Further training in service

Apprentice trainer, graduate sommelier & more: How to raise your profile in the service profession through additional training and a clear value system.

Zoran Babic is head waiter at the Weißes Rössl on Lake Wolfgang. He has been working at the hotel for 22 years and is not only responsible for the toque-awarded Kaiserterrasse restaurant and the wine cellar. As head waiter and apprentice trainer, he is also a manager - and therefore also responsible for hiring employees.

What does he pay particular attention to during job interviews? Why should you keep training in this profession? And what additional training has he recently completed himself?

We spoke to the gastronomy professional.

For Zoran Babic, job interviews with potential employees are about more than just asking for proof of their skills. "In our profession, you have to communicate on different levels. Good technical training is important, of course. But it also has to fit on a human level."

Babic therefore considers social skills to be at least as important as basic professional competence: " Certain values have to be practised in our company and in the restaurant profession. This is extremely important to me for apprentices and future employees."

These 5 qualities are indispensable for Zoran Babic:

• Openness
• Helpfulness and team spirit
• Friendliness
• Flexibility
• And last but not least: the will to learn

"For me, being a waiter is still the best job in the world," says Babic. But here, too, you have to keep at it. Because, says the experienced head waiter: "Every additional qualification is another step in the life of a waiter. And you should take as many steps as possible."

Not only does the newly acquired know-how boost self-confidence. The quality of service in the establishment is also raised by better trained staff. This in turn has an impact on guest satisfaction. And that, according to Babic, is both the ultimate goal and the biggest challenge. "Because if the guests are satisfied, then so are we."

Motivation is everything - even in Zoran Babic's job. As a head waiter and apprentice trainer, he knows how important it is that his employees are motivated, ambitious and have a sense of humor.

In addition to tips and words of appreciation, there is one thing above all that motivates both young and experienced service staff: the expansion of their area of responsibility. "From my experience, I can say that the more you give men and women confidence, trust them to do something and expand their area of responsibility, the more motivated they become." Additional qualifications and further training can therefore be an important step.

There are many opportunities for further training in the gastronomy sector. For restaurant professionals, sommelier training is probably the most attractive form of additional qualification.

As a sommelier/sommelière, you assist the guest as an expert in the selection of drinks and food. It is not only the guest's personal taste that plays a role here. The combination of the drink with certain dishes and vice versa is also an important factor. The focus is clearly on enjoyment.

"There is a sommelier training course for almost all drinks and foods - and each one is varied and exciting," Babic knows from experience.

Here is an overview:

• Wine sommelier/sommelière
• Sparkling Wine Sommelier
• Fine brandy sommelier/sommelière
• Beer sommelier/sommelière
• Coffee sommelier/sommelière
• Cheese sommelier/sommelière
• Meat sommelier/sommelière
• Fish sommelier/sommelière
• Water sommelier/sommelière
• Sake sommelier/sommelière
• Spice sommelier/sommelière

Zoran Babic himself is a wine sommelier and also trained as a fine brandy and sparkling wine sommelier during the coronavirus pandemic. "Yes, even at my age, further training is still important and fun," smiles the 50-year-old.

As an apprentice trainer, working with young people is particularly close to his heart. "I think that even if there are initial difficulties, everyone deserves a chance. The greatest joy for me is when apprentices come back for a visit and I see what they have become. They are great sommeliers, many of whom have gone on to have great careers. And that's the best thing: to see that my work and we in this company have been able to lay the foundations for these successes."

Want to find out more about working as a restaurant specialist? Then take a look at our Blogtake a look! Here you will find information and inspiration for your job in the hotel and catering industry.

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