Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
This question is about what a host/hostess does.
How to be a good restaurant host
To be a good restaurant host you need to stay organized, have expert customer service skills, and keep track of each section of your restaurant. For details on each of these steps and others you can take to be a good restaurant host, use this guide:
Stay organized
When starting your shift you should make sure you have all of the supplies you need. If you are missing certain key items, you should re-stock them to be properly prepared for your shift.
Common restaurant host supplies include:
Pens and pencils
Highlighters
Seating chart of the restaurant
Paper for making notes
You should also make sure there is enough clean silverware on hand.
Have expert customer service skills
Expert customer service is one of the most important aspects of being a good restaurant host. Aside from keeping track of reservations, much of a restaurant host's work day is spent interfacing with customers.
You need to have a friendly attitude when dealing with customers, this makes them feel welcome and wanted in your restaurant. Try to have an even and upbeat tone of voice when communicating with them. You should also focus on friendly body language.
Be sure to greet all of your customers when they walk through the doors of your restaurant. You should aim to voice a clear greeting and maintain eye contact when doing so.
Some restaurants have specific greetings they prefer their hosts to use, so check with your manager. Depending on your specific restaurant, you might also want to ask these types of questions:
Do you have a reservation with us?
How are you today?
Are you part of our membership program?
Ask if they have an interest in a new dish on the menu
Ask your manager for the proper details on the types of questions you should ask customers that enter the restaurant.
Also, if you see regulars (customers who frequent the restaurant), it is a good idea to get to know them a little and learn their names. This way you can engage in a little bit of small talk if they have to wait for a table.
Another crucial feature of restaurant host service is having conflict resolution skills or knowing how to deal with upset customers.
Ask your manager for the protocol your restaurant has for dealing with these situations. You will almost always be told to remain calm and as helpful as possible.
Keep track of each section of your restaurant
Some restaurants provide you with a seating chart. If yours does not, it is a good idea to draw up a seating chart for each shift.
How many tables there are in each section
How many people are at each dining party
What time each party arrived
Factor in reservations when planning your seating chart
This practice helps you stay organized, and it allows you to new tables to servers that have the most open tables.
Communicate with your servers
Communication with servers is critical. You need to know if a certain server is overwhelmed with the number of tables they have. It is best to ask busy servers if they are ready to wait on another table before you seat a new party.
You should also try to find out which servers do best with large dining parties and try to get a sense of how many tables are the maximum for each server in terms of their preference and performance.
Choose from 10+ customizable resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
