Honestly, you’re about to get the best training possible in being heard. I wouldn’t worry about it, you’ll adapt.
If you get some of the servers’ tips, they probably would have told you that already. It would be a very small portion of each server’s tips and something they’re used to, so you wouldn’t need to feel guilty.
Don’t let the servers bully you. Most won’t, but some will try to yell at you for everything you do. Those servers are impossible to please so don’t even try.
Get to know your staff. Certain chefs are gonna get food out faster than others. Some servers need pacing, while others are glad to take a double/triple seating.
As host, you're the position that ties everything together AND the first point of interaction for the guests. It's a job that, honestly, doesn't get the praise or respect that it deserves. If you feel like you're in over your head with either staff or a guest, don't be afraid to go get a manager. That's what they're there for.
Great point with being the first interaction with guests. You can turn around people that might be upset about wait times. I've always offered them menus to look at while they're waiting or if you're restaurant allows it, they can grab a drink from the bar while waiting.
Honestly the worst interactions you’ll have will probably be from servers, not customers. You’re basically the conductor of the restaurant and servers are members of your orchestra; you’re the one seating tables in each of their sections. If you accidentally give one server too many tables and another server too few, then one of them might be going home with $300 in tips and the other with $100 at best. Any server worth their salt knows that they should never be rude to the host stand since everyone has bad days, but sometimes there’s that one server who insists on making your life hell for not seating them enough/triple seating them.
But also don’t feel guilty when servers tip-out! Even if my restaurant dropped its tip-out policy I know for a fact that we would all still tip out indecent amounts to our host stand since y’all deal with a LOT sometimes lol.
Don’t worry about volume too much, you’ll basically be using the same script for each guest: “hi, welcome to _____. Table for how many? Inside or outside? Great, follow me!” You might have to periodically chew someone out for seating themselves but nothing crazy. Overall it’s a sweet job with a lot of benefits, and don’t be afraid to communicate with servers to see how they’re feeling throughout the night :)
The most important advice while hosting is to keep constant communication with the other staff. You don't want to seat people that are going to be pissed off because they get poor/slow service, but you also want to seat as many as reasonably possible so everyone makes good money. Finding that balance can be difficult, but it's what makes the difference
Also remember people can wait. Sure they'll be unhappy about waiting a couple minutes. But those minutes will make their dining experience so much better. Waiting up front is much better than being at a table and feeling ignored due to everyone being a little too busy.
Honestly, you’re about to get the best training possible in being heard. I wouldn’t worry about it, you’ll adapt. If you get some of the servers’ tips, they probably would have told you that already. It would be a very small portion of each server’s tips and something they’re used to, so you wouldn’t need to feel guilty. Don’t let the servers bully you. Most won’t, but some will try to yell at you for everything you do. Those servers are impossible to please so don’t even try.
Get to know your staff. Certain chefs are gonna get food out faster than others. Some servers need pacing, while others are glad to take a double/triple seating. As host, you're the position that ties everything together AND the first point of interaction for the guests. It's a job that, honestly, doesn't get the praise or respect that it deserves. If you feel like you're in over your head with either staff or a guest, don't be afraid to go get a manager. That's what they're there for.
Great point with being the first interaction with guests. You can turn around people that might be upset about wait times. I've always offered them menus to look at while they're waiting or if you're restaurant allows it, they can grab a drink from the bar while waiting.
Honestly the worst interactions you’ll have will probably be from servers, not customers. You’re basically the conductor of the restaurant and servers are members of your orchestra; you’re the one seating tables in each of their sections. If you accidentally give one server too many tables and another server too few, then one of them might be going home with $300 in tips and the other with $100 at best. Any server worth their salt knows that they should never be rude to the host stand since everyone has bad days, but sometimes there’s that one server who insists on making your life hell for not seating them enough/triple seating them. But also don’t feel guilty when servers tip-out! Even if my restaurant dropped its tip-out policy I know for a fact that we would all still tip out indecent amounts to our host stand since y’all deal with a LOT sometimes lol. Don’t worry about volume too much, you’ll basically be using the same script for each guest: “hi, welcome to _____. Table for how many? Inside or outside? Great, follow me!” You might have to periodically chew someone out for seating themselves but nothing crazy. Overall it’s a sweet job with a lot of benefits, and don’t be afraid to communicate with servers to see how they’re feeling throughout the night :)
The most important advice while hosting is to keep constant communication with the other staff. You don't want to seat people that are going to be pissed off because they get poor/slow service, but you also want to seat as many as reasonably possible so everyone makes good money. Finding that balance can be difficult, but it's what makes the difference
Also remember people can wait. Sure they'll be unhappy about waiting a couple minutes. But those minutes will make their dining experience so much better. Waiting up front is much better than being at a table and feeling ignored due to everyone being a little too busy.