Wait Staff

Wait Staff interview questions:

The success of your guests’ dining experience often hinges on the quality of service provided by your wait staff, in addition to the food and beverages. It’s essential to carefully select your staff, taking into account the specific requirements of your establishment. Depending on whether you’re seeking experienced wait staff or those new to the industry, you can tailor your interview questions accordingly.

For candidates with more experience, consider incorporating situational questions that assess their ability to handle various scenarios effectively. On the other hand, for candidates new to this line of work, focus on questions related to customer service skills. Prior experience in customer-facing roles and proficiency in cash handling, including point of sale systems and cash registers, are highly desirable qualities.

Outstanding servers possess key attributes such as sociability and a strong desire to provide excellent service. They exhibit impressive stamina, capable of remaining on their feet for extended periods. They are well-versed in the menu and can upsell without being overly pushy. Furthermore, they excel at teamwork, fostering positive relationships with fellow servers, hosts, bartenders, cooks, and other colleagues within the restaurant. Reliability is also crucial; they should be able to give notice and arrange for a replacement if unable to work a scheduled shift.

The interview questions provided are primarily situational in nature and are designed to encourage candidates to share detailed experiences relevant to the position. These questions help you assess their interpersonal skills, communication abilities, and their motivations for pursuing this role. Additionally, they enable you to gauge their familiarity with the food and beverage industry.

Operational and Situational questions:

• Tell me about your prior experience in customer service and how it aligns with the requirements of this role.
• Reflect on your most recent dining experience and share ways you believe it could have been enhanced.
• Could you share your knowledge about our primary competitors in the industry?
• What are some noteworthy food trends you’ve observed recently?
• Which wines do you typically recommend to patrons?
• Share a past incident when you handled a customer complaint. Describe the situation and its resolution.
• How would you respond if a customer attempted to combine special offers that are not compatible?
• Can you explain your approach to maintaining order accuracy while taking customer orders?
• Please rate your proficiency in upselling.
• How would you manage receiving a low tip from a customer?
• What steps would you take if your vehicle broke down on your way to work?
• Recall a time when a team member did not contribute their fair share of work. How did you address this situation?
• What are your thoughts on the practice of tip sharing?
• Have you dined at our establishment previously? If so, what improvements do you believe we could make?