Top Skills & Duties of a Banquet Manager

Banquet means an elaborate and formal meal for several people gathered to celebrate some occasion or achievement, such as a wedding or reunion. So, a banquet manager is a person who is in charge of making sure that everything goes smooth in the banquet hall within her best capacity. With many students now planning to have a career in the hospitality industry, it is wise to know about the skills that they have to develop to become successful banquet managers. Equally important is to know about the duties assigned to these managers. Here we go.

Top Skills

Effective communication

A banquet manager conveys information or ideas in both verbal and written form. So, excellent communication skills are a necessity. Also, efficiency in communication proves helpful in active listening, doubt clearance, and sorting issues raised by the guests, management, or team members. It is best if a banquet manager has fluency in multiple languages.

Critical Thinking

Many employers now hire those who have demonstrated critical thinking. For banquet managers assimilating data from multiple sources, critical thinking proves helpful. Sometimes, she has to evaluate and choose the best course of action within a second, and the ability to think critically helps in the same.

Time Management

There are countless duties that a banquet manager has to perform simultaneously. So, time management is of paramount importance. Unless she knows how to utilize every second of her work time, things are bound to go haywire, leading to utter disappointment.

Problem Solving

There are often a lot of problems within the workplace that a banquet manager is expected to handle. It often demands anticipating problems, prevention strategies to mitigate the risks, and solving problems without wasting any time.

Customer Service

Knowledge of processes to provide excellent customer service is a skill that includes a quick assessment of customer needs, meeting service quality standards and successful evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Duties

• Providing excellent food service
• Supervision of the banquet space
• Keeping a close watch on labour costs
• Ensuring a high standard of guest service
• Making quick responses to any last-minute changes
• Responding to guest requests or complaints on time
• Reviewing event orders and sequence of the services
• Preparing payrolls and detailed reports on banquet functions
• Maintaining adequate inventory supplies to meet event needs
• Staff scheduling as per the business volume to ensure efficiency
• Attending meetings whenever needed by the hotel management
• Conducting performance reviews following established standards
• Monitoring the service quality of service during banquet operations
• Conducting staff training related to fire safety and service guidelines
• Maintaining a good work relationship with the Food and Beverage Director
• Supervising the handling, storage, and maintenance of banquet equipment

For those aspiring to become banquet managers, it is vital to undergo proper training from an institute. Only formal training from experienced faculty members can help in a big way to become a successful banquet manager. There are now many training institutes that are doing a good job.