The document describes various tools, equipment, fixtures and supplies used in a hotel front office. It includes items like a room rack to display guest information, a mail and key rack to store keys and messages, an information rack to index guests, a folio tray to store guest invoices, an account posting machine to record charges, a credit card imprinter to record card details, a magnetic strip reader to read credit card data, a payment terminal to process payments, a time stamp device to record times, a fax machine to send documents, a telephone system to communicate, a shredder to destroy documents securely, CCTV monitors to provide security surveillance, a photocopier to copy documents, staplers and staple wires, a
2. The room rack contains a
summary of information about
the current status of all rooms
in the hotel. A room rack slip or
in some hotels, the guest
registration card itself can be
inserted into the room rack to
display guest data, room
number, and room rate.
3. A mail and key rack is an array of numbered
compartments used to store guestroom keys, mail, and
telephone messages.
4. An information rack is an index of
in-house guests by both last name
and room number and is
commonly used to assist front
office employees with proper
routing of telephone calls, mail,
messages and visitor inquiries.
5. Folio tray or folio bucket
is where the guest folios
are stored and arranged
by guestroom numbers.
Guest folios remain in the
tray throughout their
occupancy (in-house).
6. An account posting machine
is used to post, monitor, and
balance charges to guest
accounts.
7. An imprinter presses a credit
card voucher against a guest’s
credit card. The impact causes the
raised card number, expiration
date, and name on the card to be
recorded on the voucher for use in
credit card billing and collection
procedures. It may be manual or
electric.
8.
9. A magnetic strip reader
reads data magnetically
encoded and stored on the
magnetic tape strip on the
back of a credit card and
transmits this data to a
credit card verification
service.
10. A payment terminal, also known as a Point
of Sale terminal, credit card terminal,
EFTPOS terminal, is a device which
interfaces with payment cards to make
electronic funds transfers.
11. Folios, mail, and other front
office paperwork are
inserted into a time stamp
device to record the current
time and date. This
recording can be very
important in establishing a
chronology of events.
27. A folder, also called a directory, is a special space used to
store files, other folders, and shortcuts on a computer. A
good analogy is the manila folders seen in an office that
are used to store papers or reports