Can Agents Work?

Jobs / Food service, cleaning, and personal care / 35-3031.00

Waiters and Waitresses

Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.

US jobs
2,270,910
Median wage
$35,230 a year
Job family
Food service, cleaning, and personal care

Can agents do the work of waiters and waitresses?

We read the evidence for the whole job family, Food service, cleaning, and personal care: Not yet (first measured in the last 12 months)

Direct benchmarks exist, but agents complete less than 20% of their tasks.

Evidence: BEHAVIOR Challenge 2025, 12.4% of tasks fully completed (Full task success rate).

0% of this occupation's work, by O*NET work activities, is measured by a direct benchmark.

  • 18%Provide information to guests, clients, or customersNot measured
  • 17%Provide food or beverage servicesNot measured
  • 17%Execute financial transactionsNot measured
  • 11%Prepare foods or beveragesNot measured
  • 10%Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areasNot measured
  • 9%Stock supplies or productsNot measured
  • 5%Respond to customer problems or inquiriesNot measured
  • 5%Provide general assistance to others, such as customers, patrons, or motoristsNot measured

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in food service, cleaning, and personal care, not always this occupation's tasks.

Direct evidence

Work benchmarks mapped primary to this family. They set the step when they report how many tasks agents complete.

Also relevant

These benchmarks cover part of this family's work, or have no result yet. They do not set its step.

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • Collect payments from customers.
  • Check patrons' identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.
  • Write patrons' food orders on order slips, memorize orders, or enter orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff.
  • Check with customers to ensure that they are enjoying their meals, and take action to correct any problems.
  • Take orders from patrons for food or beverages.
  • Prepare checks that itemize and total meal costs and sales taxes.
  • Remove dishes and glasses from tables or counters, and take them to kitchen for cleaning.
  • Clean tables or counters after patrons have finished dining.
  • Serve food or beverages to patrons, and prepare or serve specialty dishes at tables as required.
  • Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping and mopping floors, vacuuming carpet, tidying up server station, taking out trash, or checking and cleaning bathroom.
  • Present menus to patrons and answer questions about menu items, making recommendations upon request.
  • Prepare tables for meals, including setting up items such as linens, silverware, and glassware.
Other job titles for this occupation (34)

Banquet Server · Busser · Cocktail Server · Food Runner · Food Server · Restaurant Server · Room Service Server · Server · Waiter · Waitress · Banquet Waiter · Banquet Waitress · Bar Waiter · Bar Waitress · Buffet Waiter · Buffet Waitress · Carhop · Club Waiter · Club Waitress · Cocktail Waitress · Deck Steward · Dining Car Server · Dining Car Waiter · Dining Car Waitress · Formal Waiter · Formal Waitress · Informal Waiter · Informal Waitress · Server Assistant · Singing Waiter · Singing Waitress · Skating Carhop · Wine Steward · Wine Stewardess