Top 12 Food Server Skills to Put on Your Resume

Crafting an impactful resume as a food server requires highlighting a blend of technical proficiency and exceptional interpersonal skills that cater to the dynamic demands of the hospitality industry. Demonstrating a carefully curated list of relevant skills on your resume can distinguish you as a versatile and capable candidate, ready to elevate the dining experience in any establishment.

Food Server Skills

1. POS Systems
2. OpenTable
3. Time Management
4. Customer Service
5. Upselling Techniques
6. Multitasking
7. Conflict Resolution
8. Menu Knowledge
9. Wine Pairing
10. Food Safety
11. Cash Handling
12. Teamwork

1. POS Systems

A POS (Point of Sale) system for a food server is a digital platform used to manage orders, payments, and sales transactions in a restaurant or food service establishment, streamlining the ordering process for both staff and customers.

Why It's Important

POS (Point of Sale) systems are crucial for food servers because they streamline the ordering and payment process, ensure accurate transactions, track sales and inventory in real time, and improve customer service by reducing wait times and errors.

How to Improve POS Systems Skills

Improving POS (Point of Sale) Systems for a food server involves enhancing efficiency, user experience, and data management. Here are concise strategies:

1. Integration with Other Tools: Ensure your POS can seamlessly integrate with inventory management, customer relationship management (CRM), and accounting software. This creates a unified system that improves operational efficiency and provides valuable insights. Square offers robust integration capabilities.

2. Cloud-Based Technology: Adopt cloud-based POS systems for real-time data access, updates, and backups. This allows for better flexibility and access from any device. Toast is a popular choice in the food service industry.

3. User-Friendly Interface: Opt for POS systems with intuitive, easy-to-navigate interfaces to reduce training time and minimize errors. This enhances the user experience for both staff and customers. Lightspeed is known for its user-friendly design.

4. Mobile and Contactless Payments: Incorporate mobile and contactless payment options to cater to customer preferences for quick and safe transactions. Square again is a leader in this area, offering versatile payment solutions.

5. Comprehensive Reporting and Analytics: Choose a system that provides detailed reports and analytics to track sales, inventory, and customer preferences. This data can help in making informed decisions to improve service and profitability. TouchBistro offers insightful analytics tailored for the food service industry.

6. Customer Management Features: Implement POS features that support loyalty programs, personalized marketing, and customer feedback. This can enhance customer satisfaction and retention. Loyverse specializes in customer engagement tools.

7. Scalability: Ensure the POS system can scale with your business, accommodating more locations, menu items, and transactions without compromising performance. Shopify POS is an example of a scalable solution suitable for various business sizes.

Implementing these strategies can significantly improve the functionality and efficiency of POS systems for food servers, enhancing both operational performance and customer satisfaction.

How to Display POS Systems Skills on Your Resume

2. OpenTable

OpenTable is a real-time online reservation service that allows customers to book tables at restaurants, facilitating efficient table management and guest accommodation for food servers.

Why It's Important

OpenTable is important for a Food Server because it streamlines the reservation process, allowing for efficient table management, reduced wait times for guests, and a smoother service flow, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and potentially increasing tips and repeat business.

How to Improve OpenTable Skills

To enhance the OpenTable experience for food servers, consider implementing the following improvements:

1. Training Resources: Develop and provide comprehensive training materials on how to use OpenTable's features efficiently, focusing on reservation management, guest preferences, and seating arrangements.

2. Real-Time Alerts: Integrate a real-time notification system that alerts servers about special guest requests, allergies, or occasions, enabling personalized service.

3. Feedback Mechanism: Offer a direct feedback channel within the app for servers to report issues or suggest improvements, fostering a culture of continuous enhancement.

4. Performance Analytics: Provide analytics tools that help servers track their performance, guest satisfaction scores, and tip averages, promoting personal growth and service quality.

5. Flexible Scheduling: Incorporate a scheduling feature that allows servers to swap shifts or request time off directly through the app, improving work-life balance.

By focusing on these areas, OpenTable can significantly improve the working experience for food servers, leading to better service for guests.

How to Display OpenTable Skills on Your Resume

3. Time Management

Time management for a food server involves efficiently organizing tasks such as taking orders, serving food, clearing tables, and attending to customers' needs, ensuring all duties are completed promptly and accurately to provide excellent service and maximize table turnover.

Why It's Important

Time management is crucial for a Food Server as it ensures efficient service, maximizes table turnover, enhances customer satisfaction, and minimizes stress during peak hours by effectively prioritizing tasks and managing the flow of orders.

How to Improve Time Management Skills

Improving time management as a food server involves prioritizing tasks, staying organized, and efficiently managing your time to ensure excellent customer service and productivity. Here are concise steps:

1. Prioritize Tasks: Start your shift by identifying high-priority tasks such as setting tables, taking orders, and serving food. Focus on completing these tasks efficiently. MindTools offers strategies for prioritizing work.

2. Use a Planner: Keep a small notebook or use a digital planner to jot down tasks and reminders. This helps ensure you don't forget any responsibilities during your shift. Todoist is a great tool for managing tasks.

3. Effective Communication: Communicate clearly with your kitchen staff and fellow servers. This ensures orders are accurate and served promptly. Here’s a guide on Effective Workplace Communication.

4. Learn to Multitask Wisely: While multitasking is essential, doing it wisely is key. Group similar tasks together and complete them in batches to save time. Verywell Mind discusses how to multitask effectively.

5. Take Short Breaks: Short breaks during your shift can boost your efficiency and prevent burnout, keeping you focused and energetic. Science of People explains the science behind taking breaks.

6. Reflect and Adjust: At the end of your shift, reflect on what tasks took the most time and identify areas for improvement. Adjust your strategy for the next shift accordingly.

Remember, time management is a skill that improves with practice and adjustment based on your work environment and duties as a food server.

How to Display Time Management Skills on Your Resume

4. Customer Service

Customer service for a food server involves promptly and courteously taking orders, serving food and beverages, addressing customer inquiries or concerns, and ensuring a satisfying dining experience.

Why It's Important

Customer service is crucial for a Food Server because it directly impacts the dining experience, influencing customer satisfaction, repeat business, and word-of-mouth recommendations, ultimately affecting the restaurant’s reputation and profitability.

How to Improve Customer Service Skills

Improving customer service, especially for a food server, involves enhancing the dining experience through attentive, efficient, and friendly interactions. Here are concise strategies:

1. Active Listening: Ensure you listen carefully to customers' requests and preferences. This improves accuracy and satisfaction. Active Listening Techniques

2. Knowledge of the Menu: Be well-versed with the menu to offer recommendations and answer questions confidently. Menu Knowledge

3. Prompt Service: Aim to serve customers promptly to avoid unnecessary waiting. Efficiency is key. Improving Service Efficiency

4. Address Issues Promptly: Quickly resolve any issues that arise to maintain customer satisfaction. Handling Customer Complaints

5. Personalize the Experience: Remembering repeat customers’ preferences can make them feel valued. Personalizing Customer Experience

6. Follow-up: Asking for feedback after the meal can show that you care about their experience. Customer Feedback Importance

By implementing these strategies, food servers can significantly enhance the customer service experience.

How to Display Customer Service Skills on Your Resume

5. Upselling Techniques

Upselling techniques for a food server involve suggesting higher-priced items, add-ons, or upgrades to customers to enhance their dining experience and increase the restaurant's revenue. Techniques include recommending premium dishes, offering additional sides, suggesting drink pairings, or promoting special desserts.

Why It's Important

Upselling techniques are important for a food server because they increase the average order value, enhance customer satisfaction by suggesting complementary items, and boost the restaurant's revenue.

How to Improve Upselling Techniques Skills

Improving upselling techniques as a food server involves enhancing customer experience by thoughtfully suggesting additions or upgrades to their orders. Here are concise strategies:

1. Know Your Menu: Be knowledgeable about your menu items to make confident and relevant suggestions.
2. Listen to Your Customers: Tailor your upsell suggestions based on the preferences your customers express.
3. Suggest Pairings: Recommend food and drink pairings that complement each other, enhancing the dining experience. Wine Pairings Guide
4. Highlight Specials and Bestsellers: Draw attention to daily specials or popular items that can intrigue the customer. Best Practices for Specials
5. Be Enthusiastic and Genuine: Your genuine enthusiasm about the menu can be infectious, encouraging customers to try your suggestions. Influence of Server Behavior

Remember, the key to upselling is not just increasing sales but enhancing the customer's dining experience by making thoughtful suggestions.

How to Display Upselling Techniques Skills on Your Resume

6. Multitasking

Multitasking for a Food Server involves simultaneously managing multiple tasks such as taking orders, serving food and drinks, clearing tables, and providing customer service efficiently and effectively to ensure a positive dining experience for all guests.

Why It's Important

Multitasking is crucial for a Food Server as it enables efficient handling of multiple customers simultaneously, ensuring timely order taking, serving, and addressing queries, leading to improved customer satisfaction and dining experience.

How to Improve Multitasking Skills

Improving multitasking, especially for a food server, involves developing skills that enhance efficiency and accuracy while managing multiple tasks simultaneously. Here are concise strategies:

1. Prioritize Tasks: Quickly assess the importance and urgency of tasks to determine the order of execution. MindTools provides a guide on prioritizing effectively.
2. Organize Work Space: Keep your work area organized to minimize time spent searching for items. The Culinary Institute of America offers insights on kitchen organization.
3. Develop a Routine: Establish a consistent routine for common tasks to improve speed and reduce mental load. Harvard Business Review discusses the impact of routine on performance.
4. Use Technology: Leverage technology, like digital order taking systems, to streamline tasks and reduce errors. Toast specializes in restaurant management software.
5. Practice Active Listening: Enhance your ability to listen actively to customers while performing other tasks to ensure accurate order fulfillment. Mindful explores techniques for mindful listening.
6. Stay Calm Under Pressure: Develop stress management techniques to maintain high performance during peak times. Mayo Clinic offers strategies for stress relief.
7. Continuous Learning: Seek feedback and learn from each shift to improve multitasking abilities. Indeed provides tips on improving multitasking skills.

By focusing on these areas, food servers can enhance their multitasking abilities, leading to improved service efficiency and customer satisfaction.

How to Display Multitasking Skills on Your Resume

7. Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution for a food server involves quickly and effectively addressing and solving disputes or complaints from customers or between staff members to ensure a positive dining experience and maintain a harmonious work environment.

Why It's Important

Conflict resolution is crucial for a Food Server as it ensures a positive dining experience by swiftly addressing and resolving any issues between staff or with customers, maintaining a harmonious environment and ensuring customer satisfaction and retention.

How to Improve Conflict Resolution Skills

Improving conflict resolution, especially for a Food Server, involves a few concise steps:

1. Listen Actively: Understand the customer's issue without interrupting. (Active Listening)
2. Empathize: Show you comprehend their feelings. (Empathy)
3. Apologize Sincerely: Regardless of fault, a sincere apology can defuse many situations. (The Power of Apology)
4. Find a Solution: Offer solutions or alternatives to resolve the issue. (Problem-Solving)
5. Follow Up: Ensure the solution was satisfactory and learn from the experience. (Customer Follow-Up)

By applying these steps, a Food Server can effectively manage and resolve conflicts, enhancing customer satisfaction and dining experience.

How to Display Conflict Resolution Skills on Your Resume

8. Menu Knowledge

Menu knowledge for a food server refers to a thorough understanding of the restaurant's menu, including ingredients, preparation techniques, potential allergens, and pairing recommendations, enabling effective communication and recommendations to customers.

Why It's Important

Menu knowledge is crucial for a food server as it enables them to accurately describe dishes, answer customer queries, make recommendations based on preferences or dietary needs, and ensure a satisfactory dining experience, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and encouraging repeat business.

How to Improve Menu Knowledge Skills

To improve menu knowledge as a food server, follow these concise steps:

1. Study the Menu: Dedicate time to studying the menu outside of work hours. Focus on ingredients, preparation methods, and potential allergens.

2. Taste the Dishes: Whenever possible, taste the dishes on the menu. Understanding the flavors and textures can help you describe them better to customers.

3. Ask the Chef: Use any opportunity to ask the chef about the dishes, including special techniques or ingredients used.

4. Learn from Others: Observe and learn from experienced colleagues. Their insights on popular dishes and personal recommendations can be valuable.

5. Utilize Flashcards: Create flashcards for each menu item, including key ingredients and pairings, to test yourself during downtimes.

6. Stay Updated: Menus often change. Stay informed about any updates, specials, or seasonal items.

7. Online Resources: Utilize online resources for further learning. Websites like ServSafe offer courses on food safety, while Coursera and Udemy provide courses on culinary skills and hospitality.

8. Practice Descriptions: Practice describing dishes in a way that is appealing and accurate, focusing on the senses: taste, smell, and texture.

By following these steps and utilizing resources effectively, you can significantly improve your menu knowledge, enhancing both customer satisfaction and your professionalism as a food server.

How to Display Menu Knowledge Skills on Your Resume

9. Wine Pairing

Wine pairing is the practice of matching wines with specific dishes or food flavors to enhance the dining experience, aiming for a harmonious balance between the taste of the wine and the food.

Why It's Important

Wine pairing is important for a food server because it enhances the dining experience by complementing the flavors of the food, elevating customer satisfaction, and potentially increasing sales through recommendations.

How to Improve Wine Pairing Skills

To improve wine pairing as a food server, focus on these concise tips:

1. Understand the Basics of Wine Pairing: Learn the fundamental pairings such as white wines with lighter dishes like chicken or fish, and red wines with heavier dishes like red meat. Wine Folly offers a great introduction.

2. Consider the Dominant Flavor: Match the wine to the most dominant flavor in the dish, not just the main ingredient. For guidance, Decanter provides insights into matching flavors.

3. Balance the Weight: Pair light dishes with light wines and heavy dishes with fuller-bodied wines. Vinfolio has a beginner's guide that explains this concept well.

4. Contrast or Complement Flavors: Decide whether to contrast (e.g., sweet with salty) or complement (e.g., earthy wine with earthy food) the flavors. MasterClass offers advice on how to choose between contrasting and complementing.

5. Consider Acidity, Sweetness, and Tannins: High-acid wines go well with fatty and sweet dishes, while tannic wines pair with high-protein foods. Sweet wines balance spicy and salty flavors. For more detail, refer to Wine Enthusiast.

6. Always Be Willing to Experiment: Not every pairing needs to follow the rules. Encourage guests to explore their preferences. Serious Eats emphasizes the importance of experimentation.

7. Educate Yourself Continuously: Stay informed about new trends and wines by following reputable wine education sites like The Wine Institute and GuildSomm.

8. Practice and Experience: The best way to learn is through practice. Try different wines with different foods and take note of what works and what doesn’t.

By following these tips and continually seeking knowledge, you can significantly improve your wine pairing skills, enhancing the dining experience for your guests.

How to Display Wine Pairing Skills on Your Resume

10. Food Safety

Food safety involves handling, preparing, and storing food in a way to best reduce the risk of individuals becoming sick from foodborne illnesses. For a food server, it means ensuring that food is served and maintained at the correct temperatures, avoiding cross-contamination between foods, and maintaining personal hygiene to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses.

Why It's Important

Food safety is crucial for a food server as it ensures the health and well-being of customers by preventing foodborne illnesses, maintaining customer trust, and upholding the restaurant's reputation.

How to Improve Food Safety Skills

Improving food safety, especially for a food server, involves adhering to key practices that prevent foodborne illnesses. Here are concise steps with relevant resources:

1. Personal Hygiene: Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling food and after using the bathroom, changing tasks, or handling garbage. Handwashing in Food Service.

2. Cross-Contamination Prevention: Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meats and ready-to-eat foods. FDA on Cross-Contamination.

3. Proper Food Storage: Store food at the correct temperatures; refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours, and maintain the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. USDA Food Storage.

4. Cook Foods to Safe Temperatures: Use a food thermometer to ensure foods are cooked to the right temperatures to kill harmful bacteria. Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures.

5. Stay Informed on Food Allergies: Understand common food allergens and always communicate with guests to avoid allergic reactions. FDA on Food Allergies.

Implementing these practices consistently ensures the safety and satisfaction of your customers, reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses.

How to Display Food Safety Skills on Your Resume

11. Cash Handling

Cash handling, in regards to a food server, involves accurately receiving, processing, and securing payments from customers in the form of cash, ensuring correct change is given, and managing receipts.

Why It's Important

Cash handling is crucial for a Food Server as it ensures accurate financial transactions, maintains trust with customers, and prevents revenue loss due to errors or theft.

How to Improve Cash Handling Skills

Improving cash handling for a food server involves adopting practices that ensure accuracy, security, and efficiency. Here are concise tips:

1. Use a Money Belt or Apron with Pockets: Keep cash organized and secure on your person. Select an apron that suits your needs.

2. Verify Amounts: Always count cash in front of the customer when receiving and giving change to prevent discrepancies. Learn quick money counting techniques.

3. Daily Reconciliation: At the end of each shift, reconcile your cash with sales records. This guide can help you understand the process.

4. Use a Cash Drop Safe: For larger amounts, immediately drop them into a cash drop safe to minimize loss or theft risk.

5. Implement a Cash Handling Policy: Follow and understand your establishment's policies on cash handling. Here's a sample policy to get an idea.

6. Continuous Training: Stay updated on best practices through regular training sessions. ServSafe offers courses that include cash handling principles.

By adhering to these practices, food servers can minimize errors, prevent theft, and ensure a smooth operation.

How to Display Cash Handling Skills on Your Resume

12. Teamwork

Teamwork for a Food Server involves collaborating effectively with kitchen staff and other servers to ensure prompt, accurate, and courteous service to diners, enhancing the overall dining experience.

Why It's Important

Teamwork is crucial for a food server as it ensures efficient service, improves communication, and enhances the dining experience by coordinating tasks, sharing responsibilities, and promptly addressing customer needs.

How to Improve Teamwork Skills

Improving teamwork, especially for a food server, involves communication, collaboration, and mutual respect. Here are concise steps with resources:

1. Effective Communication: Ensure clear and concise communication among team members. Utilize tools like Slack for instant messaging and Trello for task management.

2. Set Common Goals: Align everyone towards common objectives. MindTools provides strategies for goal setting.

3. Distribute Tasks Evenly: Ensure tasks are fairly distributed based on skills and availability. Learn more about effective delegation from Indeed.

4. Encourage Collaboration: Foster an environment where team members openly share ideas and solutions. Asana is great for project collaboration.

5. Provide Constructive Feedback: Offer regular, constructive feedback in a respectful manner. Harvard Business Review discusses the art of giving feedback.

6. Celebrate Successes Together: Recognize and celebrate team achievements. Reward Gateway outlines ways to celebrate success at work.

7. Continuous Training: Invest in training and development. ServSafe offers courses specific to the food service industry.

Implementing these steps can significantly improve teamwork among food servers, leading to better service delivery and customer satisfaction.

How to Display Teamwork Skills on Your Resume