Front office operation

An Assignment
on
Challenges in Front Office Operations at Five Star Hotels
with Special Focus on Man Power Management
Name of the Subject: Managing Front Office Operations and
Reservation
Subject Code : ETHM-5003
Submitted To: Ziaul Haque Howlader
Course Teacher,
Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management
Faculty of Business Studies
University of Dhaka
Submitted By: Pulak Sarker
ID No: 71516003
Program: Masters in Business Administration (EMBA)
Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management
University of Dhaka
Date of Submission: 30th
August, 2015

MANAGING FRONT OFFICE OPERATIONS AND RESERVATION
i
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my special appreciation to our course teacher Mr. Md. Ziaul Haque
Howlader, he encouraged me think deeply on Front Office Operation and its management. As a
professional, he has been working for a long time in tourism industry and I am lucky enough to
get a chance to have an opportunity to make this paper under his supervision. Attending his
classes is not only just getting the lessons but also sharing experiences regarding this industry.
He gave me the guidelines and instructions in order to fulfill the requirements of this assignment.

ii
Dedication
This paper is dedicated to my parents. Without them I cannot even think about my existence.

iii
Abstract
Studying on a Greek island gave me opportunity to mix with their culture and different people. I
have worked as an event coordinator in an event management company where I got opportunities
to handle guests and made me experienced in Mediterranean guest handling.
The purpose of this paper is to prepare an assignment on Front Office Operations at a Five Star
Hotel with special focus on Man Power Management.
Handling of guests is not an easy task where front office staff has to perform multi task during
his duty time and has to remain in temper in front of the guests. No matter how the day is, front
office staffs have to smile before the guests because their smiles are the face of the hotel itself.
So it is obvious that, managing the front office should be maintain by the right persons only and
which could be definitely a challenge for the hotel authority.

iv
Scope of the Project
By preparing this paper I came to know various terms used in this industry. The trends and
traditional practices as well as the introduction of new technologies in this industry are now clear
to me. The variables which classify the hotel industry are enlisted in this paper. Standard
operation practices are recommended here.
From this paper one may find that reservation and allocating room keys is not only the job for a
front office staff more over it refers to a variety of jobs starting from reservation of rooms to the
check out of guests.

v
Methodology of this Project
Working in Hospitality Industry always refers to highly professionalism. One could not work
here with only the academic knowledge. Here work experience is more important than the paper
certificates. That’s also true for preparing a paper on front office operation of a hotel.
To prepare this paper I use both primary and secondary data collection method.
I have used primary data from my experience of working as an internee at Columbia Hotel at
Cyprus, as a student of American College, Cyprus in the year 2010 during my Bachelor in
Tourism and Hospitality management.
Secondary data are allocated here from the handouts given by our honorable course teacher
regarding Front Office Operation and Reservation, some data are collected from internet and web
journals, and I have spoken with senior friends who are currently working in different hotels at
Dhaka city.
Data are processed as my own need and analyzed depending on the depth of the study.

vi
Objectives of the Study
To my best knowledge I found that Front Office is the remote place of a hotel. During the
preparation of this paper I note down some objectives of my study. Some of them are following.
 To know the operations done at front office
 To find out the standard procedures in handling guests
 To learn the procedures of handling angry guests
 To make the difference between confirmed and non confirmed bookings
 To find out the attributes of a front office staff
 How hotels are categorized
 To learn the Human resource management in front office
 To fulfill my academic requirements

Page | 1
Table of contents
Serial
No.
Particulars Page No
1. Acknowledgements i
2. Dedication Ii
3. Abstract iii
4. Scope of the Project iv
5. Methodology of the Project V
6. Objectives of the Project Vi
7. Introduction 2
8. Front Office Department 3
9. Housekeeping Department 3
10. Accounting Department 3
11. Human Resource Department 4
12. Food & Beverage Department 4
13. Security Department 4
14. Engineering Department 5
15. Challenges in Front Office Department 6
16. Classification of Hotels 7
17. Services Offered in a Five Star Hotel 9
18. Responsibilities and Duties of Front Office Staffs 10
19. Human Resource Management in Front Office 12
20. Recommendations 13

Page | 2
Chapter One
Introduction
Tourism has become a popular global leisure activity. Tourism can be domestic or international,
and international tourism has both incoming and outgoing implications on a country's balance of
payments. Today, tourism is a major source of income for many countries, and affects the
economy of both the source and host countries, in some cases being of vital importance.
Tourism often comes with accommodation services which are provided by hotels, motels, resorts,
inns, guest houses, rest houses etc.
A hotel is an establishment that provides lodging paid on a short-term basis. Facilities provided
may range from a basic bed and storage for clothing, to luxury features like en-suite bathrooms.
Larger hotels may provide additional guest facilities such as a swimming pool, business center,
childcare, conference facilities and social function services. Hotel rooms are usually numbered to
allow guests to identify their room. Some hotels offer meals as part of a room and board
arrangement.
Handling of guests in a hotel is operated by the different departments of that establishment. A
typical hotel is consisted with the following departments.
Departments of a Hotel
1. Front Office Department
2. Housekeeping Department
3. Accounting Department
4. Human Resource Department
5. Food and Beverage Department
6. Security department
7. Engineering Department

Page | 3
The main function of the department
 To allot the room to the guest, called as check-in.
 To maintain the room records for reservation and allocation.
 To collect the room charges and other miscellaneous charges for various services used by
guest during his/her stay at the hotel, at the time of departure of guest.
 To take advance booking for rooms.
 To handle the phone calls of hotel.
The main function of this department
 To take care of the cleanliness of rooms, and the hotel building and its furniture and
furnishings.
 To maintain the linen room for maintenance of room linen, restaurant’s linen etc.
 To maintain the gardening work of hotel.
 To maintain guest laundry facility for room guest.
 To maintain staff laundry facility for staff of hotel.
 Preparation of budget and allocation of revenue and expenditure for various department
 Maintain all account related books as accordance to the government rules and regulations.
 Preparation of balance sheet of the company.
 Liaising with Govt. offices for tax and revenue related matters.
 Collection of revenue from guests, companies etc.
 Giving salaries to employees.
Front Office Department
Housekeeping Department
Accounting Department

Page | 4
 To keep check on the food & beverage
cost.
 To keep check on the purchase and sale of alcoholic beverages for the property.
 To keep the account of revenue generated and expenditure under various heads for each
department.
 Recruitment and selection of employee for hotel as per requirement.
 Training and development of employee
 Maintenance of attendance records, leave records etc.
 Maintenance of personal file for each employee with all details, for the purpose of
periodically appraisal.
 To provide various type of dishes to the guest as per the menu.
 To provide food for various buffet or banquet parties.
 To provide food to the staff of hotel.
 To prepare different type of dishes for special occasion.
The main job of this department is to protect the guests and staff of the hotel, including all of
their property. Secondarily the security departments’ role in a hotel is to secure the actual
premises, and the property of the Hotel itself. Hotel security depts. usually use preventative tasks
such as patrolling, monitoring CCTV, and investigating.
Human Resource Department
Security Department
Food and Beverage Department

Page | 5
The main functions of this department
 To maintain all the equipments placed inside or related with the hotel.
 To be responsible for smooth supply of electricity, water, and smooth function of air
conditioning unit.
 To be responsible for important and expensive equipments.
 To maintain all the furniture and fixtures of rooms and other area of hotel.
Chapter Two
Classification of Hotels
A hotel's star rating is an indicator of the general quality of a particular hotel, and is wholly
dependent on the data available to us. The descriptions below indicate what you should be able
to expect from a hotel in each of the star classes. These descriptions provide general data, based
on the many sources of information that go into our star rating. Circumstances such as ongoing
renovations, overbooking, and specific guest needs can affect the quality of your stay. Star
ratings do not necessarily reflect all the amenities or services that might be available at a hotel,
and some amenities and features may not be available in every room or at every property with a
particular star rating. The features and amenities described here are often not available at holiday
rentals, apartments, inns, bed-and-breakfasts, and other specialty hotels.
Economy:
A one-star establishment is expected to offer clean, no-frills accommodation with minimal on-
site facilities for the budget traveler for whom cost is the primary concern. Guestrooms generally
are small, functionally decorated, and may not have a private bathroom, in-room telephone, or
amenities. On-site dining is usually not available. Public access and guest reception may not be
available at all hours.
Engineering Department

Page | 6
Value:
These limited-service establishments are expected to offer clean, basic accommodation. These
properties may offer some business services but generally lack meeting rooms, baggage
assistance, and full fitness and recreation facilities. On-site dining is usually limited to coffee or
Continental breakfast service. Guestrooms generally offer private bathroom, telephone, TV, and
limited amenities.
Quality:
Three-star establishments place a greater emphasis on style, comfort, and personalized service.
They generally feature on-site dining room service, a pool and/or fitness centre, a gift shop, and
may provide baggage assistance. Conference rooms for meetings and extended services for
business travelers are usually offered. Guestrooms offer more extensive amenities and more
careful attention to decor and comfort.
Superior:
These upscale establishments usually offer a fine-dining restaurant, lounge, and room service
with extended hours. Service features usually include baggage assistance, concierge service, and
valet parking. A conference centre with up-to-date technology and full business services are
usually offered. Public spaces and guestrooms are thoughtfully designed and constructed with
high-quality materials. Guestrooms generally offer stylish furnishings, high-quality bedding and
bath products, and a wide array of amenities.
Exceptional:
The finest hotels in the world. A five-star hotel is characterized by luxury appointments,
superlative service, and the highest standards of comfort. Five-star hotels offer originality in
architecture and interior design, high-grade materials in construction and decor, and such special
touches as fresh flowers and plants in abundance. These properties also maintain a high staff-to-
guest ratio, gourmet dining, and 24-hour room service.
Guestrooms offer ample space, the finest furnishings and decor, premium bedding, and luxury
bath products. Room amenities generally include high-speed Internet access and CD and/or DVD
players. Five-star resorts may offer additional recreation facilities such as tennis courts and golf-
course access. On-site spa services, a top-notch fitness centre, and a pool are generally available,
as well.

Page | 7
Chapter Three
Services Offered in a Five Star Hotel
1. Multilingual Front Office Staff
2. 24-Hour Front Desk
3. Meeting Room Facilities
4. Gym
5. Fitness Center
6. Express Check-Out
7. Cash Machine (ATM)
8. Currency Exchange
9. Computer Rental/ Internet Services/ Wi-Fi at Guest Places
10. Secretarial Service
11. Business Services
12. Laundry/Valet Service
13. Smoke Detectors
14. Safe Deposit Boxes
15. Medical Services
16. Sprinklers
17. Massage Treatments
18. Spa Services
19. Limousine Service
20. Kids Amenities
21. Shopping Nearby

Page | 8
22. Live Entertainment
23. Multilingual Staff
24. Disability Accessible Facilities
25. Luggage Storage
26. Shoe Shine Service Available
27. Babysitting Service
28. 24-Hour Concierge Service
29. Service Express
30. Sundry Shop
31. Jacuzzi
32. Beauty Salon
33. Sauna/Steam Room
34. Business Center
35. Pay Parking Facilities
36. Children's Pool
37. Outdoor Heated Pool
38. Pool side Bar

Page | 9
Chapter Four
Challenges in Operation of Front Office Department
Some points about Front Office Department
 Most important department in the hotel because it is the nerve for hotel operation and the
place of Interface between a hotel and its guest
 Guest makes first contact with front office department
 First place that can makes guest develop an impression about the level of service,
standard, facilities and hospitality of the hotel.
 Communication and Accounting are the most important functions of the front desk
operation.
 Accounting procedure involve
- Settlement of the guest bills at the time of reservation
- Accepted advance booking of hotel rooms
- Settle bills at the time of check-out
 Effective Communication with
* processing the guest reservation
* handling the guest reception
* fulfill the guest inquiry usage in the hotel such as internet facilities, safe deposit
* Check-in and check out the guest
* maintaining the room status

Page | 10
 FRONT OFFICE MANAGER
 Direct and coordinate the activities of the front office department
 Perform the function of a link between the management and front office employees
 responsible for hiring, training, supervising and disciplinary all front desk, reservation,
and guest services staff members in order to maintain the desired standard of service
 prepared the budget for the front office department
 evaluate the job performance of each front office employee
 RECEPTIONIST
* greeting guest
* handling special request
* handling check-in and check-out
* providing information to guest
* assigning rooms and dispensing guest room keys
 CONCIERGE
* Making reservations for dining in famous restaurants
* Arranging tours, limousine, and entertainment ticket
* Maintaining good relationship with hospitality industry
* Personal helper to VIP
* Obtaining tickets for theatres, musicals etc
* Provide latest information of events
 TELEPHONE OPERATOR
* processing all incoming and outgoing calls
* log all wake-up call on the system
* Answer questions about the hotel’s services and product
* taking message
Responsibilities and Duties of Different Personnel of Front Office
Department

Page | 11
* operating hotel paying system
* direct incoming calls to the desired extension
* provide paging services for guest and employee
 BELL BOY/ BELL DESK
 To handle guest arrival and departures.
 Take the guest baggage from the car in the porch/gate .
 To escort the guest to their rooms along with the luggage.
 Place the luggage in the luggage rack in guest rooms.
 Explain the operation of light control air condition, TV, safety locker in room etc.
 To handle guest room keys during departure.
 To shift guest luggage from one room to another.
 To help in packing of guest luggage.
 To distribute news papers.
 To keep lobby area clean.
 To deliver guest message to their rooms.
 To report scanty baggage guest.
 To vend postal stamps and other stationeries.
 To page the guest in public area.
 To do small work outside the hotel to book movie tickets, to get medicine for guest etc.
 NIGHT AUDITOR
 To reconcile all revenue statements.
 To verify and validate front office cashiers vouchers/forms.
 To check guest folios
 Verify front office cashiers report.
 Prepare high balance report of guest who exceeds their credit limit fixed by hotels.

Page | 12
 To prepare daily transcript.
 To verify room status report.
 To check the cancellation of reservations.
 Account for city ledger credit amounts.
 RESERVATION AGENT
* Handling guaranteed and non-guaranteed reservation
* Up sell accommodation
* Prepared the expected arrival list and the expected departure list every day
* Prepared a guest folder and to keep the mails and messages of guest with reservation
documents
* Providing management information to other department
Standard Procedures for the staffs working at Front Office
 Reporting at Duty
 Arrive at the hotel well in advance to the duty timing
 Punch your arrival at the staff gate
 Go to the Lockers & change the soiled uniforms
 Grooming standards for Woman staffs
 Uniform should be clean and well ironed.
 Hair above shoulder length has to be neatly tied
 No flashy hairpins, rubber bands or hair accessories allowed
 Hair color / hair bleach is not permitted.
 Only black well polished closed shoes with skin color socks or stockings to be worn.
 Apply light make up to suit your skin color
 Nail needs to be clean and properly trimmed
 Only transparent gloss nail paint allowed.
 Long nails or flashy nail paint is not permitted
 Use only mild perfumes/ deodorants
 Long nails not permitted
 One ring in each hand (inclusive of wedding band) should be sober, conservative and not
too large.
Human Resource Management in Front Office Department

Page | 13
 A simple gold chain or a pearl chain is
allowed around the neck.
 Matching ear studs {one in each ear} to the neckwear is allowed.
 Gold bangles not more than two numbers to be worn in one wrist only. No
dangling bracelets to be worn.
 The other wrist should have a business style watch, should be sober, conservative
and not too large.
 Grooming Standards for Men
 Uniform should be clean and properly ironed
 Hair should be trimmed short and neatly set using hair gel
 Long hair, hair color is not permitted
 Shoes should be black, well polished with black shocks to be worn
 Use only mild perfumes/ deodorants
 Long nails not permitted
 Only one wedding ring is allowed.
 A business watch. No flashy watches.
 No bracelets or bands (except for religious reasons).
 Information required to know by the staffs
 Hotel occupancy, revenue, average room rate for last night
 Expected occupancy, revenue and average room rate for the day
 VIP In house and Long staying guest
 VIP arrivals for the days
 Groups In-house
 Groups expected for the day
 Special traces, comments if any
 City comparison
 Staff must know the events and the promotions going on in the hotel
Receiving Welcoming and Greeting of Guest
 The first impression in most important and should be the best impression.
 The communication skills of all those who come in contact with the arriving guest are
very essential and should convey nothing but welcome through their courteous and
friendly manners.
Recommendations for Front Office Department

Page | 14
Greeting Guests
 The entire guest arriving at the hotel must be welcomed in a way of good greeting sets a
positive tone for the entire transaction and it makes the guest feel good about being at
your hotel.
 It is very important to create the correct first impression on the guest and the receptionist
must understand that he will get only one chance to do that.
At the Front Office
 Be sure you are well groomed always.
 Check your appearance frequently every day and if the need be correct it .
 Don’t smoke/eat in clear view of the guest.
 Greet the guest courteously at once.
 Keep the work space tidy.
 Carry yourself with pride.
 Simile, but smile naturally and sincerely
Registration Process
 Register the guests as soon as possible
 For group registration, contact with the group leader and explain him how he can
cooperate with
Handling Angry Guests
 Listen to their complaints
 Separate the guest from others
 Do not temper
 Never promise to an impossible thing
 Do the best you can afford
 Take less time to recover
 Take time where it is necessary to ask your higher authority
 Suggest in honest way
Settling Bills at Check outs
 Collect all the bills
 Make the transaction
 It is better to prepare the bill prior the guest ask for it
 Recheck the bill whether anything is missing or not

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