Sections of Front Office Department

1.     Reservation:

This Section is the nerve center of the department. All request of room reservation are received and processed. Request for reservation may come from the MODES OF LETTER, TELEX, TELEGRAM, FAX, TELEPHONES, PERSONALLY, E-MAIL, And CENTRAL RESERVATION OFFICE.

2.     Reception:

Reception deals with daily arrival and departure of the guest. Blocking rooms of expected arrivals in advance. To fill up all the necessary details in guest registration card for confirmed reservations. Receiving and welcoming guests. To check all the reservation correspondence. To co-ordinate with housekeeping department for cleaning of rooms. To keep a track on room status. To help the guest in filling up G.R.C.

3.     Registration:

Registration of guest is one of the important processes of check-in activity. It is mandatory requirement that all guest above the age of 16 years weather ordinary, or V.I.P, INDIAN OR FOREIGNER all must fill up G.R.C.

4.     Bell Desk:

To handle guest arrival and departure. Take the guest baggage from the car in the porch. To escort the guest to their rooms along with the luggage. Place the luggage in luggage rack in the guest room. Explain the operation of light control air condition, T.V., safety locker in room etc. To handle guest room keys during departure. To shift guest luggage from one room to another. To help in packing of guest luggage. To distribute newspaper. To keep lobby area clean. To deliver guest message to their room. To report scanty baggage guest. To vend postal stamps and other stationery. To page the guest in public area. To do small work outside the hotel to book movie tickets, to get medicines for guest etc.

5.     Concierge (Information Desk):

It is a French word it means door keeper/porter. It also refers to hospitality. The desk is located in the lobby. It is an extended arm of INFORMATION COUNTER. Longer duration of guest is possible because of planning itineraries, planning and organizing tours giving more of information. Provide personal service to guest service. Booking of movie tickets. Concierge can also call as MAN-ABOUT-TOWN or MISTER-KNOW-IT-ALL. Coordination with airlines for booking tickets and other queries. To arrange Hotel Doctor as when required. To arrange welcome drink for group arrivals. To have a complete understanding of hotel policies and procedure.

6.     Lobby Area:

Hotel lobby represents the atmosphere, decors, staff and image of the hotel when a guest visits. Lobby should be spacious but not wasteful. The natural flow of the guest should be towards reception, cashier, and information counter during guest arrival and departure. Sufficient space required to place the guest the guest luggage. Lobby is the waiting area of the hotel. Lobby areas include bell desk, travel counter, cashier, and elevators etc. Well furnished seating arrangements. Lobby should be facing the clear view of guest entering. Front office staff takes care of the lobby area in terms hygiene standards. Lobby manager and Guest Relation Executive will be available 24 hours in the large hotels.

7.     Front Office Cashier:

He is responsible to post all guest charges and credit into their respective folios. Settle all guest bills during guest departure. En-cash Foreign exchange as per regulations. Disburse petty cash to hotel staff and authorized paid outs. To have control on safety lockers. Receive and hold in safe custody all cash payments made by guest till the account is rendered. To maintain records and to prepare cashier report.

       

8.      Night Auditor:

To reconcile all revenue statement. To verify and validate front office cashier voucher/forms. To check guest folios. Verify front office cashier report. Prepare high balance report of guest who exceeds their credit limit fixed by hotels. To prepare daily transcript. To verify room status report. To check the cancellation of reservations. Account for city ledger credit amounts.

9.     Telephone Operator:

To attend all incoming and outgoing calls. To monitor guest calls and to prepare guest bills accordingly. To give wake up calls to guest. To transfer calls regarding room reservation. To speak politely and softly. To take guest message and to inform to reception. To handle any kind of emergency situation.

10.    Business Center:

This is the guest area where secretarial assistant to guest for conducting conference, seminars, interviews are being offered. All necessary equipments Fax, Telex, Internet Facility, photocopying, spiral binding, and plastic folders are available in business center. 

Front Office Department

The "Front Office Department" is the major department in a hotel which is situated at the front part of the hotel and its duty is to sale the rooms of the hotels after registration and hand over key to the guest.

In other word, it is "Show Case Window" of the hotel which reflects the image of a hotel. It is the back bone as well as the "Nerve Center" of a hotel from where all the information and messages are communicated to the different department or personnel. The front office department of a hotel holds first important in view of the nature of a business in a hotel.

Importance of Front Office Department:

Each department plays an important role in order to get a complete task to get the main thing that is the satisfaction of the customer. Sequentially to carry out its mission, worldwide and departmental goals and objectives, every company shall build a formal organization depicting different hierarchy of managing, supervision, and employee or the staff levels. All hotels mission is to make the hotel success by satisfying the customer need. If the hotels fail to do so, it means that they have failed everything. This is because we have to be humbled to the guest and respect the guest although they are wrong. The statement saying that “guest will always be right” is the rules showing that everything that the guest do and say, we have to give and take. The main department that is front office management has to play the important role as they are the one that will communicate with the guest from the guest check in until they will check out. Smile and greet the guest politely will make the guest feel happy and hoping that they will see us again.