Rules of hospitality social studies. Nine basic principles of hospitality" - a practical guide to serving guests in a restaurant. Organizing a hospitable meeting of guests

Do you love it when people come to you? guests? Agree, this is a troublesome task... Guests need to be seated, fed and watered, and entertained. But it’s also nice for the owners when friends often gather in their house, and you have fun, giving each other pleasure and joy. When people feel good in your home, they rush to visit you for some reason or just because. How to create a comfortable atmosphere for guests so that they want to come to you again?

Down with "stiffness" when receiving guests! Guests can be “on occasion” or “without”. Official receptions are sometimes necessary; it is best to move them to a cafe, or organize a celebration yourself according to all the rules. A wedding anniversary, a small child's birthday, a housewarming, as a rule, are celebrated traditionally, with guests "according to the list", meals "with recess" and an approved program of entertainment.

And if you decide to spend time in company on May holidays, New Year, or just on the occasion of the weekend, then spare yourself and your guests from starched napkins and an assortment of amazing salads, that is, from those attributes that make the holiday official. A snow-white tablecloth, perfect cleanliness in the apartment, polished dishes and new service will not only tire you when you are fussing around and preparing all this, but will also involuntarily make your guests feel a little squeezed. “Perfectness” is always a little confusing.

The simpler and more familiar atmosphere, the more comfortable they will feel. Can you afford not to idealize the reception of guests? If you are still panicking and exhausted to prepare the holiday, then you are unlikely to enjoy the evening yourself, and the guests will not be delighted. Relax. Guests should just feel good. And to do this, it is enough to pay attention to some of the little things that make up our everyday human comfort.

What kind of guests? So, if, after all, the event is not of an official nature, then decide which guests you would like to see, and at the same time think about who they would like to see. To have a good time, it is very important to be in the company of people with similar interests.

Guests should know each other, have a common past or present, similar hobbies, or something like that. If you want everyone to feel comfortable, form a more or less homogeneous group of guests. For example, it is not a very good option to invite work colleagues and one childhood friend. You have something to talk about with your colleagues, and they also have something to talk about with each other, but your “friend” will feel superfluous.

But you can invite to guests girls unfamiliar with each other for a bachelorette party. But if they are about the same age, unmarried, without children, and like to have fun, then in one evening they will become best friends and happy guests. To avoid an accidental bored guest, warn people in advance what kind of company you are going to have, so that if something happens, the person can refuse the invitation, saving both you and himself from awkwardness and embarrassment.

"Conveniences" and inconveniences of guests. The guest should be calm not only for his mental comfort, but also for his physical one. Follow simple universal rules of convenience. The bathroom must be clean, hand towels and toilet paper available. It should be convenient to approach the washbasin, and it is not necessary to hang your laundry in the bathroom before guests arrive.


Do you have somewhere to seat your guests?? The well-known rule “to be in trouble, but not to be offended” does not always work. If the table is crowded and they sit with their elbows pressed tightly against each other, then they are unlikely to fully feel the joy of the meeting. Consider the availability of seats and utensils in your apartment when inviting a lot of people. And if you still want to gather as many friends as possible together, organize Buffet with snacks. Not all people like “get-togethers” at the table. Most young people will prefer snacks, dancing, games and socializing.

Let's have fun with the guests? Of course guests want to have fun! Actually, you yourself want this. Therefore, prepare music, a dance floor, and fun game options in advance. The main thing is not to impose your evening program as mandatory. Communication can develop in such a way that everyone will have fun thanks to an unexpected topic, anecdotes, and “courage.” It is possible that the holiday will imperceptibly move outside to a park or club. Allow guests not to participate in the “must-have program” you created for entertainment. There are already enough obligations in life, but people should relax when visiting.

If you have little ones children, and you intend to organize an evening for a group of your friends, take care of a nanny for the children. It will be unpleasant for guests if the hostess cannot devote time to them. The same rule applies to guests. If you are hosting a family party with children and adults, warn your guests about this so that they take the baby with them. And if the “party” is intended for adults to relax, honestly tell the invitees about this so that they can leave the child with grandma, or cancel their participation in the party. After all, the presence of even one “unexpected” child will nullify the planned fun of an adult company.

Minimum guest restrictions. Don't you mind if guests dance on your fashionable carpet in shoes? And a brand new tablecloth, poured with red wine? Guests will also feel awkward if they spill juice or get the sofa dirty. Be mentally prepared for such small party costs, that's life. The main thing is - under no circumstances reproach the guest for a mistake, and do not appear dejected. Otherwise, the guest will no longer come to you. The best way is to get rid of expensive items and accessories by temporarily placing them somewhere in the closet. It’s calmer for you and more comfortable for your guests.
And if the guests are comfortable, then be prepared for the fact that they will start visiting you for no reason. You don't have any hard ones rules, your place is comfortable, fun, and their arrival brings you sincere joy. Is it true?

Impeccable Service means cordiality, friendliness, knowledge, promptness, timing, flexibility, courtesy, stability, personal contact with the guest, instilling confidence, exceeding the guest's expectations.

It may seem that the "Nine Essential Principles of Hospitality" are nine various types activities that are easy to identify in the work of staff. In fact, they constitute a unified way of thinking and acting - a standard that should be followed when serving visitors. Providing services is at the core of any business - from car repair and hairdressing services to restaurant catering.

Eating has many personal, both emotional and rational, factors. A high level of care for the guest’s comfort, in other words, Impeccable Service, is precisely a characteristic feature of the best catering establishments. To live up to the Brillat-Savarin dictum, staff must not only “physically” provide guests with the food and drinks they order. An equally important task is to create a comfortable environment for them in which they feel protected from any troubles, be it loud music or the clatter of dishes, that could spoil the pleasure of eating. The waiter must anticipate the unspoken needs of the guest, including those that he cannot understand and formulate. Surely the guest will accept this with gratitude.

While the Nine Essentials of Hospitality can serve as a practical guide to service, it also highlights the less visible aspects of our business. Less noticeable does not mean not important. In fact, attention to detail is exactly what distinguishes Impeccable Service. In today's market, competition is very high, and the quality of service is as important as the quality of food, and sometimes even more important, since in the second case (quality of food) there are at least strict standards and control by numerous authorities. In the first case, the flaws are not so noticeable (for regulatory authorities, but not for guests) and the difference between two establishments that formally belong to the same class can be enormous.

2. Impeccable Service is perceived at first sight, that is, it creates a favorable first impression.

"There is only one chance to produce good first impression" - these words are often repeated by restaurateurs, realizing that guests can form assessments that can form an impression within a few minutes immediately after arrival.

When guests see cleanliness and tidiness in everything that catches their eye in a restaurant (building, decoration, furniture, equipment, staff), they do not have suspicions regarding the sanitary condition of that part of the restaurant that is hidden from view (kitchens, utility rooms and storage areas). premises). And vice versa - a single stain on the carpet, a crumb on a chair or a speck on the wall can make guests think about the dishes they are going to be treated to.



The “Nine Essentials of Hospitality” reflect various aspects of service and are aimed at making guests feel comfortable, but do not be surprised that some of them overlap in some way. After all, together they form a single standard of service.

3. Impeccable Service is cordiality, friendliness and politeness.

A friendly welcome reassures guests that they can relax and enjoy their meal. And a warm farewell makes guests feel grateful and encourages them to come again.

Good waiters are sensitive to the needs of the guests not only in relation to the food served, but also in everything that relates to the dining experience as a whole. Guests come to the restaurant not only to chat with the service staff; most of them want to talk with their companions. Therefore, lengthy negotiations with the waiter will obviously not please them. In any case, the waiter must understand that good manners smooth out the difference in communication “Guest – staff”. Polite behavior creates an atmosphere of comfort; guests subconsciously feel safe in the establishment and know what they can count on here.

Practical lesson No. 7

on this topic "Reception and accommodation of guests"

Exercise:

1) Formulate questions on this topic and decide on the answers to them.

2) Be able to explain the terms used in the text.

3) Prepare questions in writing for control.

Main functions and composition of reception staff

The first hotel service that every guest encounters is the reception and accommodation service (reception, or front office). The staff of this service carry out the main interaction with clients and have the longest contact with them. According to the accepted assessment in the hospitality industry of the quality of service and the system for maintaining it, the reception service is the fourth “point of contact” by which the hotel as a whole is assessed. The client's negative impressions of this service may develop into denial of the hotel in the future. An insensitive question or intonation that is incorrect from the client’s point of view can cause him to have a negative attitude towards the hotel, despite the fact that the client was well served.

Sample rules of hospitality

1. Smile - and they will smile back at you.

2. Talk to people, making sure to call them by name.

3. Be optimistic - your attitude towards life affects others.

4. Never say “no” to guests, only “I’ll be happy to check again.”

5. Treat people with respect, as if they were guests in your home.

6. Cleanliness is required.

7. Thoroughness and lack of fuss inspire trust.

8. Hospitality is show business; it is necessary to master the art of organizing public spectacles and the ability to produce an effect, to show the product face to face.

9. Be committed to quality, quality of service - above all, speed will come with experience.

10. Always be the best of the best, even if no one sees you.

11. Accept tips with the knowledge that the guest is satisfied. Never ask for tips.

Describing this service, it is necessary, first of all, to stipulate what parameters will influence its formation and the list of tasks.

The size of the hotel, or more precisely, the number of rooms for which it is designed, and its level (star rating) are factors that directly affect the distribution of roles between the reception staff, their number and, accordingly, the layout of the reception area.

The more modest the declared level of the hotel, the more laconic the style of the counter will be, but not its technical support. For example, in 2* hotels, of which the European hotel chain Ibis can be considered one of the representatives, one receptionist serves from 60 to 100 rooms. At the same time, he can perform the functions of a bartender at the bar counter, which is combined with the reception. The employee carries out all operations for checking in guests, finding rooms for them, helping them purchase tickets, answering and redirecting phone calls, as well as checking out the guest and making the final payment.



According to currently existing standards in European hotels of the “3*-4*” category, the number of reception staff is calculated based on the fact that there should be one employee for 50-80 rooms. It is necessary to take into account that people work in shifts, have the right to regular vacation, sick leave and other valid reasons for not going to work. At any moment, a situation may arise when two of the required five employees leave and you will have to attract people from another shift. Therefore, the number of service employees should not be minimal, but there is no need to inflate the staff. When recruiting personnel, it is necessary to take into account the recommendations offered by the management of the chain, or domestic regulations and advice from consulting firms, which will provide for everything and make the correct calculations.

It is important that all information about the room reservation is available at the reception desk (cost and room type, payment method, room options).

The functions of the reception and accommodation service include:

1) sale of rooms, registration of guests and distribution of guest rooms;

2) processing reservation orders when the hotel does not have a special department or when it is closed;

3) coordination of all types of customer service;



4) providing guests with information about the hotel, local attractions and any other information of interest;

5) providing hotel management with accurate data on the use of rooms (room status report);

6) preparation and issuance of payment documents (invoices) for services provided and making final payments to clients.

In high-level hotels, responsibilities are distributed as follows.

Concierges(concierges) - employees of high-category hotels. They provide many services: reserving a table in a restaurant, ordering a taxi, purchasing tickets to the theater, to sporting events, booking plane seats, informing about local attractions.

Concierges carry out other tasks, including those of a private nature. As a rule, orders must be fulfilled immediately. Therefore, experienced concierges have an extensive network of contacts, which helps them best meet the needs of guests. The hotel management strongly encourages concierges to visit various organizations and events that help establish new contacts.

Available senior concierge There is a bell service, which is responsible for delivering the guest’s belongings to the room. The bell service is headed by the bell captain, who is directly subordinate to the senior concierge. The bell captain has a doorman under his command, who stands at the door and carries things from the door to the reception desk, and a luggage carrier, i.e. actually the bell man, who carries things from the reception to the doors to the room. Each of them - both the doorman and the bell man - receive tips for their work. In addition, the senior concierge reports to the messengers, whose responsibilities include the delivery of mail and messages.

Butler(butlers) - a person who knows and can do everything, is able to solve all household problems. Behavior, appearance, the manners and speech of a high-class butler are always impeccable. He can fulfill the most unusual requests of clients, not provided for by any price lists or price lists (of course, within reasonable limits). The butler service is one of the main links in the system of serving VIP guests in a hotel.

Receptionist performs check in, i.e. registers a newly arrived guest and selects a room for him.

Cashier deals with the discharge procedure, acceptance and issuance of money, i.e. carries out check out, during which all bills are paid.

A separate reservation service performs a very important task: it tries to sell the maximum number of rooms, while avoiding overlaps or inconsistencies.

Guest relations- a position that involves communicating with VIP guests.

Heads the Front Office Manager service (head of the reception and accommodation service). Between the Front Office Manager and the General Director in large hotels there is another position - the so-called Rooms Division Manager (room director). Housekeeping is under his leadership.

Let's make an approximate calculation of the number of employees required for the smooth and high-quality operation of the reception and accommodation service, and also estimate the size of the counter itself. If we assume that the hotel under construction (or already existing) is designed for 400 rooms and will have a 5-star category, then the reception desk should be calculated and divided between at least 3 service employees. In addition, there should be a place for a Guest Relations employee, and luggage carriers should also be located here.

They lie in whether you, as the host, can create a pleasant atmosphere of warmth, show cordiality, so that guests feel pleasant and at ease in your home. If you don't have sufficient experience welcoming guests, don’t be upset, you can learn how to do this if you want. Over time, you will learn the basic rules of hospitality, you will feel more confident and calm. When receiving guests, try to look simple and elegant, without overusing elaborate and expensive decorations. This puts pressure on the psyche of those invited.
How to introduce guests?
Some hosts introduce those who arrived earlier as those who have just arrived, and also depending on the “rank” of the guests. Do not do that. It is necessary to introduce new guests to those who arrived earlier.
When to put an ashtray?
Before, after or during meals? No, don’t put an ashtray on the table at all and ask with an apology not to smoke.
What entertainment can you offer guests?
The best thing is to give them the opportunity to choose. Maybe it will be music, dancing, a common song. A little worse is the TV.
What should you do if a heated argument arises among your guests?
Try to change the topic of conversation. It’s worse to remain diplomatically on the sidelines and it’s no good to join in a discussion or an argument. If guests feel at home with you, you are probably a sociable person who loves guests. When receiving guests, do not try to remain in the background, completely surrendering to the chores. You must be able to “conduct” the evening, not only participate in the conversation, but also direct it.
How to deal with guests who have lost their sense of proportion You are tired, looking for a way to politely see off late guests. How to proceed? It is best to offer coffee or tea, and then more and more, without expressing your impatience in any way. Somewhat worse is to apologize and say that, unfortunately, it is late, and we cannot provide you with accommodation for the night.
Well-mannered people master the situation. They know how to keep guests busy and will be able to find an approach to everyone. There is a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere around them. When welcoming guests, exemplary hosts wear formal, elegant suits and will not try to dazzle guests with their dressing. If they wish, they will show them off another time when they go on a visit.
How do you prepare for the celebration?
Today is a holiday in your home! You are expecting guests. Of course, it’s always better to be a guest, but someone has to provide a treat. A well-set table, deliciously prepared food served in beautiful dishes, the friendliness of the owner - all this creates a good mood for the guests.
The holiday is not only food, drink, new clothes, but also a solemn, upbeat atmosphere of fun and friendly mood. The guests are friends, family and friends, workmates, and just acquaintances. You should be equally happy with everyone. The main thing in such meetings is communication.
No matter how tired you are of the hassle in the kitchen and setting the table, always greet guests with a friendly smile, even if you quarrel a little, forget it. Greet guests with the words: “Hello, very nice, please come in,” or: “Good evening, we are glad to meet you.”
Etiquette does not provide any restrictions on the number of guests. Young people usually like to invite numerous companies, noisy, energetic, and cheerful. Middle-aged people gather in their permanent, well-established circle of friends. It should only
take into account the capabilities of the apartment, taking care to create maximum amenities for guests. Guests should not be crowded at the table. The table, of course, is set in the largest room, the living room. Members of your family and closest friends can be received in the kitchen, but this is not the best option and only for an ordinary day.
The guests are almost all assembled, but two, for example, are late (by the way, it is indecent to be late by more than 10-15 minutes), they are not expected, this is not tactful towards the other guests.
It is necessary to create an upbeat atmosphere so that guests feel good and comfortable throughout the evening. We will seat the talkative ones with the silent ones. We will seat lovers and newlyweds at the table together; it is not at all necessary for husbands and wives to be seated apart; perhaps it is pleasant for them to sit next to each other.
When setting the table, be sure to use a tablecloth, no oilcloth, and stains that appear after the celebration can be removed. A holiday does not happen every day and let it be pleasant for everyone and leave a feeling of cleanliness and neatness. Colored tablecloths also almost never go out of style. If one of the guests suddenly breaks the dishes, remind them that the dishes break fortunately in order to encourage the guilty guest and console yourself. Don’t show grief, because you still won’t get back what you lost.
When a guest enters the apartment, do not offer him slippers, offer to wipe his shoes. But it is better for the guest to take care of the second shoes in advance.
Now everyone has gathered at the table. The owner sits at the edge of the table, closer to the exit to the kitchen, to make serving more convenient. The owner makes sure that guests do not start conversations that are unpleasant and uninteresting for others (about illnesses, work-related issues). Without any special pretense or pressure, sometimes with a joke, sometimes with a smile, we will offer everyone a convenient and interesting topic.
It’s not nice to bother: “Eat, eat!”, maybe you don’t like the food, and if the guest eats, these words carry a negative meaning, as if it’s a pity.
On New Year's Day, everyone is equal: both hosts and guests, so all men have common concerns - they can help cut bread, cheese, sausage, wipe bottles, wash fruit, dishes, and clear some things from the table. If this
a home holiday or guests are invited on Women's Day on March 8, then men serve.
If guests offer to help, thank them, but by the time they arrive, take off your apron, freshen up your face, and put yourself in order. If you come to a birthday party (you can go to relatives and friends without an invitation), take care of the gift in advance. The best gift is books, flowers. For any other celebration, it is appropriate to bring sweets to the children, and the hostess of the house will be pleased to receive fresh flowers from the man (necessarily unwrapped, without wrapping).
When setting the table, try to arrange the dishes so that they can be reached from either end of the table; this is achieved by repetition, alternating dishes, for example, the table is spread out for 12 people, pickled mushrooms are placed at one end and the same at the other. All dishes and snacks are arranged in the same way: pickles, assorted meats, fish, salads, aspic or jelly, but not in a line, but in a snake. But the dishes that give the table splendor: pig, chicken or duck stuffed or aspic, family pie, cake are served alone and placed in the center of the table. It is always better to immediately cut a pie or cake into squares or segments in the presence of guests.
If you need to be friendly when meeting, then when treating you - hospitable. It is very pleasant to drink citrus juice in a siphon on a non-alcoholic table. When visiting, it’s good to praise at least one dish, and asking for its recipe is the best compliment to its author. It happens that the hostess is reluctant to share her “trademark” secret with you, don’t insist, maybe it’s a little culinary secret.
How long to stay? There are no special rules. It's not nice to leave right after dinner. I advise you to pay attention to the mood of the hosts, and if they are too tired, then it is best to say goodbye.
You can simply invite guests to “pancakes,” “coffee,” “tea,” “pie,” “dumplings,” or “bachelor’s dinner.” You can invite like this: “Come after dinner,” this is how good friends are invited just for communication and in this case it is not necessary to treat, but you can offer tea, sweets, fruits
Visits from “unexpected” guests
We greet guests, as always, with welcoming words: “Hello, it’s very nice, please come in.” But frankly, is it always pleasant? After a working week (and this can happen to us more often on weekends or holidays) at home we have a lot of tasks and responsibilities waiting for us: cleaning the apartment, laundry, shopping... And in general, we just want to relax with our family, go on a ski trip, go to the country... An unexpected visit causes anxiety and inconvenience in 80 percent of cases, so It can be applied only in extreme cases. And the polite reception of the hosts does not indicate anything, because they have no other choice but to greet you with joy.
Advice to guests: try not to linger, talk and say goodbye. You will see that the owners will perk up, show cordiality and the farewell will be warmer. So, we do not accept an invitation to stay, say, for lunch: it is possible that it is prepared only for the family.
If guests come in the morning, you can offer them a simple breakfast or just tea, coffee with cookies, caramel, honey, jam, cake - everything will be welcome. But the best table decoration is still the one made with your own hands. For such cases, it is necessary to have pre-prepared products that are well preserved and do not lose their original qualities.
But if you still have guests for dinner, you can reduce the portions for everyone sitting at the table. It is very convenient to have a supply of some products in the refrigerator: sautéed onions, carrots, mushrooms, ready-made minced meat, dumplings, broth, a piece of fried meat or cubes of marinated meat for barbecue, boiled chicken, sausage, canned food, cheese. It doesn’t hurt to remember your stocks of preparations for the winter: pickled tomatoes, cucumbers, pickled or salted mushrooms, compotes... You can quickly prepare delicious dishes from these products. For the first course, it is good to serve chicken broth with an egg or croutons. Boiled chicken for the main dish, and boiled rice for a side dish. For dessert, it’s a good idea to serve compote or jelly, simple sandwiches, and fruit.
Late guests who come for dinner can be treated to tea or coffee and pastries. If guests have stayed too long and are hungry, you will have to prepare a light dinner and serve it 2-3 hours after drinking tea. If guests come unexpectedly, the meal should be simple, but tasty, and beautifully decorated. The table is set very quickly.

Let's start with the simple basics of hospitality. We are planning a holiday and we want to share the joy of the upcoming event with loved ones. What do we ultimately want to get? Why in such a situation do we invite guests, feed them and entertain them?

Hospitality is generally accepted rules cultures that must be observed during the meeting of guests, these rules imply care for the guest throughout the entire time of his presence as a guest. (author from the Internet)

The king needs a retinue so that, first of all, everyone understands who the king is, and they also say that “the retinue makes the king.” Invited guests must certainly admire the main character of the celebration, praise his virtues and create a festive mood - as they say, “positively sound”. These rules of the game are accepted in society and even if those invited do not know about them, they intuitively guess. What in return? According to the law of conservation of energy, each of the invitees wants to receive “bread and circuses” in return. As a rule, guests receive both in the form of a set table and fun. For some, these are pre-planned quizzes and a club of experts; for simpler forms of life, this is a bottle of vodka and stories about vacations. One way or another, providing a good table and fun is the main task of the hostess in response to the admiration and admiration of her person and the place of invitation from the guests.

Hospitality Basics

  1. Festive, impeccable appearance and the same type of place where guests are invited - two interdependent factors (without this, it will be impossible for guests to give compliments and they will not fulfill their main mission)
    Worth doing here small retreat. Where should you invite guests to your home or to a cafe-restaurant? There is an unwritten rule: Close people are invited home, to their territory. Unfamiliar people are invited to neutral territory, for example, to a cafe or to a picnic in nature. The second rule follows from the first: for close people the hostess cooks herself, for strangers they order food. You need to understand that by inviting guests home, you are opening that part of your life that, without your participation, will tell you about the processes taking place in the family and in the soul of the hostess. Visiting the home territory of a relative, friend, girlfriend is the main step for further rapprochement, without which other steps towards a trusting relationship are not possible. In this situation, it doesn’t matter where you live: in a two-story cottage or in a rented room in a communal apartment.
  2. The table is set. In terms of importance, for the housewife it is always second only to herself. For guests, as a rule, the first thing;) (let’s not forget that part of the program is a discussion of the prepared dishes, and the guests’ mission is to compliment them on their preparation)
  3. Entertainment. The main mistake of any holiday organizer is to believe that guests should entertain themselves. On the one hand, it’s good when among the guests there is a joker whose tongue is boneless and who will entertain everyone gathered with jokes and jokes. Great! But then the hostess of the event remains in the shadows and does not receive satisfaction from the holiday. She won't get any attention. It’s as if a joker came to her territory to celebrate his holiday for free. Therefore, according to the law of the genre, the hostess of the holiday must always be in sight and lead the entire scenario of the feast from seating to serving dessert - independently, to be the main conductor of the event.

Why are guests invited at a certain time and not whenever they can?

There is a certain socially accepted ceremony of introducing guests and involving guests in the communication process. The most difficult part is the beginning of the holiday. The impressions left by the guests about the event depend on how the hostess organizes it. According to unwritten rules, it is customary to stay 15 minutes. from the time of invitation, but no later than 30 minutes. (arriving earlier than the appointed time and being an hour late is unacceptable) The hostess must introduce all guests arriving at the house to those gathered, introducing who is who. Thus, giving the opportunity to grab onto some information to continue the conversation.

If someone repeatedly approaches the hostess with the question: How can I help you? Then this is the next signal: “Everything is bad - you didn’t have time to do anything, you urgently need to be saved!” - usually from very close people. “I’m uncomfortable, I haven’t established contact with anyone, give me the opportunity to at least do something so that I can be busy until everyone sits down at the table - save me!” - from everyone else. Due to different times when guests are late, awkward pauses arise, which can be mitigated, for example, in this way:

Ding-ding! Let those who arrive on time have fun!

A few words about the end. According to the same unwritten rules, guests must leave after 15-20 minutes. after eating dessert. This serves as a powerful signal from the hostess to the guests. At this point, there should be no snacks on the table besides dessert, and only liqueurs can remain from alcohol. As they say, “It’s time and honor to know,” dear guests!