Module 5

GUEST CYCLE OF
SERVICE

START!
 Table of
Contents

Pre-arrival Arrival Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

Topic 5.2 Arrival

5
Department?
Occupancy Departure
What is Front Office
Topic 5.3 Occupancy

le here in
Guest Cycle
You could e
n t e r a s u b t it
ed it
Topic 5.4 Departure

case you ne

S TA R T!
OBJECTIVES: Upon Completion of this lesson,
Students will able to:

Discuss the Guest Cycle of Service

Identify reservation request om Pre-Arrival
Stage
Explain the Check-In activities of Arrival
Stage
Recognize the promotion of Products and
Services under Occupancy Stage
Identify the Check-out process procedure
under Departure Stage
Guest Cycle Table of
Contents

Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

Topic 5.2 Arrival

Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Pre arrival Stage Table of
Contents

The pre arrival stage is a crucial stage of the

guest cycle for establishments since this is Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival
where the guest decides what hotel to choose.
The factors that are commonly considered by Topic 5.2 Arrival
guests when choosing a tourism establishment
are:
Topic 5.3 Occupancy
Previous experience with the establishment
The establishment’s advertisements
Recommendation from travel agents, friends Topic 5.4 Departure
or business associates.
The establishment’s location
The establishment’s name or the name of the
hotel chain operation
Pre arrival Stage Table of
Contents

Another consideration considered by a guest is Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

the ease of making hotel reservations. Thus, if
a F.O staff or the hotels system is competent
Topic 5.2 Arrival
when receiving reservation requests, guests
might be turned off to stay at your
establishment. Topic 5.3 Occupancy

How a front office reservation agent also

describes the hotel’s services and amenities is
Topic 5.4 Departure
crucial to getting reservations. The agent must
be quick, accurate, detailed and polite when
responding to callers’ requests and queries.
Pre arrival Stage Table of
Contents

Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

Topic 5.2 Arrival

Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Arrival Stage Table of
Contents

The arrival stage focuses on the check- Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

in activities of the guest, it includes:
Registering the guest
Topic 5.2 Arrival
Assigning a room and rate (for walk
in guest)
Determining methods of payment Topic 5.3 Occupancy

(for walk in guest)

Identifying a departure date Topic 5.4 Departure
Escorting or directing the guest to
room
Club membership
Room Class & Bedding Types Table of
Contents

Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

Rooms vary depending on how
big or small the hotel or lodging is
nevertheless, a front office Topic 5.2 Arrival
agent must be familiarized with
the different room types and its
Topic 5.3 Occupancy
characteristics to provide the
best room based on the needs
of the guests. Topic 5.4 Departure
Room Class & Bedding Types Table of
Contents

Deluxe room has the maximum Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

rate charged by the hotel for
a regular – sized sleeping room.
These are the rooms with the Topic 5.2 Arrival

best available location and view,

the highest level of comfort, Topic 5.3 Occupancy
furniture and décor.

Topic 5.4 Departure

Room Class & Bedding Types Table of
Contents

Superior room represents

Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival
the moderate or medium
rate charged by the hotel.
This type of room is Topic 5.2 Arrival
usually located on the
ground floor with
acceptable view. Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Room Class & Bedding Types Table of
Contents

Standard room represents the

Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival
hotel minimum rate for a
regular size sleeping room.
Room is the category usually
Topic 5.2 Arrival
offer least attractive view and
the least convenient locations in
the hotel. Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Room Class & Bedding Types Table of
Contents

Economy room is priced below Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

the normal minimum rate and is
usually reserved for overflow
situations, discounted rates or Topic 5.2 Arrival
special promotions.
Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Room Class & Bedding Types Table of
Contents

Suite room is a hotel room Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

which has more than one bed
or with extra rooms such as
kitchenette or living room. Topic 5.2 Arrival

Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

 Room Class & Bedding Types Table of
Contents

m
e fr o m roo
id
tel of King bed is normally the
Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival
ass ho oms can
g ro largest size bedding available.
odgin ategorized
ec
also b n the It is commonly provided in a
o
based types: Topic 5.2 Arrival
beddi
ng deluxe room.

Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Room Class & Bedding Types Table of
Contents

Queen bed is smaller than king Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

bed but larger than double beds.

This kind of bed is commonly
Topic 5.2 Arrival
used in a deluxe or superior
room.
Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Room Class & Bedding Types Table of
Contents

Double bed is commonly used Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

in a superior or standard
room. It is considered more
Topic 5.2 Arrival
suitable for one adult than
for two.
Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Room Class & Bedding Types Table of
Contents

Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

Twin bed is about one half the

size of a standard king bed. A
Topic 5.2 Arrival
room with twin bedding always
has two beds.
Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Room Class & Bedding Types Table of
Contents

Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

Single bed is found in a
room with one twin bed
or one bed of any size Topic 5.2 Arrival
offered for a single
occupancy.
Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Occupancy Stage Table of
Contents

When the guest arrives at the room and

accepts it, the occupancy stage begins. The Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival
occupancy stage is considered as the center
of front office activity. The front office
Topic 5.2 Arrival
plays a major role during a guest stay at the
hotel.
For example, the front office is the one who Topic 5.3 Occupancy

provides information and supplies when the

guests request it. It is the main source of Topic 5.4 Departure
service that the hotel supplies. The F.O staff
should perform these tasks well because this
will determine whether a guest will repeat
his/her stay at the hotel.
Occupancy Stage Table of
Contents

Some of the services that a guest may Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

acquire during his/her lodging are:
Purchase of food and beverages
Topic 5.2 Arrival
Use of telephone
Gift shop purchases
Laundry Services Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Inquiries
Topic 5.4 Departure
Promoting Products & Services to Guests Table of
Contents

It is essential for front office staff

Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival
to develop excellent product and
service knowledge to optimize sales
within the venue and to encourage Topic 5.2 Arrival
visitors to spend more time and to
acquire more products and services.
Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Promoting Products & Services to Guests Table of
Contents

To achieve this, front office staff must

develop a detailed and accurate knowledge Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival
on the
Layout of the hotel’s property Topic 5.2 Arrival
Different rooms available
Room rates
Facilities available in room and Topic 5.3 Occupancy

throughout the property

Discounts available to nominated guests’ Topic 5.4 Departure
types
Payment methods
Booking requirements
Cancellation and refunds
Promoting Products & Services to Guests Table of
Contents

nd
o d u cts a ledge Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival
Pr ow
r v i c e Kn erm
Se
g e n eric t
is a to
e f e rring about Topic 5.2 Arrival
r l e dg e
know

Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Promoting Products & Services to Guests Table of
Contents

e
t h e re ar ow
c ts h
rodu t ways on ious
en x ur
differ ee the lu sts. Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival
ls ue
hote ence to g e form
ri h
expe ich is in t
h
On w uct. This thers: Topic 5.2 Arrival
od o
of pr s, among
de
inclu
Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

 Promoting Products & Services to Guests Table of
Contents

t h e main
n g
ces o ketin
Servi the mar
in Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival
stars ss that
u s i n e n t s i n t he ys
b e a
s t a b lishm ustry alw
e d n
o u ri sm in other tha
t
e i s none . These : Topic 5.2 Arrival
s s
u
i r s e rvice ng others
t he s , amo
d e
inclu
Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Promoting Products & Services to Guests Table of
Contents
s,
b u i l di ng a s
re e
c i l i t ies a ent or ar
a uipm ecific
e e q Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival
larg ed for sp st’s
d e
inten ses for gu fort,
o m
purp ction, co d
fa
satis ience, an ludes, Topic 5.2 Arrival
en c
conv re. This in
u
pleas others:
g
amon
Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Sales Technique at the Front Desk Table of
Contents

Selling is an important skill that an F.O staff Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

should have. Successful selling ensures that a
guest acquires the service he/she deserves,
Topic 5.2 Arrival
while the hotel gets to increase their revenue.
Sales techniques can be applied when suggesting
better service to a guest. There will be cases, Topic 5.3 Occupancy
for example, when a customer has already
reserved a room, but then realized that a bigger
Topic 5.4 Departure
room suits him/her better.
Sales Technique at the Front Desk Table of
Contents

In cases like this, front office staff should Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

put themselves in the customer’s shoes and

match the best accommodation fit for the Topic 5.2 Arrival
guest. It equipped with the right sales
techniques, the guest gets a larger room
with more amenities and higher rate, so Topic 5.3 Occupancy
much better for both the hotel and the
customer.
Topic 5.4 Departure
Sales Technique at the Front Desk Table of
Contents

Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

It is important to remember that
an F.O Staff SHOULD NOT make
Topic 5.2 Arrival
the decision for the client, rather,
they must merely encourage or
guide the customer to the service Topic 5.3 Occupancy
most suitable for them.

Topic 5.4 Departure

Sales Technique at the Front Desk Table of
Contents

Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

Topic 5.2 Arrival

Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Sales Technique at the Front Desk Table of
Contents

Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

Topic 5.2 Arrival

Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Sales Technique at the Front Desk Table of
Contents

Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

Topic 5.2 Arrival

Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Sales Technique at the Front Desk Table of
Contents

Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

Topic 5.2 Arrival

Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Topic 5.4 Departure

Departure Stage Table of
Contents

The departure stage is the final stage of the

guest cycle involves the guest check out
Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival
process. When checking out, the guest vacates
the room, receives a statement of account
for settlement, return the room keys and Topic 5.2 Arrival

leaves the hotel.

When settling the guests accounts, confirm Topic 5.3 Occupancy
whether the guest would pay by cash or by
credit card. Account balances should be
checked for error before the guests leaves Topic 5.4 Departure
the hotel. There are instances were late
charges occur. These are charges that were
not posted to the guest folio until after the
guest has already check out.
Departure Stage Table of
Contents

When the room is already vacated, the

guestrooms status is changed and the
Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival
housekeeping department is notified.
Finally, the departure stage is when the front
Topic 5.2 Arrival
office staff determines whether the guest
was satisfied with their service. The front
office staff must not forget to ask for guest Topic 5.3 Occupancy
feedback, may be verbal or written, to assess
the quality of the hotel services they
experienced. At this stage, the front office Topic 5.4 Departure
may also encourage the guest to acquire the
hotels service once again. This could be the
beginnings of a guest history record.
Dealing with Customer Complaints Table of
Contents

AQUA model
There are different methods in Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival
resolving and dealing with customer
complaints. One of the most effective
models used is the AQUA model. Topic 5.2 Arrival

Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Acknowledge Question Understand Answer Topic 5.4 Departure

Dealing with Customer Complaints Table of
Contents

Acknowledge Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

Acknowledge the complaint

Acknowledge the feelings Topic 5.2 Arrival
and emotions attached to the
complaint
Topic 5.3 Occupancy
Main point: Empathizing is
making the customer feel they are
being listened to without judgment do Topic 5.4 Departure
not agree or accept their complaint.
Dealing with Customer Complaints Table of
Contents

Question Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

Use a range of open and

closed questions Topic 5.2 Arrival
Start with open questions
Need to know what
Topic 5.3 Occupancy
happened from customers viewpoint
Use closed questions to
clarify or get specific facts Topic 5.4 Departure
Dealing with Customer Complaints Table of
Contents

Understand Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

Understand what the problem is

and what the consequence have been for Topic 5.2 Arrival
the customer
Requires your understanding of
Topic 5.3 Occupancy
workplace procedures and rules
You can only help others if you
know how your workplace runs and you Topic 5.4 Departure
know how your workplace runs and you
know your workplace approach to dealing
with customer complaints
Dealing with Customer Complaints Table of
Contents

Answer Topic 5.1 Pre-arrival

Provide solutions that are

reasonable for the business and customers Topic 5.2 Arrival
Make the customer feel that they
are the most important person during the
complaint process Topic 5.3 Occupancy

Ensure that the customer leaves

the business happy and satisfied with the
Topic 5.4 Departure
outcome
Let them know what you are going
to do to fix the problem and that they
accept it
Activity
Assignment
 Any Questions?

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