CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION

The front officer is the area of the hotel where the guests form their first and last impression

of the hotel, this make it really important for the front office manager to work hard to create a

pleasant experience for guests to ensure their return. A front office manager is the senior person in

an office environment and accountable for maintaining a professional work environment, staff

supervision and administrative support. They shoulder a variety of responsibilities, often at the

discretion of the company owner. These tasks can be vary from managing accounting functions to

allocating work assignments to approving the purchasing of office supplies. The front office

manager reports to the room division manager, the resident manager and the general manager. In

full service hotel, the reservation manager, the chief operator, night manager and the service

manager report to the front office manager. If the hotel has a front desk clerk, concierge, night

auditor, doormen and security, these people all report to the front office manager as well. A front

officer or front office manager will be working in the guest-facing portion of hospitality. This

mean being in contact with people all the time. The importance of the job usually means being on

call at all times in case of emergency.

The researchers had observed the growth of numbers of hotels due to the increase of tourist

in the city. The objective of this study are to identify the importance and role of front office in the

management of customer expectations.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study aims to determine the Role front office in the management of customer

expectations. It also aims to build relationship among the respondents. More specifically, the

research sought to answer the following questions:

1. What are the main role of front desk officer/s and manager?

2. What are the importance of having a front office management?

3. What are the factors that affect the customers’ expectation to the hotel?

SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM

This study will focus to determine the role of front office in managing customers’

expectation. This research analyses the importance of the role of front desk and management of

customers’ expectation.

The respondents of this study are the selected hotel front desk officer or front office

manager. The researcher will use questionnaire, observation guide and interview guide.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This theory studies the role of front office in the management of customers’ expectations.

The model discusses the theories about the role of front office management.

Theories in motivation

Douglas McGregor theorized that management views employees in one of two ways. These

theories are referred to as Theory X and Theory Y. the Theory X states that the average human

being has an inherent dislike of work and will avoid it if he or she can. Theory Y states that the

expenditure of physical and mental effort in work is as natural as play or rest. These two views of
how human beings approach their jobs are vastly different. Theory X states that the supervisor

must constantly expend direct effort to force the employee to do the job. Theory Y states that the

employee brings to the job innate skills and talents that the supervisor can develop through an

effective administrative and communication network. Supervisors who give serious thought to

these two views will discover that sometimes they feel that one employee works best under Theory

X, another employee works best under Theory Y, and yet another will require a combination of

Theory X and Theory Y. This is exactly the intent of McGregor’s efforts. He wants the supervisor

to teach employee as an individual who responds to a particular type of supervision.

Abraham Maslow theorized that an individual’s needs can be categorized by levels of importance,

with the most basic need being the most important. The hierarchy of needs he identified was:

 Fifth level: self - actualization, self - realization, and self - accomplishment

 Fourth level: self - esteem and the esteem of others

 Third level: love, affection, and belonging

 Second level: safety (security and freedom from fear, anxiety, and chaos)

 First level: physiological (food, clothing, and shelter)

Maslow further theorized that individuals will strive to meet the first level of needs before even

considering the second, and so on up the ladder. The physiological needs of food, clothing, and

shelter must be provided for (by the pay check) before the employee can be concerned with safety,

stability, and security. The need for love cannot be a concern until the individual has satisfied his

or her physiological and safety needs. The front office manager can use Maslow’s theories to

identify the needs of individual employees and design programs that are appropriate. If an
employee’s wages do not cover his rent, he will want this physiological need for shelter met and

will find a tuition assistance program meaningless. Through formal and informal communications,

the employer should learn which needs are of utmost importance to each employee. Every

employee has reached a different level in the hierarchy of needs, and it is important that supervisors

recognize this. The front office manager should consider what levels of need each employee has

met before attempting to provide for the next level of needs.

Experiments conducted at the Hawthorne plant of the Western Electric Company in Chicago,

Illinois, from 1927 to 1932 led Elton Mayo to conclude that supervisors who recognize each

employee as being special will achieve greater results than supervisors who treat employees as a

group. The employee who is recognized for special talents and skills will find this recognition an

incentive to continue to do a good job. The front desk clerk who is recognized for being able to

sell additional services in the hotel may find this rewarding; it may fit into her career progression

plan. This recognition may motivate the employee to duplicate the task in other areas and at other

times.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Profile of the respondent: Roles of front office in the

 Age
management of customers’
 Gender expectation
 Civil status
 Educational
background
 Place of residence

Achievement Cluster
 Persistence
 Commitment to
work
 Demand for
efficiency and
quality
 Patience
DEFINITION OF TERMS

To have the readers comprehend and have a clear understanding of the following terms

were conceptually defined as used in the study.

Front office. At hotels, front office refers to the front desk or reception area or the core

operations department of the hotel. This would include the reception and front desk, as well as

reservations, sales and marketing, housekeeping ad concierge. This is the place where guests go

when they arrive at the hotel.

Front office manager. Front office manager is the senior person in an office environment

and accountable for maintaining a professional work environment, staff supervision, and

administrative support. They shoulder a variety of responsibilities, often at the discretion of the

company owner.

Front desk officer. Front Desk Officers work at the reception area of an organization and

are mainly responsible for guiding guests and maintaining security. Front Desk Officer

responsibilities include greeting guests, issuing visitor badges, taking phone calls, sorting

correspondence, answering to client inquiries, ordering office supplies, maintaining the reception

area clean and organized, receiving shipments, updating records and files, maintaining schedules,

and making travel arrangements.

Role. The function assumed or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation.

Customers. A person or organization that buys goods or services from a store or business.
HYPOTHESIS

The following are the hypothesis of this research:

 The impression of the customers may cause damage to the hotel or business image when

they don’t have perceived behavioural control.

 The front desk officers/ front office manager shall maintain positive mental attitude as they

encounter or interact with customers.

ASSUMPTIONS

This study assumes,

 The attitude of the front desk officer/ front office manager can affect the growth of the

hotel or business.

 By seminars and trainings the employees can be trained on how to properly encounter or

communicate with the customers.

 CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

ROLE OF FRONT OFFICE MANAGER

The front office manager is responsible for the first and last impression that a guest has of

the hotel, so it's the job of the front office manager to ensure it's a good one. Top of the list of

responsibilities is to make sure your receptionists on the front desk are well-trained, friendly and

offer a warm welcome and speedy, efficient check-in and check-out service for guests. A hotel

Front Office Manager is tasked with the efficient and smooth running of the entire front desk

operation, as well as the staff who work there. This senior role is designed to oversee, manage and

support various administrative, staffing and guest related queries. The Front Office Manager

typically trains reception and reservations staff and is the communicator between this valuable

department and the General Manager or owner. It’s a very busy role which often requires a lot of

multi-tasking.

Night auditors, concierges, receptionists, cashiers and bellmen typically report to the Front

Office Manager, who in turn reports directly to the General Manager. It is a very hands-on role

and requires a positive leader who is not afraid to make important decisions. The Front Office

Manager must be skilled enough to lead a team, support other departments and ensure that each

and every guest has a memorable experience. (https://www.hotelschool.co.za/career-spotlight-

role-front-office-manager/)
 Generally, a front office manager’s position is intended to ensure the satisfaction of each

of the guests that cross the front doors. They are responsible for the hiring, training and scheduling

of the front desk team and oversee many of the daily functions that the front desk staff will be

performing. Complaints and requests from guests often fall onto their desks as well as dealings

with vendors and billing and payment management of both customer and hotel accounts.

A typical day for a front office manager begins quickly. Many items that cross their desk

will be new and unexpected, but this is the nature of the position. Front office managers must be

able to roll with the punches and handle any task that comes up quickly and efficiently. Rapid

decision making is extremely important for this position and it should be a skill that you have

finally honed before beginning the application process. Some of the most common tasks that a

front office manager can expect to handle are some of the most routine events that keep the hotel

functioning on a daily basis. Keeping the front desk staff aware of changes to protocol and

managing the ways that guests are treated by the front desk staff are, perhaps, the most important.

The manager will also be in charge of handling hospitality standards and training of the people

that the guests deal with on a daily basis. Another important task is ensuring that each guest

reservation is well prepared for and room assignments are readily available for guests upon arrival.

It is also the responsibility of this position to keep the front desk staff informed of the day to day

goings on of the hotel as well. It is important to remember that the front desk is both the first thing

and the last thing that a guest will see regarding the hotel. A front desk manager is responsible for

the guest’s view of the hotel upon arrival and departure. (http://hospitality-

industry.divanerasmus.com/what-does-a-front-office-manager-do-and-his-or-her-

responsibilities/)
ROLE OF FRONT DESK OFFICER

A front desk officer typically works in the lobby or reception area of a lodging facility,

including hotels, motels and resorts. Other front desk areas include bell/door staff, switchboard

and concierge. The front desk officer is responsible for leading and assisting with hotel front office

functions, primarily interacting with guests and facilitating hotel check-in and check-out

procedures. The front desk officer provides exceptional customer service to guests. Individuals in

this role must have excellent customer relationship management and communication skills. Guests'

first impression of a property often results from their interaction with the front desk officer during

the check-in process. The incumbent cultivates customer relationships based on his understanding

of guests’ needs. The front desk officer supervises and facilitates front desk operations, and may

run front desk shifts whenever necessary. As part of her duties, the officer monitors property

occupancy and manages routine operations; this involves administering hotel policies fairly and

consistently, and completing all related documentation in accordance with the facility's standard

operating procedures (SOPs). Front office operations also include interacting with both guests and

other hotel staff on a daily basis and providing them information by telephone, in written form or

in person. The responsibilities of the front desk officer include handling complaints, settling

disputes and resolving grievances and conflicts with customers. Effectiveness in this area requires

the ability to identify and understand issues, problems and opportunities; obtain and compare data

from different sources to draw conclusions; develop and evaluate alternatives and solutions to

solve problems; and then choose a course of action. The position requires adaptability and

flexibility—especially when experiencing changes or challenges in the workplace.

(https://careertrend.com/about-6542752-job-description-front-desk-officer.html)
IMPORTANCE OF FRONT OFFICE

Front Office plays a critical part in Tourism and Hospitality Industry. This is because of

the fact that the front office is the first and last point which interact with the client. Front office

called so because they are situated at the front near the entrance of the hotels. Any information

related to the customer can be obtained from the front office of the hotel. The front desk can assist

in giving help to the customers and direct to the correct person for solving the complaints. The role

of front office personal often involves managing other departments also. Connecting housekeeping

department, accounts department and on line reservation departments connect with front office to

work in rhythm with the policies of the hotel. However the process of giving warm welcome at

reception is of primary importance. As first impression is the best impression the customer should

be satisfied by the welcome. Several personal traits like patience and helpfulness should be part of

the personalities of people at front office. Managing check in and check out is also part of front

office professionals along with preparation of guest list. Forwarding the information to various

other departments are also part of the front office management process. All levels of

communications inside the hotel can be influenced by the front office assistance. Fixing

appointments and arranging meetings can also be managed by front office professionals. A

successful front office operation can get you future clients also and making an everlasting

impression is the key to the future to the hotel business. (http://www.mywestford.com/the-

importance-of-front-office-in-tourism-and-hospitality-industry/)
FACTORS THAT AFFECT CUSTOMERS’ EXPECTATIONS

In general, the main factor which limits the hotel's ability to achieve higher customer satisfaction

levels is the standardization of services that reduces the possibility to customize the offer for

specific guest needs. Indeed, from the unstructured interviews to the hotel's management it became

apparent that the organizations adopts a “push” marketing approach. The offer of touristic services

is decided by the management and not in collaboration with customers nor considering their

specific needs. Moreover customer satisfaction is not used to differentiate the services supplied.

Another weakness of the customer satisfaction management system of the hotel is that a structured

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system has not yet been implemented. Even if a

customer database exists, the data collection is not even planned, and the data gathered can't be

easily found and used by management for marketing decisions. Any benchmarking information

about customer satisfaction levels is missing, so the management doesn't have a clue about what

competitors are doing. The hotel has a good potential to satisfy customers and compete, but to

improve its customer satisfaction standards the management needs to adopt new and more

advanced CRM procedures. The decision process about the key issues regarding customer

satisfaction, should not be based only on accounting and cost data, but also on a customer database

created ad hoc.

(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/47619084_Customer_Satisfaction_in_the_Hotel_Indu

stry_A_Case_Study_from_Sicily)
 CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research design, locale of the study, population sampling,
research instruments, data gathering procedure and validation of data.

Research Design

The research which is “The role of the front office in the management of customers’
expectations” got its baseline information through data collections from the hotel businesses in
Laoag City.

The research utilizes descriptive method with survey questionnaire, observation guide and
interview questions. Hence, this method was used to analyse the importance and role of the front
office in the management of customers’ expectation.

Locale of the Study

This study will be conducted in Laoag City, January 2018. The data will also be collected
through written sources such as books, unpublished materials and electronic devices.

Population Sampling

In this study random sampling is used to het representative sample of respondents; 15 front
office manager or front office desk officer of hotels in Laoag City.

Research Instruments

The survey questionnaire is the main instrument used in gathering pertinent data. The
questionnaire was based on the data needed in the study. The questionnaire is consist of 15 brief
statement to be answered by the following:

Response Description

4 Strongly Agree

3 Agree
 2 Disagree

1 Strongly Disagree

Gathering Data

A formal letter will be addressed to the respondents to allow the research to float
questionnaire to determine the role of front office in the management of customers’ expectation.
This study included 15 respondents in Laoag City. The questionnaire given to each respondents
contains 15 statement relevant in the study. The researchers will be going to the respondents
personally. After the questionnaire are answered and collected, the data were tallied. An interview
was also applied to supplement the data that was found through the questionnaire.

Validation of data

The researcher will be conducting a pilot testing in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte to validate
the persistent data. The researcher will try 5 questionnaire.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Internet resources

 https://www.caterer.com/careers-advice/job-profiles/front-office-manager
 https://www.hotelschool.co.za/who-is-a-front-office-manager/
 https://www.hotelschool.co.za/career-spotlight-role-front-office-manager/
 http://hospitality-industry.divanerasmus.com/what-does-a-front-office-manager-do-and-
his-or-her-responsibilities/
 http://www.americasjobexchange.com/receptionist-job-description
 https://careertrend.com/about-6542752-job-description-front-desk-officer.html
 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/47619084_Customer_Satisfaction_in_the_Hote
l_Industry_A_Case_Study_from_Sicily