Introduction

to

Operations
LESSON 1.1

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

Lesson Focus
• Describe the significance of Front Office in tourism and
hospitality business;
• Construct front office organizational chart line within a
hotel or any tourism and hospitality business;
• Explain personnel job specification, responsibilities
among position, departments and division within a
hotel;
• Describe the activities in each guest cycle stage of a
hotel.

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

The Front Office Department
The Front Office is considered the “most important
department” in the hotel;

The “nerve” for hotel operation

Interface between a hotel and its guest

Guest makes first contact with Front Office Department;

First place that can makes guest develop an impression
about the level of service, standard and facilities;

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

The Front Office Department

Contrary to popular belief, the Front Office

department is not only for people with superior
height, built, apperance and beauty. Front Office
is a system and everyone is welcome to join the
department for individuals with necessary skills
and attitude to carry out the task

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

Functions of Front Office
Department
 Communication
• Process guest reservations;
• Handles guest reception
• Fulfills guest inquiry usage in the hotel;
• internet facilities, safe deposit and other inclusions.
• Manages guests’ check- in and check- out
• Maintains room status

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

Functions of Front Office
Department
 Accounting
• Settles guest bills;
• Accepts advance booking of hotel rooms;
• Settle bills at the time of check- out;

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

Front Office Shift Schedules
The Front Office duties are divided into three shifts:

• Morning- Day Shift

0700H to 1500H
• Day- Evening Shift
1500H to 2300H
• Night- Night or Graveyard Shift
2300H to 0700H

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

Organizational Chart
The organizational structure of the Front Office
department varies between different type of hotels, its
available facilities and services, and size of the hotel;

Size of the hotel can be categorized as:

• Small- sized Hotel;
• Medium- sized Hotel; and
• Large- sized Hotel;

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

Organizational Chart

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations
Front Office Manager Duties
• Front Office Manager
• Direct and coordinate the activities of the Front Office department
• Perform the function of a link between the management and front
office employees
• Responsible for hiring, training, supervising, and disciplinary
responsibilities of all front desk, reservation, and guest services staff
members in order to maintain the desired standard of service
• Prepare the budget for the front office department
• Evaluate the job performance of each front office employees

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

Bell Boy Duties
• Bell boy
• Handles guest luggage at the time of arrival;

• Escort guests to their rooms on arrival;

• Orient and let guests familiarize about the safety features

of the hotel and in- room facilities;
• Locating guests in a specified area of the hotel;

• Posts guests mail

• Provides information to guest about the facilities,

activities, etc.

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

Hotel Cashier Duties
• Cashier
• Receiving payment;

• Balances guest account;

• Opens and maintains guest folios;

• Record all credit charges in guest folios;

• Prepares the bill at the time of check- out;

• Handles credit/ debit/ charge cards for guest account settlement;

• Handles foreign currency

• Administer Safe Deposit System (SDS)

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

Door Attendant Duties
• Door Attendant
• Open the doors of guests’ vehicle on their
arrival in the hotel portico
• Help bell boys in lifting luggage;

• Open hotel’s entrance door for guests;

• Coordinates with parking attendants for

parking guests’ vehicle in the hotel parking
area.

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

Night Audit Duties
• Night Audit
• Prepares the night audit report;

• Check- in and check- out guests who arrive or depart after

11:00 pm;
• Processes reservations;

• Performs the duties of a security guard;

• Monitors Fire Safety System;

• Act as Cashier for banquet functions

• Performs duties of a Manager on Duty (MOD)

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

Receptionist Duties
• Receptionist
• Greets guest;

• Handle guests’ special requests;

• Handle check- in and check- out;

• Provides information to guest- not guest

information;
• Assigning rooms;

• Dispensing guest room keys/

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations
Concierge Duties

• Concierge
• Making reservations for dining in famous restaurants;

• Arrange tours, limousine, and entertainment ticket;

• Maintains good relationship with hospitality industry;

• Personal helper/ butler to VIP;

• Obtains tickets for theaters, musical. etc;

• Provide the latest informations to guests.

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

Reservation Agent Duties

• Reservation Agent
• Handles guaranteed and non- guaranteed
reservations;
• Up sells accommodation;

• Prepare expected departure and arrival list

everyday;
• Prepares guest folder to keep mails and messages
of guests with reservation documents;
HM PE 5- Front Office Operations
Switchboard/ Telephone Operator
Duties
• Switchboard/ Telephone Operator
• Processes all incoming and outgoing calls;

• Logs all wake- up call on the system;

• Answer questions about the hotel’s services;

• Takes messages, fax, etc.;

• Operates hotel paying system;

• Direct incoming calls to the desired extensions;

• Provides paging services for guest and employees.

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

The Guest Cycle Stage
• The hotel guests stay cycle can be divided into four
main stages. Within these four stages, there is
important task related to guest services and guest
accounting.

1. Pre- Arrival;
2. Arrival;
3. Occupancy or In- house;
4. Departure

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

Pre- Arrival Stage
• The guest chooses a hotel during the pre- arrival stage of the guest cycle. Choice of the guest
can be affected by many factors, including previous experiences with the hotel,
advertisement, word- of- mouth referral by friends and colleagues, location, travel
agent booking, hotel name or brand, hotel loyalty program member, etc.

• If a reservation can be accepted, the reservation agent creates a reservation on the Hotel
Management Software (HMS). The creation of the reservation record starts the hotel
guest cycle.

• The reservation contains details of the guest specific requests which will help the hotel to
provide the guest with personalized service during his stay. Although the reservation details help
in providing guests with anticipatory services, the primary objective of making reservation
is to make sure that room will be available when he arrives at the hotel.

HM PE 5- Front Office Operations

Arrival Stage
• The arrival stage of the guest cycle includes registration and room assignment process. After
the guest arrives, he or she establishes a business relationship with the hotel through the
front office. It is the F.O’s responsibility to clarify any query of the guests especially
the room rate of packages he/ she is booked on.

• A registration card is printed and completed at the time of check- in. Reg. card should
contain the details like billing instructions, reservation details, number of adults,
and children occupying, address, passport and VISA for foreign nationalities,
personal details and credit card details.

• The registration process is complete once a method of payment and the guests’
departure date have been confirmed and duly signed by the guest. the guest may be
given a room key and direction to the room or escorted by the guest service associate or
guest service manager.
HM PE 5- Front Office Operations
Occupancy/ In- House Stage
• When the guest check- in to the room, the occupancy stage of the guest cycle
begins.

• As the main contact center for hotel activity, the F.O. is responsible for coordinating
guest requests.

• Front desk should take extra care to respond to the guest in a timely and accurate manner.
The main focus of the front desk staff is to provide anticipatory service and meet or
exceed the guest’s expectations. This will encourage the guest to repeat to the
hotel.

• A variety of charges; restaurant charges, telephone, internet, travel desk, etc. during the
occupancy stage affect guest and hotel account. Most of these charges will be posted to the
guest account according to front office posting procedures. Room charges are the single
largest charge on the guest folio.
HM PE 5- Front Office Operations
Departure Stage
• Guest services and guest accounting aspects of the guest cycle are completed
during the cycle’s fourth and final phase.

• At departure, the guest vacates the room, receives accurate statement of

settled accounts, return the room keys and leaves the hotel. Once the guest
has checked out, F.O. updates the room availability status and notifies the
housekeeping department. For hotels using Property Managements
System (PMS) the status of the room is updated automatically.

• At this stage F.O. also collect feedback of the guest experience in the
hotels by handing over guest feedback form or guest satisfaction
survey (GSAT).
HM PE 5- Front Office Operations