What the guest said: I would like first available.
What the hostess heard: Whatever comes first, it doesn't really matter to me, I just want it to be fast.
- Some restaurants, like mine, have outdoor seating as well as indoor seating and if it's preferable, all you have to do is ask the hostess before you're seated. If the restaurant is really busy as mine is most of the time, there is usually a wait time (one is usually longer than the other). So sometimes we have guests who think that when we say first available we mean whatever comes up first inside whether it be a booth or a regular table when we really mean, whatever comes up whether it's inside or out.
What the hostess heard: I want a booth, I'm going to sit in one whether you like it or not.
- There isn't a restaurant in the world that doesn't have this problem; booths. For some reason, people love sitting in booths but have some sort of issue asking for one before they're seated. You're walking these lovely lovebirds to their table in your restaurant, a regular two-top and as you're walking them, they see a glorious booth. As they are seated amongst a sea of people 'too close to other people' and 'small table' or 'I want to sit next to her' is what I hear all the time. If it was really a big deal whether you had a booth or not, you would've asked for a booth whether the hostess asked you or not. The big thing for me is when people lie and say 'I told her I wanted a booth.' Well, if in reality you told her that you wanted a booth, she would've given you one.
What the hostess heard: You stupid little @#4&%! Why would you seat me here!?
- Most of the time, if you don't like your table, it's not because the hostess hates you. That's the number one rule: Don't take ANYTHING personal at a restaurant. If you walk into a restaurant with the expectations of being primped and pampered, ask for that, but use your words. Calling the hostess offensive, demeaning names or asking for a manager to get whatever you want is not the right way to go about it to be simply put. Do you feel like a big person because you told the insipid little hostess off? You can ask for whatever you want and any service person at a restaurant will give it to you but you don't have to be rude about it. If you don't like your table, there are two things you can do to avoid getting a bad one (1) Ask for what you want before you are seated (2) Tell the hostess what you'd prefer instead of the table you were given and if you're not prepared to wait, you're SOL my friend.
What the hostess heard: You've gotta be kidding me, you have no servers? That doesn't make any sense!
- If the restaurant is particularly big, as in has a few more than 5 stations or a few more than 5 servers like my restaurant (Has about 25 stations) they probably don't have all of the servers on at the same time for two reasons: labor costs & flow of service. Labor costs are a big deal in the food industry--minimize labor costs, maximize profit. This is why there are always openings in the food industry because unless you're a manager or higher you're usually overworked and underpaid. It's really selfish of the restaurant to have servers open their sections at different times but it's business. Flow of service is a big deal because the restaurants job is to make sure that they make money ultimately, yeah the customer's always right and other good things but they have to make sure that every server makes money while also keeping them happy; not triple+ seating them-giving them more than 3 tables at the same time thus causing them to be stressed because they have to do 3 times as much work as they would than if they got 3 tables in a steady flow, making them take tables out of their section-usually servers have 4/5 tables at a time, if you want to sit in a closed section, that means they have 5/6 tables and this can lead to horrible service and then a stressed out server. Don't take it personal when the hostess tells you there's no server, follow the restaurants rules.
What the guests heard: That stroller is an abomination and you should get rid of it.
- Some restaurants have a special place to store things with wheels--luggage, strollers, wheelchairs, wheeled or non-wheeled walkers, etc. When the hostess asks you to leave your wheeled items it either means that there is no room at your table for them and you'll be blocking another table or that they see that you look worn down by your bags and want to help you take a load off, literally. A lot of mother's come to the restaurant and want a high chair as well as the stroller, this takes up precious restaurant space. Especially at restaurants that don't do reservations and set up your table upon arrival. Some guests (mothers mostly) act like the hostess has a personal vendetta against them and just want to take rip their children out of the stroller and away from them. Bottom line, hostess are not monsters, we're simply trying to help.
What the hostess heard: So that's like what 50 people?
- Other restaurants may need to know exactly how many people you have as in the statement above, but it's ultimately helpful to the hostess if you just say your party size in numbers. Going through this long dissertation of people doesn't really help the hostess, all it does is confuse her. Just say how any, total, in number, you can sort all that other stuff out later. In this scenario above, you can just say 12 people, easier for the hostess and saves your breath.
What the guest heard: You're a lying moron, your party's not here.
- A lot of restaurants don't seat incomplete parties; as in if you're a party of 8 and there's only 2 people they won't seat you until you have at least 4 or 5. This is only of course if the restaurant doesn't take reservations. When the hostess asks you how many people in your party are here, she's not badgering you because usually you're lying she's asking because the managers are watching her and don't allow seats for people with large parties that are incomplete. So to avoid a serious interrogation, do your part and have your party there when your table's ready.
