Front office

Trainee

Manual

© Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities 2009

Trainee
Manual
Front office
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Project Manager: Catherine Ng

Writers: Cindy Curran/Linda Wilson
Editor: Veda Wickens

© Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities 2009

All rights reserved. No part of the publication might 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 as resource material.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the booklet is free from errors and 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 and the
Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities are not responsible for any injury, loss or damage
as the result of material included or omitted from this course. Information in this module is
current at the time of publication.

This resource material is funded by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities and will be
used to provide training to develop human resource capabilities in the identified occupations
within the accommodation and hospitality industries as part of the countries `Saudisation' economic
policy.

Some images appearing in this resource have been purchased from various stock photography
suppliers and other third party copyright owners and as such are non-transferable and non-
exclusive.

File name: TM Front Office 281009.doc

Table of Contents

Welcome.............................................................................1

Introduction.........................................................................2

Career path – Front office......................................................7

Glossary..............................................................................9

A Utilize product knowledge................................................11

B Process reservations.......................................................23

C Process guest arrivals......................................................25

D Manage telephone calls...................................................45

E Provide wake-up calls......................................................49

F Provide guest services.....................................................51

G Provide valet services......................................................57

H Process financial transactions...........................................63

I Process guest departures.................................................69

J Provide night audit services..............................................73

Appendix...........................................................................85

Recommended readings.......................................................87

Assessment checklist...........................................................89
This page is left intentionally blank.
 Welcome

Welcome
Welcome to the training module Front Office.

This Trainee Manual will provide you with learning materials and activities
to prepare you for assessment against the following duties:

 Utilize product information

 Process reservations
 Process guest arrivals
 Manage telephone calls
 Provide wake-up calls
 Provide guest services
 Provide valet services
 Process financial transactions
 Process guest departures
 Provide night audit services.
The key competency tasks under each of the above duties describe
exactly what skills, knowledge and attitudes are required to perform a
particular task to a defined standard.

This training manual:

 details each step of the learning process

 gives you the opportunity to monitor your own progression or
performance in the training program.

© Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities 2009

Trainee 1
Manual
Front office
 Introduction
The following relates to the specialist duties of entry level positions of
Front Office and the recommended training schedule for those who are
interested in joining this profession in the accommodation and hospitality
industry.

Front Office

* TI = Institute Training; OJT = On-the-job Training

Front Office (Telephonist, Reservations, Front Desk Attendant, Concierge,

Porter, Night Auditor)

Duty Week Day TI OJT Content

hours hours

Duty A: 1 1 5 - Task A1: Identify

Utilize property information
product 2 5 -
knowledge
3 5 - Task A2: Provide tourist
information to guests

4 - 8

5 - 8 Workplace application of
Task A1 – A2
6 - 8

7 - - Not required to attend

2 1 5 -
Duty B: Process Task B1: Take
2 5 -
reservations reservations
3 5 -

4 - 8

5 - 8 Workplace application of
Duty A & B
Task A2 & Task B1
6 - 8

7 - - Not required to attend

Front Office (Telephonist, Reservations, Front Desk Attendant, Concierge,
Porter, Night Auditor)

Duty Week Day TI OJT Content

hours hours

Duty B: Process 3 1 5 - Task B2: Change or

reservations cancel reservations

2 5 - Task C1: Prepare for

arrivals
Duty C:
Process guest 3 5 - Task C2: Check in
arrivals guests

4 - 8
Workplace application of
Duty A, B & C 5 - 8 Task A2, Task B1 – B2
& C1 – C2
6 - 8

7 - - Not required to attend

4 1 5 - Task C2: Check in

guests
Duty C: 2 5 -
Process guest
arrivals 3 5 - Task C3: Accommodate
walk in guests

4 - 8
Workplace application of
Duty A, B & C 5 - 8 Task A2, Task B1 – B2
& C1 – C3
6 - 8

7 - - Not required to attend

Duty D: Manage 5 1 5 - Task D1: Process

telephone calls telephone calls

Duty E: Provide 2 5 - Task E1: Process wake

wake up calls up calls

Duty F: Provide 3 5 - Task F1: Handle guest

guest services mail & Task F2 Secure
guest valuables
Front Office (Telephonist, Reservations, Front Desk Attendant, Concierge,
Porter, Night Auditor)

Duty Week Day TI OJT Content

hours hours

4 - 8 Workplace application of
Duty B, C, D, E Task B1 – B2, C1 – C3,
5 - 8
& F Task D1, Task E1 &
6 - 8 Task F1

7 - - Not required to attend

6 1 5 - Task G1: Handle

luggage & Task G2:
Duty G: Provide valet parking
Provide valet
services 2 5 - Task G3: Provide lost
and found services

Duty H: Process 3 5 - Task H1: Process guest

financial accounts
transactions

4 - 8
Workplace application of
Duty A, G & H 5 - 8 Task A2, Task G1 – G3
& Task H1
6 - 8

7 - - Not required to attend

7 1 5 - Task H1: Process guest

accounts
Duty H: Process 2 5 -
financial
transactions 3 5 - Task H2: Manage float
and cash-out
procedures

4 - 8
Workplace application of
Duty C & H 5 - 8 Task C1 – C3 & Task H1
– H2
6 - 8

7 - - Not required to attend

Front Office (Telephonist, Reservations, Front Desk Attendant, Concierge,
Porter, Night Auditor)

Duty Week Day TI OJT Content

hours hours

Duty H: Process 8 1 5 - Task H3: Exchange

financial foreign currency
transactions

2 5 - Task I1: Prepare for

Duty I: Process departures
guest
departures 3 5 - Task I2: Check out
guests

4 - 8
Workplace application of
Duty H & I 5 - 8 Task H1 – H3 & Task I1
– I2
6 - 8

7 - - Not required to attend

Duty I: Process 9 1 5 - Task I2: Check out

guest guests
departures

Duty J: Provide 2 5 -
Task J1: Complete daily
night audit
3 5 - audit
services

4 - 8

5 - 8 Workplace application of
Duty I & J
Task I1 – I2 & Task J1
6 - 8

7 - - Not required to attend

Front Office (Telephonist, Reservations, Front Desk Attendant, Concierge,
Porter, Night Auditor)

Duty Week Day TI OJT Content

hours hours

Duty J: Provide 10 1 5 -
night audit Task J1: Complete daily
services 2 5 -
audit
3 5 -

4 - 8

5 - 8 Workplace application of
Task J1
6 - 8

7 - - Not required to attend

TOTAL 10 60 150 240

weeks days hrs hrs
(3 (3
days days
per per
week, week,
5 hrs 8 hrs
per per
day) day)
Career path — Front office
Front office entry level positions may include the following occupations:
telephonist, reservation clerk, front desk attendant, concierge, porter and
night audit officer.

The diagram below is a career path illustrating the potential career

progression of front office entry level positions within the hotel industry.
The position titles may vary slightly from hotel to hotel.

Career Path

Telephonist, Reservations, Front Desk Attendant, Concierge, Porter, Night Audit

Front Office Shift Leader

Assistant Front Office Manager

Front Office Manager/Duty Manager

Director of Rooms
 Specialist duties of a Front Office are as follows:

Porter
Front Desk Attendant

Concierge
Telephonist

Night Auditor
Reservations
Front Office Duties

A Utilize product knowledge • • • • • •

B Process reservations • • • •
C Process guest arrivals • •
D Manage telephone calls • • • • • •
E Provide wake up calls • •
F Provide guest services • •
G Provide valet services • •
H Process financial transactions • •
I Process guest departures • •
J Provide night audit services •

© Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities 2009

8 Trainee Manual

Front office
 Glossary

Glossary

Term Description

Bucket An industry term used to describe the location

of actual registration cards signed by guests at
check-in

Bucket check Cross referencing the information on the actual

guest registration cards matches that in the
Property Management System (PMS) to reduce
errors relating to billing guests' folios

Check in Procedure involved to process a guest when

they arrive at your hotel

Concierge Area in charge of the porters and doorman -

provides a service to guests

Cross selling Suggesting accommodation at another one of

your properties

Express check out Guest can arrange to pay the account the night
before departure to speed up the checkout
process - the final account is posted to the
guest

Guest folio Details of all guest charges and current balance

Master folio Predetermined/pre-paid charges for a

guest/tour group

Point of sale (POS) Computerized system to record sales of hotel

goods and services not located at Front Desk.
This system usually interfaces with the
Property Management System

Porters People responsible to escort guests and

luggage to room and explain the in-room
facilities

Post charges To record charges onto a guests account/folio.

 Glossary

Term Description

Property Management System A computerized system used to manage guest

(PMS) bookings, online reservations, point of sale,
telephone and other amenities.

Rooms division An industry term used to describe the hotel

areas relating to rooms, usually front office,
housekeeping and engineering/ maintenance

Up selling Offer more than the guest is asking for

Please note that this Glossary is not exhaustive. Some words or phrases
may also appear in the Glossary that do not appear in the training
resources but have been made available to the Trainer as an extra
resource if and when required.

© Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities 2009

10 Trainee Manual
Front office
 A Utilize product
knowledge

A Utilize product knowledge

The front office or reception area of your property is the `face' or `shop
window' of your property. How it looks and how your guests are greeted
will influence your guest's first impression. Front office staff are the first
people that guests see when they arrive at your property - and the last
people they see as they leave the property. It is the job of Front Office to
make our guests feel welcome.

Apart from being the first place that your guests see it is also the centre
and/or hub of your property because it is the place:

 that guests pass through to get in and out of the property

 where the hotel is coordinated – reception knows how many guests
are in the property, what groups are checking in/out, how many
guests are arriving/departing – handing out valuable information to
all other departments
 that is in constant contact with other departments making sure
everything is just right before guests arrive (e.g. Front Office will
communicate requests and receive information throughout the day
from Housekeeping and Engineering who have the responsibility of
making sure that each guest room is `just right' before guests
arrive).
Front office functions include:

 selling guest rooms and processing

room reservations
 checking in/out guests
 providing information about the local
area, the property and the
property's facilities to guests and
any attractions/events of interest to
your guests
 knowing the company which owns the property and any properties it
is affiliated with
 processing guest accounts (post changes/payments to guest
accounts, bill settlement)
 receiving and distributing guest mail, messages, emails and faxes
 foreign currency exchange
 storing guest possessions (luggage storage or valuables stored in
safety deposit boxes)
 dealing with guest requests/complaints
 arrange for room reservations for other affiliated properties.
Most properties will use an organizational chart to show in the form of a
diagram the relationship between positions within the property. A hotel
has two functional areas – revenue and support. Revenue areas such as
the Food and Beverage Department, Front Office and Room Service
generate revenue for the hotel by selling goods or services to guests.
Support areas or cost centers such as housekeeping, accounting,
engineering/maintenance and human resources provide important
support services for the hotel's revenue centers.

Keep in mind that the organization of your property will depend on a

number of factors including the size of the hotel, the standard of service
offered by the hotel and the type of guests your hotel receives. Obviously
larger hotels employ more staff and are organized into departments or
Divisions. Each department or division is responsible for a particular
operational function or functions while staff in smaller properties would
be required to carry out a more diverse range of duties. In hotels and
motels most large properties have a rooms division which includes
several departments such as the front office and housekeeping and
maintenance.

Trainee Exercise 1:

Draw up an Organizational chart/structure of your property.

The Front office, Housekeeping and Food and Beverage Departments are
all involved in making sure that guests' needs are met. Front Office
relays guests' needs to specific areas; for example if a cot is needed in a
room Housekeeping will be notified. If a guest has any special dietary
requirements the Kitchen will be advised. If a guest requires tickets to
the theatre, the Concierge will meet this request.

Therefore in order to assist your guests you need a good working

knowledge of your property's organization structure and the
services/functions provided by the various departments.
Porters/Bell Staff/Concierge
The front office interacts with porters regularly. Depending on your
property the term porter(s) may not be used with many international
hotel and resort management chains using the term, Bell Staff or
Uniformed Staff.

The Bell staff positions are as follows:

 Bell Captain (responsible for bell staff)

 Bell Man (Carry luggage and escort guests)
 Bell Boy (Assists bellman and is a messenger)
 Door Man (Welcomes guests at hotel entrance)
Porters/Bell staff 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
 organizing external activities such as: arranging
tours, boat cruises, trips to various tourist locations,
booking theatre tickets, etc.
The head porter/bell man 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 etc.
Housekeeping
The front office interacts with the housekeeping department regularly.
The housekeeping department is responsible for cleaning rooms.

There are two types of rooms that need to be cleaned. These are either:

 occupied or occupied/dirty – where the guest is still in the property

and will stay for at least one more night
 check-out or vacant/dirty – where the guest has departed from the
property.
The executive housekeeper prepares the room/work assignment sheets
after receiving all the necessary information from the front office. These
sheets give details of:

 whether there are groups in house

 the number of early arrivals, later departures and VIPs
 special requests (e.g. all departures must be cleaned first because a
tour group is checking in at 1:30 p.m.)
 guests due to arrive (arrivals)
 special requests (cots, rollaway beds, flowers etc.)
 guests due to check out (departures)
 occupied rooms that are not due to check out (stay-overs)
 rooms that are being withheld from sale - these are rooms that are
not suitable for sale because they are extremely dirty or require
maintenance activity.
Make sure that you know the room status codes used in your property.

The housekeeping department will, throughout the day, indicate to the

front desk which rooms are vacant and ready for occupancy. Their
primary objective is to make sure that rooms are ready by the official
check-in time (anywhere after 2:00 p.m.) that was told to your guests
when they made their reservation.

Be aware that often guests depart without checking out. This means that
front office thinks the room is still occupied. It is common practice for a
room attendant to call his supervisor to verify that a room is vacant if he
enters a departure room and believes it to be vacant. His supervisor will
then tell front office to check the room out.
Engineering/maintenance
The engineering/maintenance division is responsible
for maintaining the property's appearance and
working order both inside and out including the
maintenance of electrical/mechanical equipment. This department may
also clean and maintain the swimming pool and pool deck area as well as
some or all parts of the ground.

In the course of the day the housekeeper finds many items requiring
attention such as dripping taps, faulty plumbing, faulty electrical plugs,
television, lights, air conditioning etc. It is therefore important that good
communication between the housekeeping, front office and the
engineering departments exists at all times as it is important that guests
staying in the property find the rooms in perfect working condition.

Urgent repairs are normally reported to maintenance by telephone and if

a good relationship exists between the two departments, the urgent
repair will be dealt with promptly.

Sales and Marketing

The Sales and Marketing division rely on the front office and other hotel
divisions to assess and relay back guest needs, occupancy rates, changes
in guest type. It can provide general statistics relating to the guests and
the guests stay, as the primary goal of the division is to promote and sell
the hotel.

Accounting
The accounting department monitors the financial activities of the
property including creditor and debtor control, processing and making
payments, handling floats, processing payroll and monitoring the financial
viability of the property.

Human Resource Department

The Human Resource department is responsible for personnel with duties
ranging from staff recruitment and hiring to establishing salary packages
and employee benefits.

A1 Identify property information

A property can be:

 privately owned by a person, business partnership or private

company
 owned by a local group
 owned by an international group (e.g. the Jeddah Hilton is part of an
international chain of hotels)
 owned by an individual but
managed by a large hotel chain
Hotels are classified according to
their:

 location (city, regional, rural or

resort)
 size-small hotels have less than
100 rooms, medium-sized
hotels between 100-200 and large hotels more than 200 rooms
 facilities and services (e.g. food and beverage outlets, room service,
guest laundry facilities, business centers, broadband internet, self-
catering etc.)
 star rating (three star hotels offer a different guest experience from
the luxury five star hotels)
Another way of classifying a hotel is according to its target market. A
hotel's target market is the type of guest it is trying to attract. For
example, five star hotels located in the business center cater for business
people while resort hotels largely attract tourists and self-catering hotels
attract guests who intend to stay for an extended period of time.

Trainee Exercise 2 Part 1:

Trainees to conduct research into their property. The

research must identify:

 company history (e.g. this hotel has been

serving the Jeddah district for over
twenty years)
 current owners and parent company
 affiliated properties and their locations
(e.g. this property is one of twenty
properties within Saudi Arabia. The other
locations are …..)
 property facilities and services (e.g. the
property boasts two large family
swimming pools, segregated dining room facilities etc)
 list the types of rooms you have and the number of each type (e.g.
there are 100 standard rooms, 50 superior rooms, and five luxury
suites serviced by butlers)
 types of room packages and special programs (e.g. honeymoon
special, corporate conference packages)
 property's room rates
 types of in-room features (in-room high speed internet access,
luxury large screen televisions etc.)
Trainee Exercise 2 Part 2:

Dabir is the manager of a Alireza Travel and Tour company and he has
been requested to put together a package for Doctor Teeth's Dental
Convention that will be coming to Saudi Arabia in February next year.
Dabir has contacted the front office manager at your property and asked
him to create a package that will try to “sell” the dental convention the
idea of staying to your hotel.

What sort of information will you need to include in your package?

 What sort of facilities do you think the dental convention will need to
use?
 What facilities does your property have to attract the dental
convention?
 What sort of rooms would this group require?
 What meal arrangements would you make?
Decide how you can use the maximum number of facilities at your hotel
to make this convention financially beneficial to you.

Put together a package from YOUR hotel.

A2 Provide tourist information to guests

In order to do your job effectively and efficiently and provide your guests
with exceptional guest service, you need to
identify information relevant to your job and
responsibilities. This includes knowledge of:

 seasonal influences (e.g. pilgrimage

season, best times to see particular
flora or fauna)
 Saudi Arabia attractions (e.g. Old
Dir'aiyak, Masmak Citadel, National
Museum – Riyadh, Al-Masjid al-Haram –
Mecca, Jeddah Fountain, Al Balad,
Corniche, The Black Stone, Masjid al-Nabawi, Riyadh Zoo)
 children's parks (e.g. Taif – Al Ruddaf Children Park, Zoo,
Children's Amusement Park)
 tourist developments (e.g. Al-Hada Resort, Cable Car and Al-Kar
Tourist Village)
 natural heritage sites (e.g. Mada'in Saleh)
 local markets (e.g. handicraft market in Balad, Souk Al Alawi street
market)
 museums (Museum of Abdel Raouf Hasan Khalil, Jeddah Museum).
Keep up-to-date with industry information so that you:

 can give guests and junior team members information

 know what is going on in your property and industry
 promote products and services and help meet guest expectations.
Up to date knowledge of your property and the Saudi Arabia
accommodation and hospitality industry shows your enthusiasm and
commitment to your property, your job and more importantly to your
guests.

Make sure that you listen carefully to your guest's request and ask
questions to clarify his needs and determine how best to fulfill his
request. Responding to guest requests for information about the local
area or the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's attractions might require you to:

 supply phone numbers of a tour/travel agent

 make personal recommendations
 supply current brochures, business cards, maps etc
 direct guest to locations (describe route, transportation etc to take)
 explain local events, attractions and festivities
 be aware if day's activities or attractions are closed
 provide information on places of worship
 refer the guests to the concierge so that he can make a reservation
for them or, in a smaller property, make the reservation yourself.

Describing the 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 center 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.
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,
restaurants, etc.

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.

Show the guest where “the hotel” is on a map (draw a circle around it) –
so they can see how far away the attractions are – identify the directions
they should take.

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 choice 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.
 Up-selling
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 and always confirm the guest's departure date
(reception need to know this is correct as it affects the number of rooms
they have to sell). 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.

It is important that you review all conditions and inclusions of the

package with the guest at

© Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities 2009

20 Trainee Manual
Front office
 Sum
 to ass
It is important to know as much about your property as possible as this information is used on a daily basis
Front Office staff are required to provide guests with knowledge about local and regional services and/or attracti
In order for you to be an ambassador for your property, the local region and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia it is imp


This page is left intentionally blank.
 B Process reservations

B Process reservations
Within the Front office the reservations section is responsible for taking
guest enquiries and turning them into reservations. A person working in
this section needs a sound knowledge of the room types, room rates and
packages the hotel has available. The reservations staff member will
constantly be referring to availability for every reservation enquiry they
take.

B1 Take reservations
Take reservation and enter the appropriate
information:

 determine the guest's arrival and

departure dates
 confirm room type and room rate
 obtain the guest name and related details
 identify how many guests will be staying
 determine how guest will pay for room
 describe related house policies
(cancellation policy, check-in, check-out
times, late arrivals etc.)
 process payment
 send reservation confirmation.

B2 Change or cancel reservations

Change or cancel reservations:

 locate original reservation

 verify original information with the guest
 identify required changes adding suggestions if necessary
 check availability and/or make cancellation
 confirm changes or offer alternatives
 identify any charges for cancellation according to house policy and
inform the caller (if applicable)
 thank caller.

© Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities 2009

Trainee 23
Manual
Front office
B Process
reservations

B3 Reservation confirmations
All reservations require confirmation to the person making the
reservation. Confirmation is usually made using the same method as the
reservation. This means that if the reservation is made by phone try if
possible to confirm the reservation to the guest while the guest is on the
line. Whatever method is used, reservations should be confirmed within
24 hours of the booking request.

When confirming a reservation, it is important to reiterate the following:

 the arrival and departure dates

 the room type booked
 the rate
 any special requests of the guest
 your property's guaranteed check-in time, i.e. the time the room
should be ready for the guest
 your property's check-in and check-out time.

Summary
 or changes to reservations are completed to the guest's satisfaction and to property requirements
Reservations
House policy and procedures are communicated to the guest
 information is entered into the reservation system and processed.
All necessary

C Process guest arrivals
There are two stages involved in processing guest arrivals – the pre-
arrival stage is comprised of preparatory activities to make sure that you
can process a guest arrival quickly and efficiently allowing you an
opportunity to impress and welcome your guest when he arrives (the
arrival stage).

C1 Prepare for arrivals

So that housekeeping is given
sufficient time to clean guest
rooms properties have a:

 check-out time – guests are

expected to vacate their
room by this time
(usually11.00 a.m.)
 check-in time – guests are
not permitted to check-in
before this time (usually
2.00 p.m.)
At the beginning of your shift you will generally be required to:

 sign in
 sign for your cash float (the amount of money that your cash drawer
has at the start of any shift)
 check the arrivals report.
Pre-arrival organization may include checking the reservation to see:

 the expected time of arrival

 the number of persons in the party
 if there have been any special requests, such as a guest requesting
hypoallergenic pillows rather than feather pillows
 whether this is a first-time visit or a return visit
 if there is a guest history card which indicates what the guest usually
requires
 if there are any special security arrangements that need to be made
 if there are any other bookings required by the guest, e.g.
restaurants, business services, baby sitting
 if the guest requires special equipment, e.g. baby cot, stroller,
wheelchair
 identify payment types e.g. travel agent's charge, vouchers company
charge, deposits, pre-paid.
C Process guest
arrivals

Regular or returning guests

Guest history is the record of details of regular guests. Depending on the
reservation system used in your property, either manual or
computerized, details of a guest's stay are entered into the guest history
after each stay. If the reservation system is manual, index card files are
used. If the property is computerized, then history is automatically
updated by the computer upon departure. This ensures all guests receive
consistent service and eliminates unnecessary inconvenience for regular
and return guests.

Regular guests are usually given a code such as “RG –regular or return
guest” to let all other staff members know.

Guest history will contain information such as:

 name and address of the guest

 name of company making the
booking (if it is a corporate
booking)
 the dates of the stay and number of
nights spent in the property (called
`room nights')
 the rate paid
 how many nights in total the guest
has spent in the property and total spend
 total amount of revenue generated from this guest – which includes
food and beverage and function usage
 personal preferences of the guest pertaining to room allocation, e.g.
`prefers top floor', favorite restaurants, preferred newspaper, non
smoking, etc.
Guest history is periodically `purged', i.e. reviewed, and histories of guests
who have not stayed in the property for the last 6 to 12 months deleted
from the files. The file retains details of those guests who use the
property frequently. If not purged, it becomes cumbersome and time
consuming to use. All FIT, (Frequent Independent Traveler) reservations
should be checked against guest history before entering the reservation
into the booking system.
If the guest has a `history' of using the property, it is usual to extend them
some particular courtesy, such as an upgrade (allocation of a better
room than the type booked and paid for) or a welcome gift or simply
extra recognition on arrival.

As a Receptionist, it is important for you to know and acknowledge

regular guests. This is why hotels use symbols such as “RG” to help staff
with this.

It is your job to ensure all things are ready when the guest arrives. In
many instances you will have to learn to anticipate guest requests.

Room allocation/Assigning rooms

Rooms may be allocated before a guest's arrival or while the guest is
registering. The trend today is to pre-allocate rooms for guests so the
check in process is much faster. In either case, to select a room, you
must know:

 the room type booked by the guest

 the rate the guest is paying
 any special requests pertaining to the room, e.g. high floor, ocean
view, non-smoking, etc.
If you are using a Property Management System (PMS), the system
menu will give you the option of rooms of the type booked which are
available for the length of the guest's stay. If you are using a manual
system, you must make the selection from a list of available rooms. Make
sure they meet the criteria in the reservation.

As mentioned, in some instances, guests are given an upgrade, but this

is normally only with the consent of management.

If you are using electronic key cards you will need to process the keys for
the rooms you have allocated.
Priority room allocation
Reservations contain information pertaining to guests' special requests.
These may include a request for a particular room or location in the
property or a particular style of room. As well, VIPs are usually given
preferential room allocation. These allocations will usually be made prior
to arrival. Requests for a particular room number or adjoining or inter-
connecting room are made at the time the reservation is entered into the
booking system to ensure the room type is available and the request can
be guaranteed to the guest. All remaining unallocated rooms may be
assigned as guests arrive.

Make sure all special requests are communicated to the appropriate

department. For example, requests for interconnecting doors to be
opened, cots or rollaway beds supplied must go to Housekeeping.
Requests for hospitality baskets, flowers however, will go to Room
Service.

Rooms are assigned using an arrival list and room status system. When
assigning rooms:

 check the room type booked

 check what rooms of that type are
available for use (i.e. not already
occupied) and are available for the
duration of the guest's stay
 using the system in place in your
property, select a room number
and allocate it to the guest
 when selecting a room pay
attention to special requests, such as `a high floor' or `a quiet room'
 if a guest is arriving early in the morning, reserve a room which is
clean and ready for use.

Arrivals lists
Arrival lists are simply lists of details of who is coming into a property on
a particular day, what time they are arriving, room type requested and
what you need to do for them before they arrive. This is usually prepared
by the Reservations department or Reception. This activity has to be
done at the end of the day prior to arrival so all of the reservations for
the next day are included.
If you work in a property that has a computerized Front Office system
(PMS), the system will print arrival lists for you after all the reservations
for the day have been completed, simply by entering a few key strokes.
The arrivals list usually separates the reservations into guaranteed and
non-guaranteed. Non-computerized properties will probably type their
arrival lists. The information in arrival lists needs to be shared with other
departments in your property.
Depending on your property the
arrivals list may contain the
following information:

 date of arrival and departure

 name of guest
 type of room booked
 number of people staying in the
room
 an indication whether the guest
is a returning guest or traveling with a group
 rate the guest is paying
 estimated time of arrival (ETA)
 estimated time of departure (ETD)
 special requests (interconnecting room, cot, flowers on arrival,
disability access, location, view, room type).

Group arrivals preparation

Preparation for group arrival is essential as so many guests arrive at the
hotel (or group check-in desk) all at once and you need to move a large
volume of people very quickly. Rooms and room keys are pre-allocated
and group arrival packs prepared for each group member. In most hotels
the groups will need to sign a Group Check-in List rather than individual
registration cards. The group arrival packs are handed out to the guests
and the meal instructions and departure procedure relayed to the group
or explained to the tour leader.

Groups usually work to a schedule and the key to smooth operation is

communication and the exchange of information between departments.
For example, the group arrivals report will usually indicate:

 the estimated time that the group will arrive – housekeeping needs
to know that a certain number of rooms must be available for the
group which is arriving at 3.00 p.m. today
 meal times and the venues they will be taken to the food and
beverage manager needs to know what arrangement is in place
(vouchers etc.)
 time of group departure – concierge and/or the head porter needs to
know so sufficient staff are available to assist with luggage.
 The William Angliss Hotel School

Arrivals: Detailed

Arrival Date: 03-06-2009

Confirmation No. VIP Last Adults Children Rooms ETA Prev.

Room#
Stays

Allan, Scott, Mr 2 1 03-06-09 0

27650

Barrett, Harry, Mr 2 1 03-06-09 2

27656

Chan, Jackie, Mr 121 1 1 03-06-09 2

27653

Handley, Jane, Ms 508 1 1 03-06-09

27657

Fabri, James, Mr Y 508 2 1 03-06-09 8

27654

Feathers, Sue 110 2 1 03-06-09 2

27655

Gordon, Mary, Mrs Y 109 2 1 03-06-09 4

27651

Habib, A, Mr Y 201 2 1 03-06-09 2

27662

Arrival Date Total 14

Grand Total 14

© Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities 2009

30 Trainee Manual
Front office
VIP arrivals
Most hotels/business units have procedures for handling VIPs. All guests
are to be treated equally; however consideration must be made for Very
Important People. Some of
these people may be:

 ongoing holiday guest

 celebrities
 government officials
 royalty
 a guest staying for an
extended period.
The level of service extended to the VIPs depends on the importance of
the guests. Usually VIP rooms will be allocated in advance and all the
related “gifts” placed in the room. VIP rooms will usually be checked by a
housekeeping supervisor before being handed back to reception as a
“ready room”.

Early/Late arrivals
It is important to know if a guest will be arriving outside normal hours, as
not all hotels/business units provide 24 hour service, and you need to
ensure that:

 there are rooms available

 a staff member is on duty to check in the guest.
To hold a room vacant for an unexpected guest is a normal industry
practice until 6.00pm. If a deposit or credit card number has not been
guaranteed to hold the reservation, after this time it can be released or
sold.

Guest correspondence
Any correspondence to do with a reservation
should be attached to the booking when it
comes to Reception. Correspondence may
include letters, faxes or even a hard copy of E-
mail. It is important to check the details on the
correspondence against the reservation to
ensure that all the criteria have been met. Pay
particular attention to method of payment
details (authority to charge to company) and
any special requests of a guest, e.g. a request
for a particular room.
C2 Check in guests

Welcoming guests
A first impression of an establishment is based on the warmth and
efficiency of the welcome. This welcome may occur:

 as the guest pulls up in the car

 as the guest enters through the front door
 at the Reception desk.
Wherever it occurs, the greeting is very important as it says a lot about
the establishment and the staff. It makes the guest feel acknowledged
and recognized as being valuable to the establishment. A welcome should
be sincere and professional and offered with a smile while looking at the
person being greeted. The greeting should contain three elements:

 good morning/afternoon
 welcome to (the name of the property)
 the name or title of the guest (if you recognize him).
Other points to remember when greeting a guest:

 acknowledge the guest first, before they speak to you

 if you know their name, use it; if not, Sir or Madam is usually
acceptable
 do not be overly familiar or too casual.
Confirming reservation details
After greeting your guest and ascertaining their
name, retrieve the reservation from the files you
are using (either a manual system or PMS) and
confirm with the guest that:

 a room is in fact booked under his/her name

 the type of room
 the departure date
 any special requests
 payment details.

Registering the guest

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.

Obtain a copy of the registration card used in your property and make
sure you are familiar with all the details that are required to be
completed by the guest. Refer to the sample registration card on the next
page, for comparison.

If you are using a PMS, the computer will have printed a registration card
for each arriving guest for the day and this will include all the details
given in the reservation. If you have checked guest history correctly and
the guest has stayed before, the guest's details will be printed on the
registration card. All you need 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.
Method of Payment
At the time of registration you MUST
collect the method of payment details.
This is the only chance that you have
when the guest is in front of you, so you
need to take this opportunity to make
sure the method of payment is
acceptable for your hotel. If you are
unsure of a form of payment call the duty
manager or your supervisor to speak to the guest immediately.

For instance, if a guest is paying by credit card you must take a copy of
the card or process an electronic payment. If the guest has a voucher
from a travel agent - you need to collect the voucher. If there is an
authorization for a company charge you will need to confirm this with the
guest. If there is no authorization to charge to the company you will need
to get some other form of payment from the guest. If a part deposit has
been paid you need to find out how the extra is to be paid.

Many hotels have very strict rules when it comes to CASH as a method of
payment. Make sure you know the policy of your hotel in relation to cash
payment.

Guests without a reservation

What do you do if there is no reservation for the guest?

 never let the guest know you are not expecting him/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')
 check if the reservation could have been made in another name –
the company name for instance!
 hand the guest a blank registration card if you have a room and
proceed as normal to book him in and assign a room. Confirm the
type of room the guest wanted and select a room from your vacant
clean room status. Process the check in
 confirm/obtain an acceptable method of payment – follow cash
payment policy when required
 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.
Registering VIP guests
When greeting dignitaries the following is usual:

 security personnel will arrive ahead of time to ensure arrangements

are in place
 be ready ahead of time, waiting for the car to arrive
 allow host/hostess to greet the guest. In some cases this may be the
General Manager of the establishment or another dignitary, e.g. the
Premier or a member of Parliament
 for a member of a royal family and a vice-regal representative,
acknowledge the guest with an incline of the head; follow the correct
protocol
 allow the guest and his/her party to move off, see to their luggage,
and proceed to the guest's room.

Registering Group arrivals

When the bus arrives and the group
enters the hotel – often they are directed
off to the “group check-in desk”. In most
hotels the groups will need to sign a
Group Check-in List rather than
individual registration cards. The group
arrival packs are handed out to each
guest and the meal instructions and
departure procedure relayed to the group
or explained to the tour leader.

Overbooking
This can be a delicate situation and requires some experience and
confidence to handle. It is important that you know what to do when your
establishment is overbooked. Whatever the procedures are, the situation
must be handled with minimum inconvenience and maximum courtesy to
the guest.

 be prepared; know the situation prior to the guests arrival and how
it is to be handled
 review all reservations for the day; you may find a duplication or
cancellation that hasn't been processed and that you do, in fact,
have a room
 check arrival time of guests – you may have to release rooms that
are not guaranteed and have an early morning arrival time.
When the guest arrives:

 apologize, remain calm and stay in control

 do not enter into lengthy explanations with the guest
 do not take it upon yourself to refuse or `walk' the guest. Refer the
situation to your Supervisor
 the property should follow up with a letter of apology to the guest.

Acommodate walk-in guests

Sometimes people will arrive at your hotel,
without a reservation, who wish to check
into a room. These people are referred to
as `walk-ins'. You should follow your
property's guidelines for accepting and
registering a `walk-in'. Generally this
involves:

 finding out the number of people in the party, the length of stay and
their room requirements
 checking room availability and perhaps, if the guest's exact
requirements are unavailable, suggesting alternatives (e.g.
unfortunately I cannot offer you a standard room but I am happy to
say I have a superior ocean view room with a king bed available)
 quoting room rate - quotes are provided using top-down selling
technique or discounting, based on occupancy status
 determine the method of payment – if CASH follow the hotel policy
for CASH Guests. This will usually involve taking a greater sum than
the cost of the room – or taking a credit card transaction which can
be changed at checkout. The preferred method of payment for “walk
in” guests is credit card
 follow check-in procedure, if room is accepted (e.g. pre-payment,
deposit or credit card imprint)
 highlight some of the property's facilities appropriate to the time of
the day (e.g. Here is your card Mr. Smith, I will arrange a porter to
accompany you to you room – would you like me to reserve a table
for you in the Saudi Lounge where we are offering a seafood buffet
this evening?).
Guest services and practices
Part of welcoming a guest involves making the person feel at home by
letting them know how things work in your property, particularly if the
guest has not stayed with you before.

Guests need to be secure in the knowledge that they will receive mail, be
woken up at the time requested and will receive their messages.
Procedures for services vary according to the property. Find out what
yours are so that you can explain them to the guest with confidence.

Rooming guests
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:

 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
 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
 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.
Describing the room and facilities
From the familiarization you did earlier in this unit, you should know the
facilities of the different room types in your establishment.

 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
 if for some reason (such as high occupancy) the establishment has
not been able to provide the room type or a room with all the
features the guest requested, now is the time to tell the guest and
APOLOGIZE
 let the guest know what steps you have taken to overcome this,
such as offering an upgrade, complimentary breakfast or some other
form or courtesy (not usually monetary compensation)
 emphasize the good points of the allocated room, even though it
may not be precisely what the guest ordered
 in your presentation include general
information about the establishment
facilities that the guest may wish to
use, such as the restaurant, health
club, and location and facilities of the
business services, etc.

Opening a folio/guest account

The `guest folio' is simply another name for the bill or account. 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 and method of payment.

A guest may ask to see his/her account at any time,

so charges are usually `posted' to the folio when they
occur and an updated balance maintained, 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.

If you are using a PMS, the computer will open a

folio/account automatically when you have completed
registration and checked in the guest. If not, you will
need to open a folio by the method used in your
property. Do this after you have finished registering
and checking in the guest.
 This is sometimes referred to as `establishing credit'. In most properties,
guests have the facility to charge services to their room accounts without
questions; therefore, it is common practice to determine the method of
payment the guest wishes to use. This saves both time and the
embarrassment of a guest wanting to pay on departure by an
unacceptable method or worse, wanting to charge the account to a third
party when this has not been pre-arranged. Establishing a guest's credit
on arrival will also assist the Accounts department and help maintain a
good relationship between Front Office and Accounts.

Answering guests’ questions courteously

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.

Directing/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

© Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities 2009

40 Trainee Manual
Front office
 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
 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 either call the Bell Desk to advise
the guest's room number or the bell desk can
access the computer. 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 and receptionists escort
guests to their rooms, then offer to carry the guests' luggage (use a
trolley where necessary). Some guests prefer to take their own luggage,
but you must at least make the offer.

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 with registration 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 busy 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
 offer to store their luggage while they are
waiting – they may have an appointment to go to.
Some establishments will have courtesy lounges specifically for this
purpose. Here a guest can read a newspaper, conduct business and it
usually has complimentary tea, coffee or juice. If your establishment
does not have these facilities, ask your Trainer what you can offer the
guest who is waiting for a room.

Room changes
A guest may request a room change for a variety of reasons, or a room
may become unfit for use during a guest's stay. When making a room
change follow the procedures in your establishment:

 ensure the room you are moving the guest to is either the same or
better than the one currently occupied
 if you need to upgrade the guest to a higher standard of room, check
with your Supervisor that this is
acceptable (unless you have the
authority to upgrade)
 record the room change details on
the room change sheet
 enter the new room number on all
documentation pertaining to the
guest's stay including:
 the registration card
 the guest folio
 advise other departments of the
room change.
Offer the guest assistance to move and
organize this according to your establishment's policy on handling guests'
personal belongings.
 Summary
Prepare for arrivals by:

checking arrivals list 


preparing arrival documents and room status following group protocols
assigning rooms andkeys
communicating special  requests with corresponding room numbers to appropriate departments (e.g. hospitality

filing arrival documents.

Check in guests making sure you:

greet guest andmake him feel welcome


follow VIP protocols

follow group protocols
 information
verify reservation
complete arrival  document
determine method  of payment/settlement assign room number, if not pre-assigned check room is ready for
tell your guest about relevant property information to enhance guest satisfaction and promote property

provide room keys/cards
direct guest to room or organize porter to accompany guest to room
update room status and guest folio information

file arrival document.




This page is left intentionally blank.
 D Manage telephone
calls

D Manage telephone calls

The telephone is one of the most vital
business tools in use today. More
business is won or lost on the phone than
by any other means. Every staff member
should undergo formal training in correct
telephone procedures.

Different workplaces can have different

telephone systems, although there are
usually many similarities between the
functions that they offer.

If you are working on the switchboard of

a hotel or other hospitality business, you
will have many calls coming in each day. As the switchboard is often the
first contact that a guest or customer has with your workplace, it is very
important that you are able to answer the telephone confidently and be
able to direct the call to the appropriate person or department.

D1 Process telephone calls

Some basic rules to remember when using a phone include:

 answer the phone within three rings

 answer calls courteously
 greet caller appropriately: say the time of day, for example, `Good
morning/afternoon'; identify the department, for example, `Bell
Desk' (your name)
 pronounce your words clearly, slowly, and with adequate volume
 have pen and message pad (paper) by the phone
 listen attentively
 record messages accurately - pre-printed message pads can assist
with this
 determine caller's needs – and direct them to the appropriate
department – thorough knowledge of your hotel is required
 prioritize calls according to property guidelines
 process calls
 take messages when required
 activate message waiting system
 process voice mail messages – this requires a thorough knowledge of
your telephone system.
Recording messages
This is very important. If a guest does not receive messages in full, it
may not only cause the guest embarrassment but possibly a financial loss
e.g. a business client may leave a vital business message. If messages
are not delivered promptly guests may be inconvenienced and the
establishment may receive a strong complaint. The guest may never
return to your establishment in these circumstances.

Make sure that you record:

 who the message is for (full name remembering that you might have
10 guests with the name Abdullah staying in the hotel) – this might
require you to “spell” out the name
 who left the message (repeat the name
back and make sure that you have the
correct spelling)
 the number of the person leaving the
message (make sure that you repeat this
back to the caller so that you do not give
your guest the wrong number)
 what the message is - an accurate, clear
message (confirm this with the caller)
 time and date stamp the message – so
there is no dispute as to the time and date
the message was received
 record your name – so if all else fails we
can contact you to decipher the message if necessary.
 Summary
Handle calls in accordance with house policies and procedures. For example


calls are answered quickly and courteously
calls are directed to the appropriate department without delay calls are redirected, if necessary
messages containing all the necessary information are passed on to guests without delay (placing message slip und

 E Provide wake-up calls

E Provide wake-up calls

A wake-up call is a telephone call made by your
property's telephone operator to a guest at a time
requested by the guest. It is of course a telephone
call to wake up a sleeping guest. It is common
practice for the telephone receptionist/department to
receive the request for a wake-up call directly from
the guest. However you might in your role at the
front desk be required to organize wake-up call lists
for airline crews and travel groups – these lists
include the names of guests in the airline crew or particular travel group.

 the tour group leader would usually tell you when the group should
be given a wake-up call. It would then be your job to make sure this
information is included on the Group Rooming list and sent to all the
relevant departments – especially the telephone area
 the airline operations office will let reservations know the wake up
time requested for the crew and crew pick-up time when a crew
reservation is made at the hotel. This information is recorded on the
Air Crew rooming list, it is confirmed with the Captain upon check-in
and handed to all the relevant departments once the crew is checked
into the hotel.
Most hotels have automated wake-up systems these days which are
activated by the guest himself or they provide alarm clocks within the
room. Manual wake-up call procedures will vary from property to
property but usually involves filling out a `wake-up call sheet' which has
columns representing 5-10 minute intervals. If you receive the wake-up
call request you would be required to write the name and room number
of the guest that requires the wake-up call in the appropriate column. In
the morning the receptionist or switchboard operator would (working
from left to right) make each wake-up call, throughout the morning,
ticking off each wake-up call as it is answered by the guest.

Date:
Wake-up call sheet

5:40 6:00 6:10 6:20 6:30 6:45 7:00 7:10 7:20

406 340 256 140

Mohammed Abdullah Smith Aziz

© Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities 2009

Trainee 49
Manual
Front office
E Provide wake-up
calls

E1 Process wake-up calls

 obtain guest's name and time call is required
 use automatic or manual system to record details of wake up call
 make wake up and follow up calls
 if a guest does not respond to a wake up call – try and call at least 3
times, if still no response you will need to send a supervisor up to
the room to wake the guest. Once a wake up call is placed it is the
responsibility of the hotel to wake up the guest.

Summary
Wake up calls are processed in accordance with house policies and procedures. For example:

 guest is treated courteously

 accurate information is recorded into wake up call system
 wake up calls are made or activated
 no response policy may need to be implemented.
F Provide guest services
As a Receptionist you will probably have more contact with an individual
guest than any other staff member. It is your responsibility to maintain a
good relationship with guests throughout their stay. The importance of
staff attitude and presentation cannot be stressed enough, particularly in
Front Office where the opportunity to maintain a positive impression is
always there. Remember:

 courtesy
 efficiency
 friendliness
 attentiveness
 react promptly to requests.
The processing and handling of guest mail, messages and wake-up calls
will be individual for each hotel/business unit. When receiving a guest
request, mail or message these should be recorded on the appropriate
form and delivered promptly to the guest so as not to cause any
inconvenience.

F1 Handle guest mail

Reception is the link between the guest and the
outside world. For this reason messages, mail
and perhaps packages will arrive for guests.
These must be delivered promptly.

It is usually the job of the Front Desk staff to advise guests of any
messages, mail, faxes, emails, etc. that have been received for them. It
is the job of the Porter to distribute mail, faxes, messages, or packages
to registered guests or hotel personnel.

Mail or messages may be received for:

 current guests
 future guests
 past guests.
For each there is a specific procedure to follow. All mail, parcels or
messages must be time and date stamped and recorded in a mail
received book.

© Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities 2009

Trainee 51
Manual
Front office
F Provide guest
services

Mail for current guests

Mail received for in-house guests (guests who are currently staying at
your property) will usually be forwarded to the Front Office by the person
who sorts incoming mail. All mail is dated and time stamped when
received.

A Front Office employee then checks the details of the addressee against
a list of guests registered at the property and also against future
reservations.

If the guest is registered, their room number is neatly printed on the

envelope or package.

When all mail has been checked, it is usually the responsibility of a

Bellboy or Porter to deliver mail to the guests' rooms.

Some properties tell staff to deliver mail by placing it under the door (so
as not to disturb guests), while other properties tell their staff to knock
and enter the room and place the item on the desk.

If items cannot be delivered according to workplace policy (e.g. the

article is too big to fit under the door or the guest has a `Do Not Disturb'
sign on), you should store the mail in the appropriate place in Front
Office and you should leave a message for the guest to collect it. Some
hotels have a message light system that can be turned on in the guest's
room to let them know there is a message at reception.

In some properties, guests are requested to fill out a mail forwarding

card which contains their forwarding (next) address if they think that mail
may be received after their departure. Some computer systems may also
be updated with a forwarding address. If this is not done, and an item of
mail is received, every attempt should be made to contact the guest by
telephone or email to get an appropriate forwarding address.

Mail for future guests

Early mail may be received. Attach a note to the guest's reservation or, if
a computerized system is in use, flag the reservation to indicate that mail
has been received. The mail should be stored according to workplace
policy in a secure location and should be filed according to arrival date.

When the guest checks in, you should give the mail to them. If the item
is large, you should offer to deliver it to the room.
Registered mail
Staff may accept registered mail.
Before accepting registered mail,
Front Desk staff MUST make sure
that the addressee is registered or
arriving soon.

As soon as the property has signed

for the mail, it becomes the
responsibility of the property to make sure that the guest receives it.
Registered mail should be noted in a registered mail book and the guest
must show proof of identity and sign the register when picking up mail.

Drivers from courier companies usually deliver registered mail to the

Front Office Desk.

Make sure that you check the name of the person the parcel is for. If the
item is addressed to a guest who has checked out and is not scheduled to
return, or to a former staff member, `return to sender'.

If it is OK, sign the delivery form and arrange for the guest to receive the
parcel as soon as possible. Do this in accordance with your property's
procedures, such as:

 call the room before delivering the article so that you do not disturb
the guest unnecessarily, for example `Good morning, Mr. Azziz. This
is Abdullah from the Porters' Desk. We have received a courier parcel
today. May I deliver it to your room?'
 if your guest does not respond to your knock, slide the item
under the door if the article is in an envelope
 leave the parcel at the Porters' Desk and leave a message under
the door: `Please collect a parcel from the Porters' Desk'.

Faxes
Faxes are treated the same way as other messages. However, upon
receipt, check who the fax is for, place it in an envelope, write the guest's
name and room number on the envelope and then notify the guest
immediately that a fax has been received. If the guest is not in the hotel,
place in the mail holding rack.

In some properties porters are called upon to deliver all messages

directly to a guest's room.
F2 Secure guest valuables
Safety deposit boxes are usually located at Reception and guests should
be encouraged to place their valuables in them (jewelry, passports,
traveler's checks, etc). Receptionist has to be aware of their location and
the correct procedure for their use. Because of the security and legal
liability aspects involved with these facilities, it is very important that the
correct procedures be followed when issuing a guest with a safety deposit
box. However, today many hotels have in-room safes instead of safety
deposit boxes, located in the wardrobe in the guest room. These are
easier and quicker for guests to access as they don't have to line up at
the reception area. Guests have the privacy of their room to store their
goods as long as they follow the instructions to create and access code to
open and close the in room safe. The operation of these should be
explained to guests when they are shown the security features of their
room.

Procedures for Safety Deposit boxes should include:

 provide guest with secure access to safe deposit boxes

 complete an “Open a safety deposit box form” check their name and
room number to ensure they are a hotel guest
 guest and staff member both to sign
the form
 issue key and wait for the guest to
access box
 allow guest privacy to store valuables
 return box to storage
 each time the guest accesses the safe
deposit box – he must complete an “access to Safe Deposit box”
form.
The signature must be carefully checked to ensure it is the same as the
one on the original form. The guest's signature needs to be verified
before opening the box as there are only two keys to a safety deposit
box; the key that fits the box and a master key which is kept by the
Front Office. Both keys are needed to open the box.

In small hotels a common safe may be used to store guest's valuables

instead of individual safe deposit boxes. The guest's valuables are placed
in an envelope which has their name and room number on it, then sealed
closed. The guest then signs across the seal for security. The envelope is
placed in the safe and the guest receives a receipt. Likewise, a safe
deposit box registration form/card must be completed and signature
check performed every time the guest wishes to access the safe. Never
leave the guest alone near the common safe.
Summary
Process and handle mail according to property procedures and
guidelines. For example:
 pick up or accept mail:
 letters
 faxes
 packages
 electronic mail.
 record guest mail
 notify guest of mail
 arrange for mail to be delivered to guest without delay.
Secure guest valuables according to property procedures and
guidelines:
 safety deposit box:
 provide guest access
 complete registration form/card
 get suitable sources of identification from your guest
 give your guest privacy while he stores his valuables
 return deposit box to safe in the presence of your guest
 give the guest the safe deposit key
 file the registration form/card.
 In-room safe:
 easier and faster access for guests
 guests can create own combinations.
 common safe:
 seal the guest's valuable/s in an envelope
 ask your guest to sign their signature over the seal
 label the envelope with guest name and room number
 fill out registration form/card
 place the envelope in the safe
 give the guest a receipt
 file the registration form/card.
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 G Provide valet
services

G Provide valet services

To be successful as a valet it is critical that you can:

 care for guest property

 organize a range of special services for guests
 demonstrate excellent personal presentation and communication
standards.
Valet services may include organization of special functions, room service
and excursions; restaurant/theatre bookings; providing advice about
personal services, options and locations, such as hairdressing, medical,
legal and shopping; and making or confirming travel arrangements.

G1 Handle luggage
This is one of the main duties for a Bell
Attendant / Concierge to assist guests with
their luggage when they are checking in and
out of an establishment. It is important to
remember about the Health and Safety
regulations when handling luggage. The
precautions to follow are:

 test the weight of each bag before lifting

 follow the correct procedures to ensure you are lifting the luggage
correctly
 bend your knees
 keep your back straight
 use a trolley if the luggage is too heavy or too many bags.
Most properties use luggage labels. It is a good idea to use these,
particularly when the guest has a lot of luggage. This avoids the wrong
bags being delivered to the wrong rooms. As soon as you know the
details, i.e. name of the guest and the
assigned room number, write this on luggage
tags and attach the tags to the bags.

Arriving Guests
When escorting a guest take care to:

 walk with them not ahead of them

 smile and be friendly
 engage in pleasant conversation with
those who wish to talk and respect those who do not
 use this opportunity to `sell' the facilities your establishment has to
offer, such as restaurant and health club
 be sure to indicate the emergency exits and safety security aspects
of the room, e.g. the security latch on the door; in room safe
 leave with a greeting, e.g. `If there is anything else I can do for you
please call me. My name is......................and you can reach me at
Reception'.

Departing Guests
Baggage Collection

The guests will normally contact Concierge by

phone when they want their luggage picked up.
When speaking to the guest you should enquire:

 how much luggage there is (as you may

need a trolley)
 what time they are due to check out, as
they may require luggage to be stored for a
short time
 whether the luggage is to be loaded into a car (if you offer valet
parking) Do they need their car brought to reception?
When guests have paid an account, it is not enough to wish them well
and wave them off. There are still other services that may be offered as
part of the farewell procedure. Among these services are handling of the
guests' luggage and arranging transport for them.

Transportation

Asking a guest who is checking out whether he/she would like any
transport arrangements made, is particularly important for a guest who is
heavily laden with luggage or who does not know what transport is
available. Remember, not all guests are experienced travelers. This is an
opportunity to make a good lasting impression on the guest!

A variety of transportation may be arranged for a guest. This may

include:

 courtesy bus
 hire car
 limousine
 taxi
 helicopter.
A guest may wish to travel by public transport, in which case up-to-date
bus, train and perhaps ferry timetables will be needed. When a guest is
going to the airport, remember to allow plenty of time when advising as
to which bus/train to take.

Whatever form of transport is arranged, certain information is needed:

 the estimated time of departure of the guest

 the guest's name and number of passengers. If children are included
then booster seats, capsules or other requirements need to be
considered
 the number of pieces of luggage
 destination
 any special details, such as flight arrangements/rail details.
Other information that may that may need to be taken into consideration
includes:

 whether disabled/wheelchair access is required

 whether there is a large amount of luggage
 if there are large, cumbersome items to transport.
Once all details have been obtained from the guest, the information is
recorded into a guest departure log. If any arrangements the guest has
requested need to be altered, discuss these with the guest before
arranging them. When the guest is not available, make the arrangements
and confirm them with the
guest as soon as possible.

Once transportation is
confirmed a guest may request
that luggage be taken down to
the lobby or conveyed to the
vehicle.

Storing luggage

A guest may request that

luggage be stored until later in
the day. In these instances, the
concierge or porters must be
informed. They will then tag the
luggage and store in the
porter's office or special
luggage storage room until the
guest requires it.
 A guest will be issued a receipt for stored luggage. This receipt must be
produced to claim it. On the guest's return, the luggage is then taken to
the guest's vehicle.

Luggage may be held for guests for a lengthy time. Perhaps guests use
your property as a base from which they do a number of shorter trips and
they do not require their entire luggage. If this is the case then the
luggage is stored in a secure place with a note made on the guest's
reservation form. The luggage is then taken to the guest's room on their
arrival or handed over to the guest once the claim tag is produced and
verified that it is their luggage.

Group luggage
When handling group luggage, porters will
usually have obtained a group rooming 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.

G2 Provide valet parking

Cars are parked and/or retrieved in accordance with house procedures
and policies:

 request guest's name and room number

 check car for damage – and record any damage correctly
 hand claim tag to guest
 drive, park and/or retrieve car in a responsible manner
 store key safely and securely.

© Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities 2009

60 Trainee Manual
Front office
G3 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, jewelry, 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, jewelry,
wallets or those items of importance - 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.

Basic information you would need to obtain from a guest regarding

missing luggage includes:

 what is missing, i.e. number of pieces

 description of item (size, color, etc.)
 where it was last seen
 description of contents
 approximate value.
Lost property is usually taken to the Housekeeping office where each
item is labeled with the following information: room number, date and
time found, description/contents and the finder's name. Usually a Log of
Lost Property is kept in housekeeping and the Housekeeper will update
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. This
log can be used to compare files for lost and found enquiries.

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.
 Summary
Store and/or retrieve stored luggage according to your property's procedures and guidelines:

 store luggage:
accept luggage
attach claim tag
mark name, room number and number of accompanying bags on claim tag
issue guest portion of claim tag
determine pick-up time
store luggage safely and securely.

retrieve luggage:
request claim tag from guest
verify that selected luggage belongs to guest
remove claim tag and fill out records.
Process lost and found property according to your property's procedures and guidelines:

record the details of lost items store lost items safely and securely
 quickly and efficiently. The details of the lost items are recorded and items compared for guest e
deal with enquiries

 H Process financial
transactions

H Process financial transactions

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 foreign exchange.

H1 Process guest accounts

The reception/cashiering area are responsible for
keeping all the guest accounts up to date.
Depending on the type of system the hotel uses
e.g. a point of sale system in all cost centre areas
will automatically post charges to the guest folio
as they are incurred. However, without such a
system the cost centre charges need to be brought
to the reception/cashiering area to be manually
posted onto the guest folios. Guest folios must
have an up-to-date balance at all times. Always
check the vouchers and receipts for services such
as fax, internet access, telephone, movies, gifts
shop, etc. to ensure they are posted to the correct
guest and the correct room number.

When a guest departs it is a very important facet of the guest's stay. It is

your last chance to make a good impression. The last impression is sure
to be a lasting one! For this reason great attention must be paid to the
guest as the account is being finalized and the account should always be
as accurate as possible.
A departure list for the day will be generated either early in the
morning or the night before. Check the report for:

Express check-outs Prepare the necessary documentation to give to

the guest.
Group check-outs and late So that Reception is not cluttered with the main
check-outs group at one time, guest folios can be prepared
ahead of check-out.

Early check-outs These can affect the Housekeeping Department,

as they need to make sure that the room is
ready for the guest that is arriving earlier than
normal.

Late 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 Housekeeping will have previously received a
from details indicated on report regarding check-in/check-outs. Check the
the registration card guest departure list to see if there have been any
variations to what was previously advised to
Housekeeping, e.g. overstays, etc.

Express check-outs
Reception has, like many other areas and departments, peak busy times.
To relieve pressure on cashiering staff and to enable guests to depart
quickly express check-outs have been introduced.

The procedure in some establishments for processing express check-outs

is:

 the express check-out form is placed in guest rooms or may be

obtained at Reception
 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
upon registration and held on the
guest's file
 a copy of the guest's account with
the charges to date is sent to the
guest's room on the morning of
departure
 the guest is free to leave the hotel
whenever he/she wishes without having to queue at Reception
 if there are any late charges to be added to the account, this is
authorized by the guest having signed the express check-out form
 in some establishments a final copy of the account may be sent to
the address under which the guest registered
 the credit card imprint and the express check-out form are sent to
the credit card company for payment.

Group check-outs
Group check-outs may be handled in a similar way to express check-
outs:

 on the due departure date and group

check-out time the cashier must obtain
the signature of the tour leader after
the main account has been finalized
 all individual accounts may be finalized
via express check-out or individuals
may have to settle their accounts at
Reception. These individual accounts
may be finalized the evening prior to
check-out
 all keys must be accounted for before
the group departs.

Presenting the account

 when a guest arrives at Reception, confirm their room number
 retrieve the manual guest folio (in the case of billing machines) or
bring up the guest folio from the computer file
 retrieve the registration details and say aloud the guest's name to
confirm the guest's details. There will be a Safe Deposit Box card if
the guest has been using this facility – you will need to remind the
guest to empty the contents and return the key
 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:
 guest folio: a guest is paying directly for all charges incurred
 master folio: predetermined/prepaid charges.
 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, or part payment
 the guest may query charges to the account, particularly if codes
(that only the establishment knows!) are used. Be prepared to
explain the account to the guest, courteously and clearly, ensuring
that an impression of being `hurried' is not given
 guests may dispute items or amounts that have been posted to the
account, such as food and/or beverage charges, internet access,
movie charge or gift shop purchases. Reference to the charge
vouchers or receipts for services may be necessary to resolve the
dispute
 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.

Recording 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. Most hotels will print out a guest folio with the payment
processed details and staple the guest copy of the credit card payment if
applicable, to the folio. Fold the folio, place it in a hotel folder and give it
to the guest.

H2 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. Use a suitable closing phrase to
farewell the guest
 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.
Manage float and cash-out procedures
Reception/cashiers are responsible to maintaining their floats in a manner
that assists them with their job. At times you will need to exchange paid
out vouchers, foreign exchange and large notes from a general cashier to
keep your float in a workable order. Manage your float and cash-out
procedures according to property procedures
and guidelines. For example:

 count float and petty cash to ensure

adequate amounts and denominations of
bills and coins are available for shift
 check for and record:
 non-currency vouchers
 receipts
 coupons
 shortfalls or surpluses
 foreign exchange documents.
 balance credit cards, deposits, receipts and
postings with cash register, tape or computer printout
 resolve discrepancies
 report any shortfalls or surpluses to supervisor
 follow cash-out procedures
 sign float in and out
 ensure cash is secure at all times.

H3 Exchange foreign currency

Guests may wish to change their cash (foreign currency) into riyals 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,
traveler's checks)
 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/transaction)
 complete the required documentation – which in some cases will
require the guests passport number
 collect foreign currency from guest
 give guest correct amount of cash.

Summary
Process guest accounts according to property procedures and guidelines. For example:

review vouchers and receipts for services (e.g. fax, internet access, telephone, movies, gift shop)
post charges to guest account check entries for accuracy update account balance

file vouchers and receipts.



 I Process guest
departures

I Process guest departures

Guests are often in a hurry to check out and have little patience if they
have to wait a long time to finalize their account. Advance preparation
reduces the amount of time it takes to process each guest's account and
the risk of making mistakes.

I1 Prepare for departures

Towards the end of each day prepare a departure list which is a list of
guests expected to depart the following morning. Check expected guest
departure times and tell other departments of early and late check outs.
For example:

 the telephonist needs to know if the guest is due to depart that day
because if he is putting a call through that is unanswered, the guest
might have already vacated the room and can indicate to the caller
that the guest is not in his room and may have already checked out
of the hotel
 the housekeeping department needs to know so that they can
organize the order in which they clean rooms
 the food and beverage department needs to know that if the guest
has breakfast, beverages etc. at any of the outlets that the guest
account needs to be processed quickly and details can be rushed to
the front office and added to the bill before
it is settled as the guest checks out.
If your hotel caters for business travelers it is a
good idea to confirm departures. The guest
might have a change of plans requiring him to
stay over and he might assume that he does
not have to give you any advance notice of this.
Therefore it is good practice to give your guests
a quick call and confirm the night before that
they are in fact departing tomorrow. This also
gives you a chance in advance to organize
assistance with luggage for the next morning,
any transportation that the guest requires etc.
– thus saving you valuable time in the morning.
 I2 Check out guests
The procedure for checking out guests will vary from property to
property. It is essential to make sure the guest feels valued at check-out
time. Make sure your accounts are correct and that you follow your
property's procedures and guidelines which will generally include:

 greeting the guest

 asking the guest for his room number, then
confirm the name
 printing out the bill (if not already prepared)
and review the account with the guest, make
corrections if necessary
 handing the bill over to your guest and
courteously asking if your guest still wishes to
settle the account with the same method of
payment selected on check-in that you have
on file. Sometimes guests change their mind
about payment methods
 process payment according to hotel policy
 print out the finalized guest folio, staple the guest copy of the credit
card, fold and place in the hotel folder to present to the guest
 thank the guest for choosing to stay at your property
 saying goodbye to your guest
 offer assistance with luggage or transportation if required
 attempt to sell guest into another property associated to host venue
(where appropriate). This is known as cross selling.
 notify all relevant departments of the time of check-out when the
guest has vacated the room, especially housekeeping as they will
need to clean the room
 update front office records.

© Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities 2009

70 Trainee Manual
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 Summary
Prepare for guest departures according to property procedures and guidelines. For example:

 get a copy of the departures list check expected guest departure times
 tell other departments of early and late check-outs update accounts
 post charges.



Make sure all necessary information is entered into the reservation system and processed and departure docume

Check out guests according to property procedures and guidelines. For example:

 review account with guest confirm charges

 make adjustments if necessary confirm method of payment process payment
 provide guest with copy of account
 offer assistance with luggage, transportation, future reservations etc.
 record time of check-out
 thank guest for choosing to stay at the property tell housekeeping of room status.





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 J Provide night audit
services

J Provide night audit services

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, in-room refrigerator, laundry and other
services, inter-departmental vouchers, foreign currency activities and all
types of payment.

You will have to identify and rectify

discrepancies which may relate to
incorrect posting, errors in guest
folios, computer errors and errors in
source documentation.

Your work will impact on a number of

financial systems including petty cash,
floats, debtor's control and banking
procedures.

You will also have to prepare reports

which may relate to occupancy, sales
performance, revenue by department, commission earnings, supplier
activity, sales returns, commercial account activity and foreign currency
activities.

J1 Complete daily audit

Features of night audit

 a process undertaken daily in large establishments or weekly in
smaller operations
 undertaken during the 2300 - 0700 shift of Front Office when all or
the majority of outlets in the establishment have closed
 cannot be conducted while charges are still being made by guests
using the facilities
 defines 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
 Provides marketing statistics
 Allows 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.
Process of night audit
The steps are essentially the same whether using a manual, semi-
automated or computerized system. The main difference is that in a
manual system all steps and information are generated manually,
whereas a computerized system will generate information automatically,
with little or no help from the night auditor.
Room rate and status discrepancies
Depending on the type of discrepancy located, if the guest account is
affected in any way then a record must be kept of what the error was and
what action was taken. Many establishments use a docket or a voucher
called a credit voucher to document the adjustment. This will record not
only the type of charge and amount being corrected, but a description or
explanation as well.

Another method of recording discrepancies is using a guest folio

discrepancy report. This records all discrepancies on guest accounts for
one day. At the end of the day the night auditor will file the report with
the rest of the daily documentation for later reference and checking.

 If a charge needs to be added to a guest's account, the appropriate

docket for the type of charge can be used with an explanation and
the charge posted as per normal procedure.

Posting room charges

After posting all departmental charges, a night auditor will take each
guest account and post the accommodation charge shown on the folio.
The night auditor will check that the quoted room rate is still applicable
e.g. has the guest asked for extra services that will change the room rate
- an extra bed, an extra guest sharing the room?

If there is a discrepancy between the guest information and room rate to

be charged, the night auditor must determine which is correct and make
appropriate adjustments, ensuring that the adjustment is documented.
A night auditor can perform a bucket check by cross referencing the
information on actual guest registration cards against that in the hotel
Property Management System (PMS) to identify discrepancies on guest's
actual room assignment, agreed room rate, departure date, payment
method, etc. Performing bucket check can reduce errors related to billing
guest folios.

A night auditor will also check the status of each room to ensure the
reports given to Housekeeping, and used by Front Office the next day
accurately reflect whether a room is occupied, vacant, clean or dirty.

The guest folio file will be checked against the final, most up-to-date,
room status report of the day produced by Reception or Housekeeping.
The status of each room on the room status report will be compared to
the guest folio file to see if guest information is filed for that room.

If the room status report indicates that a room is occupied, there should
be guest information in the guest folio file for that room. A common
discrepancy occurs when a room is shown as occupied on the status
report, but there is no information in the guest file. This generally occurs
when an incorrect room number has been written on the guest folio and
the guest information has been misfiled or the guest has been transferred
to another room.

It is up to the night auditor to ascertain which room the guest is

occupying. If unable to do this, the night auditor must leave a message
for Housekeeping or Reception explaining the discrepancy to be followed
up in the morning.

Trial balance

The night auditor must ensure all

transactions balance. Bookkeeping works
on the basis of double entry, that is, the
total of debits must equal the total of
credits.

Posting of charges to guests account =

DEBIT

Recording of cash received = DEBIT

Recording of sales from the various

departments = CREDIT

To obtain a balance for the day both credit

and debit columns must equal.
Guest credit limits

Once a night auditor has completed posting charges to guest accounts

he/she will check the outstanding balance or amount owed on each guest
folio. This is then compared to the establishment's predetermined floor
limit for each method of payment specified by the guest on check-in.

If the outstanding balance is under the floor limit, no further action is

taken. Where it is over, the night auditor will complete an over credit
limit report which is given to the Front Office Manager for investigation
the next day. The credit limit in computerized systems will usually flash,
signaling an alert.

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.
Occupancy
This measures the percentage of rooms occupied in a property. It can be
used to:

 indicate how successfully the Sales and Front Office staff are selling
rooms
 measure the volume of business generated by guests in revenue-
producing departments, comparing sales figures with the occupancy
 provide information for management on which to base budgetary
considerations.
The formula to calculate Occupancy Percentage is:

No. of rooms occupied x 100 = Occupancy Percentage

Total number of rooms available

Example

The occupancy rate of a hotel which has 141 rooms occupied of its 186
available rooms is:

141
186 X100 = 76%

It must be remembered that room occupancy may be calculated

differently according to the way in which out-of-order rooms and free-of-
charge rooms are handled. Find out what the policy is in your
establishment before calculating room occupancy figures.

Double or multiple room occupancy

This statistic is used to determine linen and guest amenity requirements,
food and beverage stock requirements and potential revenue in outlets.
There are two methods for calculating this ratio:

Option 1

No. of guests - No. of rooms occupied x 100 = Multiple occupancy %

Number of rooms occupied

Example

189 - 141 40.4 % of all occupied rooms have more than

141 X100
one person in them
=
 Option 2

No. of paid guests

No. of rooms occupied = Average guests per room occupied

Example

189
141 = 1.4 guests per room

Average room rate

It is used to show how much, on average, each occupied room is
generating in revenue and is a very important statistic when forecasting
future room revenue. It is used to determine sales strategies and
marketing promotions.

The formula is:

Net room revenue

No. of rooms occupied = Average room rate

Example

The average room rate per room occupied is based upon the total
amount of revenue divided by the number of rooms that were occupied.

83250 Riyals
141 = 590.43 Riyals

Average rate per guest

Indicates how much, on average, each guest spends or pays for
accommodation. It can be used to show spending patterns of particular
types of guests, especially when used in conjunction with Food and
Beverage information. This statistic is not used as frequently as
occupancy percentage and average room rate.

Net rooms revenue

No. of guests = Average rate per guest

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Example

The average rate per guest is based upon the total amount of rooms
revenue divided by the number of guests staying in the hotel.

83250 Riyals
198 = 420.45 Riyals

Other operational reports produced by the

night auditor
Daily room revenue summary report

To provide a summary of accommodation revenue and the number of

guests staying in the property.

Daily revenue report

Is a summary of all revenue earned in the property that day. It can also
be called the Daily Operations Report or Daily Activity Report.

In-house activity report

This report is prepared for staff information in all areas of the

establishment. It indicates the number and type of guests arriving,
staying and departing the establishment that day. It will often indicate
major groups, conferences or other activities taking place within the
establishment.

Arrival and departure lists

This is an essential report for Housekeeping and Front Office. It is

sometimes compiled as two separate reports depending on the size of the
property and the number of arrivals and departures.

In-house guest list

This report lists all guests who are registered in the establishment. It lists
basic details of guests such as arrival and departure dates, room and
folio number, number of guests, special packages and any other details
deemed necessary by an establishment.

Room status list

The room status list will indicate which rooms in the establishment are:
 vacant
 ready vacant
 dirty occupied
 clean occupied
 dirty out of order.
Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR)
RevPAR is a performance metric in the hotel industry, which is calculated
by multiplying a hotel's average daily room rate (ADR) by its occupancy
rate. It may also be calculated by dividing a hotel's total guestroom
revenue by the room count and the number of days in the period being
measured.

You can find more information about the RevPAR method in the Appendix
section below.

Guest market breakdowns

This is an important report for management to draw up a profile of guest
patterns. Using this, advertising campaigns can be tailored and targeted
to specific markets. Management can improve facilities and services for
guests depending on guest patterns. Information which may be included
in the guest market breakdown:

 source of reservation
 market segment
 postcode of guest
 average rate per guest or market segment
 length of stay
 how guests learned of the establishment - promotional source
 materialization of travel agent, airline, corporate and group
allotment bookings
 number of reservations for package deals.

Back-up procedures
What is to be done when commencing a night audit run and the computer
goes down? Panic?

No, because prior to commencing the run the night auditor would have
made a back-up copy of all the information and stored it on a separate
disk. Thus if there is a problem it will only be necessary to input all
transactions which have taken place since the back-up time to make the
systems information current. Many computerized systems will
automatically print basic reports on a regular basis in case of a system
failure.

If the computer does go down and no back-up reports have been made,
what has to be done to source the information needed to bring all
transactions up to date? Work with your night auditor to make a list of
what to do when the computer goes down.
 Summary
Complete daily audit according to property procedures and guidelines. For example:

 follow audit checklist

 make sure that wake up calls are set
 cancel non-guaranteed reservations
 follow house policy regarding `no-shows' with guaranteed reservations
reconcile daily transactions for each department
 check report for improper postings
 complete bucket check
 post room charges and relevant taxes on system
 complete end-of-day duties
 produce statistical reports (sales and labor, payroll etc)
 set up for morning shift.

This page is left intentionally blank.
 Appendix

Appendix

Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR)

A performance metric in the hotel industry, which is calculated by
multiplying a hotel's average daily room rate (ADR) by its occupancy
rate. It may also be calculated by dividing a hotel's total guestroom
revenue by the room count and the number of days in the period being
measured.

Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) is a hotel industry financial metric

that is used to measure the performance of the hotel because it
represents the success the hotel is having at filling its rooms. An increase
in RevPAR means that either the rates or the occupancy rate of the hotel
is rising.

The RevPAR is calculated by multiplying the Average Daily Rate by the

percentage. It can also be calculated by dividing the total room revenue
in a given period (excluding discounts, sales tax and meals) by the
number of available rooms in the same period.

RevPAR will vary from location to location, will change often from high to
low levels or from one thing to another seasonally (as well as by day of
the week) and over time. Therefore it is usual for RevPAR numbers
quoted for a hotel chain to represent annual averages across all the
hotel's properties.

The RevPAR numbers represent a measure of performance in terms

relative to a property's past results, and especially in comparison to
competitors within a custom defined market, trading area, or target
market. It is common to compare hotels of the same type, or with the
same target customers. (e.g. full service, luxury, extended stay,
business, economy, budget).

 RevPAR is revenue per available room,

 Rooms Revenue is the revenue generated by rooms sales
 Rooms Available is the number of rooms available for sale in the
time period
It is also common to estimate RevPAR by multiplying the Occupancy
Percentage (%) by the Average Daily Rate (ADR).

© Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities 2009

Trainee 85
Manual
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Appendix

Trainee Exercise

Calculate the RevPAR of your property

 Calculate the RevPAR of your property.

 Obtain the RevPAR of a similar property or hotel chain.
 Compare the RevPAR of your property to that of a similar property or
hotel chain. Is your property performing better or has it got work to
do?
 Recommended reading list

Recommended readings
Abbott P. & Lewry S., Front Office: Procedures, Social Skills and
Management, Butterworth-Heinemann, 1991

Bardi. J. A., Hotel Front Office Management, 4th Edition, Wiley Publishing,
2006

Bardi J. A., Hotel Front Office Management, Instructor´s Manual, 4th

Edition, Wiley Publishing, 2006

Ismail, A., Front Office Operations & Management,

Kasavana M. and Brooks R., Managing Front Office Operations, 6 th

Edition, Educational Institute, 2001

Kline S. F. & Sullivan W., Hotel Front Office Simulation Workbook with
CD-ROM, Wiley Publishing, 2002

Raza, I., Heads in Beds: Hospitality and Tourism Marketing,

Stutts A. T & Wortman J., Hotel and Lodging Management: An

Introduction, 2nd Edition, Wiley Publishing, 2005

Vallen G. K. and Vallen J. J., Check-in Check-out, 6th Edition, Prentice

Hall, 1998

Huyton J., Case studies in rooms operations and management,

Hospitality Press, 2001

Baker S., Principles of hotel front office operations, Hospitality Press,

1998

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Recommended reading
list

This page is left intentionally blank.

 Assessment checklist

Assessment checklist
1. Ask your on-the-job training supervisor to complete the checklist
below.
2. Fax the completed form to your trainer.

Trainee Name:

Front Office

FRONT OFFICE CHECKLIST

This checklist has been designed as a guide to help you check that the trainee can
perform the daily duties of a front desk attendant.

A Utilize product knowledge Tick answer

A1 Does the trainee share property information with guests and □ Yes □ No
other staff members?

A2 Does the trainee provide information about services and/or □ Yes □ No

attractions within the local area to guests?

B Process reservations Tick answer

B1 Does the trainee post reservations and process advanced □ Yes □ No

deposits and payments?

B2 Does the trainee locate and alter original reservations to reflect □ Yes □ No
changes requested by guests?

C Process guest arrivals Tick answer

C1 Does the trainee prepare arrival documentation and assign □ Yes □ No

rooms?

C2 Does the trainee make guests welcome and complete the □ Yes □ No
check-in process?

C3 Does the trainee accommodate `walk-in' guests in a manner □ Yes □ No

consistent with property requirements?

D Manage telephone calls Tick answer

D1 Does the trainee process telephone calls in accordance with □ Yes □ No

house policies and procedures?

D2 Does the trainee process wake-up calls in accordance with □ Yes □ No

house policies and procedures?
 Assessment
checklist

E Provide guest services Tick answer

E1 Does the trainee process guest mail in accordance with house □ Yes □ No
procedures and/or guidelines?

E2 Does the trainee secure guest valuables in accordance with □ Yes □ No

house procedures and/or guidelines?

F Provide valet service Tick answer

F1 Does the trainee store and/or retrieve guest luggage in □ Yes □ No

accordance with house procedures and policies?

F2 Does the trainee park and/or retrieve a guest's car in □ Yes □ No

accordance with house procedures and policies?

G Provide lost and found service Tick answer

G1 Does the trainee secure and/or record lost and found property □ Yes □ No
in accordance with house procedures and policies?

H Process financial transactions Tick answer

H1 Does the trainee process guests' accounts, in accordance with □ Yes □ No

house procedures and policies, without error?

H2 Does the trainee manage cash float and cash-out procedures, □ Yes □ No
in accordance with house procedures and policies, without
error?

H3 Does the trainee exchange foreign currency, in accordance □ Yes □ No

with house procedures and policies, without error?

I Process guest departures Tick answer

I1 Does the trainee prepare for guest departures in accordance □ Yes □ No

with house procedures and policies?

I2 Does the trainee check-out guests in accordance with house □ Yes □ No

procedures and policies and in a manner that makes guests
feel valued?

J Provide night audit services Tick answer

J1 Does the trainee complete the daily audit in accordance with □ Yes □ No
house procedures and policies?

© Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities 2009

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