Waiter Interview Questions & Answers

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Waiters serve customers in restaurants by placing their food orders and bringing the prepared food to their table. Waiter responsibilities include greeting and serving customers, providing detailed information on menus, multi-tasking various front-of-the-house duties and collecting the bill.

Whether you're a job seeker preparing to be interviewed for the role of Waiter or an employer preparing to interview candidates for Waiter position, these Waiter interview questions will help you prepare yourself for the job interview session.

Waiter Interview Questions

Below are a list of some skill-based Waiter interview questions.

1. How often do you think you should check in with customers?
2. What do you know about our main competitors?
3. What wines do you often recommend to your customers?
4. What would you if your customer tried to combine some special offers that can’t be combined?
5. Recall a time a team member wasn’t doing their share of the work. How did you handle it?
6. Have you dined with us before? What do you think we could do better?
7. We want our waiters to be friendly and engaging. How would you make customers feel welcome and help them have a good time?
8. What are some of the techniques that you use to upsell your customers food and drinks?
9. What can you do to help the restaurant be successful?
10. How would you handle a dissatisfied and potentially angry customer?
11. Would you be able to pick up shifts with little notice when the restaurant is short-staffed?
12. Are you good at basic maths?
13. Do you have any customer service experience?
14. What is your perspective on taking and sharing tips?
15. Tell me about the latest food trends you are following.
16. Imagine you are a diner here. How would you improve the dining experience?
17. During busy nights, it can be difficult to keep track of customer orders. How will you ensure that you take orders correctly and deliver them promptly?
18. What do you love most about being a waiter?
19. Can you operate cash registers and POS systems?
20. Do you have any experience preparing tables?
21. Tell me about your experience accommodating customers with special diets, such as vegan and gluten-free needs.
22. Have you ever received a below average tip? How did you handle this situation?
23. What would you do if you noticed a table hadn’t been attended to after 10 minutes?
24. As a waiter, what experience do you have handling cash and card transactions?
25. Tell me about a time you had to deal with a demanding customer as a waiter.
26. What do you absolutely hate about being a waiter?
27. Can you work long shifts and be on your feet for several hours a day?
28. What food making or bar instruments can you operate?
29. Do you know anything about food handling and the safety regulations of our industry?
30. Are there any precautions you take or follow to ensure a safe work environment for both yourself and others?
31. Do you have any experience with wines and other alcoholic beverages?
32. What is your experience level as a waiter?
33. There is a problem with a customer’s order. What is your strategy for addressing the issue?
34. What is your biggest weakness when serving?
35. What is your greatest strength as a Waiter?
36. Do you have experience making and/or serving desserts?
37. While trying to serve a patron, you stumble and fall with their order. What will be your reaction?
38. How well do you work in a restaurant environment where everyone needs to support each other? Why do you think teamwork is important for a restaurant to be successful?
39. What innovative ideas do you have from you previous place of work as a waiter, that you'd like to share with us.
40. Is it more important to sell expensive items or satisfy the patron?
41. Provide an example of a time when you went above and beyond for a customer.
42. What would you do if you noticed another waiter struggling to handle their tables?

Waiter Interview Questions and Answers

Every interview is different and the questions may vary. However, there are lots of general questions that get asked at every interview.

Below are some common questions you'd expect during Waiter interviews. Click on each question to see how to answer them.

1. Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job?
2. What is Your Greatest Strength?
3. Tell Me About Yourself
4. Why Do You Want This Job?
5. Are You a Leader or a Follower?
6. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?
7. What is Your Salary Expectation?
8. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
9. Why Should We Hire You?
10. What is Your Greatest Weakness?

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