Banquet Server Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a banquet server. Feel free to use our banquet server job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a banquet server.
Who is a Banquet Server?
A banquet server is in charge of setting up the tables and banquet space before visitors arrive, serving a variety of foods and courses to guests during the meal, and emptying the tables and banquet area after guests have left. For large gatherings and parties, banquets are typically held at hotels, resorts, or private clubs. This means that an event could have 100 or more visitors who need to be served quickly and courteously. A server efficiently attends to those demands, with responsibilities similar to those of a restaurant waiter but with a more team-oriented approach.
Before the guests arrive, a banquet server’s obligations begin. Servers will spread out linens on tables, place silverware and napkins on tables, and prepare any other items that may be placed at the tables, such as salt, pepper, or bread and roll before the event starts. While this person will not be cooking or preparing any of the food, he or she should become familiar with the menu and the foods served so that they may better assist guests with meal-related issues.
A server is in charge of providing the various foods and courses throughout the event itself. The women at the table are usually the first to be served, with the serving dishes coming from the guest’s left side. When a meal is finished, empty plates or bowls should be moved to the left so that other dishes can be served. Between courses, servers are frequently in charge of keeping glasses filled with water or other refreshments. This pattern continues until the last course is served and the tables are cleared.
After the guests have left, a banquet server will clean up any dishes or glasses that have been left on the tables. The servers transport these to the dishwashing stations, where the dishwashers clean them. The server is subsequently in charge of removing away any remaining items from the tables, such as linens or table decorations, in order to bring the event to a close.
Banquet servers must be able to collaborate in order to see an event through to completion and assure the happiness of all guests in the room. They frequently require outstanding customer service skills as well as the ability to multitask in order to assist several visitors at once. To be allowed to sell alcoholic beverages to customers, some firms will need employees to be 21 years old.
Some people question if there is a distinction between a banquet server and a waiter, and the answer is that there is. The biggest distinction between a Banquet Server and a Restaurant Waiter is the working environment. Restaurant waiters, for example, work in a specific location for a local restaurant or a restaurant franchise. Banquet Servers who work for catering businesses, on the other hand, may travel with them to different venues to perform the same services. Furthermore, restaurant waiters often have a certain number of tables to serve inside a specific region of the restaurant. Banquet Servers can assist any diner who requires a drink or meal order at an event.
Banquet Server Job Description
Below are the banquet server job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a banquet server job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a banquet server include the following:
- Welcoming and assisting visitors as they enter a location.
- Answering questions, collecting orders, communicating special instructions to the kitchen and bar, and providing food and beverages all contribute to the comfort of customers.
- Circulating trays of food and beverages throughout the room.
- Taking guests on tours of the facility and directing them to relevant services and features.
- Assisting with event setup, set up, and tear down, including setting up and packing away tables, table linens, and place settings, as well as buffets.
- Providing assistance to other members of the team in order to ensure that guests are satisfied.
- Maintaining compliance with safety and quality standards.
- Informing the relevant person about vital information such as orders, allergies, and special requests.
- Addressing complaints quickly and appropriately.
- Having a professional appearance and demeanor.
Qualifications
- A degree from a high school or its equivalent is required.
- It’s preferable if you’ve previously worked as a server.
- It’s possible that supplying alcoholic beverages will necessitate adhering to age restrictions.
- Guests were treated with respect and were well-cared for.
- Staying on your feet, climbing stairs, and carrying big weights are all physical demands of the work.
- Interpersonal, communication and customer service abilities are exceptional.
- Ability to work efficiently in a team and follow instructions adequately.
- Work in a variety of shifts, including early mornings, late nights, weekends, and holidays.
- CPR certification could be advantageous.
Essential Skills
- Active Listening
Actively paying close attention to what others are saying, taking your the time to grasp what they’re saying without being in a hurry, asking questions when necessary, and definitely not interrupting at inopportune times.
- Speaking
Effectively communicating information to people to avoid misunderstanding and create order. Banquet servers listen to and fulfill requests, communicate crucial information to guests, and arrange event details with coworkers, management, and kitchen staff using formal communication and decorum.
- Orientation to Service
Actively seeking out methods to assist others.
- Social Sensitivity
Being sensitive to people’s reactions, behaviors, and attitudes and comprehending why they do so.
- Coordination
Adapting one’s activities in response to the actions of others.
- Think critically.
Being knowledgeable about the advantages and disadvantages of various solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems using adequate logic and reasoning.
- Learning Actively
Understanding how new information affects present and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Organizing Your Time
Keeping track of one’s own and others’ time. Banquet servers conduct daily chores and prioritize obligations according to their priority, completion time, and deadlines.
- Comprehension of the Text
In work-related materials, understand written sentences and paragraphs.
- Negotiation
Bringing people together and attempting to bridge gaps.
- Interpersonal skills
Professionals with emotional intelligence can recognize what a visitor or coworker requires and why. Banquet servers frequently employ interpersonal skills to handle problems, respond to inquiries, and provide recommendations.
- Monitoring
Examining and monitoring your own, other people’s, or organizations’ performance in order to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Service to Customers and Individuals
Customer and personal service ideas and methods are familiar. Customer needs are assessed, services are met to quality standards, and customer satisfaction is evaluated. Knowledge and ability to speak the English language, knowing the English language’s structure and content, including word meanings and spellings, composition rules, and grammar.
- Solving Difficult Problems
Identifying and reviewing related facts in order to design, assess, and execute solutions to complicated situations.
- Decision Making and Judgment
Considering the relative costs and benefits of many options in order to select the best one.
- Focus
You’ll be surrounded by people and their requests as a food server. An obnoxious or persistent consumer might easily distract you. A stimulating conversation with a coworker or a particularly pleasant customer, on the other hand, may cause you to overlook your responsibilities.
Communication with coworkers, customer service, and high-priority requests are all part of your profession, but you must be able to balance these competing objectives in order to provide excellent service. As a waiter or waitress, your ability to stay focused and on task is crucial.
- Persuasion
Persuasion is the process of persuading others to change their ideas or conduct.
- Attention to detail
Food sensitivities, spice or garnish preferences, and other factors impede certain orders. You’ll offend, disappoint, and perhaps damage a customer if you neglect a detail, such as leaving out a condiment or including croutons when a customer has gluten sensitivity. Paying close attention to order details is a vital component of your job that affects the overall quality of your work.
How to Become a Banquet Server
- Make Certain You Meet the Requirements
While entry-level banquet servers are not needed to have a certain level of education, many companies prefer at least a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate in addition to the previous food service experience. Degrees in hotel management, culinary arts, or food service management are available to banquet servers who want to enhance their careers.
Before a formal place setting can be completed, it must include certain utensils. Similarly, you must have specialized talents before you can work as a banquet server. If you don’t have any previous server experience, consider starting out at a restaurant to hone your customer service skills. Work on getting your food handlers card and any other credentials that may help you stand out to companies.
- Obtain employment experience that is appropriate.
Lower-level support tasks such as food runner, busser, or service assistant can help you get important experience. Customer service skills can also be learned at fast-food restaurants, diners, and other casual dining or retail establishments.
- Acquire technical credentials.
Safety certificates such as CPR, food safety, and alcohol service may be obtained, though they are not usually necessary, to prepare you for the obligations of a banquet server. Many banquet servers learn the precise tactics and strategies connected to their role while on the job as part of their training. This training could be part of a new company’s orientation process and could take several weeks. Typical training includes shadowing current banquet servers and doing chores under supervision until they are confident in their ability to complete things independently. Banquet servers with suitable prior experience may be able to transfer abilities like customer service, organization, and time management to a new workplace.
- Make a résumé for your application.
On your resume, you should list your greatest level of education, any applicable certifications, and your employment history. The firm name, dates of employment, and a summary of your responsibilities, acquired abilities, and accomplishments should all be included in your work experience.
- Make an application for entry-level opportunities.
Examine the current state of the job market in your area. Apply for employment that you are qualified for based on your prior work experience and existing skills. Employers are more likely to invite you for an interview if you demonstrate your qualifications. Present your CV along with a cover letter that describes your qualifications for the position and organization.
- Certifications
Certifications are important to professionals because they can use certifications to demonstrate their qualifications to current and potential employers. Banquet servers can get certifications to gain a better understanding of their job responsibilities, learn new skills, and develop their careers.
Where to Work
Banquet Servers assist catering personnel in delivering meals to clients for catering firms or event locations. They apply their customer service talents to ensure that guests have everything they require, enhancing the image of their employer. Their role is to speak with the kitchen personnel and provide them with accurate order information. They also interact with customers during their dinner to ensure that everything is to their liking. They may also be in charge of wiping tables after visitors have left and presenting kitchen personnel with consumer feedback.
In hotels, the Banquet Server is responsible for all aspects of the setup, servicing, and breakdown of event rooms where banquet food service activities are carried out. During banquet and out-of-door functions, he or she is responsible for providing visitors with prompt, courteous, seamless, and efficient food and beverage service. Additionally, work as a team to ensure that banquet events are set up and executed properly and on time.
Banquet Server Salary Scale
As of January 27, 2022, the average hourly compensation for a Banquet Server in the United States is $13, but the range frequently falls between $11 and $15. The hourly rate I paid s determined by a variety of factors which include education, certifications, supplementary talents, and the number of years you have worked in your field. With more real-time compensation available online,
If working for an agency that pays on a monthly basis, a banquet server in Nigeria can expect to make roughly 183,000 NGN each month. Salaries range from 89,900 NGN to 286,000 NGN (lowest to highest) (highest).
This is the monthly average paid, which covers housing, transportation, and other benefits. Salaries for banquet servers vary greatly depending on factors such as experience, abilities, gender, and region.