This chapter discusses the role of the front office department in communicating with other hotel departments. The front office communicates with housekeeping about room status and special guest requests. It provides information to the food and beverage department about guest arrivals and departures and special food arrangements. Financial transactions are recorded at the front desk and reported to the accounts department. The front office works with sales and marketing to provide guest histories and room availability. It coordinates with security on surveillance and key access. Guest complaints are reported to maintenance. The front office books recreational facilities and informs the customer service department of guest requests. Effective interdepartmental communication is important for guest satisfaction.

1. CHAPTER 2
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2. CHAPTER FOCUS POINT
Role of Front Office department with
 Housekeeping department
 Food and beverages department
 Account department
 Sales and Marketing department
 Security department
 Maintenance department
 Sport and recreation centre
 Customer service department
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4. INTERDEPARTMENTAL COMMUNICATION
 Interdepartmental communication is important in
front office department
 The front office department plays a pivotal role in
delivering quality services to guest
 The front office department communicates guest’s
requirement to other departments
 Thus, in order to ensure guest stay is satisfactory or
their visit is a pleasant one, effective interdepartmental
communications is vital.
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5. INTERDEPARTMENTAL
COMMUNICATION THE
FRONT OFFICE
DAPARTMENT WITH
OTHER DEPARTMENT
Housekeeping
department
Food and
beverages
department
Account
department
Sales and
Marketing
department
Security
department
Maintenance
department
Sport and
recreation
centre
Customer
service
department
INTERDEPARTMENTAL COMMUNICATION
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7. THE ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WITH HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT
 As room generates maximum revenue for hotels, the
information about the room status should be updated
correctly and frequently
 The front office department must closely coordinate
on the room status.
 The housekeeping department prepares an occupancy
report which is sent to the front office department
 The report must be tallied with room status records of
front desk.
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8.  The room status report help to:
a) update room status
b) Find sleepers
c) Know the exact house count
d) Charge the guest if any extra person has occupied
the room
e) Coordinate the guest room charge
THE ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WITH HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT
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9.  Security concerns
- the housekeeping department should inform the
front office about any unusual circumstances that may
indicate a violation of security for the hotel guests.
 Special arrangement
- guests may request for additional or special amenities
during their stay
- front desk should be immediately conveyed to the
housekeeping department.
THE ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WITH HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT
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11.  The front office department inform the food and
beverages department about the arrival and departure
of the guest
 It help food and beverages department to plan their
work schedule and staff requirement
 It also notified the food and beverages department
about special food arrangement and parties.
 Other than that, food and beverage department needs
front office staff to provide information to guests about
operating hours, menu and location in the property.
THE ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WITH F&B DEPARTMENT
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12.  Besides that, front desk sends to food and beverages
department information about:
- setting up bars in VIP rooms
- Special arrangement like fruit basket etc.
- in-house and expected VIP’s and corporate guests
- in-house and expected groups
- in-house and expected crews
- groups and guests with booking of special meal
plans.
THE ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WITH F&B DEPARTMENT
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14.  Accounts department is an important support
department for the front office since a large number of
transactions with guests happen at the front desk
everyday.
 During the guest stay, they use hotel facilities such as
bedrooms, restaurant, laundry and room service.
Charges will be made for the services and facilities that
the guest uses. All transactions will be recorded by the
cashier at the front desk.
THE ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WITH ACCOUNT DEPARTMENT
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15.  The night auditor provides a daily summary of
financial transactions to account department.
 It will helps account department to make budgets and
to allocate resources for the current financial period.
 The front desk also provide the financial data for
billing and maintenance of credit card ledgers
THE ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WITH ACCOUNT DEPARTMENT
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17.  Front office can benefit from all the activities carried
by sales and marketing and public relation because it
can increase their room sales.
 Marketing strategies made by the sales and marketing
department depend on the guest history record by the
front office. This history record of frequent and
corporate guest is needed so as to create an effective
promotion approach to past and potential guests.
THE ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WITH SALES AND MARKETING DEPARTMENT
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18.  The sales and marketing executives may have to check
the availability of rooms, three (3) months, six (6)
months or even twelve(12) months in future to devise
marketing strategies for off season period.
 This information helps sales and marketing
department to sell hotel product by making promotion
such as rooms with meal and entertainment, all in one
package.
THE ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WITH SALES AND MARKETING DEPARTMENT
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19.  The front office department coordinate with sales and
marketing department in term of:
- guest histories
- room reservation records
- current room availability status
- group, corporate and crew bookings
- setting the transient and bulk room sales
THE ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WITH SALES AND MARKETING DEPARTMENT
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21.  Front office handles large amount of cash and guest
assets. Security department provides protection for
guests, hotel staff and properties.
 The security department provides surveillance and
access control for the public area such as the lobby
area located near the front desk and guest rooms.
 Surveillance is normally done through hidden circuit
camera and positioning security guards at various
hotel entrances.
THE ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WITH SECURITY DEPARTMENT
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22.  Securing access to guestrooms using electronic door
locking system operates through a master control
console at the front desk which is wired to every guest
room door.
 Improved security by the security department can
reduce criminal threat from outside. The security staff
will also handle all criminal acts caused by the guest or
staff.
THE ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WITH SECURITY DEPARTMENT
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24.  Front office department will handle various complaints
from the guest and staff of the hotel. Thus, front office
department and maintenance communicate on
requests for maintenance service and room status.
 Most complaints are related with problems regarding
poor heating or cooling, faulty plumbing, noisy
equipment and broken furniture. All reports will be
recorded at the front desk log book for repair work
order.
THE ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WITH MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT
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25.  Maintenance is responsible for maintaining the
appearance of the exterior and interior of the hotel
and also responsible for swimming pool sanitation.
 Front desk staffs are responsible to monitor the log
book so that the problems will be review by the
maintenance personnel. Failing to do so will make the
room unsalable and also make the guest dissatisfied
with the hotel services. This will cause lost of revenue.
Maintenance help to minimize this loses through
repairing all rooms that need fixing.
THE ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WITH MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT
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27.  Guest who wants to used sport and recreation facilities
will makes booking to the front desk.
 Front desk will liaison sport and recreational
department to inform the requests.
 Other than that, sport and recreation department
needs front office staff to provide information to
guests about operating hours, sport and recreation
facilities available and location in the property.
THE ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WITH SPORT AND RECREATION CENTRE
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29.  Normally, customer service department consist of
concierge, bell desk and valet parking.
 Concierge will give information to the front desk when
ask by the guest.
 Concierge also will become a personal helper to the
VIP
 Front desk will inform concierge to handle about the
guest request such theater ticket, tours, entertainment
etc
THE ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT
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30.  Front desk will communicate to bell desk to handle the
guest luggage at the time of arrival and departure,
escorting guests to their rooms on arrival , posting the
guest mail and etc.
 Guest in the hotel who are charged for parking service
will have this amount charged to their account.
 The parking garage manager/valet parking will
prepared a daily report of parking service and send to
front office department for updating in guest account.
THE ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT
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