Provide Accommodation Reception Services: D1.HFO - CL2.03 Trainee Manual

Provide accommodation reception
services
D1.HFO.CL2.03
Trainee Manual
Provide accommodation
reception services
D1.HFO.CL2.03
Trainee Manual
Project Base
William Angliss Institute of TAFE

555 La Trobe Street
Melbourne 3000 Victoria
Telephone: (03) 9606 2111
Facsimile: (03) 9670 1330
Acknowledgements
Project Director: Wayne Crosbie

Chief Writer: Alan Hickman
Subject Writers: Evelyn Collins/ Linda Wilson
Project Manager/Editor: Alan Maguire
DTP/Production: Daniel Chee, Mai Vu, Jirayu Thangcharoensamut
© William Angliss Institute of TAFE 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, repackaged, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form by any means whatsoever without the prior permission of the
copyright owner.
This booklet was produced by William Angliss Institute of TAFE to be used for the ASEAN Australia
Development Cooperation Program (AADCP) Phase II: “Toolbox Development for Tourism Divisions:
Front Office, Food & Beverage Services, Food Production” Project.
Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that this booklet is free from errors or omissions. However, you
should conduct your own enquiries and seek professional advice before relying on any fact, statement
or matter contained in this book. William Angliss Institute of TAFE is not responsible for any injury, loss
or damage as a result of material included or omitted from this course. Information in this module is
current at the time of publication. The time of publication is indicated in the date stamp at the bottom of
each page.
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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
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File name: TM_Provide_accomm_reception_services_220812.docx
Table of contents
Introduction to trainee manual........................................................................................... 1
Unit descriptor................................................................................................................... 3
Assessment matrix ........................................................................................................... 5
Glossary ........................................................................................................................... 7
Element 1: Prepare reception area for guest arrivals ........................................................ 9
Element 2: Perform check-in functions ............................................................................ 31
Element 3: Perform „during stay‟ functions ...................................................................... 57
Element 4: Perform check-out functions.......................................................................... 67
Element 5: Prepare front office records and reports ........................................................ 85
Presentation of written work ............................................................................................ 93
Recommended reading................................................................................................... 95
Trainee evaluation sheet................................................................................................. 97
© ASEAN 2012
Trainee Manual
Provide accommodation reception services
© ASEAN 2012
Trainee Manual
Introduction to trainee manual

To the Trainee
Congratulations on joining this course. This Trainee Manual is one part of a „toolbox‟
which is a resource provided to trainees, trainers and assessors to help you become
competent in various areas of your work.
The „toolbox‟ consists of three elements:
A Trainee Manual for you to read and study at home or in class
A Trainer Guide with Power Point slides to help your Trainer explain the content of the
training material and provide class activities to help with practice
An Assessment Manual which provides your Assessor with oral and written questions
and other assessment tasks to establish whether or not you have achieved
competency.
The first thing you may notice is that this training program and the information you find in
the Trainee Manual seems different to the textbooks you have used previously. This is
because the method of instruction and examination is different. The method used is called
Competency based training (CBT) and Competency based assessment (CBA). CBT and
CBA is the training and assessment system chosen by ASEAN (Association of South-
East Asian Nations) to train people to work in the tourism and hospitality industry
throughout all the ASEAN member states.
What is the CBT and CBA system and why has it been adopted by ASEAN?
CBT is a way of training that concentrates on what a worker can do or is required to do at
work. The aim is of the training is to enable trainees to perform tasks and duties at a
standard expected by employers. CBT seeks to develop the skills, knowledge and
attitudes (or recognise the ones the trainee already possesses) to achieve the required
competency standard. ASEAN has adopted the CBT/CBA training system as it is able to
produce the type of worker that industry is looking for and this therefore increases
trainees chances of obtaining employment.
CBA involves collecting evidence and making a judgement of the extent to which a worker
can perform his/her duties at the required competency standard. Where a trainee can
already demonstrate a degree of competency, either due to prior training or work
experience, a process of „Recognition of Prior Learning‟ (RPL) is available to trainees to
recognise this. Please speak to your trainer about RPL if you think this applies to you.
What is a competency standard?
Competency standards are descriptions of the skills and knowledge required to perform a
task or activity at the level of a required standard.
242 competency standards for the tourism and hospitality industries throughout the
ASEAN region have been developed to cover all the knowledge, skills and attitudes
required to work in the following occupational areas:
Housekeeping
Food Production
Food and Beverage Service
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Trainee Manual 1
Front Office
Travel Agencies
Tour Operations.
All of these competency standards are available for you to look at. In fact you will find a
summary of each one at the beginning of each Trainee Manual under the heading „Unit
Descriptor‟. The unit descriptor describes the content of the unit you will be studying in the
Trainee Manual and provides a table of contents which are divided up into „Elements‟ and
„Performance Criteria”. An element is a description of one aspect of what has to be
achieved in the workplace. The „Performance Criteria‟ below each element details the
level of performance that needs to be demonstrated to be declared competent.
There are other components of the competency standard:
Unit Title: statement about what is to be done in the workplace
Unit Number: unique number identifying the particular competency
Nominal hours: number of classroom or practical hours usually needed to complete
the competency. We call them „nominal‟ hours because they can vary e.g. sometimes
it will take an individual less time to complete a unit of competency because he/she
has prior knowledge or work experience in that area.
The final heading you will see before you start reading the Trainee Manual is the
„Assessment Matrix‟. Competency based assessment requires trainees to be assessed in
at least 2 – 3 different ways, one of which must be practical. This section outlines three
ways assessment can be carried out and includes work projects, written questions and
oral questions. The matrix is designed to show you which performance criteria will be
assessed and how they will be assessed. Your trainer and/or assessor may also use
other assessment methods including „Observation Checklist‟ and „Third Party Statement‟.
An observation checklist is a way of recording how you perform at work and a third party
statement is a statement by a supervisor or employer about the degree of competence
they believe you have achieved. This can be based on observing your workplace
performance, inspecting your work or gaining feedback from fellow workers.
Your trainer and/or assessor may use other methods to assess you such as:
Journals
Oral presentations
Role plays
Log books
Group projects
Practical demonstrations.
Remember your trainer is there to help you succeed and become competent. Please feel
free to ask him or her for more explanation of what you have just read and of what is
expected from you and best wishes for your future studies and future career in tourism
and hospitality.
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Unit descriptor
Unit descriptor
This unit deals with the skills and knowledge required to Provide accommodation
reception services in a range of settings within the hotel and travel industries workplace
context.
Unit Code:
D1.HFO.CL2.03
Nominal Hours:
35 hours
Element 1: Prepare reception area for guest arrivals

Performance Criteria
1.1 Prepare reception area for service
1.2 Check reception equipment and technology prior to use
1.3 Review expected daily guest movement
1.4 Allocate guest rooms in accordance with special requests, where possible
1.5 Follow-up on uncertain arrivals and reservations
1.6 Compile arrivals lists
1.7 Distribute arrivals list as required
1.8 Notify departments in relation to special requests and VIPs
Element 2: Perform check-in functions

2.1 Welcome guests on arrival
2.2 Determine if guest has reservation and confirm and explain reservation details
2.3 Determine if guest is a walk-in and identify if room is available
2.4 Decline a guest if appropriate
2.5 Complete guest registration process
2.6 Issue keys and vouchers as required
2.7 Follow internal accounting protocols
2.8 Explain room and house facilities and services to guests
2.9 Arrange for porter services
2.10 Implement standard house protocols for problem situations
2.11 Monitor guest arrivals and take appropriate action as required
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Unit descriptor
Element 3: Perform ‘during stay’ functions

3.1 Process room change requests
3.2 Process extensions to stays
3.3 Process variations to guest numbers
3.4 Process variations in-room rates
3.5 Process upgrades
3.6 Process special requests
3.7 Process guest charges
3.8 Respond to guest queries
Element 4: Perform check-out functions

4.1 Maintain and prepare guest accounts
4.2 Prepare and review departures lists
4.3 Present accounts to guests
4.4 Process payments and refunds and issue receipts
4.5 Process express check-outs
4.6 Process group check-outs
4.7 Distribute departures list as required
4.8 Assist guest with on departure requests
Element 5: Prepare front office records and reports

5.1 Prepare and update front office records
5.2 Generate internal reports as required
5.3 Facilitate night audit activities
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Assessment matrix
Assessment matrix
Showing mapping of Performance Criteria against Work Projects, Written
Questions and Oral Questions
Work Written Oral

Projects Questions Questions
1.1 Prepare reception area for service 1.1 1,2 1
1.2 Check reception equipment and technology 1.2 2,3 2

prior to use
1.3 Review expected daily guest movement 1.3 4,5 3
1.4 Allocate guest rooms in accordance with 1.4 6 4

special requests, where possible
1.5 Follow-up on uncertain arrivals and 1.5 5 5

reservations
1.6 Compile arrivals lists 1.6 5,6 6
1.7 Distribute arrivals list as required 1.7 7 7
1.8 Monitor guest arrivals and take appropriate 1.8 7,6 8

action as required
2.1 Welcome guests on arrival 2.1 8 9
2.2 Determine if guest has reservation and confirm 2.2 9 10

and explain reservation details
2.3 Determine if guest is a walk-in and identify if 2.3 10 11

room is available
2.4 Decline a guest if appropriate 2.4 11 12
2.5 Complete guest registration process 2.5 12 13
2.6 Issue keys and vouchers as required 2.6 13 14
2.7 Follow internal accounting protocols 2.7 14 15
2.8 Explain room and house facilities and services 2.8 15 16

to guests
2.9 Arrange for porter services 2.9 16 17
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Assessment matrix
Work Written Oral

Projects Questions Questions
2.10 Implement standard house protocols for 2.10 17 18

problem situations
2.11 Monitor guest arrivals and take appropriate 2.11 18 19

action as required
Element 3: Perform ‘during stay’ functions3.2
3.1 Process room change requests 3.1 19 20
3.2 Process extensions to stays 3.2 20 21
3.3 Process variations to guest numbers 3.3 21 22
3.4 Process variations in-room rates 3.4 22 23
3.5 Process upgrades 3.5 23 24
3.6 Process special requests 3.6 24 25
3.7 Process guest charges 3.7 25 26
3.8 Respond to guest queries 3.8 26 27
4.1 Maintain and prepare guest accounts 4.1 27 28
4.2 Prepare and review departures lists 4.2 28 29
4.3 Present accounts to guests 4.3 29 30
4.4 Process payments and refunds and issue 4.4 30 31

receipts
4.5 Process express check-outs 4.5 31 32
4.6 Process group check-outs 4.6 32 33
4.7 Distribute departures list as required 4.7 33 34
4.8 Assist guest with on departure requests 4.8 34 35
5.1 Prepare and update front office records 5.1 35 36
5.2 Generate internal reports as required 5.2 36 37
5.3 Facilitate night audit activities 5.3 37 38
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Glossary
Glossary
Term Explanation
Handover Handover allows for a smooth transition from one shift to

another, and enables necessary communications to occur.
Arrivals list Alphabetically listing of all guests with reservations arriving

that day. This includes the details of the guests‟ requests.
Reception diary A diary to record any important information regarding what

has happened during a specific shift. It is a prime means of
communication. It lists the daily activities or anything they
may need to be acted on during their shift.
Guaranteed reservation When the guest has fully paid for their room and you are
guaranteed they will arrive.
Non-guaranteed reservations When a reservation has not been fully paid for and will be
released after the arrival time specified or 6pm.
Pre-register guests Process the guest as a check-in, even though they have not
arrived. This is done to make sure the nightly room charge
is recorded on the account.
Special requests Specific requests a guest makes at the time of making a

reservation or checking in. Some are charged and some
are free e.g. non smoking room, champagne in room.
Bumping guests Sending guests to another hotel when your hotel is fully
booked.
Black listed guests Guests who are declined accommodation at your hotel.
They are blacklisted for inappropriate behaviour
Turndown service The process of getting the room ready for the guest in the
evening. This may involve shutting the curtains, folding
back the bed covers and placing a hotel gift on the pillow.
Average rate Mathmatically determined rate that represents the average

room charge for the evening. All rates charged divided by
the guests in the hotel.
Occupancy rate Rate determined by the total of rooms occupied divided by

the revenue from each room.
Upgrade When a guest is put into a better room than what they are
paying for.
Posting To record a charge or expense on to the guest folio.
Guest Cycle This term refers to the process in which the guest moves
through the hotel from the time of resevation, arrival and
check out.
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Glossary
Term Explanation
In-room safe Safes placed in the guest room. The guests create their
own combination to use this.
Early Checkout Guest leaves the hotel before their due date for some
reason.
Master folio The main account that is created for groups, covering all
the costs to be picked up by the tour leader or company.
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Element 1:
Prepare reception area for guest
arrivals
1.1 Prepare reception area for service
Introduction
All hospitality operations must prepare for all activities
they engage in. The situation is no different for front
office, a travel agent or a food and beverage area.
Front Office, just as a restaurant, a kitchen or guest
rooms also requires preparation.
The front office or reception of an accommodation
venue is the central location through which guests,
check in, check out, make enquiries, settle accounts,
and go to for any help they might need.
Reception staff on the morning shift generally have a 07:00hrs start but this can vary
between venues. In larger hotels the mornng shift usually starts at 07.00hrs as the night
shift staff are coming to the end of their shift at 07.30hrs.
Hotel Shifts on Reception:
Mid shift (Swing

Morning shift Afternoon Shift Night Shift`
shift)
Starts @ 07.00hrs Starts @ 15.00hrs Starts @ 23.00hrs Starts @ 11.00hrs

Finishes @ 07.30hrs
Finishes @ 15.30hrs Finishes @ 23.30hrs Finishes @ 19.30hrs
Process checkouts Process check-ins Prepare nightly figures Introduced to cover

meal breaks for staff
Prepare for the day‟s Deal with guests Process early
arrivals checkouts Assist the morning
and afternoon staff
Table text
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Handover
The start and finish times of all shifts have a1/2 hour (30
minutes) overlap. This allows for staff to "handover" any
details relating to the next shift. It also gives the new staff
coming on duty time to prepare the reception area for
their shift. Where a handover is standard practice it is
traditional for all front office shifts to overlap by half-an-
hour. This handover allows for a smooth transition from
one shift to another, and enables necessary
communications to occur.
An effective shift handover reduces the likelihood of unpleasant surprises and enables us
to find out what happened during the last shift that may impact on the next one.The
information is passed on from our colleagues about to finish their shift in a number of
ways; verbally, through written messages, in a front office diary and in reports.
Handover involves procedures such as the cashier checking the float, and the night
auditor verbally passing on any relevant information about occurrences during the night,
and/or special items required for the upcoming shift. For example, a guest may have
contacted the front desk during the night and requested a room change because they
haven‟t been able to sleep well or an airline may have rung to say the 8.30am flight has
been delayed by two hours.
The morning staff will generally take over from the night auditor or night shift attendant.
The afternoon shift takes over from morning shift and the night staff take over from the
afternoon shift.
In larger properties the Mid or Swing shift was introduced as it overlapped with both the
morning shift and the afternoon shift. This provided staff to cover meal periods for lunch
for the morning shift and dinner for the afternoon shift. It also provided an extra staff
member to assist with peak check-ins and any groups or tours that might be coming in.
A major priority for the morning reception staff is to prepare the reception area for service
for the day. All staff must check the reception diary.
Reception Diary
Reception may keep a paper-based Reception Diary to
record any important information regarding what has
happened during a specific shift.
Where it is used, this diary is a prime means of
communication. If a staff member is rostered on for the
evening shift, they will need to familiarise themselves
with the daily activities or anything they may need to act
on during their shift, and they will find this written in this
diary.
The Reception Diary is very important, especially for informing staff who have been on
their rostered days off, as they are able to come on shift and familiarise themselves with
all the establishment activities, notes, difficulties and problems that have occurred during
their days off.
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1.2 Check reception equipment and technology

prior to use
Introduction
Preparing our work environment has a number of elements; we check for general safety
and tidiness, we log onto our shift and check all equipment and stationery supplies.
Front office equipment

Equipment at Reception can resemble equipment found in many office settings.
Common „preparation‟ for these may simply involve verifying they are there and working
as intended.
NOTE: Before operating office equipment, or replacing parts or paper, it is vital to become
familiar with the correct operating instructions as set out in the Operating Manual.
Equipment can include:
Fax machine
In most establishments, the telephonist looks after the
facsimile (fax) machine. However, in some
establishments all reception staff may be expected to
operate the fax.
This will include monitoring all incoming faxes, and
actioning them where appropriate (notifying guests of
their arrival if the guest is expecting a fax; passing them
on to the appropriate department if they relate to a
specific department; acknowledging receipt of the fax by phone where this is required or
standard procedure).
Similarly, sending faxes may be the sole province of the telephonist, or it may be a job
shared by all staff.
Faxes – in and out – may be logged in a Fax Log Book to assist with levying charges to
guests, and to provide information and evidence of dates, times, sender‟s details, action
taken etc.
Preparing the fax includes making sure:
It is turned on – check power switch and lights on the machine
Any flashing lights or „error messages‟ are investigated and the appropriate action
taken
It is supplied with an adequate supply of paper
Toner is OK.
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Computer and printer

The computer and printer may need to be turned on, and will need
to be checked to ensure operational readiness. In the majority of
cases, this equipment will often be left on from the previous shift.
The type and brand of computer and printer found in the front office
will vary from establishment to establishment, however the basics
remain common to most brands and models.
Establishments may use continuous reams of duplicate paper in their
printers to print out Guest Accounts/Folio. This paper has perforated
lines to separate the individual accounts so that they can be easily
ripped apart/separated.
The top copy of the Guest Account is presented to the guest while the carbon copy (the
bottom copy) is retained by the establishment for administration purposes, such as
balancing and for records purposes.
Standard operating procedure may require a check to see if the printer needs to be
restocked with paper and if the print is legible. Where the print is not legible a new toner
cartridge must be inserted.
Photocopier
There is usually not much need to use the photocopier at night
so it may be standard practice to turn it off. If it has been turned
off, it will need to be switched on and allowed time to warm up,
before it becomes functional. It is important to understand that
some photocopiers can take a minute before they are ready to
photocopy, so don‟t misinterpret this warm-up period as a
malfunction of the machine!
Most photocopiers have bins that enable them to use A4 and A3
paper.
A3 size paper is twice the size of A4 paper.
Different sized papers will have different sized paper trays/bins (in which the paper is
stacked and then reloaded into the machine for use). Paper should be fanned before
being loaded into the machine.
The photocopier should be checked during front office preparation activities and be
restocked with paper and have toner replaced if required.
You may also be required to record information from the machine. This involves recording
figures from counters to indicate usage of the machine in total and/or by individual
departments/persons where the machine has the facility to allow numbered code only
access.
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Register/terminal/ EFTPOS machines

The preparation can involve:
Verifying the correct day/date (and time where applicable)
is being printed on receipts
The audit roll is not indicating it is about to run out –
reddish stripes along the roll appear when it is nearing
the end of its useful life
Toner/ribbons are sufficient and providing a suitable
print quality
Checking the change in the register/terminal. This
change is needed, not only to provide change to people
who pay by cash but also to provide change to guests
who want to use any vending machines that may be near reception or elsewhere in
the property
Counting the money in the register to verify the amount at handover, or the amount
supplied by management at the start of the day‟s operation. A supplementary float
(with a back-up supply of notes and coins) may also need to be counted and verified
Obtaining extra change. Where an insufficient amount of change is available, an order
may need to be placed in-house so that suitable change is made available. The
purpose of this is to avoid a situation where a guest‟s departure is delayed simply
because we can‟t give them the correct change.
Re-stocking
There can be a number of items that need re-
stocking behind the reception area depending on
the size and scope of the front office.
You need to ask your supervisor what tasks need
doing but they can include:
Replenishing pens and note pads
Refreshing the fruit bowl
Putting the daily newspapers in the nominated
position for guests to use
Replenishing supplies of key cards, where appropriate
Replenishing supplies of internal forms and cards. These may be Registration Cards
(where applicable), complaint forms, maintenance request forms or even hotel pens
Re-stocking promotional material. This can involve replacing tourist brochures, maps,
information sheets, that guests may require.
Other duties that are not strictly „reception-specific‟ duties may include, at the start of the
day:
Watering any fresh flowers that are displayed at reception or in the foyer
Spot cleaning
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Tidying the area both behind the desk and on the guests‟ side to give a positive, clean
and presentable image to the guests as they walk through the door
Emptying outside ash trays
Making sure the external appearance of the property is attractive e.g. by checking the
footpath.
While many of the above jobs could be the responsibility of a cleaner, in smaller
properties you will tend to have tasks that are outside the strict interpretation of what a
receptionist might normally be expected to do.
Repairs/backup and service

If any of your front office equipment is faulty you will need to advise your supervisor or
follow establishment procedures to provide a back up service or call to have the
equipment repaired or serviced whenever required. At all times the front office must
continue to function and faulty equipment be monitored and maintained. In some cases
the front office may have to revert to manual procedures for a short time while the
equipment is being fixed. Whatever is the case the front office runs continuously 24/7 and
at no time should the guest be inconvenienced because of equipment failure.
Registration Cards
Part of the preparation for the day is to prepare for the day‟s arrivals. This means making
sure all Registration Cards/Sheets for that day have been printed.
A check should be made of all communication sources (mail, faxes, phone messages,
message racks, parcel shelves, e-mails) to make sure all necessary messages (where
applicable) are attached to the Registration Cards/Sheets to be passed on to guests when
they arrive.
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1.3 Review expected daily guest movement

Introduction
Reception staff must check guest details on the Daily Arrivals List (also known as the
Arrivals List) to review and ensure guest bookings are correct and the right room is
allocated to the guest.
Consideration of bookings - Arrivals list

The Arrivals List (usually printed out by the night auditor),
is an alphabetical listing of all expeced guests who have a
reservation for that day. It will include all the details about
the guest, time of arrival, length of stay, type of room, rate
quoted and payment details. All special requests will be
listed for action. This may mean contacting another
department or a specific individual and passing the request
on to them, either verbally or in writing.
When guests arrive their names are crossed off this list
because they have become actual arrivals.
We check and review the arrivals list at the beginning of reception shifts. This is to
familarise the staff with the names of guests who are arriving that day and prepare for the
following tasks.
Recognise regular guests. The code "RG-regular guest" will appear on the specials
listing on the arrivals list to help with this task. Regular guests will usually get special
attention greater than ordinary guests such as a welcome gift, non- smoking, pool
view, or high floor.
Check the status of a reservation - a guaranteed reservation and non- guaranteed
reservation
Check the arrival times and pre-register any guests if necessary.
Group arrivals
If there are any groups arriving that day, their rooms
will be blocked, allocated or assigned on one or two
floors for ease of access (the porter can deliver the
luggage more efficiently where the group are roomed
near each other), and to maximise group
„togetherness‟.
Group arrivals make for a very busy time at check in so
the reception area needs to be fully prepared for their
arrival. In some hotels a Group arrivals report will be printed out. This is similar to an
arrivals report but only contains details specific to the group, which is helpful for reception.
When managing groups:
Check all rooms have been allocated correctly for the group
Check the rooms will all be ready by the arrival time of the group - you might have to
contact housekeeping
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Prepare the room keys in key envelopes for the group or tour leader
Make sure any meal vouchers are available with details of where the restaurants are
located and operational times
Accumulate any mail that has arrived for any of the group guests
Prepare the registration cards or group registration forms for the group‟s arrival
Prepare the front office area for the group arrival. Inform porter of group arrival time to
collect their bags from the bus. Set aside an area in the foyer to meet the group and
group leader
Have welcome packs ready for all the guests.
Consideration of Stay rooms

When reviewing daily guest movement you also need to take into account the guests who
for some reason or another stay longer than their expected departure date. If this
happens during full occupancy periods it can be very difficult to accommodate these
guests. The earlier you discover who these guests are the easier it is to find
accommodation for them, either at your hotel or at an alternative property. Of course,
during a low occupancy period this is not really as big a problem as we can accommodate
the guest for a longer period of time.
Some hotels printout an account or have an account come on to the television in the
room, so the guest can see they are due to depart tomorrow and what is on their account
so far. This also acts as a way of letting the guests know
they are due to depart the next day.
Most guests will contact Reception to let the staff know
that they intend to stay longer than the due departure
date. So long as we have rooms available we are happy
to extend their stay, however, during full occupancy this
extension is more difficult.
The only way we can catch the guests who are "stay rooms" is when housekeeping
expect to have a checked out (vacant/dirty)room and it is still occupied. If this occurs
housekeeping must contact Reception straight away. Then reception has the task of
trying to contact the guest to find out what time they will be checking out.
Some departing guests will request a late checkout which is granted depending on the
requested time. If a guest does have a late checkout Reception must notifiy
Housekeeping of this so they don‟t distrub the guest wanting to clean the room. Also
housekeeping will need to allocate a staff member on the afternoon shift to clean the
checked out room.
These Stayover rooms will effect the projected daily guest movement figures (occupany )
as the hotel had expected to get the room back for sale and may have already sold it
again.
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Early departures
Early departures are when guests leave before their due
departure date. Although this date has been reconfirmed
several times it still happens that for some reason a guest has
to depart the hotel earlier than expected. Sometimes the guest
will let Reception know about this or others will just simply
depart as a normal departing guest.
Housekeeping will pick up the early departure when they
service the guest‟s room. The service would have been for an occupied
room but, when the housekeeping staff went into the room it would be a
vacant dirty room - indicating the guest has already checked out.
A hotel using a PMS (Property Management System) will pick up this
early departure automatically in the room count. However, a property
issuing a manual system will have to make adjustments for this early
departure as they now have one less occupied room and another room
to sell to achieve the same occupancy rates.
Groups and individual guest movement

All preparation must be done for the arrival of a group. But, once again, due to unforseen
circumstances the group guest numbers may vary from the original data, some guests are
sick and leave the tour or may not have come in the first place. In most cases the tour
company will notify the hotel of a change in rooms occupied or guests.
However, sometimes advanced notice may not be possible and you only find out about
the change in requirements when the tour arrives. Depending on the arrangement the
hotel has with the tour company, the guests may or may not be charged for their rooms.
In some cases a cancellation fee may even apply.
Regardless of the charge to the tour group the consideration of this group variation will
affect the hotel‟s final room occupancy figures each night.
Individuals will also pose the same problems for the hotel‟s occupancy levels as
mentioned before with early departures, stayovers and no shows.
A no show is when a guest has a reservation but does not arrive at the hotel to check in.
In the case of a guaranteed reservation we will still get the money but, with a non-
guaranteed reservation we will lose the night‟s revenue. However, in both cases the
expected daily guest movement will vary as we had expected these guests to arrive and
have counted their occupancy into our occupancy figures.
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1.4 Allocate guest rooms in accordance with

special requests, where possible
Introduction
Rooms need to be allocated according to the guests‟
requirements (non-smoking room, kingsize bed, interconnecting
rooms, poolside room and so on) and the establishment‟s
policies.
The Housekeeper‟s Report will be used to determine which
rooms are vacant, clean, dirty, out of order, or on inspection.
Room allocation is one of the first jobs for reception staff –
working out which guest(s) are to go in which room.
When allocating rooms, attention needs to be paid to the Arrivals List on which special
requests and room rates may be included.
Room allocation to individuals and groups

In the case of specific room types that are limited such as "The Presidential Suite" where
there is only one of this type of room, the room will be allocated to the guest‟s reservation
at the time the reservation is made to ensure the room is"blocked off" for this guest. The
same would occur for family suites or interconnecting rooms, or honeymoon suites (of
which there is a limited number). All these rooms are blocked off at the time the
reservations are made to ensure the rooms‟ availability.
Reserved rooms are usually allocated on the morning of the arrival date. Today most
hotels pre-allocate all rooms to guests before their arrival rather than simply "pick" the
appropriate room that is available at the time the guest arrives to check in at the front
desk. A PMS system does have the functionality to display the rooms that are available
(clean) and suitable to the guest‟s reservation (one which meets the guest‟s
requirements) at the point of check-in so the reception staff can pick a room off this listing
for the guest. However, the policy of most establishments is to have the reception
supervisor monitoring the rooms and room allocation
rather than the reception staff.
Groups
For all group arrivals the rooms are pre-allocated
according to the reservation request and hotel policy.
Usually group rates are relatively low so the rooms that
are allocated are in the "less popular" section of the hotel.
Very few group rooms would be given rooms with ocean view frontage unless the rate
reflected this type of view. Most group rooms will also be allocated close together on the
same floor if possible.
In most cases group rooms are usually occupied on a twin share basis and will probably
require 2 beds in each room. In the case of group arrivals you might come across a "triple
share" where 3 guests are to share the one room. This will usually require a request to
housekeeping to put in an extra bed or open up the sofa bed in a specific room.
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The reception supervisor must keep an eye on these rooms allocated to the group arriving
as all rooms need to be ready at a specific time. For example, if the tour group bus is
arriving at 14.30hrs all the rooms need to be ready by that time.
When rooms are allocated in the morning the supervisor must pick rooms from the list of
those rooms that have already checked out or the list of rooms that are due to depart
today. Checked out rooms (vacant/dirty) are safe to be allocated as the guest has already
left and all you have to do is notify housekeeping as to the time the room will be needed
for the group arrival.
However a "due to depart or due out" room requires the reception supervisor checking
that this guest does actually depart before the group arrival time and with time to have the
room serviced for the new guest. In some cases, the due out guests may request a late
checkout or ask to extend their stay for another night. If the supervisor can find another
suitable room for the group guest then the occupied guests request will be granted.
However, if another room cannot be found the request must be denied or alternatives
offered.
Room keys must be prepared for the tour group before the group arrives in the lobby.
Whether the keys are manual or electronic all room keys need to be ready and waiting for
the group‟s arrival. Therefore, the supervisor needs to be constantly watching the ready
rooms and making any room changes and key changes that are necessary.
Room rates
When rooms are allocated to FIT guests (fully independent travellers) the rate determines
the type of room the guest will be receiving. The higher the rate the better the room
generally. This group of guests do not receive any discounts.
On the other hand corporate guests get a specific rate for certain rooms because of the
volume of business given to the hotel. All staff should be familiar with the property‟s rates
and policies that apply.
Different rates are offered to different market segments depending on the arrangement
with the property. Different market groups can stay in the same type of rooms BUT at
different rates.
It is very important for all staff to allocate the correct room for the rate that is being
charged otherwise the total revenue (yield) available to the hotel will be reduced.
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An example of a Room Rate summary:
RATE Code Rack Rate Corporate Rate Convention Rate Package Rate
(weekends only)
MarketSegment FIT CORP CONV PKG
Standard Room $350 $200 $280 $300
Deluxe Room $390 $250 $310 $320
King Room $420 $350 $390 $380
PoolsideSuite $480 $390 NA $420
Ocean Front Suite $520 NA NA $480
PenthouseSuite $1200 NA NA NA
Pre-register guests
When a guest is arriving very late or early into the next day, it is necessary to pre-register
the guests (allocate a room and process as a check-in ) before the guest actually arrives.
This is to enable the revenue to be charged for the correct room night and to assist the
guests with a convenient check-in when they arrive. This will only occur for guaranteed
reservations and guests are usually encouraged to guarantee this type of reservation.
A guest who is arriving early, for example between 01.00 - 06.00hrs, will be charged for
the room from the night before because the room had to be left empty for the guest‟s
arrival early the next morning.
Special requests
Special requests are a common occurrence in most accommodation establishments.
The front office usually takes these special requests when the original booking is made or
face-to-face with guests during their stay.
Meeting these special requests requires a team effort. Frequently it is the porter or
housekeeping who are required to assist in ensuring special requests are fulfilled in
accordance with requirements and establishment procedure and policies.
Special requests may include:
Special facilities for guests with a disability
Chocolates in the room
Guests with an early check-in time - meaning the room
needs to be cleaned and serviced and allocated prior to
the guest‟s arrival
Extra bed
Flowers in the room
Cot
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Extra hangers
Power adapters
Stocking the mini-bar with a specific beverage
Tickets for a live theatre performance to be available on arrival
Extra soap, shampoo or conditioner to be placed in the room.
1.5 Follow-up on uncertain arrivals and

reservations
Introduction
Reception staff may be required to follow-up on uncertain arrivals (potential no-shows).
This may be a standard practice every day or it may only apply on certain occasions.
Being able to contact those who we expect to arrive is the key to being able to do this and
explains why we ask those who make a reservation for their contact details.
Following up uncertain arrivals or reservations

If the establishment is running at high occupancy and there are bookings that have not
been guaranteed, reception staff may be required to ring guests (using the contact
number supplied) and reconfirm their arrival.
If the guest has changed their mind and is not going to
arrive this means their booking can be cancelled and
their room can be put back on the board and offered to
someone else. Guests who are on a Waiting List may
be offered the room, or walk-in guests may be able to
use the room.
The main aim of following up uncertain arrivals is to
optimise room sales.
In reference to reservations during peak periods (such as high-profile sporting events)
some establishments ask all guests to send a deposit or quote their credit card number to
guarantee the booking.
If the deposit does not arrive by the stipulated date, you will need to follow up the
uncertain reservation and find out if the guest still requires the reservation or not.
Before making any of these calls you need to be extremely familiar with all house policies
that apply to cancellations, refunds etc. so that you can accurately explain to the guest
what their position is.
Note that many properties are prepared to show compassion where a guest has had to
cancel their booking due to certain personal reasons (such as a death in the family).
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Dealing with Cancellations

You need to realise that anyone who rings with a
cancellation does us a favour as they provide us with an
opportunity to sell the room to someone else.
Similarly anyone who tells us they want to cancel when we
ring to ask or follow-up, does us a favour too – even though
we had to ring them and ask.
Remember, when being informed of a cancellation to be
polite and ensure that no hint of negative sentiment finds its way into the conversation.
The aim is to remain positive so that if they have the opportunity to visit our area in the
future they will again make a booking with us.
Updating the system
When you have received notification of a cancellation, you must then update the system
to reflect that situation.
This will have several potential effects which can include:
Generating a refund
Cancelling a guest folio
Freeing up a room
Removing the guest from Guest History.
1.6 Compile arrivals lists

Introduction
Reception staff will need to compile and distribute an Arrivals List to relevant personnel
and departments.
This is an important first step in the preparation activities because other departments will
use this information to plan their day, allocate their staff and prioritise their duties for the
day.
Compiling and distributing arrivals lists

The Arrivals List provides information and will be distributed to departments such as
uniformed staff (porters and concierge), housekeeping, security, laundry, food and
beverage and kitchen to assist these departments in their planning for operational duties.
Whether the Arrivals List is manually or computer generated,
the information found on it must always be treated in the
strictest of confidence and should never be left unattended
for public viewing.
Information found on an Arrivals List may vary from
establishment to establishment, but can be expected to
include for each booking:
Arrival date – alphabetically listing of all guests arriving on that day
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Departure date. This can be used by Housekeeping to determine the level of service
given to the room. For example, the linen on the bed may not be fully changed if the
guest is known to be staying only two nights
Estimated time of arrival (ETA). This helps Housekeeping schedule the order or
sequence in which rooms are serviced. Their aim will be to get rooms ready for guests
by the time the guest is expected
Estimated time of departure (ETD) to help in scheduling the order of rooms to be
serviced
Guest‟s name. This is a base reference point. This also helps staff use the guest‟s
name when speaking with them and providing information and can be useful when a
guest is required to sign a docket for the receipt of, for example, room service or other
services that the guest wishes to charge to their room
Number of guests so that appropriate in-room requirements (shampoo, towels, extra
pillows etc.) can be provided
Room type – indicating if the room is a single, double, twin or suite
Room rate. This indicates the value of the guest. If service to a room has to be
prioritised, it is commonly the higher rack rate rooms that get serviced first. This
indicates the rate category of room the guest has requested
Booking guaranteed or not. A guaranteed booking is a „sale‟
regardless of whether the guest arrives or not (that is, the venue
will still get its money even if the guest never arrives), so this
means the room must be ready even though there has been no
confirmation. Confirmation is not necessary for a guaranteed
room – the room remains available for the guest who has
guaranteed it until check-out time on the identified departure
date
Special requests. This identifies the special requests that the guest has asked for and
the internal organisation and structure of the business will determine which
department has responsibility for meeting various special needs. The Housekeeping
department takes care of most special requests but there can be a need for food and
beverage to be involved, or maintenance, or security dependent on the nature of the
request
VIPs are also listed on the arrivals list. Very Important Persons (VIPs) will require
special treatment. Most VIPs will get a complimentary gift from one of the managers
(usually the General Manager - if they are very important) put into their room. Room
service or housekeeping need to be made aware of this guest and what room they are
in. Security usually become involved with VIP guests as well
Some VIPs (royalty for instance) will be met on arrival by the general manager and
escorted to their room. Less prominent VIPs (e.g. actors) may be escorted to their
rooms by the Front Office Manager or Duty Manager
The level of the VIP will determine the level of VIP treatment they receive
Complimentary guests will also be listed on the Arrivals report as they will require a
room even though they are not paying for it. Complimentary guests could be winners
of prizes that the property has offered or guests who have come back because there
was a problem with their previous stay. Complimentary guests will receive special
requests from either room service or housekeeping.
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1.7 Distribute arrivals list as required

Introduction
Arrivals lists will be used by a number of departments within your hotel. Different pieces of
information on the listing will be essential to one department and not for the next. The
Arrivals List is a necessary tool in the planning undertaken to receive guests. It helps to
inform management and staff from different departments of what is happening within the
hotel and allows them to make certain decisions, such as:
Housekeeping
Staffing levels – determining the number of housekeeping
staff required to meet shift demands
Planning of daily tasks – identifying the potentially busy
and quiet times of arriving guests
To determine the level of service given to the room: for
example, the linen on the bed may not be fully changed if
the guest is known to be staying only two nights
Housekeeping will use the Estimated time of departure (ETD) to help schedule the
order of rooms to be serviced
Knowing the number of guests so that appropriate in-room requirements (shampoo,
towels, extra pillows etc.) can be provided
Some special requests are provided by the housekeeping department such as:
opening connecting doors, adding an extra bed or baby cot, extra supplies in the
guest room.
Concierge
Staffing levels – determining the number of porters required
to meet shift demands
Assist in the preparation of group arrivals such as tours. This
may include preparing envelopes (or similar) to give to, for
example, the tour leader or coach captain for distribution of
room keys/cards
Organising luggage storage areas especially for large groups of guests who may be
on a tour, or who have all come off a recently landed plane.
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Porters
Planning of daily tasks – identifying the potentially busy and
quiet times
Knowing the arrival time of guests so there are porters available
to assist with luggage and escorting guests to their rooms
Porters use the arrivals list as a source of information to count all the luggage, tag it
with the appropriate room number and transport it to the guest‟s room. The porter will
check the name and corresponding room number, and tag the bag accordingly.
Security
Preparation for Very Important People (VIPs) – which
may involve the need for additional security
Security may be required to escort particular guests to
their room.
Food & Beverage

Special requests that come from room service such as :
wine, champagne, fruit platters, chocolates and any food
and beverage requests
Number of in-house guests helps the restaurants control
staffing in particular for the breakfast shifts
Groups and tour arrangements that involve any restaurant
or bar areas.
Management
Notifying management of the arrival where management
has indicated they want to welcome the VIP on arrival.
Laundry
Determine the number of laundry staff required to meet shift demands
Planning of daily tasks – identifying the potentially busy and quiet times of arriving and
departing guests
Determine when the laundry needs to be open or closed based on guest turnover.
Kitchen
Knowing the number of guest arrivals each day helps with the
ordering of food required for the restaurants and particularly room
service.
It also assists with shift planning of staff.
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1.8 Monitor guest arrivals and take appropriate

action as required
Introduction
There will be times when the reception staff must inform other colleagues or departments
about special situations or requests.
The importance of special situations or special requests cannot be over-stated.
If a guest has made a special request and that request has been accepted by the person
taking the booking, the guest will assume it is going to be met.
If we fail to meet these expectations then severe negative public relations will occur. The
guest may not return to us next time, and they will probably tell their friends, family and
associates about their bad experience!
Inform colleagues
The usual ways of notifying others in the property about
special requests can include:
Printed standard daily reports
Verbal notification.
Printed standard daily reports are good but they may
not be enough.
Where a standard daily report is used there can often be a need to accompany this with a
verbal follow-up (in-person or over the phone) to explain the finer points of the special
request or the special occasion.
Some report formats do not allow enough „free text space‟ to enter all the relevant details
so the supplementary verbal follow-up can be essential to make sure the requirements of
the special request are met.
Where a verbal notification is used it is also best to accompany this spoken message with
a written note containing the pertinent details.
Preparing for major guest movements

A major guest movement may involve checking-in guests arriving in a group or assisting
groups of individual guests who are staying at the establishment to attend a conference or
seminar.
Generally, the most important factor to consider when dealing with group tours is space.
Comfortable seating and standing space should be provided to the guests while they wait
to check-in and it is for this reason group check-ins are sometimes done on the bus.
Guests are handed their keys in envelopes together with all relevant information and
vouchers and the tour guide registers on behalf of the group with the reception staff.
The colleagues and departments that may need to be informed about major guest
movements also include porters. They will need to count all the luggage, tag it with the
appropriate room number and transport it to the guest‟s room. The porter will check the
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name and corresponding room number, and tag the bag accordingly using the Arrivals
List as the source of information.
Note: for security purposes to guard against terrorism it may be standard procedure for
anyone seeking to lodge a bag/luggage for safekeeping or for transportation to a room to
have to show their passport so that staff can verify the person lodging the item.
Counting luggage is most important when handling bags, so that if we start with 50 bags
on arrival, we need to have 50 bags on departure. It is quite easy to make a mistake when
there are many groups arriving and leaving at the same time.
Special requests
Special requests are a common occurrence in most accommodation establishments.
The front office usually takes these special requests at the original booking of the room or
face-to-face with guests during their stay. The actual filling of these special requests
requires a team effort and frequently it is the porter who is required to assist in ensuring
special requests are fulfilled in accordance with requirements and establishment
procedure and policies.
Special requests may include:
Stocking the mini-bar with a specific beverage
Tickets for a live theatre performance
Extra soap, shampoo or conditioner.
Some special requests are delivered via the housekeeping or food and beverage
department: for example, champagne and fruit platters would be delivered through room
service.
VIPs
It is important to notify the following departments when a
VIP is due to arrive at your hotel so they know to offer that
extra bit of service that is expected for Very Important
People.
Housekeeping - to add the VIP supplies and packages
to the guest room
Concierge - to make sure they have the required level
of management available to escort the guest to their
room when they arrive
Porters to keep the entrance of the hotel clear of traffic for the VIP arrival - in some
cases the Doorman may also assist with this task
Security - provide security to the VIP or co-ordinate with the VIP's own security. In the
case of Bands and Singers security might have to have extra staff on duty 24 hours to
stop "fans" from trying to enter the hotel
Food and beverage areas must be informed of who the VIP is and what room they are
in so the appropriate level of service is given to the guest. Sometimes hotel security
might escort the guests to these hotel facilities
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Laundry need to be advised of VIP status of guests in case any laundry or dry
cleaning is required
Kitchen - any food that is ordered for a VIP usually attracts special attention and a
higher level of standard is expected. In some cases Security might inspect all food
going to VIP rooms.
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Work Projects
It is a requirement of this Unit that you complete Work Projects as advised by your
Trainer. You must submit documentation, suitable evidence or other relevant proof of
completion of the project to your Trainer by the agreed date.
1.1 For a front office to function there are multiple shifts.
 What are these shifts?

 What tasks are each shift predominately concerned with?
1.2 Using the internet research the brands of equipment that could be used in the front
office.
 List 1 brand name for each piece of equipment mentioned in this section of the
manual.
1.3 Provide a copy of an Arrivals List for your workplace, accompanying the list with an
explanation of all sections of that report/document and identifying the
people/departments that this list is distributed to.
1.4 Explain how rooms are allocated at your establishment, identifying the factors that
are taken into account when attributing rooms to guests/bookings. Provide a hard
copy of a room allocation record.
1.5 Several guests have made tentative bookings with your venue for accommodation
tonight. The property is experiencing high occupancy and you have a Wait List in
operation for tonight. You need to find out whether these tentative gusts will be
arriving or not. How will you go about doing this and what will you do if, at 18.00hrs,
you have been unable to confirm their arrival?
1.6 Make a check list of all departments that need to be advised of Group arrivals and
VIP arrivals.
 Explain why these departments need to be advised.
1.7 Design an Arrivals list which would include all the data needed for the various
departments mentioned in this section.
1.8 A guest has asked that a cot be placed in their room, that a bottle of Dom Perignon
champagne is placed in their refrigerator and that a plate of cucumber sandwiches is
delivered to the room on each day of the stay at 16:00hrs.
 How would you pass on these special request
details in your workplace, and to whom or which
department would they be passed on to?
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Summary
Prepare reception area for guest arrivals
All hospitality operations must prepare for all activities they engage in. The situation is no
different for front office, a travel agent or a food and beverage area. It must be prepared in the
same way as the restaurant, the kitchen or guest rooms
Preparing our work environment has a number of elements; we check for general safety and
tidiness, we log on to our shift and check all equipment and stationery supplies
Reception staff must check guest details on the Daily Arrivals List (also known as the Arrivals
List) to review and ensure guest bookings are correct and the right room is allocated to the
guest
Rooms need to be allocated according to the guest‟s requirements (non-smoking room, king
size bed, interconnecting rooms, poolside room and so on) and the establishment‟s policies
Reception staff may be required to follow-up on uncertain arrivals (potential no-shows) – this
may be a standard practice every day or it may only apply on certain occasions
Reception staff will need to compile and distribute an Arrivals List to relevant personnel and
departments
There will be times when the reception staff must inform other colleagues or departments about
special situations or requests.
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Element 2:
Perform check-in functions
2.1 Welcome guests on arrival
Introduction
Reception staff should ensure every guest receives a
welcoming and professional greeting when arriving at the
establishment.
Remember that reception can be the first face-to-face contact
with the guest and this meeting can therefore have a lasting
impression.
The moment reception staff identify a guest, they should immediately acknowledge them
and not wait for the guest to make the first move. Even if you are busy with another guest,
on the telephone, or completing another task, make eye contact with the guest and offer a
smile to let them know you have seen them and won‟t be long.
Welcoming guests
The type of greeting the guest receives must always be:
Professional
Personable
Welcoming
Sincere
Friendly
Polite.
In all instances, the verbal welcome offered must conform to any establishment policies or
directives, but will generally contain:
A greeting
The establishment‟s name
The guest‟s name or title if appropriate
An offer of assistance.
Alternatively, the establishment may have a standard „welcome‟ phrase that they require
you to use: check with your supervisor and follow what applies in your workplace.
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Examples of greetings when a guest arrives at reception:
Time of Day Checking in - Guests Checing Out - General Greeting

arriving with bags Guests who look like
they are departing
Morning "Good morning Sir/Madam, "Good morning "Good morning

welcome to the Angliss Hotel, Sir/Madam (or name if Welcome to the
checking in? Could I have you know it) Ms. Angliss Hotel. How
your name please". Wilson. Checking out? can I help you"
Could I have your
Or If you recognize the guest
room number please.
"Good morning Ms. Wilson
welcome back to the Angliss
Hotel"
Afternoon "Good afternoon Sir/Madam, "Good afternoon "Good afternoon

welcome to the Angliss Hotel, Sir/Madam, checking Welcome to the
checking in ? Could I have out ? Could I have Angliss Hotel. How
your name please". your room number can I help you"
please."
Evening "Good evening Sir/Madam, "Good evening "Good evening

welcome to the Angliss Hotel, Sir/Madam, checking Welcome to the
checking in ? Could I have out ? Could I have Angliss Hotel. How
your name please". your room number can I help you"
please."
Body language
It is important that your non-verbal communication also sends the right message when
welcoming a guest.
You can‟t just say you are welcoming the guest, you must show you are welcoming them.
A smile is important and the tone of the voice is also important.
Empathy
Where the guest has had a bad trip or experience as part of their journey to your
premises it is also worthwhile taking some time to be empathetic and share their
experience, offering some kind words to demonstrate compassion and understanding for
them.
Practical help
Also be tuned in to anything practical you might be able to do to make the guest‟s first
impression a positive one.
Monitor how they appear and what they say to see if you can do something that would
help them without waiting to be asked.
You might be able to:
Get them a glass of water
Offer them a seat to rest for a minute
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Help them carry cases to their rooms where such a porter service is not normally
available
Make an enquiry as to whether or not you can do something to help someone who
looks distressed.
Always remember that lots of properties offer rooms, food, beverages and a range of
facilities but it is often the service provided by individual staff that separates one place
from another. It is this excellent level of guest service that gets that person coming back
time and time again.
2.2 Determine if guest has reservation and

confirm and explain reservation details
Introduction
Once you have greeted the guest, you must next confirm the details of their reservation –
if they have one.
Not every guest who wishes to check-in to an establishment has previously made a
reservation.
Guests with a reservation
If the guest does have a reservation, the reception staff may find their details on the
Registration Card (or similar) stored in the Registration Box, which is kept at reception
with cards filed in alphabetical order, by surname.
A pre-printed Registration Card indicates to the guest that they were in fact expected, and
provides another level of service in that the guest does not have to take time filling in
required details that have already been provided when the reservation was made (or
retrieved from Guest History).
The guest must check the details to ensure they are correct, make any necessary
changes, and sign the Registration Card.
If no previous reservation has been made, the guest must complete a blank Registration
Card and the check in process will be a lot longer.
Confirming details of reservation

Where the guest has a booking, their name must first be
ascertained – from the Booking Slip or the computer – and
then the details of their booking confirmed face-to-face with
them.
Verification should cover:

Name of the guest/s with special attention to clarifying
any unusual name to ensure you have the spelling
correct
Contact details of the guest – which may just be their home address or business
address but could include phone number and other contact details
Length of stay including checking the actual departure dates and days
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Departure time (for example, late check-out or an especially early departure)

Method of payment. Where a credit card is to be used to settle the account it may be
standard practice to swipe the card through an EFTPOS machine or manually obtain
an imprint of the card to speed up check-out procedures. Even where the room is not
going to be paid for by credit card (for example, the guest may be staying in a room
where their employer has booked and will pay for the room), it can still be standard
practice to swipe the credit card that will allow any charges incurred to be charged to
that card. Some establishments seek pre-authorization from the credit or charge card
up to a predetermined amount (usually one night's accommodation). If this is your
company‟s policy let the guest know what is happening and that no funds are actually
charged to the card until departure.
 If the account is to be charged back to the company (authority to do so has
already been established) confirm that this is correct with the guest and check that
the charge to details are correct. For instance, in some cases the room and
breakfast charges are paid by the company; however, any other charges are to be
paid for by the guest
 In the case of cash paying guests it is usually hotel policy to collect one night's
accommodation plus extra, maybe another night's accommodation cost or a flat
fee of $100.00 from the guest when they check in rather than at check out time.
Check your establishment's "cash policy"
 Confirm any advanced deposits that have been
paid by the guest. Usually this amount is already
credited to the guest folio. You could print out a
copy or the folio to show the guest the deposit
has been recorded onto their account
Type of room requested – just to make sure they
have been allocated the right type of room. You
might have to explain what the room type is
Confirmation of any special requests unless they are of a 'surprise' nature (such as
champagne and/or flowers in the room). You need to be sensitive to the nature of
special requests and ensure you do nothing to spoil a surprise by mentioning it in front
of the „wrong person‟ at check-in
Room rate quoted. This should be quoted just to make sure there is no confusion
about how much the guest will be paying for their accommodation. Where a discount
is being allowed this should also be quoted so the guest knows what price reduction
they are receiving
Explain any vouchers or complimentary items that accompany the reservation. For
instance, there is a free drink voucher in your welcome brochure for one of the bars,
or that the car park is complimentary with this reservation - do you need to park the
car?
Always explain at least one of your facilities to the
guest on arrival. For example, the pool is on the 20th
floor and open until 10pm tonight if you need to use it.
Or we are having an Italian festival in our Main dining
room and you might like to try it while you are here.
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Some of the above confirmation will be verbal, and some of it will occur through
presenting the guest with a Registration Card and asking them to check it, confirm it and
sign. It is necessary for the guest to check and sign the Registration Card as this
reconfirms all the details as well as acknowledging that the guest has read all the small
print, accepting charges for any liability incurred during the entire length of stay.
This phase of the guest cycle enables a rapport to be established between the guests and
the establishment, so every effort must be made to ensure this time remains pleasant,
comfortable and friendly – in the same way that the initial greeting and welcome was.
2.3 Determine if guest is a walk-in and identify if

room is available
Introduction
A „walk in‟ is a guest who walks in through the door
seeking accommodation for the night without having
made a reservation.
Walk-ins represent a very small proportion of guests but
properties like to have Walk-ins because they tend to be
able to be charged more.
All properties will have their own standard procedures for registering guests and you need
to identify what applies in your workplace for guests who arrive with and without a
reservation.
The individual procedures used by properties will depend on the reservation system being
used and the previous experience of management in dealing with guests and the
preferences that have emerged as a result of that experience.
Guests without a reservation

When a Walk-in arrives:
Welcome them as per standard policy and procedures.
Determine their accommodation needs – how many
nights, type of room, any special requirements. This may
require you to check the Room Status Report/Room
Availability Report (this indicates whether or not the
establishment has rooms available and their room type
(regular rooms, deluxe rooms, corner king etc.) or check the PMS system to determine
availability. During peak periods the Manager will know exactly how many rooms can be
sold, if any.
Advise the guest of what is available – standard procedures may be to try to sell a
premium room and then work down from that if the price/rate is too expensive
When an appropriate room and rate has been agreed it is usually good practice to ask
how the guest will be paying the account before proceding with the check-in. Once an
acceptable payment method has been established the check-in process will proceed;
otherwise, the guest is turned away. Most establishments will require a walk-in to pay for
their room in advance.
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If the guest is paying with a credit or charge card it may be

standard practice to swipe the card through an EFTPOS
machine or manually obtain an imprint of the card. All
establishments will seek pre-authorization from the credit or
charge card up to a predetermined amount
If the guest is paying by Cash the establishment "Cash Policy"
will apply. (Cash Policy is used for guests we don‟t trust and a
walk-in paying by cash is just that as we don‟t know anything
about them and they might not pay us when they check out).
This means the reception staff must collect one night's accommodation plus extra;
maybe another night's accommodation cost or a flat fee of $100.00 from the guest
before they check in. This is to cover the hotel for any extra charges the guest may
incur in the hotel such as room service or restaurant and bar charges. If there is any
balance left on checkout it will be refunded to the guest
 Some hotels may even make these guests "Cash Only Guests" which means they
are not permitted to charge anything to their room. They must pay for it at the point
of sale in the restaurant or bar. If the guest doesn‟t agree to this policy then the
check-in will not proceed.
2.4 Decline a guest if appropriate

Introduction
In some cases, even if you have rooms available, you might have to decline a guest‟s
request for accommodation because they are unfit to be in your hotel or they don‟t agree
with the establishment‟s policies and procedures.
Checking the black list

When checking in a guest, mainly Walk-ins, reception staff should check the Black List;
also known as the „Do Not Room‟ list.
This is a list of names of people who have previously been guests at the establishment
and have been listed as undesirable (often, this information will be found on the guest‟s
profile/history).
A person on the Black List may have done any of the following things:
Damage to the establishment
Been drunk and disorderly
Been noisy
Harassed staff members or guests
Been abusive to staff or guests
Left without paying their account – referred to as a
„Skipper‟.
A person whose name is on the Black List is not welcome in the establishment.
The reception staff should adhere to their establishment‟s policy and procedure when
dealing with people on the Black List and when „regretting‟ their request for a room.
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Hotel Policy
Many establishments have a hotel policy not to allow intoxicated, violent or quarrelsome
people to check into their hotel. As the staff on reception you will be responsible for
"turning away" these guests. You might have to call upon hotel security to help with this
task.
It may also be hotel policy to decline guests‟ accommodation requests if they will not
agree to the Cash Policy conditions. This usually means the guest doesn‟t have sufficient
means to pay for the room in advance so the hotel will decline the request.
Hotel policy dictates that guests who arrive with no luggage and no reservation are
treated differently to guests with reservations. The Cash policy will apply to this type of
guest unless they choose to pay by credit card.
No rooms available
During times of peak occupancy you might have to decline a
guest‟s accommodation request because your hotel is fully
booked. This means there are absolutely no rooms available
for any person without a reservation. Usually a Manager will
need to make this call as they have the experience to
determine if all the guests will arrive. Actvities might include checking for potential no-
shows, allowing for late check-ins, upgrading regular guests to suites, and phoning guests
who have not arrived at the due time.
2.5 Complete guest registration process

Introduction
All guests in an accommodation property are required by law to register. This usually
takes the form of completing a „registration card‟, a document that must be filled in and
signed by the guest to obtain a room. By signing the registration card, the guest is
entering into a contract with the property to pay for services it provides.
Proof of guest identity

In some countries it is essential that hotel guests provide proof of identity. This is usually
done with the inspection of a guest‟s passport. Some hotels will take a copy of the
passport to keep on file and some may even keep the passport for a few days. Whatever
process your establishment follows make sure you advise the guest of what you are
doing.
Completing the registration card

If you are using a PMS, the computer will have printed a registration card for each arriving
guest with a reservation for the day and this will include all the details given in the
reservation. All you need to do is ask the guest to check that the details are correct, make
any necessary changes and sign the card.
If your property does not have a PMS, the guest will need to fill in the registration card. If
you have the guest‟s details in your Guest History card file, you may type the registration
card in readiness for the guest‟s arrival and the guest need only sign the card. Don‟t
forget to manually update your guest history after the guest has departed.
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The Registration Card (also known as the Registration Form) is presented to the guest for
them to either complete or confirm.
It lists personal details about the guest which can include:
Arrival date
Departure date
Arrival time
Departure time (may include late check out)
Guest‟s name
Guest‟s address
Company name, if applicable
Room type
Payment details
Number of rooms
Number of guests
Room rate
Room number – if previously allocated
Passport number – international guests may be required to provide a passport number
Nationality – reports may be printed to ascertain the establishment‟s nationality mix:
some establishments like to print menus in another language besides English, and
this information may also be of use to the marketing department
Guest‟s signature
Birth date – some establishments like to send their guests a birthday card.
If the guest updates or corrects any information make sure you update the computer
(PMS) with the same data as you don‟t want the guest to have to make this correction
every time they arrive. This is especially crucial for spelling of the guest‟s name.
The guest’s signature

All guests are required to sign the registration card or registration sheet. The only
exception to this might be a VIP – where the signature is not actually required as a
representative from the VIP group can sign on behalf of the guest. Even guests arriving
as part of a group or tour are required to sign in or register.
By signing the registration card, the guest is entering into a contract with the property to
pay for services it provides.
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2.6 Issue keys and vouchers as required

Introduction
Once a guest has registered and you have given them information about your property,
they will need to know their room number and obtain a key access for their room. Some
properties use keys while some have electronic key cards that look like credit cards and
can be encoded with information for each individual guest. Whichever you use, the keys
or key card will be located at Reception where they are easily accessible to the
Receptionist and the guest.
Select the key or key card for the room that you have allocated to the guest. Before you
hand the key to the guest or porter:
Check that the room is CLEAN AND VACANT (your Front Office system will have
codes for this information; find out how to look these up)
State clearly the room number and, if the number is written anywhere such as a
check-in booklet or welcome brochure, show the guest where the room number is
printed
When handing over the key briefly state the main points about the room that the guest
needs to know. If the guest has made any specific requests regarding the room in
their booking, relate your presentation to these
Check that the key is the correct one for the room (the key will have either the room
number or a code matching the room number stamped on it). If you are using an
encoder, enter the information and prepare the keycard immediately for the guest.
Some hotels will have the keycards made up prior to the guest‟s arrival
Explain to the guest anything unusual about the operation of the key, particularly if it is
a key card, (the guest may not have used one before)
Hand the key to the guest or porter if he is there escorting the guest.
Explaining the use of key cards

The types of keys used by establishments can vary between
establishments.
Some types of keys include:
Normal door key type
Card key – this card is inserted into a slot in the door. Once inside the room, the guest
may also need to insert the card key into a slot/device on the wall to activate the
power in the room. In some properties the key will also contain an electronic device
required to activate the lifts and/or to move through various internal doors within the
property (designed to keep non-guests out of these areas).
Card keys are programmed upon check-in for security reasons and the card presented in
a cover with the room number written on it.
Card keys can also be programmed to open certain guest facilities like the gymnasium
and swimming pool areas.
Vouchers
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If guests book their accommodation through a travel agent or airline they may be issued
with „vouchers‟ for various aspects of their trip.
These vouchers are documents used in exchange for services provided by the
establishment.
For example if a guest has booked a flight toSingapore together with seven nights
accommodation through a travel agent or airline they may have been issued with two
vouchers – one for their flight and the other for the accommodation.
When they arrive at their destination, they present the accommodation voucher at check-
in. This helps to confirm who they are, their booking and provides payment.
It should be noted that some vouchers include additional services such as breakfast, a
free drink or use of certain facilities while others do not.
You should read all vouchers carefully and then politely make a point of explaining to
guests exactly what the vouchers cover, and what they do not cover. For instance, does
the voucher cover all meals or is it just for breakfast, or breakfast and dinner?
If the voucher includes a „free drink at the pool bar‟, are there any limitations that apply to
that drink?
The intention is to let the guest know exactly what they are entitled to so they can take
advantage of all they paid for.
We also need to make sure the guest knows clearly what they are required to pay for
during their stay so there are no surprises or problems at check-out when the account is
presented.
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2.7 Follow internal accounting protocols

Introduction
Once the details about the guest‟s reservation have been checked and confirmed with the
guest and the registration form has been completed, reception staff may arrange for the
guest to be escorted to their room. Reception then commences accounting procedures.
On the registration form, the guest will have listed their form of payment.
Using this information, reception staff will have confirmed payment type with the guest on
their arrival.
The majority of establishments take a variety of payment options.
Accounting protocols
Credit cards and credit limits
Most establishments will accept payment via credit card.
All guests (including walk-ins) who are paying by credit card are asked to
supply the card at check-in. You may wish to advise the guest that this is
to help speed up their check-out.
The Card is swiped and automated credit is held on the credit card. This
receipt will be held as security on room payment.
If the guest does not have a credit card, they may be asked to prepay using cash.
Every establishment will have a predetermined Floor Limit, which is the maximum amount
of money that a guest can charge to their credit card without special telephone
authorisation being sought.
If the final account for the guest‟s entire duration of stay is over this Floor Limit, then this
authorisation will need to be sought from the credit card company.
Floor Limits can be a different dollar amount for each type of credit card.
It is important to remember that each establishment will have their own procedures in
processing credit charges.
You must be familiar with these procedures when handling all credit charges transactions
and follow establishment procedures at all times.
EFTPOS
Some establishments have EFTPOS (Electronic Funds Transfer at
Point Of Sale) terminals to accept payments (this is the same
system that is used to electronically process credit card payments).
The EFTPOS system offers a banking service of deducting money
from a customer‟s savings or cheque account and depositing it into
the establishment‟s account.
When using this system to settle their account, the customer must present the relevant
bank card and then enter a 4 to 6 digit PIN (Personal Identification Number) into the
system for verification purposes.
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Once the payment has been approved, the customer will be issued with a receipt.
With this system, the customer may have the option of having „Cash Out‟. This means the
customer can withdraw additional funds from their account over and above the amount
required to settle the account.
Note that not all establishments offer „Cash Out‟ services: refer and adhere to house
policy on this.
Before using an EFTPOS terminal, make sure you refer to and read the instruction
manual. Familiarise yourself with its operation, and get someone to show you how to use
it.
Cash
If a guest is asked to prepay for room charge, cash is the usual form
of payment.
Some guests may also pay their account in cash.
In most establishments, the cash policy relating to prepayment is:
The guest must pay one night‟s accommodation at check-in, plus
$100.00 extra for any incidentals that may be used such as mini-bar
or telephone. If the guest does not use any facilities, the money is
refundable on check-out.
If a guest is staying for more than one night, it may be necessary either for all the
payment to be made in advance, or for the account to be one night in advance at all
times.
Some establishments may have a policy of collecting cash for all accommodation, plus
$100.00 extra per night upon check-in. The guest is then considered to be a „cash
customer‟ and their name will be placed on the establishment‟s Cash List. A Cash List is
distributed daily to the establishment‟s various outlets to inform them of the guests who
don‟t have credit facilities.
Guests on the Cash List must pay for their purchases when they are made – this includes
purchases at the bar, restaurant, shops, in-house services
There may be times when a customer wishes to pay for their account in cash, but will
supply the establishment with their credit card imprint so that they can still charge to their
room.
In this case the credit card imprint will serve as a bond, and at check-out the guest can
pay for their account in cash (and the credit card imprint will be destroyed), or via credit
card using the imprint that has been taken.
When providing change for a cash payment always double-check the amount of change
to be given and count the change out to the guest to ensure they are satisfied they have
been given the correct change.
Foreign currency
Guest‟s paying by traveller‟s cheque or in foreign currency are also considered cash
customers and their names are automatically placed on the Cash List.
The exchange rate (that is, the rate at which the foreign currency is converted into local
currency) in most establishments is organised by the establishment‟s accounts
department and is lower than the published rate that may be offered by the banks.
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Most properties that accept foreign currency will feature a sign in the foyer, changed
regularly/ or daily, showing the exchange rate on offer.
Guests are free to accept this or go elsewhere to obtain a better rate.
Traveller’s cheques/Travel cards
It is at the establishment‟s discretion to decide if they will
accept payment through traveller‟s cheques. Larger
properties tend to do so, and many smaller premises will
not.
If the guest wishes to pay for their account by traveller‟s
cheque (or simply cash a traveller‟s cheque), it must be
countersigned in front of the cashier. This is very important. Traveller's cheques that have
already been countersigned should not be accepted.
Any traveller‟s cheques in foreign money will be first converted into the local currency,
and the conversion explained to the guest.
Where change has to be given, it is always given in local currency.
Travel cards are used more widely today than travellers cheques. The guest has a travel
card (similar to a credit card) with a specified amount of money that has been purchased
in the local currency. This card is used just the same as a credit card with a PIN or
signature for verification.
Personal cheques
Depending on the establishment, personal cheques may be
accepted as payment.
Often, personal and business cheques will only be accepted as
payment where previous arrangements to do so have been
organised, or in situations where the owner/manager knows the
guest personally.
If the property does allow an unknown guest to pay by cheque,
the guest will have to supply identification such as a driver's
licence, passport, credit card details etc. which are then
recorded on the back of the cheque.
It is standard procedure in many establishments when a guest wants to pay by cheque
that they are offered another alternative such as credit card payment or EFTPOS.
Establishments are not under a legal obligation to accept payment by cheque.
Some premises that accept personal and business cheques use a cheque guarantee
service. This means that for a small fee (approximately 1% of total cheque payment) the
company will run a credit check on the guest and guarantee or refuse to support payment.
This service can be accessed by telephone 24 hours a day. The fee may be passed on to
the guest if they insist on paying by cheque.
It is important to remember that each establishment will have their own procedures in
processing cheques. Therefore, you must be familiar with these procedures when
handling cheque-related transactions and follow these procedures at all times.
When in doubt, ask your supervisor or a more experienced staff member – never be
„bullied‟ into accepting payment by cheque.
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Direct charging (billing)

Direct Charging is where the establishment charges an
account to a company/employer.
This method of payment is common for regular guests,
especially where they are of a business nature such as
travelling representatives, executives or airlines crew.
Where the property provides accommodation for public
servants their stay is usually paid using this method.
Generally, a list of the names of companies/organisations who have previously arranged
direct billing with the establishment is kept at the front desk for quick reference.
Note that the arrangements made with the company that is paying the account will be
very specific in nature. For example, the company may agree to pay for the
accommodation component of the stay, plus dinner and breakfast but no alcohol, phone
calls or any other charges.
When this style of account is presented, you need to be aware of what the guest can
charge back to the company and what they need to pay for themselves. Most guests
understand these requirements or limitations and are usually ready to pay for the „extras‟
that aren‟t covered by their employer.
At check-out a guest whose account will be paid for via direct billing will check their
account for accuracy, sign the account, and then it will be processed in accordance with
establishment policies and procedures by the accounts department. This means the
account will be sent to the company for payment.
Accounts may be sent on an individual basis, or they may be grouped and sent fortnightly
or monthly.
Deposits
Where the guest has made a reservation they may need to pay a deposit to secure the
room.
This deposit has to be handled in strict accordance with the house policies where you
work.
Standard requirements may include:
Issuing a receipt for the deposit
Sending the receipt to the client along with booking confirmation, venue details etc. This is
optional: many properties keep the receipt on file and present it when the guest arrives in
the form of their account at check-out together with a verbal mention on check-in that their
deposit has been received and credited to their account
Establishing the guest account (also known as the guest folio, or just „folio‟) showing the
deposit as the first financial entry on the document
Posting this payment to the appropriate internal account/s.
Pre-payments
Pre-payments are the full payment for a room/stay in advance.
Treatment of these payments is similar to „deposits‟ above with the additional requirement
that pre-payments usually require a receipt be sent.
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Issuing receipts
It is standard practice for all establishments to issue a receipt for all payments received.
In some countries by law any purchase over $50 must be accompanied by a receipt, and
by law a receipt must be provided on request for any purchase under $50.
Follow the procedures that apply in your country or workplace for receipts but common
options are:
The print out receipt from a register/terminal where a sale is processed through a
register/terminal
The account presented to the guest after payment has been received and processed
showing all the transactions on that account (deposits received, purchases made
during the stay, accommodation charges and the final payment/settlement of the
account) that should leave a final balance of zero once payment has been received.
Applying discounts to guests

An establishment is likely to have a number of different room rates.
Different room rates will have been identified on the basis of
different types of guests that the establishment seeks to
attract, the potential for repeat or on-going business, and the
levels of occupancy (current and advanced bookings).
Not all properties may have the options listed below: still
others may more or different options.
Common room rates include:
Rack Rate
Often referred to as „Standard Rate‟, „Published Rate‟, „Full Rate or „Full Rack Rate‟, this
is the most expensive rate for a room.
It is the rate usually applied to walk-ins who want accommodation on the day they call in –
these guests are sometimes also known as „Fully Independent Travellers‟ (FITs) because
they are independent of any group, discount or other ties.
In practice, relatively few rooms attract this rate. The majority of reservations attract
another, lower rate for one of a variety of reasons (as the following alternatives indicate).
Corporate Rate
This is a discounted rate offered to companies that are willing to guarantee a minimum
number of rooms (often 50 plus) throughout the year.
Naturally, if they guarantee more than 50 rooms per year, a better rate may be offered
just for that company - this type of booking is often called „Volume Corporate‟ rate.
Convention/Conference Rate
This is a discounted rate offered if the guest is attending a convention at the
establishment.
The rate reflects the fact that the guest will also spend other money in the venue on meals
or other services.
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Industry Rate
This is a discounted rate offered if the guest works in the hospitality or tourism industry.
It reflects the fact that people „in the industry‟ are well placed to refer other guests to us if
they have a positive experience during their stay.
Crew Rate
This is a discounted rate offered if the guest works for an airline.
Air crew have limited hours they can work and many airlines require accommodation for
their crew overnight so they can rest before resuming work.
Airline business is seen as good business as it is regular and on-going.
Group Rate
This is a discounted rate offered if guests have common interests and are making a
booking together.
For example, members of a stamp collecting club who have decided to holiday together
might be offered this rate.
Tour Rate
This is a discounted rate organised between tour companies and the establishment by
virtue of the volume of rooms that will be sold.
Commonly tour operators will try to obtain the lowest room rate possible and the venue
has to be careful that it will make an acceptable profit from these heavily discounted rates.
There is little advantage in having the property fully booked at a rate that shows a loss.
Package Rate
This is a discounted rate offered in some establishments to increase occupancy: also
known as „Special Deals‟ or „Specials‟.
Packages may include a combination of accommodation, breakfast (and/or other meals),
parking, champagne on arrival, and a late checkout. They are commonly promoted during
periods of low occupancy such as capital city hotels on most weekends.
Other examples of Package Rates may include a „Honeymoon Package‟, an „Anniversary
Package‟, or a „Theatre Package‟ (which may include theatre tickets) or Special Events
packages.
The range of possible „Specials‟ is enormous.
Many city properties develop „weekend packages‟ because these are the times when they
are traditionally less busy (because most business people go home at the weekends).
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2.8 Explain room and house facilities and

services to guests
Introduction
Part of the service that should be provided to guests should include an explanation of the
facilities and services of the property.
It must be remembered that most guests will be staying with us for the first time and so
may be unaware of some of the services and facilities available, too shy to ask or simply
be confused about being in a new city, foreign country etc.
This section looks at some of the things that might be explained to guests at check-in to
enhance the quality of their stay.
Safety deposit boxes

Some establishments provide their guests with safety deposit boxes to store valuable
items.
The usual system is for a small safety box to be located in
each room.
Usually the box is placed in the wardrobe and once the guest
has checked-in, they are able to program their own
combination to open and close the safe.
The guest can access the safe at their own discretion as
many times as they like without having to involve reception or
other staff.
Fee-for-service may apply in some cases if this facility is used but most in-room safety
deposit boxes/safes are provided free-of-charge.
Describing the room and hotel facilities

The opportunity to describe facilities may occur at any time during a guest‟s stay. As a
Receptionist you are required to know about all areas of the property, from food and
beverage to housekeeping and business centre services. That is a lot of information to
absorb, and items such as restaurant opening hours will be constantly changing, so you
must ensure your knowledge is up to date.
Start with a basic list of facilities and build on it.
Once this information is obtained, it is easy to apply suggestive selling techniques in order
to promote and up-sell your establishment‟s facilities. Offer to make a reservation for the
guest at one of the hotel restaurants.
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Informing guests of local attractions

This information is found in a variety of directories, guide books,
pamphlets and tourist publications. Most establishments have a
brochure rack which contains a wealth of information on local
attractions, activities and restaurants.
If you do not have a brochure rack, your local area newspaper, transport timetables,
telephone book and locality directory will be invaluable. Some industry publications, such
as „What To Do In (your local city)...‟ are worth subscribing to.
Whatever material you have available, do not simply hand it over to the guest when asked
for directions or information. Review the information with a guest and ensure you have
answered all the questions and offered all the suggestions or alternatives that you are
able to provide. Have ready a mental list of attractions that you know are popular and you
can confidently recommend.
Using selling techniques to sell services
You should take every opportunity to „sell‟ your establishment‟s facilities. This simply
means offering information to the guests in such a way that it will attract their attention
and encourage their use of your establishment services, rather than others.
Suggesting
What choices of room features or rates does your establishment
provide?
Describing
Make your facilities sound attractive through your choice of words; get
excited about your establishment!
Explaining
A guest may not be using a particular facility because he/she did not know much about it.
Upselling
Offer more than the guest is asking for; suggest reserving a suite on their next stay if
appropriate.
Cross-selling
If your company has other accommodation establishments in another area, or perhaps its
own car hire company, suggest the guest use these.
Informing guests of relevant information about their stay
At some point when registering a guest, the Receptionist should inform the guest of the
room rate. Often, this is written on the same document which contains the room number
and is given to the guest with the key.
Many properties offer packages to attract people to stay with them. These special deals
comprise a number of services within the property, including a room for an all-inclusive,
attractive rate. If meals are included, it is often necessary to give the guest a coupon,
docket or voucher to present in the restaurant. Packages generally have conditions
attached to them, hence the attractive rate.
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It is important that you review all conditions and inclusions of the package with the guest
at the time of registering.
2.9 Arrange for porter services

Introduction
All international hotels will have porters stationed at the Conceirge or Bell Desk in the
hotel lobby. Once the guest has checked into the hotel a porter makes him or herself
available to assist the guest to their room.
Porters
Porters are responsible for:
Carrying guest luggage to the guest‟s room
Escorting guests to their room
Outlining the hotel‟s facilities
Showing guests how to operate equipment within the guest rooms (e.g. air
conditioning, television, alarm clock etc.)
Arranging taxis and parking cars
Running errands, such as taking and picking up dry cleaning
Taking messages
Giving directions
Storing guest luggage for guests who check out by the designated time but do not
depart until later on in the day.
The head porter or concierge is in charge of all porters. A concierge is a very
knowledgeable person who is available to assist guests on attractions, tours, events and
shows. This may include making bookings, organizing transportation or arranging
reservations. Additionally this is the person that guests should be referred to for detailed
maps, directions, brochures and so on.
Directing or escorting the guest to the room
Escorting a guest to the room is preferable but not always possible. If your establishment
has a Concierge department then this activity will probably be performed by a bell
attendant or porter. However, there may be times when they are not available and a
Receptionist will be required to escort the guest.
If you are unable to escort the guest, give clear directions and remember to:
Stop what you are doing
Look at the person you are speaking to
Speak clearly and concisely with confidence
Use your hands to indicate the way if necessary
End the conversation with a smile
Check that the guests are heading in the right direction
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If available, provide a map of the establishment to assist guests in finding their way
around
Never say, „you can‟t miss it‟.
Handling guests’ luggage
It is Reception‟s responsibility to ensure guests receive their luggage as
soon as possible after they arrive at their rooms. In some properties, a
porter will take the guests‟ luggage when they arrive at the front door
and hold onto it until registration has been completed.
As soon as the guest has gone to their room, Reception will call the Bell
Desk or Concierge and advise the guest‟s room number. A porter should
then identify the luggage and take it to the guest‟s room. In some
properties the porter may have already escorted the guest to Reception
and be waiting to take them to their room.
If your property does not have a Bell Desk or Concierge then receptionists escort guests
to their rooms, and offer to carry the guests‟ luggage. Some guests prefer to take their
own luggage, but you must at least make the offer.
2.10 Implement standard house protocols for

problem situations
Introduction
There may be times when reception staff experience a problem while checking in a guest.
It is important when dealing with problem situations that all possible action is taken to
maintain service standards even where rooms may not be available.
Overbooking
What happens when rooms have been overbooked?
It may be common practice to deliberately accept more reservations than the property can
physically accommodate – this is referred to as overbooking.
Overbooking is practiced in order to optimise room sales
because the venue will know that, on average, a certain
percentage of guests who have made a booking never
show.
By precisely how much they overbook will depend on
previous statistics (historical data).
The overbooking figure will include consideration of the
previous „No Show‟ percentage (that is, people who make bookings, but don‟t show up),
Cancellations and Early check-outs for the same time period over a number of years.
An establishment may overbook by 5% or 10% (with the exception of peak periods, such
as Festivals in your city, The Grand Prix, or Major Events) when it may not overbook at all
– but operate a Wait List and fully paid reservations.
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Unfortunately where overbooking is standard practice the establishment will sometimes

get caught, and all the people who have booked will turn up!
In such instances, the establishment tries to „bump‟ the guest to another property.
Bumping a guest means sending them to another property, of the
same standard and same price structure. The property that has
overbooked will prearrange this by making a booking for the guest
in another property. They may even pay for a taxi for the bumped
guests to move to the new venue.
Properties often have arrangements between themselves to
accommodate such events. Even though they may be in competition with one another,
there can be an underlying spirit of cooperation in times of trouble.
Sometimes, the establishment may also organise a complimentary bottle of wine (or
something else deemed appropriate) with a note apologising for any inconvenience the
oversight may have caused.
An establishment never bumps corporate clients, airline or travel agent clients, long stays
or guaranteed bookings.
Those who are bumped are one-nighters, and guests who are on a standard rate, which
means they are unlikely to return anyway. This means that guests are not always bumped
on a last-come first-bumped approach. Where reception determines that there is likely to
be an overbooking situation, there must be a strategic attempt at identifying which guests
will be bumped and who won‟t be.
Attention must turn to the reservation data to identify the one-nighters etc. and these
people need to be bumped even though when they arrive there may still be vacant rooms.
These vacant rooms are needed for the „more important‟ guests who tend to be regulars.
As soon as you know an overbooking situation is about to occur action must be taken to:
Calculate the extent of the overbooking problem about to be faced – how many guests
does it involve?
Identify those who will be bumped – identify the guests whose loss will have least
impact on the property
Confirm any bookings that have still not been confirmed
Upgrade your regular guests into suites that have not
been reserved for the night in order to free up a regular
room for another guest. When the regular guest arrives to
check in let them know you have upgraded them to a
better room at no extra charge. Then you can turn an
overbooked situation into an advantage
Check for any guests who have passed the designated arrival time (allow an extra
hour) then consider them as cancelled. You might even call the contact number to
check if they still intend to arrive at your hotel
Contact other establishments to determine their potential to accept bumped guests –
this may include making several tentative bookings
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Notify management of the situation – they may want to be at reception to help handle
or pacify guests who arrive only to find they don‟t have accommodation for the night
Identify when bumped guests can be moved back to your property. The overbooking
situation may only be for one night: you may be able to accommodate a guest for the
remainder of their proposed stay. Unfortunately, once a guest has been bumped they
often do not want to return for the rest of their trip.
Room not ready

Often, if a guest arrives early in the day before the guaranteed check-in time, their room
may not be immediately available. In these cases:
Check your room allocation system to see if there is a room other than the one
assigned to the guest that fits the criteria and is vacant and ready for use
 If so, change the allocation and proceed, giving the key to the guest
 It is a good idea to check the „room status‟ i.e. whether the room is vacant and
clean, while the guest is occupied with registering. In this way, you can change the
allocation if necessary without the guest ever knowing that their room number has
been changed
If it is not possible to change an allocation and a guest must wait for their room:
 Check what time the room will be available for the guest with your Housekeeping
department
 Advise the guest of a precise time
 Apologize for the inconvenience, but let the guest know you are
doing everything possible to have their room ready quickly
 Offer alternatives to the guest to occupy their time while they are
waiting
 Some establishments will have courtesy lounges specifically for
this purpose. Here a guest can read a newspaper, conduct
business and usually have a complimentary tea or coffee.
Blacklisted guests
Blacklisted guests are always turned away. You hotel will have a policy and procedure to
deal with blacklisted guests. If you feel intimidated by the guest call the supervisor or
manager on duty to "turn away" the guest.
No reservation to be found
What do you do if there is no reservation for the guest?
Never let the guest know you are not expecting him or her, as this can make both you
and your property appear disorganized and unprofessional
Check the day‟s arrivals for an alternative spelling of a guest‟s name (you may have
„Mcgregor‟ as a reservation in the name of „Macgregor‟) when using a PMS to search
for a guest. You may just use "one letter" for example "m" for our guest and see all the
"m guests" with reservations for the day. This way you may be able to find the guest
whose name has been recorded incorrectly
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Hand the guest a registration card if you have a room and proceed as normal to book
him in and assign a room
Refer the matter to your supervisor and follow the procedures outlined by your
property if you do not have a room available. Do not take it upon yourself to inform the
guest.
2.11 Monitor guest arrivals and take appropriate

action as required
Introduction
Throughout all shifts, reception staff must monitor guest movement through reception.
A key is to monitor actual arrivals and check actual arrivals against expected arrivals.This
is important to gain an appreciation of when action needs to be taken to optimise room
sales. Always remember that whatever other functions reception has, it is still necessary
to sell all your rooms.
Rooms are a unique sales area.
If you don‟t sell a room today you can‟t sell it twice tomorrow to make up the loss.
Failure to sell a room tonight is a loss that can never be recovered – hence the situation
where some properties will offer significant price reductions for rooms when occupancy
levels are low.
This also explains why properties develop Wait Lists. Wait Lists are lists of people
seeking accommodation for a certain night but who can‟t be roomed because of the high
level of bookings/occupancy. If the property receives a cancellation (or an early guest
departure), the people on the Wait List and offered accommodation. It is the
accommodation‟s version of the airlines „Stand By‟ list.
Monitoring and checking arrivals

This means you must check the list of expected arrivals and compare that list with actual
guest movements to ascertain whether or not all expected guests have in fact arrived.
A deviation is the difference between the number of guests expected compared to the
number of guests who have actually arrived. When a deviation is identified, it must be
actioned in accordance with establishment procedures.
This may include:
Identifying No Shows and processing legitimate charges that
may be levied against them. Guests who have made a
booking but have not arrived may be charged a No Show fee
Check the types of reservations. Guaranteed reservations
are safe because even if the guest doesn‟t arrive, you have
been paid for the room. Any guests who have passed their
arrival time but have not turned up need to be contacted. If
you are unable to contact them then, you exclude their
reservation as if it was a no-show and give the room to
someone else. If the guest does arrive you explain you kept
the room until their designated time of arrival (usually plus
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one hour), tried to contact them and have now cancelled their room. They must go to
another hotel
Notifying those on the Wait List and offering them accommodation. Traditionally
people on your Wait List will continue to try to source their own accommodation after
having been refused by you so it is common for quite a number of people on the Wait
List not to accept your offer of accommodation because they have already found
alternative rooms
Checking the system details for accuracy. There may be instances where, for
example, the date of the booking was entered incorrectly by establishment staff and
where this is discovered the room availability boards or charts need to be updated to
show the revised situation
Each property should have standard procedures for what they do in these
circumstances.
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Work Projects
2.1 Define the following: „Professional‟, „Personable‟, „Sincere‟
2.2. Using the internet find at least 3 types of registration cards - record the details that
are listed.
2.3. Prepare the dialogue you would use to a guest who is a walk-in. Detail the questions
you would need to ask.
2.4. Interview a front office staff member in a hotel in your city and ask them what a
person needs to do to get onto their „black list‟.
2.5 Using your findings in Question 2.2 design a registration card.
2.6 Research key cards on the intranet.
Identify 3 companies that provide key cards.
2.7 Credit cards are widely used today - list 3 types of credit cards and the benefits of
using them.
2.8 Using the Web - locate 3 hotels of your choice and define the room facilities in 2
different types of rooms in each hotel.
2.9 Identify 3 different types of uniforms a porter might wear. Use the internet to
download pictures.
2.10 It is 15.30hrs on a Tuesday and so far all expected arrivals have checked-in. The
establishment is using a 5% overbooking policy and you are booked to 105% for
tonight. Your experience, the weather, and a range of other factors give you the
feeling that today is going to be one of those days when everyone who has booked
is going to arrive.
What action might you start to take at 15:30hrs to prepare for the arrival of people
with bookings that you can‟t accommodate?
2.11 Prepare an arrivals list - provide details of the information you think you should need.
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Summary
Perform check-in functions
Reception staff should ensure every guest receives a welcoming and professional greeting
when arriving at the establishment. Remember that reception can be the first face-to-face
contact with the guest and this meeting can therefore have a lasting effect on the guest
Once you have greeted the guest, you must next confirm the details of their reservation – if they
have one. Not every guest who wishes to check-in to an establishment has previously made a
reservation
A „walk-in‟ is a guest who walks in through the door seeking accommodation for the night
without having made a reservation
In some cases, even if you have rooms available, you might have to decline a guest‟s request
for accommodation because they are unfit to be in your hotel or they don‟t agree with the
establishment's policies and procedures
All guests in an accommodation property are required by law to register. This usually takes the
form of completing a „registration card‟, a document that must be filled in and signed by the
guest to obtain a room
Once a guest has registered and you have given them information about your property, they will
need to know their room number and obtain key access for their room. Some properties use
keys, while some have electronic key cards
Once the details about the guest‟s reservation have been checked and confirmed with the guest
and the registration form has been completed, reception staff confirm the accounting process
before they arrange for the guest to be escorted to their room
All International hotels will have porters stationed at the Concierge or Bell Desk in the hotel
lobby. Once the guest has checked into the hotel a porter makes him or herself available to
assist the guest to their room
There may be times when reception staff experience a problem while checking in a guest. It is
important when dealing with problem situations that all possible action is taken to maintain
service standards even where rooms may not be available
Throughout all shifts, reception staff must monitor guest movement through reception. The key
is to monitor actual arrivals and check actual arrivals against expected arrivals. This is important
to gain an appreciation of when action needs to be taken to optimise room sales. Always
remember that whatever other functions reception has, it is still necessary to sell all your rooms.
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Element 3: Perform „during stay‟ functions
Element 3:
Perform ‘during stay’ functions
3.1 Process room change requests
Introduction
For various reasons guests may request to change rooms
and this process must be conducted professionally and with
as little inconvenience to the guest as possible. First we
need to check the reason for the room change. Is there
something wrong with the original allocated room or is it
just not what the guest has expected?
Processing a room change request

1) Establish what is wrong with the original room. This will help to decide what room you
need to move the guest to and it will help maintenance or housekeeping if there is a
fault with the room.
2) Check availability to enquire what rooms are available that match the guest‟s request.
3) Advise the guest of the room that is available to check that it is suitable before making
any changes to the PMS. In some hotels they may even take the guest to the new
room to have a look.
4) Help move the guest into their new room. Usually a porter will assist with this, giving
the guest the new key, moving their luggage and taking back the old key.
5) If the guest has already spent some time in the room before the room change you will
need to advise all the service departments of this room change in case the guest has
put laundry into be done, been to the bar for a drink, or charged a meal to their room.
6) In a PMS system the room change will change the status of the old room from
occupied to vacant/dirty. This way housekeeping knows to clean the room again. If
you have a manual system you will need to call the houskeeping department and
advise them of the room change.
In some cases a guest may request to move to another room type that is currently not
available. You can "block" or reserve the room for the guest and advise them when the
change can occur. On the day of the room change the guest can pack their bags in their
old room and the hotel will move them across to the new room during the day when it
becomes available. All the guest has to do is pick up the new key when they arrive back
at reception.
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3.2 Process extensions to stays

Introduction
No matter how often you have confirmed the departure date with a guest there is still
occasions when they have to stay longer than anticipated. If a guest extends their stay
you will need to let housekeeping know so they can change their cleaning schedule.
Extended Stays
Where an extension is sought, room availability needs to be checked and, if
accommodation is available, then the extension can be granted. It must be remembered
that an extension cannot simply be approved just because the guest is already in-house.
As a standard rule, an expected check-in/reservation takes precedence over an existing
guest however you always need to take into account all relevant other factors which may
include:
If the expected check-in has confirmed or is late
The status of the current guest and the status of the
expected guest. Preferential treatment may be given
to regular guests
Room rate being charged. A property may elect to
extend a guest paying full rack rate and bump a
guest who is paying a much lower room rate.
In addition, payment details need to be checked. If a guest is paying by cash, they may
need to pay more cash for their extra accommodation. The fact that they have paid cash
for one night may not entitle them to stay another night on credit.
Re-rooming guests
It is preferable for extending guests to stay in the same room, but this is not always
possible; there may be an existing reservation that has made a special request for that
room.
Where the guest has to be re-roomed it is standard practice to offer porters to assist with
this.
Internal records also need to be adjusted to reflect the change in room number for the
guest, a new key/card will have to be issued and communication sent to various
departments to advise them of the change so that purchases being charged back to the
room can be accurately monitored and posted.
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3.3 Process variations to guest numbers

Introduction
Some hotels base a room charge on the number of guests in the room; a single rate and
a double rate rather than a particular rate for a room. Therefore it is essential to make
sure the correct number of guests are in each room in this type of hotel. However, all
hotels like to make sure the guest count is correct if they can.
Guest Numbers
The best way of checking the guest count is when "turndown" service is conducted in all
occupied or expected to be occupied rooms. Turndown service is the process of closing
the curtains in the room, changing used towells, turning
on a lamp, removing and folding the bedspread, turning
down the top of the bed, placing the room service menu
on the bed and a mint or little gift from the hotel on the
pillow for the number of guests in the room.
When housekeeping come into the rooms to provide
this service they usually do a check on the guest count
to see if it matches what is on their occupancy report.
If a room is recorded as one guest but housekeeping find 2 toothbrushes, 2 sets of
clothes, and the room looks like it is occupied by 2 people then they will alter the guest
count from one guest to two guests. It becomes very obvious when there are more than 2
guests staying in a room by the amount of luggage in the room.
Any variations to the guest count is recorded and sent to reception to update their
records. In some cases reception might phone the guest room to confirm the double
occupancy instead of single.
An increase or decrease in your guest count will alter your nightly figures such as
occupancy rate, average rate, and the yield figure for the night. So it is important to make
sure the guest count is as accurate as it can be.
3.4 Process variations in-room rates

Introduction
The greatest percentage of revenue in an accommodation hotel comes from the sale of
the rooms. So it is important to try to sell the right room at the right rate and make sure
the guest is allocated to the room equal to the rate they are paying. The exception to the
rule is when the hotel has discounted rates for different groups of travellers.
Variations in rates
An establishment is likely to have a number of different room rates.
Different room rates will have been identified on the basis of different types of guests that
the establishment seeks to attract, the potential for repeat or on-going business, and the
levels of occupancy (current and advanced bookings).
Not all properties may have the options listed below: still others may have more or
different options.
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Common Hotel Room Rates:

Rack rate
Corporate rates
Convention rate
Conference rate
Industry rate
Government rate
Package rate
Groups and tours rate
Complimentary rate.
3.5 Process upgrades

Introduction
The process of putting a guest into a better room than they are paying for is referred to as
"upgrading" the guest. Upgrades may occur for a variety of reasons but they will inevitably
mean that the hotel does not achieve the maximum revenue for the rooms that are
occupied on that night.
Upgrades
Type of upgrade Reason for upgrade
Sell off suites at During a fully booked situation the suites are given to regular guests
normal rates (usually corporate guests) at their quoted rate in order to free up the
regular rooms for other guests. This acts as a goodwill gesture to the
corporate guests and helps with the shortage of regular rooms for the
hotel.
Guests who have had It is usually hotel practice to upgrade a guest who has had some sort of
a bad experience bad experience at your hotel. For example, the guest has had problems
with the room and we don‟t have another equivalent room available,
then we upgrade them to a better room.
Complimentary guests A guest who receives a complimentary room is regarded as an upgrade

because there is no revenue to equal the cost of the room.
Discounted rooms All rooms that are discounted are regarded as upgraded - they are
getting a better room than what they are paying for.
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3.6 Process special requests

Introduction
There are a variety of special requests that come from guests. Some can be as simple as
requesting a room away from the lifts, or a non-smoking room while others can be
complicated such as requesting concert tickets that are next to impossible to obtain.
Some special requests can be granted at no cost while others will incur a cost. It is
important to advise the guest if there is a cost involved with their request at the time of
making the request. Sometimes guests remember to make these requests at the time of
making the reservation wheras at other times they ask when they arrive at the hotel or
when they get into their room.
Special request
Examples of special requests:
No Charge Costs associated
Particular room requests, non- Room requests such as high floor, poolside
smoking, away from lift, disabled room, ocean view - all have higher rates
facilities attached to them.
Fruit baskets, champagne or hotel

Guests ask for champagne, flowers or fruit to be
gift for specific guests such as
put into their room.
honeymooners given by hotel.
Iron and ironing boards Car parking (could be included in a package)
Power adapters Extra bed/person in room
Pillow menu - for a choice of pillows Transfers to airport
Late departure (made with prior Extemely late checkouts (usually after midday
arrangement up to a specified time) are charged)
Additional room amenities, soap,

towels, blankets, etc.
Baby facilities such as a cot
Luggage storage
Choice of newspaper
Hotel airport bus
Booking hotel facilities
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3.7 Process guest charges

Introduction
During the guest stay hopefully they will use some of the hotel services which will incur
charges that are processed on to their account. Most hotels make it easy to charge
services back to their room as guests don‟t feel like they are actually 'paying‟ for the
service at the time and this can encourage them to spend more. The process of recording
a charge against the guest account is called posting.
Processing charges
Processing charges can occur right through the guest cycle, starting from the minute the
guest checks in with a deposit to when they leave and finally pay the account.
Every hotel will have a standard operating procedure to post charges to ensure this is
done accurately and accountably.
A charge is created when a guest uses one of the services available, such as dining in the
restaurant, having a drink at the pool bar, or being treated to mud wrap spa treatment.
The guests may pay for this directly or choose to charge it back to their room.
When charging back to their room the guest is required to print their
name, identify the room number and sign the account. A signature on
the account indicates that the guest has consumed the goods and is
willing to pay for the privilege. Usually the staff at the point of sale will
check the name against the room number to make sure it is correct. A
PMS system will help with this process otherwise the staff will check
manually against an in-house guest list. It often happens that a guest
may forget their room number or mix up the numbers of the room so
some properties ask the guest to show their room key or hotel
identification that has been given to them, such as a card with their room number and
signature.
A full PMS with an intergrated point of sale system will allow the guest charge to be
posted directly on to the guest‟s account anywhere in the hotel. Without the point of sale
system the charge will be recorded in the outlet and the charge document must be sent
back to the reception area to be posted on to the guest‟s room account.
The charge document or docket will have the details of the transaction that has been
consumed.
Name of the department that has provided the service
Data and time of the service
Details of the goods and service
Total cost including any GST or taxes
Name of the guest
Room number
Guest signature.
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3.8 Respond to guest queries

Introduction
The front office is the main point of contact for all guests, so it is here that most of the
queries and requests are directed. The concierge, porters and doorman all assist in this
area by responding to guest queries. Often the guest will talk to reception about the
particular query and reception will contact other departments within the hotel to assist with
these queries.
The opportunity to describe facilities may occur at any time during a guest‟s stay. As a
Receptionist you are required to know about all areas of the property, from food and
beverage to housekeeping and business centre services. That is a lot of information to
absorb, and items such as restaurant opening hours will be constantly changing, so you
must ensure your knowledge is up to date.
Guest queries
In the Hospitality Industry, remember that the guest is the reason you work, not an
interruption to it. If there were no guests, you would not have a job. You are in a service
industry and your job is to give good service. When a guest asks questions, you must
never think of it as an inconvenience. React promptly, give the guest your full attention
and show genuine interest in their questions.
If you know the answer:
Tell the guest and ask if there is anything else you can help
them with
Finish the conversation with a pleasant greeting, e.g. „I hope
you enjoy your stay‟.
If you don‟t know the answer:
Never make it up or say, „I don‟t know‟ or „That‟s not my
department‟
Offer to find out and get back to the guest with the answer
Do not keep the guest waiting while you try to find the answer
Make sure you follow up and get back to the guest quickly.
Handling guest queries might involve other departments such as:
Concierge
 Messages and mail delivery
 Requests regarding booking tickets to venues and entertainment
 Tour bookings
 Hire cars
 Handle all bookings and arrangements for facilities outside the hotel.
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Housekeeping
 Extra facilities in the room such as blankets, pillows and towels, baby goods, even
an extra bed
 Unlock connecting doors
 Extra service of a room
Room Service
 Arrange for food or beverage orders to be delivered to the room
Maintenance
 To fix any faults in the room, for example; light bulb on the bedside lamp is broken
or air conditioning isn't working properly
Restaurants, Bars and other outlets
 Make reservations for the hotel guests
 Report any food allergies or special requests.
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Work Projects
3.1 Design a form that could be used when a guest has requested a room change.
Remember to take into account all the points mentioned in this section of this
manual.
3.2. Make a list of why guests are likely to extend their stay. Document what needs to be
done to allow this extension.
3.3. List 3 reasons why it is important to make variations to the guest numbers.
3.4. Document at least 3 variations in room rates and comment of why and to whom
these variations in rate are given.
3.5 Use the internet search "upgrade hotel rooms" and read through and record at least
3 of the findings.
3.6 Using the internet select 3 hotel sites of your choice and list 3 special requests that
could be obtained from each hotel.
3.7 Design a form to record all the guest charge information for a hotel outlet.
3.8 Using the concierge reference in this section provide answers to the queries
mentioned - such as a hire car company or entertainment in your city.
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Summary
Perform ‘during stay’ functions
For various reasons guests may request to change rooms and this process must be
conducted professionally and with as little inconvenience to the guest as possible. First we
need to check the reason for the room change
Where an extension is sought, room availability needs to be checked and, if accommodation is
available, then the extension can be granted. It must be remembered that extension cannot
simply be approved just because the guest is already in-house
Some hotels base a room charge on the number of guests in the room; a single rate and a
double rate rather than a particular rate for a room. Therefore it is essential to make sure the
correct number of guests are in each room in this type of hotel
The greatest percentage of revenue in an accommodation hotel comes from the sale of the
rooms. So it is important to try to sell the right room at the right rate and make sure the guest
is allocated to the room equal to the rate they are paying. The exception to the rule is when
the hotel has discounted rates for different groups of travellers
Upgrades may occur for a variety of reasons but they will inevitably mean that the hotel does
not achieve the maximum revenue for the rooms that are occupied on that night
There are a variety of special requests that come from guests. Some can be as simple as
requesting a room away from the lifts, or a non-smoking room while others can be complicated
such as requesting concert tickets that are next to impossible to obtain. Some special
requests can be granted at no cost while others will incur a cost
Some of the hotel services which will incur charges are processed on to their account. Most
hotels make it easy to charge services back to their room as guests don‟t feel like they are
actually 'paying" for the service at the time and this can encourage them to spend more
The front office is the main point of contact for all guests, so it is here that most of the queries
and requests are directed. The concierge, porters and doorman all assist in this area by
responding to guest queries.
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Element 4:
Perform check-out functions
4.1 Maintain and prepare guest accounts
Introduction
Communication is vital in many aspects of hospitality work.
It is essential between staff and guests, and between staff within the organisation.
At reception it is important for staff to communicate with other departments to make sure
that all legitimate charges that can be applied to a guest account are identified and
accurately posted to the relevant account/folio.
Seeking information on departing guests

The reception staff may need to gather information from other departments, before
processing a check-out.
Where an effective computerised system is being used this
may not need to occur as the system will automatically
post charges to the guest folio from remote locations as
charges are incurred. Communication may need to occur
to organise supporting documentation for these charges.
However, this usually only happens where there is a
dispute, as all supporting documentation is traditionally
forwarded at set times throughout the day rather than „on
request‟ or after every transaction purchase.
The „guest folio‟ is simply another name for the bill. Every guest has at least one folio and
quite often more, depending on how the guest wishes the charges to be distributed. This
is called „splitting‟ the bill. If you have a PMS, you can print out a guest folio otherwise you
will have to type it. Either way, your property will have pre-printed forms for guest folios.
The guest folio/s will show the name of the guest, room number and the arrival and
departure dates. A guest may ask to see his/her account at any time, so charges are
usually „posted‟ to the folio when they occur e.g. a room service charge will be posted to
the guest account as soon as the guest has authorized the charge by signing the account.
The departments you may need to obtain information from may include:
Food and Beverage Department – the guest may have just had breakfast and is now
checking-out
Housekeeping Department – to identify any late mini-bar charges.
In some cases, if there was an in-house function, it is important to make sure that all the
function charges are posted on the guest‟s account.
Charges may include hire fees for projectors, lecterns and speakers, as well as charges
for food and beverage supplied.
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Remember, some establishments use an in-house computerised system to notify and

post charges, whereas other premises will use a paper-based, signed docket system to
support manual posting of charges to guest accounts.
It is always preferable to have copies of signed, supporting documentation at reception
when the guest checks out to assist in clarifying any queries that may be made.
Checking for accuracy

A standard practice should be to check the supporting documentation against the actual
posted charges to verify that the charges levied are complete and accurate.
Of course we never want to charge a guest for a product or service they didn‟t receive.
Similarly we also want to make sure we don‟t allow the guest to depart without paying for
any legitimate charge that applies to their stay.
When making these checks, it should also be standard practice to match supporting
documentation with charges. If there is a charge that has no supporting documentation,
you should initiate action to obtain that paperwork.
Other checks may include:
Making sure calculations on the dockets are correct – especially where these have
been calculated by manually
Making sure the signature and name on the docket relates to the person shown as
occupying the room to which the charge applies
Verifying the signature on the dockets against the signature provided by the guest at
check in.
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4.2 Prepare and review departures lists

Introduction
The departure list provides the front office with a lisiting of all guests expected to depart
on the day. Reception needs to constantly review this list to make changes and
communicate these changes to other departments. However, not all guests on the list
depart, some guests depart before their due date (they are not on the list) while others
request extensions. That is why reception have to constantly review the departures list.
Review departures list

A departure list for the day will be generated either early in the morning or overnight by
the night audit team. Check the report for:
Express check-outs Prepare the necessary documentation to give to the

guest. These guests want a fast and efficient check-
out with no problems.
Group check-outs and late So that Reception is not cluttered with the main group
check-outs at one time, guest folios can be prepared ahead of
check-out.
Early check-outs These can affect the Housekeeping Department, as

well as Reception, which may need to determine
whether a late check-out fee is to be charged to the
guest.
Variations to check-out from Housekeeping will have previously received a report

details indicated on the regarding check-in/check-outs. Check the guest
registration card departure list to see if there have been any variations
to what was previously advised to Housekeeping, e.g.
overstays etc.
Early departures
Where guests depart at a premature date, this means that a room becomes available for
resale earlier than expected.
Housekeeping should be notified to service the room as soon as possible so it can be
placed back on the rack/board for sale.
Other issues
Other aspects associated with reviewing departure lists
include checking documentation to ensure a speedy and
efficient check-out.
Issues to check could include:
Ensuring that company faxes are attached to the Registration Card where it is a company
booking.
Checking to see if guest has exceeded the Floor Limit for credit card payment and
obtaining appropriate authorisation where necessary.
Gathering charges for posting to the guest folio from other departments.
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4.3 Present accounts to guests

Introduction
Preparing a guest account is an important part of the guest stay/guest cycle.
Timing and accuracy are the two most important points in relation to the guest account.
The guest account should be ready for the guest when they are ready to pay and depart.
They shouldn‟t be kept waiting while their account is prepared. This is a common
complaint from guests.
The account must accurately reflect the guest‟s stay and not include unexpected or
unexplained additional charges or charges that should have been posted to another
account, room or guest.
Generating guest accounts

The customer service component
Often, when a guest departs, the final contact they have is with the front office staff. This
may be you as a receptionist or a dedicated cashier who performs the check-outs,
presents the accounts and accepts payment.
It is of the utmost importance that this final contact be
courteous, professional and positive. In some cases the
nature of this contact can determine whether or not the
guest decides to return, or decides to stay at other
properties.
Remember that during this contact, we are giving the
guest nothing, and we are taking money off them!
Also, the money they are paying – and it will always seem like quite a lot of money to
them – is for nothing tangible.
The guests are leaving the establishment with nothing. They may have had a room for the
night, eaten dinner, had a few drinks, but they really have nothing tangible to show for the
money they have just spent.
It needs stressing, therefore, that a very high level of service is required at this point.
There is likely to be a standard general procedure for handling a guest check-out but it is
important for reception staff to adhere to individual establishment policies on such
procedures.
The importance of accuracy when making up a guest's account cannot be stressed too
highly: an error that is in the venue‟s favour will always be misinterpreted as an attempt at
ripping the guest off.
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Presenting the account

The moment you identify a guest about to check-out you should immediately
acknowledge them and not wait for them to make the first approach.
The greeting should be as mentioned before:
Professional
Personable
Welcoming
Sincere
Polite
Friendly.
The greeting must contain:
The guest‟s name or title, if appropriate
An offer of assistance – “Good morning, Mr Wiseman. Are you checking out?”
Ask the guest for their details
Name and room number – and confirm information on the charts or in the computer:
number of nights, type of room, and rate quoted.
Ask the guest if they had any other charges
Did they use the mini-bar last night, or on the morning of their departure?
This would not be recorded from the previous day, because the mini-bar attendant can
finish work as late as 5:00pm and charges after this time may not have been entered on
to the guest‟s account.
If the guest did have items from the mini-bar, a docket needs to be raised and the amount
and room number entered so the charge can be posted to the guest‟s account.
Did they have breakfast this morning? - if breakfast is not included in their rate.
A hotel with a PMS and point of sale system won't have to ask this question but a hotel
without it will need to contact the outlet where the guest consumed their breakfast and
obtain details of the charge and add this to the guest‟s account.
Finally the folio/account is printed
Present to the guest for verification and signature/payment.
Safe deposit boxes
If your hotel doesn‟t have in-room safes during account payment it is good customer
relations to ask the guest if they have used the safety deposit box in their room and if
they have, did they remember to clear it out.
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Other duties
When the account has been finalised and the guest has departed, it is standard practice
to check the date of departure. Where the date of departure is earlier than anticipated,
this is called an Early Check Out and while no charge applies, the Housekeeping
department will need to be advised that the room is now a Check-out room and not a Stay
room.
This means Housekeeping can clean the room in preparation for the next arrival.
Explain the accounts

When the account is presented to the guest there may be a need to assist the guest with
explaining the charges.
Many guests simply pay the identified amount without question, but some can go through
the account with a fine-tooth comb.
It is important that you do not indicate your displeasure with any guest who either checks
out or queries their account. They have a right to do this and your job is to convince them
that the account is honest and accurate.
We don‟t want a poor customer relations exercise at check-out to spoil an otherwise
perfect stay.
It is important to remember that check-out time is usually 7:00am – 9:00am and the
reception can be very busy. There can be lots of people queuing to check-out, all eager to
get going: these people can become quickly annoyed at being delayed by check-out
problems.
This means you can often be under pressure not only from a guest who is querying/ or
disputing their account but also from others waiting in line. It can be a pretty stressful
situation on some occasions!
Explain account clearly
Part of your role is to explain the account courteously to
the guest, and to process (that is, accept payment for) the
account accurately.
The account is presented to the guest for payment and,
providing the guest accepts all charges and no
adjustments need to be made, the guest receives a copy
for their record, and another copy remains with the cashier for balancing purposes at the
end of their shift.
The account may be presented in an envelope or a folder. Follow house practices in this
regard. Some establishments simply hand the guest the final folio print out without any
folder.
Some establishments use a code system for charges and guests may occasionally
require your help in interpreting these abbreviations, codes or symbols, even where a
legend appears at the bottom of the account.
In other instances, there may be legitimate charges entered on to the account that the
guest did not expect such as late check outs, newspapers (that they may have thought
were provided free-of-charge). These too need to be explained and the rationale for their
inclusion made clear.
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It is common for cashiers and reception staff to have some discretionary powers when it
comes to resolving disputes over accounts. This discretionary power may be a dollar
amount up to which you can use your own judgement as to whether a charge should be
dropped.
In all cases follow house policy in relation to using this discretionary power.
Such powers allow reception staff to, for example, drop the charge for a newspaper,
where the guest is adamant that they did not order or receive one, or were specifically
advised by another staff member when they made their booking that newspapers were
provided as part of the room rate.
The ability of reception staff to make such decisions will speed up check-out and create
better guest relations both with the guest who has the issue and with all guests who are
waiting to be processed.
4.4 Process payments and refunds and issue

receipts
Introduction
The method of processing payments will vary between establishments.
It is advisable that those holding the role of processing payments refer to their
establishment‟s policies and procedures on such matters.
The Front Office is where you process guest arrivals and departures. Both of these
require you to process financial transactions or undertake cashiering tasks. Other
financial transactions that you will be required to perform include:
Posting charges to guest accounts (processing guest accounts)
Signing-in for your cash float and controlling cash in and out of the cash drawer/till
Processing receipts, payments and non-cash transactions
Process payments
Take particular note of the method of payment and ask the guest if that particular method
is still the preferred method of payment. For example:
"Mr Collins do you still want to pay with your VISA card?"
In some cases the guest might want to get rid of any extra
local currency they have and request to pay some by cash
and the rest on Visa. Or they may have had a great holiday
and already spent up to the credit limit on their account so
they will pay by another means.
You might have to ask the guest for a copy of the credit card again to process the
payment. Process the credit card payment according to the hotel policies and procedures.
Guests may dispute items or amounts that have been posted to the account, such as food
and/or beverage charges. Reference to the charge voucher may be necessary to resolve
the dispute.
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In cases where a guest disputes the room rate, a supervisor or manager will need to be
called to resolve the dispute.
In cases where there are disputes, the cashier must be able to resolve them courteously
and tactfully, and as quickly as possible.
If a guest does not have any items of dispute, the account can be settled. Process the
method of payment and hand the original of the account to the guest.
Acceptable methods of payment:
Credit cards
Direct Billing/Company Charge
Cash
Vouchers
Traveller‟s cheque or travel cards.
http://www.visa-asia.com/ap/au/index.shtml
http://www.americanexpress.com
Exchange foreign currency
Guests may wish to change their cash into local currency or
back to their own currency and many hotels, particularly the
larger ones, will provide this service. Make sure that you are
able to direct guests to the nearest bank and/or foreign
exchange bureau if your property does not offer this service.
Exchange foreign currency according to property procedures and guidelines. For
example:
Make sure you know which currencies your property will exchange
Confirm exchange rate (cash, traveller‟s cheque)
Tell your guest what the hotel exchange rate is (some hotels will use a foreign
exchange docket which shows details of the exchange rate and calculates how much
the guest will receive for his foreign cash. This docket is signed by the guest to
indicate that he agrees to the amount of the transaction
Collect foreign currency from guest
Give guest correct amount of cash.
Receipt of payment
You should remember that when a payment has been made, a receipt for that payment
has to be issued. The method an establishment uses for the recording of guest accounts
determines the kind of receipt that will be issued.
Usually when a guest checks out a new printout of the guest folio/account is given to the
guests as a receipt, these folios are usually in duplicate so the cashier has a copy and so
does the guest. Some hotels have personalized hotel folders to be used to present the
guest a copy of their account.
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Obtaining the room key

Most guests will voluntarily hand over their room
key/card but where they don‟t there is a need for you
to ask for it.
Replacing lost keys/cards is an expense for the
property that can easily be overcome simply by
ensuring that all keys/cards are collected from
guests when they check-out.
It is part of your job to recover the room key/card from the guest. Where a cashier handles
check-out and account processing, this responsibility will be theirs.
Should the guest not have their key/card, the procedure the establishment takes will
depend on how strict they are on such matters.
If the key is a normal key, the porter may be sent to the room to retrieve the key as often
guests intentionally leave keys in the room believing they are doing the right thing.
If the key is of the card variety, it may not be considered a problem. When the room is
ready for a new guest, the plastic key will be reprogrammed and the old one becomes
obsolete anyway as they will not be able to open the room.
Most, if not all room keys, have a relatively large tag attached to them for the special
purpose of making it harder for the guests to forget about their room key.
If they do forget about them, most tags carry written advice asking the guest to simply
drop the key into a post box and the establishment will pay any expenses involved in the
return of the key.
When guests hand over their key/card make sure you thank them for doing this.
Processing keys/cards
Processing keys may involve returning the key to a key safe, or hanging it on the hook for
the designated room number.
Processing cards may involve returning the card to a box so that it can be re-programmed
for the next guest.
Where a key is identified as being lost, internal documents may need to be completed to
enable a new key to be obtained and/or to have the lock on that room replaced.
Where a key card is lost, there is usually no special follow-up required as the room will
automatically be rendered safe through the re-programming of another card. Attention
must, of course, be paid to ensuring that there are always „sufficient‟ cards in stock behind
reception to cater for expected arrivals plus allow for a percentage of „lost‟ cards.
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Farewelling the guest

The final stage of the service cycle is just as important as the first since it will leave a
lasting impression on guests. Along with a welcoming smile and a pleasant greeting,
guests need to feel that they would be welcomed back. By acknowledging the guest and
offering a meaningful smile as they leave, the guest is left with an impression of
friendliness and will be encouraged to return.
The following are basic steps which will assist you in farewelling
guests:
Assist guests with their luggage or arrange for a porter to do so
Thank the guests for their patronage
Give the guests time to collect their receipts and belongings
without feeling that you are hurrying them
Remember to use their name in the farewell greeting
Offer guests a smile as they leave.
4.5 Process express check-outs

Introduction
Not all premises offer Express Checkout.
It is more common in large establishments, especially those that cater for business people
who don‟t want to be delayed at check-out.
Processing express check-outs

Express check-out provides extra service for the guest. Where this service is offered, a
couple of systems may apply.
The guest who wishes an Express Checkout may need to request this service. When they
do they receive an Express Check-Out form from reception they are asked to complete all
relevant details.
Alternatively these forms may be provided in-room near the telephone or in the in-room
compendium.
An Express Checkout means that when departing the guest doesn‟t need to wait at
reception.
They simply need to hand in the Express Checkout form at reception
and the business will charge their credit card or send the account to the
company for payment. The day prior to a guest‟s departure an express
check-out form is signed by the guest. The Front Office cashier checks
the signature against the credit card imprint or guest registration form,
obtained at registration and held on the guest‟s file. There is a clause in
most Express Checkout forms stating that the guest authorises the
establishment to action the above process.
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In many establishments the Express Checkout process is facilitated using the in-room
television. The hotel is able to put the guest account up on the screen so the guests can
check their accounts before they proceed with the express checkout.
Premises that offer this service will usually also have a „Key/Card Drop‟ slot near
reception so that Express Checkout departing guests can return their key/card.
No charge applies to guests for availing themselves of this service, and those who use
the service tend to value it quite highly as it means they can better plan their day and
don‟t risk missing an important meeting, missing a flight or getting caught in traffic jams to
the airport.
4.6 Process group check-outs

Introduction
Group check-outs are potentially problematic for reception as it can mean loads of guests
and all their luggage clogging up the front office area.
For these reasons, most establishments plan the departure of groups and have special
procedures that apply, in the same way that special procedures applied to their check-in.
Remember to find out what group check-out procedures apply where you work and make
sure you follow those.
High on the list of what to do is planning and coordination between staff. The primary idea
is to handle the group as a group and not as, for example, a hundred or more individuals
who are all checking out at the one time.
Group check-outs
The Master Account (or Master Folio as it is also known) is a list of the group‟s identical
charges to be settled by the tour leader on check-out. Identical charges can include
accommodation, breakfast and any other charges that were standard across the entire
group as negotiated when the booking was taken. On the due departure date the cashier
must obtain the signature of the tour leader after the master account has been finalized.
Most groups will have a direct billing arrangement established, and the property may have
even required a large group booking to pre-pay (or at least forward a significant deposit to
secure) their booking. In some cases the tour director will bring vouchers to be used in
exchange for their stay at the establishment which the venue will then process for
payment.
Where members of the group have incurred additional charges
(that is, they have bought items that were not covered as part
of their „package‟) such as laundry or bar charges, an
individual account would be created called an „Extras
Account‟.
These extras are paid for by the guests themselves. All
individual accounts may be finalized via express check-out or
individuals may have to settle their accounts at the front office. These individual accounts
may be finalized the evening prior to check-out or at the time of checkout. Check with the
guest for any further charges which need to be added to the account, such as breakfast,
in-room fridge and/or newspapers. Finalize the account and hand a copy to the guest for
checking before processing the payment.
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The group leader will normally collect all room keys/cards and present them to reception.
While the keys/cards are being returned to you and the accounts are being processed,
the porters will load the luggage on to the coach and the group will depart.
Group luggage
When handling group luggage, porters will usually have obtained a guest list from
Reception and made up luggage tags well in advance.
This saves time and confusion.
The porter will:
Count all the pieces of luggage
Make a note on the group record
Deliver the luggage to the transport vehicle
following the instructions of the tour group
coordinator.
If group baggage is to be stored for any length of time netting or roping bags together to
avoid confusion with other groups‟ bags is a security precaution that may be used. This
ensures all baggage is together and helps avoid loss or theft.
Any missing baggage must be reported immediately to management.
4.7 Distribute departures list as required

Introduction
Departure lists are printed out and distributed to various departments to assist the hotel to
process a smooth check-out for the guests.
Departure lists
The following departments require departure lists to assist with the check-out process.
Housekeeping
 The departure list is used to allocate checkout service rooms to the housekeeping
staff
 The time of the guest departure could also help with having the room serviced and
available for resale.
Concierge and Porters
 The departure list is used for staffing purposes. High check-out days, especially if
groups and tours are involved, need to be identified as more staff is required
 Time to departure is also important
 High check-out days means the hotel has to have plenty of taxis or airport transfer
buses available.
Security
 VIP or high profile guests need security to be present at the time of departure just
to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Management
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 Various levels of management like to peruse the departures list to see who is
checking out on a particular day. Some managers may come and farewell
particular guests
Maintenance
 Departure lists help the maintenance department as they may need to have
certain rooms placed out-of-order and need to know when they are available.
4.8 Assist guest with on departure requests

Introduction
Reception staff are responsible for acting on guest requests for assistance on their
departure.
In some instances, reception staff will offer to help themselves, while on other occasions,
assistance will be provided via another department, but organised through reception.
In all instances, the help that is provided must be delivered with courtesy.
Recording forwarding address

In some situations a departing guest may ask you to record their forwarding address.
This is common for some business people and for international tourists who are touring
the country.
Where this is requested it usually reflects the fact that they were expecting letters that
have not yet arrived. It should be standard practice when such a request is made to
immediately check to see if the expected letter, fax or e-mail has arrived but not been
passed on.
The following procedure where the guest wants to leave a forwarding address is:
Note down the address as stated by the guest
Record it as appropriate for the system used at reception. This can mean filing the
address in a specific file or adding the address to a guest file within the computerised
system
When any letter, fax or e-mail arrives for a guest who is not currently shown as in-
house, these files (as well as the Arrivals File) should be checked and the
correspondence forwarded as appropriate. Simply re-addressing the envelope or
forwarding an e-mail may suffice
If the expected item is a parcel, house rules regarding payment for forwarding such
items must apply. This commonly involves advising the guest that costs for sending
the parcel will be charged to their credit card on a cost recovery basis.
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Provide lost and found services

When attending to guestrooms, staff might come across
personal property of guests who have checked out. Just
because a guest has departed, does not mean the person
deliberately left these items behind, so every effort must be
taken to keep the items safe for the guest to claim.
Lost property can be defined as all the items left in check-out rooms and that do not
belong to the establishment. Common items that are left include watches, jewellery,
books, small address books, wallets, cameras, and duty-free shopping items. Some of
these items have a greater monetary value than others. To safeguard your own
reputation, those items that are of a greater value – cameras, jewellery, wallets or ther
important items e.g. airline tickets, bus/coach tickets, or theatre tickets, should be
reported to your supervisor immediately.
Baggage may be lost prior to a guest‟s arrival or within a property. In either case,
Reception may be called upon to assist in finding it. Your property will have set
procedures for locating lost bags and recording and holding lost property.
Lost property is usually taken to the Housekeeping office where each item is labelled with
the following information:
Date found
Room number – or other location as appropriate (corridor, guest laundry etc.)
Exact location in room where item was found – „under the bed‟, „in the bathroom‟
Description of item – such as „Gent‟s briefcase, brown, locked, Avion brand‟, „ladies
Seiko watch, gold with leather strap‟
Name of person who found the item
Date item was returned to the owner - after item has been claimed or sent to the
rightful owner.
Only items that are going to be stored for a short time may be kept in the Housekeeping
office. All other items, especially items of value, must be stored in a securely locked area.
The Housekeeper will keep a log on what happens to each item, e.g. whether the items
are returned to the guest by mail, picked up personally, are to be given to charity etc.
Where property is found in a guest room by the Housekeeping staff – or handed in to
Reception by other guests – it is Reception who are responsible for handling the lost and
found/lost property paperwork.
Lost and Found items are traditionally kept in the Housekeeping department. However,
some establishments will have a Lost and Found register at Reception to trace the articles
left behind while other establisments will direct all lost property queries through to the
housekeeping department.
Generally, lost property is kept for three months. However during that time the
establishment may attempt to contact the owner, especially if the item appears valuable
and/or of the guest is a regular.
Where a forwarding address and/or phone number is available, the guest is contacted
and asked if they would like the item returned.
The guest may be asked to forward postage before the item is sent.
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A „With Compliments‟ letter generally accompanies the return of the item and a copy of
this letter should be filed in the lost property correspondence file.
Some items that have not been claimed within a three-month period, after all channels to
contact the owner have been exhausted, will be given back to the finder or handed to
police depending on the value of the item and what it is.
Lost property should never be taken off the premises without the correct authorisation.
You cannot assume that an item is yours simply because you found it and the owner has
departed.
Calling a taxi
In most establishments, if there isn‟t a taxi stand there
may be a direct line to a taxi company.
As an alternative, you may book a taxi for a guest. This
is often done under a room number, rather than a
name, as this number is used as a reference by the
taxi driver and can be a lot easier to remember than a
surname.
Where a taxi stand is available, a porter or concierge may summon the next cab off the
rank to transport the guests. The taxi driver and/or porters should load guest luggage into
the taxi. The guests should not be expected to do this themselves.
Making a booking at another establishment

On occasions departing guests may ask your advice about where to stay, or obtaining a
reservation, at their next destination. Try and sell your own company if you have a
property in the next destination. If not, this is an excellent opportunity to provide customer
service and also a selling opportunity as the property will usually gain a commission when
making a reservation on behalf of the guests.
To accommodate guest needs you will need to:
Identify their destination
Determine the style and quality of establishment they wish to stay in
Find out if they have a preference as to the hotel they want to stay with
Use your industry knowledge coupled with information available (such as details
available through brochures, guides and the electronic information contained within a
CRS)
Advise the guest of their available options and gain agreement as to their preferred
option
Contact the hotel – usually by telephone – and make enquiries, lodging the booking
where suitable accommodation is available
Obtain a booking number for the reservation and, if agreed by the guest, guarantee
the booking
Pass the details of the booking in hard copy form on to the guest
Thank the guest for their booking.
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When the guest has departed, follow internal procedures to ensure that your property
records the booking and will receive the commission to which they are entitled.
In some establishments, a forward booking may be the role of the concierge so identify
what applies where you work and adhere to that.
Organise a porter to take luggage

Some guests will ring from their room to organise a porter‟s service at a specific time:
advice regarding this is usually contained within the in-room compendium.
When the guest has notified Reception about their need for porter assistance, you will
need to pass this on to a porter advising them of:
Guest name/s – which will also indicate the number of guests whose luggage needs to
be moved
The amount of luggage – you should ask the departing guest how many bags they
have
Room number.
Any special details that apply such as whether the departure needs to be done
immediately or if any other time limits apply.
The porter will then take a trolley, go to the guest room, and stack the trolley with the
luggage doing a check to ensure the guest hasn‟t left behind any of their belongings.
Where the amount of luggage or number of departing guests is „large‟, several porters
may work together to effect this process.
Porters may also be required to pick up guest luggage from the reception area and
transport it to a car boot, taxi or coach.
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Work Projects
4.1 Create a guest folio for a guest
4.2. Research the type of data that would be available on a departure list
4.3. Prepare dialogue to process a guest checkout
4.4. Describe how you would process the payment of a credit card
4.5 Go to a hotel in your area and collect an express check out form. Discuss this with
the class
4.6 Design a master folio for a group and record all the identical charges that would be
paid by the tour leader
4.7 Research and design a departure list for a hotel
4.8 Create a Lost and Found Register.
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Summary
Perform check-out functions
The departure list provides the front office with a listing of all guests expected to depart on the
day. Reception need to constantly review this list to make changes and communicate these
changes to other departments
The departure list provides the front office with a lisiting of all guests expected to depart on the
day. Reception need to constantly review this list to make changes and communicate these
changes to other departments
Preparing a guest account is an important part of the guest stay/guest cycle. Timing and
accuracy are the two most important points in relation to the guest account. The guest account
should be ready for the guest when they are ready to pay and depart
The Front Office is where you process guest arrivals and departures. Both of these require you
to process financial transactions or undertake cashiering tasks
The guest who wishes an Express Checkout may need to request this service and when they
do they receive an Express Check-Out form from Reception and are asked to complete all
relevant details
Group check-outs are potentially problematic for Reception as it can mean loads of guests and
all their luggage clogging up the front office area. For these reasons, most establishments plan
the departure of groups and have special procedures that apply, in the same way that special
procedures applied to their check-in
Departure lists are printed out and distributed to various departments to assist the hotel to
process a smooth check-out to the guests
Reception staff are responsible for acting on guest requests for assistance on their departure. In
some instances, reception staff will offer to help themselves, while on other occasions,
assistance will be provided via another department, but organised through Reception.
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Element 5:
Prepare front office records and
reports
5.1 Prepare and update front office records
Introduction
It is Reception‟s responsibility to prepare and update front office records within designated
timelines.
Exactly what these timelines are will vary depending on the levels of trade and the type of
record.
Accuracy and timeliness are critical to this aspect of the job.
Prepare and update front office records

Some records may be required to be updated at specific times each
day, while other records will need to be updated as you become
aware of information
For example, if a guest has made a booking to arrive on the 6th of
June and depart on the 9th of June, and then calls a few days later
to change their booking to arrive on the 7th and depart on the 10th of
June, the establishment would need to update all paper-based and/or computer-based
records to reflect this.
In addition, room availability for the revised dates would need to be checked before the
alteration was accepted.
Changes to records may include:
Updating the Room Availability boards/Charts – or PMS/electronic equivalent
Updating Room Allocation sheets (depending on when the call to alter the booking
was made) – or PMS/electronic equivalent
Updating the Bookings Diary – or PMS/electronic equivalent.
Where guests request certain other services such as:
Room change
Early departure
Early arrival
Upgrade
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All house policies and procedures must be followed to accurately reflect the revised
position of guests in the establishment. This may mean adjusting paper-based forms or
computerised records by:
Altering room number/s
Updating room rate
Amending room type, where appropriate
Modifying departure dates/times
Updating room availability – if the guest has changed
room type
Where appropriate, of course, relevant legitimate charges (for upgrades, late check-
out etc.) must also be posted to the guest‟s account.
Where guests are No Shows or Cancellations, enterprise policies must again be observed
with Room Availability, Room Allocation, any prepared folios, pre-registered cards etc.
being updated.
The Accounts department must also be prepared to recover any legitimate charges and/or
refund any money the guest is entitled to receive.
Guest History needs to be updated after the guest has stayed at your hotel. The PMS will
automatically record the length of stay, room type, rate paid and even a record of
expenditure by the guest. In non-computerized hotels the guest history will have to be
manually updated by recording the lastest visit details on to the guest history card.
5.2 Generate internal reports as required

Introduction
In most establishments, the compiling of reservation statistics and the production of
reports and records occurs during the night shift – between 11:00pm and 7:30am –
because this is traditionally the quietest period.
Some establishments print many reports which are distributed to numerous departments,
and some properties produce a lot less for more limited distribution.
The reports, records and statistics give managers an overview of trade, enable them to
track progress, analyse their performance, plan for future events and needs, and identify
trends.
Internal Reports
There are many reservation reports and records (also known as
statistics and/or statistical analysis) that are produced. These can
include:
Arrivals Report/Arrivals List
This is an alphabetical listing of guests arriving on a specific day.
Departures Report/Departures List
This is an alphabetical listing of guests departing on a specific day.
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No Show Report
This is a list of guests who have made a booking
but did not show on the day.
Room Status Report
This is a list giving the status of every guest room
– vacant clean/room ready, vacant dirty, occupied
or out of order.
Special Requests Report
This is a list of guests requesting something special in their room prior to their arrival –
cot, champagne, fruit basket.
Occupancy Forecast Report
This is usually printed for a month (the next 30 days).
Used as an indication of the occupancy percentage expected for the next month.
This forecast will change according to additional bookings and cancellations.
Average Room Rates Report
This indicates total room revenue in one day divided by the number of rooms occupied
(paid and complimentary) to establish the average room rate.
Multiple or Double Room Occupancy Report
This report specifies how many rooms in the establishment had more than one guest
in the room.
Guest List by Name Report
This is an alphabetical list of all „in-house‟ guests.
Guest List by Room Report
This is a list of all occupied rooms – starting from the lowest
room number to the highest, followed by a guest name.
Travel Agents' Commission Report
Travel agents are usually entitled to a 10% commission (or
some other negotiated percentage) on all accommodation
bookings made via their agency.
This report outlines the amounts the establishment owes to a specific travel agent.
Failure to pay the correct commission and pay it promptly may result in that agency
referring people to another property.
Special Packages Report
This report details how many packages – and what sort – the establishment has sold
for a specific period.
Market Segment Report
This report displays what market the establishment is attracting, such as corporate,
industry, family, coach, group etc.
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Rooms Out of Order Report

This report lists all rooms that are out of order, the reason for their being „off the board‟
and the duration the room will remain in this status.
Daily Room Revenue Summary Report
This report lists the total room revenue for a specific day
Daily Revenue Summary Report
This report outlines establishment revenue for a specific day broken down into
departments such as food and beverage, accommodation, functions, room service,
etc.
Weekly Trading Summary Report
This report outlines the total establishment revenue based on a weekly period, and
may compare it to the same week last year.
Monthly Trading Summary
This report outlines the total establishment revenue based on a monthly period, and
may compare it to the same month last year.
Year-to-Date Report
This report lists cumulative establishment revenue for a 12-month period.
In-house Activity Report
This is a comprehensive report outlining:
 Rooms occupied
 Expected departures
 Expected stayovers
 Expected arrivals
 Walk-ins
 No shows
 Rooms available
 Occupancy %
 F.O.C. (Free Of Charge) rooms
 Out of order rooms
 Single occupancy rooms
 Multiple occupancy rooms.
Special reports to address problems such as out-of-order rooms reports, Cash only
report, black list report.
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5.3 Facilitate night audit activities

Introduction
Night auditing is a control procedure which is undertaken on a regular basis to ensure
accuracy of guest and non-guest accounts. It is also called the „end-of-day close‟ or „end-
of-day processing‟.
The transactions and records you deal with may relate to arrivals and departures, food
and beverage, mini-bar, laundry and other services, inter-departmental vouchers, foreign
currency activities and all types of payment.
Night auditors identify and rectify discrepancies which may relate to incorrect posting,
errors in guest folios, computer errors and errors in source documentation. This work will
impact on a number of financial systems including petty cash, floats, debtor control and
banking procedures.
The activities of the night auditor relates to the preparation of reports which may relate to
occupancy, sales performance, break up by department, commission earnings, supplier
activity, sales returns, commercial account activity and foreign currency activities.
Features of night audit

A process undertaken daily in large establishments or weekly in smaller operations
Undertaken during the 2300hrs - 0700hrs shift of front office when all of the majority
of outlets in the establishment have closed
Cannot be conducted while charges are still being made by guests using the facilities
Has a set time for finalizing departmental charges for night audit purposes.
Purpose of night audit

Make sure guest accounts are accurate
Make sure departmental charges are accurate
Provide information on the financial activity of each
department
Provide statistics on the financial activity of the
establishment
Provide statistics on the financial activity of guests.
Allow management to assess performance in relation to operational goals.
As a result of the night audit process, the management of an establishment can monitor
the activity of departments on a daily basis and not have to wait until the end of a financial
period. This allows a quick response to potential problems or losses and provides
accurate information on which to base business decisions.
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Preparing daily records and reports

Part of a night auditor‟s duties is to prepare operational reports of an informative and
statistical nature. These are used by both staff and management in the daily running of
the establishment.
When compiling reports the night auditor will perform a number of simple, basic
calculations using standard industry formulas to produce the statistics required.
The basic statistics used include:
Occupancy Percentage
Double or Multiple Room Occupancy
Average Room Rate
Average Rate per Guest.
Where there is a computerized system many of these statistics will be calculated
automatically.
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90 Trainee Manual
Work Projects
5.1 Record the process to update the changes to a guest‟s arrival date on a reservation.
5.2. Prepare a night audit schedule to produce reports.
5.3. List the duties of a night auditor.
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Summary
Prepare front office records and reports
It is Reception‟s responsibility to prepare and update front office records within designated
timelines. Exactly what these timelines are will vary depending on the levels of trade and the
type of record. Accuracy and timeliness are critical to this aspect of the job
The night auditor produces reports, records and statistics to give managers an overview of
trade, enable them to track progress, analyse their performance, plan for future events and
needs, and identify trends. This is done during the quiet times usually between 23:00 -07:00hrs
Night auditing is a control procedure which is undertaken on a regular basis to ensure accuracy
of guest and non-guest accounts. It is also called the „end-of-day close‟ or „end-of-day
processing‟.
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92 Trainee Manual
Presentation of written work

1. Introduction
It is important for students to present carefully prepared written work. Written presentation
in industry must be professional in appearance and accurate in content. If students
develop good writing skills whilst studying, they are able to easily transfer those skills to
the workplace.
2. Style
Students should write in a style that is simple and concise. Short sentences
and paragraphs are easier to read and understand. It helps to write a plan
and at least one draft of the written work so that the final product will be
well organized. The points presented will then follow a logical sequence
and be relevant. Students should frequently refer to the question asked, to
keep „on track‟. Teachers recognize and are critical of work that does not
answer the question, or is „padded‟ with irrelevant material. In summary,
remember to:
Plan ahead
Be clear and concise
Answer the question
Proofread the final draft.
3. Presenting Written Work

Types of written work
Students may be asked to write:
Short and long reports
Essays
Records of interviews
Questionnaires
Business letters
Resumes.
Format
All written work should be presented on A4 paper, single-sided with a left-hand margin. If
work is word-processed, one-and-a-half or double spacing should be used. Handwritten
work must be legible and should also be well spaced to allow for ease of reading. New
paragraphs should not be indented but should be separated by a space. Pages must be
numbered. If headings are also to be numbered, students should use a logical and
sequential system of numbering.
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Cover Sheet
All written work should be submitted with a cover sheet stapled to the front that contains:
The student‟s name and student number
The name of the class/unit
The due date of the work
The title of the work
The teacher‟s name
A signed declaration that the work does not involve plagiarism.
Keeping a Copy
Students must keep a copy of the written work in case it is lost. This rarely happens but it
can be disastrous if a copy has not been kept.
Inclusive language
This means language that includes every section of the population. For instance, if a
student were to write „A nurse is responsible for the patients in her care at all times‟ it
would be implying that all nurses are female and would be excluding male nurses.
Examples of appropriate language are shown on the right:
Mankind Humankind
Barman/maid Bar attendant
Host/hostess Host
Waiter/waitress Waiter or waiting staff
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94 Trainee Manual
Recommended reading
Recommended reading
O'Shannessy 'Front office skills a practical approach'
Pearson Education 2009 First edition
O‟Shannessy „Accommodation Services‟ Pearsons Education, 2010
IVE Josephine 2000 ‘Achieving Excellence in Guest Services’

Hospitality Press Melbourne
ISBN 1 86250 484 9
Vallen J.J. ‘Check-in Check-out: Managing Hotel Oprerations’ 8th Edition.

Pub. Prentice Hall 2008
Sherman Rachel „Class Acts: Service and Inequality in Luxury Hotels‟ First edition
Publisher; University of California Press USA 2007
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Trainee Manual 95
Recommended reading
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96 Trainee Manual
Trainee evaluation sheet

The following statements are about the competency you have just completed.
Don’t Do Not Does Not

Please tick the appropriate box Agree
Know Agree Apply
There was too much in this competency

to cover without rushing.
Most of the competency seemed relevant

to me.
The competency was at the right level for

me.
I got enough help from my trainer.
The amount of activities was sufficient.
The competency allowed me to use my

own initiative.
My training was well-organized.
My trainer had time to answer my

questions.
I understood how I was going to be

assessed.
I was given enough time to practice.
My trainer feedback was useful.
Enough equipment was available and it

worked well.
The activities were too hard for me.
© ASEAN 2012
Trainee Manual 97
© ASEAN 2012
98 Trainee Manual
The best things about this unit were:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
The worst things about this unit were:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
The things you should change in this unit are:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
© ASEAN 2012
Trainee Manual 99

Provide Accommodation Reception Services: D1.HFO - CL2.03 Trainee Manual

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Provide Accommodation Reception Services: D1.HFO - CL2.03 Trainee Manual

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Provide accommodation reception

William Angliss Institute of TAFE

Project Director: Wayne Crosbie

© William Angliss Institute of TAFE 2012

Introduction to trainee manual........................................................................................... 1

Assessment matrix ........................................................................................................... 5

Element 1: Prepare reception area for guest arrivals ........................................................ 9

Element 2: Perform check-in functions ............................................................................ 31

Element 3: Perform „during stay‟ functions ...................................................................... 57

Element 4: Perform check-out functions.......................................................................... 67

Element 5: Prepare front office records and reports ........................................................ 85

Presentation of written work ............................................................................................ 93

Trainee evaluation sheet................................................................................................. 97

Introduction to trainee manual

Element 1: Prepare reception area for guest arrivals

Element 2: Perform check-in functions

Element 3: Perform ‘during stay’ functions

Element 4: Perform check-out functions

Element 5: Prepare front office records and reports

Work Written Oral

Element 1: Prepare reception area for guest arrivals

1.1 Prepare reception area for service 1.1 1,2 1

1.2 Check reception equipment and technology 1.2 2,3 2

1.3 Review expected daily guest movement 1.3 4,5 3

1.4 Allocate guest rooms in accordance with 1.4 6 4

1.5 Follow-up on uncertain arrivals and 1.5 5 5

1.6 Compile arrivals lists 1.6 5,6 6

1.7 Distribute arrivals list as required 1.7 7 7

1.8 Monitor guest arrivals and take appropriate 1.8 7,6 8

Element 2: Perform check-in functions

2.1 Welcome guests on arrival 2.1 8 9

2.2 Determine if guest has reservation and confirm 2.2 9 10

2.3 Determine if guest is a walk-in and identify if 2.3 10 11

2.4 Decline a guest if appropriate 2.4 11 12

2.5 Complete guest registration process 2.5 12 13

2.6 Issue keys and vouchers as required 2.6 13 14

2.7 Follow internal accounting protocols 2.7 14 15

2.8 Explain room and house facilities and services 2.8 15 16

2.9 Arrange for porter services 2.9 16 17

Work Written Oral

2.10 Implement standard house protocols for 2.10 17 18

2.11 Monitor guest arrivals and take appropriate 2.11 18 19

Element 3: Perform ‘during stay’ functions3.2

3.1 Process room change requests 3.1 19 20

3.2 Process extensions to stays 3.2 20 21

3.3 Process variations to guest numbers 3.3 21 22

3.4 Process variations in-room rates 3.4 22 23

3.5 Process upgrades 3.5 23 24

3.6 Process special requests 3.6 24 25

3.7 Process guest charges 3.7 25 26

3.8 Respond to guest queries 3.8 26 27

Element 4: Perform check-out functions

4.1 Maintain and prepare guest accounts 4.1 27 28

4.2 Prepare and review departures lists 4.2 28 29

4.3 Present accounts to guests 4.3 29 30

4.4 Process payments and refunds and issue 4.4 30 31

4.5 Process express check-outs 4.5 31 32

4.6 Process group check-outs 4.6 32 33

4.7 Distribute departures list as required 4.7 33 34

4.8 Assist guest with on departure requests 4.8 34 35

Element 5: Prepare front office records and reports

5.1 Prepare and update front office records 5.1 35 36

5.2 Generate internal reports as required 5.2 36 37