Waiter

Vivienne Reiner

It takes plenty of skill and experience to be a really good waiter – and some top waiters make such a good living out of it, they wouldn’t want to do anything else.
 
More people in Australia are choosing waiting as a career in itself, or as a way up the hospitality ladder. But there is still some way to go before the industry here catches up with Europe, where people may well go to a restaurant because of the maitre d’, or head waiter, rather than the chef.
 
In the glamorous world of leading hotels and hotel management, people today are increasingly getting a foot in the door by starting as waiters – traditionally, people who wanted to be groomed for general management would aim to start in reception. But with heated competition between the major hotels, people with potential are snapped up from areas including food and beverages.
 
In individual eateries, a waiter can eventually move into supervisory roles and may garner the skills needed to run their own restaurant.
 
In Australia, there is a shortage of good waiters, and there is demand for people with the right attitude across the board in the ever-expanding hospitality market. People who want travel and variety need not be disappointed – with job opportunities spanning island resorts, cruise liners and entertainment complexes.
 
The work (and fun) can start as a student. Coursework may range from getting technical experience at an in-house restaurant to learning the basics of being a manager. A common component of many courses – from diplomas to degrees – is to undertake an internship, and it has not been unheard of for students to gain experience at exotic locations.
 
Guy Bentley, who chairs the Association of Australian Hotel Schools and also heads the private Blue Mountains Hotel School in Sydney, says we should expect in future to see more consistency in service. The service industry in Australia is still relatively new, and Bentley says as recently as the early 1980s it was difficult to find local waiters who were “craftsmen”.
 
But no longer does waiting need be a dead-end job – diners expect studied and polished service.
 
In Europe, a traditional waiting traineeship takes three years. In the first year an assistant waiter may not even wait on tables, instead doing jobs such as polishing plates, making coffees and becoming familiar with the cuisine.
 
In Australia, fine dining is less popular, with people preferring alfresco eating and a more casual approach. But good service should not be undervalued, and this means responding to the customer in a way they can appreciate.
 
Bentley cites one industry survey that found some three out of five customers who make a complaint become regular patrons if their issue is handled quickly and appropriately. So it should come as no surprise that some top restaurants have found it worth the investment to pay a premium to get its service right. Bentley says when he worked at classy Jonah’s restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Palm Beach in the early 1990s, “everyone in that room was a manager, but we all worked as waiters”.
 
Doing studies in the area can help a person snare a good job, but according to Bulent Gungor, approach is what’s most important. Gungor worked on the six-star cruise liner Crystal Cruises, out of Los Angeles, as assistant maitre d’ until he married an Australian and moved here last year. On the liner, Gungor worked with the maitre d’ in overseeing all operations for the restaurants. He would also provide trolley service – whipping up a crepe or sizzling a steak diane by the table if required.
 
If the diners wanted something different to what was on the menu they could have it; with some rooms costing up to $US2000 a night and guests often cruising for six months, good service was a crucial ingredient. In his job of five years on Crystal Cruises, “for us the main thing was the attitude”, he says. “If people had a willing attitude you would train them. They had to have a bit of knowledge, because it was a six-star ship, but you always said you hire people by attitude.”
 
It was particularly important on the ship to try to make customers happy. “Never make a negative comment, because they’re on holiday,” Gungor says.
 
One downside to working in this area is that it can be difficult to maintain a relationship because of the late nights and shift work. Gungor advises that relationships are more likely to work if you are in the same profession, or if your partner does not work days.
 
At the Palazzo Versace hotel on the Gold Coast, Thierry Tollis is proof that starting in food and beverages can be good grounding for management material. Tollis, who is executive assistant manager at the Versace-brand hotel, began his career at a restaurant in his native France more than two decades ago. Tollis says top waiters do not always aspire to work in management: “I know a lot of people in Britain or in France or in Australia and they’re making very, very good money out of it and they’re happy just to be waiters and do their work and go home.”
 
In summer, Tollis says, it is not unusual for an experienced waiter to earn $1500 a week in the pocket.

 
He says you can spot a top waiter even before being served. They are typically aged in their 30s or 40s, and the waiter who is allowed to be in charge of the best area, with the best seats, tends to get the best tips.
 
But it isn’t all tips and free lunches. Victoria University’s head of School of Hospitality, Tourism and Marketing, professor Brian King, says the hospitality industry is experiencing a phenomenon globally as well as locally, where its workforce is increasingly made up of itinerant workers.
 
King stresses that for all roles and dealings with the public, an element of training is essential, even if it is just organised training in the workplace: “Gone are the days where a waiter learned by osmosis.”
 
John Hart, the CEO of the peak association Restaurant & Catering Australia, says businesses are now investing more in training their employees. As well, pay and career opportunities have improved because of a marked skills shortage. Hart says Australians enjoys being looked after, but that does not mean the waiters must possess all the technical skills commonly taught in Europe. He says visitor surveys have found a high level of satisfaction with the service here. 

Rocco Trimboli is one of a new breed of professional waiters. In 2004 Trimboli completed an advanced diploma in hospitality management at the specialist, William Angliss TAFE, in Melbourne, and is now head waiter/assistant manager at the Richmond Hill Cafe & Larder. He started working there while at school, training under renowned chef Stephanie Alexander, before discovering his passion for serving. 

Trimboli is responsible for making sure everything is running smoothly on the floor. He meets and greets customers on the days his manager is away, and waits on tables a couple of days a week. He also trains new employees, does rosters with the manager and helps run the functions and special events.
 
Trimboli, who wants to own a restaurant eventually, is passionate about the need to have exceptional service. “You just want to make people feel comfortable,” he says. “If you’ve got that fantastic food, you also need that outstanding service to showcase the food.”