Guest Relations Agent

Role Overview

Guest Relations Agent at Hilton, responsible for managing day-to-day front-of-house restaurant operations and delivering high standards of guest service.

Role Purpose

To welcome and assist guests, manage reservations and table allocations, coordinate service staff, and ensure a smooth, efficient, professional and welcoming dining experience in accordance with Hilton standards and policies.

Key Responsibilities

Guest Service & Relations

• Meet and greet guests upon arrival and offer choice of seating.
• Escort guests to their tables and present menus.
• Monitor the restaurant and all staff to maintain a courteous and efficient operation.
• Care for guests from arrival to departure in accordance with hotel standards.
• Effectively handle customer complaints and concerns in a friendly and positive manner by listening, demonstrating empathy and providing proactive solutions.
• Make quick and positive decisions regarding situations that may arise, such as dress code enforcement.

Reservations & Table Management

• Manage reservations and table allocations.
• Receive, record and make necessary arrangements for special function reservations.
• Check the number of reservations for each meal period and allocate tables to fully utilize dining room capacity.
• Allocate tables for each party according to the reservation diary.
• Transfer all reservations to the daily table plan.
• Establish and maintain a forthcoming reservation file to ensure proper tracking of all dining reservation correspondence.

Operations & Shift Management

• Perform opening and closing duties.
• Collect the daily logbook and any mail before commencement of shift.
• Read, maintain and make daily entries in the logbook to coordinate communication between shifts and the manager.
• Take over from the previous shift and obtain all relevant information regarding volume of business, VIP guests, tasks to be clarified and completed, and special events.
• Assign stations to service staff.
• Conduct daily roll call meetings to keep staff informed of current promotions, daily specials, guest comments, daily events and pertinent memos.
• Maintain proper setup of the dining room.
• Enforce grooming standards of all service personnel on a daily basis.
• Assist others with side work including cleaning, stocking and folding napkins.
• Participate in internal meetings and training courses.

Communication & Administration

• Answer all telephone calls to the correct standard.
• Deal with all inquiries, provide information and take reservations.
• Ensure that all special needs and memos are checked and provided to the Manager on Duty.
• Maintain accurate records and logbooks.

Sales & Promotion

• Promote additional sales and actively contribute to service.
• Actively promote in-house sales through optimal knowledge of all hotel services, opening times and all food and beverage outlets.
• Remember, recite and promote the variety of menu items.

Financial Management & Systems

• Operate the Micros POS cash system.
• Know how to use the Micros cash system.
• Draw up invoices at the end of the working day.
• Process all payments and correct booking and cashing up if necessary for all services provided.
• Book all transactions.
• Operate all technical equipment required for the role.

Standards & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with hotel standards and Hilton policies at all times.
• Maintain service and grooming standards.
• Maintain a consistent and convincing standard of service.
• Ensure a cost-conscious manner of working.
• Conscientiously and correctly execute supervisors' instructions.

Qualifications & Experience

• Knowledge of restaurant operations, including appropriate staffing levels, service equipment and guest relations.
• Experience managing shift handovers.
• Experience managing VIP and special requests.
• Experience operating Micros POS systems.

Skills & Competencies

• Ability to read English to fully comprehend guest requests, memos, reservations, promotional materials, event orders and similar written materials.
• Ability to speak English sufficiently to conduct small employee meetings and impart new information.
• Ability to remember, recite and promote menu items.
• Ability to move throughout a crowded room to seat guests.
• Ability to effectively deal with customer complaints and concerns in a friendly and positive manner.

Additional Information

• Role requires active contribution to service delivery and team support.