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Waiters and Waitresses

Under the title Waiters and Waitresses, workers take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment. One core duty is to collect payments from customers. Interest ratings put Conventional on top at 5.0 out of 7 and Social second, so the code is CSR and the day leans toward orderly work with data, records and clear procedures. Plan on a few months to a year of learning on the job; O*NET labels this some preparation. Strength in service orientation, speaking, and active listening helps most here. It tends to suit people who want orderly work with data, records and clear procedures, and it offers little for anyone seeking research, analysis and working through hard problems.

What they do

Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.

Main tasks

  • 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.

Skills

  • Service Orientation
  • Speaking
  • Active Listening
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Coordination
  • Monitoring

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like clear rules and getting the details right.
  • You get energy from helping other people move forward.
  • You want to start work after a short stretch of training.
  • You are comfortable relying on service orientation and speaking.

May not suit you if

  • You get restless with routine, records and exact procedures.
  • You want to spend most of your time analyzing and researching. Investigative rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
  • You want a career built on years of advanced study.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code CSR takes the three highest, and Conventional comes first here.

Preparation

Some preparation. Most people start with a high school diploma, then learn from experienced coworkers over a few months to a year.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED). This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Banquet Server
  • Busser
  • Cocktail Server
  • Food Runner
  • Food Server

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.