300+ TOP WAITER Interview Questions and Answers

WAITER Interview Questions for freshers experienced :-

1. Do you have any restaurant server experience?
Yes sir im have a experience for server because in my last work in phils. is to serve that a customer need a plates or whatever.

2. What is your favorite item on our menu?
As a customer, I may give suggestion based on where they come from and what they have ordered.

3. Have you ever skipped work at your previous employment?
No I would never miss a shift I had a very good relationship with my boss and would never leave him down.

4. Why do you want to work as a waiter?
I would like to work as a waiter/waitress because i love being around people and serving them. I love to socialize and to have a job where i can have fun and get paid for doing it, well there’s nothing better.

5. How would you handle a guest that was upset with their meal?
This is a great time to showcase your problem solving skills. Talk about how you would first want to make sure that you understood what the customers needed and ensure them that you were going to try to make things better. Try to bring up examples from your current or past employment that are relevant and that help showcase your customer service and problem solving skills.

6. Tell me are you currently in school?
Yes . I am full time accounting student. But beleive me it wont be a problem. Because I know how to keep balance I my studies n job. Actually I have nearly five year experience in doing so.

7. How long will it take you to memorize our menu?
It would take time to memorize everything on the menu, however I have a good memory and it would probably take a day or 2 max, also if I was dealing with the same menu everyday I would probably just remember it without sitting down to learn it.

8. What challenges are you looking for in this catering waiter position?
A typical interview question to determine what you are looking for your in next job, and whether you would be a good fit for the position being hired for,is “What challenges are you looking for in a position?”The best way to answer questions about the challenges you are seeking is to discuss how you would like to be able to effectively utilize your skills and experience if you were hired for the job.You can also mention that you are motivated by challenges, have the ability to effectively meet challenges, and have the flexibility and skills necessary to handle a challenging job.

9. Suppose a customer asks you to pick a meal, what will you suggest?
I would ask what sort of meal they are going for and what particular foods they like and find a dish suited to their specific tastes. If they have no idea, I would tell them my personal favourite dish so they could choose that.

10. What is the best part as a waitress?
One can prove as a unique candidate by answering this question. Like, It is not routine job, it will give the opportunity to meet different kind of people. One should be able to convince and satisfy the customer with their service. It gives chance to prove, interpersonal skills. Every customer is different so have to deal with each one according to their behavior. It gives a lot of satisfaction by serving and getting feedback from the customers. It is a chance to present yourself and gives chance to develop in career.

11. Suppose i called your previous restaurant, what would they say about you?
I always have a positive attitude towards work and am always willing to work to the best of my ability. I take pride in good customer service and have worked in both formal and informal environments. I work well in a team and can work on my own in busy atmospheres. I can remain courteous even when dealing with difficult customers.

12. What do you know about waitress role?
The waitress had to take orders from the guests and serve them with their desired menu. As soon as the guest appears you have to greet them and provide them with menu card. Once they have decided to order, note the order and provide the same order to kitchen staff so that they prepare the food and can be served with the help of a boy. Sometimes need to help the guests if they found any issue with their order or environment. Overall a waitress should serve the customers with great hospitality and make them feel comfortable

13. Suppose a customer gives you a 25 cent tip, what do you do?
Smile and think to my self at least they gave what they could (only if you know you gave good service) If not, I would assess my actions and come to terms with what I did wrong and fix it!

14. Tell me are you used to serving meals in a heavy volume environment?
Yes, in my previous job we worked as a fast paced time. Most of the time service was banquet style. During this time our team of 8-10 host had to serve a dining room of up to 200 guests. After service usually each of us were left to serve drinks to two tables.

15. What is your greatest weakness and why?
This is a question that is almost sure to be asked! Think about something that you would like to improve upon, but something that is not detrimental to you getting the job. This is actually a great time to showcase your talents. Talk about past work experiences where you have had trouble and how you have learned and grown from them.

A great example would be talking about how you have had trouble disseminating work amongst your peers in the past, but have now learned how important trust and teamwork are in the workplace. Make sure that you are able to recall a specific example of this in order to show the interviewer that you aren’t simply making up an answer that you think they would want to hear.

16. What was your worst experience with a customer at your last serving job?
I think my last worst experience i had before in a customer. is complaining bout the food that i had serve to them bout the. taste or something strange taste.just like that. then i offer them to get a new dish on our menu and i have to stay calm even if he or she is getting angry.

17. What brings you to work in this role?
There will be a reason behind every action. So prepare yourself why did you choose this field and answer the interviewer smartly. Do not say that you do not have any option so you have come to this interview. Highlight the importance of serving the customers. How passionate you were towards hotel management and serving. Let them know how important it is for you to land this job. Show them that, are you feeling excited to work in their prestigious hotel. Study about the organization before attending the interview so that you can showcase how enthusiastic you are towards the job.

18. What techniques do you use to upsell?
Always having a positive attitude, a smile on your face, and let your personal charm shine through. its easy to make a connection with customers this way, so its easier to suggest different menu items.

19. Briefly introduce your self?
Tell me something about yourself, this is the basic question that will be asked by the interviewer. Always remember to say about the strengths and positive things about you in the interview. To be a unique applicant in the interview, one should not boast about themselves, but should elevate their attitude and zeal to work in this role. Try to relate your previous experience with the waitress role how that experience will help to grab this position. Let them know your ability with an example how did you managed a tough customer with your patience and pleasing smile.

20. How is your personality towards customers during slow times? Do you consider yourself pretty friendly?
I consider myself to be a friendly warm person at all times but when its extra slow i can use that extra time that i wouldnt normaly have when the restaurant is full to make the cutomer feel extra special

21. Tell me are you ready to stretch yourself for extra hours?
The answer should be positive otherwise it will lead to disqualify you for not being flexible. Yes I am ready to serve the organization whenever they need my help. Sometimes the restaurant may be houseful with crowd and short of staff. Then I will be always there to work hard for the success of the restaurant. I am not working for the money but as I love this job so i will accept any kind of responsibility. This question is to know whether the candidate is able to handle the pressure and ready to help restaurant in hard situations. It is to know how stable the candidate is in doing the work.

22. Have you eaten at our restaurant before?
yes I have , I enjoy food and always interested in trying different types of , restaurants are good places to explore varieties of food and cooking ways

23. Why did you leave your last serving job?
It was my third job at the time, and i just wasnt making enough there to compensate for the long drive to the establishment.

24. Why would you make a good addition to the team?
Where do you fit in? Serving is a team effort, so your prospective employer needs to know that can work well with others. They also need to know that you can integrate yourself quickly into your new role. Give an answer that explains how much you value teamwork, and that you can fit in quickly. Here is an answer that fulfills both criteria:

“I’m a team player and a quick learner. Each shift I will try to contribute more to help my coworkers than I ask in return. I think I can still learn a few things from the servers already here, but also hope that I can contribute a bit as well. I hope that as I improve my own skills, others will improve theirs as well.”

25. What is your least favorite part of serving?
Fight the urge to say there’s nothing you dislike. While this is the perfect answer in theory, in reality if falls flat because it’s simply not true. No job is perfect, so pick something that everyone can relate to. Some part of the restaurant business that nobody likes. That way you are being completely honest in your answer, but without sounding undesirable. Here is an answer that any restaurant worker can relate to:

“My least favorite part of serving is bad tips. Not every customer will appreciate my service as much as others. But it’s not something I can change, and I try not to take it personally. I can’t expect every customer to tip the way I would.”

26. What do you want to work for our restaurant?
This question actually will be helpful for the candidate this is a chance to impress the employer It will be an addition if you had experience in having some food at their restaurant so that you can share your good experience how you enjoyed it. You may answer like this I am a food lover, and enjoy serving food at home. So this is the best place where I can show my talent, I heard a lot about this restaurant its pretty famous in the town so I will be privileged if provided to work with your organization. This will really help for my career growth. I am happy to attend the interview for this prestigious hotel.

27. Explain a typical work week for catering waiter position?
Interviewers expect a candidate for employment to discuss what they do while they are working in detail. Before you answer, consider the position you are applying for and how your current or past positions relate to it. The more you can connect your past experience with the job opening, the more successful you will be at answering the questions. It should be obvious that it’s not a good idea talk about non-work related activities that you do on company time, but, I’ve had applicants How they are often late because they have to drive a child to school or like to take a long lunch break to work at the gym. Keep your answers focused on work and show the interviewer that you’re organized (“The first thing I do on Monday morning is check my voicemail and email, then I prioritize my activities for the week.”) and efficient.

28. Suppose we require you to come in an hour before busy time, and stay an hour after we close to clean, is that okay?
Yes that is fine. It would be good to be able to prepare for the busy periods. Also being busy is a challenge and which i truly enjoy.

29. What’s more, that the waiter has to do?
It is not enough to just take the order and provide them a bill. I will also check whether the table arrangement is good and comfortable for the customer. Have to check whether the glasses and other spoons, forks, knives are available. Also check whether the water is refilled in the middle of the meal. Find whether the food is good, or if there are any issues try to solve them, replace the food if something went wrong. Help the customers if they want anything else from a meal like desserts, etc. When they are done with the meal I will wish them that it is happy to serve them and hope to see them again.

30. What are your go to wines, that you recommend when asked?
It depends what their choices from the menu are, but considering many of the items on the menu here, I would suggest a light white wine with the seafood and fish dishes or a cocktail, and maybe a more full bodied red with dishes such as the bbq tray.

31. How would you take negative feedback?
This shows whether the candidate is eligible to land this job. The answer should be very impressive. You can answer like I will always try not to get negative feedback, but if I get one, will take it in a positive manner. I would always ask my customer for feedback which is very important to develop myself. It will try to analyze my mistake so that I will improve my skills while facing my next customer.

32. Explain about the customer with whom you had a bitter experience?
Never display the interviewer that you handled the customer badly, tell them that you tried to help them but still the customer is not satisfied. Example: Once I got a chance to face the couple who were in an argument and they are in a bad mood. I tried to help them, I gently asked them what they would like to have. They were very impatient at me, but still I maintained my pleasant smile and took the menu as per their instructions, when people are at bad mood they will not like whatever we do so all one need to do is just understand their mood and carry out the same professional behavior.

33. Have You Worked as a Waiter Before?
One of the first questions you will likely be asked when you are being interviewed for a position as a waiter or waitress is whether or not you have any previous experience. Since you will be required to perform a variety of tasks which include taking orders, delivering orders, prepping workstations, handing disgruntled customers and even handling money, most employers prefer experienced wait staff. If you have experience, simply provide this information. If you do not, a statement such as, “While I don’t have formal experience, I enjoy working with people and I learn very quickly” should suffice.

34. How often do you miss shifts?
Very rarely. If I do, there is certainly a valid reason, and I will ensure that supervisors are given enough notice, or I will work to find someone to replace me.

35. What is your favorite part of serving?
Use this question to show your employer that you know your way around a restaurant. Give an answer that uses some common restaurant terminology. Also, use this question to highlight why you want to work in a restaurant. This well let your prospective employer know you’re not just there to collect a paycheck. Here’s an answer that accomplishes what you need:

“I enjoy the constant challenge. Every day is different. Every shift has a new surprise, and I enjoy the challenge of handling them. I also like how I improve more with each one. I always handle a new situation better than the last, and I like the progress I’ve made. This also keeps the job from being boring.”

36. What are your additional skills?
In this fast and competitive world, the employer expects an additional skill that can be enclosed for the purpose of successful turnover of the restaurant business. And that’s why the candidate should have some special skills like bar attending or anything, this provides a possibility that the candidate might get selected for the job offered. Therefore, obtaining additional skills in a restaurant business can be an added advantage for the candidate.

37. What have you learnt from your previous job?
Most probably the employer might try to get some negative opinion from a candidate about his / her previous job experience. But the way of handling such question would be that when a candidate is approached by such question then he / she needs to project the positive side of his / her previous job. And also have to keep in mind that a candidate needs to present only positive side of the restaurant or company even if they are no longer working in that particular restaurant or company.

38. What is the toughest time you faced in your life?
This question is to find out how can one handle hard situations. This will reveal the capability of a candidate. You should not hint them that you are arrogant and impatient. Only tell them the story in which you played a good role. Put yourself with a story which gist with an excellent potential skills that will tell the interviewer how you handled the customer. Like for example, one day you had to handle many customers, which is very important for the hotel to make business on that day, tell them how quickly you took a menu and served the customers well with the help of your team.

39. Tell me do You Have any Related Degrees or Certificates?
Most waiters and waitresses do not have any degrees or certificates that are specific to their fields. Thus, if you are able to obtain any certifications such as those in food handling or even a certificate in foodservice, you will be a much more valuable asset to your employer. “I earned the Oregon State Food Handing Certification in 2012 and I took a six-week course in proper foodservice techniques in 2010” would be a great reply. You should bring any certificates with you to the interview and present them when this question arises.

40. What previous jobs have you held?
Earlier this year I waitressed at the seafood restaurant where I undertook tasks including setting tables up with cutlery and crockery, basic food preparation, waitressing and cleaning duties. I have also waitressed at christenings and birthday events for relatives, neighbours and family friends. During my time at school I also volunteered in a number of hospitality events including a cooking demonstration.

41 How can I trust you?
You can trust me because I am a responsible person. I have been in situations where I have been trusted before. I have been minding children since I was 13 and that is a job which requires people to trust me. I know it is nothing like waiting but people have trusted me with their kids which show I am responsible. Also I really want to work, I don’t work for the money, money is only one benefit of working, I want to work and do a good job.

42. Tell us what is your greatest weakness?
Think of this as another opportunity to show off your strengths. With the proper wording, you can make a fault sound desirable, while at the same time still being an honest answer. This way you are still showing that you’re humble, but not hurting your chances of getting the job. One answer might be along the lines of:

“It’s probably true that I am hesitant to ask for help. I feel responsibility for my own work, and don’t like to burden others who have their own set of responsibilities. It’s something that I’m trying to work on, because I know it’s okay and often a good idea to ask a coworker for help.”

43. Are you fluent in communication?
Working in a restaurant and being a waitress is something related to their communication skills which helps them attract customers to their restaurant with their service. Therefore, it is necessary that while selecting a candidate for the waitress position the employer need to be well aware of his / her communication skills. Excellent communication skill can provide the candidate the waitress job which can eventually benefit the restaurant business.

44. How would you help in the success of a restaurant?
One should not only look into individual goals, but also should work for organization growth. You can answer by saying that one should able to manage the customers with a great respect and should never be rude to customers. Apart from the food taste the service also should be extraordinary. If their experience is good, they would visit again and again, which will be plus point of the restaurant also they may receive party orders because of the fame spread by the customers. We just have to take care that the customers enjoying the food at our restaurant. This is enough to improve the business and this is how I would help in the restaurant success.

45. What is your greatest strength and why?
What are you good at and how does that make you a great match for this job? Multitasking is something that you will have to be able to do in order to be a waitress and is something that can be easily tied into multiple situations. Think of a time where you have had to multitask in the past and how you were able to successfully accomplish all tasks. This question will allow for you to talk about how past experiences will help you succeed in this job. Other possible examples include:

• Great customer service
• Excellent listener
• Reliable
• Incredible communication skills
• Team player
• Dependable

46. Do You Work Well with Others?
While a customer is dining in a restaurant, the waiter or waitress is often the only face the customer sees and is therefore the face that customer associates with the business. Your demeanor will have a huge impact on the business, and as such, employers often ask whether or not you work well with others. Rather than simply providing a yes or no reply, be descriptive in your answer. Something like, “I do work well with others and I enjoy being part of a team” followed by any examples you can provide is often the best answer to this question.

47. Tell me about yourself?
I am a very friendly and positive person, I always work with passion and do my best also I always make sure that my customer are happy because I think people should have a great experience when they eat out and it my responsibility to make sure that they enjoy their meal.

48. Lets suppose your car breaks down on the way to work, what would you do?
I would leave the car securely parked, and take a taxi or public transportation.

49. What is your greatest strength?
Where do you shine? What sets you apart from other people up for your position? There’s no place for modesty here. Emphasize your strengths with all the gusto you can muster. But remember, while it’s okay to push the envelope a little, never tell an outright lie. A good answer might sound something like this:

“I have enough experience in the restaurant business that very little can throw me off. Even when things get crazy, I’m able to stay cool and calm, hopefully setting an example for others. Not that I’m any less busy than my coworkers, but I know how to remain focused and get the job done.”

50. Are you a Multi Tasker?
There are some situations in the restaurants when a waitress need to handle more than work under certain situations. For that purpose the employer needs to hire such candidates in the restaurant who can handle more than one work when there is a crisis situation. Obtaining the qualities of a Multitasker can bring a candidate the position of waitress as it is required in the job description. Therefore, while answering such question the candidate needs to keep in mind that if they really need that job, then they are supposed to be Multi Tasker.

51. Can you please What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Most commonly these strengths and weakness list of questions are asked for the sake of understanding the level of hard work that a candidate can put out . And the candidate must keep in mind that while answering such question they need to present a set of strengths and weakness which cannot be questioned in future terms. Sometimes the employers confuse the candidate by tricking them inside the answers they have already given.

52. Explain me something about teamwork?
One will not appoint only for a specific role, they promote you for different roles where you need to work with a team, in that case how do you manage, this is what exactly the interview checks keenly while doing interview. You can answer like this I have a bit of knowledge about this field but I take help from my co-employees and develop myself in serving the customers. Also I will be there to help my team whenever they need my help. Tell them how can you integrate yourself in the team and work for the organization. Tell them how fun it is to work with team and enjoy the workplace environment.

53. Why did you leave your last job, or why are you looking to leave your current job?
Never say anything negative about your past or current waitress positions. You can talk about how you are looking to expand your knowledge and experience and that this job would allow for that. If you were working at more of a chain restaurant and interviewing at an independently owned restaurant you could talk about the uniqueness and how you would rather be working for an individual instead of a corporation, etc.

54. Explain a Situation in which You Helped a Difficult Customer?
As with any business, restaurant patrons will sometimes have complaints and it will likely be your responsibility to resolve them. Perhaps a steak was underdone; perhaps another member of the wait staff was rude or unkind to the customer. Whether or not the example you can provide is directly related to the restaurant business is often irrelevant. For example, “When I worked in retail sales, I once assisted a woman who had purchased a defective product. Although she had to go through the manufacturer for a replacement which made the process difficult, I walked her through it each step of the way to achieve a resolution” is a perfect answer.

55. Have you ever had difficulty with a kitchen member? How did you work out the problem?
New girl was slow on the coffee machine when there was a large queue. Quickly had to re-evaluate the situation and move the staff around to positions we were better suited to so as to keep up with the influx of customers.

56. Would you say you are a people person?
Yes I would say I was a people person. I truly enjoy working with people as part or a team and meeting new people. I also really enjoy that being is the hospitality service industry that meeting new people on a daily basis is part of your job.

57. Operational and Situational Waiter Interview Questions:

1. What is your experience with customer service and how does that relate to this position?
2. Describe your last dining experience and how it could have been improved.
3. What do you know about our main competitors?
4. What are some food trends that you’ve recently noticed?
5. What wines do you often recommend to your customers?
6. Recall a time you handled a customer complaint. What was the situation and outcome?
7. What would you if your customer tried to combine some special offers that can’t be combined?
8. How do you stay organized while taking orders?
9. How would you rate your upselling skills?
10. How would you handle getting a bad tip?
11. What would you do if your car broke down on the way to work?
12. Recall a time a team member wasn’t doing their share of the work. How did you handle it?
13. What are your feelings on tip sharing?
14. Have you dined with us before? What do you think we could do better?

58. Basic Waiter Job Interview Questions:

1. What jobs have you worked that required you to be in a fast-paced and crowded environment? How did you maintain quality standards in this environment?
2. What do you consider to be good customer service?
3. Describe a time when you had to deal with a particularly difficult customer/table. How did you handle the situation? Is there anything you would have done differently?
4. Have you ever taken charge in a restaurant in an emergency?
5. How do you handle fast-paced work environments?
6. How do you entertain customers as a waiter?
7. What is the most difficult part of being a waiter?
8. Imagine a customer asks for an item on the menu that is not available at the time. How do you convince him to select something else?
9. What would you do if a customer sent his meal back?
10. If a customer asks for a suggestion, what would you say?
11. What is your favorite item on our menu?

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