Do you need to hire a new waitress (or waitresses) to help you keep your restaurant running smoothly? If so, read on to learn what a waitress’s job consists of, discover the best waitress job description examples, and gain insight into the most critical skills every waitress should possess.
Keep in mind that over 15 million restaurants are in operation worldwide, and none of them would be open and able to serve guests their favorite dishes without hardworking and skilled waitresses. In other words, you must be selective when hiring waitresses for your restaurant.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve never created a job ad before or if you just need some help creating an intriguing one. This guide to writing a waitress job description for resume collection is for you.
What Does a Waitress’s Job Consist Of?
When you start working on a waitress job description for resume gathering, you’ll need to include a list of the responsibilities and tasks waitresses at your restaurant will have to carry out.
Not sure where to start? The following are some of the most important duties and responsibilities of a waitress in a hotel, restaurant, bar, cafe, or any other place that serves food and beverages:
Greet Customers
If you’ve ever been served by a crabby waitress, you know how vital it is for them to greet guests cheerfully and make them feel welcome.
Besides the host or hostess, the waitress is one of the first people a guest meets when they arrive at a restaurant. Because of this, they must be friendly and enthusiastic, as they help to set the tone for the entire meal.
Present Menus and Make Recommendations
After greeting guests, the waitress will present them with their menus. They should also have sufficient knowledge of the dishes included in the menu so they can make recommendations.
For example, if the customer asks which dishes don’t contain dairy, the waitress should be able to tell them accurately so the guest can order a meal that they enjoy and agrees with them.
Upsell When Appropriate
In some cases, waitresses can also upsell guests and encourage them to order a different item that costs a bit more money. The key to upselling is explaining to the guest why a different menu item is a better option — for example, because they get a lot more food for just a little extra money.
Waitresses should be able to discern when it is or isn’t appropriate to upsell customers, too. When they do decide to upsell, they should do so in a non-pushy way that doesn’t make customers feel uncomfortable.
Take and Serve Food and Drink Orders
Whether they upsell or not, after making recommendations, the waitress is responsible for taking guests’ orders. When doing so, they should take care to ask about guests’ preferences (for example, do they want wheat or white bread for their sandwich or any sauces on the side?).
After taking orders, the waitress will deliver the tickets to the kitchen, moving efficiently to ensure guests get their food and drinks as quickly as possible. Before taking meals to the guests’ tables, the waitress will also check to ensure the dishes are prepared correctly.
Check-in with Guests Throughout the Meal
The waitress isn’t done after they’ve delivered meals to guests. They should also check in periodically to ensure the guests are enjoying their meal, find out if they need drink refills or extra sauces, etc.
Waitresses must strike a balance between checking in often enough that guests don’t feel forgotten but also not checking in so often that guests feel pestered.
Deliver Checks and Collect Customer Payments
At the end of the meal, waitresses will deliver checks to the customer, making sure they’re accurate before dropping them off. They will also collect payments, ring them up, and deliver receipts.
Provide Excellent Customer Service at All Times
The easiest way to sum up a waitress’s responsibilities is to say that they must provide excellent customer service at all times. Whether they work in a five-star restaurant or a small cafe, they should strive to ensure all customers feel welcome and valued.
What Are the Best Waitress Job Description Examples?
Now that we’ve reviewed the top duties and responsibilities of a waitress in a hotel, restaurant, cafe, etc., it’s time to move on to some job ad examples.
Listed below are four excellent waitress job description examples you can model yours after:
Example 1
Title: Friendly Waitress for Casual Restaurant
Job Brief
[Business Name] is looking for a skilled and friendly waitress to join our team! If selected for this position, you will play a critical role in creating and providing the highest level of customer experience and satisfaction, from taking orders to collaborating with kitchen staff to get meals delivered in a timely manner.
Responsibilities
- Greet customers and deliver menus
- Make suggestions based on customers’ preferences or dietary needs
- Take food and drinks orders
- Deliver orders accurately and in a timely manner
- Arrange table settings between guests
- Keep tables clean and tidy
- Check dishes and drinks for quality
- Deliver customers’ checks and collect their payments
- Communicate with other servers and kitchen staff
Skills and Qualifications
- At least 1 year of experience as a waitress
- At least 1 year of experience with a cash register and ordering information system
- Problem-solving skills
- Interpersonal communication skills
- Time-management skills
- Able to move easily between tables
- High school diploma or equivalent required
Example 2
Title: Now Hiring an Experienced Waitress
Summary
Our team at [Business Name] seeks a skilled waitress who will take orders and deliver food and beverages to customers.
The ideal candidate will provide an uplifting and enjoyable dining experience for customers. They will also be patient and have a friendly and outgoing personality.
If selected, your responsibilities will include greeting and serving guests, answering questions about menus, communicating with front- and back-of-the-house employees, and collecting bills at the end of customers’ meals.
Required Skills/Qualifications
- Basic math skills
- Patience
- Superior customer service skills
- Organizational and multitasking skills
- Active listening
- Effective verbal communication skills
Preferred Skills/Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Flexible schedule with the ability to work nights and/or weekends
- At least 1 year of proven work experience as a waitress
- Hands-on experience with a cash register and Point of Service ordering system
- Food safety training
Example 3
Title: Server/Waitress (Must Be 21+)
Job Brief
[Restaurant] is hiring a waitress to take customer orders and serve food and beverages. The ideal candidate will always be aware of guest satisfaction and deliver a superior service experience.
If selected, your duties and responsibilities will include serving guests in a friendly way while maintaining a clean and safe environment to ensure guests feel welcome and comfortable at all times.
Responsibilities
- Provide a superior service experience to restaurant patrons
- Ensure guests feel welcome
- Ensure dishes are accurately prepared
- Deliver food and drinks promptly
- Present menus, answer questions, and make recommendations when asked
- Know all food, liquor, beer, wine, etc., offered
- Pre-bus tables, bus tables, and remove dirty plates
- Process payments
- Coordinate with kitchen staff
Requirements/Skills
- Be of legal age to serve alcoholic beverages
- Clear written and verbal communication skills
- Physical abilities needed to carry out all functions of the job description
- Be able to responsibly handle cash transactions
- Be able to carry food and beverages
- Be able to work in a team environment
- High school diploma or equivalent
- At least one year of experience as a food server OR related customer service experience
- Basic math skills
- Conflict resolution skills
- Dependability
- Adaptability
Example 4
Title: Seeking Friendly Waitress
Job Brief
[Restaurant] is seeking a friendly waitress to assist our guests by providing menus, educating them on specials, taking orders, and ensuring orders are prepared according to the customer’s specifications.
To succeed as a waitress, you must be friendly, patient, and willing to enquire about the customer’s needs and ensures they have a positive dining experience.
Responsibilities
- Deliver menus to customers
- Take customer orders and relay them to the kitchen staff
- Serve food and drinks to customers
- Listen to any complaints and address them appropriately and professionally
- Prepare and deliver bills
- Process payments
Required Skills
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Physical stamina/endurance and ability to stand/walk for extended periods
- Ability to work flexible hours
- Friendly disposition
- Verbal communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Time management skills
Preferred Skills/Experience
- At least 1 year of experience as a waitress
- Knowledge of ordering and point-of-service systems
- Experience using a cash register
What Are the Top Waitress Job Description Skills?
In addition to highlighting the waitress’s key responsibilities, you’ll also need to include information about the skills you expect applicants to possess.
What skills are worth asking for?
Ultimately, the answer depends on the type of restaurant you run and your priorities as a business owner. However, here are some of the top waitress job description skills that we recommend you include in your ad and consider during the interview process:
Active Listening
Active listening involves more than just hearing what someone is saying. It involves reading between the lines and truly understanding what they want or don’t want.
Waitresses must be good active listeners. They should pay careful attention to customers’ wants and needs and remember critical details after they leave the table (for example, does the customer like lemon in their water or want their dressing served on the side of their salad?).
Without good active listening skills, waitresses may cause customers to feel that they’re not being respected or appreciated, which can interfere with their overall experience.
Communication
The best waitresses are good communicators. They will be friendly, outgoing, enthusiastic, and able to connect with people of all different ages and backgrounds, ensuring that everyone feels respected and cared for.
Problem-Solving
Waitresses often find themselves in situations where they have to work with colleagues or customers to solve a specific problem.
For example, they might need to ask a member of the kitchen staff to prepare a meal again if it isn’t made to the customer’s liking. They may also need to communicate with a customer to figure out which meal aligns with their dietary restrictions.
A good waitress won’t shy away from these kinds of problems. Instead, they will embrace the challenge and look diligently for a solution that satisfies everyone.
Team Player
No waitress works alone (the same goes for every other member of the restaurant staff). They must be willing and able to collaborate with fellow waitstaff members to ensure customers have a positive experience. They should also communicate and collaborate with members of the kitchen staff, the restaurant manager, and other employees as needed.
Time-Management
Waitresses generally find themselves bouncing back and forth between several tables. Unless the restaurant is totally dead, they won’t be serving just one group of customers.
Because waitresses have to juggle multiple tables, they must be adept at managing their time to ensure everyone feels equally seen and respected. If one group of people feels forgotten by the waitress, they may be less likely to return to the restaurant in the future.
Attention to Detail
The ideal candidate for the waitress position will also have an eye for detail. They will be able to spot an incorrectly prepared meal immediately and alert the kitchen staff before delivering it to the customer’s table. They will also be able to tell if a customer is unsatisfied, needs a refill, is ready for their check, etc., and respond promptly and appropriately.
Follow These Waitress Job Description Examples Today
Do you feel more confident in your ability to write a compelling job ad after reading this guide?
If you follow the waitress job description examples, you’ll be able to compose an intriguing one that helps you land great candidates in no time.
What if you need more guidance on the recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding processes? The good news is that GrabJobs offers a variety of tools and resources that can help with our AI-powered recruiting platform.
