Introduction to front

office department

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CHAPTER FOCUS POINT
Describe the significant of front office
in tourism and hospitality business
Construct front office organizational
chart line within a hotel or any tourism
and hospitality business
Explain personnel job specification,
responsibilities among position,
departments and division within a
hotel
Describe the activities in each guest
cycle stage of a hotel 2
INTRODUCTION
OF FRONT
OFFICE
DEPARTMENT

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FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
Most important department in the
hotel
- nerve for hotel operation
- Interface between a hotel and its
guest
Guest makes first contact with FO
department
First place that can makes guest
develop an impression about the
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 FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
Communication and Accounting
are the most important functions
of the front desk operation.
Accounting procedure involve
- settlement of the guest bills
- accepted advance booking of
hotel rooms
- settle bills at the time of check-
out 5
 FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
Effective Communication with
- guest
* 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
- other departments of the hotel etc.
* maintaining the room status 6
 Front office department
FO department operates 24 hours a
day
Three main shifts in FO department
Morning – day shift
7.00 a.m – 3.00 p.m
Day – evening shift
3.00 p.m – 11.00 p.m
Night shift
11.00 p.m – 7.00 p.m 7
 FRONT OFFICE
ORGANIZATIONA
L CHART

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 Organizational chart
Organization structure of FO department
varies
It is depends on the size and style of
operation of the hotel
It can be categorized into
- Small sized hotel
- Medium sized hotel
- Large sized hotel
( Refer to the Figure 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 for
organizational structure of FO
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DUTIES OF FRONT
OFFICE
PERSONNEL

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 Duties of front office
personnel
4 5 NIGHT
DOOR AUDITOR 6
ATTENDANT
RECEPTIONIST
3
CASHIER

2 FRONT OFFICE 7
BELL BOY PERSONNEL CONCIERGE

1 8
FRONT OFFICE RESERVATIONS
MANAGER AGENT
TELEPHONE
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OPERATOR
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 Duties of front office
personnel
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
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 Duties of front office
personnel
BELL BOY
- Handling guest luggage at the time of
arrival
and departure
- Escorting guests to their rooms on arrival
- Familiarizing guests about safety features
and
in-room facilities
- Locating a guest in a specified area of the
hotel
- Posting guests mails
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 Duties of front office
personnel
CASHIER
* Receiving payment
* Balancing guest account
* Opening and maintaining the guest
folios
* Recording all credit charges in guest
folios
* Preparing bills at the time of check-out
* Handling credits/debit/charge cards for
the
settlement of a guest account
* Administer the safe deposit system
* Handling foreign currency 14
 Duties of front office
personnel
DOOR ATTENDANT
* Open the doors of guests’ vehicles
on their
arrival in the hotel portico
* Help bell boys in lifting luggage
* Open the hotels’ entrance door for
guests
* Coordinate with parking attendants
for parking guests’ vehicles in the
hotels’ parking area. 15
 Duties of front office
personnel
NIGHT AUDIT
* Preparing the night audit report
* Check-in and check-out guest who
arrive or
depart after 11.00p.m
* processing the reservations
* performing the duties of security guard
* monitoring fire safety system
* Act as cashier for banquet function
* performing the duties of manager on
duty 16
 Duties of front office
personnel
RECEPTIONIST
* greeting guest
* handling special request
* handling check-in and check-
out
* providing information to guest
* assigning rooms and
dispensing guest room keys
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 Duties of front office
personnel
CONCIERGE
* Making reservations for dining in famous
restaurant
* Arranging tours, limousine, and
entertainment
ticket
* Maintaining good relationship with
hospitality
industry
* Personal helper to VIP
* Obtaining tickets for theatres, musicals etc
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* Provide latest information of events

 Duties of front office
personnel
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 doc 19

* Providing management information to other

 Duties of front office
personnel
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
* operating hotel paying system
* direct incoming calls to the desired
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extension
* provide paging services for guest and
GUEST CYCLE
STAGE

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 GUEST CYCLE STAGE
PRE-ARRIVAL

DEPARTURE GUEST CYCLE ARRIVAL

STAGE

IN-HOUSE
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 GUEST CYCLE STAGE
PRE-ARRIVAL
* Reservations

ARRIVAL
* Registration
* Room assignment
* Issuance of room key
* Baggage handling
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 GUEST CYCLE STAGE
IN-HOUSE
* Mail and message handling
* Maintenance of guest account
* Paging and travel assistance
* Safe deposit, currency exchange
DEPARTURE
* Preparing the guest bill
* Settlement of guest account
* Transportation
* Future reservation
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THANK YOU
!!

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