Arrival & Departure
The guest meets the door before they meet the food. The first thirty seconds and the last thirty seconds are the ones they will retell.
Before the Doors Open
Know Tonight
Read the reservation list end to end: returning guests, occasions, allergies, large tables, children, anyone who must leave by a set time, and any guest who needs extra care. Know the table plan and where every booking is going.
Set the Stand
A clear, tidy stand: list, pens, phone charged, menus clean, coat tags ready. Nothing personal on display, and no screen facing the guest with names on it.
Brief with the Floor
Two minutes with the manager and the servers: the busy times, the special occasions, the tables that turn. Agree who walks guests to the table when the stand is busy.
Be at the stand, ready, ten minutes before the first booking.
The Arrival
Look Up First
Acknowledge every guest within seconds, even if you are on the phone or seating another table: eye contact, a smile, a small gesture that says "I've seen you". Waiting is easy once someone has noticed you.
The Greeting
Stand, step out from behind the stand if you can, and welcome them before asking for anything. Use the name as soon as you know it, and welcome returning guests back.
Good evening, and welcome. Do you have a reservation with us tonight?
Coats and Bags
Offer to take coats, umbrellas and shopping bags, and hand over the ticket with a word on where to collect them. Offer a small stool or hook for handbags at the table.
The Walk
Lead, never point. Walk a step ahead at the guest's pace, glancing back, and take the route that shows the room at its best. One natural sentence on the way is enough; a tour is too much.
Seating
Pull out the chairs, usually for elders and ladies first, following local custom and the guest's lead. The best seat, facing the room or the view, goes to the guest of honour. Place the napkin or menus as your venue does, and say who will look after them.
The Handover
Pass the table to the server or captain with the name, the occasion, allergies and any time limit, out of the guest's hearing. The guest should never have to repeat themselves.
Handover within a minute of seating: name, occasion, allergies, timing.
While Guests Wait
Give an Honest Time
A real estimate, slightly generous, is better than "just a few minutes". Offer the bar or lounge and a drink; a comfortable wait is a short wait.
Check Back
Return before they have to come looking for you, roughly every ten minutes, even if the only news is that you are still working on it.
The Departure
Watch for the Bill
When a table asks for the bill, the host stand should know. Have coats and bags ready before the guests stand up, and call the car or taxi if they need one.
The Goodbye
Thank every guest, by name where you can, and the host of the table above all. Invite them back, and mean it.
Thank you so much for joining us tonight, Mr Rahman. We hope to welcome you back very soon.
To the Door
Open the door, walk them out when you can, and stay until the car has left. Hold the door for the next guest arriving; they are watching how you treat the last.
After the Guest
Note anything useful in the profile: a preference, a celebration, a name. Reset the stand for the next arrival.