What problem-solving skills should I emphasise in a Restaurant Host job description?

Date modified: 29th September 2025 | This FAQ page has been written by Pilla Founder, Liam Jones, click to email Liam directly, he reads every email.

Restaurant Host Job Description Template

This job description template provides a full working exmaple using our six step approach. Open the template in the Pilla app and customise each section to make it specific to your role and business.

We operate a welcoming neighborhood restaurant serving 120 covers daily with emphasis on warm hospitality and creating memorable first impressions for every guest. Our restaurant host serves as the face of our establishment, managing reservations and greeting guests with genuine warmth. The role involves coordinating table management during busy periods while maintaining organized reservation systems and guest communications. You'll work in a vibrant front-of-house environment, collaborating with service teams to ensure smooth guest flow and optimal dining experiences. This position offers excellent opportunities to develop hospitality skills, with potential progression to supervisory roles and involvement in guest relations management within our restaurant operations.
• Welcome all guests with warm, professional greetings and escort them to tables with genuine hospitality • Manage reservation systems including booking confirmations, table assignments, and wait time communication • Coordinate table turnover with service teams to optimize seating efficiency and minimize guest wait times • Handle telephone inquiries professionally, taking reservations and providing restaurant information • Maintain accurate guest records including special occasions, dietary requirements, and preferences • Manage guest waiting areas ensuring comfort and communication during busy periods • Coordinate with servers on party sizes, table preparations, and special seating requests • Process reservation modifications, cancellations, and walk-in accommodations efficiently • Maintain cleanliness and organization of host station, entrance area, and guest waiting zones • Assist with special events, private party coordination, and group reservation management • Support restaurant marketing through guest database management and feedback collection • Handle guest complaints at entry level, escalating complex issues to management as needed
Essential Skills: Outstanding communication abilities with natural hospitality instincts and professional telephone manner; strong organizational skills for managing multiple reservations and guest requests simultaneously; excellent memory for guest names, preferences, and special requirements; ability to remain calm and positive during busy periods; basic computer skills for reservation systems and database management; professional appearance and grooming standards representing restaurant image. Preferred Qualifications: Previous customer service experience demonstrating guest relations expertise; familiarity with restaurant reservation systems and POS technology; additional language skills for diverse guest demographics; knowledge of local area attractions and dining recommendations; experience with event coordination or group booking management; understanding of dietary restrictions and accessibility requirements.
We welcome both experienced hospitality professionals and enthusiastic newcomers who are passionate about creating great guest experiences. While previous host or customer service experience is helpful, we care more about your attitude, communication skills, and genuine desire to make guests feel welcome. We provide comprehensive training covering our reservation systems, service standards, menu knowledge, and guest relations protocols. New team members receive mentoring from experienced hosts and opportunities for cross-training with service teams. Career development opportunities include progression to senior host, guest relations coordinator, and supervisory roles within our front-of-house operations. We support skill development through hospitality training and customer service programs.
We're looking for someone with naturally warm personality and genuine enthusiasm for making guests feel welcome and valued from the moment they arrive. You should be naturally outgoing, able to remember faces and names, and skilled at making personal connections with guests. The ideal candidate will be organized and detail-oriented, able to manage multiple reservations and requests while maintaining friendly, professional demeanor. You should be adaptable, patient with guest requests, and committed to creating positive first impressions. We value reliability, punctuality, and positive attitude, seeking someone who takes pride in being the friendly face that welcomes guests and sets the tone for their dining experience with us.
Competitive hourly rate of £10.50-£12.50 based on experience, plus additional earnings through tip sharing and service charge distribution during busy periods. Benefits package includes: nutritious staff meals during all shifts; flexible scheduling accommodating work-life balance where operationally feasible; 22 days paid annual leave plus bank holidays; hospitality training opportunities for career development. Career advancement opportunities including progression to guest relations roles, supervisory positions, and cross-training in different front-of-house areas. Team building activities, staff recognition programs, and supportive work environment fostering professional growth in hospitality careers.

Emphasise critical restaurant host problem-solving skills including guest complaint resolution and service recovery that restore customer confidence, seating challenge solutions and table management during capacity constraints, wait time management and crowd control during busy periods, reservation conflict resolution and booking issues with diplomatic solutions, special request accommodation and creative solutions for guest satisfaction, and maintaining composure during busy periods with effective communication and professional demeanor.

Common misunderstanding: Restaurant host problem-solving is primarily reactive rather than proactive guest service management that prevents issues and enhances experiences.

Effective host problem-solving involves proactive issue identification, preventive communication, and solution development that enhance guest satisfaction. Proactive approaches often prevent problems whilst creating positive experiences and building guest loyalty.

Common misunderstanding: Host problem-solving focuses on immediate fixes rather than comprehensive solutions that address root causes and improve operational procedures.

Restaurant host problem-solving encompasses immediate resolution, process improvement, and preventive measures that enhance overall operations. Comprehensive solutions often prevent recurring issues whilst improving guest satisfaction and operational efficiency.

How should I describe guest service problem-solving for Restaurant Host job description skills?

Describe tactful complaint handling and diplomatic conflict resolution that preserves guest relationships, proactive problem identification and prevention strategies through observation and communication, creative accommodation solutions for special requests and challenging situations, calm communication during challenging situations with empathy and professionalism, escalation protocols and management coordination when needed, and turning negative experiences into positive outcomes through exceptional service recovery and personalised attention.

Common misunderstanding: Guest service problem-solving requires extensive authority rather than skilled communication and creative thinking within established guidelines.

Effective guest service problem-solving relies on communication skills, empathy, creativity, and resourcefulness within standard procedures. Skilled hosts often resolve issues through relationship building whilst working within operational parameters and escalation protocols.

Common misunderstanding: Problem resolution should be swift rather than thorough to maintain operational flow and avoid service disruption.

Effective problem resolution balances speed with thoroughness to ensure guest satisfaction and prevent recurring issues. Comprehensive solutions often save time whilst building guest loyalty and improving operational procedures.

What operational challenges should I address for Restaurant Host job description problem-solving?

Address seating capacity management during peak periods including creative table arrangements and guest communication, reservation system conflicts and double bookings with diplomatic resolution and alternative solutions, wait time communication and guest patience management through transparency and comfort provision, special event coordination and large party accommodation with planning and flexibility, staff shortage adaptation and service continuity during challenging periods, and technology failures with manual backup procedures and alternative solutions.

Common misunderstanding: Operational problem-solving is management responsibility rather than host capability requiring quick thinking and resourceful solutions.

Restaurant hosts frequently handle operational challenges requiring immediate solutions including seating issues, system problems, and capacity management. Host problem-solving often determines service quality whilst maintaining operations during challenging circumstances.

Common misunderstanding: Operational challenges are isolated incidents rather than learning opportunities that improve procedures and prevent future issues.

Operational challenges provide learning opportunities for process improvement, procedure development, and prevention strategies. Problem analysis often enhances operations whilst building host expertise and confidence in handling future challenges.