Chapter 3:

Effective Interdepartmental
Communications

Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley

& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter Focus Points

A. Role of the front office in establishing and

maintaining effective communications with other
departments

B. Discussion and application of Total Quality

Managements used in improving
interdepartmental communication

Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley

& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
Front Office Interaction with Other
Departments
Discuss the various departments that interact with the front office as listed in Figure 3-1. (p. 75)

Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley

& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
Front Office Interaction with Other
Departments
Marketing and Sales:
1. Provide data on guest histories to marketing and
sales
2. Process requests for reservations for sleeping
rooms from marketing and sales
3. Offer good first impression to the public
4. Relay messages to marketing and sales
5. Meet information requests of guests for meetings,
seminars, and banquets

Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley

& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
Front Office Interaction with Other
Departments
Housekeeping:
1. Receive housekeeping room status from
each other
2. Report potential house count to each other
3. Relay guest requests for amenities and
supplies to housekeeping
4. Report room sales projections
5. Relay accurate housekeeping status
6. Relay security concerns to front office

Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley

& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
Front Office Interaction with Other
Departments
Food and Beverage:
1. Relaying messages to food and
beverage
2. Record accurate information on
vouchers and subsequent postings
3. Reporting predicted house counts to
food and beverage
4. Processing requests for paid-outs from
food and beverage personnel
5. Inter-face with point-of-sale terminals

Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley

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Front Office Interaction with Other
Departments
Banquets:
1. Relay information to guests about scheduled events for
banquet department
2. Process payment of guest charges for scheduled events for
banquet department
3. Prepare daily announcement board and marquee for banquet
department

Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley

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Front Office Interaction with Other
Departments

Controller:
1. Provide a daily summary of financial transactions
through a well-prepared night audit for the controller
2. Provide information for billing and maintenance of
credit card ledgers via the PMS to each other
3. Verbally communicates between the front office and
controller departments as they share a common concern
of guest hospitality and when there are finances
concerned.
Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley
& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
Front Office Interaction with Other
Departments
Maintenance or engineering department
1. Provide room status to maintenance
2. Relay information on requests for guest room maintenance

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Front Office Interaction with Other
Departments
Security
1. Maintain guest security – fire safety, emergency
communication systems, and routine investigation of
guest security
2. Alert for people who don’t belong in the lobby and impel
front office staff to report inconsistencies with the
security department.

Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley

& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
Front Office Interaction with Other
Departments
Human Resource Management
1. Rely upon front office staff to do initial screening of
candidates
a. Distribute application forms
b. Directions to personnel office

Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley

& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
Analyzing the Lines of Communication

Discuss the following case studies by tracing the

1. Source of miscommunication,
2. Analyze the communication system, and
3. Supply methods that will help improve communications.

Situation 1 – Marketing and Sales Knows It All – But Won’t

Tell Us (pp. 83-84)
Situation 2 – Peace and Harmony in 507(pp. 84-85)
Situation 3 – I Know What You Said and I Think I Know
What You Mean (pp. 85-85)

Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley

& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
The Role of Total Quality Management
(TQM) In Effective Communication
TQM encourages managers to look with a critical eye at
processes used to produce products and services.

“The most important aspect of TQM is the INTERACTION

that occurs between frontline employees and their
supervisors. And the interaction of employees in a
group setting….” (p.84)

Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley

& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
Case Study 302 – A Weekly General
Manager’s Meeting – Role Play

o Ana Chavarria – Front Office Mgr.

o Andy – Parking Garage Mgr.
o Eric – F&B Mgr.
o Frank – Dir. of Maintenance
o Margaret Chu – GM

Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley

& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved