The job of the hostess is to welcome and seat the guests when they arrive, and to arrange reservations at the restaurant. In many cases, the hostess also takes before-dinner-wine orders from the guests after they have been seated. She also thanks the guests when they leave after the dinner. Waiters also play an important role in the operation, because they have more contact with the guests than any other restaurant employees. They must be attentive to the needs of the guests, and they can explain items on the menu that are not familiar to the guests or make recommendations about dishes. And usually they should also take wine orders. High-quality service is entirely dependent on the waiter having a love for his job and knowledge of his work. He should be quiet, quick, and never intrude on the customer. Each person should be aware of the time it takes to prepare all the food served on the menu. Close liaison between the kitchen and the restaurant is essential if food is to be served efficiently. When taking the order, a good waiter should know how to advise the guests, find out the guests’ tastes and requirements, and try to discover how much they want to spend. The nationality of the guest plays an important part in this process. One should be very careful with the type of guests who prefers silence to suggestions. To avoid any possible misunderstanding when the time comes to pay the bill, it’s preferable to determine in advance the cost of all special items that are not shown on the menu but have been requested by the guests.