FRONT OFFICE TERMINOLOGY

1. Access time – the amount of time required for a processor to retrieve information from the hard drive; recorded in milliseconds.
2. Account payable – Financial obligations the hotel owes to private and government-related agencies and vendors.
3. Account receivable – Amount of money owed to the hotel by guests.
4. Aging of account – Indication of the stage of the payment cycle such as 10 days old, 30 days overdue, and 60 days overdue.
5. All-suite – A level of service provided by a hotel for a guest who will desire an at home atmosphere.
6. Amenities – Personal toiletry items such as shampoo, toothpaste, mouthwash and electrical equipment.
7. American plan – A room rate that includes meals, usually breakfast and evening meal as well as room rental in the room rate.
8. Assets – Items that have monetary value.
9. Atrium concept – A design in which guest rooms overlook the lobby from the first floor to the roof.
10. Average Daily Rate ( ADR ) – A measure of the hotel staff’s ability to sell available room rates; the method to compute the ADR is : Room revenue / number of rooms sold
11. Balance sheet – An official financial listing of assets, liabilities and owner’s equity.
12. Bank card – credit cards issued by banks, examples of which include Visa, MasterCard, JCB.
13. Banquet sheet – a listing of the details of an event at which food and beverage are served.
14. Bill-to-account – An extension of credit to a guest by an individual hotel that requires the guest or the guest’s employer to establish a line of credit and to adhere to a regular payment schedule.
15. Bio-metrics – An individual electronic measurement of uniqueness of human being such as voice, hand print or facial characteristics.
16. Blackout – Total loss of electricity.
17. Blocking on the horizon – Reserving guest rooms in the distant future.
18. Blocking procedure – Process of reserving a room on a specific day.
19. Bottom up – A sales method that involves presenting the lest expensive rate first.
20. Brownouts – Partial loss of electricity.
21. Business affiliation – Chain or independent ownership of hotels.
22. Call accounting – A computerized system that allows for automatic tracking and posting of outgoing guest room calls.
23. Cancellation code – A sequential series of alphanumeric combinations that provide the guest with a reference for a cancellation of a guaranteed reservation.
24. Cash bank – A specific amount of paper money and coins issued to a cashier to be used for making change.
25. Cashier – A person who processes guest check outs and legal tender and make change for guest.
26. Cashier’s report – A daily cash control report that list cashier activity of cash and credit cards and machine totals by cashier shift.
27. Chain – a group of hotels that follow standard operating procedures such as marketing, reservations, quality of service, food and beverage operations, housekeeping and accounting.
28. Chain affiliations – Hotels that purchase operational and marketing service from a corporation.
29. Channel management – Objective review of the most profitable marketing approach for guest rooms, central reservation system, GDS, third party reservation system, toll free phone reservation, travel agent, etc.
30. City ledger account – A collection of accounts receivable of nonregistered guest who use the service of the hotel.
31. Collective bargaining unit – A labor union
32. Commercial cards – Credit cards issued by cooperation, an example of which is Diners Club.
33. Commercial hotels – Hotels that provide short-term accommodation for travelling guests.
34. Commercial rate – Room rates for business people who represent a company but do not necessarily have bargaining power because of their infrequent or sporadic pattern of travel.
35. Communication hierarchy – A listing of the order in which management personnel may be called on to take charge in an emergency situation.
36. Complimentary rate – A rate in which there is no charge to the guest.
37. Computer supplies – Paper, forms, ribbons, ink cartridges needed to operate the system.
38. Concierge – A person who provides an endless array of information on entertainment, sports, amusement, transportation, tours, church services and babysitting in a particular city or town.
39. Conference call – A conversation in which three or more persons are linked by telephone.
40. Confirmed reservations – Prospective guests who have a reservation for accommodations that is honored until a specified time.
41. Continental breakfast – Juice, fruit, sweet roll and/or cereal.
42. Controller – The internal accountant for the hotel.
43. Convention guests – Guest who attends a large convention and receives a special room rate.
44. Corporate client – A hotel guest who represents a business or is a guest of that business and provides the hotel with an opportunity to establish a regular flow of business during sales periods that would normally be flat.
45. Corporate guests– frequent guests who are employed by a company and receive a special room rate.
46. Corporate rates – Room rate offered to corporate clients staying in the hotel.
47. Credit – A decrease in an asset or an increase in liability, or an amount of money the hotel owes the guest.
48. Credit balance – Amounts of money a hotel owes guests in future services.
49. Credit card imprinter – makes an imprint of the credit card the guest will use as the method of payment.
50. Crisis management – maintaining control of an emergency situation.
51. Cross-training – training employees for performing multiple tasks and jobs.
52. Current guests – Guest who are registered in the hotel
53. Customer relationship management – A system that allows hotel managers to integrate technology to support customer service techniques that provide top-notch customer service.
54. Cycle of service – The progression of a guest’s request for products and service through a hotel’s department.
55. Daily blocking – assigning guests to their particular rooms on a daily basis.
56. Daily sales report – A financial activity report produced by a department in a hotel that reflects daily sales activities with accompanying cash register tapes or point-of-sales audit tapes.
57. Database interfaces – the sharing of information among computers.
58. Data sorts – Report option in a PMS that indicate groupings of information.
59. Debit – An increase in an asset or a decrease in a liability.
60. Debit balance – An amount of money the guest owes the hotel.
61. Debit cards – Embossed plastic cards with a magnetic strip on the reverse side that authorize direct transfer of fund from a customer’s bank account to the commercial organization’s bank account for purchase of goods and services.
62. Deep cleaning – A through cleaning on furniture and accessories, windows, flooring and walls.
63. Demographic data – Size, density, distribution, and vital statistic of population broken down into, for example; age, sex, marital status and occupation categories.
64. Departmental accounts – Income and expense-generating areas of the hotel, such as restaurants, gift shop and banquet.
65. Direct-email letters – Letter sent directly to individuals in a targeted market group in a marketing effort.
66. Distance learning – learning that takes place via satellite broadcasts, Picture Tel, or online computer interaction.
67. Double Occupancy Percentage – A measure of a hotel’s staff ability to attract more than one guest to a room; the method to compute double occupancy percentage is :
68. Number of guest – number of rooms sold / number of rooms sold X 100%
69. Eco tourists – Tourist who plan vacation to understand the culture and environment of a particular area
70. Electronic key – A plastic key with electronic codes embedded on a magnetic strip.
71. Electronic key system – A system composed of battery-powered or, less frequently, hardwired locks; a host computer and terminals; a keypuncher; and special entry cards that are used as keys.
72. Empowerment – Management’s act of delegating certain authority and responsibility to frontline employees.
73. Ergonomics – The study of how people relate psychologically to machines.
74. European plan – A rate that quotes room charge only.
75. Express check out – Means by which the guest uses computer technology in a guest room or a computer in the hotel lobby to check out.
76. Family rate – room rates offered to encourage visit by families with children.
77. Float – The delay in payment from an account after using a credit card or personal check.
78. Floor limit – A dollar amount set by the credit card agency that allows for a maximum amount of guest charges.
79. Flow analysis processes – The preparation of a schematic drawing of the operations included in a particular function.
80. Flowchart – An analysis of the delivery of a particular product or service.
81. Folio – A guest’s record of charges and payment.
82. Forecasting – Projecting room sales for a specific period.
83. Full house – 100 percent hotel occupancy; a hotel that has all its guest room occupied.
84. Full service – A level of service provided by a hotel with a wide range of conveniences for the guest.
85. Global Distribution System (GDS) – Distributor of hotel rooms to corporations such as travel agents that buy rooms in large volume.
86. Going green – the responsibility to take care of the environment.
87. General ledger – A collection of accounts that the controller uses to organize the financial activities of the hotel.
88. Group rate – Room rate offered to large groups of people visiting the hotel for a common reason.
89. Group travelers – Person who are travelling on business or for pleasure in an organized fashion.
90. Guaranteed reservations – Prospective guests who made a contact with the hotel for a guest room.
91. Guest Folio – A form imprinted with the hotel’s logo and control number and allowing space for room number, guest identification, date in and date out, and room rate in the upper left-hand corner; it allows for guest charges to be imprinted with PMS and is filed in room number sequence.
92. Guest histories – Detail concerning the guest’ visits, such as ZIP code, frequent of visits, corporate affiliation or special needs.
93. Guest supplies – Commonly referred to as guest amenities or personal toiletries; care items such as small bottles of shampoo, hair conditioner, lotion, soap, mouthwash, shoeshine cloth, mending kit etc.
94. Hard key system – A security devise consisting of the traditional hard key that fits into keyhole in a lock; preset tumblers inside the lock are turned by the designated key.
95. Hardware – Computer equipment used to process software, such as central processing units, keyboards, monitor and printers.
96. Hospitality – The generous and cordial provision of services to a guest.
97. Hotel representative – A member of the marketing and sales department of the hotel who actively seeks out group activities planner.
98. House count – The number of persons registered in a hotel on a specific night.
99. Housekeeping room status – Terminology that indicate s availability of guest room such as available, clean or ready ( room is ready to be occupied ), occupied ( guest or guests are already occupying a room ), dirty or stay over ( guest will not be checking out of a room on the current day ), on change ( guest has checked out of the room, but housekeeping staff has not released the room for occupancy), and out of order ( the room is not available for occupancy because of a mechanical malfunction)
100. Hubbart formula – a method used to computed room rate that considers such factors as operating expenses, desired return on investment and income from various departments in the hotel.
101. Incentive program – An organized effort by management to understand employees’ motivational concerns and develop opportunities for employees to achieve both their goals and the goals of the hotel.
102. Independent hotel – A hotel that is not associated with a franchise.
103. In-house laundry – A hotel-operated department that launders linens, uniforms, bedspreads etc.
104. In-room guest check out – A feature of the property management system that allows the guest to use a guest room television to check out of a hotel.
105. Interdepartmental communication – Communication between departments.
106. Interfacing – The ability of computers to communicate electronically and share data.
107. Inter-hotel property referrals – A system in which one member-property recommends another member property to a guest.
108. Job analysis – A detailed listing of the tasks performed in a job, which provides the basis for a sound job description.
109. Job description – A listing of required duties to be performed by an employee in a particular job.
110. Key drawer – A drawer located underneath the counter of the front desk that holds room keys in slots in numerical order.
111. Key fob – A decorative and descriptive plastic or metal tag attached to a hard key.
112. Late charges – Guest charges that might not be included on the guest folio because of a delay in posting by other department.
113. Leisure travelers – People who travel alone or with others on their own for visits to points of interest, to relatives, or for other personal reasons.
114. Liabilities – Financial or other contractual obligations or debts.
115. Limited service – A level of service provided by a hotel with guest room accommodations and limited food service and meeting space.
116. Litigious society – An environment in which consumers sue providers of products and services for not delivering them according to expected operating standards.
117. Manager’s report – A listing of occupancy statistics from the previous day, such as occupancy percentage, yield percentage, average daily rate, Rev PAR, and number of guests.
118. Market segment – Identifiable group of customers with similar needs for products and services.
119. Marquee – The curbside message board, which includes the logo of the hotel and space for a message.
120. Mass marketing – Advertising products and service through mass communications such as television, radio, and internet.
121. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) – A listing of the chemical contents, relative hazards to the users, and name and address of the producers of the contents.
122. Military and Educational rate – Room rate established for military personnel and educators.
123. Modified American Plan – A room rate that offers one meal with the price of a room rental.
124. Moonlighter – A person who holds a full-time job at one organization and a part-time job at another organization.
125. Night Audit – the control process whereby the financial activity of guest’s accounts is maintained and balanced on a daily basis.
126. No-show factor – Percentage of guests with confirmed or guaranteed reservations that do not show up.
127. Occupancy percentage – The number of rooms sold divided by the number of rooms available.
128. On the job training – A training process in which the employee observes and practices a tasks while performing his or her job.
129. Organization Chart – Schematic drawing that list management position in an organization.
130. Orientation Check List – A summary of all items that must be covered during orientation.
131. Outsourcing – Provision of service to the hotel, for example; a central reservation system by an agency outside of the hotel.
132. Outstanding balance report – A listing of guest’s folio balances.
133. Overbooking – Accepting reservations for more rooms than are available by forecasting the number of no show reservations, stayovers, understays, and walk ins, with the goal of attaining 100 percent occupancy.
134. Package Rate – Room rate that include goods and services in addition to rental of a room.
135. Paid in advance (PIA) – Guest who paid cash at check in.
136. Paid-outs – Amount of monies paid out of the cashier’s drawer on behalf of guest or an employee of the hotel.
137. Par System – A level of inventory established that provides adequately for service.
138. Percent Yield – The number of rooms sold at average daily rate versus number of rooms available at rack rate multiplied by 100
139. Point of sale – An outlet in the hotel that generates income such as a restaurant, gift shop, spa etc.
140. Posting – The process of debiting and crediting charges and payments to a guest folio.
141. Policy and procedure manual – Publication that provides an outline of how the specific duties of each job are to be performed.
142. Potential gross income – The amount of sales a hotel might obtain at a given level of occupancy, average daily rate and anticipated yield.
143. Private label cards – Credit cards issued by retail organization, such as a department store or gasoline company.
144. Profit-and-loss statement – A listing of revenues and expenses for a certain time period.
145. Property Management System (PMS) – A generic term for applications of computer hardware and software used to manage a hotel by networking reservation and registration databases, point of sales system, accounting system and other office software.
146. Rack rate – The highest room rate category offered by a hotel.
147. Referral reservation service – A service offered by a management company of a chain of hotels to franchisee members.
148. Registration card – A form on which the guest indicates name, home or billing address, phone number, date of departure, method of payment and etc.
149. Residential hotel – hotels that provide long term accommodations for guest.
150. Revenue management – A process of planning to achieve maximum room rate and most  profitable guests ( guest who will spend money at the hotel’s food and beverage outlets, spa etc ) that encourages front office manager, general manager and marketing or sales director to target sales periods and develop sales programs that will maximize profit for the hotel.
151. Room blocking – reserving rooms for guests who are holding reservations.
152. Room revenue – The amount of room sales received.
153. Room sales projections – A weekly report prepared and distributed by the front office manager that indicates the number of the departures, arrivals, walk ins, stayovers, and no shows.
154. Sales indicators – Number of guest and revenue generated.
155. Self-check-in process – A procedure that requires the guest to insert a credit card with a magnetic stripe containing personal and financial data into a self check in terminal and answer a few simple questions concerning the guest stay.
156. Stay overs – currently registered guest who wish to extend their stay beyond the time for which they made reservations.
157. Total Quality Management (TQM) – A management technique that encourages managers to look critically at process used to produce products and services.
158. Travel directories – Organized listings of hotel reservation access methods and hotel geographic and specific accommodations information.
159. Traveler’s checks – Prepaid checks that have been issued by a bank or other financial organization.
160. Under stays – Guest who arrives on time but decide to leave before their predicted date of departure.
161. Up-sell – To encourage a customer to consider buying a higher priced product or service than originally anticipated.
162. Visual alarm systems – flashing lights that indicate a fire or other emergency in a hotel room.
163. Walk in guest – Guest who requests a room rental without having made a reservation.
164. Yield – The percentage of income that could be secured if 100 percent of available rooms are sold at their full rack rate.
165. ZIP or Postal Code – An individual local postal designation assigned by a country.