That Hostess Job is More Important Than You Think

The value you bring and the lessons you learn are limitless and enduring.

I’m 54, and I still remember lessons from my stint at a local seafood restaurant from the time I was 15 to 22. A senior I was crushing on made an announcement on the bus ride home that a West coast restaurant was opening a new location — it’s first East Coast store— in our town. “They’re only hiring pretty people,” he said as he looked over my shoulder to Becky with the big boobs. Jimmy’s brother had already been hired as a busboy. If Ralph was gonna be working at Sea Galley, and I could get a job, that would put me two degrees closer to Jimmy. To my sophomore brain, that was a no brainer.

I applied for that hostess position for the wrong reasons, but it was one of my best decisions for a number of others. Many of the lessons learned, stayed with me for decades — well past the $7/hour paychecks that put me behind the steering wheel of that sweet ‘76 Firebird.

Training should be comprehensive, specific and intense.

Because it was a new entity, they flew a team of executives out from the left coast to train the opening team. They invested in their employees and their business from the get-go. That stuck with me.

The big wigs spent time with us newbies. Each department had a designated team lead. We role-played and were quizzed on menu specifics. There were huge binders overflowing with standard operating procedures. SOPs, as I’d learn to call them, were available for every department and every position. If we had questions, they had answers, and we were taught where to find them.

Every time I walk into a restaurant, I compare/contrast my experience with the training I received almost 40 years ago. To me, it remains the gold standard. Was I greeted within 30 seconds? Did my server introduce him/herself promptly? Did he/she drop off waters to the table?

Employees are only as good as the training they receive. If you were to be hit by a bus tomorrow, does someone else know how to run your biz? Are there up-to-date SOPs to refer to?

Culture means more than a foosball table in the lounge.

It was the first time my young ears ever heard the term ‘company culture’. God, it was intoxicating. At 15, I knew I was part of something special. There were tastings, team meetings, incentives, and contests. We were provided huge chalkboards and encouraged to come up with catchy slogans and wild, creative art to advertise daily specials. Softball tournaments were organized, gauntlets were thrown down for basketball challenges, and parties planned to celebrate promotions. We were encouraged to have spirit — Sea Galley spirit.

It was a busy restaurant. On weekends, there was typically a 45–90-minute wait for a table. This was before texting to let you know your table was available. We had a list and access to a mic. We were given suggestions on how to let people know their table was available and encouraged to come up with some of our own.

Neptune’s Net has cast a table for the Smith party of 4.

Ahoy matey, calling the Brown party 2. It’s your turn to walk the plank!

Stewart party of 10, it’s now safe to board the Titanic.

Corny? Absolutely. Did it make people laugh? Hysterically.

At the end of the training, we held a talent show. Each department worked together on their performance. I was having way more fun than my friends working at McDonald’s. I couldn’t wait to go to work. Our awesome culture made me forget all about Jimmy. I mean, really. What senior rides the bus?

What’s the organization’s culture? Is it a feeling that hits you when you walk into their building or is it something written in their mission statement?

Guests don’t come for the crab legs; they come for the experience.

The food can be mediocre, but the service better exceeds expectations. Sadly, it doesn’t work the other way around. Excellent food does not negate a bad customer service experience. Service is everything, and while I wasn’t cooking or delivering the crab legs, I was still an important part of the overall experience. I created the guests’ first impression when they entered the door, and I was the last person they talked to as they paid their check.

If I overheard a guest mention a birthday, I let the waitperson know on the sly. I remembered guests’ names and their preferred waiter/waitress. I complimented their choice of tie and made them forget about their problems when they walked through the door. It was my job.

I learned how to ‘wow’ guests before ‘WOW’ customer experiences were a thing. It isn’t a heavy lift. People want to be heard, and they want to be recognized.

People are okay with waiting, but they hate to be kept hanging.

One of our biggest rules: Guests had to be greeted by a host within 30 seconds of entering the door, and wait staff had to intro themselves within two minutes of being seated. Throughout the training, we were timed, and it was ingrained into every employee that this was a non-negotiable. As the hostess, I had to let another team member know if I was going to step away from the desk so no one entered without being greeted in a timely fashion.

Food taking longer than expected? Stop by the table, let them know, and apologize. Offer a free refill.

People don’t mind waiting as long as they know what’s going on. No one likes being in the dark, and we are willing to overlook a lot of mistakes as long as we know what’s going on.

Teamwork is about individual actions.

If I called out sick, I knew what my absence would mean to my fellow hostesses. They’d have to work doubly hard and likely wouldn’t get off at their prescribed time. If Julie had a date after work, she’d likely have to cancel, and I didn’t want that on my back.

If several parties left at one time, I grabbed a bus pan and cleared tables. If I was seating a table, and a party entered the restaurant, a passing waiter/waitress happily greeted them, and either let them know I’d be right back or would take their name. If I had downtime, I ran the hoky pokey. If you ever worked in a restaurant, you know what I mean.

I loved my teammates and would do whatever it took to make us all look good and get off on time, date or no date.

Our culture created a family that I didn’t want to disappoint.

Recognizing good, hard work is just as important as rewarding it.

I started as a hostess, was promoted to hostess manager, earned several pay raises and eventually made my way up to cocktail waitress where I was able to greatly increase my earnings. The management team acknowledged my hard work on a daily basis. We were called out for doing good and encouraged to do the same for others.

People want to be successful. People want to work hard for your organization. Give them the proper training and tools, and call them out on a daily basis for small wins.

The lowest chain on the link has power.

On Friday and Saturday nights, there was typically a two-hour wait for a table. Crazy, but people stayed. They stayed because: a) We didn’t lie/sugarcoat the truth; b) We sold them on the idea that it would be worth the wait — they wouldn’t be sorry — and we delivered; and c) We provided them options and direction. Go have a cosy seat in our lounge! Lynn will take great care of you. Time will fly by. If you don’t drink, no worries. We have a lovely waiting area with games for the kids. I’ll bring up some sodas, and give you some menus to look at while you’re waiting.

Nothing irks me more when I walk into a restaurant and am dismissively told, “There’s a two-hour wait,” as the hostess looks back down at her computer willing me out the door. What a disservice to the poor owner(s) who are busting their butts to keep customers coming in the door. If you don’t properly train your front-of-the-house staff, you might as well kiss them all goodbye.

This is perhaps the most important lesson of all. Even the lowest person on the food chain has power over your business. Don’t overlook that hostess out there greeting your guests or the dishwasher who is ensuring the lipstick is of the glasses. Understand that every person in the organization is impacting your bottom line.

Empowerment is real.

Another non-negotiable rule: Ask the guest(s) how their experience was and LISTEN attentively. If there was an inkling of dissatisfaction, I was empowered to comp someone’s meal(s), buy them a drink or whatever it took to make sure they walked out that door happier than when they entered. And, that they would COME BACK. Management understood that picking up the tab for a plate of crab legs cost much less than ten people hearing about a pile of cold legs, and they empowered and entrusted their hostess(es) with ensuring their guests’ happiness.

Don’t wait to read how your customer feels on Yelp. Make sure you know how their experience was before they leave, check out, etc. If you’re not the one they’re talking to, make sure that person is listening and empowered to act.

If your job is feeling small and unimportant, take another look. Every cog in the wheel matters. Pay close attention to the lessons you are learning today as they might come in handy years from now when you’re building your own organization. SOP, anyone?

If you have kids, encourage him/her to apply for a restaurant job. Guaranteed that he/she will learn much more than how to fold napkins into sailboats and marry the ketchup bottles.