A Wait Staff is a professional who plays a crucial role in the hospitality industry. They are responsible for providing excellent customer service and ensuring a pleasant dining experience for guests. In this blog post, we will explore the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Wait Staffs.

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Main Responsibilities of a Wait Staff

The following list describes the typical responsibilities of a Wait Staff:

Accept

Accept payment, refer customers to the cashier or operate the cash register.

Accommodate

Accommodate reasonable requests and notes preferences.

Adapt to

Adapt to different guest preferences, cultural backgrounds, and dietary restrictions.

Adhere to

• Adhere to cleaning schedules and make sure safe food handling is practiced.

• Adhere to diet and allergy restrictions for patient food orders.

• Adhere to facility confidentiality and patient?.

• Adhere to universal precautions and all infection control guidelines.

Advise

Advise guests on appropriate combinations of food and drinks when requested.

Answer

Answer questions about our food, beverages and other restaurant functions and services.

Anticipate

Anticipate guests' needs and provide proactive service.

Assist in

• Assist Cooks in preparing meals and checking diet trays before distribution.

• Assist in daily cleaning duties including sweeping, mopping, dishwashing, etc..

• Assist in the clearing and set-up of tables during service.

• Assist in training new wait staff and provide guidance to improve their skills.

• Assist other departments as business volumes, and staff levels demand.

• Assist the load, unloading, and distribution of boxed meals to satellite locations.

• Assist with any prep needed for any other stations / location within the site.

• Assist with cleaning between meal periods.

• Assist with directional information.

Attend

• Attend all allergy and foodborne illness in-service training.

• Attend required community meetings and participates Life Enrichment activities when able.

• Attend staff meetings and participate in ongoing professional development.

• Attend to the tables and guarantee compliance to cleanliness standards.

• Attend training programs (classroom and virtual) as designated.

• Attend work and shows up for scheduled shift on time with satisfactory regularity.

Carry

Carry tools necessary to perform the job, i.e., corkscrew, lighter, pen, notepad, etc..

Check

• Check the quality of the final servings and resolve any issues.

• Check with the guest during the meal for the guest's satisfaction.

Clean

• Clean and sanitize delivery and retrieval carts daily.

• Clean and sanitize workstations and equipment and assists in clearing and resetting tables.

Collaborate with

• Collaborate with other departments, such as bartenders or hosts, to enhance the overall dining experience.

• Collaborate with the host to manage table reservations and waitlists.

• Collaborate with the kitchen staff to ensure special dietary requests are accommodated.

Communicate

Communicate and addresses patient food issues / concerns and needs to Food & Nutrition Services.

Complete

• Complete all required logs in a timely manner.

• Complete routine projects or detail cleaning duties as assigned.

• Complete tasks and projects delegated by the manager.

Comply with

Comply with all company safety and risk management policies and procedures.

Conduct

Conduct Satisfaction checks with Patients.

Contribute to

Contribute to patient satisfaction goals by providing quality service.

Coordinate

Coordinate with other wait staff to provide efficient service during busy periods.

Create

• Create and uphold an atmosphere of warmth, patience, enthusiasm, and a calm and cheerful environment.

• Create a warm and inviting experience for our residents.

Deliver

• Deliver floor stock daily according to pars.

• Deliver floor stock to unit pantries according to department policy.

• Deliver patient trays in a timely and accurate manner.

Demonstrate

Demonstrate teamwork and support colleagues to create a cohesive work environment.

Distribute

Distribute and store clean dishes.

Document

Document refrigeration temperatures daily in patient pantries that contain floor stock.

Ensure

• Ensure an adequate supply of food / materials required according to the fluctuations of demand.

• Ensure friendly and prompt greeting to all guests.

• Ensure tables are set and maintained properly, including refilling condiments and utensils.

• Ensure tableware is clean and in place.

• Ensure that the dining room is properly set up prior to and after the service period.

Follow

• Follow established service- and timing-standards.

• Follow facility and departmental infection control policies and procedures.

• Follow health and safety guidelines.

Follow-up

Follow-up periodically to assist with any additional needs or requests.

Food

Food Handling Certification Health Department for the City of Chicago.

Greet

• Greet and seats customers.

• Greet guests as they arrive and seat them at their designated tables.

Handle

Handle guest inquiries, resolve complaints, and provide solutions when necessary.

Keep

Keep area clean and neat while meeting established sanitation standards.

Lead

Lead by example exhibiting the CORE Values through servant leadership.

Load

Load, unload, and distribute boxes meals with the assistance of other staff to satellite locations.

Maintain

• Maintain a clean, sanitary working environment.

• Maintain all safety and sanitation requirements within the culinary department.

• Maintain and protect the confidentiality of resident information at all times.

• Maintain a positive and professional attitude, even during challenging situations.

• Maintain a positive attitude.

• Maintain confidentiality of all resident care information in accordance with HIPAA guidelines.

• Maintain continual cleaning and sanitizing of your surrounding work area.

• Maintain high standards for work areas and appearance.

• Maintain knowledge of restaurant policies, safety procedures, and emergency protocols.

• Maintain knowledge of wine pairings and recommend suitable options to guests.

• Maintain or exceed standards of appearance and cleanliness.

• Maintain personal hygiene and health standards.

• Maintain positive communication with service personnel.

• Maintain safe food handling and sanitation standards.

• Maintain soiled tray carts as designated on patient care floors.

• Maintain work area in clean and orderly manner.

Make

• Make appropriate meal and beverage suggestions and answers questions regarding food preparation.

• Make managers aware of all guest comments and complaints.

Memorize

Memorize daily specials and inform guests of their availability.

Monitor

• Monitor and maintain cleanliness and organization of the dining area.

• Monitor the alcohol consumption of guests and adhere to legal drinking age restrictions.

Mop

Mop floors in areas as designated by supervisor.

Operate

• Operate equipment properly, safely and efficiently according to established procedures.

• Operate point-of-sale systems and other restaurant technology.

Perform

• Perform any other duties as assigned by Chef / Management.

• Perform a variety of duties in and around the dining area.

• Perform cleaning duties in dining room, kitchen, serving areas, cafeteria and storerooms as directed.

• Perform cleaning duties in dining room, kitchen, serving areas,cafeteria and storerooms as directed.

• Perform side work at the start and end of each shift as required by service station assignment.

Practice

• Practice and observe all safety and loss prevention procedures.

• Practice proper hygiene and food safety standards at all times.

• Practice safe, sanitary food handling for food preparation, food holding and service.

Prepare

• Prepare and process guest bills accurately, handling cash and electronic payments.

• Prepare final bill and accept payment.

• Prepare kitchen, food and supplies for the next meal.

Present

• Present customers with menus.

• Present menus and provide detailed explanations of the dishes.

Provide

• Provide a clear police record.

• Provide customers with efficient and attentive service while exceeding the customer's expectations.

Recommend

Recommend menu items and offer special promotions or deals.

Relay

• Relay orders to the kitchen staff and ensure timely delivery of food and beverages.

• Relay relevant information or complaints directly to supervisor.

• Relay the order to the kitchen.

Report

• Report all accidents and injuries in a timely manner.

• Report all damaged and unsafe equipment to management.

Reset

Reset tables for next meal.

Retrieve

Retrieve trays within one hour of service.

Rotate

Rotate floor stock according to food safety procedures.

Run

Run dishes and make serving dishes a high priority.

Serve

• Serve food and beverages to guests according to standards.

• Serve food and beverages to guests with proper etiquette and attention to detail.

Set-up

Set-up, deliver and serve food as directed.

Stay updated with

Stay updated with menu changes, seasonal promotions, and new food and beverage trends.

Take

• Take food and beverage orders and efficiently delivers items to dining room guests.

• Take food and beverages in an efficient manner, following established steps of service.

• Take orders accurately and efficiently.

• Take orders and deliver them to the table deftly and accurately.

• Take orders and serve menu items requests promptly.

• Take orders for residents from our daily culinary specials and ala carte menu.

Upsell

Upsell additional items such as desserts, beverages, or appetizers.

Utilize

Utilize equipment in performing job functions according to department?.

Work

• Work as a host to communicate available seating.

• Work efficiently under pressure and in a fast-paced environment.

• Work with other staff as a team.

• Work with staff of other departments to perform job duties during special events and functions.

Most In-demand Hard Skills

The following list describes the most required technical skills of a Wait Staff:

1. Menu knowledge, including ingredients, preparation methods, and allergen information.

2. Proficiency in using POS systems for order entry and payment processing.

3. Efficient and accurate order taking and delivery.

4. Tableside service techniques, such as carving meat or preparing specialty beverages.

5. Knowledge of different types of alcoholic beverages, including cocktails and wines.

6. Ability to handle cash transactions and perform basic math calculations.

7. Familiarity with health and safety regulations in the foodservice industry.

8. Understanding of food handling and storage procedures.

9. Ability to operate and troubleshoot restaurant equipment, such as coffee machines or beverage dispensers.

10. Basic knowledge of restaurant inventory management.

Most In-demand Soft Skills

The following list describes the most required soft skills of a Wait Staff:

1. Excellent communication skills, both verbal and nonverbal.

2. Active listening to understand guest needs and preferences.

3. Exceptional customer service and hospitality.

4. Strong interpersonal skills to build rapport with guests and colleagues.

5. Adaptability and flexibility to handle changing situations and customer demands.

6. Ability to remain calm and composed during high-pressure situations.

7. Problem-solving skills to resolve guest complaints or issues.

8. Teamwork and collaboration with other staff members.

9. Time management and organizational abilities to handle multiple tasks efficiently.

10. Attention to detail to ensure accuracy in order taking and bill processing.

Conclusion

Being a Wait Staff entails a diverse range of responsibilities and requires a combination of technical and interpersonal skills. By mastering the art of providing exceptional customer service and honing their hard and soft skills, Wait Staffs can create memorable dining experiences for guests while contributing to the success of the establishments they serve.