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What does a lead server do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
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.

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Lead server responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real lead server resumes:

  • 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 . )
  • Train newly hire employees for correct facility procedures, safety codes, proper use of POS system, and menu items.
  • Provide exceptional guest services by communicating additional meal requirements, allergies, dietary needs, and special requests to the kitchen.
  • Engage in high quality customer facing and focuse service; cater to clientele with sensitive food allergies and custom dietary needs.
  • Perform day to day supervision of staff, FOH and BOH, assign tasks and direct overall restaurant level operation performances.
  • Assist in organizing competitive bartending events.
  • Perform POS and other financial responsibilities accurately and promptly.
  • Develop training materials and script for upselling signature toppings.
  • Perform bookkeeping activities and respond to inquiries regarding payroll and timekeeping.
  • Recommend policy changes and effectively communicate all FOH policy and operating matters to staff.

Lead server skills and personality traits

We calculated that 22% of Lead Servers are proficient in Customer Service, New Servers, and Fine Dining. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Physical strength, and Communication skills.

We break down the percentage of Lead Servers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Customer Service, 22%

    Praised for quality and timeliness of Manager reports, attention to detail, exemplary customer service delivery and team-player attitude.

  • New Servers, 11%

    Assist management with shift/Trained new servers to assure proficiency with menu items/Implemented how to use equipment and utilize

  • Fine Dining, 9%

    Full fine dining etiquette to fulfill guest satisfaction Handling complaints and/or soliciting management assistance as needed.

  • POS, 7%

    Performed POS and other financial responsibilities accurately and promptly.

  • Food Service, 6%

    Monitored and enforced all regulatory guidelines for the food service industry.

  • Guest Satisfaction, 4%

    Anticipated expectations and addressed complaints with kitchen staff and management promptly to ensure guest satisfaction.

Common skills that a lead server uses to do their job include "customer service," "new servers," and "fine dining." You can find details on the most important lead server responsibilities below.

Detail oriented. The most essential soft skill for a lead server to carry out their responsibilities is detail oriented. This skill is important for the role because "waiters and waitresses must record customers’ orders accurately." Additionally, a lead server resume shows how their duties depend on detail oriented: "trained staff on product knowledge, menu items, drinks details and techniques. "

Physical strength. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling lead server duties is physical strength. The role rewards competence in this skill because "waiters and waitresses need to be able to lift and carry trays of food or other items." According to a lead server resume, here's how lead servers can utilize physical strength in their job responsibilities: "strengthened customer relations maintained liquor costs at 10 percent under budgeted projections. "

Communication skills. This is an important skill for lead servers to perform their duties. For an example of how lead server responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "waiters and waitresses must listen to customers, ask questions as needed, and relay information to the kitchen staff so that orders are prepared to the customers’ satisfaction." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a lead server: "increased sales average by means of menu knowledge and communication skills. ".

Customer-service skills. A big part of what lead servers do relies on "customer-service skills." You can see how essential it is to lead server responsibilities because "waiters and waitresses are frontline workers for their restaurant." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical lead server tasks: "lead closer with responsibility for monthly menu knowledge, changes, up-selling and providing outstanding service and building rapport with customers. "

All lead server skills

The three companies that hire the most lead servers are:

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Compare different lead servers

Lead server vs. Cocktail waitress

A cocktail waitress, or often called a cocktail server, is a female server who serves alcoholic beverages and food to patrons in nightclubs and bars. Cocktail waitresses are required to interact with customers by taking their food orders, serving them food and drinks, and then processing payments. To serve proper alcoholic drinks to customers, cocktail waitresses must be well informed about the drinks they serve, such as wine, beer, and cocktails. They also assist in checking identification to ensure that customers are of legal age to buy alcoholic drinks.

The annual salary of cocktail waitresses is $1,858 lower than the average salary of lead servers.Even though lead servers and cocktail waitresses are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require customer service, fine dining, and pos in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, lead server responsibilities require skills like "new servers," "food service," "food preparation," and "alcoholic beverages." Meanwhile a typical cocktail waitress has skills in areas such as "non-alcoholic beverages," "serving drinks," "bottle service," and "clean tables." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

On average, cocktail waitresses reach similar levels of education than lead servers. Cocktail waitresses are 1.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Lead server vs. Waitress

Waitresses are responsible for ensuring that guests are given proper attention during their visit to the restaurant. They guide guests to their table, provide menu boards, answer any questions the guests may have, take the guests' order, and communicate the order to the kitchen. Once the order is ready, waitresses collect the food from the kitchen and serve it to the guests. They then give guests time to finish their meal. Upon the guests' request, waitresses bring them their bill and wait for them to finish paying up. Once the guests leave, waitresses are responsible for ensuring that the table is ready for the next guests.

Waitress positions earn lower pay than lead server roles. They earn a $3,907 lower salary than lead servers per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Lead servers and waitresses both require similar skills like "customer service," "fine dining," and "pos" to carry out their responsibilities.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that lead server responsibilities requires skills like "new servers," "beverage service," "bartending," and "windows." But a waitress might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "waiter," "clean tables," "sales taxes," and "bus tables."

On average, waitresses earn a lower salary than lead servers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, waitresses earn the most pay in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $25,414. Whereas lead servers have higher pay in the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $33,793.waitresses earn similar levels of education than lead servers in general. They're 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Lead server vs. Server and certified trainer

A server and certified trainer is a wait staff position who takes orders and serves food and beverages to customers dining in the restaurant. Often known as the lead server, a server and certified trainer provides training to new server trainees to serve customers and handle payments. A server and a certified server should maintain a professional attitude in order to ensure guest satisfaction. He/She or she should also be highly knowledgeable about anything related to the computer system.

An average server and certified trainer eans a higher salary compared to the average salary of lead servers. The difference in salaries amounts to server and certified trainers earning a $1,746 higher average salary than lead servers.By looking over several lead servers and server and certified trainers resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "customer service," "new servers," and "fine dining." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, lead servers are more likely to have skills like "beverage service," "windows," "excellent guest," and "wine knowledge." But a server and certified trainer is more likely to have skills like "guest relations," "training classes," "greeting guests," and "guest orders."

When it comes to education, server and certified trainers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to lead servers. In fact, they're 0.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Lead server vs. Server and shift manager

Server and shift managers typically earn lower pay than lead servers. On average, server and shift managers earn a $3,408 lower salary per year.According to resumes from lead servers and server and shift managers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "customer service," "new servers," and "fine dining. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between lead servers and server and shift managers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a lead server might have more use for skills like "beverage service," "windows," "wine knowledge," and "private parties." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of server and shift managers require skills like "cleanliness," "math," "wine," and "work ethic. "

The average resume of server and shift managers showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to lead servers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 0.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.2%.

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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