Host & Hostess Job Description: All Key Roles & Duties

Tailored resumes win interviews – you need a job description to get the keywords you need for your resume.

Being a Host/Hostess may seem like a straightforward job that only involves greeting guests as they come into an establishment. However, there’s a lot more to it than that – you have to manage reservations and coordinate seating, acting as the face of your restaurant or hotel. Because there’s more to it than originally meets the eye, employers hiring a host/hostess will want to see a resume. 

They need to know you have the hard and soft skills, credentials, and work experience to succeed in their establishment. You can use this Host & Hostess job description to find out the key roles and duties, extract the right keywords, and build a tailored resume. 

What is the role of a host/hostess?

Since you are the first point of contact for guests, it’s critical to prove to employers that you have what it takes to create a positive experience for customers. By framing the content of your resume in a way that effectively highlights your skills and experiences, you shed the best possible light on your qualifications.

In fact, a well-written resume does a few things for you:

1. Shows professionalism. Being professional at work is always appreciated. You want to demonstrate that you’re taking a serious approach to the job.

2. Highlights skills. The job of a Host/Hostess may not be perceived as difficult; it requires a good deal of customer service, communication, organization, and multitasking. 

3. Helps you stand out from the competition. When you use the Host/Hostess job description to customize your resume, you’ll stand out from the competition – i.e., other job seekers. 

4. Shows career progression. Perhaps you have a good deal of experience in hospitality and have a knack for de-escalating situations. If you can show those achievements through the progression of your career, hiring managers will be able to see what you bring to the table for their business. 

5. Meets employer requirements. The days of pounding the pavement to find a job are over. Chances are, an employer will require you to have a resume, so you might as well make it a good one. 

Host/Hostess Job Description

A Host or hostess presents a positive first impression of the establishment’s friendliness, excellent service, and high standards. The Host or Hostess also greets guests upon arrival, informs them of their wait time, monitors a waiting list, enters guest names into the computer system, shows guests to their table, and bids them farewell as they leave.

A Host/Hostess must be able to carry on a natural conversation with guests without sounding scripted or intrusive. Additionally, the Host cares for our guests by refilling beverages and performing light housekeeping duties such as cleaning glasses and menus and ensuring restrooms are clean, stocked, and orderly. As a member of an energetic team, the Host/Hostess may also need to answer the phones and fill to-go orders when needed. Availability must include nights and weekends.

Responsibilities:

• Greet incoming and departing Guests warmly with a genuine smile and eye contact; escort them to assigned dining area; present menus; announce waiter’s name

• Use visual cues to seat Guests in either the bar or dining area, depending on their preference

• Inform Guest of current promotions and who will be serving them to ensure a smooth handoff to the service staff

• Answer incoming calls to the restaurant and provide appropriate service

• Manage the flow of Guests into the Dining and Bar areas and provide accurate wait times to incoming Guests if appropriate

• Tend to special Guest needs and requests

• Observant to Guests’ needs throughout the dining experience to ensure they receive high-quality service (e.g., noticing a drink refill is needed while seating another Guest and ensuring the drink is refilled prior to getting back to the door).

• Protect establishment and patrons by adhering to sanitation, safety, and alcohol control policies

• Help dining room staff by setting and clearing tables, replenishing water, and serving beverages

• Issue dining charges by verifying orders, calculating taxes, and totaling bills for to-go orders

• Receive payments by validating credit charges, approving checks, accepting currency, and calculating and issuing change for ToGo orders

• Reconcile cash drawer by proving cash transactions; listing checks and credit card charges for to-go orders

• Contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed

Requirements:

• Must be able to read menus

• Must be able to articulate clear greetings and farewells to Guests, as well as being able to understand requests for assistance

• Must be able to clearly communicate Guests’ needs to W/Ws, Bussers, Managers, etc.

• Must be able to hear well in a loud environment in order to answer the telephone and respond to Guest requests

• Must be able to walk and stand during the entire shift

• Must be able to reach, bend, stoop, and wipe

• Must be able to articulate clear greetings and farewells to Guests

• Must be able to understand requests for assistance

• Must be able to carry trays or supplies (10-30 lbs.)

• A desire to help out where needed and work as part of a team

• Passion for providing extraordinary service

• The ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment

• An appetite for learning (and great food)

• Flexibility to work a variety of shifts

• 6 months experience in a full-service restaurant preferred

• Must be upbeat, outgoing, and positive

• Must be able to assist Guests and possess great Guest relations skills

• Ability to work positively in a fast-paced environment

• Ability to stand/walk and stay focused and alert for extended periods of time

• Ability to work effectively within a team

• Ability to effectively communicate on the telephone.

Host/Hostess top skills & proficiencies:

• Customer Service

• People Skills

• Professionalism

• High Energy

• Multitask

• Thoroughness

• Planning

• Basic Math

• Teamwork

• Attention to Detail

• Verbal Communication

• Organized

• Flexible

• Management Skills

Tailored resumes win interviews

In everything you do in life, you should strive to put your best foot forward. When it comes to writing your resume, that means taking the time to analyze the Host/Hostess job description to make sure you’re using the right keywords to impress a hiring manager. 

If you want some help, you’ve come to the right place. TopResume’s team of expert resume writers understands how to customize resumes to match your career goals. It all starts with a free review. 

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