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Service

Hostess Test: Greeting Guests, Seating and Reservations

Who it is for
Hostesses, floor managers and trainees working at the door
When to run
After the trainee period, when hiring an experienced employee, and every six months
Size
17 questions · ~13 min
Pass mark
80%
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The hostess creates the first and last impression of a restaurant. This test checks what she does every shift: greets guests in the first seconds, seats them evenly across the floor, takes and confirms reservations, gives honest waiting times, answers calls and calmly defuses conflict at the door.

The questions are not tied to a specific reservation system, so they suit restaurants, cafés and bars. One question, about evacuation, is marked as critical: a mistake in it means the employee must be briefed again before starting a shift. Add your own rules on holding reservations, deposits and standard phrases.

Answered 0 of 17

Greeting and seating

  1. 1
    Guests have walked into the restaurant while you are on the phone with a guest booking a table. What should you do? Choose one answer
    Answer: a. A guest at the door should realise within the first seconds that they have been noticed. Brief contact and a polite pause in the call ("One moment, please") mean you do not lose any guest. Hanging up or sending guests to seat themselves means losing control of the floor.
  2. 2
    How should guests be distributed across the floor at peak hours? Choose one answer
    Answer: d. If you seat three tables in a row in one section, the waiter cannot get to them all while a colleague stands idle. Even seating that takes into account who is currently serving food or taking payment shortens the wait for all guests. Guests' preferences are still taken into account.
  3. 3
    A couple asks for a window table, but it is reserved in an hour and a half. What is best to do? Choose one answer
    Answer: a. Guests can decide for themselves whether they have enough time if they know the conditions in advance. Moving them without warning spoils the impression, and arbitrarily moving a reservation may let down a guest who asked for that particular table.
  4. 4
    It is enough for the hostess to point guests to their table from the desk; escorting them is not necessary. True or false?
    Answer: False. Guests are escorted to the table, with the hostess walking slightly ahead at a calm pace, helping them to sit down and handing them the menu. It is part of the first impression and also ensures guests sit exactly where they were placed.
  5. 5
    Guests with a small child and a guest in a wheelchair have arrived. What should you take into account when seating them? Select all correct answers. Choose all correct answers
    Answer: b, c, d. Comfort and safety matter more than "hiding" guests. A child by an aisle with hot plates is in danger, and a wheelchair user needs clear access to the table, the exit and the restroom.
  6. 6
    Guests have already been seated but ask to move to another table. What should you do? Choose one answer
    Answer: b. If the free table is not reserved, the guest is not asked unnecessary questions. The waiters of both sections are informed so the order does not get lost. If the table is reserved, explain this honestly and offer an alternative.

Reservations and waiting

  1. 7
    What needs to be recorded when taking a reservation by phone? Select all correct answers. Choose all correct answers
    Answer: a, b, d. Without a phone number, you cannot confirm the reservation or warn the guest about changes, and special requests help prepare the table in advance. Card details are not written down over the phone: if a deposit is needed, it is taken using the secure method the venue uses.
  2. 8
    Why confirm a reservation the day before or on the day of the visit? Choose one answer
    Answer: c. A no-show means an empty table at peak hours and other guests turned away. A short call or message reminds the guest of the visit and gives them a reason to let you know if their plans have changed.
  3. 9
    A guest with a reservation is 10 minutes late, and walk-in guests are waiting at the door. What should you do? Choose one answer
    Answer: c. Most venues have a rule on how many minutes a table is held after the reservation time. A call helps you find out whether the guest is coming, and those waiting can be told honestly when the table question will be settled. If the guest does not answer and the hold time has run out, the table is released according to the venue's rules.
  4. 10
    There are no free tables, and the guests are willing to wait. What should you tell them? Choose one answer
    Answer: c. Guests wait calmly if they know the real time and are sure they will not be forgotten. A phone number on the waiting list lets you call them when a table frees up if they decide to go for a walk.
  5. 11
    It is better to quote a slightly shorter waiting time than the real one: that way guests will not leave. True or false?
    Answer: False. An understated time turns waiting into resentment: after "five minutes" that stretch to twenty, the guest is already irritated before they sit down. An honest estimate with a small margin works better.

Calls, difficult situations and farewells

  1. 12
    Put the stages of a phone call about a reservation in the correct order. Put in the right order
    Answer: d → e → a → c → b. First, the caller needs to know where they have called. Availability is checked before taking contact details; otherwise they would be written down for nothing. Repeating the details at the end protects against mistakes with the date and time, the most common cause of conflicts at the door.
  2. 13
    A guest has arrived at the agreed time, but their reservation is not in the system. They are annoyed. What should you do? Choose one answer
    Answer: d. It does not matter whose mistake it is: the guest is here and needs help. Often the booking turns up under another date or with a typo in the name. If there is no table, offer the best available option and bring in the manager.
  3. 14
    At the door, a very drunk person demands to be let in and is arguing loudly while other guests watch. What do you do? Choose one answer
    Answer: b. The hostess's job is not to win the argument but to stop the situation from escalating. Speak calmly, do not touch the person and immediately bring in the manager or security. Guests are not drawn into the conflict.
  4. 15
    The fire alarm has gone off and the manager has announced an evacuation. What does the hostess do? Choose one answer Critical question
    Answer: c. In an evacuation, seconds matter: guests are led out through the nearest emergency exits, not only the main entrance, those who move slowly are helped, and nobody is let back in. Bills and finding out the cause come later. The hostess must know all the exits and the assembly point in advance.
  5. 16
    If a guest complains about a dish on the way out, it is enough for the hostess to apologise and say goodbye: she is not responsible for the kitchen. True or false?
    Answer: False. A complaint at the exit is passed to the manager immediately, while the guest is still in the restaurant: they can apologise on behalf of the venue, offer compensation and look into it with the kitchen. Otherwise you find out about the problem from a review.
  6. 17
    What is the right way to say goodbye to guests? Choose one answer
    Answer: d. The farewell is the last thing a guest remembers. A short question, "Did you enjoy everything?", gives you a chance to learn about a problem while it can still be fixed. If possible, help with coats and open the door.
Your result

· Pass mark is 80%. Correct answers and explanations are shown below. A mistake in a critical question fails the test regardless of the score.

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Use the test as a starting point and align answers with your standards and local regulations.

Answer key · Hostess Test: Greeting Guests, Seating and Reservations

  1. a
  2. d
  3. a
  4. False
  5. b, c, d
  6. b
  7. a, b, d
  8. c
  9. c
  10. c
  11. False
  12. d → e → a → c → b
  13. d
  14. b
  15. c
  16. False
  17. d

jeCheck · https://jecheck.io/en/templates/tests/hostess-guest-meeting

Frequently asked questions

The test has 17 questions and takes about 13 minutes. The pass mark is 80%; a mistake in the critical evacuation question means the test is failed.

Yes, it covers the basic level of front-door work. For managers, add questions about your rules on deposits, holding reservations and handling banquets.

In jeCheck, the test is assigned to the "Hostess" position at all locations with a deadline and pass mark, and results and mistakes are visible for each employee and restaurant.

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