A front of house job description covers the customer-facing role of welcoming guests or visitors, managing arrivals and enquiries, and making sure every person has a smooth, positive experience from the moment they walk in. Typical front of house duties include greeting people, handling bookings or visitor sign-in, answering questions, dealing with complaints and keeping public areas presentable. The exact focus depends on the setting, whether that is a restaurant, hotel, corporate office or airport.
Below we set out the duties, skills and qualifications for front of house roles, a template employers can copy, and how the front of house manager role differs.
What does front of house mean?
Front of house (FOH) refers to every part of a business that customers or visitors see and interact with. The term comes from theatre and hospitality, where it separates the public areas from back of house areas such as kitchens, stores and offices. Today it is used across many sectors for roles where first impressions matter most.
Front of house in hospitality
In restaurants, bars and hotels, front of house staff include hosts, waiting staff, bartenders and reception teams. Their focus is seating guests, taking orders, serving food and drink, processing payments and making sure guests leave happy.
Front of house in corporate settings
In offices and corporate buildings, front of house staff run reception, sign in visitors, issue passes, manage meeting rooms, answer calls and handle deliveries. They are often the first person a client meets. There is a strong overlap with reception roles, covered in our guide to receptionist duties and responsibilities.
Front of house at airports
At airports, front of house teams staff information desks, lounges, assistance points and premium service areas. They help passengers find their way, manage queues and deal calmly with delays. Airside roles also require an airport ID pass and security vetting.
Front of house duties
While responsibilities vary, most front of house roles include a mix of the following:
- Greeting guests, visitors or passengers warmly and promptly.
- Managing reservations, bookings, visitor lists or check-in.
- Signing visitors in and out and issuing passes in line with security procedures.
- Answering telephone, email and in-person enquiries.
- Directing people to the right area, meeting room, table or gate.
- Handling complaints and escalating issues where needed.
- Processing payments or taking deposits in hospitality settings.
- Keeping reception, entrance and public areas tidy and presentable.
- Coordinating with back of house teams such as kitchen, housekeeping or security.
- Following health and safety, fire and emergency procedures.
- Recording information accurately and protecting personal data.
Front of house skills
The best front of house staff combine people skills with organisation. Employers typically look for:
- Communication: clear, friendly and professional, in person and on the phone.
- Customer focus: anticipating needs and going a step further.
- Composure: staying calm with busy queues or difficult customers.
- Organisation: juggling bookings, calls and visitors at the same time.
- Problem solving: resolving issues quickly without passing people around.
- Presentation: a smart appearance and positive body language.
- IT skills: booking systems, visitor management software, tills and email.
- Teamwork: working closely with colleagues across the business.
- Languages: valuable in hotels, airports and international offices.
Qualifications for front of house roles
Most front of house jobs do not require formal qualifications. Employers usually value experience, attitude and reliability more than certificates. That said, some qualifications and training can help:
- GCSEs in English and maths, or equivalent, for roles involving payments or record keeping.
- Food hygiene training for hospitality roles that involve handling food.
- Customer service or hospitality qualifications, including apprenticeships.
- First aid or fire marshal training for corporate front of house teams.
- Personal licence training for those who may progress to managing licensed premises.
All employers must check that staff have the right to work in the UK before they start, and airport roles require background checks and security training.
Front of house job description template
Employers can copy and adapt the template below. Replace the bracketed text with your own details.
| Section | Template text |
|---|---|
| Job title | Front of House Assistant |
| Location | [Site name and address] |
| Reports to | Front of House Manager / [Supervisor title] |
| Hours | [Full-time / part-time], [shift pattern including weekends or early starts] |
| Pay | [Hourly rate or salary] plus [benefits] |
| Purpose of the role | To deliver a warm, professional welcome to every [guest / visitor / passenger] and ensure the front of house area runs smoothly, safely and efficiently. |
| Key responsibilities | Greet and assist [guests / visitors]; manage [bookings / visitor sign-in]; answer phone and email enquiries; resolve complaints and escalate where needed; keep public areas clean and tidy; liaise with [kitchen / security / facilities] teams; follow health, safety and security procedures; maintain accurate records. |
| Skills and experience | Previous customer-facing experience preferred; excellent communication; calm under pressure; well organised; confident with [booking / visitor management] systems. |
| Qualifications | No formal qualifications required; [food hygiene / first aid] training desirable or provided. |
| Requirements | Right to work in the UK; [background checks / airport ID pass vetting] where applicable; smart appearance. |
Front of house manager: how the role differs
A front of house manager oversees the whole customer-facing operation rather than serving individual guests. Their responsibilities usually include:
- Recruiting, training, scheduling and supervising front of house staff.
- Setting service standards and monitoring guest feedback.
- Managing rotas, labour costs and staffing levels at busy times.
- Handling escalated complaints and incidents.
- Working with other department heads on events, deliveries and maintenance.
- Ensuring compliance with health and safety, licensing and data protection rules.
- Reporting on performance and suggesting improvements.
Front of house managers typically need previous supervisory experience, strong leadership skills and a good understanding of the business’s systems and budgets. In hospitality they may also hold a personal licence.
Front of house vs customer service assistant
Front of house and customer service roles overlap, but they are not the same. Front of house staff own the welcome and the visitor journey at a specific point, while customer service assistants tend to cover wider passenger or shopper support. Our article on the difference between front of house and customer service assistants explains this in detail.
Front of house pay in the UK
Pay depends on the sector, location, experience and hours. Every worker must receive at least the statutory minimum for their age. From 1 April 2026, the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 per hour, according to gov.uk’s minimum wage rates. Lower rates apply to younger workers and apprentices. Many front of house roles pay above the minimum, particularly in corporate settings, at airports or where shift premiums apply, and managers earn more.
Outsourcing front of house support
Some organisations prefer to bring in a specialist partner to staff reception and front of house roles, especially across multiple sites or during peaks. WWSG provides front of house support for corporate, hospitality, retail and airport environments, with staff trained to your standards and procedures.
Looking for work at London Luton or Stansted?We recruit cashiers, sales associates, customer service and front of house staff.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main front of house duties?
Greeting guests or visitors, managing bookings or sign-in, answering enquiries, resolving complaints, keeping public areas presentable and following safety procedures.
Do I need qualifications to work front of house?
Usually not. Experience, communication skills and reliability matter most, although food hygiene or first aid training can help.
What does a front of house manager do?
They lead the front of house team, set service standards, manage rotas and costs, handle escalated complaints and ensure compliance.
What is the minimum pay for front of house staff?
At least the National Minimum Wage for their age. For workers aged 21 and over, the National Living Wage is £12.71 per hour from April 2026.
Is front of house the same as reception?
Reception is one type of front of house role. Front of house also includes hosts, waiting staff, lounge staff and information desk teams.
Need reliable front of house staff?
WWSG supplies trained front of house teams for offices, hotels, retail and airports. Learn more about our front of house support services or contact us to discuss your requirements.