Every day he comes into contact with hundreds of guests, hundreds of different moods, personalities and demands, which he wants to satisfy as much as possible. The waiter is largely a psychologist who is able to tune in to the guest with the appropriate tone of communication, empathise with their emotions, read non-verbal communication correctly and know the answers to their questions. For the guest he is a guide and a partner at the same time.

"The service personifies the philosophy of the company, is its face and has a significant share in the atmosphere of the restaurant. The waiter may serve the food and drinks, but he or she is really serving the experience," notes Miriama Vojčíková, who heads the team of waiters at Restaurant Sissi in Hotel Lomnica.

The outdated perception of the waiter can be perfectly illustrated by the example of a waitress with her hair tied up in a net and a tray lined with a white napkin in her hand. A heavy legacy from the past regime, which still survives in Slovak gastronomy in places, even though we have made a significant step forward. People in the industry today can now build on experience from abroad, developing the inspiration they have brought from top restaurants.

In this profession, it is no longer true that a waiter has to work on what he has learnt in theory and during practice at the hotel academy. Waiters continue their education and employment in order to keep pace with such a dynamically changing industry as gastronomy is undoubtedly. Moreover, the demands on service are constantly increasing, guests are well travelled and therefore naturally expect the experience at home that they receive in top restaurants abroad.

The profession of waiter encompasses a spectrum of different specialisations that the layman may not automatically associate with the profession. These include baristas, sommeliers, bartenders and tap specialists. Waiting is also a profession in which one can continuously grow professionally.

"We are trained in wine production, its pairing with different types of food, coffee preparation, communication methods or the latest world trends, which we can then translate into practice. So monotony or routine is certainly not a threat in this profession," smiles Kristína Compel, Restaurant Manager at Sissi.

Ambassadors of the vision and extended kitchen arms

The waiter is the extended arm of the kitchen and the ambassador of the overall vision we present to the guest. For this reason, he or she has not only studied the menu and our service, but also experienced it. For example, "a tasting of all dishes takes place before the new à la carte menu is launched. This is attended not only by the waiters, bartenders and sommeliers, but also by colleagues from the reception and other hotel operations. In this way, we exchange important information with each other so that we can make a true recommendation to our guests," explains Kristina Compel.

You may be surprised to know that creating a menu is a process that can take several months. The fine-tuned menu and its ingredients are then studied in detail by our service colleagues. As consumer awareness grows, so does the demand for information on the origin of the ingredients used and their composition. Quality service staff therefore also have an excellent overview of the restaurant's suppliers.

With brilliant service, the appetite for food grows

A quality kitchen can never do without brilliant service. They are two interconnected vessels. If we lose waiters and service people, even the most delicious food can't save us.

Just as the wait staff relies on the kitchen, the kitchen puts its trust in the waiters. They are its face and mouth, making sure that ideas from the kitchen reach the guest's table. Regular briefings between waiters and chefs are therefore warranted.

"An unwritten rule says that once the plate leaves the kitchen, the waiter takes responsibility for it. He is the one who presents the food and receives feedback from the guest. Often the chef does not come into direct contact with the guest and so does not have the opportunity to listen to his opinion. The waiter makes sure that both complimentary and less pleasant information gets from the guest to the kitchen," says Peter Marek, bar manager of Café Mozart.

Teamwork, good communication and mutual support are a must in this profession. People in service form a compatible unit, they are willing to help each other and, if necessary, to stand in for each other.

Unlike in the kitchen, service work has no tangible results and cannot be easily measured. However, whether a guest will return to the restaurant in the future or even recommend it depends greatly on its approach.

"A long period of forced downturn in the gastronomy industry cut us off from contact with our guests for several months. It certainly gave us all an important insight into how vital it is to be cohesive with each other, but also to be passionate about the work, as many people have lost faith in the sector. However, when you see guests returning to you after such a long time, despite the limited operating conditions, it is an indescribable feeling of satisfaction," adds Peter Marek.

We mention several times in the article that when we lose waiters, not even the most delicious food can save us. We don't have to hunt long in memory for a concrete example to explain. Just look back a few months. During the long hiatus from visiting restaurants and cafes, takeaways made up for the shortfall in catering services. Although they satisfied our cravings for good food, we missed the contact with the service people and the service itself. This situation beautifully demonstrates how precious what we had taken for granted until then was to us. The current situation, coupled with the acute shortage of people wanting to return to work in service, is sounding the alarm. Perhaps it is also because the public has not yet been sufficiently aware of their importance. However, it is still not too late to show our appreciation for the profession, to recognise its importance. Let us not allow the waiter's craft to fall into the dust. A little is enough for a start.

Dear guests and readers, thank you for every expression of support, feedback and especially for your smile, which is a motivation and reward for us.