What is it like to work as a waiter? Profession waiter. Required professional skills and knowledge

Details

On the one hand, you can get a job as a waiter without any experience, on the other hand, they definitely won’t hire you to a prestigious place without experience. Whether someone with experience will be hired is another question.

And in general, is it necessary to study to become a waiter in order not only to find a job, but also to count on career growth? Is it possible not to study to be a waiter at all in order to achieve mastery in the profession, relying only on experience?

If we start from the basics, the question of whether it is necessary to study to become a waiter can be answered unequivocally: “It is necessary.” Ideally, you need to complete at least a course to obtain a certificate of professional qualification. A waiter needs theoretical knowledge. Practical ones are also needed. It’s no wonder that today’s waiter courses involve not only theoretical training, but also classes with a psychologist. There are also trainings, they are held separately from the courses - in the evenings, on Sundays. The waiter can freely take a training course and use these tips in his work. Tips could be as follows:

How to change your earnings in the first month of working as a waiter;
How to learn to provide quality customer service;
How to learn to convince a client.

Trainings are available to any waiter at a price of about 10 thousand rubles. Courses that include theoretical and practical training are more expensive - about 20 thousand rubles.

But this is if we talk about the basics. In reality, this path is far from mandatory. And it is not always justified. For example, there is no need to study to become a waiter if this work is seasonal and you do not plan to connect your life with this area for more than a year.

As a rule, beginners do not get into prestigious places, and the basics of work are learned without any experience in small cafes. People are also hired without any certificates. Here you don’t need documents about higher education, don’t ask for diplomas and teach all the wisdom from the first days. Subsequently, if a person decides on a career, then he still needs to study to become a waiter.

Where to study to be a waiter in Moscow?

You can study to become a waiter at trainings organized by the organization itself or in one of the professional centers in Moscow, which systematically organize courses for waiters.

This is the training center of the Academy of Modern Professions;
This includes the MBA CITY Business Academy;
This includes the Leader Educational Center and some others.

After completing the course, the student receives a document certificate, as well as a certificate of assigned professional qualifications. The course program usually includes three parts:

Theoretical
Training workshops.
Psychological.

Both parts of training are important for a waiter, because a restaurant, like a cafe, is a production facility that has its own characteristics. The waiter must be familiar with the organization of the activities of food establishments, the rules of preparing dishes, the rules of table setting, and serving dishes.

But the practical part is what you definitely need to study to become a waiter for. The essence of his work is practical guest service. The practical skills of a waiter must be trained and brought to automaticity.

The psychological part is also important; a person with a tray in his hands is not as simple as it seems at first glance - he is a subtle, observant psychologist. And you can get practical psychological advice and skills through practical training. The courses provide not only advice on communicating with clients, but also contribute to the development of personal qualities, such as: friendliness;

correctness;
sharp mind;
as well as the ability to clearly and correctly express one’s thoughts.

When should you study to be a waiter?

Of course, you can become a waiter without the appropriate education, but such a specialist will be able to work in unpretentious catering establishments. You need to study to become a waiter if you need to change such a place to a more prestigious one, as well as in those rare cases when you happen to learn about the recruitment of newcomers to a good restaurant or cafe. People rarely hire here without work experience, but there are exceptions. With a specialist's credentials, getting here won't be difficult.

How to study to become a waiter for free?

You can study to become a waiter through courses at your own expense, or you can study for free at a specific restaurant. Anyone who completes free courses from a restaurant will be able to work only in this establishment, but the money will have to be worked off, because the restaurant spent money on training a specialist.

There is another learning path that will bring career prospects in the future. This is vocational training at a technical school, college or university in the specialty “hotel business”. In the capital, dozens of educational institutions provide students with this specialty. But given that there is a lot of competition in Moscow colleges and technical schools, you can study at one of fifty similar institutions in the Moscow region.

Graduates of the ninth and eleventh grade can go to study to become a waiter at a secondary school. The knowledge that the student will acquire will be identical, only the training based on nine classes will be longer, because along with special subjects the student also takes general education subjects.

How to choose the appropriate educational institution to obtain the waiter profession?

Modern colleges provide virtually the same education in the waiter specialty, but not all employ students after receiving a diploma or certificate. This means that it makes sense for a young man to go to study to become a waiter where they will offer a job opportunity after graduation.

When making a choice regarding an educational institution, the future waiter understands that studying to become a waiter is a necessity. It is education that will bring the opportunity to work in a prestigious restaurant in the capital, but it is worth recognizing that most often, to work in this profession from scratch, education is not a passport to the world of fashionable restaurants. Everything is learned through practice, and education is a gainful endeavor.

– this is not just a garçon with a tray, this is the face of the establishment. In many ways, how skillful, attentive and friendly the team of waiters is, the chances of a cafe or restaurant to gain a reputation as a high-class establishment, to acquire a regular clientele, are so great. increase the number of banquets on site and, accordingly, increase the profitability of the entire establishment.

Mastery does not appear immediately. But if you have plans to make being a waiter your profession and grow further along the career ladder of the restaurant business, you need to master a number of professional skills. By the way, many now successful restaurateurs started as waiters.

What skills should a future professional waiter develop and acquire? About this today - in the article www.4banket.ru

A set of personal qualities of a professional waiter

A good waiter is made from someone who combines certain natural inclinations and acquired professional characteristics.

The personal qualities of a waiter are primary. It is no coincidence that they are the first thing that the employer pays attention to during an interview. He correctly believes that many things can be taught, but not sincere goodwill and a heartfelt smile.

6 personal qualities of a good waiter

Communication skills.

The waiter will not turn out to be a sociopath, withdrawn and taciturn. Communication skills also include psychological sense. Good waiters always feel their client, know what and when to offer him, and what he should absolutely not do. This instinct helps them to win over them, and therefore towards the establishment. A relaxed and satisfied guest spends money on the order and does not skimp on tips .

Politeness and friendliness.

A polite and well-mannered person does not always behave kindly towards others. A good waiter combines tact, patience and a kind attitude towards others. He will not argue, insist on his own, and will turn everything into a joke if tension arises. And he will do it easily and naturally, without embarrassing those sitting at the table.

Stress resistance.

Without this personal quality, a good waiter cannot be made. Tears and hysterics due to a rude guest, a burnt cutlet and an overturned tray are not acceptable for a professional. Equanimity, calmness and a balanced character are important, allowing you to control and soberly assess the situation in the hall, and not panic in the event of force majeure.

Skill to work in team.

The profession of a waiter is not suitable for loners and individualists. Service and visitor care implies team spirit and joint efforts for a common cause. If someone starts pulling the blanket over themselves and refuses to lend a shoulder to a teammate, then the team will fall apart. This is unacceptable in the work of a waiter, full of unforeseen situations, when the support of colleagues is extremely important.

Honesty.

The commandment “Thou shalt not steal!” must be unshakable for the waiter. Shortchanging clients, short payments, hiding tips from colleagues, deception and forgery are destructive not only for the waiter’s career, but also for the reputation of the establishment.

Performance and responsibility.

These qualities are a direct path to professionalism in any business. Their manifestation is also accuracy - a true professional will never allow himself to be late for work or not show up for an unexcused reason.

What a waiter should be able to do: professional skills

Professional skills are acquired. The speed of mastering the secrets of the profession is influenced by two factors:

- natural talents - a successful set of personal characteristics;

- personal interest - focus on results.

A professional waiter in a restaurant is:

The invisible ninja is fast as lightning.

He appears out of nowhere and disappears into nowhere and appears again, this time with an order. Dirty plates disappear by themselves, glasses are always full...

A telepath who reads thoughts from a distance.

A good waiter knows how to predict the desires of his client, not bother with questions and advice, appears as needed and disappears into thin air if the client temporarily does not need him. He understands the guest in half a word and half a glance.

A person who remembers everything right off the bat.

The waiter must have a good memory. He will have to remember in detail the client’s order, often more than one - with different sauces, degree of steak frying and other personal wishes. He will have to accurately convey the order to the kitchen, ensure that everything is done as the customer requested, and served at the right time and in the right sequence. At the same time, the waiter “keeps” the nuances of more than one table in his head!

The embodiment of tolerance and complete compromise.

A professional waiter does not have some words in his vocabulary and knows how to do without them: “I can’t”, “I don’t know”, “I won’t”, “I can’t”. The waiter avoids all particles and prefixes with a semantic negative or negative connotation when communicating with the client. This also applies to categorical statements from the mouth of the waiter.

A treasure trove of eloquence.

A professional waiter must hang his tongue. The ability to talk about a dish in such a way, with such mouth-watering details, that the guest cannot resist ordering it is valued. At the same time, without going to obsessive extremes and without lying. Everything must be reliable and true.

Master of dining etiquette.

The waiter must master all the nuances of setting and serving at the table - where and what fork is for, from which side and with which hand to pour wine to the client, which of those sitting at the table should be given the menu first, with whom service begins at the banquet, etc.

In addition, a waiter at a prestigious restaurant must understand wine brands and be able to present them.

What a waiter should not do or what 8 should not be done

There are a number of rules that apply to all waiters serving different types of banquets.

It is forbidden:

- rush guests to order;

— withhold information from the client about the preparation time of the dish;

— carry on conversations with the client on unrelated topics, distract him from eating;

- have an unkempt appearance;

— bring your personal problems and experiences into the hall;

— impose your tastes and preferences on the visitor;

- withhold change, hoping to keep it as a tip.

Conclusion fromwww.4banket.ru : I want to repeat again: “The waiter is the face of the establishment!” So let the face of your restaurant be friendly, smiling, smart and beautiful!

We wish you not to lose face!

Waiter(from Latin officium - position, favor) - a profession in the field of public catering. Public catering establishments are an important part of the infrastructure of any city or large settlement. Restaurants, snack bars, and cafes continue to operate even in times of crisis, and employers do not stop recruiting staff. The profession is suitable for those who have no interest in school subjects (see choosing a profession based on interest in school subjects).

In Russia, the profession of a waiter appeared in the 19th century, along with the opening of European-style restaurants. In taverns, the work of waiters was performed by the so-called “floor workers”. Coming from peasant families, they studied this craft for four years, starting with washing dishes and cleaning rooms. Tips were usually handed over to a common cash register, and at the end of the day they were divided among all workers.

In addition to standard service to visitors, serving dishes and cleaning tables, if necessary, the waiter changes napkins and tablecloths, monitors the cleanliness of the room, and can take part in decorating the room for festive events.

The waiter must be able to correctly answer guests’ questions and, if necessary, recommend some dishes and drinks. He forms the final amount of the order, calculates the clients and is financially responsible for broken dishes or an escaped visitor whom he served.

The main task of every professional is to ensure that the client leaves the establishment in a good mood and is satisfied with the service.

Required professional skills and knowledge

knowledge of serving rules;
knowledge of recipe features of main dishes;
you need to know the specifics of preparing and serving dishes (in your establishment);
mastery of the subtleties of etiquette;
knowledge of pricing;
knowledge of food and drink combinations;
knowledge of English (for luxury service).

Personal qualities

patience;
attentiveness;
good memory;
communication skills;
friendliness, friendliness;
stress resistance;
physical endurance;
accuracy;
quickness;
presentable appearance;
wit, presence of a sense of humor;
clear diction.

Pros and cons of the profession

Pros:

fairly large tips (with proper service and a good place to work);
most employers do not require special education;
opportunity to combine work and study.

Minuses:

conflict situations with clients;
the need to work night shifts or on a rotating schedule;
you have to spend a long time “on your feet”;
situations when visitors try to escape without paying.

Place of work

restaurants;
coffee shops;
bars;
cafe;
events requiring guest services.

Salary and career

The success of a waiter’s career depends on his determination and place of work. Executive and proactive employees can count on fairly rapid career advancement. Over time, a waiter can become a head waiter, a floor manager, or a manager. In network companies, in five years you can become a director from a waiter. Of course, if you have the necessary qualities and experience.

We are surrounded by service establishments every day, but few people think about the importance of professions such as bartender, waiter or salesperson until they are faced with a low level of service. For example, you are going to arrange a romantic dinner for your beloved and you invite her to an unfamiliar restaurant. If the evening goes perfectly, and the level of work of the waiter, bartender or sommelier suits you, then you take it for granted. But if you encounter a flaw in the work of these people, if your evening is hopelessly ruined by the constant flaws and shortcomings of the establishment’s employees, then you understand that quality service is half the success of the restaurant business. This state of affairs persists regardless of the service sector - be it trade or communications. If you call the subscriber services department of any cellular company, for example the Beeline network, then you definitely do not want to run into a rude or incompetent operator.

In the restaurant business, everything is the same: the client is planning to spend a perfect evening, trying to find the most suitable establishment, in his opinion. Of course, most likely, a restaurant will come into his field of vision. But it is not the walls of a restaurant that are the key to its success and high attendance. Most likely, it is the qualified specialists working in the restaurant who do not ignore a single visitor, do not leave the client’s wishes unaccounted for and do everything to make the guest feel extremely comfortable, who will become the very key to the success of the establishment that every restaurateur strives for. It’s hard to imagine that a whole team of professionals is working to create one pleasant evening, including a bartender, a barista, a sommelier, a chef invisible to the eyes of restaurant guests, and, of course, a waiter. By the way, the position of a waiter is very important - after all, he is the face of the entire establishment, and the comfort of visitors will depend on his manners, skills, and simply professionalism.

Nowadays, to work as a waiter in a restaurant, you also need to have special abilities, because a waiter may need not only professional competence, but also, for example, the manifestation of the makings of a good psychologist, and sometimes simply the manifestation of special human qualities. This is precisely what is given quite a lot of importance today, because many visitors will never return to your restaurant if one of the employees of your establishment managed to ruin their evening with their tactlessness, rudeness or simply lack of attention.

If we talk about the profession of “waiter”, then it is worth highlighting some types of work for any of the representatives of this profession. These are traveling waiters, and waiters who serve only inside the restaurant, and a weekend waiter, and an evening waiter. It goes without saying that each of these types of activities has its own specific specifics, but certainly in each case the waiter must have high professional skills and a huge amount of knowledge.

For example, the work of mobile waiters is considered the most exciting (this type of service is called catering). In such cases, the waiter is able to serve a banquet or buffet in a wide variety of places (this can be indoors or entire outdoor celebrations). But the work of a waiter on the night shift is considered the most difficult, because he needs to be especially attentive, focused, and be able to work with specific clients. After all, according to experience, at night you most often encounter visitors who are interested not so much in culinary delights as in alcoholic drinks. It is here that the waiter, and especially the waitress, needs to be constantly on alert in order to be able to smooth out the “sharp” corners in time and create an atmosphere of friendliness and complete relaxation.

Working as a waitress in a restaurant is also an important issue that needs to be given special attention. After all, a girl works much harder than a guy waiter. Not only should she be a model of politeness and friendliness, but she should also have high charm. What is most interesting is that each establishment now imposes its own, additional requirements for waitresses, whose work is initially stipulated by “special” conditions. For example, when hiring a waitress, many establishments require you to attach a photo to your resume. Most often, this is necessary when the owner of a restaurant focuses specifically on pretty waitresses who, thanks to their beautiful appearance, will be able to attract new and rich clients.

There are establishments that hire waiters without experience. Such establishments require special attention. This category of establishments includes various inexpensive bars and cafes, taverns, pubs, pancake houses, coffee shops and other small restaurants. Such an establishment is very easy to recognize: already at the entrance, you can often see a notice board with something like: “Waiters wanted” or “We are hiring students to work as waiters.” If you then decide to cross the threshold of this establishment, then you should undoubtedly be prepared for the fact that the level of service there will not be at the highest level. However, on the other hand, it is precisely such establishments that become an excellent starting point for any waiter who has just received an education, but cannot find a decent job due to a simple lack of experience. There is no way for him to immediately get gold numbers at his disposal, so he has to first be content with what he has: someday, remembering such an eatery, he will understand that it gave him a chance to break into the big restaurant world.

However, no matter how hard the restaurateur tries to make the service in his establishment impeccable, some of the clients will still be dissatisfied. Firstly, no restaurant is immune from various annoying surprises: after all, sooner or later, some annoying problems or flaws will certainly occur in the work of the restaurant staff. And the human psyche is structured in such a way that it is the bad things that are remembered best. Thus, if everything is done correctly 20 times, but on the 21st time some small error occurs, then clients remember exactly this error, and not the good thing that happened before. Secondly, some clients initially come to the establishment already in a bad mood and simply take it out on the restaurant staff. Even high professionalism cannot save you from such visitors - the consequences of their rudeness remain for a long time in the souls of those whom they undeservedly insulted. Among the guests there are also those who simply love to make trouble: in this strange way they simply attract attention to themselves and stroke their overflowing ego. There are even people who simply love to complain about everything and everyone. Moreover, the staff, by virtue of the rules, is obliged to listen to all these complaints (both justified and unfounded): sometimes, among the groundless complaints, there may be an actually important remark, which, for example, can help to detect any a serious problem: after all, a fresh look from the outside always clarifies everything much better. And in this case, the problem cannot be left unattended. In addition, you need to listen to dissatisfied customers in order to show them your respect for them; after all, if, for example, a waitress demonstratively brushes aside a client, the client may be very offended and then, most likely, will never return to the restaurant.

Hello friends!

What does the profession of a waiter include, what amount of work is assigned to him, what should he do during his work shift and what qualities should he have? It seems like simple questions that I should have answered earlier, but better late than never))

Waiter(from lat. officium- “position, favor”) - an employee of a catering establishment who serves visitors.

Skills required for a waiter

Prepare the hall for the arrival of visitors;
Take the order, give it to the kitchen and bar;
Bring out and serve drinks and snacks in the correct order;
Communicate politely with guests, fulfill their wishes and adequately respond to the waiter’s comments;
Know and be able to serve banquets, buffets, coffee breaks, etc.;
At the end, write out the invoice, submit it, take out the change and thank the visitors, escort them to the exit and invite them to visit your establishment again;
Clear the table and set it for the arrival of new guests;
At the end of the day, thoroughly clean the restaurant area so that it is ready for morning work.

These are the main points that make up the daily work of a waiter. There are many more subtleties, pitfalls and exceptions, but you can read about this in new notes.

Personal qualities

communication skills;
punctuality;
discipline;
well developed memory;
neatness;
good coordination of body, arms and legs;
resistance to stress, the ability to control oneself and resolve conflicts at their inception;
have good diction, be able to express your thoughts correctly and clearly;
politeness, friendliness, knowledge of etiquette;
endurance;
wit, good sense of humor;
ability to work in a large team.

In addition, a waiter combines many professions. I wrote about this in detail here:

Job responsibilities

I covered this topic in great detail, now I’ll just list the main points.

Must be friendly and respectful to guests of the establishment;
Thorough and wine list;
Know and accurately follow all rules for serving guests;
Follow the orders of the administrator or superior management;
Correctly fill out the invoice and check out the guest;
Pass a medical examination and be healthy at work;
Know and follow safety rules.

These are just the most important points that I would like to highlight; there are many more, but no less important.

Waiter training

This topic is quite extensive and requires a separate post, since it cannot be discussed thoroughly in a few sentences.

I’ll just say briefly that this profession is widely in demand among students and young people, and to work in a cafe or on summer grounds, simply desire, physical and external data are enough. Many restaurant chains now prefer to recruit young people for vacancies with virtually no work experience))

They believe that in a couple of weeks they themselves are able to construct the model of the employee they need, so that he is obedient, does not say unnecessary things and unquestioningly fulfills any whims of management. Such things will not work with an experienced waiter, and an employee with experience will demand a higher salary, and many people do not like them))

From my own experience, I can say that back in 1996, I also got a job in a nightclub with absolutely no experience in this field. How it happened, I wrote in detail in.

Since 1996, he has gained vast experience working as a waiter, bartender, and administrator in cafes, nightclubs and restaurants. I have experience working at banquets, buffets, outdoor events, I know many colleagues in the catering industry, and I am the author of a video course for waiters.