There are many skills it takes to be an effective host or hostess in a restaurant. Customer service is always the main focus of this job. There are 7 easy steps you need to know to make customers happy and do your job effectively.
1. Greet customers.
When a customer walks into a restaurant, the host or hostess is usually the first person they see. It is important to make a good first impression. You should always smile and greet customers no matter how busy you are. It is important to acknowledge the customer even if you have to tell them that you will be with them in a minute.
2. Rotating seats.
Depending on the restaurant you work in, there are different types of seating rotations. The most important thing is to seat your guests at a table or booth appropriate for the size of your group. Then going through a rotation between waiters and waitresses is important so that they can have enough time to greet and care for each table, as well as to have an even number of customers on each shift.
3. Maintain a waiting list.
When the restaurant fills up and the dining room fills up, you need to maintain an effective waiting list. Keep customers in order of when they entered the restaurant or called ahead. Make sure to give the customer an accurate estimate of the wait time and do your best to make them happy while they wait.
4. Reservation configuration.
When customers make reservations for larger parties, they expect to have their table ready for them at a specific time. It is important to ensure that the reserved table is clean, has enough chairs, enough menus and appetizer plates for the number of guests, and that it has anything else previously specified such as balloons or high chairs for young children.
5. Give customers menus, cutlery and special plates for dinner.
This is the most basic part of seating the guests, making sure they have clean, up-to-date menus, silverware and a napkin, and a list of dinner specials. It may also be necessary to ensure that there is a menu of drinks and / or desserts.
6. Answering the phone.
Customers also deserve excellent customer service when they call the restaurant. It is important to answer the phone quickly, not keep people on hold for an excessive amount of time, and fully answer any questions they have.
7. Answer questions.
As a hostess, it is important that you are able to communicate with customers about special events that are happening, restaurant policies, and other important information about the restaurant itself.
In conclusion, all of these steps are important to being an effective host or hostess in any type of restaurant. Excellent customer service is always important for customers to enjoy the experience and keep coming back. Learning the skills to work well with clients will carry over to other professions as well.