Duties Of A Waitress

Here’s a general list of waiter and waitress duties. Not all will be applicable since it depends largely on the establishment.

Typical guest duties:

• Greet guests
• Seat guests
• Hand them menus
• Take drink order
• Describe and recommend wines
• Check ID if alcohol beverage
• Know ingredients of menu items
• Know how menu items are prepared
• Answer questions regarding menu or menu items
• Fix drinks
• Offer appetizers
• Take food order
• Recommend specials
• Serve drinks
• Use computerized order transmittal system
• Prepare and serve specialty dishes at tableside
• Serve appetizers
• Serve soup and salads
• Server meal
• Periodically check if they need anything
• Offer refills on drinks
• Offer dessert
• Serve dessert
• Clear dishes when finished
• sing happy birthday or whatever the custom is for celebrations.
• Prepare itemized checks
• Clearing and setting up tables
• Use cash register

Non guest related duties:

• Clean tables
• stock service areas
• Refill napkins
• Refill condiments
• help co-workers
• Alert chef of food complaints

Don’t worry, you will not have to do all these tasks as it will vary from place to place.  These are actually the easier part of the job.  The most difficult waitress duty is to handle the customers.

The most important thing is to keep the customer happy. If they are upset, find out if you can do something to make it better.

Know when to escalate a problem to your manager.

Be courteous, sincere and pleasant.

Go out of your way to please them. Your tips depend on your “people skills”

Then next post will be about the tasks that aren’t written down. But they are even more important than the standard duties of a waitress.

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