Front Office Operations Chapter 3: Housekeeping Operations

Frontoffice Operations focuses on housekeeping and its organization and management.

1. HOUSEKEEPING OPERATIONS Chapter 4

2. Objectives Explain the key roles of the housekeeping department. Discuss key positions within the department, their responsibilities and organization Describe the procedures involved in cleaning tasks. Define room status codes.

3. FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT Organization and Key Positions

4. Front Office Department Definition Nerve center or hub of a hotel Makes the FIRST and LAST impression on the guests Place that guests approach for information and service 3 Main Functions Selling rooms Maintaining balanced guests accounts Providing services and information to guests

5. Organizational Chart

6. Front Office Manager Monitors reservation status Reviews market mix and prepares occupancy forecasts Determines rate structures and supervises policies Reviews occupancy and average room rate Reviews daily arrivals and departures for staff adjustments Handles hotel VIP guests Head of the front office department whose main duty is to enhance guest services by consistently developing services to meet the needs of guests.

7. Assistant Manager Develop and execute plans created by the owner, general manager and the management team Checks operations and provides feedback and assistance Review and summarize statistical reports for the general manager Represents the management in handling the daily operations and functions of the hotel. May directly report to the general manager in some hotels.

8. Guest Relations Officer Greets all arriving individual guests, especially those under commercial accounts Provides local information for guests Promotes in-house functions, facilities and services Assists front desk staff in guest’s check out Reports directly to the assistant manager. Reviews the hotel’s daily arrival list and attends to guest’s inquiries

9. Telephone Department Provides general information regarding hotel and local attractions to guests Places international calls, morning and wake-up calls requested by guests Administer the paging system of the hotel which provides a communication service between certain hotel staff and management staff Administers the in-room movie system of the hotel Protects guest’s privacy by not disclosing room number and information Performs the role of communication center in the event of an emergency Headed by the telephone services manager Telephone supervisor and operator process all incoming and outgoing calls through the switchboard Generally possesses good communication skills

10. Reservation Handles reservation requests and prepares reservation confirmation slips Requests guests to confirm or guarantee their room reservations Keeps records of each reservation and the number of room reservations taken Provides the front desk with details of reservation due to arrive the next day Prepares VIP lists Updates guests history records Reservation Manager -makes decisions on whether room reservations/bookings should be accepted when the hotel is fully booked. Reservation Supervisor -monitors all room reservations taken and reports unusual happenings Reservation Clerk -handles all reservations

11. Front Desk Manager Oversees the smooth running of the front desk Compiles staff duty roster Greets VIPs Assigns room to guests Deals with group arrivals Handles guests requests and complaints Heads the front desk (reception) whose main duty is to ensure that the hotel achieves the highest possible level of room occupancy and maximum revenue.

12. Front Desk Clerk Greets the guests Provides information and promotes hotel facilities and services to guests Checks in and out the guests Maintains hotel guest’s account Administering the safe deposit system of the hotel Provides foreign currency exchange service to guest Assists and reports to the front desk manager

13. Concierge – Chief Concierge Provides information/advice on hotel products and services Confirms airline passages and purchases airline tickets Reserves tables at restaurants and tickets to shows Arranges the hire of the hotel limousine or other transportation services Handles guests requests and inquiries Over-all in charge of the concierge which comprises a large group of uniformed staff: -Airport representative -Driver -Parking Attendant -Door Attendant -Baggage Porter -Baggage Supervisor

14. Concierge – Airport Representative Greets hotel guests at the airport Arranges hotel transportation for guests from the airport to the hotel Answers inquiries from guests Takes hotel room booking Assists departing guests at the airport Liaise with airlines for special arrangements of guests

15. Concierge – Hotel Drivers Takes guests to and from the airport Acts as a personal driver for a guest upon request

16. Concierge – Parking Attendant Parks cars for guests Assists the door attendant in ensuring smooth traffic flow at the hotel main entrance

17. Concierge – Door Attendant Greets all new arrivals Provides door service to guests Summons baggage porter to assist arriving guests Calls taxis and provides the hotel address card for guests Pays taxi fare on behalf of the hotel guests who do not have local currencies Directs traffic and parking of vehicles at the main entrance

18. Concierge – Bell Captain Answers telephone calls from guests regarding baggage pick-up from rooms Assigns bell attendants to handle guest baggage Receives guest deliveries Handles guests requests for postal services

19. Concierge – Bell Attendant Handles guest baggage Escorts guests from the front desk to their rooms Runs errands for the executive office and hotel guests Delivers mail/messages to guest rooms Handles storage of guests baggage/belongings for late check-out

20. Concierge – Executive Floor Manager Oversees the smooth operation of the executive floors and business center Executive floor is usually the top floor of the hotel. Guests enjoys a range of complimentary exclusive privileges and benefits: Express check-in and check-out services Complimentary breakfast buffet, afternoon tea,, and all-day refreshments Complimentary in-room local calls and high-speed internet access Garment ironing services Complimentary use of the hotel’s fitness center and board room Personalized business and concierge services

21. FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT The Guest Cycle

22. The Guest Cycle Pre-arrival -stage where the guest makes a reservation Arrival -the point when the guest arrives at the hotel Departure -the point when the guest checks out and leaves the hotel Occupancy -the period during which the guest stays in the hotel

23. FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT Reservation

24. Guaranteed Reservations Prepayment Guaranteed Reservation -the hotel request the prospective guest to either send the complete deposit or a partial deposit and o receiving, makes the booking for the prospective guest. Credit Card Guaranteed Reservation -the prospective guest gives his credit card number and details to the hotel Travel Agent Guaranteed Reservation -some travel agents have arrangement with hotel chains to book room for their clients and executives travelling to various destination The hotel will hold the room for the guest overnight or during the guaranteed period

25. Guaranteed Reservations Voucher or Miscellaneous Charge Order (MCO) -special arrangement designed to attract return guest or new business. This is usually provided by the hotels themselves for their prospective guests Corporate Guaranteed Reservation -the corporation or company takes the responsibility of booking for their executives or visitors The hotel will hold the room for the guest overnight or during the guaranteed period

26. Non-Guaranteed Reservations Reservations may originate from different sources -travel and tour organization, airlines -companies and commercial business role uses -NGOs and INGOs -embassy and consulate offices, government offices -universities and other educational institutions -free individual travelers (FIT) -chain hotel and referable from other hotels -global distribution system (GDS) -central reservation system (CRS) -meeting planners -walk-in The hotel will hold the room until a stated cancellation time, normally up to 6pm on the arrival date and then release the room for sale if the guest does not arrive

27. Mode of Reservation Fax/Facsimile E-mail Telephone Internet

28. Reservation Process and Procedure Take reservation and enter the appropriate information Determining the room availability Reservation acceptance Reservation confirmations

29. Central Reservations System (CRS) Computerized reservation software used to maintain the hotel information, room inventory and rates, and to manage the reservation and process. It is an application with various functionalities to manage a hotel’s distribution and bookings. Major hotel brands view the CRS as their core technology – providing the core hotel distribution and channel management infrastructure to succeed in a hyper-competitive industry Beneficial for a hotel because it allows reservations to be checked and booked with a simple search.

30. Property Management System (PMS) It is a local hotel administration system used for reservation, availability and occupancy management, check-in/out, images, guest profiles, report generation, etc. Can be connected with other applications such as the hotel point-of-sale (POS) or the CRS. Also knows as Hotel Operating System (Hotel OS)

31. FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT Guest Registration

32. Check-in and Check-out Procedures

33. Overbooking Occurs when a hotel takes more reservations than the number of rooms available. It is a common practice of hotels which contributes to a higher chance of full house while reducing the loss of no-shows and last minute cancellations. Receptionists should be able to anticipate overbooking and take appropriate actions prior to the guests’ arrivals.

34. Revenue from Room Sales Room sales normally contribute to the majority of a hotel’s revenue

35. Sales Indicators Occupancy Rate – is a common sales indicator which tells how well the hotel has fully utilized the room resources to maximize profit. Occupancy Rate = (Number of Rooms Sold / Total Number Rooms in a Hotel) x 100% Guest per Occupied Room – gives the ratio between guests staying in the hotel and the quantity of occupied rooms. Guests per Occupied Room = No. of Guests Staying in a Hotel / No. of Rooms Occupied Revenue per Available Room (REVPAR) REVPAR = Room Revenue / Total Number of Hotel Rooms

36. FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT Accounting

37. Front Office Accounting System (FOAS) Create and maintain an accurate accounting file Track financial transactions Ensure internal control over cash Obtain settlement for all goods & services provided Designed to monitor and chart the financial transactions of guests and non-guests during each stage of the guest cycle

38. Accounts A form on which financial data are summarized Recordkeeping devices to store about guest and non-guest financial transactions In its simplest written form, an account resembles the letter ‘T’ Basic FO Accounting Formula: Net Outstanding Balance = Previous Balance + Debit – Credit

39. Types of Accounts Guest Account It is the record of financial transactions between guests and the hotel, from check-in until check-out. It is compiled on a daily basis and maintained by the front office. Non-guest or City Account It is the record of financial transactions between non-guests and the hotel. It also records partial or unpaid financial dues of the guests at the time of check-out. It is compiled on a monthly basis and maintained by the back office. Management Account It is the record of expenses from interactions of managers and guests brought about by queries, grievances or business deals.

40. Folios Guest Folios Accounts assigned to individual persons or guest rooms Master Folios Accounts assigned to more than one person or guest room, usually reserved for group accounts Non-guests or semi-permanent Folios Accounts assigned to non-guest businesses or agencies with hotel charge purchase privileges Employee Folios Accounts assigned to employees with charge purchase privileges A statement of all transactions that have taken place in a single account. At the time of check-out, the folio balance must return to zero on settlement of payment.

41. Postings and Types Credit Entries that reduce the guest’s outstanding balance which include complete or partial payment, or adjustments against token Debit Entries that increase the outstanding balance in the guest account which include charges under restaurant, room service, laundry, etc.

42. FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT Night Audit

43. Night Audit Process of auditing where the night auditor review all financial activities of the hotel that has taken place in one day Generally conducted at the end of the day during the follow night, hence the name ‘Night Audit.’ Can be performed by the conventional method or using modern PMS for efficiency. Its objective is to evaluate the hotel’s financial activities and review daily cash flow in and out of the hotel’s account.

44. Basic Activities Posting accommodation and tax charge Accumulating guest service charge and payments Settling financial activities of various departments Settling the account receivables Running the trial balance for the day Preparing the night audit report

45. FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT Communication

46. Communication Front office is the center of guest transactions in a hotel. It acts as the center for collection and distribution of guest information.