Emergency Situations Encountered in Hotel:

There are different types of emergency situations encountered in hotels during the day to
day operations and functioning of the hotel. These unforeseen emergency situations which can
come across anytime without any notice and the hotel staffs should be well trained to identify
such emergency situation and to be able to act quickly on them.

The various types of emergency situations encountered in hotels are as explained under:

1. Bomb Threat Emergency Situation:

 In case of any call received regarding the bomb threat, the hotels should tie-up with the
local police authority and follow their instructions.
 The person who receives the call should take complete details of the situation and should
even try to note down the voice and accent of the person calling regarding a bomb threat.
 Immediately the hotel should inform the anti-bomb squad and should defuse the bomb
after locating the place where it is planted.
 Signal the colleague to also listen in the call and try to find out the location through the
exchange.
 Listen to the caller carefully and make it prolong and get all the information carefully like
the place where planted, time of explosion and strength of explosives.
 If possible this call may be taped and note the back noise and try to catch information
from accent and police to be informed.
 Immediately after disconnection, the G M and security officer has to be informed.
 If the location is identified the department head should be also informed People from that
suspected area have to be evacuated from that particular location.
 After “all clear” signal from the police, the normal process of the hotel can be continued.
2. Fire Threat Emergency Situation:
 Fire is the most common emergency situation which could break in the hotel at any point
in time.
 The most probable reason for a fire break in the hotels can be a kitchen or faulty wirings
in the hotel.
 The concerned staff should be immediately informed and fire brigade should be informed
immediately.
 Do not panic, if the hotel staff is well versed with the firefighting equipment then
immediately fire extinguisher should be used.
 The supply of electricity and gas should be immediately turned off whenever any news
regarding fire comes to the hotel.
3. Death of an In-House Guest in the Hotel:
 Whenever information comes regarding the death of an in-house guest the Front
Office Manager should be reported directly who informs the General Manager and the
Security Manager.
 Later on, the police authority is even told and the hotel doctor is summoned to confirm
the death of the guest.
 The residential address of the guests is also identified and the relatives are informed.
  Once the doctor has confirmed the death and the police has given the permission the dead
body is removed by the help of a stretcher.
 In the meanwhile, if the deceased guest was under some other doctor consultation then
that doctor is also enquired.
 A death certificate is also prepared and a report is prepared to mention the time, room
number and other details related to the deceased guest.
 The guest room is locked and sealed and after the permission and clearance of police the
room is opened and spring cleaned and can be resold again after the approval of the local
authority.
4. Accident Emergency Situation:
 Accidents can take place in the hotels at any point of time due to faulty stairs, ramps, and
balconies and even due to the parking places.
 The hotels should ensure that handrails, the non-slip surface should be used while
framing the architecture plan for the hotels.
3. Lost and found:
 This is a term used in hotel parlance to refer to any item which is left by the guest or
temporarily misplaced by the guest but traced later by the hotel staff.
 Such articles to be handed over to the housekeeping department which maintained a
special locker for this purpose.
 If the item belongs to the guest who has already checked out, then a letter has to be sent
to the forwarding address left by the guest while checkout or which is there in
the registration card.
 If no reply is received by the hotel within a certain time limit, that may be auctioned to
the hotel employees or take a decision as per the hotel policies and rules.
7. Illness and Epidemics Emergency Situation:
There should always be a Doctor on call available for the hotel so that in case if any guest
suffers from any kind of problem he /she can be given the concern treatment as soon as possible.

Wake-Up Call:
It is the responsibility of the telephone operator to provide wake-up call services to all in-house
guests.
Procedure:
1. When the ringer rings, pick up the phone within three rings.
2. In case the guest wants a wake-up call, politely ask him what time would he like the wake-up
call
placed.
3. Repeat the time in am/pm, to ensure correct understanding.
4. Also check with the guest if he would like to have tea/coffee with the wake-up call. Enter the
room service advance orders in the prescribed format to be handed over to the night order taker
in the room service.
5. If the reception informs the operator about a wake-up call, take down the time and the name of
the front office assistant giving the information.
 6. Feed the wake-up calls in the system as and when you get them.
7. Cross-check the printout of wake-up calls that are fed in the system with the wake-call register
if everything has been entered.
8. An automatic wake-up call will go to the guestroom as per the time fed into the system. After
five minutes, a manual reminder has to be given to the room to cross-check if the guest has
received the call.
9. The manual wake-up call will be provided with the standard phrase saying „good morning sir/
madam, your reminder wake-up call for (wake-up call time), have a pleasant day‟.
10. In case there is no reply from the room for the reminder call, inform the duty manager for
further action.
11. The DM will send through bellboy to the room who should knock the door/ring the doorbell
to wake up the guest.
12. The bell boy must ring the bell thrice and if there is no answer, the room should be opened by
the master key to wake up the guest or to check any untoward incident.

METHODS OF SETTLEMENT
A guest account can be brought to a zero balance in several ways. Methods of settlement include
cash payment, credit card or Direct Billing transfer or combined settlement method.
Settlement of Guest Accounts with credit card:
 For Approved credit cards verify that the credit card voucher filed with the folio belongs to the
correct guest. Also verify that the credit card number and name are legible on the voucher.
 If the folio balance exceeds the previously authorized amount, the card Centre must be called for
authorization. Compare the voucher and the credit card to ensure that the signatures match.
 If the guest has presented an approved credit card at check-in, this same credit card must be used
in settling the account. If the guest wishes to charge the account to another credit card, it must be
verified through the credit card authorization Centre before settling the account.
 Enter the correct amount on the EDC machine after swiping the credit card.
 Get signature from the guest.
 Select the correct credit card type and enter the same amount as what appearing on EDC slip
while settling the guest bill.
Bill to Company settlements:
 A folio must be presented to the guest for signature on all „Bill to Company‟ settlements.
 An approval letter for the company Credit settlement / Voucher should be attached with signed
invoice copy by the guest.
 A credit card cannot be accepted as authorization for Company Credit facility by the hotel.
Payment of Guest Account By Personal Cheque
 Accepting payment by Personal cheque depends upon hotel management‟s policy.
 In case the hotel allows settlement by personal cheque, then the cheque must be imprinted with
the guest‟s name, address and telephone number and the cheque number must be at least 200 or
higher.
 Do not accept cheque that is obviously drawn on a new account.
 Checks may be accepted for the exact amount of the folio balance, provided proper credit
information (and approval) was secured at check-in and is indicated on the folio.
 If this information has not been taken, the cashier must secure it (and any necessary approvals)
and record it before accepting the check.
 In the absence of credit information, record the room number, address, telephone number and
date of checkout on the front of the check.
 The cashier should also notify the Front Office Manager or Duty manager if the required
information was not collected at the time of guest check in.
 Also, If possible, a credit card authorization letter should be collected from the guest as a
precaution just in case the check did not cash in.
Settlement by Cash or Foreign currency:
 In certain countries for settlement by cash if the bill value is greater than certain amount ( Eg:
more than 50000 etc.) , then the guest need to provide a valid government ID like (PAN card,
Passport etc.) while payment.
 Also in case the hotel is not allowed accept foreign currency for bill settlement then, the cashier
should perform a proper foreign currency exchange and then adjust the amount with the
outstanding guest bill.
Combined Settlement:
 A guest may elect to use more than one settlement method to bring the folio balance to
zero. E.g., guest may make partial cash payment and charge the reminder of the account
balance to an acceptable credit card.
 The Front Office Assistant must accurately record the combined settlement methods and
take care that all required paper work is properly completed.
 Once the guest has settled the account the Front Office Assistant should provide the guest
with a copy of the folio.