A Host of Problems

The host is the first point of contact at a restaurant and is the person responsible for laying down the mood for the meal to come. A host ensures that the guests know about their current situation and makes sure that the process of getting a table is efficient and transparent. A good host is confident and keeps the guests eager for the meal by keeping the attention on food rather than the wait.

With the amount of influence a host weilds on the experience of the customer, it is shocking that this is one of the most neglected job position in the restaurant industry in India. The neglect definitely causes a gap between the desired and actual experience and the following are a few of the problems guests might face due to proper importance not being afforded to the role played by a host-

• Waiting for excessively long times after having a reservation.
• Being seated at a table different than the one reserved.
• Empty host stands, resulting in a customer walking in lost.
• Different people being offered the same table by the staff at the same time.
• Other walk-ins with the same number of people being offered a table before us.
• Seated without a menu, trying to get someones attention.
• Asking a guest to wait without giving a reason for the empty tables inside.
• Forgetting to seat a guest.
• Being asked to move to a different table.

Why is it that most hosts fail to carry out the simple task of greeting and assigning tables and servers to guests. The reason lies in considering the job simple based on how it looks on the surface to what complexities it hides underneath. Considering it simple and appointing the wrong person to the job results in the smile while greeting a guest to be considered optional and assignment of tables converts to a version of ‘you can sit wherever you want’, the assigning of servers also is done at random with the table going to the server who is visible at the moment.

A good host not only needs to know the layout of the restaurant at the back of their hand, they also need to be aware of which tables are currently occupied and by companies of how many along with who is waiting on them. They need to stay informed on how far along the guests are in the process of finishing their meals and who looks like they would be there for a while. They also need to be aware of which tables would be the best to accomodate excessively large parties and should manage reservations around these tables. If the restaurant has more than one host/hostess then the communication between them needs to be on point and they should plan the management of tables together to avoid making conflicting promises to the guests or misinforming them. The ideal person to deal with all this must possess a knack for dealing with data, should be personable and have great communication skills.

Although, as important as all the other qualities are, it is the smile that is the most important. A smile that comes from the heart makes the guest feel welcome and results in a good first impression. Though this wouldn’t guarantee a satisfied customer and there would always be the guest who has a problem with some thing or the other, with patience and genuine interest in helping your guests making the most of their time, even the most disagreeing guests can be won over.

With a little enthusiasm and tact on part of the host an average restaurant turns into a great one.