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waiting staff
Waiting staff serve customers by taking orders, serving food and preparing tables. An important part of the work is to make customers feel welcome and comfortable during their meal. Other main duties of waiting staff are to:
- greet customers as they arrive and show them to their table
- give out menus and take orders for food and drink
- serve food and drinks
- deal with payment of the bill
- ensure tables are clean and tidy.
In more formal restaurants waiting staff will provide silver service. 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’.
Some restaurants employ senior waiting staff, responsible for specific tables. These are known as 'chefs de rang'. They advise diners on menu choice, as well as serving food. Staff who are learning under the guidance of an experienced waiter or waitress are known as the 'commis de rang'. In some restaurants food is cooked at the table (known as a 'gueridon' service).
At a carvery or buffet guests sometimes serve themselves. Drinks orders are sometimes taken by specialist waiting staff known as wine waiters or 'sommeliers'. They are experts in wine and other alcoholic beverages such as cocktails, wines and spirits.
Hours and Environment
As a member of a restaurant's waiting staff you will usually be expected to work evenings, weekends and public holidays. You may work office hours if you work for a contract caterer. Shiftwork is also common.
Most employers will ask you to wear a uniform, which is often supplied or paid for by your employer. You will spend most of your time in the dining area. You may spend some time in the kitchen, where it is likely to be hot, humid and noisy.
Skills and Interests
To work as waiting staff you will need:
- excellent customer service skills
- an interest in/knowledge of food and drink
- high standards of personal hygiene
- the ability to remain calm under pressure
- an awareness of health and safety issues
- the ability to memorise orders
- good numeracy skills for dealing with bills and payments
- the ability to lift and carry items such as plates and glasses
- the ability to work on your own and as part of a team.
Entry
You do not usually need formal qualifications to work as waiting staff, 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, will also be useful when applying for work.
Training
You will normally receive on-the-job training from your employer when you begin work. There are also several relevant qualifications you can work towards such as:
- NVQ/SVQ Level 1 in Hospitality
- NVQ/SVQ Level 2 in Food and Drink Service
- Edexcel BTEC Level 2 First Certificate and Diploma in Hospitality
- Edexcel BTEC Level 3 National Award, Certificate and Diploma in Hospitality
- Edexcel BTEC Level 3 Certificate in Food and Beverage Service.
You may also be able to progress to an NVQ/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. These are awarded by organisations including the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), Royal Institute of Public Health (RIPH) and the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health (RSPH). Courses on wines, spirits and other alcoholic beverages may also be of use.
Note: People 1st, the sector skills council for the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries, are in the process of reviewing the occupational standards for this area; changes may be made to the title and content of the qualifications listed above.
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.
Annual Income
Figures are intended as a guideline only. Many waiters and waitresses are paid by the hour. Income may be increased by tips.
A full-time starting salary may be around £8,000 a year or less.
With experience, it is possible to earn around £12,000.
A head waiter or waitress may earn up to £17,000.
Further information
London
W1B 1DE
Tel: 020 7580 2731
London
SW1V 4BH
Tel: 020 7630 0121
Armstrong House
38 Market Square
Uxbridge
Middlesex
UB8 1LH
Tel: 0870 060 2550
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Further Help and Advice
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Site Disclaimer
The information contained in our Career Profiles Database was correct at time of publishing, but since publication certain details may have changed so please use this section as a research tool and in some cases further research may be required.
Careers Database Information By Learn Direct Advice