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Informal waiter/waitress vs lead server

The differences between informal waiter/waitresses and lead servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lead server has an average salary of $28,677, which is higher than the $24,354 average annual salary of an informal waiter/waitress.

The top three skills for an informal waiter/waitress include beverage orders, waiter and customer service. The most important skills for a lead server are customer service, new servers, and fine dining.

Informal waiter/waitress vs lead server overview

Informal Waiter/WaitressLead Server
Yearly salary$24,354$28,677
Hourly rate$11.71$13.79
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs3,660123,215
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 40%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age2828
Years of experience--

What does an informal waiter/waitress do?

An informal waiter/waitress is primarily in charge of serving patrons in coffee shops, fast-food chains, and other similar dining establishments, ensuring efficiency and customer satisfaction. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with kitchen and management staff, greeting and welcoming customers, providing menus and answering inquiries, offering suggestions, and serving the customers' orders promptly and accurately. They may also process payments or provide other assistance as needed. Furthermore, an informal waiter/waitress must maintain the cleanliness of tables and workspaces, ensuring a safe and healthy environment for everyone.

What does a lead server do?

A lead server is responsible for assisting the guests' needs, responding to their inquiries, and immediately addressing their dining concerns. Lead servers ensure the timely and accurate serving of orders, offering promotional menus and other additional services. Lead servers must have excellent communication skills to interact with the guests, as well as time-management and multitasking skills to perform duties in the fast-paced environment. They also help in developing strategic procedures and food menu recommendations by researching on the latest food trends in the industry to generate revenues and attract more customers.

Informal waiter/waitress vs lead server salary

Informal waiter/waitresses and lead servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Informal Waiter/WaitressLead Server
Average salary$24,354$28,677
Salary rangeBetween $16,000 And $36,000Between $11,000 And $70,000
Highest paying CitySaratoga Springs, NYNew York, NY
Highest paying stateNew YorkHawaii
Best paying companyAspen SnowmassMicrosoft
Best paying industryHospitalityHospitality

Differences between informal waiter/waitress and lead server education

There are a few differences between an informal waiter/waitress and a lead server in terms of educational background:

Informal Waiter/WaitressLead Server
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 40%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Informal waiter/waitress vs lead server demographics

Here are the differences between informal waiter/waitresses' and lead servers' demographics:

Informal Waiter/WaitressLead Server
Average age2828
Gender ratioMale, 23.3% Female, 76.7%Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 8.7% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between informal waiter/waitress and lead server duties and responsibilities

Informal waiter/waitress example responsibilities.

  • Train in bartending duties, knowledgeable of preparation of alcoholic beverages.
  • Request and record customer orders, and totale orders using the POS system.
  • Help bartending when staff are short.
  • Fix POS computers, printers, and credit card systems above and beyond job responsibilities.
  • Start as a busboy and are quickly promote to a waiter when a spot are made available.
  • Develop relationships with regular patrons; develop an understanding of their personal needs and expectations, including preferences and food allergies.
  • Show more

Lead server example responsibilities.

  • Establish payroll policies and manage multiple areas of restaurant operations.
  • Manage technical support, business analysis, project management, application development and support, training, and facilitation.
  • Provide leadership to crew and shift managers guaranteeing great quality, customer service and cleanliness according to the public health code.
  • Train new employees on police, procedures, and micros system.
  • Take orders from customers, input orders into micros, and obtain payment and provide change.
  • Execute bartending duties and prepare service bar drinks (wine tasting flights, glass pours, cocktails, etc . )
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Informal waiter/waitress vs lead server skills

Common informal waiter/waitress skills
  • Beverage Orders, 48%
  • Waiter, 18%
  • Customer Service, 12%
  • Food Service, 9%
  • Fine Dining, 3%
  • Wine, 2%
Common lead server skills
  • Customer Service, 22%
  • New Servers, 11%
  • Fine Dining, 9%
  • POS, 7%
  • Food Service, 6%
  • Guest Satisfaction, 4%

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