Waiters and Waitresses
- Bright Outlook
- Numerous Job Openings
Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.
What you’d do
- Collect payments from customers.
- Check patrons' identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.
- Write patrons' food orders on order slips, memorize orders, or enter orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff.
- Check with customers to ensure that they are enjoying their meals, and take action to correct any problems.
- Take orders from patrons for food or beverages.
- Prepare checks that itemize and total meal costs and sales taxes.
- Remove dishes and glasses from tables or counters, and take them to kitchen for cleaning.
- Clean tables or counters after patrons have finished dining.
Skills that matter
- Service Orientation
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
- Monitoring
How to get there
Little to some preparation: usually a high school diploma or GED, though some jobs do not need one
Also called
- Food Server
- Server
- Waiter
- Waitress
- Banquet Server
- Busser
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