Managing Front Office Operations

1. Managing Front
Office
SQA I HOT 333

2. Hotel Organization
Organizational Missions
Hotel Organization
Front Office Operations

3. Organizational Missions
Every organization
has reason or purpose
for existing
An organization’s
purpose forms basis
for its mission
Mission can be
expressed in mission
statement

4. Hotel Mission Statements
Express hotel’s underlying philosophy
Often address hotel’s three main constituent
groups: guests, managers, employees
Can reflect hotel’s management philosophy
Can help employees meet or exceed guest &
management expectations
Safe & Secure Accommodation
Clean & comfortable guest room
Courteous, professional, knowledgeable &
friendly service
Well –maintained facilities & equipment

5. Goals
Activities & standards
organization must perform
or achieve to effectively carry
out its mission
More specific than mission; it
can be observed & measured
Encourage hotel employees
to perform effectively;
enabling managers to
monitor employee progress
Often planned yearly, & can
be broken down by month or
quarter
Achievement can be part of
manager’s evaluation;
employees can be evaluated
as well
Written goal includes action
verb & specific form of
measurement (time, quality
level, quantity, cost, etc.)
Takes more than one
department to reach hotel
goal
Goals of various hotel
departments can be tied
together

6. Strategies and Tactics
To achieve
goals, hotel
departments
or divisions
establish
specific
strategies
Strategies are
methods
department or
division uses
to achieve its
goals
Tactics further
define how
goals will be
achieved
Tactics are
day-to-day
operating
procedures
that
implement
strategies
Strategies &
tactics should
complement &
support hotel’s
mission &
property-wide
goals

8. Goal, Strategy & Tactics
Goal
Operate front desk &
courteously so all guest
may register in 02 minutes
Strategy
Preregister all expected
guests with reservations so
as Housekeeping make
rooms available for guest
Tactics
Preprint registration cards,
keys etc. for arriving guest

9. Hotel Organization
Hotel managers plan, organize, coordinate, staff, direct, control &
evaluate hotel activities and/or personnel
Hotel’s top executive is usually called general manager; he or she
is responsible for success of hotel
In absence of general manager, assistant general manager,
resident manager, director of operations, or designated manager-
on-duty (MOD) is in charge
Other managers head up hotel divisions or departments

10. Organization Charts
Schematic representation of relationships between positions within organization & where
divisions of responsibility & lines of authority lie
Solid lines indicate direct-line accountability; dotted lines indicate relationships that involve
high degree of cooperation & communication, but no direct reporting relationship
Organization should be flexible & reviewed, revised yearly
Hotel’s organization chart should be part of employee handbook

12. Classifying Functional Areas
Revenue
Center
Support
Center
Front of the House
Back of the House

13. Revenue Centers
Front
office
Food &
beverage
outlets
Catering Room
service
Retail
stores

14. Support Centers
Housekeeping Accounting Engineering &
maintenance
Human resources

15. Rooms
Division
Front office
Front desk
Reservations
Telecommunications
Uniformed
services
Bell attendants
Door attendants
Valet parking attendants
Transportation personnel
Concierges
Housekeepin
g

16. Front Office Department
Most visible department
More contact with
guests than others
Focal point of activity
Guests come to register, receive room assignments,
make inquiries & check out
Other front office functions: receive & distribute
mail, messages, faxes; provide cashiering services;
manage guest accounts; provide concierge services

17. Traditional Front Office Functions
Sell, register, assign guestrooms
Process room reservations, when department is closed
Coordinate guest services
Provide information about surrounding community, attractions or
events
Maintain accurate room status
information
Maintain guest accounts & monitor
credit limits
Produce guest account statements
Complete financial settlements

18. Reservations
Responsible for receiving &
processing reservation requests
for future overnight
accommodations
Accommodate guests while
maximizing hotel occupancy &
room revenue
Technology has shifted
responsibility from front desk to
reservations
Agents should be salespeople who
convey desirability, features,
benefits of staying at hotel, not
simply process requests
Work closely with hotel’s sales &
marketing division to properly
handle groups
Department work closely with
chain’s reservation center or call
center

19. Telecommunications
May also be called private branch
exchange
Operators answer & distribute calls to
extension, place wake-up calls, answer
questions, monitor automated safety
systems & coordinate emergency
communications
Technological advances decreased
responsibilities & workloads of
operators
Technology includes call accounting
systems, automated answering devices,
voice messaging technology, &
automated wake-up-call systems

20. Uniformed Service
Bell attendants
Door
attendants
Valet parking
attendants
Transportation
personnel
Concierges

21. Bell Attendants
Best-known employees on uniformed staff
Must be able to physically handle job, should have
strong oral communication & people skills
Handling luggage; marketing hotel to guests;
delivering mail, packages, messages & special
amenities to guestrooms
Picking up & delivering laundry & dry
cleaning
Housekeeping duties in lobby & entry
areas & informing other departments
about guest needs
Familiarity with hotel & local
community is important

22. Door Attendants
Dedicated to welcoming
guests to hotel
Employed by hotels
offering world-class or
luxury service
Perform housekeeping
duties in lobby & entry
areas
Must be informed about
hotel & local community
Should be able to greet
frequent hotel guests by
name
Escorting guests to
registration area
Controlling vehicle traffic
at front entrance; hailing
taxis, assisting with valet
parking
Opening doors & assisting
guests upon arrival;
helping guests load &
unload luggage

23. Valet Parking Attendants
Employed by hotels
offering world-class or
luxury service
Responsible for security of
vehicles being moved to &
from hotel entrance
Parking guest & visitor
vehicles; issuing
tickets/receipts to
guests/visitors
Securing vehicle keys; &
providing traffic control
assistance

24. Transportation Personnel
Inform guests about hotel during transit; helping guests enter & exit vehicle; loading
guest luggage; maintaining guest privacy; & checking vehicle & safety equipment
Polite, efficient & knowledgeable about hotel
Well trained & licensed to operate hotel vehicles

25. Concierges
Certified by authorities
Found in a world-class or luxury hotel
Least understood in uniformed service
department
Technology concierges are new type of concierge
employed by some hotels to help guests with
technology problems
Making various types of reservations; arranging
transportation for guests; providing information about
local cultural events & attractions

26. Housekeeping Department
Support department for front
office
Effective communication among
housekeeping & front office
personnel crucial to providing
quality guest service
Housekeeping personnel clean
occupied & vacated
guestrooms, inspect rooms
Employs larger staff than other
departments in rooms division
Room attendants may clean eight to eighteen
rooms per shift
Room attendants, inspectors, house persons,
lobby &, general cleaners, laundry personnel
Controlled by an Executive Housekeeper, with
1/+ assistants

27. Food and Beverage Division
Almost as many varieties of hotel food &
beverage outlets as there are hotels
Many hotels support more than one
food & beverage outlet
Typically ranks 2nd to rooms division in
terms of revenue
Types of outlets
include quick-
service, table-
service, & specialty
restaurants; coffee
shops; bars;
lounges; & clubs
Food & beverage
division typically
supports room
service, catering &
banquet activities
Banquets &
catered functions
represent
tremendous sales
& profit
opportunities

28. Sales and Marketing Division
Sales & marketing staff may vary
from one part-time employee to
more than dozen full-time
employees
In small properties, general
manager often fulfills sales &
marketing roles
Sales & marketing responsibilities
are divided into five functions:
sales, revenue management,
convention services, advertising, &
public relations
Goal is to promote & sale of hotel
products & services
Coordinate its efforts with other
hotel divisions
Marketing employees research
marketplace & develop advertising
& public relations programs; sales
employees sell hotel products &
services to individual & groups

29. Accounting Division
Monitors financial activities
Night audit & food & beverage
audit may be considered
Closely coordinate with front
office
Accounting activities include: paying
• Outstanding invoices
• Distributing unpaid statements
• Collecting amounts owed
• Processing payroll
• Accumulating operating data
• Compiling financial reports
• Making bank deposits
• Securing cash loans
• Performing other control & processing functions

30. Engineering & Maintenance Division
Responsible for
maintaining
property’s structure
& grounds, &
electrical
/mechanical
equipment
Charged with
swimming pool
sanitation, parking
lot cleanliness,
fountain operations,
& hotel’s safety
equipment
Some engineering/
maintenance
problems or
projects require
outside contracting
Some work must be
done in cooperation
with housekeeping
department
Must have efficient
communication with
front office to
ensure guest
satisfaction

31. Security Division
Dedicated to safety & security of hotel guests, visitors, & employees
Personnel may include in-house employees, contract security officers &off-duty or retired police officers
Patrolling property; monitoring surveillance equipment; & ensuring safety of all on hotel’s premises
Cooperation & assistance of local law enforcement officials is crucial
Securing cooperation of hotel staff in keeping hotel safe & secure is important

32. Human Resources Division
Hotels have increased their
investment in & dependence on
human resources management
Size & budgets of human
resources divisions have grown
steadily, along with their
responsibility & influence
In small hotels, general manager
often supervises human
resources function
In multi-hotel companies,
human resources function may
be housed in main office to
serve the HR needs of several
properties
Finding & hiring employees,
training, employee relations,
compensation, benefits,
administration, labor relations, &
workplace safety

33. Other Hotel Divisions
Retail outlets Recreation Casino

34. Front Office Operations
• Front desk agent
• Cashier
• Information clerk
• Telephone operator
• Reservations agent
• Uniformed service agents
Typical
Front
Office
Positions

35. Work Shifts
Forty hours workweek is typical
for front office employees
Federal & state wage & hour
laws apply to front office staff; at
some properties, union contracts
& rules may also apply
Traditional front office work
shifts are: day shift, 7 a.m.–3 p.m.;
evening shift, 3 p.m.–11 p.m.;
night shift, 11:00 p.m.–7 a.m.
Flextime allows employees to vary time
they start & end work
Compressed work schedule: employee
works forty hours in fewer than five days
Job sharing: two or more part-time
employees share responsibilities of one
full-time

36. Job Description
List job tasks
Outline reporting
relationships
List additional
responsibilities
Describe working
conditions
List job equipment
& materials
List other important
information
Evaluate job
performance
Train/retrain
employees
Avoid duplication
of duties
Ensure tasks are
performed
Determine staffing
level

37. Job Specifications
List personal
qualities, skills &
traits an
employee needs
in order to
perform job
Usually
developed after
job descriptions
Factors involved:
formal education,
work experience,
general
knowledge,
previous training,
physical
requirements,
communication
skills &
equipment skills
Often form basis
for advertising
job opportunities
& identifying
eligible
applicants
Help identify
current
employees who
are ready for
promotion

38. Front Office Personal
Professional demeanor Congenial, outgoing
personality
Helpful attitude Good dictation, grammar
& speaking voice
Flexibility Well-groomed
appearance
Willingness to learn Orientation to detail

39. Front Office Personal
Professional Demeanor
Reports to
work on
time
Has positive
attitude
towards job
& hotel
Recognizes
positive &
negative
aspects of
job
Possesses
maturity in
judgment
Appears
businesslike
Maintains
control &
composure
in difficult
situations

40. Front Office Personal
Congenial Nature
Smiles Readily
Exhibits cordial &
pleasant behavior
Is a people
person

41. Front Office Personal
Helpful Attitude
Is sensitive to
guest needs
Possesses
sense of
humor
Responds &
speaks
intelligently
Demonstrates
creativity
Practices
good
listening skills

42. Front Office Personal
• Willing & able to accept different work shifts
• Understands others points of view
• Willing to try new ways of doing things;
innovative
• Works well with guests & hotel staff; team player
Flexibility

43. Front Office Personal
Well-Groomed Appearance
Dresses
appropriately
Meet property
standards of
personal grooming
Wearing jewelry &
caring his or her
uniform

44. Front Office Personal
Willingness to Learn
More things you
learn, more new
ideas come to
your mind
No success if
you are stuck
with old things
Help you to find
ways to solve
problems
Help you
improve self-
confidence

45. Front Office Personal
Orientation
to detail
What people are wearing
Body language
Misspelled words & improper grammar
Big picture
Patterns
Things out of place
How much is left

46. ?
Any Questions