Hire a Cocktail Waitress
A cocktail waitress, also known as a cocktail server, has duties and responsibilities similar to the wait staff. They usually take orders for drinks and beverages from the guests and relay orders to the bartender. However, being a successful cocktail waitress requires much more than knowing how to take drink orders. Many cocktail waitresses acquire steady and regular customers, who appreciate the servers' friendly attitude and customer service skills. Repeat business is the key to a restaurant's success. One of the best ways to become a cocktail waitress is to start as a food server. Gaining experience as a server in a restaurant can provide the cocktail waitress with experience in a fast-paced, high-volume restaurant. Cocktail waitresses begin at entry-level and move up through on-the-job training. The range of annual earnings of an entry-level cocktail waitress are between $12,100 and $28,728.
Responsibilities of a Cocktail Waitress
The job duties and responsibilities are the same across most establishments but may vary based on the level of the job. The primary responsibility of a cocktail waitress is to exceed customer expectations by being friendly, prompt, and attentive, and ensuring that customers' preferences are taken into account. The daily tasks include: interacting with customers, taking beverage orders, making recommendations, providing accurate bills, serving food and drinks, and processing payments in a timely manner. They are responsible for efficient table management; serving multiple tables, cleaning, and clearing spreads. Additionally, they are sometimes tasked with opening and closing the bar, preparing ingredients, and restocking inventory. The candidate should also be familiar with different kinds of cocktails and beverages to serve customers better.
Skills Required of a Cocktail Waitress
The job of a cocktail waitress is an appealing one in the restaurant industry. Applicants need to have a variety of skills, competencies, and professional characteristics. Customer service is the first skill that a hiring manager looks for in candidates. The more experience they have as a server, the easier it is to land the job. There is no formal education required. However, some restaurants prefer that the applicant have a high school degree. The candidate must be at least 21 years old or of legal drinking age, depending on the country. Other than this, the applicant needs to be friendly and have an outgoing personality, should know how to multitask, and have the patience to deal with all types of customers. They should also have extensive knowledge of drink menus and must be able to make recommendations to customers.