Chapter Four
Front Desk Functions
Calculating Room Position at Midnight
The following steps are involved in calculating room position at midnight:
Count the number of rooms occupied of each type.
Count the number of rooms expected to be vacated during the following day, in each category.
Count the number of rooms required for expected arrivals for the following day, category-wise.
Next, the number of rooms expected to be occupied the following day is calculated by using the following formula:
Number of rooms occupied Expected departures (number of rooms) during the following day + Expected arrivals (number of rooms) during the following day.
This helps one arrive at the expected room count for the following day. Now, if we deduct the expected room count from the total number of lettable rooms, we get the number of rooms that will be available for sale to chance guests.
Example A hotel has 200 double rooms, 50 single and 50 suites. On the 24th of November, the status at midnight was as follows:
Rooms occupied:
150 Doubles 45 Singles 35 Suites
Room requirement for the next day:
70 Doubles 20 Singles 25 Suites
Number of rooms expected to be vacated:
30 Doubles 15 Singles 5 Suites
Calculate the room position for 25th of November.
Solution
Double Single Suite
No. of rooms occupied on 24th November 150 45 35
Less: Expected Departures (Rooms) on 25th Nov. 30 15 5
120 30 30
Add: Expected Arrivals (Rooms) on 25th Nov. 70 20 25
Expected Room Count 190 50 55
Total Number of lettable rooms 200 50 50
Less: Expected Room Count 190 50 55
Room Position + 10 0 – 5
Thus, the room position is as follows:
Double: Plus ten (+ 10) Single: Neutral (0) Suite: Minus fi ve ( 5)
Plus Position
When the position calculated is positive (+), it indicates that certain rooms of that particular category are available for sale after meeting the commitments for all confi rmed bookings. In the example given, 10 double rooms are available for sale to chance arrivals.
Minus Position
When room position calculated is negative ( ), it indicates that the hotel will fall short of a certain num- ber of rooms in meeting the commitment towards guests with confi rmed reservation. It means, in the example above, that the hotel is overbooked by 5 suites.
Neutral Position
This is the situation in which the number of rooms available for sale is equal to the number of rooms required to accommodate expected arrivals.
Updating the Room Position
Once the room position for the day has been worked out at midnight, it is necessary that a track of the day’s arrivals and departures be kept. It is also essential that a note of the expected time of arrival of the guests is kept in order to spot any possible no-show before it is too late. A watch is to be kept for over- stays also. All cases of overstays must be referred to the lobby/duty manager for approval.
The following formula can be applied to calculate and update the room position during the day:
Vacant Rooms
Add (+) Expected Departures
Less ( – ) Expected Arrivals
Add (+) No-Show
Add ( + ) Understay
Less ( – ) Overstay
Less ( – ) Out of Order Rooms Equal ( = ) Room Position
R
EGISTRATION ANDI
TSI
MPORTANCEThe process of registration is very important for a hotel as it not only contributes signifi cantly to the basic information the hotel needs to monitor its business, but it also serves to establish the front desk as the focal point for guest service. The registration of guest is also a legal requirement. It is an essential process for the creation of a legal hotel-guest relationship. It signifi es the guest’s consent to abide by
the rules and regulations of the hotel and at the same time is a proof of his stay in the hotel for a certain period of time. It also satisfi es many other diversifi ed purposes concerned with the following:
(a) Creating and collecting guests’ personal data (b) Satisfying the guests’ room and rate requirement (c) Generating a registration record of transaction
Types of Registration Records
Various types of registration records are discussed below.
Bound Book Register
Normally used by smaller hotels, this register has all pages bound and can be used for a long period of time. This is also called the red book or F-form.
The bound book register has the following advantages:
1. All records are available in one book.
2. No fi ling is required.
3. There is minimal wastage.
However, the bound book register also has disadvantages such as given below:
1. Only one guest can be registered at a time.
2. It is bulky and diffi cult to carry.
3. It cannot be maintained neatly.
4. Privacy cannot be maintained.
5. Pre-registration cannot be done.
6. If misplaced, all records might be lost forever.
Loose Leaf Register
This is the same as the bound book register in its contents, only that its pages are not bound. Separate leaves are used everyday.
The merits of the loose leaf register are:
1. Privacy maintained, to some extent.
2. Easier to hand over to guests, as only one page used at a time.
3. If a leaf is lost, only one day’s information is lost.
The demerits of the loose leaf register are:
1. Leaves can be easily misplaced.
2. An incomplete leaf (less number of registration) means the whole is wasted.
3. Only one guest can be registered at a time.
4. Filing becomes an additional job.
5. Pre-registration cannot be done.
Guest Registration Card (GRC)
These well-designed cards are used by various hotels. A separate card is used for each registration, They may be used in duplicate or triplicate depending on the policy of the hotel. These are handed over to the guest on arrival for completion of registration.
The merits of this system are as follows:
1. Multiple guests can be registered at the same time.
2. Privacy can be maintained.
3. Easy storage.
4. No wastage.
5. Guests can be pre-registered.
6. Easy to carry.
Its demerits are as follows:
1. It is expensive.
2. It can be lost if not stored properly.
A guest registration card is shown in Fig. 4.1.
INDIAN HOTEL Guest Registration Card
Name Mr./Ms. _____________________________
(Surname first)
Organization ______________________________
Designation __________________________________
Permanent Address _________________________
_________________________________________
__________________________________________ City _______________ Country _________________
Number of Person ________ A ________C Purpose of visit:
Conference/Convention q Business q Religious/Cultural q Vacation q Others (Pls. Specify) ________________________
Arrived From _________________________________
Room No. ______________ Rate: ______________
Mode of Payment:
Direct
Bill to Company Voucher
Receptionist
Nationality _______________________________
Certificate of Registration/Passport No. _________
________________________________________
Date of Issue _____________________________
Place of Issue ____________________________
Date of arrival in the country _________________
Proposed duration of stay in the country________
___________________________________________
Next Destination _____________________________
Remarks ___________________________________
Arrival Date _____________Time _______________
Departure Date _________
I agree to release my room by 1200 noon on:
____________________________________________
Guest’s Signature Management will not be responsible for valuables left in the rooms.
Safe Deposit Lockers are available to resident guests on request.
q q q
Time _______________
Note: Columns are the same in red book and loose leaf register.
Fig. 4.1 A guest registration card
Pre-Registration Procedure
Pre-registration generates all necessary documents required for registration before the guests’ arrival, such as the guest registration card, key card, etc. This is only possible for guests who have a prior
reservation. On arrival, the guest is given the registration card to check that the information is correctly recorded. If further information is required, the receptionist must complete that on behalf of the guest.
The key card is also kept fi lled, leaving the column for the guests’ signature. The key card serves as an identity card for the guest during his/her proposed stay in the hotel.
The pre-registration procedure is mainly performed in the case of VIP, CIP, Groups and SPATT guests. Complementary items are placed in advance in the rooms. Keys of those rooms are kept aside.
The procedure reduces registration time on arrival and enables the guest to be registered without delay.
Also, rooming of guests can be done faster. Hence, the hotel can deliver better guest satisfaction.