The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word BARMAIDS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
B
A
R
M
A
I
D
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Females in public service" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case females in public service = barmaids.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BARMAIDS mean?
BARMAIDS noun- A woman who serves in a bar.