Front Office and It’s Role

OBJECTIVES:
FRONT OFFICE • Explain the basic concept of a
front office and its role;
AND ITS ROLE
• Classify the room types and list
their tariffs;
• Be able to understand the
different front office status and
terminologies;
• Describe the sections of front
office;
• Describe the reservation
process;
FRONT OFFICE AND ITS ROLE: INTRODUCTION
• The main function of any hotel is to sell rooms which
contributes the maximum towards revenue of the hotel.
• Front Office Department is one of the most important
departments of any hotel because for a guest, it is the first
point of contact with the hotel staff.
• It performs various functions such as reservation, registration,
check-in, check-out etc.
• It takes care of all the requirements of guests during their stay
in the hotel. In this lesson, we will try to learn in detail about the
significant functions and the responsibilities of the front office
FRONT OFFICE AND ITS ROLE

• Almost all good hotels have a Front Office

Department
• The front office is always the key point for
processing reservations, registering guests,
settling accounts and checking-out guests.
• It also handles the distribution of guest room
keys, mails, messages and providing other
information to guest.
• Requires special skills and professionalism.
omp
SECTIONS OF FRONT OFFICE
• Reservation
• Responsible for booking rooms for the guest in advance.
• Receiving reservation requests through different sources like
telephone, fax, e-mail and website.
• Processing reservation requests from the hotel.
• Maintaining and updating reservation records to give accurate
information about room status.
• Assigning rooms to the guests.
• Role of Reception at Front Office
• This section is responsible for receiving and welcoming the guests
on their arrival.
• Receiving and Welcoming guest .
• Completing registration formality
SECTIONS OF FRONT OFFICE
• Information ( Concierge)
• This section is responsible for providing information to the guest
• Coordinating guests’ mails, parcels and couriers.
• Providing information about the city and hotel facilities.
• Handling guests’ messages.
• Communication/Telephone
• This section maintains the communication network of the hotel.
There is a computerized call accounting system which charges
the outgoing calls to the guest account.
• Answering incoming calls.
• Providing information on guest services.
• Directing calls to guest rooms.
SECTIONS OF FRONT OFFICE
• Information
• This section is responsible for providing information to the guest
• Coordinating guests’ mails, parcels and couriers.
• Providing information about the city and hotel facilities.
• Handling guests’ messages.
• Communication/Telephone
• This section maintains the communication network of the hotel.
There is a computerized call accounting system which charges
the outgoing calls to the guest account.
• Answering incoming calls.
• Providing information on guest services.
• Directing calls to guest rooms.
SECTIONS OF FRONT OFFICE
• Bell Desk ( Bell Man)
• This section is responsible for escorting the guests to their
rooms and familiarizing them with hotel facilities, safety
features and in-room features.
• Handling guests luggage during arrival and departure.
• Making general purchases like medicines and postage
stamps etc.
• Locating a guest in a specific area of the hotel. This is
called paging.
• Keeping guests’ luggage in the left luggage room, if
required.
SECTIONS OF FRONT OFFICE
• Concierge
•This section is responsible for providing personalized
services to the guests. Usually in hotels, a concierge assists
guests with various tasks like making restaurant
reservations, arranging for spa services, recommending
night life, hotspots, looking transportation, procurement of
tickets to special events.
•Making reservations in restaurants.
• Booking tickets for movies, theatre and sports events.
•Arranging special transportation by luxury cars, helicopters
and aircraft
SECTIONS OF FRONT OFFICE
•Cash and Bills ( Front office Cashier)
•This section is responsible for recording all financial
details of the guest.
•Opening and maintaining guest accounts.
• Preparing bills at the time of check-out.
• Handling credit card, debit card, cash and traveler
cheque settlements.
• Organizing foreign currency exchange
SECTIONS OF FRONT OFFICE
• Travel Desk
• This section is responsible for making travel
arrangements of the guest.
• Arranging pickup and drop services during arrival and
departure.
• Providing taxis for guests.
• Organizing site seeing in the city.
• Arranging for guides and translators
Different Room Tariffs
• Corporate Rate; 20% discount
• Crib Rate: crib for below 12 years old
• Group Rate: minimum of 15 people
• Tour/Travel Agent Rate:
• Seasonal Rate: peak season
• Off Season Rate:
• Government Rate
• Airline Rate
• Complimentary Rate; for free, VVIP’s
• Rack Rate: It is the maximum rate at which a room can be
sold. Basically, the rates which are advertised by the hotels on
their website and cards.
Sources of Reservation
• Walk in ( Individual
• Corporate accounts
• Associations
• Travel Agencies
• Government Institutions/Office
• Free Independent Travelers- (FIT)
• Educational Institutions ( schools or training center)
• Local or domestic travelers: “sariling atin” 30-50% discount
• Balikbayans “ OFW’s)
• Hotel Sales & Marketing Executives
• VIP- Very Important Person.
• VVIP- very ,very important person
• FIT- free independent traveler or foreign individual
tourist
• Joiner- person joining another guest in the same room
• Stayover- The guest is not expected to check out
today and will remain at least one more night.
• So- slept out- guest is assigned a room but did not
sleep on his bed
• Skipper: The guest has left the hotel without making
arrangements to settle his or her account
Room status terminologies
OCC- occupied- occupied by a paying guest.
VC- vacant ready- vacant room already made up and ready for
occupancy, has been checked by the supervisor
VD or on-change- vacant dirty- vacated but not ready for occupancy
since it is still dirty
ooo- out of order- room is under renovation or not fit for occupancy since
it requires maintenance or repair.
Blo- blocked- reserved for a guest who is expected to arrive with in day
NS-no show- room reserved but not used or reservation has been
cancelled.
HU- House Use
Day Guests- Guests who arrive and depart the same day.
•DND - Do Not Disturb: The guest has requested not to be disturbed
•Cleaning in progress: Room attendant is currently cleaning this room.
•DO - Due Out: The room is expected to become vacant after the
following guest checks out.
•CO - Check-Out: The guest has settled his or her account, returned the
room keys and left the hotel.
•LC - Late Check out: The guest has requested and is being allowed to
check out later than the normal/standard departure time of the hotel.
•EC - Early Check-in: Guest has requested for an Early Check in and is
being allowed to check-in earlier than the normal/standard check-in time
of the hotel.
•ETA- Expected Time of Arrival
•ETD- Expected Time of Departure
•Folio:/Guest Folio: An overview of a guest’s hotel account including all
charges and payments made, stored at the reception desk
• VCI - Vacant, Cleaned and Inspected - Room is Vacant,
Cleaned and Inspected by the Housekeeping Supervisor.
• H/L - Heavy Luggage - Guest has Heavy or more luggage
than usual.
• L/L - Light Luggage - Guest has light or very less luggage.
• N/L - No Luggage - Guest has no luggage also know as
Scanty Baggage.
• DL - Double Lock - Guest has put a double lock in the room.
• CL - Chain Lock - Guest has placed a Chain Lock in the
room
• SR - Service Refused Guest refused to clean the room.
• MUR - Make-Up Room
• Overbooking: When more rooms are sold than are
physically available to sell.
• Pax: Another term for number of people or passengers.
• Run Of House (ROH): ROH in hotel terms means a basic
room type with no guaranteed specific amenities.
• Turn: The process of completely changing a meeting room
set-up from one event to the next.
• Voice: Taking a hotel reservation over the phone.
• Walk in guest – Guest who request a room rental without
having made a reservation.
 Role Playing: Bell Man
• Good Morning Mam /Sir
•Greetings • Welcome to PWU hotel
•Welcoming the • I am your bellman for the day
• Can I help to carry to carry luggage?
guest: . Your room is located at fifth floor
Lead to the elevator
•Introduce your self Mam/Sir this is your room 525
•Offer an assistance Demonstrate how to use the magnetic
card if any.
Show and explain facilities
THE AVIATION PHONETIC ALPHABET
A: Alpha K: Kilo
B: Bravo U: Uniform 1 One (WUN)
L: Lima 2 Two (TOO)
C: Charlie V: Victor
M: Mike 3 Three (TREE)
D: Delta W: Whiskey
N: November 4 Four (FOW-ER)
E: Echo X: X-ray
F: Foxtrot O: Oscar 5 Five (FIFE)
Y: Yankee 6 Six (SIX)
G: Golf P: Papa
Z: Zulu 7 Seven (SEV-EN)
H: Hotel Q: Quebec
8 Eight (ATT)
I: India R: Romeo
9 Nine (NIN-ER)
J: Juliet S: Sierra 0 Zero (ZEE-RO)
T: Tango
Role Playing

• Guest making a
reservation via telephone
• Spell the name of the
guest using the phonetic
alphabet
• Example Alex
• A alpha, L-lima, E echo,
• X-Xray
Arline Code and Country
• Alaska Airlines - AS • Emirates Airlines- EK
• Aloha Air -AO • Gulf Air Company - GF
• American Airlines – AA • Japan Airlines- JL
• British Airways - BA • Jetstar Airways- JQ
• Continental Airlines- CO •Korean Air-KE
• Cathay Pacific Airways CX • Kuwait Airways Corporation KU
• China Airlines- CI • Malaysia Airlines- MH
• Hawaiian Airlines - HA •Philippine Airlines-PR
• Midwest Express -YX • Qatar Airways – QR
• Northwest Airlines- NW • Royal Brunei Airlines -BI
• Air New Zealand NZ •Thai Air – T2
• United Airlines UA • Thai Airways International- TG
• Saudi Arabian Airline- SV
 Verbal and Non- Verbal Communication
Non-Verbal
• Smile; Eye Contact
• Nod ; Signs of approval
• Immediate approval
• Ok sign using the finger
• Clap or applause
• Moving forward to listen
• Undivided attention
• Shaking Hands
Verbal Communication
Words of Praise “That’s fantastic”, Amazing, Keep up the good
work , Great!
Words of Gratitude “Thank you for your patronage”, “Thanks for the
generosity”
Words of “You can make it”, “I believe that you are a man
affirmation of fine taste” “ I enjoy working with you’
Words of “You are right in saying that” “I agree with you….
agreement
Words of “I see your point ” “I get what you mean….
acknowledgement
Words of admiration “I salute you”. I Admire your honest:”