FRONT OFFICE NOTES

1. Hotel Management in
Brief.
By Rajish Dharmarajan
For IHMS, Thrissur

2. Front Office Department
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The front office in a hotel holds prime importance in view of the basic nature
o f the business of a hotel to sell rooms. Revenue collected from the sale of
rooms contributes more than 50% of the total hotel sales. This department
has the prime role of image building, which is the first and last point contact
of every guest. Thus, the role of front office is to reserve, receive, assign
rooms to guests and act as a continues source of information to guests
during their stay of the hotel.
TYPES OF HOTELS
Hotels may be categorized depending upon factors such as:
Location
Number of rooms
Type of plan
Type of clientele
Length of guest stay
Facilities of the hotel offers

3. Types of Hotel & categorization
• Downtown Hotel , Suburban Hotel , Resort hotel , Airport Hotel ,
Motels , Convention Hotels , Casino Hotels , Chain Hotels
• Categorization by Facilities the Hotel offers
• Facilities offered by hotels may be the most important criteria
for classification. Some countries adopt Star Rating System.
Thus a five star hotel which is the highest rating provide
facilities such as central air conditioning, attached bathrooms
with hot and cold water, channel music, wall to wall carpeting,
shopping arcade, health club, swimming pool, sports facilities
and a variety of restaurant & bars including coffee shop,
specialty restaurant, grill room etc. These are some of the
criteria of star rating. Certain such facilities are denied as the
star rating of the hotels goes lower and lower. They may be
excluded for a variety of reasons such as cost, level of business
etc.

4. QUALITIES OF FRONT OFFICE STAFF
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Salesman
They should have the quality of salesmanship to motivate the guest to
spend more on the various hotel facilities.
2. Problem solvers
Guest invariably approaches the front office for help in case they have a
problem or complaint. They staff have to be diplomatic and resourceful to
solve the problem at the shortest possible time.
3. Reference point
Guest who want information or want to pass on information use them for
this purpose
4. Coordinator
Since they are reference point, the front office staff is required to
coordinate with other departments, airlines, travel agencies and city tour
offices to give the guest personalized service.
5. Image builders
As an extension to their salesman’s role, front office staff can certainly
generate a good image for the establishment in their manner of dress,
communication, personal conduct and efficiency.

5. QUALITIES OF FRONT OFFICE STAFF
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Essential Attributes
A High Sense of Personal Grooming: Uniforms must be clean and neatly
pressed. Hair should be groomed well. Nails should be manicured. Soft
cologne is preferable to heavy perfumes. Jewellery should be restricted to
one ring and a necklace for ladies. In short, front office must be seen at
their best at all times.
Personal Hygiene: This is imperative to front office personnel. As they are
constantly exposed to hotel guests, a clean appearance helps to project
good image not only of themselves but of the establishment as well.
Self Confidence: This is necessary as front office staff meet guests of
different countries, status and cultures. They should be comfortable and
feel at ease in dealing with these people.
Communication Must be Clear: It is preferable that front office staff know
more than one language .It helps in communicating with guest who cannot
speak English or local language.
Diplomacy: Very often there are situations when a guest is irritated over
some thing .A diplomatic dealing helps in explosive moment .It is quite
common for a busy hotel to have no rooms to offer for a guest who have
come with a confirmed booking .A diplomatic approach is the only way by
which the guest can be pacified.

6. QUALITIES OF FRONT OFFICE STAFF
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Calmness: Being the nerve centre of the hotel, the front office constantly in touch with
guests and therefore invariably comes under tremendous pressure .The guest always
expect personalized, priority treatment and the pressure of demand never ceases
coupled with this difficult guest who can unnerve a person .The front office staff
should thus have a high degree of tolerance for pressure of work and be calm and
composed at all times.
Ability to remember faces and names: This single attribute distinguishes the good
from the average amongst the front office staff. Every individual has an ego and
his/her name is most precious and personal to him .If the front office staff can call
most guest by their names, this immediately flatters them and personalized the guest
experience .The guest begins to feel that he is welcome as people recognizes him by
name.
Good manners: As the hotel is a meeting place of social elites all the grace and
etiquette associated with good society comes into play. Guest of all status comes to
stay in the hotel and they are used to manners and politeness. Wishing the guest the
time of the day and saying “thank you”, are basic etiquettes shown.
Ready smile: This is necessary to guest, as they like to be handled by cheerful staff
at the desk. Their smile exudes cheer to the guest and puts them at ease.
Physical fitness: Front office staff stands for a long hour at a stretch .The staff must
be sturdy, agile and active.
Quick decision making ability: Guests often approach the front desk with problems
and requests. Front office staff must be able to decide quickly a course of action that
satisfies the guest, at the same time keeping the interest of the organization alive.

7. Reception, Information, Reservation, Cashier
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The reception office apart of front office that the guest is received, registered
and assigned a room and it is there that he calls for information .his mail and
finally his bill. The reception is the first area of contact of an arriving guest
and it could be said to be the show window of the hotel.
The first impression the customer has to hotel would depend on the
accessibility, neatness, proper decoration and satisfactory equipping of the
reception office. First impression being the best and ever lasting one, great
care should be given to the setting up decoration and equipment of the
reception area also the way the guests are received on their arrival
Most countries govt. and states insist that a guest registers himself in
writing. This is a rule to protect both the hotel owner and the guest. It is also
a source of information on the movement of foreigners in the country for the
local foreigners registration office. Thin act of registration may be done by
two methods,-by the use of registration cards as adopted by large hotels
,and through a registration register used by small Hotels ,Motels and Inns.
The basic information required is each case name, address, nationality, and
purpose of visit, duration of stay and passport details.

8. Reception, Information, Reservation, Cashier
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INFORMATION
The main functions of the information departments are to
Maintain guest alphabetical index rack
Receive messages for guest on telephone or in person.
Handle guest room keys.
Handle guest packages / registered/ insured mail
Handle guest mails / telegrams
Handle paging and
Provide information to guests

9. Reception, Information, Reservation, Cashier
• The reservation section in the front office is the nerve centre of
the department where all requests of reservation are received
and possessed.
• Modes of Reservation Request
• Request for reservation may come by various modes.
– Letters
– Telex
– Telegrams
– Telephones
– Cables (computer)
– By Person

10. Reception, Information, Reservation, Cashier
• Sources of Reservation
• The usual sources from which reservation requests come are
– Airlines
– Wholesale tour operators
– Free individual traveler (FIT) any person who makes a
booking directly with a hotel and not through a travel agent.
– Companies and commercial business houses
– Embassies / consulates and institutions
– A source is classified as any individual or body that actually
pays a hotel for services rendered

11. Reception, Information, Reservation, Cashier
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Types of Rooms
Each hotel has a variety of rooms to suit the needs of guests.
Single
- Room with one normal sized single bed
Double
- Room with one double bed
Studio
- Room with one single bed + one sofa cum
bed
Twin
- Room with two normal sized but separate
single beds
Triplet
- Twin + extra bed
Single suite
- Single room + one living room
Double suite
- Double room + one living room
Duplex suite
- Rooms spread over two floors with
interconnecting staircase
Cabana
- Room attached to the swimming pool with
one sofa cum bed.

12. Reception, Information, Reservation, Cashier
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Types of Plan
A plan is a package proposal of rooms and meals
EP (European Plan)
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Room only
CP (Continental Plan)
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Room + Continental
break fast
MAP (Modified American Plan) : Room + breakfast +
lunch or dinner (2 meals only)
AP (American Plan)
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Room + breakfast +
lunch + dinner (3 meals)
• Role of Cashier during Check out:
Greet guest with a smile and always try to use his name and wish him the time
of the day.
• Confirm guest details (i.e. name and room number) against the guest’s
account.
• Check whether late checkout charges should be applied. If the guest is
leaving after the check out time and he is not a frequent guest then add the
relevant late check out charge to the account.
• Check for late charges and in particular check breakfast or telephone
charges.
• Give the guest the master and or guest folio for checking.

13. Reception, Information, Reservation, Cashier
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Check out procedure
The main duties of the front office at check out are:
Settlement of guest accounts
Up-dating front office records after guest departures
Creating good lasting impressions
When checking out a guest, the front office staff should follow
certain basic procedures:
Greet guest and check their name and room number
Check for late charges
Produce master and guest folios for guest inspection
Settle accounts
Up-date front office records