University College of the Cayman Islands
ASSOCIATE DEGREE SYLLABUS
COURSE NAME:
FRONT OFFICE
MANAGEMENT
COURSE #: HOS 220
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to provide the student with an understanding of how the front
office contributes to, and affects, the overall operation of the hotel property. Students
will learn effective front off ice/rooms management procedures and strategies to
maximize hotel profitability and customer satisfaction.
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: None
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course is intended to enable the student to:
1. Define and explain the importance of quality guest service and how to incorporate
these practices in front office management.
2. Demonstrate methods for establishing optimum room rates and sales accurately
forecasting room demand and supply factors.
3. Prepare and interpret operating budgets for housekeeping, front office, security,
switchboard and the rooms division as a whole.
4. Implement, administrate and maintain an effective yield management program.
5. Demonstrate the ability to effectively manage the guest cycle through a proper paper
trail and audit procedures.
6. Prescribe a safety and security program appropriate for various lodging
establishments given their scope and nature.
7. Explain, elaborate, and justify the various express services that are now being used by
the major hotel companies in order to remain competitive.
8. Identify and justify the various strategies used hotel operators in the recruitment,
training and motivation of personnel.
9. Explain and demonstrate the importance of effective and efficient communication
with the other hotel departments.
COURSE OUTLINE
Unit
I
Lecture
The World of Hotels
• The Lodging Industry
„ Target Markets
„ Levels of Service
„ Ownership and Affiliation
„ Travel Motivators
II
•
Hotel Organization
„ Organization Missions
„ Goals and Objectives
„ Strategies and Tactics
„ The Rooms Division
„ Food and Beverage Division
„ Support Departments
„ The Role and Responsibility of Management
III
•
Overview of the Front Office
„ The primary aims of the Front Office
„ Secondary and support roles of the Front Office
„ Front Office Job Descriptions and Summaries
„ Introduction to Front Office Equipment
IV
•
V
Registration
„ The Registration Record
„ Room and Rate Assignment
„ Method of Payment
„ Room Key Control
„ Fulfilling Special Requests and Needs
„ Creative Options
„ Suggestive Selling and Upselling
„ Walk-ins
„ Overbooking Management
• Front Office Responsibilities
„ Front Office Communications
„ Interdepartmental Communications
„ Guest Services
„ Guest Relations and Quality Control
„ Security Functions and Emergency Procedures
VI
•
Front Office Accounting
„ Review of Financial Accounting Fundamentals
„ Creations and Maintenance of Client Accounts
„ Tracking Transactions and Record management
„ Internal Control Procedures
„ Settlement of Client Accounts
VII
•
Check Out and Settlement
„ Check Out and Account Settlement
„ Methods of Account Settlement
„ Handling Due Outs and Late Check Out’s
„ Account Collection
„ Guest History Records
„ Marketing Follow-Through
VIII
•
The Night Audit
„ Functions and Responsibilities of the Night
Audit
„ Operating Modes
„ The Night Audit Process
„ Verifying Validity and Accuracy of the Night
Audit
„ Automated System Update
•
IX
X
•
The Night Audit Problem Set
„ Completion and Outstanding Postings
„ Reconcile Room Status Discrepancies
„ Balance all Departments
„ Verify Room Rates
„ Post Room Rates and Applicable Taxes
„ Prepare Night Audit Reports
„ Clear and Back Up System(s)
Computerized Front Office
„ Review of Computer Basics
„ Examination of Front Office Computer
Software
„ Front Office Information System Management
XI
XII
Front Office Management
• Planning and Evaluating
„ Management Functions
„ Establishing Room Rates
„ Overview of Forecasting Room Availability
„ Evaluating Front Office Operations
„ Feedback Instruments
• Yield Management
„ The Concept of Yield Management
„ Measuring Yield
„ Elements of Yield Management
„ Yield Management; Implementation and
Administration
„ Yield Management Computer Software
XIII
•
XIV
Operating Budget
• Revenue and Expense Forecasting
„ Forecasting Models
„ Preparing the Operations Budget
„ Revising the Operations Budget
„ Operations Budget Computer Software
Managing Human Resources
„ Manpower Planning
„ Recruitment
„ Selection and Hiring
„ Training and Professional development
„ Evaluation and Performance Appraisals
„ Staff Scheduling
„ Motivation Strategies
ASSESSMENT
The Night Audit Problem Set
Mid-Semester Examination I
Mid-Semester Examination II
Final Examination
Total
-
10%
15%
15%
60%
100%
RECOMMENDED TEXT
Mar-01