OKcollegestart - Career Profile

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Waiter/Waitress What They Do

Takes orders and serves food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.

Takes orders from patrons for food or beverages.
Checks with customers to ensure that they are enjoying their meals and takes action to correct any problems.
Checks patrons' identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Collects payments from customers.
Writes patrons' food orders on order slips, memorizes orders, or enters orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff.
Prepares checks that itemize and total meal costs and sales taxes.
Presents menus to patrons and answers questions about menu items, making recommendations upon request.
Removes dishes and glasses from tables or counters and takes them to kitchen for cleaning.
Serves food or beverages to patrons, and prepares or serves specialty dishes at tables as required.
Cleans tables or counters after patrons have finished dining.

People who do this job report that:

You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
Work in this occupation involves bending or twisting your body more than one-third of the time
Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
Work in this occupation involves walking or running more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

Seeing clearly up close
Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
Exerting oneself physically over long periods of time without getting out of breath
Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:

Banquet Server --
Cocktail Server -- Takes drink orders and serves beverages and additional duties may include cleaning off tables, ringing up totals at the register and checking identification to make sure customers are old enough to drink.
Food Runner --
Food Server --
Restaurant Server --
Room Service Server --
Server --
Waiter --
Waitress --
Waitstaff --