Tourism, Food / Beverage

Service Captain

Related positions: Service Captain, Head waiter, Maître d’hôtel, Service manager, Dining room manager, Head of service, Restaurant captain, Waitstaff supervisor, Head server, Service leader, Floor manager

Overview

A service captain is responsible for managing the dining experience in a restaurant. They greet customers, take orders, and ensure food is delivered on time. They also train and supervise servers, handle customer complaints, and oversee restaurant operations.

Service captains may have a variety of duties, including overseeing the work of servers, bussers, and other restaurant staff, greeting guests and seating them, taking orders, making recommendations, and ensuring that all guest requests are handled promptly and efficiently. They may also be responsible for training and mentoring new staff members, as well as for managing the inventory of food, beverages, and supplies.

Additionally, service captains must have excellent communication and customer service skills, as well as the ability to remain calm and professional in high-pressure situations. They must also be knowledgeable about the restaurant’s menu and offerings, and be able to answer any questions that guests may have.

Common tasks 

    TaskRelated trait(s)
    Managing waitstaff Calmness under pressure Socially savvy Understating customer needs  Inclusivity in leadership Effective leadership
    Taking part in the hiring process of waitstaff and train waitstaff Calmness under pressure Socially savvy Inclusivity in leadership Effective leadership
    Greeting and seating guests Calmness under pressure Socially savvy Understating customer needs
    Taking orders Calmness under pressure Socially savvy Understating customer needs
    Monitoring the quality of menu items Precision in service
    Ensuring adherence to health and safety Rule compliance
    Ensuring that the dining area is clean and organized Precision in service
    Processing payments Precision in service
    Ensuring the service is pleasant Rule compliance
    Handling customer complaints Calmness under pressure Socially savvy Radiant positivity Understating customer needs
    Maintaining inventory and supplies Precision in service

    Soft skills measured by TraitForward

    TraitNo of QuestionsCronbach’s  alpha (α)
    Precision in service90.78
    Do they have a desirable work ethic?
    Calmness under pressure70.85
    Are they calm? Do they respect others?
    Socially savvy90.85
    Are they skilled in handling social situations?
    Multitasking50.67
    Can they multitask? Can they handle demanding workloads?
    Radiant positivity70.78
    Are they joyful?
    Understating customer needs50.77
    Do they understand the emotions of others?
    Rule compliance60.71
    Can they follow orders?
    Collaborative leadership90.73
    Are they good team members?
    Inclusivity in leadership110.73
    Are they biased?
    Effective leadership60.87
    Can they take charge?
    *Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α) determines the extent to which the questions consistently measure each trait and it is expressed as a number ranging between 0 and 1 . Higher values indicate higher agreement between questions.  A value of α equal to greater than .7 indicates acceptable reliability or internal consistency.  For more information on the psychometric properties of the solution, please click here.

    Find out the psychometric properties for the Service Captain Traitforward questionnaire

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