotion structure, which may provide the opportunity to progress to head waiter or waitress, or restaurant supervisor.
