The document provides an overview of front office operations in the hotel industry, including the guest cycle, front office systems, documents, the front desk, and telecommunications. It discusses the key stages of the guest cycle - pre-arrival, arrival, occupancy, and departure. It then covers front office systems and technology that support the guest cycle and front office functions, including property management systems, reservations software, room management software, and interfaces with back office systems. Finally, it outlines the roles and equipment used at the front desk and for hotel telecommunications.

1. Managing Front
Office
SQA I HOT 333

2. Front Office Operations
The Guest Cycle
Front Office Systems
Front Office Documents
The Front Desk
Telecommunications
Property Management Systems

3. The Guest Cycle
Pre-arrival Arrival Occupancy Departure

4. Pre-Arrival
When guest makes reservation,
reservation record is created,
which initiates the guest cycle
Guests choose their hotels during
this stage of guest cycle
Hotel choice is affected by
• Type of travel business or pleasure
• Previous experiences with hotel
• Advertisements & promotions
• Company travel policy
• Recommendations from travel agents, friends, or business associates
• Hotel’s location & reputation
• Frequent traveler rewards programs
• Preconceptions based on hotel’s name or chain affiliation
• Ease of making reservations
• Hotel’s reservations agent or website

5. Arrival
Includes registration & rooming functions
Establishes business & legal relationship with hotel
In world-class, upscale, convention, casino, & resort hotels,
uniformed staff greet guests at property’s entrance
Front desk agent should determine guest’s reservation
status before starting registration process
Guests without reservations (walk-ins) present sales
opportunity
Guest presents form of identification & payment card during
check-in, proof of intent to establish legal relationship
Gathering guest information helps hotel satisfy guest needs
Agents must be sensitive to accessibility issues when checking
in guests with disabilities
Registration is complete when guest has established method
of payment & departure date
Guest is then issued room key & allowed to proceed to room

6. Room Status
• Occupied
• Complimentary
• Stay over
• Do not disturb
• Sleep-out
• Skipper
• Vacant and ready
• Out-of-order
• Lock-out
• Due out
• Check-out
• Late check-out
Terms

7. Room
•Single
•Double
•Triple
•Quad
•Queen
•King
•Twin
•Studio
•Mini-suite or junior suite
•Suite
•Connecting rooms
•Adjoining rooms
•Adjacent rooms
Types

8. Occupancy
Front desk is responsible
for coordinating services
for guests
Objective, to serve guests
so well that they will want
to come back to hotel
Guest complaints should
be resolved as quickly as
possible
Security is of concern
throughout especially
during occupancy stage
Hotel goods & services
are purchased by guests
Front desk accounting
records for guests must
be periodically reviewed
for accuracy

9. Departure
Final stage of guest cycle
Guest services & accounting aspects are completed
At check-out, guest vacates room, receives account receipt, returns key(s)& leaves
Once guest checks out, system automatically updates room’s availability status & closes account
Guests should be asked during check-out how they enjoyed their stays
During check-out process, guest history file is automatically created or added
Late charges occur if charges are not posted to guest account until after guest checks out

10. Front Office Systems
Semi-automated front office systems began to be seen in
hotels in early 1970s
Fully automated systems arrived in 1980s, comprehensive
automated systems in 1990s
In twenty-first century, automation has become
affordable, with portable & wireless applications
Automated systems are now cost-effective for hotels of
all sizes

11. Pre-Arrival Activities
Reservations software usually interfaces with central
reservations system or other distribution network
Reservations software may automatically generate e-mail
confirmations, produce requests for guest deposits, handle pre-
registration activities, & establish credit status of traveler
Reservations software may also generate expected arrivals list,
occupancy & revenue forecast reports, & others

12. Arrival Activities
Guest information collected
during reservation process
automatically transferred as
record to PMS’s front office
software
Front desk agents may give
guests registration card for
verification & signature
Online payment authorization
terminals enable front desk
agents to receive timely payment
card approval for guests
Registration data stored
electronically can be retrieved
whenever necessary
Some properties offer self check-
in/check-out terminals
Some hotel companies allow
guests to pre-register via
computer, PDA, or smart phone

13. Occupancy Activities
Guests occupying hotel may interact with
front office & property management
systems via point-of-sale terminals in
revenue outlets
Employees may use data workstations,
smart identification tags, handheld units,
pagers, & other automated devices to
serve guests during their stays

14. Departure Activities
During departure stage of guest
cycle, electronic or printed folios
are presented to guests at or near
check-out time
Front office system may
automatically post guest
transactions to back office
accounts, depending on guest’s
method of settlement
For third-party billing, system can
produce bill to be sent to guest’s
sponsor or credit-granting
agency
Once guest’s account is settled,
departed-guest information may
be used to create or add to
electronic record in hotel’s guest
history file

15. Front Office Documents
•Reservation files
•Reservation confirmations
Pre-Arrival Documents
•Registration records
•Credit verification/authorization
Arrival Documents
•Guest folios
•Vouchers (charge, allowance, transfer, paid-out)
Occupancy Documents
•Guest folios
•Payment card vouchers, cash vouchers, transfer vouchers
•Guest history files
Departure documents

16. The Front Desk
Most front office functions are performed at front desk
Guests register, request information & services, relate complaints,
settle accounts, & check out at front desk
Prominently located in hotel lobby
Front desk design should provide front desk agents with easy access
to equipment, forms, & supplies necessary to efficiently serve guests
There are straight-line, circular, & semicircular front desk designs
Some hotels have experimented with no-front-desk &
lobby arrangement
At least portion of front desk must be accessible to
guests with disabilities
In some hotels, front desk features items for purchase
that guests may need while traveling
Support devices at front desk may include computers,
point-of- sale terminals, electronic payment readers,
& security monitors

17. Types of Telephone Calls
Local Direct-dial long-
distance
Calling card Credit card Collect
Billed-to-room International Toll-free 900 or premium-price

18. Telecommunications Equipment
Telephone switchboards (PBX
systems, PABX systems)
Call accounting systems Guestroom phones Pay phones Pagers/cell phones
Automatic call dispensing
systems
Telephone/room status
systems
Internet access Call detection

19. Telephone Switchboards
Private branch exchange (PBX) or Private automated branch exchange (PABX)
Routes inbound calls to hotel telephone operator’s console; operator then connects these calls to extensions
Allow hotel to have a large number of telephones share limited number of telephone lines
Outbound calls are usually placed without hotel operator’s help, although they often go through the same
equipment
Some PBX/PABX systems can handle data as well as voice transmissions
Some hotels have implemented voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), which bypasses the hotel’s PBX/PABX
equipment

20. Call Accounting Systems
Hotel-based technology to place, price, & post telephone calls to electronic
guest folios without assistance from phone company
A software/program that initiates routing, rating, & recording of calls
originating from guestroom or administrative office telephones
Interfaces with hotel’s PMS to electronically post telephone charges to
guest folios or print charge slips for front desk staff to post
Some CASs have least-cost-routing component that routes dialed call to
type of telephone line that can carry call at lowest cost to hotel
Prior to folio posting CAS may add surcharge or other fee to telephone
company’s call pricing

21. Guestroom Phones
Guestroom phones are increasing
in sophistication & capabilities
Some phones allow to connect
personal computer or other
portable device to phone via jack
or port
Some have two-lines; for
connecting computer & voice
communication
Features may include: conference
calling, caller ID, speed dialing,
hold buttons, call-waiting, hands-
free speakers, voice messaging, &
message-waiting alert
Some phones combine voice, data,
e-mail, fax, & other technologies
Some phones are cordless

22. Pagers and Cell Phones
Some hotels offer pager or cell phone to
guests at check-in
Hotel bills guest for number of minutes
used on cell phone

23. Other Telecommunications Technology
Automatic call dispensing
systems
Wake-up calls
Prohibit unauthorized use in
vacant guestrooms
Staff can use for entering data
concerning bar usage,
maintenance & room status
High-speed Internet access
Hotels may charge for this
service on per-transaction,
fixed-fee, or daily-fee basis
Hotels partner with Internet
service providers to provide
this service to guests Call
detection software, part of CAS
Can pinpoint exact moment
call is connected, improving
billing accuracy

24. Property Management Systems
Reservation
management software
Rooms management
software
Guest accounting
management software
General management
software
Back office interfaces System interfaces Sales automation
systems

25. Reservation Management Software
Rapid process room requests & generate timely & accurate room availability, room revenue, & reservation forecasting reports
Connects with global distribution systems (GDSs), Internet distribution systems (IDSs), & central reservation systems (CRSs)
Updates & controls reservations activities
Reformats reservation data into pre-registration files
Generates letters or e-mails confirming, cancellations etc.
Tracks guest deposits
Generates management reports

26. Rooms Management Software
Maintains information
on status of
guestrooms
Provides information
on rates
Assists in room
assignments
Helps personnel to
coordinate for guest
services
Provides rapid access to
room availability data
Automatically adjusts
guestroom inventory
numbers
Also features
maintenance & special-
request dispatch

27. Guest Accounting Management
Software
Increases hotel’s control over
guest accounts
Significantly modifies front
office audit routine
Maintains guest accounts
electronically, thereby
eliminating need for folio cards,
folio trays, & account posting
machines
Provides flexibility through
multiple folio formats
Monitors guest credit limits & generates
report on accounts approaching or exceeding
limits
Automatically transfers outstanding account
balances to back office accounts receivable
file for billing & collection
Automatically posts guest charges at hotel
revenue outlets (via POS) to guest accounts

28. General Management Software
Cannot operate
independently of other
front office software
packages
Generates reports using
data collected through
reservation management,
rooms management, &
guest accounting
management software
Serves as internal link
between front office &
back office system
interface applications

29. Interface
Integrated front office & back office systems offer hotels
full range of control over variety of operational areas

30. Back Office Interfaces
General ledger
accounting
software
Accounts receivable
software monitors guest
accounts, & account
billing & collection
Accounts payable
software tracks hotel
purchases & helps
hotels maintain
sufficient cash flow
Human resources
software
Payroll accounting
Personnel recordkeeping
Labor scheduling
Financial reporting
software
Chart of accounts
Balance sheets
Income statements
Transaction
analysis Inventory
control software
Monitors stock levels
Monitors purchase
ordering
Monitors stock rotation

31. System Interfaces
Non-Guest-Operated Interfaces
• Point-of-sale system
• Call accounting system
• Electronic locking system
• Energy management system
Guest-Operated Interfaces
• Automated information kiosks in lobby
• In-room review & check-out
• In-room entertainment systems
• In-room vending systems
• Local information provided via access to websites, virtual shopping malls, e-mail, other online resources & services
• High-speed Internet access

32. Sales Automation Systems
Coordinate & manage group reservations & meeting room availability
Help to maximize revenue by tracking monetary value of group business
Collect data to identify group booking trends
Store group history files
SAS & PMS are usually integrated

33. ?
Any Questions