Image:Waiter!.jpg A '''waiter''' is a person who "waits" on tables, often at a Restaurant. A female waiter is often called a '''waitress''', though the gender-neutral term "server" and collective noun "waitstaff" are gaining ground. Waiters' duties include preparing tables for a meal, taking customers' orders and serving drinks and food in a restaurant. Depending on the type of restaurant, this may involve other uncommon duties, such as singing a birthday song to customers who are celebrating a birthday. A Theme_restaurant may even require waiters to Dance. There are now Event_caterer that outsource waiter/s/esess to events and specific functions. "Silver Service" waiters are specially trained to serve at banquets or high-end restaurants. They follow specific rules of service and it is a skilled job. They generally wear black and white with a long, white apron (extending from the waist to ankle). The head waiter is in charge of the staff of waiters, and is also responsible for assigning seating. This person can also be referred to as the Maître_d'hôtel. Some restaurants employ Busboys to assist the waiters. In the United_States and some other Western countries, it is traditional to Tip a waiter after a meal. In the U.S., waiters often are paid a Minimum_wage lower than the legally required minimum wage for most other occupations, as their income is supplemented by tips they receive. For example, servers in Georgia are generally paid around $2.13 an hour. In contrast to this practice, waiters in many East_Asian countries refuse tips, where they are sometimes considered an insult. Many cultures in the region believe that leaving a tip implies that the waiter is not being paid enough by his or her employer. Tipping is not traditional in Australia or New_Zealand and is not factored into wages of waitstaff. However, tips are appreciated especially if the customer or party has been unusually difficult or has left a mess. Many parents of small children leave a small tip. Tips in Australia, because they are not a significant part of the income of the service staff are usually token amounts rather than a percentage of the bill. 'Waiting tables' is one of the most common occupations in the U.S. (along with nursing, and teaching). The Bureau_of_Labor_Statistics estimates that, as of May 2004, there are over 2.2 million (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes353031.htm) persons employed as waiters and waitresses in the U.S. ==Waiters in fiction and film== *William_Somerset_Maugham: ''Of_Human_Bondage'' *James_M._Cain: ''Mildred_Pierce'' *Terrence_McNally: ''Frankie_and_Johnny_in_the_Clair_de_Lune'' (filmed as ''Frankie and Johnny'') *''Garçon!'' (Claude_Sautet; France, 1983) *Team Mew Mew from ''Tokyo_Mew_Mew'' *Amélie Poulain (Audrey_Tautou) in ''Le_Fabuleux_Destin_d'Amélie_Poulain'' *Tyler Durden from ''Fight_Club'' *''Reservoir_Dogs'' features a lengthy dialog on the principles of tipping. ''Pulp_Fiction'' has a brief cameo by Steve_Buscemi as a cynical Buddy_Holly-lookalike waiter *Monty from ''Waiting...'' *''It_Could_Happen_to_You'' *''Cocktail'' with Tom Cruise as a barman *Rachel_Green (Jennifer_Aniston) as a coffeehouse waitress in the first three seasons of Friends *Joanna from Office_Space :{{expand_list}} Category:Food_services_occupations De:Kellner Simple:Waiter Sv:Servitör