A waitress taking an order.

Waiting staff, wait staff, or waitstaff^[1] are those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers — supplying them with food and drink as requested. A restaurant is a retail establishment that serves prepared Food to Customers. A bar (also called a Pub or Tavern) is a business that serves drinks especially Alcoholic beverages such as beer liquor and mixed drinks for consumption Traditionally, a male waiting tables is called a "waiter" and a female a "waitress. " Some people prefer to use gender-neutral language, using waiter indiscriminately for males and females, waitperson,^[2] server,^[3] or waitron, an Americanism coined in the 1980s. Phonology North American English regional phonology In many ways compared to English English, North American English is conservative in its Phonology. ^[4]

Waiting staff may also be employed in (mainly, large) private households, but there such specialization is rarer, with the general domestic staff performing the function of waiting staff.

Waiting on tables is (along with nursing and teaching) part of the service sector, and among the most common occupations in the United States. A nurse is responsible—along with other Health care Professionals —for the treatment safety and recovery of acutely or chronically In Education, a teacher is one who helps Students or pupils often in a School, as well as in a Family, religious or The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that, as of May 2005, there were over 2. The Bureau of Labor Statistics ( BLS) a unit of the United States Department of Labor, is the principal fact-finding agency for the U Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 2 million persons employed as servers in the U. S. ^[5]

Many servers are required by their employers to wear a uniform. A uniform is a set of standard Clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity

Duties of waiting staff

A waitress at a restaurant in New York

The duties of waiting staff include preparing tables for a meal, taking customers' orders, serving drinks and food, and cleaning up before, after and during servings in a restaurant. Depending on the restaurant, other less common duties may be required, such as singing birthday songs to customers who are celebrating a birthday. A theme restaurant may even require servers to dance (e. Theme restaurants are Restaurants in which the concept of the restaurant takes priority over everything else influencing the Architecture, food music and overall Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic g. Joe's Crab Shack). Joe's Crab Shack is an American chain of beach-themed seafood Casual dining restaurants owned by J There are now event caterers that outsource waiting staff to events and specific functions. Catering is the Business of providing Foodservice at a remote site Most servers are also required to carry certain items such as a pad and pen for orders, a lighter for candles, or some form of corkscrew or sommelier knife. A corkscrew is a tool for drawing stopping corks from Wine Bottles Generally it consists of a pointed metallic Helix (often called the "worm" A sommelier (pronounced /sɔməˈlje/ or suh-mal-'yAy or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional commonly working in fine Restaurants

Silver service staff are specially trained to serve at banquets or high-end restaurants. Silver service is the name given to the highest standard of Table service. They follow specific rules of service and it is a skilled job. They generally wear black and white with a long, white apron (extending from the waist to ankle). The head server is in charge of the waiting staff, and is also frequently responsible for assigning seating. The functions of a head server can overlap to some degree with that of the maître d'hôtel. The maître d' (short for maître d'hôtel literally "master of the hotel" in a suitably staffed Restaurant or Hotel is the person Some restaurants employ busboys or busgirls, increasingly referred to as bussers, to clear dirty dishes, set tables, and otherwise assist the waiting staff. Busboys or busgirls' or SA, increasingly referred to as bussers, workin the Restaurant and Catering industry clearing Busgirl ( 2006) is an American film written and directed by Steven Schuldt. Busboys or busgirls' or SA, increasingly referred to as bussers, workin the Restaurant and Catering industry clearing ^[6][7][8]

Tipping

Main article: Tip

In the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, most other Western countries and the Middle East, it is customary for customers to pay a tip to a server after a meal. A tip (also called a gratuity) is a payment made to certain Service sector workers in addition to the advertised price of the transaction The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page A tip (also called a gratuity) is a payment made to certain Service sector workers in addition to the advertised price of the transaction In many U. S. states, waiting staff, like other "tipped" employees, can be paid a lower minimum wage than other occupations. A minimum wage is the lowest hourly daily or monthly Wage that employers may legally pay to employees or workers 20% is considered standard in the U. S. , with a possible range from 15% to 25% depending on the level and quality of service. In some situations, a tip or "service charge" will be included on the restaurant bill in the U. S. Also called a gratuity, a "service charge" will be automatically applied, e. A tip (also called a gratuity) is a payment made to certain Service sector workers in addition to the advertised price of the transaction g. for large tables, parties of 4 or more, or other situations where the restaurant management imposes this to ensure that the servers working in such situations earn their usual tip income. Such service charges are usually around 18%; an additional voluntary tip is sometimes given. There is some debate in the U. S. whether a "minimum tip" exists as a convention; some argue that 15% or 20% is a minimum tip or that it is extremely rude to not leave at least $1, even if the service was not up to standard. These issues are regional, cultural, and very subjective.

In Germany and other Western countries, where minimum wages exist for servers and where tipping is not culturally entrenched, most tips take the form of rounding up to the nearest whole or half denomination of currency when the server is cashing a party out at their table. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

By contrast, servers in Japan refuse tips because it isn't a Japanese custom. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics.

Tipping is not customary in Asia, Australia and New Zealand and is not factored into wages of staff. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island However, tips are appreciated especially if the customer or party has been unusually difficult or has left a mess. For example, parents of small children may leave a small tip.

The Tax Free Tips Act of 2007 would exempt tips from federal income and payroll taxes.

References

1. ^ "Waitstaff." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004, via dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational Publisher in the United States. com website. Retrieved on 2007-09-17. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec
2. ^ "Waitperson." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004, via dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational Publisher in the United States. com website. Retrieved on 2007-09-17. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec
3. ^ "Server." WordNet 3. 0. Princeton University, via dictionary. Princeton University is a private Coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. com website. Retrieved on 2007-09-17. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec
4. ^ "Waitron." Dictionary. com Unabridged (v 1. 1). Random House, via dictionary. Random House Inc is the world's largest English-language general trade book publisher com website. Retrieved on 2007-09-17. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec
5. ^ U. S. Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics (24). Occupational Employment and Wages - Waiters and Waitresses. US Department of Labor. Retrieved on 2006-12-31. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia.
6. ^ (2004. ) "Busboy." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, via dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational Publisher in the United States. com. Retrieved on 2007-09-19. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I.
7. ^ "Busgirl." Dictionary. com Unabridged (v 1. 1), Random House, Inc. Random House Inc is the world's largest English-language general trade book publisher , via dictionary. com. Retrieved on 2007-09-19. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I.
8. ^ Schmich, Mary. (2007-08-24. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River ) "Uh, no offense, but do you still say 'busboy'?" Chicago Tribune Web Edition. Retrieved on 2007-09-19. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I.

See also

• Garçon
• Table service
• USA Today article on wait staff treatment

External Links

• How to be a Server