A hostess is a person employed for greeting customers and receiving guests to create a welcoming environment. Hostesses can work in a restaurant, at a club, on an aircraft or a train, etc. Hosts and hostesses make good money on average as the job is pretty straightforward, so if you looking to enter the hotel management industry or air industry as a career starter then it is a fantastic position to make an introduction as you get to learn a lot about working in the industry and also how all the industry jobs connect. So, if you think that you can excel in the role and handle all the responsibilities related to this role, we would suggest you go for it.
Preparation Tips for Hostess Interview
- Go through the job description thoroughly before the interview and do the research well.
- Keep an extra copy of your resume ready.
- Appearance matters in a hostess interview, so remember to dress formally for the interview.
- Walk in with confidence and reach the interview place before the mentioned time.
- Go through this list of commonly asked hostess interview questions carefully for great preparation.
21 Common Hostess Interview Questions
Question 1. Tell us something about yourself.
Answer: An interviewer asks this question to know about your personality, your interests, and your hobbies and also to have a hint of why you chose this job, so answer accordingly. This is the first question that is frequently asked in every interview. Give your answer with confidence to impress the interviewer. For example, “My name is XYZ, I did a diploma stewardess course from Frank Finn Institute. I am an extremely outgoing person who likes communicating with people. This attitude allows me to work well in my field and I am a bit of a multi-tasker. I like reading travelogues, and travel books.”
Question 2. How many years of training do you have in this field?
Answer: “I have been training for 2 years now and I used to devote 6 hours daily, and I have great experience in performing hostess duties like greeting customers, preparing tables, etc.”
Question 3. Why do you want to work with us?
Answer: “Your restraint is one of the most renowned restaurants in the city. I was researching for the job in this field and came across your website and read the mentioned job description and the job description highly matched with my skills and requirements. I love the work culture here and that is why I want to work with your company.”
Question 4. How do you react to criticism?
Answer: “I do not get easily offended and I take criticism in a very positive manner as it could help me genuinely improve in my job. I am aware that I am here to learn and people will guide me when I am wrong.”
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Question 5. What do you mean by hospitality?
Answer: “Hospitality means treating my customers in a friendly and in welcoming manner. It is the ability to provide the customers with excellent service and make them feel at ease.”
Question 6. What attributes make good hospitality skills in a hostess job?
Answer: “As a hostess, I have the ability to pay attention to details that can be a huge factor for customer satisfaction, patience is also one of the essential attributes as you should know how to deal with different kinds of customers. Formal behavior and professionalism while greeting guests is also one essential attribute of great hospitality.”
Question 7. How would you improve your performance as a hostess?
Answer: “I tend to improve my performance by taking feedback from the customers and my manager. I also practice having a customer-oriented mindset to deliver better service as by thinking from another person’s point of view can give you an idea of how they would want you to greet them and solve their problems.”
Question 8. Our restaurant is mostly busy and is flooded on weekends. How would you handle guests who are unhappy and angry about the long waiting time?
Answer: “Being a busy restaurant, being a customer myself I am aware that customers get dissatisfied with the waiting line. So, being a hostess, I would try to explain the situation inside and apologize to them for the waiting line as even after booking the seats, we cannot ask our customers to leave immediately. I would ensure them that it will be allotted to them as soon as the seats get vacant. I would also provide them with menu cards and take their order so that they do not have to wait any further once they are seated. This would help me to keep them calm and occupied.”
Question 9. How do expect a typical day at work?
Answer: “I know that my day-to-day activities would involve
- Greeting guests
- Welcoming them
- Escorting them to a vacant table
- Presenting them with the menu card
- Taking care of reservations and booking details
- Answering the queries of the guests”
Question 10. What do you feel is the most rewarding part of this job?
Answer: “I believe the most rewarding part of this job is happy and satisfied customers. Positive feedback for your service and the restaurant is always so overwhelming for me. Each positive feedback helps me stay motivated throughout the day.”
Question 11. What shifts are you willing to work in?
Answer: “It depends on what you assigned to me. I am more than comfortable working day and early morning shifts. However, I can manage the working shifts being at night and evening too.”
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Question 12. How can your personality contribute to our restaurant?
Answer: “My personality is really jolly and I know my customers well and it will help me deliver excellent service and make a customer feel welcomed. I carry myself in a very professional way and that I think is one of the most effective elements of my personality which will surely help me greet the customers well.”
Question 13. Discuss your experience in the field of hostess?
Answer: “I started my career as a hostess three years ago and I have worked with 2 different companies so far. I have delivered the best of my service and got amazing results in both of the jobs. I know that my skills and experience will transfer to this role as well and help me work better and perform my role smoothly. I have developed great communication and socializing skills so far.”
Question 14. Why is it important to smile at your guests?
Answer: “A smile can brighten anyone’s day and being consistent in our way to greet customer is a very essential part of our job, and smiling at customers make them feel welcomed and helps in building a rapport. Being generous to customers helps in creating a great reputation and make a good impression. As a hostess, I am a very friendly and outgoing person and I know the value smile adds to the company while welcoming customers.”
Question 15. How would you describe your job to other people who think it to be not a good job?
Answer: “I find my job to be a very rewarding job and I do not care what other people might think about his profession as people can have their own opinion on the things about which they have very little knowledge. I respect my job and expect others to be sensible enough to respect it.”
Question 16. How long do you plan to work with us if hired?
Answer: Employers look for candidates who can stay for a long term and see their future with them. This question gives you an opportunity to show your loyalty and seriousness towards the hiring manager.
“I plan to work with you for a long-term basis as I really want a job that provides me security for a longer period of time and gives me ample time to gain relevant expertise in this field.”
Question 17. How will you handle being away from family and friends?
Answer: “It will be a little difficult for me but I am willing to do this adjust to meet the demands of this job as I cannot miss such a great opportunity to work with your airlines.”
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Question 18. What is the most recent skill that you have learned that would assist you in your hostess’s position?
Answer: “Most recent skill that I have developed is multitasking ability. I used to face a problem with managing multiple tasks at a time but I this is the most recent skill that I have developed that would help me in this job.”
Question 19. What qualities make a good hostess?
Answer: “According to me, a good hostess must be
- Well-spoken and confident
- Able to work under pressure
- A team player
- Professional”
Question 20. This job can be repetitive. What will motivate you to excellent work every day?
Answer: “Having work keeps me motivated, regardless of how repetitive the responsibilities can be, that’s what makes this job doable and easy to manage. I also look up to customer feedback to stay motivated.”
Question 21. What would you do if eight-ten members arrived with no reservation?
Answer: “If the seats are available then there will be no problem to make a room for ten people but in case if the tables are not vacant, I would ask them politely to wait as we cannot let 10 guests go. I could offer them something to drink and the menu to decide so that they can remain occupied.”
Download the list of questions in .PDF format, to practice with them later, or to use them on your interview template (for Hostess interviews):
References
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1995.tb01758.x
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