Republic of the Philippines

SURIGAO del SUR STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Business and Management
Tagbina Campus

Bachelor of Science Hospitality Management

MODULE 2

HPC 2
Fundamentals in Lodging Operations

SULPICIO D. GARCES JR.

BSHM Instructor

2021
 Module 2
LODGING MANAGEMENT & SERVICES

Learning Objectives:

1. To identify the needs of the staff in lodging operation

2. To evaluate training competencies of each staff of the hotel industry.
3. To determine the expected competency standards for hospitality jobs.
4. To explain the core functions of the key personnel working in a hotel.
5. To provide services for accommodation.
6. To differentiate the walk in and reserved guest.
7. To demonstrate check-in and check-out procedures.
8. To process guest registration in a system.
9. To perform housekeeping procedures.
10. To execute the importance marketing functions.

Lesson 1. Managing Lodging Services

The hospitality industry is commonly known as a ‘service’ industry.
Whilst the offering provided by a wide variety of hospitality organisations
combines the provision of both products and services, many people perceive
service standards to be higher than that provided in other industries.
Whilst exotic, modern, expensive and unique products can be
purchased and add to the customer experience, service is provided by staff.
An organisation’s ability to recruit, train and develop its staff is
fundamental for the delivery of quality service to customers.

A. Operation Staffing Needs

Each hospitality organisation will have their own staffing needs
which are based in a number of factors. These factors include, but are
certainly not limited to:
 Contents of business plan and strategic plans
 Levels of service and customer service standards required by the
organization
 Trading times, level of competition, nature of the business,
operational departments
 Internal and external factors impacting the business
 Specific staffing requirements.

Identifying staff training needs

One of the major considerations when identifying what will greatly
impact the human relations role and future activities is the needs that staff
may have.
  Staff may require training on existing systems and equipment, training on new systems and
equipment, or remedial training such as refreshing a person’s skills with the aim of improving
their current observable performance.

Staff induction
 Most organisations recognise the value and importance of induction and orientation programs
and they are now relatively commonplace.
 Staff members who are inducted may need initial skills training in certain areas because they
have no experience at all with a specific task, or they may require remedial training because
their existing experience is not at the standard required.
 Where such training is not provided, new staff members can easily feel ‘ignored’ and
frustrated leading to high levels of staff discontent and staff turnover. Given that recruiting of
staff is a very time-consuming and expensive exercise, it makes sound business sense to
ensure that the appropriate levels of training are delivered at this early stage of a person’s
history with their new employer.

Request from a staff member

 Where staff feel comfortable with management or their position within
the organisation, they may identify their own needs for training.
 Those providing training need to recognise that staff may feel very
anxious about ‘self-disclosing’ this need. Such staff can feel vulnerable in
admitting that their performance is below the required level.
 Implicit in this is the highly important need for trainers to be sensitive to
the feelings of staff when delivering training, and to develop empathetic
interpersonal skills such that colleagues do not feel threatened,
compromised or incompetent by virtue of having asked for help.

A request from management

 From time-to-time management may observe the workplace performance of certain staff and
determine that training is needed for them.
 Once again, those doing the training must be sympathetic to the staff concerned and ensure
that they support them, rather than further increase their anxiety.
 It is to be expected that any staff who are told by management that they need training are
going to be, to various degrees, anxious about their future and job security.
 Where appropriate, it is vital that trainers and managers begin such training sessions by
informing staff that their jobs are not under threat. A training session that is set within a
framework of mutual cooperation, trust and benefit is much more likely to result in success
than one that is set within a context of coercion and worry.

Personal observation
 Frequently, as a manager your role can frequently present
opportunities to observe staff practices. Such observations can
often indicate a need for training and, arguably, this is an
accepted and expected management role.
 When such circumstances arise, it is critical that specific instances
are related back to the staff concerned as providing the basis for
the training that is needed. Where you can identify specific needs, the rationale for
undertaking the training is able to be readily presented and the staff are much more likely to
accept its need.
Customer complaint
 Given that we work in an industry that is characterised by
interaction with people, it is (almost) inevitable that complaints
will occur. You need to differentiate between genuine and
frivolous complaints so that training is only offered when a real
need exists.
 In practice, this usually means that we do not automatically
respond with a knee jerk training response to each and every
complaint that is received, but that we investigate and analyse the complaints: certainly,
where a trend of low level of service can be identified, then training would seem appropriate.

Changes in workplace equipment

 There will always be examples of new equipment being introduced into the workplace, be it
replacement equipment or items that represent new initiatives.
 We must realise that just because staff could competently operate the old/previous cash
register, doesn’t mean that they will be able to use the new equipment – even if it is the same
make. It is common for suppliers to supply initial training of some description, but it may well
be up to the workplace trainer to finalise that training, and to train new staff.

Changes in procedures
 Changes in procedures may be occasioned by a change in management, a change in focus, or
changes in equipment.
 You will be required to deliver training that enables staff to function in accord with new
procedures which may include, for example, a new documentation or docket procedure, a
revised protocol for answering the phone, or a modified method of clearing the registers.
Develop work priorities.

Changes in legal requirements

 Existing legislation can be varied over time, and new legislation is periodically introduced:
common legislation that requires our attention relates to safety and health, equal
opportunity, trade practices, and food handling.
 Commonly this training simply involves making staff aware of the new legislation, but there
are occasions where demonstrations to illustrate the new laws are required.

Further source of information to identify training needs

 Industry/enterprise or other competency standards – these are
not common in smaller enterprises, but exist in some larger
organisations
 Endorsed components of relevant industry training packages –
this involves using the standards that are laid out in the
accredited training packages
 Industry/workplace training practices – many workplace practices exist, but relatively few of
them are in writing, or have been set out in some approved and accepted format
 Job descriptions – these are very useful documents, but care must be taken to ensure that
they are current and genuinely reflect the work that the person is expected to do.
 Very often, the job description is outdated because things change slowly in the workplace and
the job description isn’t amended accordingly
  Business plans for the organisation – these will identify upcoming skills development
requirements for the business so that trainers can train up staff before they are needed
 Standard operating or other workplace procedures.

B. Staffing Competencies Evaluation

In most organisations, regardless of industry, one of the primary tasks performed by the
Human Resources Department (HRD) is to gain an understanding of what the current work force
can do and what may be expected of it in the future in meeting the needs of customers. It is
essential that staff have the right ‘competencies’ to meet the requirements of the workplace.

Competency
 Competence is the demonstrated ability to consistently perform discrete
tasks under specified conditions to an agreed standard.
 Competency comprises knowledge and skills and the consistent
application of that knowledge and skills to the standard of performance
required in employment.
 Competency can be defined as the ability to do something. In order to do
something a person will require a combination of three things:
 Knowledge – called the cognitive domain. These are the ‘head’ skills
such as what people think and their level of knowledge
 Skill – called the psychomotor domain. These are the ‘hand’ skills such
as what people can do
 Attitude – called the affective domain. These are the ‘heart’ skills such as what people feel.
 Training is a key to being able to develop the competencies of staff.
 Every organisation will have dedicated training programs aimed at ensuring all staff are able
to develop their competency levels to meet the desired standards.
 Lots of on-the-job training will be skill-related, but nearly every training event has a need to
include coverage of the attitude and knowledge areas, too.
 In the hospitality industry where customer interaction and service is vital, it is not enough to
be able to perform a practical task. It is equally important to be able to accompany the skill
with the right interpersonal skills that are all attitude-based.

Identifying current competencies of learners

Before staff will be called upon to undertake training, a manager must identify if a learning
need exists. This involves understanding:
 Current competencies of learners
 Comparing them against expected competency standards.

Review their personnel file

One way of identifying competencies of learners is to review background information about
each learner. Information contained in their personnel file will provide sound background
information including:
 Resume – their resume will give a ‘snapshot’ of what they have
achieved in their professional life to date and is a great starting
point in understanding a learner
 Current qualifications - check to see the qualifications they hold,
how long ago they were obtained and where they were obtained
  Training programs completed - check their attendance at current training and look at the
progress they have made with other in-house training situations
 Length of employment – the longer the person has been employed, normally will lead to the
assumption that they have higher competency levels
 Structure of employment – what is their job role, have they changed jobs, have they had
exposure to multi-skilling
 Awards and comments – the file may contain guest comment cards either positive or negative,
managers may have constructed comments or awards may have been issued
 Performance appraisal information – this document provides extensive and detailed
information relating to the current competency levels of a learner in all aspects of their job.

Talk to people
Talking to people is a great way to get current information regarding the
competency levels of a learner. Some documents located in the learner file
may be outdated or not descriptive enough to identify true competency,
therefore speaking with others will also help answer any remaining questions.
People to talk to include:
 Talk to the learner – ask them about their training history, their
preferences and their attitude to learning in the workplace: find out
what, if any, obstacles stand in the way of their workplace learning
(factors such as family commitments, sport and other learning activities)
 Speak to other trainers – What can they tell you about the learners? Based on their
experiences, where are possible strengths and weaknesses?
 Speak to other supervisors who have delivered training – what information can they give you
about what seems to work and not work with certain staff, in their experience.

Observation
One of the most effective ways to determine and understand a learner’s
competency level is to observe what the learner is able to do. This may be done
by the trainer or another suitable person.

Trainer collecting competency evidence

 This is most common form of conducting the observation and collection
of evidence.
 The trainer may wish to notify the learner or may wish to do it without their knowledge to
gather a true understanding of competency.
 The trainer may use a checklist or other documents to help identify current competency levels.

Others collecting competency evidence

 If the observation was conducted by another person, the
trainer will need to collect any documents, checklists and any
other supporting evidence that comprises the observation.
 They may wish to let the person know in advance of when the
documentation will be required.
 This information collection process may also include a brief
meeting to verbally exchange information or comments not suitable for inclusion in written
documentation.
Assessments
A trainer may wish to give a learner a range of assessment tasks to identify their current
competency levels. These assessments may include:
 Written or verbal questions
 Demonstration
 Project or assignment
 Portfolio of work.
Once the true competency of learners has been identified, the HRD must now identify the
required competencies required by learners.

Conduct a Training Needs Analysis

Welcoming guests
The type of greeting the guest receives must always be:
 Professional
 Personable
 Welcoming
 Sincere
 Friendly
 Polite.

In all instances, the verbal welcome offered must conform to any establishment policies or
directives, but will generally contain:
 A greeting
 The establishment’s name
 The guest’s name or title if appropriate
 An offer of assistance.

Alternatively, the establishment may have a standard ‘welcome’ phrase that they require you to
use: check with your supervisor and follow what applies in your workplace.

Examples of greetings when a guest arrives at reception:

Time of Checking in - Guests arriving Checing Out - General Greeting
Day with bags Guests who look like
they are departing
Morning "Good morning Sir/Madam, "Good morning "Good morning
welcome to the Angliss Hotel, Sir/Madam (or name Welcome to the
checking in? Could I have your if you know it) Ms. Angliss Hotel. How
name please". Wilson. Checking can I help you"
Or If you recognize the guest out? Could I have
"Good morning Ms. Wilson your room number
welcome back to the Angliss please.
Hotel"
Afternoon "Good afternoon Sir/Madam, "Good afternoon "Good afternoon
welcome to the Angliss Hotel, Sir/Madam, Welcome to the
checking in ? Could I have your checking out ? Could Angliss Hotel. How
name please". I have your room can I help you"
number please."
 Time of Checking in - Guests arriving Checing Out - General Greeting
Day with bags Guests who look like
they are departing
Evening "Good evening Sir/Madam, "Good evening "Good evening
welcome to the Angliss Hotel, Sir/Madam, Welcome to the
checking in ? Could I have your checking out ? Could Angliss Hotel. How
name please". I have your room can I help you"
number please."

Body language
 It is important that your non-verbal communication also sends the right message when
welcoming a guest.
 You can’t just say you are welcoming the guest, you must show you are welcoming them.
 A smile is important and the tone of the voice is also important.

Empathy
 Where the guest has had a bad trip or experience as part of their journey to your premises
it is also worthwhile taking some time to be empathetic and share their experience, offering
some kind words to demonstrate compassion and understanding for them.

Practical help
 Also be tuned in to anything practical you might be able to do
to make the guest’s first impression a positive one.
 Monitor how they appear and what they say to see if you can
do something that would help them without waiting to be
asked.
 You might be able to:
 Get them a glass of water
 Offer them a seat to rest for a minute
 Help them carry cases to their rooms where such a porter service is not normally
available
 Make an enquiry as to whether or not you can do something to help someone who looks
distressed.
 Always remember that lots of properties offer rooms, food, beverages and a range of
facilities but it is often the service provided by individual staff that separates one place from
another. It is this excellent level of guest service that gets that person coming back time and
time again.

C. Guest Reservation
Once you have greeted the guest, you must next confirm the details of their reservation – if
they have one. Not every guest who wishes to check-in to an establishment has previously made a
reservation.

Guests with a reservation

 If the guest does have a reservation, the reception staff may find their details on the
Registration Card (or similar) stored in the Registration Box, which is kept at reception with
cards filed in alphabetical order, by surname.
  A pre-printed Registration Card indicates to the guest that they were in fact expected, and
provides another level of service in that the guest does not have to take time filling in
required details that have already been provided when the reservation was made (or
retrieved from Guest History).
 The guest must check the details to ensure they are correct, make any necessary changes,
and sign the Registration Card.
 If no previous reservation has been made, the guest must complete a blank Registration Card
and the check in process will be a lot longer.

Confirming details of reservation

Where the guest has a booking, their name must first be
ascertained – from the Booking Slip or the computer – and then the
details of their booking confirmed face-to-face with them.

Verification should cover

 Name of the guest/s with special attention to clarifying any
unusual name to ensure you have the spelling correct
 Contact details of the guest – which may just be their home
address or business address but could include phone number and
other contact details
 Length of stay including checking the actual departure dates and
days
 Departure time (for example, late check-out or an especially early departure)
 Method of payment.
 If the account is to be charged back to the company
(authority to do so has already been established)
 In the case of cash paying guests it is usually hotel
policy to collect one night's accommodation plus
extra, maybe another night's accommodation cost or
a flat fee of $100.00 from the guest when they check
in rather than at check out time. Check your
establishment's "cash policy"
 Confirm any advanced deposits that have been paid by the guest. Usually this amount is
already credited to the guest folio. You could print out a copy or the folio to show the
guest the deposit has been recorded onto their account
 Type of room requested – just to make sure they have been
allocated the right type of room. You might have to explain
what the room type is
 Confirmation of any special requests unless they are of a
'surprise' nature (such as champagne and/or flowers in the
room). You need to be sensitive to the nature of special
requests and ensure you do nothing to spoil a surprise by
mentioning it in front of the ‘wrong person’ at check-in
 Room rate quoted. This should be quoted just to make sure there is no confusion about how
much the guest will be paying for their accommodation. Where a discount is being allowed
this should also be quoted so the guest knows what price reduction they are receiving
 Explain any vouchers or complimentary items that accompany the reservation. For instance,
there is a free drink voucher in your welcome brochure for one of the bars, or that the car
park is complimentary with this reservation - do you need to park the car?
  Always explain at least one of your facilities to the guest on arrival. For example, the pool is
on the 20th floor and open until 10pm tonight if you need to use it. Or we are having an
Italian festival in our Main dining room and you might like to try it while you are here.
 Some of the above confirmation will be verbal, and some of it will occur through presenting
the guest with a Registration Card and asking them to check it, confirm it and sign. It is
necessary for the guest to check and sign the Registration Card as this reconfirms all the
details as well as acknowledging that the guest has read all the small print, accepting charges
for any liability incurred during the entire length of stay.
 This phase of the guest cycle enables a rapport to be established between the guests and
the establishment, so every effort must be made to ensure this time remains pleasant,
comfortable and friendly – in the same way that the initial greeting and welcome was.
 Where you work for an owner-operator it is a sound plan to meet regularly with this person
to share concerns and idea.
 A meeting once per week is good, whilst a daily meeting is even better.

Walk-in Guest
A ‘walk in’ is a guest who walks in through the door seeking accommodation for the night
without having made a reservation.
Walk-ins represent a very small proportion of guests but properties like to have Walk-ins
because they tend to be able to be charged more.
All properties will have their own standard procedures for registering guests and you need to
identify what applies in your workplace for guests who arrive with and without a reservation.
The individual procedures used by properties will depend on the reservation system being
used and the previous experience of management in dealing with guests and the preferences that
have emerged as a result of that experience.

Guests without a reservation

When a Walk-in arrives:
 Welcome them as per standard policy and procedures.
 Determine their accommodation needs – how many nights,
type of room, any special requirements.
 Advise the guest of what is available – standard procedures
may be to try to sell a premium room and then work down
from that if the price/rate is too expensive
 When an appropriate room and rate has been agreed it is
usually good practice to ask how the guest will be paying the account before proceding with
the check-in.
 Once an acceptable payment method has been established the check-in process will
proceed; otherwise, the guest is turned away.
 Most establishments will require a walk-in to pay for their room in advance.
 If the guest is paying with a credit or charge card it may be standard
practice to swipe the card through an EFTPOS machine or manually
obtain an imprint of the card.
 All establishments will seek pre-authorization from the credit or charge
card up to a predetermined amount
 If the guest is paying by Cash the establishment "Cash Policy" will apply.
 This is to cover the hotel for any extra charges the guest may incur in the hotel such as room
service or restaurant and bar charges. If there is any balance left on checkout it will be refunded
to the guest
 Some hotels may even make these guests "Cash Only Guests" which means they are not
permitted to charge anything to their room. They must pay for it at the point of sale in the
restaurant or bar. If the guest doesn’t agree to this policy then the check-in will not proceed.
Note ‘Cash Only’ means guest is required to pay using cash or credit card.

Lesson 2. Guest Registration

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.

A. Proof of guest identity

 In some countries it is essential that hotel guests provide proof of identity.
 This is usually done with the inspection of a guest’s passport and/or visa (as appropriate).
 Some hotels will take a copy of the documents to keep on file and some may even keep the
passport for a few days.
 Whatever process your establishment follows make sure you advise the guest of what you
are doing.

Completing the registration card

 If you are using a PMS, the computer will have printed a registration card for each arriving
guest with a reservation for the day and this will include all the details given in the
reservation.
 All you need to 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.
The Registration Card (also known as the Registration Form) is
presented to the guest for them to either complete or confirm.
It lists personal details about the guest which can include:
 Arrival date
 Departure date
 Arrival time
 Departure time (may include late check out)
 Guest’s nameGuest’s address
 Company name, if applicable
 Room type
 Payment details
 Number of rooms
 Number of guests
 Room rate
 Room number – if previously allocated
  Passport number – international guests may be required to provide a passport number
 Nationality – reports may be printed to ascertain the establishment’s nationality mix: some
establishments like to print menus in another language besides English, and this
information may also be of use to the marketing department
 Guest’s signature
 Birth date – some establishments like to send their guests a birthday card.

If the guest updates or corrects any information make sure you update the computer (PMS)
with the same data as you don’t want the guest to have to make this correction every time they
arrive. This is especially crucial for spelling of the guest’s name.

The guest’s signature

 All guests are required to sign the registration card or
registration sheet.
 The only exception to this might be a VIP – where the
signature is not actually required as a representative
from the VIP group can sign on behalf of the guest.
 Even guests arriving as part of a group or tour are
required to sign in or register.
 By signing the registration card, the guest is entering into
a contract with the property to pay for services it provides.

B. Roomkeys assignment
 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 or porter:
 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
 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
 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 key card immediately for the guest.
Some hotels will have the key cards made up prior to the guest’s arrival
 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.
Explaining the use of key cards
 The types of keys used by establishments can vary between
establishments.
 Some types of keys include:
 Normal door key type
 Card key – this card is inserted into a slot in the door. Once
inside the room, the guest may also need to insert the
card key into a slot/device on the wall to activate the
power in the room. In some properties the key will also contain an electronic device
required to activate the lifts and/or to move through various internal doors within the
property (designed to keep non-guests out of these areas).
 Card keys are programmed upon check-in for security reasons and the card presented in a
cover with the room number written on it.
 Card keys can also be programmed to open certain guest facilities like the gymnasium and
swimming pool areas.

C. Bell Service
All international hotels will have porters stationed at the Conceirge or Bell Desk in the hotel
lobby. Once the guest has checked into the hotel a porter makes him or herself available to assist
the guest to their room.
Porters
Porters 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.

The head porter 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 and so on.

Directing or 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
  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 call the Bell
Desk or Concierge and advise the guest’s room number.
 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 or Concierge then receptionists escort guests to
their rooms, and offer to carry the guests’ luggage.
 Some guests prefer to take their own luggage, but you must at least make the offer.

Lesson 3. Check-out Procedures

Communication is vital in many aspects of hospitality work. It is essential between staff and
guests, and between staff within the organisation. At reception it is important for staff to
communicate with other departments to make sure that all legitimate charges that can be applied
to a guest account are identified and accurately posted to the relevant account/folio.

Seeking information on departing guests

 The reception staff may need to gather information from other departments, before
processing a check-out.
 Where an effective computerised system is being used this may
not need to occur as the system will automatically post charges
to the guest folio from remote locations as charges are incurred
 The ‘guest folio’ is simply another name for the bill.
 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.
 The guest folio/s will show the name of the guest, room number and the arrival and departure
dates.
 A guest may ask to see his/her account at any time, so charges are usually ‘posted’ to the folio
when they occur 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.

The departments you may need to obtain information from may include:
 Food and Beverage Department – the guest may have just had breakfast and is now
checking-out
 Housekeeping Department – to identify any late mini-bar charges.
  In some cases, if there was an in-house function, it is important to make sure that all the
function charges are posted on the guest’s account.
 Charges may include hire fees for projectors, lecterns and speakers, as well as charges for
food and beverage supplied.
 Remember, some establishments use an in-house computerised system to notify and post
charges, whereas other premises will use a paper-based, signed docket system to support
manual posting of charges to guest accounts.
 It is always preferable to have copies of signed, supporting documentation at reception
when the guest checks out to assist in clarifying any queries that may be made.

Checking for accuracy

 A standard practice should be to check the supporting documentation against the actual
posted charges to verify that the charges levied are complete and accurate.
 Of course we never want to charge a guest for a product or service they didn’t receive.
Similarly we also want to make sure we don’t allow the guest to depart without paying for
any legitimate charge that applies to their stay.
 When making these checks, it should also be standard practice to match supporting
documentation with charges. If there is a charge that has no supporting documentation, you
should initiate action to obtain that paperwork.
Other checks may include:
 Making sure calculations on the dockets are correct – especially where these have been
calculated by manually
 Making sure the signature and name on the docket relates to the person shown as occupying
the room to which the charge applies
 Verifying the signature on the dockets against the signature provided by the guest at check
in.

Departure List
The departure list provides the front office with a lisiting of all guests expected to depart on
the day. Reception needs to constantly review this list to make changes and communicate these
changes to other departments. However, not all guests on the list depart, some guests depart before
their due date (they are not on the list) while others request extensions. That is why reception have
to constantly review the departures list.

Review departures list

A departure list for the day will be generated either early in the morning or overnight by the night
audit team. Check the report for:
Express check-outs Prepare the necessary documentation to give to the guest.
These guests want a fast and efficient check-out with no
problems.
Group check-outs and late So that Reception is not cluttered with the main group at one
check-outs time, guest folios can be prepared ahead of check-out.
Early 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 report regarding
from details indicated on check-in/check-outs. Check the guest departure list to see if
the registration card there have been any variations to what was previously advised
to Housekeeping, e.g. overstays etc.
Early departures
 Where guests depart at a premature date, this means that a room becomes available for
resale earlier than expected.
 Housekeeping should be notified to service the room as soon as possible so it can be placed
back on the rack/board for sale.
Other issues
 Other aspects associated with reviewing departure lists
include checking documentation to ensure a speedy and
efficient check-out.
 Issues to check could include:
 Ensuring that company faxes are attached to the Registration
Card where it is a company booking.
 Checking to see if guest has exceeded the Floor Limit for
credit card payment and obtaining appropriate authorisation where necessary.
 Gathering charges for posting to the guest folio from other departments.

Guest Account
 Preparing a guest account is an important part of the guest stay/guest cycle.
 Timing and accuracy are the two most important points in relation to the guest account.
 The guest account should be ready for the guest when they are ready to pay and depart.
They shouldn’t be kept waiting while their account is prepared. This is a common complaint
from guests.
 The account must accurately reflect the guest’s stay and not include unexpected or
unexplained additional charges or charges that should have been posted to another account,
room or guest.

Generating guest accounts

 Often, when a guest departs, the final contact they have is
with the front office staff. This may be you as a receptionist
or a dedicated cashier who performs the check-outs,
presents the accounts and accepts payment.
 It is of the utmost importance that this final contact be
courteous, professional and positive. In some cases the
nature of this contact can determine whether or not the
guest decides to return, or decides to stay at other properties.
 Remember that during this contact, we are giving the guest nothing, and we are taking
money off them!
 Also, the money they are paying – and it will always seem like quite a lot of money to them
– is for nothing tangible.
 The guests are leaving the establishment with nothing. They may have had a room for the
night, eaten dinner, had a few drinks, but they really have nothing tangible to show for the
money they have just spent.
 It needs stressing, therefore, that a very high level of service is required at this point.
 There is likely to be a standard general procedure for handling a guest check-out but it is
important for reception staff to adhere to individual establishment policies on such
procedures.
  The importance of accuracy when making up a guest's account cannot be stressed too highly:
an error that is in the venue’s favour will always be misinterpreted as an attempt at ripping
the guest off.

Presenting the account

The moment you identify a guest about to check-out you should immediately acknowledge
them and not wait for them to make the first approach.
The greeting should be as mentioned before:
 Professional
 Personable
 Welcoming
 Sincere
 Polite
 Friendly.

The greeting must contain:

 The guest’s name or title, if appropriate
 An offer of assistance – “Good morning, Mr Wiseman. Are you checking out?”

Ask the guest for their details

 Name and room number – and confirm information on the charts or in the computer:
number of nights, type of room, and rate quoted.

Ask the guest if they had any other charges

 Did they use the mini-bar last night, or on the morning of their departure?
This would not be recorded from the previous day, because the mini-bar attendant can finish
work as late as 5:00pm and charges after this time may not have been entered on to the guest’s
account.
If the guest did have items from the mini-bar, a docket needs to be raised and the amount and
room number entered so the charge can be posted to the guest’s account.
 Did they have breakfast this morning? - if breakfast is not included in their rate.
A hotel with a PMS and point of sale system won't have to ask this question but a hotel without
it will need to contact the outlet where the guest consumed their breakfast and obtain details of
the charge and add this to the guest’s account.

Finally the folio/account is printed

 Present to the guest for verification and signature/payment.

Safe deposit boxes

 If your hotel doesn’t have in-room safes during account payment it is good customer relations
to ask the guest if they have used the safety deposit box in their room and if they have, did they
remember to clear it out.

Other duties
When the account has been finalised and the guest has departed, it is standard practice to
check the date of departure. Where the date of departure is earlier than anticipated, this is called
an Early Check Out and while no charge applies, the Housekeeping department will need to be
advised that the room is now a Check-out room and not a Stay room.
This means Housekeeping can clean the room in preparation for the next arrival.
Lesson 4. Housekeeping Procedures and Marketing Functions

Housekeeping is an important area in any accommodation property. Most people see

housekeeping as simply ‘cleaning guest rooms’ but from an operational perspective there is a lot
more to housekeeping than just that.
The role of housekeeping is to ensure the comfort and safety of guests whilst they are staying
at a hospitality organisation. This is the guest’s 'home away from home'. It is essential that that a
guest is able to enjoy their room in the same manner and with the same ease as they would enjoy
in their own house. The aim of housekeeping is to strive to enable guests to access items as easily
as in their own home.
It is therefore important that housekeeping staff maintain a professional level of integrity,
especially staff who clean rooms. Housekeeping staff must have high levels of integrity, honesty and
discretion as a guest needs to feel that what takes place or what is left in their room must be safe
and remain confidential.
Understandably an accommodation room is considerably smaller in size than the customer's
normal residence and therefore items that they may need might not be in immediate access.
A hotel cannot provide all the necessary items a customer may need inside each and every room
for a number of reasons:
 The room size is too small
 It would become cramped for space
 Not all customers need all items
 The capital outlay for a business would be considerable
 It reduces the chance of damage and theft.
 Therefore it is vital that housekeeping are able to get a
requested item to a room in the shortest possible time.

Importance of marketing in tourism industry

Marketing and sales are pivotal activities that need to be
performed by any hospitality and tourism organisation. In fact no
business, regardless or industry, size or purpose will succeed without
careful consideration paid to its marketing and sales strategy.

Marketing vs Sales
So what is the difference between marketing and sales?
 In the past many companies developed an ‘offering’, made up of various products and
services, which they thought the customer might like and then try to ‘sell’ it to them.
 In many cases these ‘offerings’ were internally focused and were designed to ensure
sufficient profits for an organisation.
 Marketing is different in the fact that it aims to understand the customer before selling an
offering to them.
 Naturally for any business to succeed, it must be customer
focused and try to:Understand what the customer
wantsTry to develop an offering to meet these needs
 Identify the best way to make people aware of the offering
 Motivate people to partake of the offering.
 As it can be seen above it is important to note that marketing
is a logical step before selling.
  Before we look at the activities associated with marketing in a hospitality or tourism
environment it is important to understand:
 The concept of marketing
 Key marketing components
 Tourism marketing
 Services marketing
 Marketing mix.

Concept of marketing
Marketing involves ascertaining what a customer’s needs and wants are through interacting
and working with the customer and providing them with a quality product/service that offers them
value and satisfaction.
As previously mentioned, all or most marketing activities today are directed toward
developing relationships and customer retention. In the past, marketing and selling activities were
seen as short-term activities designed to make a sale, with little attention paid to the return business
of that customer.
Therefore, even though selling and advertising are the very visible aspects of marketing, they
are only part of a larger marketing mix. The components of this marketing mix will be discussed later
in this section.

Key marketing components

 To understand this definition of marketing and the marketing planning and strategy process
that will follow, it is important that the learner understand some key concepts in this
definition.
 Knowing all about customer needs is the cornerstone to effective marketing. Knowing how
to develop and promote these ‘offerings’ is essential in ensuring customer satisfaction and
business success.
 Following are some of the key components associated with marketing.

Needs
These underlie wishes and expectations and are the things customers
are unable to do without. They may be in a foreign town and simply
cannot do without a bed for the night, a meal or beverage.

Wants
These refer to the way in which our customer would prefer to satisfy a specific need.
Wants are needs which are shaped, determined and learned by the society or culture that they live
in. As a culture develops, its people’s wants are expanded as people are exposed to more and more
possibilities of satisfying this want.

A Market
This is the set of all actual and potential buyers of a product
Products
These are physical objects, services, persons, places,
organisations and ideas that can be offered to a market or
individual to satisfy a need or want. The distinction between a
product and service is not clear, as there are often elements of
both in each.
Companies need to concentrate not on the physical product itself,
but rather on the benefits that they provide to the customer.

Customer value
This is the difference between the values the customer gains from owning and using a product and
the costs of obtaining the product. Often customers are not very accurate at assessing value and
use their own perceived value.

Customer satisfaction
This is the extent to which the perceived performance of products or services matches buyer
expectations.

Relationship Marketing
This is the process of creating, maintaining and enhancing strong, value laden relationships with
customers and other stakeholders.

Tourism marketing
Whilst the concept of marketing is important in every industry, these are some unique
qualities of the tourism industry which will impact and influence a marketing approach.
Specific marketing requirements of the tourism industry are:
 Shorter exposure to services
 More emotional and irrational buying appeals
 Greater importance on managing evidence
 Greater emphasis on stature and imagery
 More variety and types of distribution channels
 Dependence on complementary organisations
 Easier copying of services
 More emphasis on off-peak production.

Unique relationships with tourism marketing are:

 Suppliers, carriers and travel trade
 Destination mix concept: attractions and events (draw visitors) facilities infrastructure and
transportation amenities, hospitality resources
 Visitors and local residents
 Managing the three preceding relationships
Why marketing is important in tourism:
 It helps guarantee long-term profitability
 It influences how the organisation structures itself
 It gives the organisation an edge over its competitors
 It plans for new products and services development
 Staff are seen by patrons to be part of the service product
 Staff can be trained to encourage the use or sale of products or
services available and are valued for it.

Services marketing
Pure services are activities or benefits which are intangible, inseparable or perishable (they
do not result in ownership). However, very few services are truly pure services, so products are
defined to include services as well. Products and services usually run on a continuum, with both
types usually involving some element of the other.
In hospitality/tourism the product and service offering is combined to meet customer needs
and consists of the following elements:
 A tangible product
 Environment
 Services.

Because goods are physical things, when you buy them you own
them, and you can see, touch and easily compare them to other similar
goods. On the other hand, a service is a deed performed by one party for another and the customer
generally cannot keep it. A service is used, consumed and experienced all at once.
The characteristics of services are:
 Intangibility
 Inseparability
 Perishability
 Variability.

Intangibility
Because it is not physical goods that you can see, it becomes more difficult to know exactly what
you are buying. Hence, increased risk and uncertainty is involved in the purchase decision. Buyers
often resort to word-of-mouth or use price as a guide to quality.

Inseparability
Goods are usually produced, stored and then consumed,
whereas services are produced and consumed in the same place
at the same time. Sometimes called the ‘moment of truth’, this
moment provides management with a unique opportunity to
collect direct feedback from its source.

Perishability
A manufactured product not sold today can be stored and sold tomorrow with little additional cost
incurred. Services cannot be produced in large, economic quantities and then transported to
customers, avoiding or balancing extreme situations of peak demand or oversupply.
Variability
With a manufactured product, quality control can be built into the production process. Service
products vary because:
 Services are people based and employee performance
varies
 It is difficult to monitor the service product when the
customer is present during production and/or the service is
on a one-to-one basis.
One of the most effective strategies available to service marketers
to reduce the potential variability of the product is to undertake a
continuous and comprehensive staff training program.

Non-ownership
With services, it is not intended that the customer have any more than the temporary ownership or
use of any tangible product used in the production of their service.
The marketing mix
The marketing mix is a critical aspect of any marketing initiative as it focuses on all aspects of how
an organisation focuses its efforts towards ensuring:
 Business success
 Customer satisfaction.

The original 4P’s

The original four “P’s” in a marketing mix were:

Products
This is the development of offering s focused towards the customer needs and wants. These are
the goods and services that are offered to the target market by the company including a focus on:
 Range of products and services
 Unique points of different
 Variety
 Quality
 Design
 Features
 Brand name, awareness and loyalty
 Packaging
 Sizes or variations in offering
 Add-ons
 Warranties.
Price
In summary, this is how much it will cost the customer. This refers to the amount of money that
customers, suppliers or intermediaries have to pay to buy the product and should also include
consideration of:
 Yield management
 Perceived value
 Elasticity of demand
 Competing prices
 Discounts
 Payment options.
Placement
This focuses on the convenience for customers in accessing the offering. Naturally the role of
placement in a hospitality or tourism environment is different to other industries in that customers
often need to come to a specific location to experience the offering.
This involves how the company gets information or the actual
product to the final consumer, including decisions regarding:
 Awareness of options
 Access to information
 Total Quality Management
 Demand chain management.

Promotion
In summary this is the way a customer is made aware of an offering. This covers the firm’s
communication activities to its target customers by way of:
 Advertising
 Promotion
 Personal selling
 Sales promotion
 Direct marketing
 Synchronous marketing
 Public relations
 Publicity.

The 3 new P’s

Today, with the advent of services marketing, some different
variables that are also key factors in the marketing process have come
to light. These are people, processes and physical evidence.

People
This refers to the people who are involved in service delivery. This is particularly important where
services predominate and there is a high level of intangibility. Here, the building of customer
relationships over time is critical.

Processes
These are important where the customer is involved in the
consumption process. This is highlighted in the hospitality industry
where, if the customer is treated poorly or receives poor service,
they are likely to migrate to a competitor no matter what facilities or
products are offered, as the customer will perceive this process as
poor value for money.
It is important to note that technology is also important in relation
to conversion operations and service delivery.

Physical evidence
This will be analysed by the customer in order to assess the value of a service. In hospitality and
tourism, physical evidence is important (i.e. ensuring that hygiene practices in an establishment are
maintained, and that staff are well presented, courteous and friendly).