Print | 25 Waiter and Waitress Interview Questions

1. Are you used to serving meals in a heavy volume environment? How to Answer: This question is designed to gauge your experience level, and it allows the interviewer to understand what type of training you should be provided if you are hired. Openly share if you have experience serving meals in a very busy setting. If you have experience, be sure to mention that you have been successful in the busy setting and that you enjoy the work. If you do not have experience in a busy environment, be sure to mention that you look forward to the challenge! 2. Would you say you are a people person? How to Answer: Absolutely! The interviewer wants to hear that you are comfortable conversing with other people. As a customer service person, you are definitely a sociable person. Explain to the interviewer that you enjoy getting to know your co-workers, work hard to build relationships with your regular customers through simple interactions, and look forward coming to work each day in customer service. You might work best in a large group setting, or one-on-one interactions might be your thing. Either way, you are a sociable person. 3. Tell me about yourself. How to Answer: Start off by telling the interviewer where you are originally from. Next, share where you went to school or are going to school and if you have a college degree. Finally, share a couple of fun facts with the interviewer such as if you have any pets and any hobbies that you have. We recommend not discussing your age, children, or marital status when answering this question. Instead, stick with the basics that we have outlined above to ensure you create a positive impression with the interviewer. 4. What is your favorite item on our menu? How to Answer: Do you already have a favorite item on the menu? That's great! Share your favorite item with the interviewer, and share why it is your favorite. If you do not already have a favorite item, we recommend that you review the menu online prior to arriving for your interview to determine which menu item would most likely interest you. When asked this question, you will be prepared to share which menu item stands out to you the most! 5. How long will it take you to memorize our menu? How to Answer: Memorizing the menu is part of the job, and the interviewer wants to hear that you are not daunted by the task! Start off by telling the interviewer that you look forward to learning the menu and will work diligently to learn the menu as quickly as possible. Next, mention a reasonable timeframe to learn the menu taking into consideration how many pages the menu entails. You might share that it will take you 1-2 weeks to learn the menu in its entirety. Finally, share your gameplan for learning the menu. You might mention that you will look at the big picture first recognizing categories. You might mention that you will make flashcards for yourself. Or, you might mention that your roommate has already volunteered to help you study. 6. Have you ever skipped work at your previous employment? How to Answer: Never. The interviewer needs to hear that you are reliable and that you have never skipped work. Simply tell the interviewer that you have never skipped work and that you always leave your home a few minutes early to ensure you arrive at work punctually. 7. Do you have any restaurant server experience? How to Answer: Be candid with the interviewer and share your experience. It will allow the interviewer to understand how much training and what type of training you should be provided when you start the job. Simply share the names of any restaurants where you have been a server as well as how long you worked there. 8. Are you in this to make money or do you enjoy socializing? How to Answer: You definitely enjoy socializing, and you understand that the more social you are the more money you will earn because great customer service leads to great tips! It's a win-win! 9. What previous jobs have you held? How to Answer: Provide the interviewer with a high-level overview of the previous jobs you have held by stating the name of the company, job you held, and how long you were a part of the team. Positivity is key, so be sure to mention something that you really liked about each job as well! 10. If a customer asks you to pick a meal, what will you suggest? How to Answer: We recommend that you review the menu online prior to arriving for the interview. Take note of any restaurant specialities as these make great answers to this question! When asked, tell the interviewer which restaurant speciality you would recommend, and share that you suggest it because it is what the restaurant is known for. Be sure to mention if you would add a salad, appetizer, or dessert to complete the meal as well. 11. Why do you want to work as a waiter/waitress? How to Answer: What excites you about being a waiter/waitress? Is it the people interaction? Is it the hours? Is it that you would get to work for a well-known restaurant? Or, maybe you have a lot of friends who work there, and you know you would enjoy going to work each day. Whatever excites you about the opportunity, share it with the interviewer! We recommend refraining from answers involving money and income when answering this question and focusing on the other exciting aspects of the job instead. 12. Have you eaten at our restaurant before? How to Answer: If you have eaten at the restaurant before, that's great! Tell the interviewer that you have eaten at the restaurant, enjoyed your experience, and look forward to dining in again. Add an overview of your favorite part of the restaurant such as your favorite menu item, favorite part of the environment, or favorite staff members. If you have not eaten at the restaurant before, that's okay too! Be candid with the interviewer, and share that you have not eaten at the restaurant. Share the wonderful things you have heard about the establishment, and mention that you look forward to dining with them some day. 13. How is your personality towards customers during slow times? Do you consider yourself pretty friendly? How to Answer: You are always a friendly person because that is what customer service is all about! Share that you treat all of your customers the same with a positive attitude and friendly demeanor. Next, mention that the slow times allow you to spend more time talking to your customers and getting to know them, and you know that building relationships with the customers will lead to better tips in the long-run! 14. Are you currently in school? How to Answer: Be open and honest with the interviewer about if you are currently in school or plan to attend school in the near future. If you are currently in school, come prepared with your class schedule and availability printed on a separate document. 15. Why did you leave your last serving job? How to Answer: Candidly share why you chose to leave your last serving job while only talking positively about the company. You may state that you needed to submit your resignation because your next semester school schedule would not align with their needs. Or, you may state that you left your last serving job because you took a different job with another company. Be sure to mention something that you really liked about the job, and share that you are excited to get back to serving. 16. How can I trust you? How to Answer: This one should be easy! Share with the interviewer that you hold yourself personally accountable for doing an excellent job every day you are at work. Mention that you understand you are being paid to do a job, and you feel it is only right to work in an ethical way all the time to remain as a trusted member of the team. 17. What techniques do you use to upsell? How to Answer: Interviewers in restaurants need to hear that you are comfortable upselling. Tell the interviewer that you might offer each table the opportunity to buy dessert or an after dinner drink. Mention that you might ask if appetizers are of interest. And, if the restaurant offers the same plate in two portion sizes, state that you would ask the customer if they would like to order the next size up for a small increase in price. 18. If a customer gives you a 25 cent tip, what do you do? How to Answer: Begin by telling the interviewer that thankfully the majority of customers are pleasant to work with, and these situations are typically few and far between. Next, tell the interviewer that you understand customer service means always having a smile on your face, cheerful attitude, and pleasant demeanor. Tell the interviewer that you would continue interacting with the customer in a positive manner even when they provided you with a seemingly insufficient tip. 19. What was your worst experience with a customer at your last serving job? How to Answer: Giggle, and share that one awful experience by starting with a high-level overview of what happened. The interviewer is most interested in how you respond to the situation, so be sure to mention that you did not allow the situation to get the best of you and maintained a positive attitude. If you needed to apologize to a customer for the situation, be sure to mention how you sincerely apologized and how thankful the customer was for the apology. 20. We require you to come in an hour before busy time, and stay an hour after we close to clean, is that okay? How to Answer: If you are available during these hours, tell the interviewer that you will happily come in an hour before busy time and stay an hour after close to help clean. It shows the interviewer that you are a team player and will do what it takes to ensure the team is successful. If you are unable to work these extra hours, you will need to candidly share this with the interviewer understanding that you will likely not be considered for the job any longer. 21. How often do you miss shifts? How to Answer: The interviewer wants to know that you are a reliable person. Tell the interviewer that you are reliable and do not call off from work unless you would have an emergency or are very ill. Next, share with the interviewer how few times you have called off from work in the past year. If you were sick with the flu and had to call off work 2 days in a row, that's to be expected! Simply tell the interviewer that you had the flu and had to call off 2 days in the past year. We are all human and get sick from time-to-time. Missing work for those 2 days will not be a deal breaker. 22. Your car breaks down on the way to work, what would you do? How to Answer: This is your opportunity to show the interviewer that you are wise and do not allow these unplanned situations to get the best of you. Start off by telling the interviewer that you would assess how much time you have until your shift starts. Taking into account this amount of time, you would call/text a couple of friends or family members to see if they could get you to work on time. If they are unavailable, you would call for a cab, take city transportation, or walk depending on how far away you are. Finally, be sure to mention that you would call the restaurant to let them know what happened if you will be arriving a few minutes late due to the setback. 23. Have you ever had difficulty with a kitchen member? How did you work out the problem? How to Answer: Never had a problem with a kitchen member? That's great news! Tell the interviewer that you have never had a bad experience with a member of the kitchen and have been very fortunate to always have wonderful co-workers! If you have had a bad experience with a kitchen member, it is acceptable to share it. The interviewer will be most interested in how you responded to the situation. Start off by giving the interviewer a high-level overview of the situation. You might say, "I had received 3 complaints in one night from customers that their steak was not done the way it was ordered." Next, share what you did to resolve the problem. You might say, "I doubled checked that I had written the orders down correctly, and when I realized they were written correctly, I pulled the kitchen member aside and told them what had been happening. I mentioned that I had three customers complain about their steak not being done to order. The kitchen member felt really bad and appreciated that I brought it to their attention. That was all it took! I never had another complaint like that again!" Being sure to mention the positive outcome of the situation is always a nice way to end. Answer Example: "I had received 3 complaints in one night from customers that their steak was not done the way it was ordered." 24. If I called your previous restaurant, what would they say about you? How to Answer: The interviewer wants to hear that your previous restaurant will describe you in a positive manner. Think about the positive things your past employer has said about you. Instead of listing these things, tell the interviewer what each person told you. For example, you might say, "John has told me that I am a hard worker, and he has told me that he really likes how I am always happy to be at work!" These concrete examples will be sure to impress the interviewer! Answer Example: "John has told me that I am a hard worker, and he has told me that he really likes how I am always happy to be at work!" 25. What are your go to wines, that you recommend when asked? How to Answer: We recommend reviewing the restaurant website before arriving at your interview to review their wine menu options. Popular responses to this question might include the house wine or any specials that are currently being offered. The interviewer wants to hear that you have some knowledge of wine and is not seeking one specific response, so feel free to share your wine of choice along with what menu item you would pair it with.