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2-day Course for Restaurant Hostess and Reservationist

This 2-day Restaurant Hostess and Reservationist Course is a game-changer for restaurants in South Africa. Whether you’re in Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban, or Johannesburg, this onsite training empowers your staff with essential skills to create exceptional guest experiences. Let's dig into why it's an unmissable opportunity!

Course Objectives:

Understand the Role and Responsibilities:

• Clearly differentiate between the duties of a hostess and a reservationist.
• Recognize how both roles are critical to delivering exceptional guest experiences and optimizing restaurant operations.

Develop Professional Customer Service Skills:

• Learn best practices for greeting guests warmly and responding to their needs effectively.
• Master verbal and non-verbal communication techniques for professional guest interactions.

Master Reservation and Seating Management:

• Gain proficiency in using reservation systems and managing seating arrangements.
• Learn to handle peak hours, walk-ins, special requests, and VIP guests.

Enhance Communication and Teamwork:

• Develop strategies for seamless communication with kitchen staff, servers, and management.
• Foster teamwork to ensure smooth operations and guest satisfaction.

Learn Upselling and Cross-Selling Techniques:

• Acquire techniques for recommending restaurant specials and boosting sales.
• Identify opportunities for enhancing guest satisfaction through thoughtful recommendations.

Enhance Guest Experience:

• Develop strategies for creating memorable first impressions and personalized guest interactions.
• Learn crisis management skills to effectively handle service breakdowns and guest complaints.

Assessment and Certification:

• Engage in practical and theoretical assessments to reinforce key learnings.
• Receive certification upon successful completion of the course.

 

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, participants will:

• Have a comprehensive understanding of hostess and reservationist responsibilities.
• Demonstrate advanced guest service skills, including greeting and communication.
• Exhibit proficiency in managing reservations with professional etiquette.
• Effectively handle complaints and resolve guest issues confidently.
• Apply teamwork and organizational strategies to improve front-of-house operations.
• Participants will receive a certificate of completion from Sam Hospitality Consulting and a handbook summarizing key practices and techniques covered during the course.

 

Target Groups

Aspiring Hostesses and Reservationists:

• Individuals seeking to start a career in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
• Those who want foundational knowledge and skills specific to these roles.

Current Hostesses and Reservationists:

• Professionals already working in these positions who want to refine and expand their skill sets.
• Those aiming to enhance their customer service approach, improve reservation management, or seek advancement.

Restaurant Staff Transitioning to New Roles:

• Restaurant servers, bartenders, or other team members looking to transition into hostess or reservationist roles.
• Those who require specific training to understand the nuances of these new responsibilities.

Restaurant Managers and Supervisors:

• Managers who supervise hostesses and reservationists to gain deeper insights into these roles for better training and team management.
• Individuals in management seeking strategies to improve their staff's customer service and reservation management practices.

Hospitality Students and Graduates:

• Students or recent graduates from hospitality and tourism programs who are preparing for job opportunities in the restaurant industry.
• Individuals looking to complement their academic knowledge with practical, industry-relevant skills.

 

Course Outline

Day 1:

 

• Welcome and Introductions 
• Ice-breaker activities to foster camaraderie.
• Outline of the course objectives and expectations.

Role of the Hostess and Reservationist 

• Key responsibilities and impact on guest experience.
• Understanding the difference between a hostess and reservationist.
• How both roles contribute to restaurant success.

 

Customer Service Fundamentals 

• Greeting guests with warmth and professionalism.
• Communication skills: verbal and non-verbal.
• Handling guest queries, feedback, and complaints effectively.

 

Managing Reservations and Seating Arrangements

• Using reservation systems effectively.
• Strategies for managing peak hours and walk-ins.
• Managing seating to optimize table turnover and guest satisfaction.

 

Effective Communication and Teamwork 

• Communicating with kitchen staff and servers.
• Coordinating with management to address guest requirements.
• Best practices for intra-team collaboration.

Day 2:

 

• Review of Day 1 Key Learnings (9:00 AM - 9:30 AM)
• Review and feedback session for Day 1 learnings.
• Q&A to clarify understanding.

Advanced Reservation Management 

• Handling special requests and VIP guests.
• Managing reservations for events and private dining.

 

Upselling and Cross-Selling Skills 

• Techniques to promote restaurant specials.
• Coordinating with servers to drive higher sales.
• Recognizing opportunities for enhancing guest experience through recommendations.

 

Guest Experience Enhancement

• Techniques for creating a memorable first impression.
• Personalizing guest interactions based on past preferences.
• Crisis management for resolving service breakdowns.

 

Assessment and Certification 

• Practical assessment to gauge participant knowledge.
• Written exam covering key concepts and strategies.
• Course feedback and distribution of certificates.

Final Remarks

• A summary of key takeaways and a Q&A session.
• Networking and closing remarks by Sam Hospitality Consulting representatives.

This comprehensive 2-day program will help restaurant hostesses and reservationists build essential skills for enhancing the guest experience while also driving the restaurant's success through effective communication and reservation management.

This course is delivered on-site to restaurants in all parts of South Africa including Cape Town, Sandton, Melrose, Randburg, Midrand, Centurion, Pretoria, Bedfordview, Durban, Umhlanga, Ballito and many other places.

Email us on training@hospitalitycourses.co.za or call +27-82-765-9238