Hostess

Roles and responsibilities

1. Customer Service Excellence

• Friendly and Welcoming Attitude: A hostess must greet each guest warmly and with enthusiasm, making them feel welcomed from the moment they arrive.
• Strong Communication: Excellent verbal communication skills are essential for interacting with guests and team members, whether it’s to take reservations, answer questions, or explain wait times.
• Patience and Empathy: Handling guests with varying expectations and patience during busy hours or when managing wait times requires a calm and empathetic demeanor.

2. Organization and Time Management

• Managing Reservations and Waitlists: A hostess is often responsible for managing reservations, handling walk-in guests, and tracking waiting times. They must do this in an organized manner to avoid confusion.
• Seating Guests Efficiently: A key part of the hostess role is to manage the seating chart efficiently, ensuring guests are seated in a timely and fair manner, while maximizing restaurant flow.
• Handling Multiple Tasks: In a busy restaurant, a hostess may have to juggle greeting guests, answering the phone, and coordinating with servers and kitchen staff, so the ability to multitask is essential.

3. Problem-Solving and Conflict Resolution

• Dealing with Difficult Situations: A hostess may encounter difficult guests, long wait times, or complaints. Handling these situations with professionalism and tact is vital to maintaining a positive guest experience.
• Managing Special Requests: Addressing guest requests (e.g., seating preferences, accommodations for disabilities, or special occasions) in a thoughtful and accommodating manner.
• Coordinating with Management: When issues arise, such as overbookings or complaints, a hostess may need to escalate the situation to a manager to find a resolution.

4. Attention to Detail

• Seating Preferences: A hostess must be attentive to guest preferences (e.g., near a window, away from the kitchen) and take these into account when seating them.
• Menu Knowledge: Being familiar with the menu, including any specials, dietary options, or promotions, and being able to answer guests' questions.
• Cleanliness and Presentation: Ensuring that the entry area, hostess stand, and seating areas are clean and well-presented at all times.

5. Teamwork

• Collaborating with Front-of-House Staff: A hostess works closely with servers, bussers, and managers to ensure that the dining room runs smoothly and that guests are seated quickly and efficiently.
• Supporting the Server Team: In busy environments, the hostess may assist with minor tasks like providing guests with menus, directing them to their table, or relaying special requests to the server.
• Communication with the Kitchen: The hostess may need to communicate wait times or special seating arrangements to kitchen staff, especially during busy service periods.

Desired candidate profile

• Provides value added service to customers by doing whatever is reasonable and possible to meet or exceed customer expectations.
• Makes sure that the table is set for the correct number of persons in the party before seating them and pulls out the chair for the ladies.
• If no tables are available in the restaurant, requests guests to be seated at the bar while one becomes available, and proactively follows up with them in case of any delay.
• Helps colleagues to prepare tables and never seats the guest on a dirty table.
• Answers telephone courteously following telephone answering procedure of the hotel.

Requirements:

• Experience in food & beverage service beneficial but not essential.
• Hands-on approach with a can-do work style.
• Commitment to delivering exceptional guest service with a passion for the hospitality industry.
• Ability to find creative solutions taking ownership for duties and tasks assigned.
• Personal integrity, with the ability to work in an environment that demands excellence.
• Experience of working with IT systems on various platforms.
• Strong communication skills.