The Lunch Lady jobs

Reservations Management will either rota you on as a Reservations Agent or Restaurant Host. When the Restaurant is open, there is always a minimum requirement for at least one Reservations Agent and one Restaurant Host.

When you are scheduled to be a Reservations Agent, it is your responsibility to ensure all telephone calls to the restaurant phone line are answered – specifically between the hours of 9.30am – 5.30pm. You look after reservations, booking scheduling/ maximising, and all restaurant and garden afternoon tea customer liaison (email/ phone/ in person).

When you are scheduled to be a Restaurant Host, it is your responsibility to welcome, greet and sit all guests arriving for service, and support the Reservations Agent taking customer telephone enquiries.

It is the responsibility of the Reservations Agent and Restaurant Host to cover each other’s breaks, including lunch so at no point is the phone system left unattended.

Principal Accountabilities

RESERVATIONS AGENT

DAILY/ GENERAL

• Daily briefing with fellow receptionist, hostess and restaurant manager on shift for allocation of jobs, notification of reservations the day ahead, agreement to manage breaks and any other handovers from day before.
• Check res.richmond@petershamnurseries.com mailbox for emails. Ensure system in place for sharing the answering of emails with other team members to avoid duplication, plus emails filed away once dealt with.

RESERVATIONS

• Check bookings week ahead and check the cover flow/ reservations staggered correctly (in case there are too many tables booked at any one time)
• Reservations are maximised in communication with kitchen, restaurant, and afternoon tea management.
• Guests are profiled and flagged appropriately daily/ as required.
• Guest information is entered accurately and correct.
• Floor plans are as required.
• Oversee cancellations and credit card charging.
• System set up including automated emails, users set up etc, troubleshooting issues.
• Dialogue communicated to customers is correct and accurate.
• Ensure scheduling of private events entered accurately.
• Continuous review reservations diary for three months ahead.
• Daily meeting (take a copy of daily reports and flag any VIP's/Regulars) 11.30
• Attend weekly F&B Ops meeting and share comms/ report on calls and covers, including monthly report
• Where scheduled attend Reception catch up meeting to communicate feedback or training points to reception team;
• Host Reservation Training sessions for fellow receptionists ensuring they have the most up-to-date information and trained fully in taking reservations to spec.
• Produce and maintain reservations SOP, email templates, phone etiquette SOP, FAQ in conversation with Reception Manager.
• Look at daily service report and action any issues/communicate any feedback. Contribute to the daily service report.
• Assist Restaurant Manager with complaint handling – ensuring customers are responded to within 24 and 48 hours.
• Circulate weekly covers via email
• Liaising with the kitchen and restaurant managers to ensure they have the most up-to-date daily information about bookings, important relevant information.
• In support of the Reservations Manager, you are also responsible to confirm large parties reservations in the week ahead, liaising with the upmost professionalism with customers, communicating with the kitchen regarding menus, numbers, expectations.

HOST

The hostess is the first employee to interact with arriving guests as they enter the restaurant. It is the job of the hostess to greet arriving guests, welcome them into the establishment, make a great impression and seat them.

Your responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:

• Ensure host station/ desk clean and organised at all times.
• Check with Reservations/Restaurant Manager or Reservations Agent to ensure you have the most up-to-date booking sheet and information for the day
• Have full knowledge of the booking system so to assist customer with their reservations
• Responsible for guest profiling in restaurant and inputting info/ applying correct flags in Open Table
• Greets customers, escort to their table, pull seat out for the ladies, take coats and present menus
• Make sure the section waiter is aware their table has been seated
• Keep in constant contact with the servers and the kitchen to ensure smooth service
• Thank and say goodbye to all guests
• Cover Reservations Agent lunch break and assist answering phones when more than one-line ringing.

PERSON SPEC:

• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Excellent IT skills, including knowledge of a range of software packages.
• The capacity to prioritise tasks and work under pressure.
• Ability to liaise well with others and delegate tasks.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work on your own initiative.
• Attention to detail.
• Flexibility and adaptability to changing workloads.
• Problem-solving skills and project management ability.

Other

• Flexible working includes regular weekend, bank holiday and occasional evening working.
• Proactively seek out a full working knowledge of phone system, Outlook, SharePoint, booking system.

Key Performance Indicators

• Lead by example offering excellent customer service
• Familiarise yourself with regular diners and VIP guests
• Reservation management and staggering
• Answering all calls and emails as efficiently as possible.

Competencies

• Planning & Organising
• Resilience & Composure
• Integrity & Trust
• Working with Others
• Leading & Managing