The Plain Dealer Friday! Magazine, Published December 16, 2005
Kim Crow

Our stylish consultants offer this advice on being the perfect host:

Make eye contact: "There's nothing worse than someone who avoids your eye when you walk in. I know you're stressed, but ignoring me isn't going to make it easier," offers Shanna Sheline of Parallax in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood.

Big smiles: "Nothing makes a person feel more comfortable than a smile and a hello," says Maggie Metzner of Three Birds in Lakewood. "Always give off a positive attitude, even if you just want to scream your head off!"

Recognition: "Develop a great memory and try to give regular guests individualized attention. Make them feel special," says Ean Carroll of Boulevard Blue.

Settle them in. "I hate to see customers being made to wait, creating congestion at the door. People should be greeted immediately," says Tiffany Monday of the chic Downtown 140 in Hudson.

Be sensible: "You must have common sense and you have to love this business," says Marco Rossi of Ponte Vecchio. "Don't get into it for the glamour or the money -- it's a tough job."

-- Kim Crow