The maitre'd job description is to greet all the customers that come into the restaurant and give them a table that will be to their liking. The job of maitre'd has gained prominence in the last few years as providing good service has become important to the restaurants.
The maitre'd's attend all the phone calls that come into the restaurant. They take reservations for the guests and make a note of the reservation in the diary. They are stationed at the entrance of the dining area and they greet the guests as soon as they enter. They enquire from the guests on what type of table would they like to be seated and whether would they prefer a smoking area. Then they have to seat them accordingly.
If the restaurant is full, the maitre'd's take down the name of the guests and guide them towards the bar or waiting area where they can wait for their table to be available. The maitre'd's should be able to answer the queries the guests may have about the menu. They should know the menu of the restaurant in detail and should make suggestions to the guest on what should they order.
They even have to make polite conversation with the guests when they are waiting for their table. The maitre'd's should ensure that it does not take a lot of time for the guests to receive their table, or they could get angry and leave, creating a bad impression about the restaurant.
When the guests are seated, the maitre'd have to move around the dining area and ensure that all the guests are comfortable. They have to see to it that there is waiter taking order from each table and that the guests are served with water. They also have to ensure that food does not take long to come, and enquire in the kitchen if the food is going to take long. After the guests are done with the food, they have to ask the guests on how the food was and whether they have any complaint about the service.
These are just some of the basic hospitality duties in a maitre'd job description, read the rest given below in detail along with the career prospects.
Maitre'd do not require much education. Since, they ensure that the guests have a hospitable experience, they receive a good salary. They also receive handsome tips from impressed guests.
Maitre'ds can get into managing restaurants once they gain god experience. They can even into jobs in high end restaurants where the pay is even more.
The maitre'd job description is to ensure that guests receive a good table and have a good time dining experience in the restaurant. Their politeness and the hospitality works as good advertisement for the restaurant and ensures the patrons keep coming back.