Ist semester

IEC School of Hotel & Travel & Tourism

Front Office Operation-1 HM101
Unit I

Front Office- Introduction

- Front office, introduction its importance in hotels
- Layout of the front office and its dress code and ethics.
- Different section of the Front Office and their importance.
- Bell desk operations.

UNIT-II
Classification of Hotels
- Hotels and their classifications
- Star classification; Classification based on size, clientele, Location, Ownership,
Independent, Management Contract, Chains & Franchise/ Affiliated, Time Share.

UNIT-III
Front Office Staff
- Department Hierarchy chart: Small, Medium and Large Hotels
- Job Description, Job Specification & Duties and Responsibilities of different front office
personnel.
- Attributes of front office employee

UNIT- IV
Guest Cycle & Guest Types
- The Guest cycle - Pre-Arrival, Arrival, Occupancy, Departure
- Front Office Systems: Non-Automated, Semi-Automated and Fully Automated
- Guest Types: FIT, VIP, Business Travelers, GIT, Special Interest Tours,
Domestic,International.

UNIT-V
Equipments used in Front office
- Room Rack, Mail, Message, and Key Rack.
- Reservation Racks, Information Rack, Voucher Rack.
- Folio Trays.
- Account Posting Machine.
- Cash Register Support Devices.
- Telecommunications Equipments
Books Reference:

 Front Office – operations and management – Ahmed Ismail (Thomson Delmar).

 Front office Operation Management- S.K Bhatnagar, Publisher: Frank Brothers

 Front Office Training manual – Sudhir Andrews. Publisher: Tata Mac Graw Hill
 Ist semester
IEC School of Hotel & Travel & Tourism
Practicals
Front Office Operation-1
HM-101P
Practical Schedule
 Basic Manners and Attributes for Front Office Operations.
 Communication Skills – verbal and non verbal.
 Preparation and study of Countries – Capitals & Currency, Airlines & Flag charts,
Credit Cards, Travel Agencies etc.
 Telecommunication Skills.
 Forms & formats related to Front office.
 Hotel visits – WTO sheets.
 Identification of equipment, work structure and stationery.
 Procedure of taking reservations – in person and on telephones.
 Converting enquiry into valid reservations.
 Role play – Check-in / Check – out / Walk-in / FIT / GIT / etc; VIP / CIP / H.G etc..
 Suggestive selling.
 Unit -1

Front Office :
The "Front Office Department" is the major department in a hotel which is situated at the front part
of the hotel and it's duty is to sale the rooms of the hotels after registration and hand over key to the
guest.

In other word, it is "Show Case Window" of the hotel which reflects the image of a hotel. It is the
back bone as well as the "Nerve Center" of a hotel from where all the information and messages
are communicated to the different department or personnel. The front office department of a hotel
holds first important in view of the nature of a business in a hotel. Revenue collected from the selling
of rooms contributes more than 50% of the hotel total sale. Thus, the functions of the front office
department is to allocate rooms to the guest and acts as a continuous source of information to the
guest staying at the hotel. Other major functions of this department includes settlement of guest
account, providing guest service, preparation of guest history card, luggage handling, airport pick-up
etc.

The front office department develops and maintains up to date record on guest information, guest
service and ensure guest's satisfaction. The front office is also responsible for welcoming the guests,
greeting the guest and handling the guest complaints. Hence, the staffs working in the department
performs as an actor on the stage. The front office may be divided into more than one section, each
of which carry out one or more duties. Basically front office department is divided into Reception,
Information, Cashier, Reservation, Telephone operation and Bell desk sections department upon the
size, capacity and standard of the hotel establishment.

Importance of Front Office :

Front-office is where all the action happens. It's the place from where hoteliers
manage their hotel operations. It's a key point of contact for a guest for anything
that concerns him and a check-in and check-out point.

In short, it is the heart of the hotel and hence it is very important.

What can be accomplished from the front office?

1. Guest check-in and check-out

2. Guest Queries, requests and complaints.
3. Hotel Operations like accounting, reservations, housekeeping and more.
4. It acts as a communication center for hotel booking related queries,
Guest assistance and Concierge services, managing OTAs and third-party
service providers like cabs, laundries etc
What are the tools available to manage hotel front office operations
efficiently? (Considering this for a small to mid-sized hotel)

1. Hotel PMS: An advanced hotel PMS like eZee FrontDesk can handle A
to Z of hotel operations like arrivals, departures, front office operations,
guest profile management, billing and invoices, audits and more. It can
be integrated with the booking engine, channel manager and other hotel
software systems. It can also be integrated with third-party hardware
and software like keycard door lock, PABX system, credit card
processors, fingerprint readers, fiscal printers and more.
2. Channel Manager helps hotels in managing their property prices and
inventories on various connected OTAs/travel websites. One such
advanced channel manager is eZee Centrix. It is one of the fastest
channel manager that ensures inventories and prices are updated in real
time to keep over-bookings and rate-parity at bay. It can be integrated
with booking engine and the PMS system.
3. Booking Engine: A booking engine enables hoteliers to accept
commission free direct bookings on the hotel website. There are plenty of
booking engine vendors but you should choose the one that supports
Google Hotel Ads program. Google Hotel Ads helps you in gaining more
booking on your website by promoting your hotel listing on Google
search results and map.

Layout of Front Office :

Section of Front Office Department.

 Reception/Registration Section:

This section is located in the lobby. It also allocate the room and established the rates for
different types of guest. The person of the section is called Receptionist. GSA (Guest Service
Officer) has direct contact guest. The function of this section are:-

1. Warmly received all arrival guest.

2. Complete registration formalities and perform guest check-in.Perform pre-registration
formalities for group, VIPs and disable guest.
3. Co-ordinate closely with house-keeping department for clearance of department room,
room change and UR (Under Repaired) rooms.
4. Issue VIPs amenities voucher to the food and beverage service.
 5. Co-ordinate closely with bell desk for luggage handling and rooms keys.

 Information.

It is located at a front desk and responsible for handling mail and messages with room keys. It
also provide information regarding outside and inside of hotel's rules and regulation, facilities,
services. It also handle the e-mail, fax, xerox machine, cable through the business center.

 Cash.

It is also located at front desk and handle by front cashier. The main function of cashier are as
follows:-

1. The secure payment from the guest arrival.

2. To change foreign currency as per rules and regulation of the hotel,
3. To manage safety deposite locker.
4. To settle guest account while check-out.
5. To balance cash at the close of shift.
6. To complete the guest check-out procedure.

 Reservation.

The term reservation means booking in advance. It is basically blocks/reserve the room as per the
request or specifies data. The main functions are as follows:-

1. Handle all cancellation and revisit as reservation made by the guest from different source
and modes.
2. Keep out reservation corespondence complete and systematic.
3. Process nd confirm reservation request.
4. Forecast future room reservation status.
5. Update room availability chart.

 Telephone Section.
This section is handle by telephone operator and it is located at the back of the office. Its main
function is to handle incoming and outgoing calls. It is also responsible for managing wake up
calls as requested by the guest and preparation of telephone bills made by guest and staffs.

 Lobby.

It is an area which is located at the entrance of a hotel building with sitting arrangement for
guest's visitors to meet and wait. It is synonym to the word "Foyer" which means a wide passage
or large hall just inside the entrance of a public building. The dimension and design of this area
rely upon the size and design of the building. Basically lobby area must be furnished with all the
necessary things. Example:- Lobby desk, Bell desk, GRE/GRO, Reception desk, Cash counter,
Rest room, Business center, Safety lockers etc

 Bell Desk.

It is located at either side of lobby needed by bell captain and followed by bell boys. This desk is
responsible for handling the guest luggage during arrival and departure. The bell desk section
also handle the paying, deliver guest mail and messages to the concern guest room.

 Business Center.

The person who handle the business center in known as Business Centre attended and the main
function of this section is to provide the communication facilities and service like STD, ISD, E-
mail, internet, fax, xerox etc.

 Travel Desk.

This section of front office is responsible for arranging the packages, tickets etc for the guest as
per their request.

Etiquette, Dress Codes and more: 6 Useful Receptionist Tips

Being the receptionist in the hotel means you’re the face of the brand. You’re the first person the
guests see when they walk in, and the last when they leave and, if you present yourself well and
go out of your way to help, then you’re only increasing the reputation of the brand, so here are 6
useful receptionist tips.
The job of a hotel receptionist can be tiring, both mentally and physically as you’re not only
dealing with guests all day and answering their queries, but you’re staying on your feet all day
too. We have compiled a list of useful tips for receptionists below, ranging from etiquette to the
dress code to make your job that much easier and more enjoyable, as well as keeping you safe.

Receptionist Etiquette

A receptionist’s primary duty is to receive visitors and to send them to the appropriate places in
the building, so you’re quite an important cog in the machine as not everyone can do the job as
effectively as you. Common etiquette includes greeting every guest and staff member with a
smile on your face so they know you’re approachable and can rely on you to ease their worries.
Keep your cool. You’re going to come across confrontational and angry guests, so it’s important
to stay safe in that situation, while retaliating in anger can only land you in deeper trouble. You
need to be well versed in handling these situations, as you don’t want other guests seeing you act
in an unprofessional manner.
A receptionist’s attitude also says a lot about them. If a guest sees you slouched on the desk
looking like you don’t want to be there; that’s not really a great impression to give. Remember,
you’re the face of the company so you need to come across as resourceful and reliable. Try not to
admit that you don’t know the answer to a question, instead, politely tell them you’ll find
somebody who can answer their questions and they’d appreciate the job you’re doing.
You’ll be on your feet most of the day, so it’s vital that you blend safety with comfort in case
you come across any potential hazards, so the right receptionist footwear is crucial.

Phone Etiquette
Receptionists spend a great deal of time dealing with phone calls that come into the workplace.
They can be general enquiries, a request from a guest or even nuisance calls from those that have
nothing better to do. Proper etiquette in person is just as crucial as having phone etiquette.
Naturally, this requirement means being welcoming and friendly on the phone, and knowing how
to hold your own in tough conversations on the phone. You’d need to possess good judgement
and ensure that you communicate with staff with the same phone etiquette too - don’t treat it like
a personal phone call with cursing, as you’d never know who’s listening.
Maintain Discretion
Even though it might not be intentional, receptionists can land themselves in situations they
might not want to be in, such as finding out sensitive information about a guest or an employee.
You’d need to gauge whether it’s suitable to talk about information like that at work or at home,
or whether the better option would be to keep that information to yourself.
If somebody knows that you’re aware of the information and realises you didn’t discuss the
information with anybody, then they’d appreciate that you remained discreet and professional.
Organised
It’s crucial that a receptionist remains organised, mainly because they’re bound to come across
situations where they’ll need to multi-task. The receptionist is tasked with a large number of
responsibilities ranging from greeting guests, to answering the phones, as well as reminding the
higher-ups about meeting and appointments.
Other staff members also need to rely on the receptionist as their first port of call, so it’s
essential they the receptionist they’re contacting has an organised and effective system in place
to make sure no task is forgotten and can help whenever anybody needs it. Sure, it can be a tiring
process but there are tips on how to survive those long shifts, and have the right sort of footwear
to stay prepared.
Multi-skilled
A receptionist can’t be tasked with simply one job; they need to be versatile, flexible and ready
to take on any task or at least know who to contact if it’s something they’re not qualified to do.
Saying you can’t do it to a guest isn’t the best impression to give, but if a receptionist is skilled
in certain areas such as first aid, then you’d be known as a reliable member of staff.

Dress Code
Maintaining and following the dress code of wherever you’re working is vital, especially since
receptionists are the first people a guest or customers sees when they walk in. Receptionists need
to maintain the same level of professionalism as the other workers in the establishment, and also
needs to set a standard for others to follow.
Following the dress code means receptionists need to wear the suitable colours that suit the
establishment, and your footwear is just as vital. Many establishments enforce a uniform, which
means it’s important they the receptionist ensures their uniform is always ironed and cleaned, as
well as generally maintaining a neat appearance from the amount of make up to well-groomed
facial hair.
Receptionists need to find the right balance of safety and comfort, as they are bound to come
across some hazards while staying on their feet all day and repeating certain motions means their
feet will be painful without the suitable shoes, and it can also lead to further injuries which can
put them out of work. They don’t have to sacrifice one for the other either, as there are shoes
available that are not only stylish, but safe and comfortable as well.

BELL DESK A) Bell desk is an extended arm of front desk. There are many activities at
the time of arrival, during stay and at the time of departure of guest which cannot be carried out
from the front desk but are to be carried out essentially, in order to provide services to the guest.
As the name suggest it is a small desk /counter in the lobby near the main entrance of the hotel.
The bell desk should be situated in clear view of the front desk, cashier and particularly the
doorman standing outside the lobby, so that the doorman may signal for a bellboy at the arrival
of a guest. Further, it is also important that the bell desk is situated near the luggage centre and
luggage entrance. Function of Bell desk
1) Luggage handling: Luggage handling of the guest is done at various occasion such as
arrival, during stay (change of rooms) and at the time of departure. At the time of arrival when
the luggage of the guests moved from car/taxi to the lobby and further to the allotted room, the
activity is called “Up bell activity’’. When the luggage of the guest is moved from room to lobby
and further to the car/taxi at the time of departure the activity is called ‘’down bell activity’’.
2) Paging: Apart from luggage handling the bell desk is also responsible for paging a guest.
The paging is a system of locating the guest in the hotel. Many times the in-house guest
expects a phone call or a visitor but decides not to wait in the room, and might decide to go to
public area such as bar, restaurant, swimming pool, lobby or lounge etc. of the hotel or may go
out of the hotel. In such cases hotel request the guest to tell about his whereabouts through a
location form. This proforma may be kept in the stationery folder in the room as well as at the
information section of the counter. Usually it is filled in by the guest but many times it may be
filled in by the hotel staff on the instructions of the guest.
3) Mail and Message Handling: The bell desk’s function is also to handle and distribute mail
and message received by the front desk in the absence of the guests to their respective rooms.
Also distribution of newspapers and magazines etc. to various rooms and the areas of the hotel
and keeping a record of the same is done by the bell desk.
4) Delivery of newspaper: As per the hotel policy all hotel guests receive a copy of hotel
newspapers each morning. The bellboys in the night shift are responsible for delivering the
newspapers to all occupied rooms.
5) Collection of Room Keys at departures: Another very important function of the bell desk is
the collection of room key from a check out guest and depositing the same at the information
desk.
6) Miscellaneous Jobs: Miscellaneous jobs such as postage stamps handling, taking care of
outgoing mail of the guest, carrying out outside errands for the guest and hotel such as buying
of cinema tickets, moving of files and documents etc. for the guest as well as going to banks,
post office and FRRO police station for delivering of ‘C forms’ et,.

B) Procedures and Records. 1) Left Luggage procedure: At times guest find it

inconvenient and expensive to carry their luggage to a place where they are going for a few
days. Guest are expected to check out by check out time (12 noon) even if their fight is in the
evening and they find it too expensive to retain the room for extra day just to keep the luggage.
Mostly hotels offer the left luggage room facility free of cost but some hotels do charge for it.
Left luggage facility may also bring back the guest to stay in your hotel on his next visit. The
procedure for receiving luggage is as such:
 Before accepting the luggage, it is checked that whether guest has settled his bill or not.
Check the baggage of the guest if it is properly locked or not. In case the baggage is damage
than the guest must be informed and note for the same must be made in the receipt.
Luggage stickers should be pasted on all luggage pieces. A proper receipt must be made,
signed by both guest and bell captain and handed over to the guest.
Enter the details in the left luggage register with the expected date the luggage will be picked
up by the guest.
Keep the luggage in the left luggage room under lock and key.

When the guest comes to pick up his luggage pieces from the left luggage room then the
follo0wing procedure is carried out.
The guest is requested to give the receipt. In case guest has lost the receipts than guest is
requested to sign in the left luggage register.
Check the receipt and bring out his luggage pieces from the left luggage room.
Make an entry in the left luggage register entering the date luggage pieces delivered.
Stick hotels stickers for publicity.

2) Scanty Baggage Procedure Scanty baggage means no baggage or a light baggage

consisting of brief case or air bag. Guest with scanty baggage is normal skippers from the hotel.
Skippers are those persons who check out of the hotel without settling their bills. The scanty
baggage guests also normally go out with their light baggage and hotel never knows that if this
guest is going out with an intention to come back or not. To save guard the hotels interest,
normally guest with scanty baggage are requested to pay in advance. There is a set procedure
adopted by hotels to keep a control on guests, with scanty baggage.
Lobby manager and the reception are notified immediately on guest’s arrival about the scanty
baggage.
Arrival errand card is stamped with scanty baggage.
Guest registration card’s all copies are stamped with ‘scanty baggage’.
The scanty baggage register is filled up by the bell desk.
Get the guest registration cards and the scanty baggage register signed by the lobby
manager.

3) Luggage handling procedure in case of groups’ arrival & departures. In case of a large
group arrival, usually there are many number of luggage pieces to be carried to the guests’
room. Usually each suit case has the guest name printed. A copy of the rooming list is supplied
by the tour operator, which contains the names of all the residents. The room are allotted by the
receptionist. The bell boy puts the luggage tags and hotels stickers on each suit case. On
luggage tags the bell boy writes the room number of the guest. The bell boy ensures that each
suit case is delivered to the respective guests’ room as early as possible. At the time of check
out, the guest is requested to keep their luggage outside their room or they are picked up from
their rooms and brought down to the lobby. After getting the luggage pass from the cashier, the
bell boy take their luggage to the waiting cars/buses.
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