A head waiter, also known as a captain or maitre d', is a senior member of the food service team who manages the service in a restaurant section. Their responsibilities include:
- Customer service: Ensure a high-quality customer experience by taking orders, serving dishes, and resolving customer issues
- Staff management: Train, develop, and motivate junior staff, and promote good team spirit
- Task management: Assign tasks, direct and delegate, and ensure tasks are completed on time and to quality standards
- Communication: Coordinate with the kitchen, work with other departments, and communicate with guests and employees
- Health and safety: Ensure servers adhere to health and safety standards, and supervise the environment to prevent injuries
- Preparation: Prepare the room for service, including setting up tables with linens, silverware, and glassware
- Reporting: Prepare and submit daily reports to management
