Hostesses put up with so much that they cannot control. Whether it's customers frustrated about wait times, customers calling because they didn't get their cheese garlic bread, or customers wanting to move tables because the one they have is too drafty — hostesses put up with it all with a smile as the face of the restaurant.
Here are seven things your hostess probably wants to tell you during a crazy Saturday night dinner rush.
1. "Yes, that table is empty. No, you cannot sit there."
The classic "I'm sorry, sir, we're on a wait, can I take your name?" Only to be followed by: "There are tables in the dining room, can't we just sit there?" No. Usually, if there are empty tables in a restaurant that's on a wait it means that the tables are going to be used for something or someone else, you just caught the hostess before they could seat the next person in line.
2. "I do not control the prices."
Please do not complain to the hostess about how much your meal costs. You had prices in front of you when you were ordering. I can assure you that your hostess does not control how much is charged for a burger, so the complaint is just awkward and a little bit useless.
3. "I am not a GPS just because I work near to that one place you want to go."
I don't mind helping people with directions. But, I'm also a bit directionally challenged and mostly get to places by memory without memorizing street names. Or I put it into Google Maps on my phone and go from there. So please don't get upset with your hostess for not knowing every street and major site surrounding the restaurant.
4. "No, I cannot track down your server."
Like I mentioned, your hostess probably has a lot going on. So does your server. Some nights I don't even see certain servers. Catching your hostess by the arm and asking them to find your server is kind of like asking them to find a needle in a haystack.
5. "I literally can't control wait times."
The restaurant I work at is huge and can still end up getting over an hour on wait times. While I understand this is very frustrating as a consumer, your hostess is the person with the least control over the average wait time.
6. "When you finish eating, it's time to go."
Remember that outrageous wait time you were upset about? It usually caused by "table camping." This is when the customer finishes eating, packs up their food, then sits and talks in the crowded restaurant for another thirty minutes. Go ahead and move to the bar or take your conversation home so that the hostess can seat new people.
7. "No, I don't know where your family is, I've sat 20 tables in the past 10 minutes."
I cannot tell you how many people have come up to me asking if I sat their family. No other description besides "my family." If your hostess tells you to just take a look around, it's not because they're being lazy, they're just as lost as you.
