Front office management

Unit I

Introduction and Origin of Hotel Industry - Definition - Organizational structure of small, medium and large hotels - classification of hotels based on location, size length of guest stay, facilities they offer- types of accommodation {atrium concept, apart hotel heritage hotel, resorts, limited service and full service properties} types of operation (owner operated, partnership, company owned, referral hotels, franchise, management contracts and chain hotels).

Unit II

Introduction and importance of front office - layout of front office and different equipments in front office - hierachy of front office and duties and responsibilities of front office staff - types of rooms - traiff definition fixation - types of plans ( European, continental, American modified American and Bermuda Plan) - Configuration of rooms

Unit III

Reservation - importance, enquiry, sources, modes, types, records - reservation confirmation, ammendement and cancellation - over booking - rights and liabilities of travel agents in room bookings registration receiving the guest, pre registration manual and automated registration, rooming a guest, room racks manual and computerized, knowledge of room locations blocking of rooms, Issuing the room keys, room check, registration records.

Unit IV

Inter department communication - house keeping, engineering and maintenance, revenue centres, HR department, security department , accounts department stores -

Front office services - guest service, Handling Mail and message, telephone, wake up calls, guest relation, complaints, identifying and handling complaints, follow up procedures, key controls, room key security system protection of funds, safe deposit boxes, emergency procedures.

Unit V

Job description of concierge, bell captain and Bell boy - Errand cards, Flight confirmation , Airline theater and restaurant reservation, arranging transport, baggage handling,

F.I.Ts, G.I.Ts, V.I.Ps - Job description of front office cashier - accounts - guest accounts, Folios, Vouchers, Ledgers, creation & Maintenance of accounts, record keeping systems - credit monitoring - account maintenace - Internal control - front offfice cash sheet - cash/Bank. INTRODUCTION

Hotel is the transient home away from home. Hotel industry is a hospitality industry. Of course, hospitality is not free, but is paid for, where the payment depends on the comforts and services provided for. Payment also depends on the fancy and economic affordability of the customer. The hospitality industry is nowadays a global industry, and is considered as an important employer in countries world-wide. It now has attained a much higher status in society and demands high standards of work ethics and efficiency from its employees. Employment opportunities are many, and is now sought by a vast majority of people. The hospitality industry is part of a larger enterprise known as the travel and tourism industry. It is one of the oldest industries in the world. In early days, traders, explorers, missionaries and pilgrims needed a break in their journeys requiring food, shelter and rest. People opened their homes and kitchens to these weary travellers, and an industry was born. Although accommodation today is varied and their services have changed and expanded over the ages, one thing about the hospitality industry has remained the same, guests are always welcome! From a friendly greeting at the door, room service, breakfast, to a host of facilities' the hospitality industry offers travellers a home away from home. Hospitality is defined as “the friendly reception and treatment of strangers". For most people, hospitality means entertaining guests with courtesy and warmth. Hospitality is also an industry made up of businesses that provide lodging, food and other services to travellers. The main components of this industry are hotels, motels, inns, resorts and restaurants. In a broad sense, the hospitality industry might refer to any group engaged in tourism, entertainment, transportation or lodging including cruise lines, airlines, railways, car rental companies and tour operators. However the two main segments of the hospitality industry are the lodging industry (also called hotel industry), and the food and beverage industry (also called restaurant industry). 10.2 HOTELS Hotel is an establishment that provides lodging and usually meals and other services for travelers and other paying guests. It provides paid lodging, usually on a short-term basis. Hotels often provide a number of additional guest services such as a restaurant, laundery, a swimming pool o r childcare. Some hotels have conference services and meeting rooms and encourage groups to hold conventions, functions and meetings at their location. A hotel may be called as an establishment where primary business is to provide to the general public lodging facilities and which may include one or more of the various services such as food, beverage, laundry, uniformed services etc. Hence, hotel can also be called as home but with a vested interest which includes commercial activities. Hotels are found in almost all the cities. Hotels operate twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. The principal factor that determines the guest attitude towards a hotel is service although other amenities such as room, food and beverages are of equal importance a tangible determinants.

Introduction to Hotels 137 10.2.1 Definition of Hotel Hotels are defined in numerous ways from early times to today. Some of the important definitions for hotels are: Hotel refers to a house of entertainment of travellers. Reader's Digest Dictionary Hotel is a place where all who conduct themselves properly, and who being able to pay and ready to pay for their entertainment, are received, if there be accommodation for them, and who without any stipulated engagement as to the duration of their stay or as to the rate of compensation, are while there, supplied at a reasonable cost with their meals, lodging and other services and attention as are necessarily incident to the use as a temporary home. Common Law A hotel is an Establishment held out by the proprietor as offering food, drink and if so required, sleeping accommodation, without special contract to any traveller presenting himself who appears able and willing to pay a reasonable sum for the services and facilities provided and who is in a fit state to be received. Hotel Proprietors Act, 1956 Building that provides lodging, meals, and other services to the traveling public on a commercial basis. Encyclopedia Britannica Hotel or inn is defined as a place where a bonafide traveller can receive food and shelter, provided he is in a position to pay for and is in a fit condition to be received. British law 10.2.2 Importance of Hotels 1. Hotels play an important role in most countries by providing facilities for the transaction of business, for meetings and conferences, for recreation and entertainment. In that sense hotels are as essential to economies and societies as are adequate transport, communication and retail distribution systems for various goods and services. Through their facilities, hotels contribute to the total output of goods and services, which makes up the material well-being of nations and communities. 2. In many areas hotels are important attractions for visitors who bring with them spending power that the locals and who tend to spend at a higher rate than they do when they are at home. Through spending by visitors hotels thus often contribute significantly to local economies both directly and Accommodation Operation indirectly through the subsequent diffusion of the visitor expenditure to the Govt. coffers and to other recipients in the community. 3. In areas receiving foreign visitors, hotels are often important foreign currency earners and in this way may contribute significantly to their countries’ balance of payments. In countries with limited export possibilities, hotels may be one of the few prime sources of foreign currency earnings. 4. Hotels are important employers of labour. Thousands of jobs are provided by hotels in the many occupations that make up the hotel industries in most countries; many others in the industry are self-employed and proprietors of smaller hotels. The role of hotels as employers is particularly important in areas with few alternative sources of employment, where they contribute to regional development. 5. Hotels are also important outlets for the products of other industries. In the building and modernization of hotels, business is provided for the construction industry and related trades. Equipment, furniture and furnishings are supplied to hotels by a wide range of manufacturers. Food, drink and other consumables are among the most significant daily hotel purchases from farmers, fishermen, food and drink suppliers, and from gas, electricity and water companies. In addition to those engaged directly in hotels, much indirect employment is, therefore, generated by hotels for those employed in industries supplying them. 6. Hotels are an important source of amenities for local residents. Their restaurants, bars and other facilities often attract much local customers and many hotels have become social centres of their communities. 10.3 HISTORY OF HOTELS The past, present, and perhaps the future of the hotel industry are closely linked. Today's industry is the result of centuries of social and cultural evolution. Comfortable, sanitary lodging was once considered only the privilege of the wealthy, but with the industrial revolution and the spread of democracy, hospitality is not a luxury anymore and now has become available to the common man. Advances in transportation, enable people t to travel greater distances faster and at less cost, paving the way for the tourism industry to flourish. From very modest origins, the hospitality and the tourism industries have become the two of the largest industries globally. A world without accommodation is indispensable in modern day life. Today the lodging industry is complex and diverse. To understand this, we will trace the history of hotels, from the inns of ancient times to modern luxury hotels, whose evolution has influenced as well has been influenced by, social, economic and cultural changes in society. to travel greater distances faster and at less cost, paving the way for the tourism industry to flourish. From very modest origins, the hospitality and the tourism industries have become the two of the largest industries globally. A world without accommodation is indispensable in modern day life. Today the lodging industry is complex and diverse. To understand this, we will trace the history of hotels, from the inns of ancient times to modern luxury hotels, whose evolution has influenced as well has been influenced by, social, economic and cultural changes in society.

Taverns or Inns The earliest hotels were called taverns or inns. They go back thousand of years, for as long as people have started travelling. The Hebrew word for an inn is malon and means a resting place for the night. The Greek word for inn is kataluma and means an eating room or guest chamber. A malon did not have to be in a building, it could be a level piece of ground near a spring where baggage could be unloaded, animals could be watered and tethered, and people could rest on the ground. Caravanserais When large camel caravans would cross the deserts in Asia, there were hotels called caravanserais at which travellers rested and slept. Caravanserais were established along the more travelled routes as travel spread throughout the East. They usually consisted of a large building constructed around a courtyard. The lower floor was used to store goods and to provide stalls for the cattle. Usually there was a well or large reservoir nearby. At times, bazaars and markets were held at or near the caravanserais. In those days of travel, the innkeeper provided very little for the traveller's comfort. Inns in Middle Ages During the middle ages, there were few inns or hotels except in the cities. The church or the Lord of the Manor often established special guest offices for pilgrims and other travellers. As roads were built and horse drawn stagecoaches began to carry passengers between towns and cities, inns were built at a point where the coaches stopped. The inns in the villages or at crossroads had limited and rough accommodations, seldom more than a common dormitory. Inns in the Fifteenth Century The fifteenth century brought about fresh importance for the inn. A new merchant class began to emerge due to an increase in trade. This meant more traveling was necessary; therefore a demand for more and better inns was created. Most travel was still primarily by horseback, but toward the end of the 15th century, more comfortable wheeled carriages came into use. The roads were rough and difficult to travel-muddy in the spring, hot and dusty in the summer, and often impassable in the winter. During the fifteenth century, many monasteries closed their guesthouses, thus creating a need for more lodgings. The inn also began to perform a definite function in the social life of the people in the area, as well as the traveller. Inns in the Sixteenth Century The inns of the sixteenth century changed little from earlier times, although they were large and somewhat spacious. Accommodation has improved greatly, for now a guest could often have a private bedroom furnished with heavily carved oak furniture. The ground floor consisted of a large hall called the parlour, which was used as a reception room as well as a place to serve meals. The upper floor was used for the guest rooms. Inns in the Eighteenth Century With more regular business, the innkeeper realized the importance of their inns and tried to offer more comforts to the weary traveller; they had better furnished rooms, a generous supply of food and drink, waiters and serving maids eager to please the guests, and large stables for the horses. Not only would the public stagecoaches be found stopping at the inns, but also the private coaches of the wealthy. There was a large increase in the volume of coach travel in the eighteenth century. Tollgates were set up on some roads to provide funds to repair and improve roads and bridge better roads and more comfortable coaches made travel much faster, comfortable and more appealing to a greater number of people. Travelers found that most of the innkeepers greeted them with a smile, and were given good meals. If the stop was overnight, the inn offered an ideal comfortable bedroom that was neatly furnished usually with a four-poster bed, washing table mirror etc. The inns that could not meet the traveler's need, either through the mismanagement or just plain rudeness, did not stay in business for long. As travellers from Europe ventured across the Atlantic to America, inns were built in towns and villages and along the roadside. They became gathering places for not only the traveller but also the local inhabitants. The inn was a place where people could refresh themselves after work or hold evening meetings and share the events of the day. Emergence of Hotels The past one hundred years have brought about dramatic changes in modes of transportation, as well as in lodging accommodations. People from all walks of life started to travel. As travel increased, the train services were launched and became more comfortable and faster. This was the time when the roadside inns started losing business as more people started to travel by train rather than coach. Many inns had to close while others were able to remain open by catering more to the local people. Some inns became strictly taverns or coffeehouses. Some of these still exist today. London has a larger number of the old taverns than any other large city in the world. They have changed with the times in order to survive and are the pubs that we know today. Travelling by train brought the traveller into the heart of a town or city. Many hotels were built near railroad stations for the convenience of passengers. This was the beginning of hotels, as we know of them. Many hotels that opened in the mid-to late-1800s are still as popular as they were when they first opened.

Figure 10.1 Three Phases of Travel Hotels and the Government Policies Many countries have recognised the vital importance of accommodation industry in relation to tourism and their governments have coordinated their activities with the industry by way of providing attractive incentives and concessions in the form of long term loans, liberal import licenses and tax relief, cash grants for construction and renovation of buildings, and similar other concessions to the accommodation industry. The United Nations Conference on International Travel and Tourism held in Rome in 1963 considered, in particular, problems relating to means of accommodation. The Conference acknowledged the importance of means of accommodation, both traditional (hotels, motels) and supplementary (camps, youth hostels, etc.) as incentives to international tourism. The Conference recommended that governments should consider the possibility of including projects, and particularly those relating to accommodation, on the list of projects eligible for loans from industrial or other corporations, and that, w h e r e required; they should establish special financial corporations for tourism. It also has recommended that governments should give sympathetic consideration to the possibility of granting special facilities and incentives for accommodation projects. According to the WTO Report on 'The Development of the Accommodation Sector,’ tourist accommodation is used to denote the facilities operated for short-term accommodation to guests, either with or without service, against payment of and according to fixed rates. For the purposes of classification, all tourist accommodations have been divided into the following groups: (i) Hotels and similar establishments (the hotel industry proper) and, (ii) Supplementary means of accommodation. The first group usually includes hotels, motels, boarding houses and inns, while the second includes registered private accommodation (rented rooms, apartments, and houses), camping / mountain huts and shelters as well as health establishments, that is sanatoria and convalescent homes. Present Day Hotels The concept and the format of hotel have changed a great deal over the years. There are different types of hotels ranging from international hotels to resort hotels catering to the increasing and diversified demand of the clients. The size, the facade, architectural features and the facilities and amenities provided differ from one establishment to another. In addition, the landscape in a particular destination area also greatly influenced the architectural features of a hotel. The following are the main types of hotels: i) International Hotels ii) Commercial Hotels iii) Residential Hotels iv) Resort Hotels v) Floating Hotels vi) Palace Hotels vii) Capsule Hotels viii) Heritage Hotels ix) Guest Houses 10.4 DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF HOTEL INDUSTRY IN INDIA Hotel Industry in Medieval Period In India too the development of hotel industry is closely linked to travel. In India, travel was mainly on animals (mule, horse and camel). For rest during their travel at strategic points Dharmashalas, Sarais, Chaupals of Panchayats, Choultry (in South India) and temples and religious places were provided by rich people such as Rajas, Kings, Zamindars, etc. Usually free accommodation and food for travelers was given. During this period it was mandatory for the state authorities to provide food and shelter to the wayside traveler. Mussafir Khanas and Sarais These developed during the period of Muslim Emporers. Many famous and well known musafir khanas and sarais were established in the Sindh province during the Arab occupation, and also at Peshawar and Lahore. Delhi has always been traditionally hospitable, and we find overwhelming evidence of this in the innumerable sarais and rest houses in this ancient city. As per Shiab-al-din Alumrai there were 2000 Khangabs and sarais in Delhi and its suburbs. Most of these have not survived. Some of the famous sarais in Delhi are Qutub Sarai, Ladha Sarai, Lado Sarai, Sarban Sarai, Daud Sarai, Kallu Sarai, Arab ki Sarai, Sheikh Sarai Sarais started developing into inns and western style hotels with the coming of Britishers in important cities like Calcutta (Kolkata) and Bombay (Mumbai).

As early as the 18th century, there were excellent inns (taverns) in India. Some famous inns were: Portuguese Georges, Parsee Georges and Paddy Georges. Some famous hotels of that time: Albion Hotel, victory Hotel, Hope Hall, etc. Emergence of Hotels in India Pallanjee Pestonjee (1840) started the first luxury-hotel in Bombay. It was famous for its excellent cuisine, beers and wines and its excellent management. Auckland Hotel (1843) was established in Calcutta. Later it was renamed as Great Eastern Hotel in 1858 and later renovated at a sum of Rs.10 lacs. Esplanade Hotel (1871) was built in Calcutta by John Wakson (Britisher), a silk drapery merchant (also believed to be an architect and builder). The hotel had 130 rooms. Later, some Swiss and other families also owned hotels in India. One such example was Hotel Fonseca in New Delhi which was later demolished and Hotel Taj Mahal at Mansingh Road was built, there. In 1903, JRD Tata constructed the Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay. It was the first hotel of international standards and repute, built by an Indian for Indians. Hotels and Policies of Indian Government The Government realized the importance of tourism in 1962 when there was a drop in tourist arrivals. To upgrade the hotel industry, i ncentives were offered by the Department of Tourism (DOT). Hotel Corporation and Tourism Corporations were established. Ashoka Hotel Ltd. was constructed in, 1956 in a record time of one year. Later, the Union Ministry of Housing and Welfare constructed 3 hotels: Lodhi Hotel, Hotel Janpath and Ranjit Hotel. The Dewan Chaman Lall Committee was set up by the Govt. of India (Hotel Standard and Rate Structure Committee) to: 1) Lay down criteria for classification of hotels in view of international standard. 2) Suggest guidelines for the promotion of tourism to India and within India. 3) Suggest improvements on the existing arrangements and availability of (sources for the promotion of national and international tourism. 4) Suggest a rate-structure keeping in view the existing price structure in hotel industry. Till 1963 hotels were mainly run by private operators and only rest houses and tourist bungalows were run by the Department of Tourism. Hotels at Puri, Aurangabad and Ranchi were traditionally rum by the Railways and State governments. The State government also ran hotels at Brindaban- Mysore. Formation of Three Corporations and ITDC In 1964 three corporations were set-up by the Government of India, viz. 1. India Tourism & Hotel Corporation, 2. India Tourism Corporation Ltd. and 3. India Tourism & Transport Corporation. On 24th September 1966, the Government of India decided to merge these corporations and promulgated "India Tourism Corporation Amalgamation Order" 1966" and formed a new corporation-India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) with an authorized capital of Rs. 5 crores. Soon ITDC took over tourist "bungalows at: i) Mahabalipuram, Thanjavur, Madurai and Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu) ii) Bijapur and Hassan (Karnataka) iii) Khajuraho, Sanchi and Mandhu (Madhya Pradesh) iv) Kullu and Manali (Himachal Pradesh) v) Bodhgaya (Bihar) vi) Bhubaneshwar (Orissa) vii) Rashi Nagar (Uttar Pradesh) viii) Ghana (Rajasthan). 10.5 CATEGORY OF HOTELS 10.5.1 International Corporate Hotels These are large chains, which are almost household words in the industry, such as Hilton, Inter-Continental, Hyatt, Holiday Inn, Sheraton, etc. Some of the groups are a combination of company owned, franchise and management contract operations while others are entirely owned by an individual or a company. Their main features include standardization of service, facilities and price, and many chains endeavor to operate a hotel in most major capitals throughout the world. Major International Hotel Chains are: Chain Rooms Properties Holiday Inn 2,67,677 1,375 Best Western 1,61,714 1,762 Days Inn 1,32,000 1,126 Marriott 96,349 208 Hilton 92,122 260 Sheraton 87,229 311 Ramada 84,159 506 Motel 6 63,342 551 Comfort Inn 60,053 662 Hyatt 57,000 107 Howard Johnson 56,188 451 Radisson 50,000 208 Figure 10.2 Major International Hotel Chains 10.5.2 National Hotel Companies Some countries have national hotel companies, which operate hotels at home and abroad, such as, the Taj and Oberoi hotel groups. These are both Indian companies which are well known outside India. 10.5.3 Small Hotel Groups Not all groups of hotels are large or widely dispersed. Some companies own a group, which may consist of no more than four to five hotels, and they may be confined to a particular area such as the beach resorts. 10.5.4 Independent Hotels These are hotels which" are privately owned or independent of any company. Many guests enjoy staying at an establishment of this type because of the individuality of the operation. Classical example will be Casino-cum-hotels of Los Vegas, Nevada, Macauoff China, Genting Highlands of Malaysia and others. 10.5.5 Hotel Consortia Independently owned hotels form a liaison which provides them with the advantages of shared advertising costs, bulk purchasing and referral of bookings. The guest has the advantage of knowing each hotel in the consortium will be of similar standard and price. Best Western Hotels is an example of worldwide network of independently owned hotels. 10.6 MAJOR HOTEL GROUPS IN INDIA Many small and big Indian hotel groups are operating in various parts of India. Some of them are given below. Apart from India, some international hotel chains such as Sheratan, Hilton, Ramada, Sofitel, Meridien, Hyatt and Mariott are either operating or planning to operate in India on franchise basis. 1. Welcome Group It is the hotel division of ITC Ltd. The logo represents a traditional Indian welcome in the form of Namaste in an open doorway with the slogan “Nobody gives you India like we do." The motto of Welcome Group is "We enjoy people" Welcome Group has hotels in various cities such as Agra, Delhi, Aurangabad, Jaipur, Goa, Gwalior etc. 2. Oberoi Hotels Rai Bahadhur M.S. Oberoi established Oberoi Hotel Pvt. Ltd. in 1946. Many hotels like Oberoi Intercontinental in August 1965 in New Delhi and Oberoi Sheraton in 1973 in Bombay was added. It is now one of the largest and reputed hotel chains of India. 3. Hotel Ambassador It is one of the flagship hotel belonging to Lala Ram Parshad who is considered as one of the pioneers of the Hotel Industry in India (now managed by Taj Hotel in Delhi). 4. U.P. Hotels and Restaurants Ltd Famous as Clarke's Group of Hotels, it was established on 13th February, 1961. It started with its flagship hotel Clarke Shiraz Agra. Later hotels – Clarke’s Awadh, Clarke’s Amer, and Clarke’s Varanasi at Lucknow, Jaipur and Varanasi, respectively, were added to this chain. 5. Ritz Chain A chain belonging to R.N. Kapoor family with hotels at Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Coonoor (in South India). Specialized in Italian cuisine. 6. Spencers Started hotel business in 1912 in Calcutta. Purchased Connimera Hotel in Madras and opened West End in Bangalore, Malabar at Cochin and Trivandrum, Blue Mountains at Kotagiri in 1942 and Savoy in Ooty in 1943. Vegetarian hotels in Madras (Geetha, Ashoka and Ajanta) and Hotel Arakua in Bangalore. 7. Sinclairs A chain of hotel operating in eastern part of the country with hotels at Darjeeling and Takadah. 8. Hotel Corporation of India (HCI) A corporation set up in 1971. It started with its first hotel at Bombay in 1974. Later hotels in Delhi, Srinagar, Rajgir etc. were added to this group. 9. Leela Group It has hotels at Mumbai and Goa 10. Asian Hotels: The group has tied up with Hyatt chain and has two hotels in Delhi. It plans to have property in Jaipur and Agra. 11. Apeejay Surendra Group It started with its first hotel Park Calcutta in 1967. Later a large hotel was added in Delhi, and Resort hotel at Visakhapatnam was added to the group. 12. J.P. Hotels The group has hotels in Delhi, Agra and Mussoorie. 13. Palaces Converted into Hotels i) Maharaja Hari Singh Palace was the first to be converted into Oberoi Hotel. ii) Maharaja of Jaipur converted his palace Ram Bag to Hotel. iii) Maharaja of Udaipur was third in line (Taj) Lake Palace in Pichola Lake. iv) Later Jodhpur Palace (Oberoi), Jaisalmer Palace and Bikaner Palace were also converted into hotels. v) Lakshmi Vilas Palace of Jaipur (of Majaraja Bhupal Singh). Ushakiran Palace of Gwalior. vi) Hotel Jai Mahal Palace, Jal Mahal and Raj Mahal Palace in Jaipur are also converted or being converted to hotels. vii) Chamundi Hill Palace has also been converted to a hotel. viii) Lalitha Mahal Palace of Mysore is a tourist hotel. Halcyon Castle of Travancore Maharaja is also converted into a hotel. ix) Bolghathy Palace near Cochin P o r t (Residence of former British Resident of Southern States) is also converted into a hotel. 10.7 HOTEL AS A SERVICE PROVIDER IN THE MODERN DAY Gone are the days when people looked upon a hotel for a bed and food. Now it provides almost everything that a guest needs. Hotels have become service providers for the guests in all possible ways. Competition has set into providing these services in order to woo the guests. Every big hotel chain / group has been spending crores of rupees in order to stay in this race. Different services are rendered by the hotels, viz. Banquets, convention centers, exhibition centers, restaurants, catering service, secretarial services, corporate services, money changers, travel desk, butler service, valet service, internet service, facility for sports and games, massage parlour, health club, gym, shopping arcade, swimming pool, tourist limousines, airport service, etc. These services are either wholly owned and run by the hotel, or owned by hotel and run on franchise by experts in the field, or owned & run by outsiders but attached to the hotels. These services complement each other and also help in improving the occupancy rate of the hotels. 1. Banquet Hotels provide wide range of banquet menus. Weddings, parties, business gathering all of which help in improving food sales and also work in attracting new customers. 2. Convention Center Meetings, seminars, conventions and other social gatherings are arranged which in turn attract group bookings, good occupancy and food service. 3. Restaurant Restaurants serving different speciality cuisine like Chinese, Korean, Italian, Continental, Mexican, Indian (South Indian, Mughalai etc.) are set up by hotels with the interiors suiting those places are run to cater to the different tastes of domestic as well as international tourists. Catering services are also undertaken at off-campus locations. 4. Secretarial Service This is an essential service for corporate clients. The CEOs, M.Ds and Chairpersons of different companies need this arrangement for expediting their notes, letters and agreements, communications etc. 5. Corporate Service This works as an extension to the corporate offices of the clients. All the services needed for handling corporate affairs are provided to make the corporate guest feel at “office away from his office.” Internet Service is the latest addition to the corporate service list. This is available even in small and medium sized hotels. The guest can connect his laptop to this service and perform his regular work / tasks. 6. Money Changers Where there is high proportion of foreign tourists / visitors, there will be the need of money changing service. Here the hotel exchanges the foreign currency for local currency. However it cannot sell foreign currency. This service must function as per the foreign exchange rules and guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India from time to time. 7. Travel Desk Provides car rental services, air & train ticketing and looks after the other travel needs of the guest. In some hotels Concierge looks after this service too. 8. Butler Service A personalised service provided to the guest and his visitors exclusively. He provides the food and beverage and also wine service, looks after the visitors to the guest and helps in keeping the room tidy from time to time and also arranges the wardrobe for the guest. 9. Valet Service Also a personalised service, but limited to help at car parking and laundry facility etc. in hotels. 10. Health Club and Sports and Games This is provided not only in resort or leisure hotels but also in down town & commercial hotels. The present corporate guest even though a busy person wants some time out for himself for health and pleasure reasons. Health club, Spa, Gym, Message Parlour, Swimming pool, billiards, bowling ally, tennis court, mini golf course are some of the popular facilities. In some parts of our country health tourism has picked up at places like Himachal Pradesh and Kerala where health spas and ayurvedic treatments are provided. The tourist on vacation can go back a rejuvenated person.

INTRODUCTION At the hub of the hotel world is the reception desk where most guest transactions take place. It is here that the guest is received, registered and assigned a room. Information, mail, messages, complaints and room accounts are all dealt with here. Therefore, to a large extent, the reception team is the key to an enjoyable and problem-free stay for the hotel guest. It is also the centre of attraction and money generation for the establishment. The front office department is the nerve centre, the hub and the heart of the hotel. Front office personnel have more contact with guests than staffs in other departments. This is the department where the guest first checks in and finally checks out of the hotel. The front office is the main communication centre. As it is the major revenue generating department, it is equipped with staffs of good quality and personality. The front office is the show window and hence it is furnished and maintained with good furnitures and fittings. Front office is well designed in an orderly manner. Regardless of how the hotel is organized, the front office is always an essential “focal point”. 12.2 FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT The front office is the main controlling centre of all guest services, and also coordinates the back office functions with these services. It serves as a main channel of two way communications i.e. from hotel to guest and guest to hotel. Front office is the name given to all the offices situated in the front of the house, that is, the lobby, where the guest is received, provided information, checked-in, his luggage is handled, his accounts are settled at departure, and his problems, complaints and suggestions are looked after. Foreign guests use the front desk to exchange currency, find a translator, or request other special assistance. The front desk often serves as the hotel control center for guest requests concerning housekeeping or engineering issues. In addition, it may also be a base of operations during an emergency, such as a fire or a guest injury. 12.2.1 Front Office Functions Front office functions include reservations, registration, room and rate assignment, check-in, guest services, room status, maintenance and settlement of guest accounts and creation of guest history records. The front office compiles a n d maintains a comprehensive data base of guest information, coordinates guest services, and ensures guest satisfaction. These functions are accomplished by personnel in diverse areas of the front office department. The main functions of the front office department are: 1. During Guest Cycle: Pre arrival, arrival, on going responsibilities, departure and after departure activities. 2. Guest Services: Reservations, registration, occupancy services, checkout and history. a. Maintain accurate room status information b. Process future room reservations, when there is no reservation department or when the reservation department is closed. c. Coordinate guest services. d. Provide information about the hotel, the surrounding community, and any attractions or events of interest to guests. 3. Guest Accounting: Establishment of credit, charge posting, night audit and settlement. a. Maintain guest accounts and monitor credit limits. b. Produce guest account statements and complete proper financial settlement. The front office functions can be well understood from the figure given below: Figure 12.1 Functions of Front Office 12.3 FRONT OFFICE ORGANISATION The front office department of a hotel comprises of various sections. Depending on the size of the hotels, the sections may vary. In small or medium sized hotels the sections may be merged and handled accordingly. The following are the sections of the front office department. 1. Reservation Section is responsible for booking of rooms in advance. It is responsible for the receiving of the room requests, reservation analyzing and documentation of the room requests received. This section of the department depends upon the size of the hotel; if the hotel is small sized there may be not be a separate section for reservations. This section is mostly found in mid sized and large sized hotel. 2. Front Desk Section is responsible for receiving the guest, registering of the guest, assigning of room and room keys and remote controls for television and air conditioners if such services are available and assistance to the guest during their stay. They are also a source of information for government offices. Figure 12.2 Front Desk 3. Bell Desk is mainly responsible for luggage handling of the guests. It consists of group of uniformed staff for guest services. This section is maintained separately in large hotels only. 4. Travel Desk Section handles the transportation facility of the hotel guest. It assists in the booking of air tickets, hiring of the car and other transportation facilities. It also arranges / organizes city tours, sight seeing tours to the guests on request. 5. Business Centres serve the guests with laptops, internet, mobiles, facsimile, LCD projectors, and photocopier and also on request secretarial facilities. This is the latest addition in the large and medium sized hotels, in line with the electronic era. Figure 12.3 Business Centre 6. Concierge Section provides information about the hotel, its services and amenities, city, town, country, travel and transport, banks etc. They can also handle the guest luggage and bags if the hotel does not have the bell desk section. The receiving and distribution of mail and message, packets, news papers and magazines in the early mornings to guest room are also attended to. In addition, it may also handle the hiring of the car and booking of air tickets and other transportation facilities if there is no travel desk in the hotel. 7. Cashiering Section is responsible for maintaining and recording guest accounts and bills and folio of guest and either cash or credit settlement of guest folios at the time of departure. 8. Communication and Telephone Section handles the guest telephones and messages, both incoming and out going of the guest. 12.3.1 Front Office Organisation Chart Figure 12.4 Front Office Organisation Chart The Front Office organization chart is designed according to functions. The chart 1 2 .4 clearly defines the control and also provides guests with more specialized attention. Typical positions and functions under the Front Office Department are: 1. Front Desk Agent: Registers guests, and maintains room availability information 2. Reservation Agent: Responds to Reservation Requests and creates Reservation Records 3. Cashier: Closes guest folios, and properly checks out the guests. 4. Uniformed Bell Service Agent: Handles guest luggage, escorts guests to their rooms, and assists guests for any bit of information requested. 5. Switchboard Operator: Manages the switchboard and coordinates wake-up calls. 6. Night Auditor: Controls the job of the Accounts Receivable Clerk, and prepares daily reports to the management (eg: Occupancy Report and Revenue Report). 12.4 DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF FRONT OFFICE STAFF 12.4.1 Front Office Manager Front Office manager must be a skilled planner who channelizes the various resources viz. people, money, time, work methods, materials, energy and equipment to suit the objectives of the property. He should maintain cordial relationships between the front office and other hotel divisions and departments by encouraging communication between all areas of responsibility. Basic Function: To supervise all front office personnel and ensure proper completion of all front office duties. Duties & Responsibilities: 1. Evaluate and decide the need of personnel in the department. 2. Participate in the selection of front office personnel. 3. Train and update staff skills. 4. Schedule the staff duties. 5. Supervise and help workloads during shifts. 6. Evaluate the job performance of each front office employee. 7. Maintain working relationships and communicate with all departments. 8. Maintain master key control. 9. Check room status 10. Resolve guest problems quickly, efficiently and courteously 11. Update and monitor group information and requirements. 12. Review credit limit report. 13. Enforce all cash-handling, other modes of payment and credit policies. 12.4.2 Front Desk Agent Also designated, as Receptionist or Front office Assistant in some hotels, is the first person a guest sees on entering the property and the last person the guest sees on leaving. Basic Function: To assist guests in all front office-related functions in an efficient, courteous, and professional manner that maintains high standards of service and hospitality. Duties and Responsibilities: 1. Register guests and assign rooms; accommodate special requests, if possible. 2. Assist in pre-registration and blocking of rooms for reservations. 3. Thoroughly understand and adhere to proper credit, other modes of payment, cash handling policies and procedures. 4. Know room status, locations, types and rates. 5. Use suggestive selling techniques to sell rooms and to promote other services of the hotel. 6. Coordinate rooms’ status with housekeeping department; notify all check-outs, early check-ins, special requests etc. 7. Take reservations, modify or cancel as requested. 8. Post and file all charges to guest, master and city ledger accounts. 9. Handle issuing and closing of safe deposit boxes for the guests. 10. Read, maintain and pass-on log and bulletin board at each shift. 11. Coordinate with engineering and maintenance division for guest room maintenance. 12. Know all safety and emergency procedures, accident prevention policies. 13. Report any unusual occurrences or requests to the manager. 12.4.3 Reservation Agent Normally found in larger hotels, in smaller hotels Front office agent handles this job. Basic Function: To handle all future reservations, matching the needs of the guests with the hotel. Duties and Responsibilities: 1. Process reservations by mail, telephone, telex, cable, fax or central reservation system referral. 2. Process reservations from the sales office, other hotel departments and travel agents. 3. Know the type of rooms, location and layout, status, rates, package plans, benefits etc. 4. Maintain reservation records by date and time of arrival and alphabetical listings. 5. Process cancellations and modifications. 6. Prepare letters of confirmation and communicate to the prospective guest / representative. 7. Know the hotel’s policy on guaranteed reservations and noshows. 8. Process advance deposits on reservations. 9. Prepare expected arrival lists and communicate reservation information for front office. 10. Assist in pre-registration activities when appropriate. 11. Promote goodwill by being courteous, friendly and helpful to guests, managers and fellow employees.

12.4.4 Switchboard Operator They are heard by the guest but are rarely seen. They represent the hotel through their voice on the phone. They build a very significant image of the hotel to a prospective guest. The work has drastically changed due to the electronic age, but the basic voice assistance is always a warm welcome. Basic Function: Receives and directs incoming and outgoing calls to individual guests, staff, or departments. Duties and Responsibilities: 1. Answer incoming calls. 2. Direct calls to guestrooms, staff, or departments through the switchboard or PBX system. 3. Place outgoing calls. 4. Receive telephone charges from the telephone company and forward charges to the front desk for posting. 5. Take and distribute messages for guests. 6. Log all wake-up call requests and perform wake-up call services. 7. Provide information about guest services to guests. 8. Answer questions about hotel events and activities. 9. Provide paging services to hotel guests and employees. 10. Know what action to take when an emergency call is requested or received. 11. Be aware of all the emergency service nos. and systems relating to the same. 12.4.5 Front Office Cashier Basic Function: Guest accounting tasks require efficiency and accuracy. The tasks of the front office cashier center on the guest accounting cycle. The front office cashiers post revenue center charges to guest accounts. The hotel’s revenue centers communicate information on charge purchases to the front desk. Cashiers then post these charges to guest accounts to ensure that the charges will be settled at checkout. Where computerised systems are installed, the Point of Sale operations are directly posted to the Guest Ledger whenever the guest utilises a particular service. The cashiers also receive payment from guests at checkout. They coordinate the billing of credit card and direct-billed guest accounts with the accounting division. The cashier at the close of each shift balances all guest accounts. They also manage safedeposit boxes / lockers, variety of banking services including foreign exchange. Duties and Responsibilities: 1. Operate front office posting equipment/ system. 2. Obtain the house bank and keep it balanced. 3. Complete cashier pre-shift supply checklist. 4. Take departmental readings at the beginning of the shift. 5. Complete guest check-in and checkout procedures. 6. Post charges to guest accounts. 7. Handle Paid-outs (VPO). 8. Transfer guest balances to other accounts as required. 9. Settle guest accounts in cash, credit card, Company account by transferring balances to the respective ledgers. 10. Post non-guest ledger payments. 11. Make account adjustments. 12. Balance departmental totals and cash at close of shift. 13. Manage safe deposit box/ locker. 12.4.6 Uniformed Bell Service Staf Basic Functions: Meeting, greeting and escorting guests to their rooms and also the reverse of it i.e. escorting guests from their rooms to the front desk, to their means of transport etc. They also do errands, handle messages and page guests. They also act as the eyes and ears of the hotels since they are strategically stationed and also make trips to many floors and rooms. Work closely with the front desk staff, room service employees and other hotel personnel in providing guest assistance with luggage, transportation and miscellaneous needs. Duties and Responsibilities: 1. Maintain a good personal appearance at all times. Wear the standard uniform and name tag. 2. Escort guests to and from their rooms if required and also assist in carrying their luggage. 3. Keep the lobby directory up to date. 4. Watch for any unusual persons or activities and report them to management. 5. Transport hotel guests to and from the airport on request. Keep limousines and other hotel vehicles clean and in top running condition. 6. Maintain an orderly, secure checkroom for guests. 12.4.7 Concierge Basic Functions: They are specialized in assisting the guest – regardless of whether inquiries concern in-hotel or off-premises attractions, facilities, services, or activities. Must provide concise and accurate directions; make reservations for flights, theater or special events, obtain tickets, organize special functions such as VIP cocktail receptions and arrange for secretarial services, if needed. Duties and Responsibilities: 1. Develop a strong knowledge of the hotel’s facilities and services and of the surrounding community. 2. Provide guests with directions / information to attractions or facilities in or outside the property. 3. Make guest reservations for air or other forms of transportation when requested; obtain necessary itinerary and tickets. 4. Make guest reservations for the theater and other forms of entertainment when requested, obtain necessary tickets and provide directions to facilities. 5. Organize special functions as directed by management. 6. Arrange secretarial and other office services. 7. Coordinate guest requests for special services or equipment with the appropriate department. 8. Check with roomed guests periodically to ascertain if they have any special needs. 9. Handle guest complaints. 12.4.8 Night Auditor Basic Functions: Must be skilled record keeper since the job requires him to track room revenues, occupancy percentages, and other front office operating statistics and prepare, a summary of the financial performance for the day. He is basically an employee of the accounts division. Has to verify all account postings and balances made during the day by front desk cashiers and agents. In some properties, he may also act as front desk agent during the night. Duties and Responsibilities: 1. Post room charges and taxes to guest accounts. 2. Process guest charge vouchers and credit card vouchers. 3. Post guest charge purchase transactions not posted by the front office cashier. 4. Transfer charges and deposits to master accounts. 5. Verify all account postings and balances. 6. Monitor the current status of coupon, discount, and other promotional programmes. 7. Track room revenues, occupancy percentages, and other front office statistics. 8. Prepare a summary of cash, cheques, credit card activities and summary of results of operations for management. 9. Understand principles of auditing, balancing and closing out accounts. 10. Know how to operate posting machines, other front office equipment and computers.

11. Understand and know how to perform check-in and checkout procedures. 12.5 FRONT OFFICE DESK LAYOUT As the front office is the entry and exit point for a guest, the main entrance and approach play a very important role in the selection of hotel for a guest. A guest entering a hotel does so through the main entrance which leads to the reception area of the hotel which is also called the lobby of the hotel. Figure 12.5 Lobby Layout The lobby is elegantly designed to accommodate the front office staffs and for the smooth service to the guests. Since the lobby usually serves as a meeting or gathering area for guests and their visitors it should be well planned and furnished to give a best intuition. The lobby of the hotel includes the general circulation and waiting area which leads to check-in, information, cashiers counter, bell desk, travel desk, cloak rooms etc.. The above figure shows a typical layout of a lobby. The layout may vary from hotel to hotel. Some hotel may even have a coffee shop, restaurant and shopping arcade. 12.6 FRONT OFFICE EQUIPMENTS AND FURNITURES The following are the common equipments and furniture found in the hotel lobby: 1. Front Desk 2. Bell desk and concierge desk 3. Lobby desk 4. Travel counter 5. Room and reservation racks 6. Computer, Printer, UPS and other related devices 7. Credit card imprinters 8. Telephone – EPABX, PBX, PMBX, EPBX 9. Telex, Facsimile machine 10. Mail, Message and Key rack 11. Duplicate key rack 12. Time stand 13. Wake up device 14. Folio tray 15. Security monitor 16. Luggage trolley 17. Luggage net 18. Date and time punching machine 19. Bulletin boards 20. G.R. card holder 21. Mail forwarding file 22. Page board 23. Safe vault and in-room vault 24. Photocopying machine 25. Room rack 26. Postal weighting scale 27. Voucher rack 28. Account posting machine 29. Cash register 30. Magnetic strip reader

INTRODUCTION A hotel mainly relies on the income generated from the effective letting of its bedrooms for profit. A large percentage of revenue is obtained from room sales, and out of that again, a large proportion is contributed by the advance booking or reservation of rooms of the hotel. Reservation is an activity concerning the sale of room. In a small hotel, the volume of reservation, i.e. advance booking of room is much less as compared to a large hotel; hence this function and subsequently the work involved in reservations can be done by the receptionist himself at the reception counter. In a large hotel, the volume of work of booking of rooms is quite big and hence it becomes necessary to allocate a separate section away from the reception counter so that the receptionist can concentrate more on the guest services. Reservations generally constitute both legal and moral responsibilities on hotel and hence it is important that proper and efficient systems are installed in the hotel. These records should be filed in such a way that the staff is able to refer to any individual reservation enquiry quickly. It is also important that the reservation staff must be aware of legal requirements and implications. 13.2 RESERVATION Reservation is the activity of booking the room in advance for a prospective guest on his request for future, which may be from few days to months in advance. Below is the detailed process of reservation: 1. Conduct the reservation enquiry 2. Determine room and rate availability 3. Create the reservation record 4. Confirm the reservation record 5. Maintain the reservation record 6. Produce reservation reports. Functions of the Reservation Section: The main function of the reservation section is to help the hotel in generating revenue from future and prospective room sales. The reservation section should receive the reservation request from the prospective guest, check availability of rooms, process the request and either accept it, wait list it or deny it and communicate the decision. Prior to Computerization Era, the main function of the Reservation Process is only to determine basic room availability. That is, the reservation clerk can only tell the potential guest whether a room is reserved for him / her or not. However, the reservation clerk can not tell the type of the room, rate honored etc. But nowadays, with the wide use of computer reservation (on-line reservation) with software package programs, it is now possible to reserve a room by room type, rate, and to accommodate all the possible special requests of the guest. Therefore, the selling function has largely shifted from the front office to the reservation department. Hence, projections of Room Revenues and Profitability Analysis became one of the main functions of the Reservation Department. Figure 13.1 Reservation Section As a consequence, reservation department and reservation agents should have sales goals to achieve which might focus on number of room nights, average room rate, and / or booked room revenue. 13.3 TYPES OF RESERVATIONS 13.3.1 Guaranteed Reservation Ensures that the hotel will hold a room for the guest until a specific time following the guest’s scheduled arrival date [i.e. checkin t ime or start of the hotel’s day shift or any time the lodging property chooses]. On return, the guest shall guarantee his / her reservation of room unless reservation is properly canceled. In order to guarantee a reservation, guests might opt for one of the following methods: 1. Prepayment Guaranteed Reservation – the hotel request the prospective guest to either send the complete deposit or a partial deposit and on receiving, makes the booking for the prospective guest. 2. Credit Card Guaranteed Reservation – in this case the prospective guest gives his credit card number and details to the hotel. The hotel confirms the room from the credit card guarantee and then claims from the credit card company, if the guest does not occupy the room on the said date. 3. Travel Agent Guaranteed Reservation – some travel agents have arrangement with hotel chains to book room for their clients and executives travelling to various destination. The travel agents are solely responsible for the reservation; they are billed after the guest’s stay is completed. 4. Voucher or Miscellaneous Charge Order [MCO] - this i s a special arrangement designed to attract return guest or new business. This is usually provided by the hotels themselves for their prospective guests. 5. Corporate Guaranteed Reservation – in this case the corporation or company takes the responsibility for booking for their executives, visitors etc. 13.3.2 Non-Guaranteed Reservation Ensures that the hotel agrees to hold a room for the guest until a stated reservation cancellation hour (usually 6 p.m.) on the day of arrival. In case the guest who has made the reservation arrives after 6.00 p.m, the hotel is not bound to provide him accommodation. Non-guaranteed reservation usually occurs when the prospective guest does not provide any payment guarantee but simply confirms through a letter. Reservation agents shall make sure to encourage their guests to guarantee their reservations, especially in the high season. 13.3.3 Tentative / Provisional Reservation Provisional reservation is done when a request from prospective guest is received for some future day arrival and the hotel blocks the room for this guest, provisionally in the hotel records such as charts and diaries and racks or computer and sends a letter of offer to the prospective guest. The offer has a cut off date by which the guest should send his confirmation which may be in the form of a letter, guarantee by company, credit card or deposit whichever the hotel may request. Once the confirmation from the guest is received by the hotel within the cut off date, the hotel makes the tentative booking into confirmed booking. Otherwise the tentative booking is cancelled and the records updated. 13.4 RESERVATION ENQUIRY Guests can communicate their reservation enquiries in any one of the methods; in person, over the telephone, via mail, through facsimile, telex or e-mail. Moreover, reservation inquiries can also be made through Central Reservation System or Intersell Agency. While getting a reservation enquiry, the reservation agent shall obtain the following guest-related information: i) Guest’s name, address and telephone number ii) Company or travel agency name, where possible iii) Date of arrival and departure iv) Type and number of rooms requested v) Desired room rate and type of room vi) Number of people in the group, if applicable vii) Method of payment and / or guarantee viii) Any other special requests Figure 13.2 Reservation Form Most of the above mentioned information is used to create a reservation record. 13.5 SOURCES OF RESERVATIONS 13.5.1 Central Reservation Systems The majority of Lodging Properties belongs to one or more Central Reservation Systems. A central reservation system is composed of a central reservation office, member hotels connected together via communication devices, and potential guests. Central Reservation Office [CRO] offers its services via a 24-hours toll free telephone number(s). Member hotels of the central reservation system shall provide and exchange accurate room availability data to central reservation offices. To illustrate, central reservation offices and member hotels shall communicate (on real time) any reservation transaction. This is possible, nowadays, with the sophisticated communication equipment available. These equipments shall be provided by central reservation offices to its member hotels. Such equipment may range from teletype, telex, facsimile machines, to personal computers or Internet connections. On return for the services, central reservation offices charges a fee for the utilization of its services which might take the form of a flat fee and a variable fee, or a flat percentage of potential room revenue, actual room revenue, and / or Rooms Division gross profit. Central Reservation Offices are divided into two: i) Affiliate reservation network - this network is referred to as the hotel chain’s reservation system. In fact, it is composed of a CRO and hotels, which are members of the same chain. The main advantages of affiliate reservation network are: a) Streamline the process of reservation b) Reduce overall system costs c) Attract business for or refer business to another chain property d) Affiliate reservation networks might serve, in addition to its main function, other duties like: Serve as an inter property communication network Serve as an accounting transfer tool Serve as a destination information center Serve as a connection with Global Distribution Systems [GDS] System including several Central Reservation Offices connected to each other. ii) Non-affiliate reservation network - A n o n -affiliate reservation network is composed of a central reservation office, potential guests, and member independent hotels. 13.5.2 Intersell Agencies Intersell Agencies are special types of central reservation offices contracting to handle reservation for more than one Product Line for example handle at the same time Airline Tickets, Car Rental, Hotel Reservation, etc. (“One Call Does it All Approach!”). 13.5.3 Direct Reservation System Even though many of the five-star hotels rely heavily on central reservation offices and intersell agencies, some potential guests might still find it convenient, and personal to call directly the hotel to communicate a reservation enquiry. 13.6 GROUP RESERVATIONS Conducting a reservation request for a group shall be treated differently than accommodating a reservation of individual guests (i.e. Frequent Independent Traveler). The main reason is that individual reservation requests are treated by the reservation department, while group reservations are initiated by the Sales & Marketing Division, and finalized through a careful coordination of the reservation from one hand and the marketing on the other. Below is a detailed procedure of how group reservation, in a typical hotel, is conducted: 1. A group representative, a member of the travel agency or the tour operator, not individuals, shall communicate group reservations' request to the hotel's marketing department 2. Upon availability, the hotel's reservation department shall block the requested number of rooms for this very group 3. The Hotel shall give a deadline for the group, in order to receive their final list. That deadline is called Cut-off Date. 4. After receiving the final list, the reservation department shall change the desired number of rooms' status from blocked to booked (or reserved) rooms, and release the remaining rooms (if any left) as vacant for sale. 5. If the hotel did not receive the final list by the cut-off date, then the reservation department has all the right to cancel the group reservation and release all the initially booked rooms into vacant rooms. However, management shall use this right with precautions especially when it comes to groups reserving from travel agencies and tour operators of which the hotel is frequently servicing. 13.7 RESERVATION AVAILABILITY After receiving a reservation request, the hotel might accept it, as it is, if there is room availability. If not, the reservation department should suggest alternative room types, dates, and / or rates, to the potential guest. If, however, the potential guest insists on his / her previous request, the hotel should suggest an alternative hotel. That's one of the main reasons why we need to maintain good relationships with nearby competing hotels. The reservation department should always compare historical reservation volumes against actual arrivals. The main reason is to cope with overbooking, which a situation occurring when the total number of rooms reserved for a certain period of time exceeds the total number of rooms available for sale, for the same period of time. In order to cope with the overbooking problem, some statistical and historical data should be stored and processed by the hotel and should be continuously updated. Such data should include: o Number of rooms reserved for a specific date o Number of rooms occupied by stayovers (for a certain specific date) o Forecasted no-show-ups percentage o Forecasted understays percentage o Forecasted overstays percentage o Forecasted cancellation percentage o Number of out of order rooms for a specific date. 13.8 DEVICES USED FOR TRACKING ROOM AVAILABILITY In order to function properly, the reservation department shall maintain control books, wall charts, and / or a computerized system. Whatsoever system chosen, the reservation department shall maintain and update that system to include any reservation transaction (i.e. whether a reservation, cancellation, or modification). Below is a description of the three commonly used sets of equipment to track room availability under the manual, semi-automated and fully-automated systems: 13.8.1 Control Books Control books are standard three-ring, loose-leaf binders with a tally page assigned to each day of the year. Under this very system, when a potential guest calls to have a reservation, the reservation clerk shall check the cells corresponding to rooms. If there is an empty cell for all the length of stay of the guest then the reservation clerk marks it as X (i.e. reserved). If the guest is expected to continue staying the next day, then the reservation clerk shall mark the next day's respective room cell as O (i.e. Stayover). Lastly, the reservation clerk is encouraged to use colors while updating information or the cells on the control book. 13.8.2 Wall Charts These are charts stapled on the wall depicting days of the month versus hotel rooms. Moreover, upon need and convenience, these charts might be customized to track appropriate room numbers, rates, and codes, hence, is advantageous to control books. Moreover, in this system, different colors are used to differentiate between different reservation transactions and types of guest reserving. Wall charts eliminates the erasures and rewriting associated with control book, hence less errors might occur. 13.8.3 Computerized Systems Computerized systems are by far the best systems that track room availability. In fact, these systems control room availability data and automatically generate many reservation-related reports in an accurate manner. Moreover, computerized systems can itemize room availability for future periods by open dates, closed dates, versus special event dates. This system can also forecast room availability for any reservation horizon needed in the future. In the case of non-availability of room type, the system can further suggest alternative room types, rates, or even other hotels. 13.9 RESERVATION RECORD Each reservation department shall prepare a reservation record, which depicts the various personal and financial data of guests, for each reservation transaction. The aim is to identify guests and their occupancy needs before guest’s arrival. Moreover, the hotel can personalize or customize guest services and better schedule staff accordingly. In order to create a reservation record, the following details are needed: i) Guest name (and group name, if applicable) ii) Guest’s home or billing address iii) Guest’s telephone number, including area code iv) Name, address, and telephone number of guest’s company, if appropriate v) Name and other pertinent information about the person making the reservation, if not the guest vi) Number of people in the group, and perhaps ages of children, if any. vii) Arrival date and time viii) Number of nights required or expected departure date, ix) Reservation type [Guaranteed versus Non-guaranteed] x) Special requirements [i.e. infant, disabled guest, or nosmoking accommodation] xi) Additional information, if needed [i.e. late arrival, method of transportation, flight number, room preferences, etc.] At the reservation process, reservation agents shall keep in mind that a rate quoted and confirmed must be honored. Moreover, reservation clerks should be aware of the following: o Supplementary charges for extra services or amenities o Minimum stay requirements, if any, for dates requested o Special promotions in effect for dates requested, if any o Applicable currency exchange rates, if quoting rates to an international tourist o Applicable room tax percentages o Applicable service charges or gratuities 13.10 RESERVATION CONFIRMATION The hotel should communicate with guests by telephone, telex, mail, or e-mail a Letter of Confirmation, which confirms the important points of the reservation agreement. This letter might be shown at the registration process in order to accelerate the pace of registration and to prove that the guest has the right to have a room at the hotel. The Hotel shall send a confirmation letter to all reserved potential guests, whether their reservations are guaranteed or nonguaranteed. Below are the main points that should be communicated in a confirmation letter: o Name and address of the guest o Date and time of arrival o Room type and rate o Length of stay o Number of persons in a group, if any o Reservation type [guaranteed or not] o Reservation confirmation number o Special requests, if any

INTRODUCTION Guest registration is one of the first and most lasting impressions on a hotel customer. Guest registration sets the tenor for the stay and is, therefore a critical contact point. The front desk should promote the warmth and hospitality of the property. Guest registration is the point at which critical information is collected about the customer and his / her wishes. If the bottleneck develops in a guest registration, customer complaints arise. As a result the front desk employees are particularly concerned with processing the needed information quickly. The registration procedure of the hotel is critical to the collection of guest information and the initialization of the guest account. Almost all the paperwork in the guest cycle is based on the data that is recorded and verified at, or prior to, check-in. 14.2 REGISTRATION Registration is a mandatory requirement that all guests over the age of 16 years – irrespective of Indian or foreigner, ordinary personnel or VIP. Regardless the size of the hotel, be it small or large guests, must provide basic information about them and fill up either a visitors register / hotel register. The register may be a Red Book / form or a card also called G.R. Card (Guest Registration Card). The guest has to fill in the form and attest his signature. This agreement between the hotel and the guest is known as a simple contract. 14.2.1 Registration Process The registration process has the following basic concepts. 1. Collection It is the gathering of information about the guest such as date and time of arrival, guest personal information (name, address, nationality, occupation etc), purpose of visit, date of departure. 2. Product Matching Assigning the right room to the guest as desired based on availability. 3. Revenue Management The billing instructions i.e. mode of payment through cash, credit card, travelers cheque etc. 4. Rooms Management The duration o f s t a y of the guest. The availability of the room for resale for the next guest. 5. Completion After the guest has registered a rate for room is decided and a room assigned after establishing his creditability. Then the guest along with his luggage sent to his room. After that the receptionist would complete the paper and other work related to the new arrival. 14.2.2 Registration Record The registration record is a collection of important personal and financial guest information. A typical registration record includes: i) Guest name and surname ii) Guest address and telephone number iii) Company affiliation (if applicable) iv) Expected arrival date v) Planned departure date or length of stay vi) Required room rate vii) Required room type viii) Room number ix) Method of payment x) Special requests xi) Signature of the guest. Guest registration information details forwarded to different areas and functions of the hotel are: Figure 14.1 Flow of Registration Information 14.2.3 Registration Methods Three methods are used for registration by hotels: 1. Bound Book It is a big bound book. Guest on arrival fills his details in a line and signs in this book. It is often used in small hotels. The disadvantages of this book handling are: Confidentiality of guest information cannot be maintained. The next guest can easily access the details of the previous guests. The book is bulky and gets dirty and torn very soon due to frequent usage. Pre-registration of VIP and others cannot be done. Only one guest can register at a time. 2. Loose Leaf Register In this system, a separate loose leaflet is used for each day instead of a consolidated / bound register. To some extent the confidentiality of guest information can be maintained. It is mostly suitable for medium sized hotels. The disadvantages of this method are: It can be easily misplaced, if the desk clerks are careless. The leaflet may not be fully filled or in some occasions single sheet may not be sufficient. Filing also becomes a problem Only one guest can register at a time. 3. Individual Registration In this system, a separate card is used for each guest. The cards may be designed so as to serve various purposes. It may be made in duplicate or triplicate with the help of carbon papers so that one copy can be sent to Government departments and the other retained by the hotel. The following are the advantages of this method: The size of the card is small and quite handy. They may also be used to serve as a guest history card. Complete privacy of the guest is maintained. Many guests can be registered in the rush hours at the same time. 14.2.4 Systems of Registration 1. Manual System This system is used by small hotels. In this system, all the documents including the guest folio, arrival notification slips, C form (to be filled in by foreigners) are prepared and distributed manually. The accuracy shall depend upon the guest’s legible and accurate completion of the card. This is a rather slow and time consuming method and is prone to errors hence not suitable for large hotels. 2. Semiautomatic System All those hotels which do not operate on computer and are either medium or large in size use this method. Office machinery such as typewriter and various clerical equipments, racks and filling rack etc are used in this method. 3. Automatic System Automatic systems use computers. They are very efficient, accurate, and fast. It helps in smooth and speedy check-in and the guest can simply sign in the registration documents generated by the computer. 4. Express Check-in System In some fully automated hotels the arriving guest can self register himself through self-registering terminals located in the lobby. To facilitate speedy registration process, these registration terminals of the hotel may also be located in airports, international bus terminals and car rental agencies. This is a very fast method of registration. 14.3 ROOM STATUS At registration, check-in clerks shall contact the housekeeping department to seek latest information about the status of hotel rooms so that they can assign only clean and available rooms for sale to their guests. That's why, the Front Office, Housekeeping and Reservation Department shall maintain a high degree of collaboration between them. The front office and housekeeping department shall continuously update the status of each single room. Below is the typical housekeeping room status flow for any single room: Occupied On-change Clean and Available for Sale The front office and Housekeeping Department shall frequently reconcile and compare their updated reports (especially under the manual system) for any possible room status discrepancy. In order to be sales minded and convince potential guests to accept the highest priced rooms, the front office clerk shall be aware of the characteristics of each room type, the differences within the same room category (i.e. furnishings, amenities, and location). 14.4 ISSUING ROOM KEYS With the issuing of room keys, the rooming process gets to an end. However, concerning room keys, front office clerks shall respect hotel's written policies governing guestroom key control. As an illustration, front desk agents shall only handle the room key to the guest without announcing and / or spelling out the room number. This is a vital requirement to protect and ensure guest safety and privacy. After guest is handed over his / her room key, front office clerks shall offer bellboy assistance 14.5 FULFILLING SPECIAL REQUESTS Front Office Department shall watch for special requests by guests and try promptly to satisfy them. This creates a good impression and lasting professional relationship with the guests and increases the probability that the hotel will receive these guests for many more times to come in the future (i.e. repeat guests). Guests' requests are usually grouped under the following categories: Room type Bed type Location View Amenities 14.6 ROOM AND RATE ASSIGNMENT The hotel shall identify the room preference of the guest and allocate an available room from the existing specific room category (i.e. type & rate). That's why, under semi and fully automated systems, reservation and check-in clerks shall be sales minded while negotiating room and rate assignment with guests. This fact applies for registration clerks under the manual system as well. Moreover, while assigning rooms, check-in clerks shall keep an eye on hotel's reservation commitments and not assign a room to a guest, while that very room is pre-assigned to some other guests for the same period of time. 14.6.1 Room Rates While pricing rooms, the hotel shall keep in mind that rate should be between a minimum (determined by cost structure) and a maximum (determined by competition structure) boundary as depicted below: Minimum (Hurdle Rate) < Room Rate < Maximum (Rack Rate) Cost Structure < Room Rate < Competition Structure Rack rate: The price a hotel charges for a room before any discount has been taken into account. The published rate for a room sometimes set artificially high in order to accommodate and used to calculate a variety of discounts. Front office department shall finalize room rates with guests during the registration process. Moreover, rack rates shall only be applicable for walk-ins especially during the high season. Lastly, room rates might be affected by: a) Seasonality b) Service level c) Room location d) Type of Guest and / or usage (eg. commercial, corporate, complementary, group, family, day, and package-plan etc.). 14.6.2 Methods of Payment Guests, at the registration stage, shall communicate or confirm their intended method of payment. Below are the common methods of payments accepted by hotels: 1. Cash Guests intending to settle their accounts by cash shall have no in-house charge privileges and, hence, all their purchases should be paid in advance (i.e. PIA status), which means that as guests purchase any kind of service or product, they shall pay for it immediately. In accordance to cash payment, registration clerks shall prepare lists of PIA guests and communicate them to all Point of Sales outlets. On the other hand, paying immediately might not suit some guests (even though intending to settle their accounts by cash), that's why hotels might give guest charge privileges, on condition that they provide an imprint of a valid card or an approved direct billing privilege at registration. 2. Personal Cheques Very few hotels still accept personal cheques as a method of payment due to the high probability of fraud associated with this method. In fact, in order to accept personal cheques, most hotels necessitate that these cheques be supported by a credit card with a cheque-cashing guarantee, that the amount to be cashed against cheques shall be within the hotel’s established limit, and preferably accept personal cheques only during standard business hours where banks are open. If personal cheques are to be accepted, front office personnel shall imprint the credit card on the backside of the guest personal cheque and record the Guest ID card or driving license certificate along with the guest’s address and telephone number on the face of the cheque. 3. Credit Cards Nowadays almost all the mid-sized and large hotels have credit card machines. Credit cards have become a preferable method of payment for guests and hotels. The guest credit card is swiped on the spot and the amount credited to the hotel’s account. 4. Direct Billing Some guests (especially VIP) do not prefer to wait at checkout queues like other guests before departure. They, rather, prefer, only to sign their guest folios, go to their homes, and later receive a certain invoice detailing their charges while they were staying at the hotel to be settled by payment to hotel bank accounts. In order to satisfy the needs of this category of guests, hotels created the direct billing process. To be eligible for a direct billing privilege, guests shall at pre-arrival stage or maximum at the arrival stage fill a hotel credit application form along with the provision of an imprint of a valid credit card. This form is sent to the Front Office Manager or Rooms Division Manager for approval. 5. Special Programs Special programs are any form of vouchers, coupons, or any special incentive awards received from businesses, airline companies etc

Role of the Front Office in Interdepartmental Communications Role of the Front Office in Interdepartmental Communications

The front office plays a major role in delivering hospitality to guests. It sets the stage for a pleasant or an unpleasant visit. The front office communicate guest’s requirement to other departments, which work in close coordination and cooperation to deliver required product and services. In order to maintain the desired level of service, the front office department communicate with the following department of the hotel: 1. Marketing and Sales Department

The Front office department coordinates with the Marketing and Sales Department for the following information:

 Guest Histories

 Room Reservation Record

 Current Room Availability status

 Group, Corporate and crew booking

 Setting the Transient and bulk room sales

 The front office must take every effort to keep the information on room availability status and guest histories current and accurate.

 The sales and marketing executive needs info on room availability to know what rooms to sell in future to design marketing strategies for off season.

 Sales and marketing needs info on guest types/ origins to develop marketing strategy and target key guest segments

 Sales needs FO support in selling rooms, facilities and services

 FO needs info on special promotions (e.g. special rates and inclusions); campaigns (to anticipate increased demand); etc

2. Housekeeping Department

Housekeeping and the front office communicate about housekeeping room status, the report on the availability of the rooms for immediate guest occupancy. Housekeeping room status can be described in the following communication terms:

 Available Clean, or Ready: room is ready to be occupied

 Occupied: guest or guests are already occupying a room

 Stay over: guest will not be checking out of a room on the current day  Dirty or On-Change: guest has checked out of the room, but the housekeeping staff has not released the room for occupancy

 Out-of-Order: room is not available for occupancy because of a mechanical malfunction

Housekeeping and the front office also communicate on the details of potential house count (a report of the number of guests registered in the hotel), security concerns, and requests for amenities (personal toiletry items such as shampoo, toothpaste, and mouthwash; electrical equipment). These issues are of immediate concern to the guest as well as to supervisors in the hotel.

3. Food and Beverage Department

The Front Office department coordinates with the food and beverage department for the following information:

 Arrival and departure of guests  Setting up bar in VIP rooms  Special arrangement like cookies, fruit basket, and assorted dry fruits  In house and expected VIP’s and corporate guest  In house and expected groups  In house and expected crews  The scanty baggage in house guests, all points of sale are notified to receive all payment in cash from these guests.  Groups and guests with booking of specific meal plan

4. Maintenance or Engineering Department

 The maintenance or engineering department and front office communicate on room status and requests for maintenance service.  Front office informs the maintenance department of any work required in guest room.  Maintenance employees must know the occupancy status of a room before attending to plumbing, heating, or air-conditioning problems. If the room is reserved, the two departments work out a time frame so the guest can enter the room on arrival or be assigned to another room.

5. Security Department  Communications between the security department and the front office are important in providing hospitality to the guest.  These departments work together closely in maintaining guest security. Fire safety measures and emergency communication systems as well as procedures for routine investigation of guest security concerns require the cooperation of these departments.

6. Banquet Department

 The banquet department, which often combines the functions of marketing and sales department and a food and beverage department, requires the front office to relay information to guests about scheduled events and bill payment.  The front desk staff may also provide labour to prepare the daily announcement board, an inside listing of the daily activities of the hotel (time, group, and room assignment), and marquee, the curb side message board, which includes the logo of the hotel and space for a message.  The majority of banquet guests may not be registered guests in the hotel, the front office is a logical communications center.  The person responsible for paying the bills for a special event will also find his or her way to the front office to settle the city ledger accounts. If the banquet captain is not available to personally present the bill for the function, the front desk clerk should be informed about the specifics of food and beverage charges, gratuities, rental charges, method of payment, and the like.

7. Controller

 The Front desk provides a daily summary of the financial transaction after night auditing to the finance controller.  The information by the front desk helps the finance controller to make budgets and to allocate resources for the current financial period.  Front desk provides the controller the financial data for bilind and maintenance the credit card ledger. 8. Human Resources Management Department

 The human resources management department may rely on the front office staff to act as an initial point of contact for potential employees in all departments. It may even ask the front office to screen job candidates. If so, guidelines for and training in screening methods must be provided.  Some directors of human resources management depend on the front office to distribute application forms and other personnel-related information to job applicants. The potential employee may ask for directions to the personnel office at the front desk.  The human resources management department may also develop guidelines for the front desk clerk to use in initially screening candidates. These guidelines may include concerns about personal hygiene, completion of an application, education requirements, experience, and citizenship status. This information helps the executives in the human resources management department interview potential job candidates.

Hotel Concierge Job Descriptions The concierge is usually front and center at the hotel.

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The job of a hotel concierge is to ensure guests have everything they need during their hotel stay. These needs may include anything from arranging transportation to the airport, to reserving dinner reservations at the finest restaurants. Isabelle Hogan, chef concierge at The Carlyle in New York City, states in an online Forbes article, "The concierge makes the impossible possible."

A Typical Day In reality, there really is no such thing as a typical day for the hotel concierge, since the events of each day are different. She normally sits at a desk in or near the center of the lobby, handling incoming requests from guests on an individual basis. During the day, she may recommend places to eat, provide map directions for sight-seeking tourists, or ensure additional housekeeping needs, such as extra towels or bottles of shampoo, are provided as requested.

Work Qualities The best candidate for the position of hotel concierge is someone who truly enjoys working with the public in a variety of situations. He needs to not only be well-organized, but also have the ability to multitask while keeping up with details for many guests -- all at once. Those with calm, easy-going natures do best, as some guests may arrive at the hotel stressed and can be impatient.

Challenges Guests may contact the hotel concierge in person, by phone or through email. During high season, this can make the job hectic. Since it is important to respond to guest requests in a timely manner, the concierge must have a good sense of time management along with the ability to juggle many requests. This must be done while appearing to give each guest the sense that he has the concierge’s undivided attention.

Experience and Education Although it is not required for all hotel concierge positions, schools such as Cornell University and Michigan State University offer degrees in hotel administration. This teaches you the fundamentals of hotel management, which can be valuable when applying for the position of hotel concierge. Working in the hotel industry or customer service to gain experience working with the public is also a good place to start.

Job of Bell Captain & Bell Boy in Hotel

Bell captain is the supervisor of Bell section in hotel or resort. He provides porter services to the guests with his team of Bell Boys. Bell Desk is situated in the lobby area. He has got the authority on bell boy’s activity and performance. Although his team (bell boys) is handling luggage and sometime works as a messenger but their job is no of less importance. They also play a vital role in building hotel’s image. Every guest service is an important matter in hotel.

Bell Captain reports to Front Office Manager and mainly co-ordinates with reception and cashiers. Bell Captain’s activity may be highlighted as follows:

 To motivate bell boys towards quality guest service.

 To look after trim look, cleanliness, personal grooming and hygiene of all bell boys.

 To control the bell boy’s movement that they do not waste time in staff cafeteria.

 To prepare the duty roster and assign duty as per requirements.

 To maintain the minimum stock level of postal stamps.  To train the bell boys about reporting and watching light baggage guest, who has got responsibilities of escaping without payment.

 To co-operate the reception regarding paging a guest.

 To maintain formalities of left baggage.

 To brief the bell boys about crew arrival/departure.

 To do other messenger duties as and when required by the management.

Job of Bell Boys in Hotel Bell Boys handle guest luggage at the time of arrival/departure or any luggage movement as and when required in the hotel. They report the Bell Captain, shift duty Manager/Lobby manager. Bell desk is their work station but they can move any areas of the hotel in case of the necessity for luggage handling. There must be someone at the bell desk all the time of meeting the guest service at any time. They work 8 hours a shift, round the clock. They co-ordinate mainly with reception and Front office Cash.

Following duties are to be done by Bell Boys:

 Carrying guest luggage during arrival/departure or as and when required. While escorting a new guest with his luggage up to the room, the bell boys should inform the guest about room details.

 Providing postal services to the guests.

 Keeping left baggage in luggage store room after maintaining register book or log book.

 Checking the guest room while bringing down guest luggage at the time of departure whether mini bar and everything else are ok.

 Co operating the reception to page in-house guest by paging board as and when required.

 Co operating the reception to check room physically to determine the discrepancy report.  Reporting the reception about light baggage guest.

Going outside to bring postal stamps or posting mail for guest or management

Errand Cards formats used in hotels Errand cards is used to track the guest luggage movements in the hotel . Separate errand card is filled up at the time of check in and check out of the guest .

Below you can see sample format of arrival and departure errand card used in hotels.

Errand Cards are basically used in hotels to track the guest arrival and departure .Sepaerate errand cards are filled up at the time ot checkin and checkout of the guest e.g arrival errand card and departure card.

SOP – Bell Desk – Guest luggage handling procedure SOP Number: FO – 31

Department: Front office– Bell Desk

Date Issued: 07-Aug-2014

Time to Train: 30 Minutes

On Guest arrival:

 As soon as a taxi (or any other transportation) stops in front of the hotel / porch, Bell Personal or Door man should open the passenger door.

 Greet the guest: "Welcome to [Your hotel name], I am [your name] do you need some help with your luggage?"

 Help the guest to get out of the taxi (if needed).  Take the luggage from the trunk (ensure with the guest that nothing is missing).

 Ask for guest name: "May I have your name Sir / Madam?"

 Tag the luggage.

 Escort or guide the guest to the reception area or to the reception floor.

 Inform the guest that you will be taking care of their luggage.

 If the reception is located on another area or floor then, Check the PMS and find out what room has been allocated to the guest.

 Write down the room number on to the luggage tag.

 Check with the FO team if the check-in formality is completed.

 If the room is ready then place the luggage on the luggage rack in the room.

 If the room is not ready, then store the luggage in the store room on the designated arrival shelve and update the Daily luggage register or log book with the details.

 Escort the guest to the room if required and send the luggage by the staff elevator only.

On Guest Departure:

 Collect the luggage from the guest room.

 Try to have a casual conversation with the guest on the way down: "Mr / Ms. [Guest Name] I hope you enjoyed your stay with us. Would you need a taxi to airport?"

 If the guest ask the luggage to be stored, tag the luggage accordingly (guest name, room number, date and time of collection) and get the guest signature on the - Long term luggage request form.

 Store the luggage on the designated departure area.  If the guest is leaving the Hotel immediately after completing the check-out procedure, then bring the luggage to portico.

 If taxi is waiting then load the luggage to the taxi and request the guest to verify the loaded luggage.

 Update the departure luggage movement on the Daily Luggage movement register or log book.

Luggage Storage Room:

 Luggage room should be always organized and neat.

 The luggage room is divided in 3 areas, arrival, departure, long term storage.

 Each luggage has to be tagged using luggage tag (Sl no, Guest name, date, room no, guest’s signature and time of collection).

 A phone number or email address must be on the long term storage luggage form.

 Long term luggage storage register has to be completed and signed by the guest.

 Following questions need to be asked while keeping in Items for long storage:

a) Fragile Items

 Ask the guest if there are any fragile items in their suitcase,

 If yes, mark “Fragile” on the luggage tag.

b) Perishable

 For items who need to be kept cool (medication, food…) check with Food and beverage kitchen.

 Record where the items are stored in the luggage register.  For long term luggage storage ensure with the guest that there are no perishable items inside the luggage.

Security & Safety

 Always keep the luggage room closed and dry.

 Do not leave guests alone in the luggage room.

 Remind the guest to keep their valuable item with them (Jewellery, phone, wallet, camera, Ipad etc.)

 Log down in the bell desk log book and also on errand card each luggage handling done (Arrival, Departure, Stored) etc.

FIT stands for Free Independent Travelers (or Tourists). It means a small number of tourists (usually fewer than 5 persons or couples) who take packaged tours at a time of their own choice. They eschew mass tourism and the holiday package concept promoted by Travel operators, in favour of a more individualistic approach to travel.

On contrary, GIT stands for Group Inclusive Tour. It is a travel program with a special fare and specific requirements (usually a minimum number of persons often more than 5 persons traveling as a group throughout the tour).

Based on above differences, the rate for FIT is often higher than GIT. FIT tour is recommended for couples or family because the rate is not much higher but you receive much care and attention from the tour operators. They also customize the itinerary to meet your needs and interests. If you travel alone, you'd better join GIT because you can save money, enjoy the tour with other people so you will not be alone in a strange country.

Job description of front office cashier

Front Office Cashier

Basic Function: Guest accounting tasks require efficiency and accuracy. The tasks of the front office cashier center on the guest accounting cycle. The front office cashiers post revenue center charges to guest accounts. The hotel’s revenue centers communicate information on charge purchases to the front desk. Cashiers then post these charges to guest accounts to ensure that the charges will be settled at checkout. Where computerised systems are installed, the Point of Sale operations are directly posted to the Guest Ledger whenever the guest utilises a particular service. The cashiers also receive payment from guests at checkout. They coordinate the billing of credit card and direct-billed guest accounts with the accounting division. The cashier at the close of each shift balances all guest accounts. They also manage safedeposit boxes / lockers, variety of banking services including foreign exchange. Duties and Responsibilities: 1. Operate front office posting equipment/ system. 2. Obtain the house bank and keep it balanced. 3. Complete cashier pre-shift supply checklist. 4. Take departmental readings at the beginning of the shift. 5. Complete guest check-in and checkout procedures. 6. Post charges to guest accounts. 7. Handle Paid-outs (VPO). 8. Transfer guest balances to other accounts as required. 9. Settle guest accounts in cash, credit card, Company account by transferring balances to the respective ledgers. 10. Post non-guest ledger payments. 11. Make account adjustments. 12. Balance departmental totals and cash at close of shift. 13. Manage safe deposit box/ locker. INTRODUCTION The hotels profitability not only relies on efficient room selling, professional attitude and standard of services provided to its guest but also mainly o n the accurate guest accounting system and procedures followed. It is the responsibility of front office to prepare the guest’s bill, present it, and ensure that it is paid. This involves a lot of record keeping, for a guest may incur a large number of separate charges during his stay, from the cost of room and various meals through to telephone, laundry and entertainment. The process is complicated by the fact that the hotel industry traditionally gives a guest credit facilities during his stay. The amounts involved can be quite substantial: a room for one night coupled with an evening’s business meeting entertaining company staff in a top class city centre hotel can amount to several hundred rupees. In contrast to many other businesses, this credit often may have to be extended to relative unknowns at short notice. 15.2 GUEST ACCOUNTING An account is a record of a business transaction and on this document financial data are recorded and summarized. The term guest accounting from hotel point of view means knowledge of what is to be received from the guest and what is paid by the guest. To have updated information of the same, it is important that at all times during the guest cycle, an efficient system is used. Various systems such as manual, semi-automatic or fully automatic system may be used depending upon the size and type of the hotel. The objective of the guest accounting procedures is as follows: · To maintain accurate and up-to-date guest accounts. · To ensure that payment is received promptly and in full. · To provide management with accurate and up-to-date financial reports. 15.2.1 Guest Bill The guest bill is updated immediately as it is received from the various departments / sales outlets. It is very important to maintain and record all upto the minute details of the accounts of the guest. A person who checks into a hotel is usually entitled to credit facilities for his purchases of accommodation, food and beverages, telephone and other facilities. The following picture shows the sources of guest bill. Figure 15.1 Information Flow for Guest Bill 15.2.2 Guest Bill Communication Methods Speed and accuracy in preparing and maintaining of guest account is very important so as to avoid any late charges. This is possible only when there is very effective communication system between the billing section and sales outlet. Depending upon the type of hotel the communication methods can be: 1. Manual In small hotels, a bell boy or a waiter or a person from the department where sale has taken place rushes to the billing counter for entry into the guest folio. 2. Mechanical Some medium or large sized hotels have pneumatic tubes (pressure suction tubes) for sending signed vouchers of the guest from the department or outlet selling the service or commodity to the billing counter. 3. Fully Automatic System From the point of sale terminal (POS) the entry is made to the centralized computer server where the guest folio is updated and stored. This method is very efficient and convenient and is widely used today in almost all the medium sized and large hotels. 15.3 PROCESS OF GUEST ACCOUNTING The process of guest accounting is based on the following concepts: 1. Financial transaction, creation and maintenance of accurate accounting details. 2. Making of necessary documents and recording of transaction on relevant documents. 3. Ensuring internal control, checking and establishing the accuracy of the recorded transaction. 4. Settlement of the accounts, which may be by cash or credit payment. 15.3.1 Types of Financial Transaction Financial transactions are generally of three types: 1. Accounts Receivable When a guest goes to the bar or restaurant (and consumes drinks or food) or avails laundry facilities, or makes telephone calls, etc, and does not pay cash but signs a voucher (an undertaking that he agrees to the specified amount and shall pay later) and also the room charges etc. are all examples of financial transaction where amount is to be received by the hotel from the guest (guest has to pay) and these are called 'accounts receivable for the hotel. Any 'returned checks and charge backs' (may be his previous skipper account) etc. are also examples of the same. 2. Accounts Payable These are those transactions where the guest pays to the hotel against his outstanding; for example, he pays against his bill amount in part or full. Also this type of transaction would include any allowances or discount given by the hotel to guest and a transfer amount, etc. Such transactions are not very common usually. Such financial transactions will reduce the outstanding balance to be paid by the guest. 3. Cash Transaction Cash Transaction means that the guest pays cash to the hotel. For example, when a guest goes to a bar or restaurant and is served with drinks or food and then presented a check for the same, he pays cash for that check. Such transactions neither increase nor decrease the guest's outstanding balance. 15.3.2 Preparing of Documents Documents are those where the financial transactions of the guests are recorded, as it is humanly not possible to always remember all the transactions made by all the guests. Various documents are generated during the process of guest accounting. The types of documents generated also depend upon the system used, but some documents will always be there no matter whatever system is followed. 1. Vouchers Vouchers are also called checks. A document to detail transactions at point of sales and meant to transmit transactional information to front office of guest charges which need posting. When a guest consumes some services / facilities / goods of the hotel from any of its departments or sections, the concerned department prepares the voucher. This is a support document of the financial transaction. When the guest signs the voucher / check for the amount of goods / services consumed by him the voucher is sent to the front office bill clerk to be posted to the guest account card / guest folio. Commonly used vouchers in hotels are cash voucher, charge voucher, transfer voucher, allowance voucher, check out voucher, credit card vouchers, paid out vouchers, etc. 2. Folios A folio is a document which is initiated at the time of arrival of the guest normally and all guest transactions are recorded on it, which increase or decrease the balance of account. This is also called as 'guest accounts card' and is prepared for every guest and room. In some hotels, it is also called guest weekly bill. All accounts receivable, payable and paid out transactions are entered in this document. The information about the value, time and date and the place of financial transaction is communicated by the concerned section / department through signed voucher / check). Following are the different types of folios that are used by the hotels. · Individual guest account card or folio: Maintained to record transaction made by individual or independent guest with the hotel. Also called as Guest Folio. · Group folio: One folio for the whole group and this folio is required for recording all the transactions made by the group (which are part of the package of the group). This is also called as 'Master Folio'. · Semi-permanent or Non-guest folio: In this folio the credit financial transaction made by non-resident guests with the hotel are recorded. Also known as 'city account card' or 'non-resident guest account card'. · Employee folio: As the name suggests the financial transactions (if any) made by the employees are recorded in this folio. These folios help in calculating incentives to the employees. · Permanent / Companies / Airlines / Agents folio: Separate folios are maintained for all the companies, agencies and organizations with whom the hotel has permanent billing arrangements. 3. Postings Posting is the process of recording transaction on the folio. Posting will result in a new balance of account. The posting may be done by hand writing method (manually) by machine such as NCR (semi automatic system) or through computers (fully automatic system). 4. VTL VTL (Visitors' Tabular Ledger) is also called the 'tab' by some hotels. It is another document used in small hotels. It shows debits and credits activities of the guest account. 5. Account Aging Report A document telling and supervising the receivable account from the guest which have aged over a specific period of time. Account aging refers to the method(s) of tracking past due accounts based on the dates the charges were incurred. To illustrate, credit card payment accounts usually have ages of maximum one month. However, some other non-guest accounts (eg. late charges, disputed bills, bad cheques and skippers accounts) might have ages measured in months, and even years. Below, is the terminology associated with each account age: · Less than 30 days Current Accounts · 30 to 90 days Overdue Accounts · Older than 90 days Delinquent Accounts 6. Sales Journals A document which records cash sales of a department 7. Cash Receipts A document issued by the cashier to the guest when the cashier receives payment from the guest and then entered in cash register receipt ledger 15.3.3 Checking and Ensuring Accuracy This stage of accounting process is also called as 'auditing'. Usually auditing is done during the night by Night Auditor when the business is relatively slow and hence the process is called Night Auditing. This stage of the process is important to ensure the accuracy of accounts balance so that if there is any discrepancy between outstanding folio balances and departmental balances then the same may be sorted out without any delay. For an account to be correct it is important that the total outstanding guest balance should be equal to the sum of respective department's charged sale. 15.3.4 Settlement of Account It is a very important phase of guest accounting process. This phase is involved in a major activity of 'zeroing out' the folio balance i.e. the outstanding debit balance is neutralized by the settlement of credit balance. The settlement can be either by cash payment by the guest or by credit card charge or by transferring the account to company account. In the last two cases, the balance account is transferred to city ledger account. 15.4 CREDIT CONTROL The term credit control refers to the various measures taken by a hotel to ensure that guests settle their account in full either themselves or someone else on their behalf (which may be credit card company, an airlines, a corporate office or any other agency or person) and does that within a specified period of time. Various steps that will help in credit control are to be taken at various stages, by various personnel of the hotel. 15.4.1 Objectives of Credit Control Measures i) To avoid and prevent loss due to walk-outs. Here the term walk-out include all those guests who knowingly or unknowingly or by mistake leave the hotel without paying/ settling their bills. ii) To reduce the problems of inconvenience which the cashier (who will not have verification of bills), the house keeper (who won't know the room status) and the management (who may decide to start legal proceeding) etc. will face because of a walk-out guest. iii) To prevent late settlement of guests accounts. The delay in payment can cause cashflow problems for the hotel and if there are many such cases the hotel may find itself in difficult situation to operate, and bad debts may increase. iv) To avoid guest dissatisfaction, embarrassment and annoyance at the check out time when all of a sudden a departure guest is informed that the hotel does not accept any particular company's credit and or that the hotel does not accept that particular currency in which he wishes to pay or his total bill is above the credit limit of the credit card company and the company refuses to approve a higher limit. 15.4.2 Common Causes for Unpaid Account Balance i) Guest is not explained clearly as to which credit cards are accepted and that which are the acceptable currencies, and if the bill exceeds the credit limit then he will have to pay the balance in cash. ii) Communication gap between credit department and cashier- for example failure of the credit department in timely communication to cashier that the bill amount of guest has exceeded the limit. iii) Negligence and carelessness for example ignoring to look at the black list. To avoid such problems, it is important that the guests are given clear instructions at the time of check-in, timely notification of the exceeding of credit limit, reference to black list frequently, and making sure that the guests who come with company credit facility and other such credit facilities such as airlines, and travel agents etc, understand that they have to sign their billing statement, before leaving the hotel at checkout time, and finally it is important that all the concerned departments and sections etc must follow the credit policy of the hotel very strictly and religiously.

15.5 CASH CONTROL Like credit control cash control in a hotel is also of great importance. Cash control involves that all the transactions which the guest makes in cash with various sales sections of the hotel are recorded immediately and cash collected. All the cash is kept properly under lock and key and under the supervision of cashier. The petty cash is also controlled and a proper check on that is made since hotels don't encourage credit sales, and for proper cash sales, the cash control becomes all the more important for a hotel. Usually cash sales should be encouraged at areas such as health club, swimming pool and car parking etc. Payment in hard currency, traveler’s cheques and bank drafts are considered to be cash sales. Whenever a guest pays cash it is mandatory for the cashier to make cash receipt and hand it over to the guest. The cash collected every day must be sent to the bank for deposit