4.

Online Check out

It allows guests to check-out online and reduces further contact between guests and staff. It also minimizes the long
queues forming in hotel lobbies at peak check out times.
By solely interacting with their personal devices, guests won't need to touch credit card terminals and keypads at
reception. The Online Check-out improves guest satisfaction by eliminating touchpoints, reducing lobby queues, and
improving overall operational efficiency.
Duties Of Front Office Cashier
Posts revenue centre charges to guest accounts and receives Payments from guest accounts
at check-out. Coordinates the billing of credit card and direct-billed guest accounts with the
accounting division.
All guest accounts are balanced by the cashier at the close of each shift. He / She normally
entails answering guest inquiries regarding fees and services.
The Front Desk Cashier/Auditor is an essential member of the hotel team. This role
requires an individual who is detail-oriented, organized and has strong communication
skills.
As a Front Desk Cashier/Auditor, your primary responsibility will be to handle all
monetary transactions at the front desk. This includes handling cash, credit card
transactions, and managing guest accounts. You will be responsible for ensuring that all
transactions are accurate and that any discrepancies are resolved promptly.
Additionally, the Front Desk Cashier/Auditor will be responsible for auditing all guest
accounts and ensuring that they are accurate and up-to-date. You will be required to
communicate with other departments to resolve any discrepancies and ensure that the guest
experience is seamless.
To excel in this role, you should have excellent customer service skills and be able to work
well under pressure. You should also be comfortable working with numbers and have strong
attention to detail.
FRONT OFFICE CASHIER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1.Operates front office posting software.
2.Obtains the house bank and keeps it balanced.
3.Completes cashier pre-shift supply checklist.
4.Completes guest check-in procedures.
5.Clarifies customer’s questions or concerns about the charges on their bills.
6.Maintains adequate supplies of outlet stationery for cashiers.
7.Assists with distribution of month-end reports as directed by accounts or
front office manager.
8.Attends meetings as required.
9.Maintains a track of all high-balance guests.
10.Check and follow up on all bills on hold.
11. Check the billing instructions are correct for all expected departure
guests and set up required auto-routing or auto-transfer on the PMS / Guest
folio.
12. Give on-the-job training for new staff.
13. May also perform a variety of banking services for guests, Such as
check cashing and foreign currency exchange.
14. Follow up on all deposit dues/deposits to be paid.
15. Post charges to guest accounts.
16. Handles paid-outs.
17. Transfer guest balances to other accounts as required.
18. Amounts of Cash checks for guests following the approval policy.
19. Completes guest check-out procedures.
20. Settles guest accounts.
21. Dispenses guest records after the guest checkout
22. Handles cash, traveller’s cheques, credit cards and direct billing requests
properly.
23. Front office cashiers assume responsibility for any cash used in
processing front desk transactions.
24. Posts non-guest ledger payments.
25. Makes discount adjustments.
26. Disperses guest records upon check-out.
27. Balances department totals at the close of the shift.
28. Balances cash at the close of the shift.
29. Manages safe deposit boxes.
30. Assists Front desk staff on check-in as and when required.
Night audit in hotel management
In hotel management, a night audit is a review of all the financial activities that
occurred at the front desk in one day. This accounting practice helps hotel
managers understand the cash flow in and out of the hotel each day. In many
hotels, the night audit process is the responsibility of a night auditor, who's
typically a senior front desk employee or manager. The night auditor usually
completes this process in the late evening or early morning hours when most
guests have already checked in for the day, which is why it's known as a night
audit. The night auditor completes their daily review by examining the front
desk's financial accounts and recording the total cash and credit payments
received by guests. They prepare reports summarizing the day's financial
activities, which they typically send to other front desk managers, general
managers and accountants. Some other responsibilities of the night auditor
when conducting this review may include:
•Verifying all charges to registered guests' billing receipts, such as room rates,
taxes, food and gift shop purchases
•Reviewing all check-ins for the day and recording any no-shows, which occur
when guests fail to arrive for their reservation without canceling
•Recording room rates and occupancy percentages for the day
•Noting any financial discrepancies in the front office reports
•Updating the expected number of guest check-ins and check-outs for the next day
•Preparing billing invoices for guests checking out the next day
•Comparing projected and actual sales at the front desk
Importance of night audits
•Night audits provide hotel managers with a daily summary of the cash flow
occurring at the front desk, which can provide insight into a hotel's occupancy
and financial performance. Some benefits of conducting a daily night audit for
hotels include:
•Monitoring data: These reports help hotel managers monitor various data,
including expenses, occupancy rates and revenue. Reviewing this data each day
can help them determine trends and make adjustments to ensure the financial
success of the hotel.
•Developing long-term strategies: These audits give hotel managers insight
into the hotel's revenue and guests' spending habits, which can help them
develop long-term strategies for pricing and promotions to attract and retain
guests.
Types of night audits
Depending on the size of the hotel, a night auditor may prepare several types of reports based on the day's
financial activities. Some common types of night audits are:
Night audit report
This report shows information about the hotel's guests, including occupied rooms and total sales. It includes
information about the day's check-ins, check-outs, no-shows and cancellations. This report gives details about the
daily reservation revenue, including any rooms booked through travel agents, corporations or websites. The night
audit report also includes data about additional revenue for the hotel, such as food and beverage sales. This report
helps general managers review the hotel's occupancy rate and daily revenue. The night auditor often distributes
this report to departmental managers, such as restaurant managers, to help them prepare for the next day.
Manager's report
The night auditor generates this report specifically for hotel managers, including general managers, to help them
review total revenue for the hotel. The manager's report usually includes information about the number of
available and occupied rooms, the number of guests in the hotel and the payments received from guests. In many
hotels, the front desk also compiles daily sales reports from each department, which the night auditor may include
in the manager's report. This report helps managers compare the targeted revenue with actual sales and allows
them to evaluate the success of sales or marketing plans.
Room rate report
The room rate report provides more details about the hotel's accommodations for the day. This
report lists the rate of each room in the hotel compared with the rack rate, which is the
standard price for a hotel room before any discounts. It also includes information about the
categories of each room in the hotel, including occupied rooms, no-shows, rooms under
maintenance and expected check-outs. The night auditor usually shares this report with hotel
managers and the reservations department to help them determine whether to make
adjustments to room rates.
Revenue report
The type of night audit report typically provides more detailed information about the hotel's
revenue that day. It describes the total revenue generated per room in the hotel by providing
information about the room's rate, taxes and additional guest expenses, such as meals. This
information helps managers determine the average room rate each day, which is a key
performance indicator (KPI) for many hotels. The revenue report also provides information
about the cash and credit card transactions at the front desk. This data can help managers
understand the hotel's net earnings for each day.
How to perform a night audit
Here are the steps you can take to perform a night audit for a hotel:
1. Verify reservations
Begin the night audit by reviewing every reservation for the day. Record the total number of guest check-ins and
check-outs, along with any no-shows. Check to see if any rooms in the hotel are currently under maintenance and
unavailable for booking. If you notice any discrepancies related to reservations, such as the length of a guest's stay
or the occupancy of a room, note those differences so you can reconcile them in your audit.
2. Adjust room status
Once you've reviewed the daily reservations, you can adjust the room status of the hotel, which shows how many
rooms are available and occupied. If you noticed discrepancies in the reservations, review the occupancy and
housekeeping reports to reconcile those differences. For example, you may confirm any no-shows and adjust the
hotel's occupancy rate accordingly. You can use this information to include details in the night audit report about
the occupied rooms for the next business day. This information can be especially helpful for housekeepers, so they
can clean and prepare rooms correctly.
3. Record room rates
After adjusting the room status, you can proceed with recording room charges and taxes on registered guests'
billing receipts, which are known as folios. Review the guest folios to ensure the room rate matches their
reservation rate and resolve any differences. For example, a guest may have booked a room at the rack rate and
presented a corporate discount while checking in. Check to see if the daytime front desk manager left any
information about discrepancies, such as guests who decide to extend their stays. Make any adjustments and
record the room and tax charges to guest folios.
4. Balance other charges
In addition to room rates, balance any other guest charges and add those purchases to their
folios. Other charges may include various expenses depending on the hotel, such as
parking fees, laundry services or room service charges. Post each of those transactions to
guest folios. Hotels refer to these pending transactions as a trial balance, and front desk
employees can use this information to collect those payments when guests check out at the
end of their stays.
5. Prepare reports
After completing these steps, prepare the necessary reports for general managers and other
hotel staff. It's helpful to create a series of report templates you can update with new
information each day. Some hotels may have a property management system (PMS),
which is software that can automate these reports. Once you've prepared the reports,
distribute them to hotel managers and others, such as the food and beverage and
reservations departments, for their review. During this step, you can also finalize guest
folios for any guests checking out the next day to help streamline check-out operations at
the front desk.