A job description for a restaurant hostess may not give this person enough credit. This rewarding job does require hard work and an enthusiastic attitude. For those who may be considering applying for a job as a restaurant hostess, it is important to know what the job entails and what to expect from it.
Job Description for a Restaurant Hostess Explained
A restaurant hostess is an individual who greets customers as they arrive at the facility and often is the last to say goodbye to them as they leave. The hostess job description for a restaurant hostess includes a wide variety of other tasks.
- The hostess schedules dining reservations for guests in advance and as they arrive at the restaurant. Hostesses often have to make decisions about where a group will sit in the restaurant.
- The hostess directs and instructs the dining room personnel on customer needs to ensure customers receive fast and quality service from the moment they arrive.
- Should a party have special needs or request accommodations, the hostess ensures the group's requirements are met. This may include services needed for small children, as well as for individuals with disabilities or food allergies.
- Hostesses greet guests as they arrive and take them to their seats. They also provide a menu and explain specials. They may answer immediate questions the patrons have. They may introduce the customers to their server.
- The hostess also inspects and maintains the dining facilities. They do by instructing the buss personnel and waiters. They may be required to spot cleanliness problems and to help clear tables to facility customer needs.
These are some of the main tasks a restaurant hostess does on a regular basis. There is often more than one hostess one duty during busy periods at the restaurant. Some facilities will require a hostess to hold open doors and help guests to their vehicles as needed.
Restaurant Hostess Role in the Business
The role of a restaurant hostess is fairly easy to see. Their goal is to ensure the customer is greeted, seated and served. The hostess is responsible for ensuring that customers enjoy an excellent experience at the facility. In order to do this job well, a hostess often has to be engaging and genuinely interested in the success of the establishment. She needs to smile, make eye contact with the guests, and to be courteous to them.
In most restaurants, the hostess holds a position above that of the waitresses and waiters, but do not typically have any managerial responsibilities. They may handle receipts depending on the formality of the location. In a more formal location, the hostess rarely handles money.
In addition, the restaurant hostess often is the face of the business and must typically follow a strict dress code. In a semi formal or formal restaurant, the hostess may be dressed in a business formal or formal dress or in a suit. If a uniform is worn by other staff members, the hostess may wear the same thing or something similar.
Becoming a Hostess
The job description for a restaurant hostess describes what is done on a daily basis as a hostess. To become one, individuals often have to work through the restaurant's training. They may or may not work as a waitress or waiter before being able to work as a hostess. Often, the individual's personality and positive attitude will encourage management to place these individuals in the hostess position.
The training will require the hostess to be familiar with the restaurant's make up, menu, business policies and hostess job duties. It will also instruct the hostess in managing the workload of the waitresses and waiters on the floor, to maintain a balance the workload each individual has. They also have to keep the flow of customers being seated steady to enable the kitchen to work at its best. In all of these areas, the hostess needs to follow the policies of the restaurant.
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