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Social ServiceISCO 5131

Head waiter/head waitress

A head waiter or head waitress is a person who manages the food and beverage service of a restaurant, hotel outlet or other hospitality unit, and answers for what the guest experiences from the door to the bill. The role covers the dining room rather than the kitchen, and it covers the team as well as the guests.

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Rate 5 of the 35 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

inspect table settings

coach employees

prepare tableware

monitor billing procedures

maintain relationship with customers

About head waiter/head waitress

Coordinating the service is the core of the work. The head waiter welcomes guests, oversees the taking of orders, follows the food and drinks out of the kitchen to the right tables, and supervises the financial transactions that close each visit. Opening and closing procedures are enforced at both ends of the day, so the room is ready before the first guest arrives and settled after the last one leaves.

Alongside the service itself, the head waiter briefs the staff on the day's menu before service, trains new waiters, and supervises the work across shifts. Health and safety standards apply across the room and the service areas, and compliance with them is part of the job.

Beyond the service itself, the head waiter keeps the catering stock in order, builds relationships with returning guests, and looks for the openings that raise sales revenue without pushing the guest.

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (35)

quality assurance methodologiesquality assurance methodologiesQuality assurance principles, standard requirements, and the set of processes and activities used for measuring, controlling and ensuring the quality of products and processes.inspect table settingsinspect table settingsControl table settings in order to ensure a correct table setup, including cutlery and glassware.coach employeescoach employeesMaintain and improve employees' performance by coaching individuals or groups how to optimise specific methods, skills or abilities, using adapted coaching styles and methods. Tutor newly recruited em...prepare tablewareprepare tablewareGuarantee that plates, cutlery and glassware are clean, polished and in good condition.monitor billing proceduresmonitor billing proceduresOversee that the billing procedure after a service is handled correctly.maintain relationship with customersmaintain relationship with customersBuild a lasting and meaningful relationship with customers in order to ensure satisfaction and fidelity by providing accurate and friendly advice and support, by delivering quality products and servic...greet guestsgreet guestsWelcome guests in a friendly manner in a certain place.handle customer complaintshandle customer complaintsAdminister complaints and negative feedback from customers in order to address concerns and where applicable provide a quick service recovery.supervise the work of staff on different shiftssupervise the work of staff on different shiftsOversee the activities of the employees working in shifts in order to ensure continuous operations.advise guests on menus for special eventsadvise guests on menus for special eventsOffer recommendations to guests on meal and drink items available for special events or parties in a professional and friendly manner.manage health and safety standardsmanage health and safety standardsOversee all personnel and processes to comply with health, safety and hygiene standards. Communicate and support alignment of these requirements with the company's health and safety programmes.recruit employeesrecruit employeesHire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.assist VIP guestsassist VIP guestsHelp VIP-guests with their personal orders and requests.plan menusplan menusOrganise menus taking into account the nature and style of the establishment, client feedback, cost and the seasonality of ingredients.attend to detail regarding food and beveragesattend to detail regarding food and beveragesPerform great attention to all steps in the creation and the presentation of a qualitative product.identify customer's needsidentify customer's needsUse appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.check prices on the menucheck prices on the menuControl the menu in order to ensure that prices are correct and up-to-date.maintain customer servicemaintain customer serviceKeep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requ...plan shifts of employeesplan shifts of employeesPlans shifts of employees to ensure completion of all customer orders and satisfactory completion of the production plan.measure customer feedbackmeasure customer feedbackEvaluate customer's comments in order to find out whether customers feel satisfied or dissatisfied with the product or service.supervise food qualitysupervise food qualityOversee the quality and safety of food served to visitors and customers according to food standards.maximise sales revenuesmaximise sales revenuesIncrease possible sales volumes and avoid losses through cross-selling, upselling or promotion of additional services.brief staff on daily menubrief staff on daily menuInform staff on changes to the menus to ensure they have a good understanding of the dishes, their ingredients and possible allergens.store kitchen suppliesstore kitchen suppliesKeep delivered kitchen supplies for future use in a safe and hygiene place according to guidelines.assist clients with special needsassist clients with special needsAid clients with special needs following relevant guidelines and special standards. Recognise their needs and accurately respond to them if needed.process paymentsprocess paymentsAccept payments such as cash, credit cards and debit cards. Handle reimbursement in case of returns or administer vouchers and marketing instruments such as bonus cards or membership cards. Pay attent...manage restaurant servicemanage restaurant serviceOversee the entire process of running the restaurant establishment such as managing employees and the mise-en-place.monitor work for special eventsmonitor work for special eventsOversee activities during special events taking into account specific objectives, schedule, timetable, agenda, cultural limitations, account rules and legislation.apply foreign languages in hospitalityapply foreign languages in hospitalityUse the mastery of foreign languages orally or written in the hospitality sector in order to communicate with colleagues, customers or guests.control of expensescontrol of expensesMonitor and maintain effective cost controls, in regards to efficiencies, waste, overtime and staffing. Assessing excesses and strives for efficiency and productivity.train employeestrain employeesLead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the perform...execute opening and closing proceduresexecute opening and closing proceduresApply standard opening and closing procedures for bar, store or restaurant.manage stock rotationmanage stock rotationOversee stock levels, paying attention to expiry dates to diminish stock loss.check dining room cleanlinesscheck dining room cleanlinessControl dining areas including their floor and wall surfaces, tables and serving stations and ensure appropriate cleanliness.monitor customer servicemonitor customer serviceEnsure all employees are providing excellent customer service in accordance to company policy.
Optional (9) — show
sparkling winessparkling winesThe varieties of sparkling wines and their match with food products.food waste monitoring systemsfood waste monitoring systemsThe characteristics, benefits and ways of using digital tools to collect, monitor and evaluate data on food waste in an organisation or hospitality establishment.educate customers on tea varietieseducate customers on tea varietiesInstruct customers about origins, characteristics, differences in flavours and blends of tea products.ensure maintenance of kitchen equipmentensure maintenance of kitchen equipmentGuarantee coordination and supervision of cleaning and maintenance of kitchen equipment.monitor stock levelmonitor stock levelEvaluate how much stock is used and determine what should be ordered.handle surveillance equipmenthandle surveillance equipmentMonitor surveillance equipment to observe what people are doing in a given area and ensure their safety.educate customers on coffee varietieseducate customers on coffee varietiesInstruct customers about origins, characteristics, differences in flavours and blends of coffee products.monitor check-out pointmonitor check-out pointEnsure check-out points have adequate cash available and are staffed appropriately.use resource-efficient technologies in hospitalityuse resource-efficient technologies in hospitalityImplement technological improvements in hospitality establishments, as connectionless food steamers, pre-rinse spray valves and low flow sink taps, which optimise the water and energy consumption in d...

Related Occupations

Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.

restaurant manager17 shared essential skillsvenue director14 shared essential skillswaiter/waitress11 shared essential skillshead chef8 shared essential skillsquick service restaurant team leader8 shared essential skillshead sommelier7 shared essential skillshospitality establishment receptionist7 shared essential skillslaundry and dry cleaning manager7 shared essential skills

Frequently asked questions

What does a head waiter/head waitress do?

Head waiters/waitresses manage the food and beverage service in a hospitality outlet or unit. They are responsible for the customer's experience. Head waiters/waitresses coordinate all actions involving customers such as welcoming guests, ordering, delivering the food and beverages and supervise financial transactions.

What skills does a head waiter/head waitress need?

A head waiter/head waitress needs 35 essential skills, including quality assurance methodologies, inspect table settings, coach employees, prepare tableware, monitor billing procedures.

Will AI replace head waiter/head waitress jobs?

The AI disruption score for head waiter/head waitress is 51/100 (moderate risk). Skills most exposed to automation: monitor stock level, check prices on the menu, process payments. Most resilient: attend to detail regarding food and beverages, assist clients with special needs, sparkling wines.

Quick Facts

SectorSocial Service
ISCO GroupPersonal service workers
Essential Skills35

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