EQUIPMENTS USED IN FRONT OFFICE

MANUAL EQUIPMENTS

1. ROOM RACK

The room rack is a large front office equipment located just behind he front desk.
The room rack is a wooden framework designed and contains a metallic array of
pockets which contains a large number of room rack slips for showing the
reservation and housekeeping status of each guestroom of a property. The room
rack slip contained in the metallic pockets shows the types of room the occupancy
status of the guestroom and the name of the guest registered in the guestroom. The
current occupancy status of the guestrooms is indicated by the colored strips
inserted in the pockets of the room rack.
 2. INFORMATION DESK

The information rack is another important devise positioned in the front desk and
used by the front desk agent to track the various in-house guests of the hotel. The
information is a revolving devise that contains information about the various guests
presently registered in the hotel with the name of the guests alphabetically
arranged in the rack and the information taken from the upper portion of the folios
of the guests. The information contained in the information rack are name of the
guests, number and type of room occupied, rate of the guestroom, date of arrival
and departure and the billing instructions.
 3. MAIL AND MESSAGE RACK

The mail and message rack is a wooden framework containing an array of

pigeonholes with each pigeonhole used to store the various mails and messages
received for an in- hotel guest. Previously, the mail and message rack used to
contain the keys of guestroom in the pigeonholes and was thus called the mail,
message and key rack. But nowadays, the mail rack has been isolated from the key
rack and has been moved behind scenes to present a more professional appearance
and at the same time ensuring the security of the mails and messages of the guests
of the hotel.

4. KEY RACK OR KEY DRAWER

The key rack or the key drawer is important front office equipment located
underneath the counts of the front desk. The key rack as the name suggests, is a
wooden or metallic framework containing an array of slots used for keeping the
keys of the guestroom in sequential order of the guestroom present in the hotel.
This rack is maintained by the front desk in hotels, where metal or hard keys are
used and is thus an essential front desk equipment for such hotels.

5. FOLIO WELL OR FOLIO BUCKET

A folio well or folio bucket is also an important equipment used in the front desk
cash section. This equipment contains a large number of slots where the folios are
arranged sequentially according to the room number. The folio well is used by the
front office cashier to store and track the folio of the various registered guests of
the hotel and is used to maintain the folios safely for future use and reference.

SEMI AUTOMATED EQUIPMENTS

1. CASH REGISTER
The posting machine is generally used to calculate the totals of the guest accounts,
department and transactions .The cash register is an semi – automated equipment
used optionally by the front desk .The cash register is generally used by the front
desk to record the various sales of sundries at the front desk such as stamps,
newspapers, candy etc. .The various required mechanical features present in the
cash register include a keypad, category key and amount entering key.

2. WAKEUP DEVICES
The wake-up device is a very important device used by the front desk or the
telephone exchange of non-automated or semi-automated hotels to remind the
staffs of awaking the guests at requested times. The most famous and common
wake-up device is known as the James Remind Timer which is an alarm clock with
pull-out pins .Many hotels also use a simple alarm clock for awaking the guests.
The guests’ requests for wake-ups are recorded in a awake- sheet with the
information of time, room number and name of guest.

3. CREDIT CARD IMPRINTER

It is used when the guest makes a payment at the time of settling the bil. Makes an
imprint of the credit card used by the guest as a method of payment.

4. MAGNETIC STRIP RECORDER

A short strip of magnetic tape attached to a credit card or debit card; it contains
data that will tell a reading device who you are and what your account number is,
etc.

5. ACCOUNTING POSTING MACHINE

  For posting the various charges in the accounts of the guest.
Used to calculate totals of the guest accounts, departments and transactions. There
is a keypad in account posting machines which enables cashier to enter room
number and type of transaction.

AUTOMATIC EQUIPMENTS
 1. FAX MACHINE

A fax machine reproduces written documents, received from or sent to, external
locations, by electronically scanning and transmitting the document via a telephone
line. Fax machine can process only one single- sided page. Fax machine sends or
receives the documents within minutes of transmission.. Fax machine Note that
once you have sent the message to a wrong number there is no way of retrieving it.
You may not even be aware that, you have sent the message to the wrong person.
This can present huge problems to you and your organization if, confidential
information is accidentally sent to a wrong number.

2. CREDIT CARD VALIDATOR

 To check the validity of the guest credit card at the time of arrival as a mode of
payment. It is a computer terminal linked to the credit card data bank which holds
the information concerning the validity of the credit card of the guest.

3. TIME STAMPING MACHINE

It is used to record the check in and checkout time of the guest and delivery time of
any mail or message for the in- house guest .It imprints the time and date on a
piece of paper and is important for carrying out front office operations.

4. CALL ACCOUNTING SYSTEM

 Call accounting systems automatically post call records to property management
systems, allowing properties to track phone calls, bill guests for phone usage,
reduce telecommunication costs, and increase guest satisfaction.

5. COMPUTERS

In hotel front office, computers are used to create bills and invoices, to monitor

bookings and reservations, to check-in and check-out guests, to record guest
expenditure and share information within and across the hotel

Name- pankaj saini

Roll NO.-2041102187