CHAPTER 1 Overview of Front Office By Winchelle M. Letranca Learning Objectives 1. Acquire knowledge about the front office, its functions, its responsibilities, its organization, and staff involved. 2. Analyze and suggest possible solutions to a given front office problem. Hospitality Industry The word “Hospitality” refers to commercial services given to tourist and travellers by establishments like hotels, resorts, tour and travel agencies, restaurants, tourists ‟ attraction centers, heritage sites, theme parks, entertainment and relaxation centers like bars, theatres, sports complex and leisure centers. Hotel & Accommodation Facilities Hotel is a building, edifice or premises, a completely independent part thereof, which is used for the regular reception, accommodation or lodging of travellers and tourists and the provision of services incidental thereto for a fee. Resort is a place with a pleasant environment and an atmosphere that is conducive to a comfortable and healthful relaxation and rest, offering food, sleeping accommodation and recreational facilities to the public for a fee or remuneration. Tourist Inn is a lodging establishment catering to transients but does not meet the minimum requirements of an economy hotel. Apartel is a building or edifice that has several independent and furnished or semi-furnished apartments, regularly leased to tourists and travellers for dwelling on a more or less long term basis and offers basic services to its tenants, similar to hotels. Hotel & Accommodation Facilities Pension house is a private or family–operated boarding house, a tourist guest house or a tourist lodging house employing non-professional domestic helpers. Motorist hotel (Motel) is originally designed for travellers who seek a place to rest during a long travel. Hotel Organization Front of the House - the frontline and situated in guest contact areas. Back of the House - they are not in guest contact areas. Rooms Division Housekeeping Department Front Office Department Food and Beverage Division Food Outlets – Restaurant and Bars Room Service Banquet and Catering Kitchen Administrative Division Engineering or Facilities Maintenance Accounting Purchasing Cost Control and Warehouse Security Office Front Office The most important area of the organization. Act as facilitator or middlemen between guests and other departments of the hotel. Primary Functions of the Front Office Department Sell guest rooms - accept reservations, perform the registration process of the guest. Provide information on hotel services Coordinate guest service - handle guest problems and complaints. Chartroom status reports - coordinate room sales and housekeeping Maintenance of guest accounts - documentation of guest's transaction Settlement of guest accounts - preparation of the guest statement Create guest history profile - record guest's personal data for future references. The Front Office Department Front Desk Frequently called the "hub" or "command center" of the rooms Uniform Services Doorpersons Bellstand Concierge division because much information is channeled through it. Valet parking/Garage Shuttle Driver Private Branch Exchange (PBX) The Front Office Organization In a typical front office organization, the staff includes the following: Front Desk Clerk - look after the registration of hotel guests and serves as communication and information center. Cashier - looked after the preparation of bills and settlement of the guest account. Reservation Section - handles inquiries and reservations for room bookings. Concierge/Guest Relations Assistance - attends to special guest needs of any sort, provides information on entertainment, sports, amusements, tours, transportation, etc. The Front Office Organization In a typical front office organization, the staff includes the following: Telephone Operator - manage communications into and out of the hotel. Bell Service - assists guests to and from their rooms. Air/Transport Assistance - handles the transport of guests to and from the airport and other transport terminals. Business Center - handles special services like computer service, fax, email, xerox, souvenir items, etc. Front Office Personnel Front Office Manager Basic Function: Plans Organizes, directs, and controls all areas of Front Office operations. Front Office Manager Specific Duties 1. Prepares forecast of room occupancy; monitors actual occupancy; against forecast, prepares and submits daily occupancy report; 2. Prepares budget for front office operations; 3. Monitors the performance of Front Office staff and calls their attention regarding their performance deficiencies; 4. Personally meets and attends to VIP'S and other important guests; 5. Attends to guest's complaints, inquiries and requests; 6. Records in a logbook all critical incidents and complaints of guests; 7. Coordinates with Security/Administration Office in the investigation of losses and other security matters; 8. Checks rooms that are prepared for VIP's; 9. Coordinates with Housekeepers for the preparation of rooms blocked for very important Persons (VIP's); 10. Oversees the implementation of Front Office policies and procedures; Front Office Supervisor Basic Function: Oversees Front Desk operations, particularly the handling of registration of guests. Front Office Supervisor Specific Duties: 1. Gives instruction to the desk clerk regarding arrangement for bookings, blocking of guestrooms and other front desk activities; 2. Assists the desk clerk in attending to the registration of house guests; 3. Checks the daily arrival list and sees to it that the rooms assigned to those on the list are made up and set up as indicated in the instructions of the reservations clerk; 4. Attends to the registration and reception of VIP's and other guests with special booking arrangements; 5. Assigns rooms for house use and other in-house activities; 6. Checks bookings and reservations requiring room allocation; 7. Coordinates with the Housekeeping Office for the preparation of check-out rooms for immediate occupancy; and 8. Checks and updates reservations chart and room status Bulletin; reconciles it with the room status report of Housekeeping; Front Desk Clerk Basic Function: Attends to the registration of guests and provides information assistance. Front Desk Clerk Specific Duties: 1. Allocates room for incoming arrivals, check-ins, special request rooms and VIP's; 2. Checks whether special requirements of guests are prepared prior to their arrival; 3. Updates data in the rooms status indicator or room status chart; 4. Attends to guests' registration; 5. Prepares guest folio of guests who are about to check out; 6. Attends to inquiries at the Fron Desk; 7. Receives and secures guest key; 8. Receives mails, messages, and packages of guests; 9. In absence of a Front Office cashier, prepares billing of guest account and process all payments; 10. Attends to guest complaints and requests, endorses them to the right person or department; 11. Coordinates with the Housekeeping Unit for the reconciliation of room status, in executing room transfer, and in preparing special amenities for VIP's. Doorman/Bellman Basic Function: Assists/escorts guests during check-in and check-out and runs errands for the Front Desk. Doorman/Bellman Specific Duties: 1. Welcomes and greets incoming guests, opens the door of their vehicle, unloads their luggage and leads them to the Front desk for registration; 2. Receives rooming instructions from the desk clerk and escorts the guest towards his room; 3. Orients the guest about the facilities and amenities in the room and informs him of house services and facilities; 4. Responds to desk clerk's call for guest assistance including the delivery of guests' mails, FAX, packages and messages; 5. Assists the guest upon check out, carries his luggage, leads him to the Front Desk for clearance and for bill settlement and finally escorts him towards his vehicle; 6. Assists a guest when a room transfer service is called for; 7. Attends to the safe and proper storage of guests valuables in the bell station; Front Office Cashier Specific Duties: 1. Prepares billing statements for guests and receives payment; 2. Receives bills of guests from the various outlets and enters them into the guest folio for updating of charges; 3. Keeps track of consumption of guests and makes sure they do not exceed the credit limit (if using a credit card or given a credit limit by the hotel); 4. Checks credit status of guests who are booking on charges; makes sure their account is active, not canceled nor suspended; 5. Checks and verifies the validity of credit cards and other credit accounts of guests before proceeding to any credit transaction; 6. Communicates with various outlets regarding the account status of guests, particularly indicating those on cash basis and are not given signing privilege as well as those with signing privilege; 7. Prepares daily cashier's report; 8. Receives and accounts for change fund; and 10. Performs other duties as maybe assigned by superior Airport/Transport Representative Basic Function: Transport guests to and from the airport/other terminal; sells hotel services to prospective patrons at the airport. Airport/Transport Representative Specific Duties: 1. Checks availability and condition of vehicles needed to transport guests; 2. Looks after the preventive and corrective maintenance of vehicles; 3. Fetches arriving guests, welcome them and brings them to the hotel; 4. scouts for possible prospects or patrons at the airport and other terminals and offers them accommodation in the hotel; 5. Coordinates with tour coordinators regarding arrangements for transport service of tourist and visitors; 6. Provides tour and travel assistance to guests if assigned to do so; Prepares and updates daily tour iteneraries; 7. Performs other duties as maybe assigned by superior. Guest Relations/Concierge Basic Function: Attends to any request for guests assistance especially for VIPs Guest Relations/Concierge Specific Duties: 1. Coordinates with the front desk regarding arrangements for the arrival of VIP's and special groups with special arrangements; 2. Personally welcomes and receives guests; 3. Maintains logbook and record of VIP arrivals; 4. Attends to guests with special problems and concerns like lost passport, lost ticket, airline booking, tour and travel assistance; 5. Conducts show room of room facilities to interested patrons; 6. Assist in sales and marketing activities; 7. Provides orientation to groups with special arrangements; 8. Coordinates with travel agencies for tour and travel itineraries of guests Telephone Operator Basic Function: Attends to all incoming and outgoing calls in the Telephone Exchange Section. Telephone Operator Specific Duties: 1. Answers all incoming calls in accordance with standard procedures; 2. Receives and disseminates messages received by phone; 3. Transfer calls to guests after screening their calls; 4. Attends to emergency calls in accordance with prescribed procedures; 5. Attends to wake up call requests guests; 6. Processes all long-distance and overseas calls; 7. Responds to inquiries received by phone; 8. Receives updates for events in the hotel for proper dissemination when an inquiry is received; 9. receives and acts on customer complaints received by phone Receiving /Processing and Welcoming/Greeting the guests, Documenting Guests Opening the Door of his vehicle; Reservation unloading his Luggage Updating Room Status; Attending to Guest Registration Escorting Guest to his Room, Settlement of Carrying his Luggage, Preparing Guest Folio Guest's bill Explaining Room Facilities Attending to all Service Updating Guests Account, Request of Guests, Extending Preparing Billing Statement; Various Forms of Assistance Settlememnt Balance Assisting Guests for Check Out Bidding Goodbye: Settling Bills, Giving Thanking the Guests Clearance for for Patronage Check out Sequence of Front Office Service Thank You!
