The host is the first person customers meet and the last person
they’ll cross paths with before heading off. Hosts play a major role in
establishing a friendly atmosphere at your restaurant—one that will entice the
customer to return repeatedly.
Here are a few qualities you should look for in potential hosts:
Willingness to go above and beyond for guests. Part of a host’s responsibility is to make life easier for
each guest. In addition to meeting standard needs, hosts should consider
special requests as opportunities to make lasting impressions.
For example, a guest drove to Villa Christina in Atlanta from St.
Petersburg, Fla., to surprise his mom for Mother’s Day. He arrived before the
rest of his family, realized that he forgot to purchase a Mother's Day card and
asked where the nearest store was. The host asked him to wait a minute, went to
the sales office and scanned a drawer full of thank-you, birthday, wedding and
anniversary cards before finding a Mother's Day card. The host presented the
card to the guest, who was incredibly appreciative,says Terri Harof, vice
president of marketing.
Genuinely care about the success of the restaurant. Hosts generally are salaried and unlike servers, they don’t rely heavily on tips. So they must be motivated to act in the best interest of the restaurant, even though their pay won’t necessarily be affected either way.
“I have, unfortunately, encountered hosts in the past who just
want a cushy summer job, aware that it doesn't matter how slow or busy the
restaurant is -- he or she is still getting paid the same,” says Dennis
Friedman, executive chef/owner of Newton's Table
and Newton's Noodles in
Washington, D.C.
“Choosing not to be aggressive with capturing sales, acting indifferent to their impact on the kitchen, being ignorant to the success or failure of the servers -- all of these qualities are a recipe for failure, flavored with mediocrity.”
Ability to always be polite to guests, no matter what. The guest is always right. Regardless of how a customer
treats the host, he or she must resist the urge to return the poor attitude.
Instead, they must stay calm and try to please the customer as best he or she
can.
When David Bakke was a restaurant general manager, he worked
with a hostess who often snapped at guests. “I received numerous complaints
about her, and the restaurant lost business as a result,” says Bakke, a
restaurant expert at Money Crasher Personal.
Outgoing personality. Naturally shy people usually don’t make good hosts. Hosts must go
out of their way to be friendly to customers.
Strong organizational skills. Hosts frequently have several responsibilities, such as taking reservations, maintaining wait lists, assigning seating and scheduling employee duties. So strong organizational and time-management skills are a must.
Team player. Hosts must have a sense of table progression. To do so, he or
she should communicate constantly with wait staff to know which guests are on
dessert, which have paid their checks and which are still eating their meals.
Everyone on staff plays for the same team.
Professional appearance. Appearance is important when greeting customers, so hosts and
hostesses should dress in attire appropriate for the restaurant setting. Any
stains or wrinkles on clothes convey a dirty atmosphere.
This content was provided by National Restaurant Association
partner CareerBuilder.
