During my time as a hospitality trainer I have always felt the need for a textbook on Front Office Management and this motivated me to write this book. In my continued contact with the industry, I've noticed that students don't learn certain practical aspects of front office operations in college.
L EARNING O BJECTIVES
Daud Sarai: It is located about 450 meters south of Maulana Quli Khan's tomb in Qutub area. Sinclairs is a hotel chain operating in the eastern part of the country with hotels in Darjeeling and Takdah.
Name and Address of the Hotel
All rooms should have well-equipped bathrooms with long bathtubs or should be equipped with state-of-the-art shower cabins. There should be ladies and gentlemen's changing rooms, which should be spotlessly clean and equipped with the highest standard of furniture and fittings available for a luxury hotel of this category.
PART II Maximum Marks
Separate sheets provided at the end of the questionnaire can be used to answer this question.). There should be an ample supply of all linen/blankets/towels etc. which should be of the highest quality available and should be spotless.
S UMMARY
All transactions that take place in the hotel are either directed by this department or indicated by various vouchers. Sales and Marketing: This department is concerned with acquiring and maintaining customers for both the rooms department and Food and Beverage department of the hotel.
We have further understood the basic elements of tourism and have got an idea of how the hotel industry has grown over the years from musafi r khanas and sarais to modern hotel chains. The chapter has also touched on different departments in a hotel – operating and revenue generating, operating and non-revenue generating and non-operating and revenue generating.
R EVIEW Q UESTIONS
In the later part of the chapter, we learned how hotels are classified by size, location, clientele and facilities, and how a hotel is classified by star rating.
P ROJECT W ORKS
The job description gives you an idea of the hotel's functional and personnel organization.
T YPES OF R OOMS
A room with one double bed, intended for two people, is called a double room (fig. 2.3). The following are the special types of rooms found in some hotels depending on the demand and need of the target customer segment.
F OOD P LANS
The commercial hotels also get a lot of walk-in guests and are not primarily dependent on resident guests for their F&B revenue, while MAP and AP are generally popular in resort hotels.
C RITERIA OF C HARGING R OOM R ENT
The choice of check-out time depends on the time when the largest number of planes, long-distance trains and buses arrive in the city. This is beneficial for the checking-in guest, who can expect a free room upon check-out.
R OOM P RICING M ETHODS
Consider the USP of the hotel when determining the room rate. The 'front office', as the name implies, regulates all activities in the 'front of the house'.
A front office assistant (booking) is responsible to the assistant manager/front office manager. The need for coordination of the front office with different departments was emphasized.
P ROJECT W ORK
This chapter also details how the front office department is divided into eight departments based on the nature of their functions. In this way, we will learn the operation and management of the entire front office management. What are the guidelines you will consider when selecting entry-level front office staff.
Direct Payment (DP)
To Company (To Co)
Holding Voucher (HV)
D IFFERENT S YSTEMS OF P ROCESSING R ESERVATION
An entry will be made in the booking journal on the appropriate page based on the guest's arrival date. The reservations department maintains 43 RR form files that are maintained similarly to those of the Whitney racks. The cancellation code, together with the reservation assistant's signature, is noted in the comments column of the hotel calendar.
R EPORTS AND S TATISTICS
In this chapter, the entire function of the reservation department of the reception department has been discussed in a systematic manner. We learned about the importance of the reservation section, the different ways of receiving a reservation request, and the flowchart of the reservation process. We also came across some important terms used in the booking process and learned their meaning.
R OOM P OSITION
Count the number of rooms required for expected arrivals for the next day, category wise. Number of rooms occupied Expected departures (number of rooms) during the following day + Expected arrivals (number of rooms) during the following day. This indicates the guest's consent to abide by it. the rules and regulations of the hotel and is at the same time a proof of his stay in the hotel for a certain period.
HANDLING GUEST ARRIVALS
Make sure that all data has been entered correctly by the guest in the GRC. Hand over the resident card to the guest and ask him to sign it. The guest is shown the room and their registration formalities are completed by the duty manager in the room/suite.
INDIAN HOTEL
RESIDENT CARD
CAFÉ
DARBAR
PATAKA
To ensure that all group luggage is delivered to the correct rooms at the agreed time after the guest's arrival at the hotel. If the general manager of the hotel has sent a welcome message to the guest, it must be handed over upon arrival. It should be ensured that the guest is explained the same and apologized for the inconvenience.
HANDLING GUESTS
These are the guests who ask for favors that you are not allowed. These are the guests who keep complaining and complaining without explaining their specific requests. These are the men who try to invite female staff members as receptionists, hosts, etc.
ROOM CHANGE PROCEDURE
The receptionist then informs the bell captain for moving the luggage from the existing to the changed room. Finally, the receptionist informs the appropriate authority for the correction of the error in the room. After the room change is complete, the receptionist calls the guest to ensure he is satisfied.
HANDLING MAILS
The receptionist then informs the bell captain about moving the luggage from the existing room to the changed room. Moving luggage in presence of guest is known as Live Move and in absence of guest is known as dead move). The change sheet (Fig. 4.14) is also called room-change sheet/removal notice/transfer sheet/move/movement notice. Note: that for registered mail and couriers, guests are called to the lobby to receive them directly.
HANDLING MESSAGE AND PAGING
The normal procedure is for the guest to leave the room key at the front desk and the key is kept in the mail and key box. Every visitor to a resident guest must come to the reception desk and ask about the guest. The reception staff asks and informs the visitor whether he is a guest in the room or not.
MANUAL KEY CONTROL PROCEDURE
When a guest leaves his room without depositing the room key at the front desk, and the front desk is not in a position to page the guest at that time, then a postal advice slip is prepared and hung on the doorknob. The system also monitors the number of times the guest leaves and re-enters the room, including the number of times the room attendant enters the room, when they use their password key. If a person tries to enter with a wrong key, then the system alerts the security staff.
HANDLING DEPARTURES
The bellboy accompanies the guest to the checkout and takes the luggage to the bell counter. The bill is presented to the guest upon arrival at the checkout and the billing instruction is reconfirmed. The cashier then issues a baggage release pass to the bell captain/group leader (for group only).
IDENTIFICATION OF VARIOUS VOUCHERS
Generally, guests can pick up a printed bill folio copy from the front desk on their way out. When a guest is given an allowance for accommodation, telephone costs, and overages or for unsatisfactory services, an allowance voucher is prepared by the staff of the relevant department, authorized by the department head. The voucher is sent to the front office cashier for transfer to the guest account.
SAFE DEPOSIT LOCKER
The locker key is handed over to the guest and the card is kept by number in the designated rack. The guest signs a confirmation of receipt of the articles and hands in the locker with key at the checkout. In such cases, the front office manager authorizes and makes a note on the locker key card and the guest must sign on the back of the card.
PAYMENTS
Check the guest's signature on the EDC slip with the signature on the back of the card. This certificate is required at the time of exchanging unspent money into foreign currency. Currency must be in the form of British Pounds, US Dollars or Travelers Cheques.
FRONT OFFICE ACCOUNTING
The different receipts that are generated at different points of sale are called front office vouchers. The Guest Book is also called the Passing Book, the Representative Book or the Chamber Book. Different types of transactions have different effects on the front office accounting system.
NIGHT AUDIT
The night auditor reconciles discrepancies between the housekeeper's report and the status report in the front office. The night auditor prepares reports indicating the status of front office activities. The night auditor prepares a cash deposit as part of the night audit process.
C ONCIERGE AND B ELL S ERVICE
The driver must then proceed to the designated payment location for the guest. The airport officer should call the concierge to inform the name of the guest and the number of the car that brings the guest to the hotel. After confirming that the guest is a checked baggage, the bell boy enters details in the checked baggage register.
H ANDLING T ELEPHONES C ALLS
In case she doesn't want to take the call; the operator will return to the caller and inform the guest is not in the room. The telephone technician should immediately enter the guest room, apologize for the inconvenience and immediately rectify the complaint. After five minutes, a manual reminder should be given to the room to cross-check that the guest has received the call.
SUMMARY
G UEST S AFETY AND S ECURITY
In addition to all the various equipment and gadgets, scanning cameras must be used to monitor the undercarriage of vehicles. Secure luggage storage facilities and appropriate equipment such as a luggage trolley and bell trolley should be provided. Bonding of employees: people who have access to liquid assets should be bonded so that in the event of theft, etc.
H ANDLING E MERGENCY S ITUATION
