Skills sets requirement for a hostess

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are compulsory.
• Very good attitude and self confident.
• To be a good team player and team leader.
• Good leadership qualities are required to control the housekeeping staff members.
• Excellent customer service skills are essential.
• Good convincing skills.
• Must be neat and well groomed.
• Understand the requirement of the customer.
• High levels of patience are required since the job profile demands to stand more.
• Don’t get excited or feel tensed during work.
• Convenient to work in shifts and late nights.
• Must work in weekends since, more customers visit restaurants and hotels with their family members.
• Time management skills are required.
• Good memory is essential.
• Good sense of humor with presence of mind.
• In case of any mistake must convince the customer properly.
• Aware of the hospitality skills.
• To be passionate about the job.
• Good motivation skills are essential to motivate housekeeping staff members in the right path.

Certification and Licensure requirements for becoming a Hostess

• There is no specialized certification or licensure requirement to become a Hostess.
• Candidate with high school education with good communication skills can handle this job efficiently.
• Experience is very crucial for this job.
• Hostess aspirants can also get trained in vocational schools where they teach the basic table etiquettes and customer service skills.
• Trained Hostess in customer service skills and hospitality services are much preferred by the employers.

Educational Requirements to become a Hostess

• There is no particular educational requirement for a Hostess.
• Mostly Hostess have a high school education.
• Restaurants and hotels prefer candidate’s with excellent customer service and communication skills.
• Candidates with excellent skills sets are normally recruited for this job profile.
• Mostly students work as part time job while pursuing their higher education.
• Almost all the Hostess professionals are teenagers with best attitude.
• Bachelor’s degree in hotel management would be an added advantage for Hostess.
• With good experience as Hostess these people get best employment opportunities in top restaurants and hotels.
• Bachelor’s degrees in hotel management enhance the career of Hostess to the post of hotel or restaurant manager.
• In addition to basic high school education the candidate must have excellent skills sets to get this designation of Hostess in large restaurants and hotels.
• Trained or experienced Hostess are given priority for this designation than freshers.

What does a Hostess Do?

Hostess is a person who works in restaurant or hotel. These professionals play a vital role in hotels and restaurants. There are plenty of roles and responsibilities for a Hostess.  Most of these professionals are females.

All the famous, popular bars, hotels and restaurants appoint Hostess.  She is one of the most important work forces in these firms.  These professionals give the first and best impression on the restaurant or hotel by their warm welcome greetings to the customers. For any hotel or restaurant customer is very important since these firms are depended on customers. Business of these customer care firms like hotels and restaurants are depended on their hospitality and services provided to the customers.

Customers feel very warm and relaxed by the hearty welcome of Hostess and get very much impressed by the hospitality services of the restaurants. The main job of a Hostess is to enquire about the customer requirements and make arrangements for the dining tables as per their requirements. In addition to these she also must take care of the cleanliness in and around the customer’s tables.

It is very important for restaurants and hotels to appoint a Hostess to get a good reputation in less time.   She is the person who takes special care of the customers and oversees all the operations of kitchen, dining, arranging tables, cooking and also the neatness of the customer surroundings like doors and floors. The roles and responsibilities of the Hostess may also vary based on the type of the restaurant.

Duties and Responsibilities of a Hostess

The duties and responsibilities of the Hostess are very challenging since it is her job to provide the best services to the customers.

Duties of a Hostess

• Welcome the customers with warm greetings into the restaurant or hotel.
• Make arrangements of dining tables as per the customer requirements.
• Provide the table to customers in case of prior reservations or booking in advance of the table.
• Provide them with the restaurant menu card.
• Suggest them the best specials offered by the restaurant or hotel.
• Ensure that the seating arrangements are done properly by the dining arrangement staff members.
• Take the orders from the customers.
• Help and guide customers in case of any difficulty like seating.
• Regular follow up with the kitchen staff about the available dishes.
• Thank the customer while leaving the restaurant or hotel warmly and happily.
• Escort the customer to his/her table in the restaurant.

Responsibilities of a Hostess

• Ensure that the customer is satisfied with the arrangements as per their requirement.
• Keep an eye on the house keeping staff whether all doors, tables and floors are clean and tidy.
• Make sure that the menu card is very clean and neat.
• Properly receive the customers and greet them confidently.
• In case of any issue with the arrangements and cleanness Hostess must make sure that the issue is resolved very quickly.
• Maintain good relations with the customers or clients of the restaurant or hotel.
• Maintain good relations and work closely with the staff members of dining arrangements, kitchen, and housekeeping teams.
• Acknowledge the customers every time once they order or request for something.
• Assist customers and guide them to the washrooms.
• In case of any major issue immediately contact with the hotel manager or alert the available executive in the restaurant.
• Make prior arrangements of tables during parties and events reservations.
• Make note of the customer valuable suggestions, complaints if any and advice.
• Try to achieve hundred percent customer satisfaction.
• Ensure that the table, floor is cleaned properly once the customer vacates the table.
• Alert the housekeeping staff in case of any dirt or food on the floors, chairs and tables.

Salary and Remuneration for a Hostess

• Salary or remuneration is based on few factors like experience as Hostess, work location, employer size and also responsibilities of the Hostess.
• Most of the restaurants like coffee clubs, lounge pay Hostess on hourly basis.
• In addition to salary Hostess also get extra income by working in late hours and weekends.
• Very good tips are given by the customers as customer appreciation for the work of Hostess.
• Bonuses and overtime work bonus are also offered by the employers.
• According to the reports of United States bureau of labor statistics in the year 2004 Hostess earned an average median salary of $7.52 per hour.
• Firms like hotels paid an hourly salary range of $7.18- $12.20 bar or restaurant or nightclub paid an hourly salary range of $7.72- $12.05 and lastly fast food restaurants paid an hourly salary range of $6.78- $10.17.
• The hourly salary range package for host and Hostess are also different.
• Experience is very crucial for customer service jobs, especially experience is very much important for Hostess.
• The salary range rate of Hostess is based on the experience and previous employer type.
• Hostess with less than one year experience earn salary of $6.96- $10.05 per hour.
• One to four years of experience as Hostess earn an salary range of $7.12- $11.68 per hour in United States.
• Five to nine years of good experience earn an hourly salary range of S$7.25- $14.45.
• Ten to nineteen years of experience as Hostess get an hourly salary of $7.81- $15.15.
• Hostess with twenty years or more than it get good hourly salary range from the restaurants of $7.11- $12.45 in United States.
• Salaries of Hostess are also mostly influenced by their work location.
• States like California and New York pay best hourly salary range for Hostess.
• Bonus paid to Hostess is also based on several factors like work experience, work location and size of the employer.
• Bonus of $50.87 is offered to Hostess with less than one year experience in United States in addition to salaries.
• Bonus of $99.44 for Hostess is given with one to four years of experience.
• With five to nine years of experience as Hostess a bonus of $250 is earned by these professionals.
• Excellent bonus of approximately $700 is earned by Hostess with ten to nineteen years of experience.
• The demand for these Hostess or host is good these days.
• Hotels and restaurants are hiring Hostess or host in good number to develop and increase their business with customers.