What does a hostess do?

A host or hostess is the face of the restaurant, often positioned near the entrance. They greet guests when they arrive at the restaurant, seat them at a table, and provide them with menus. As the first and often the last employee that patrons see, the host's or hostess’s primary responsibility is to provide excellent customer service throughout their shift. Welcoming guests with a smile, informing them of their wait time for a table, and checking on them regularly to make sure they are receiving efficient service from their servers are all essential duties for this position. The host or hostess also distributes patrons evenly among the wait staff to ensure a fair workload for employees and enables guests to be served their meals and drinks quickly.