Answer Key to Front Office – Semester-III

Answer Key to Front Office – Semester-III QPCode :23895 - Paper Details : S0423 / BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HOSPITALITY STUDIES)(Choice Base (SEMESTER - III) / S2019 / Front Office -III. Date :13-11-2017 Q 1 A. Fill in the Blanks (i) Guest Checking out before the scheduled date of departure is known as Understay. (ii) No Show is a situation where in a guest with room reservation does not arrive. (iii) Cash receipt is an acknowledgement towards payment received in Cash. (iv) A Night Auditor audits the hotel accounts daily during night. (v) Burglar alarm is installed in the hotel to detect and monitor theft. B. Definitions (i) Explain up gradation of a room. A. If you upgrade or are upgraded, you change something such as your air ticket or your hotel room to one that is more expensive. (ii) Reasons for cancellations of hotel room booking. A. The following are some of the reasons: a. Schedule change of business meeting b. Death in family c. Flight cancelled d. Guest decided to stay home e. Other destination preferred (iii) What do you understand by pre-authorization in credit cards. A. A credit card pre-authorization is much like any other charge to a credit card, except instead of actually debiting funds from the cardholder you just put a temporary "hold" on the funds that lasts for 5 days. At a technical level, the actual duration of the hold depends on the merchant classification code (MCC code). Page 1 of 34 Once a credit card has been pre-authorized the cardholder cannot go and spend this money anywhere else. The merchant must go in and "capture" the funds within the 5 day period. If they do not, the pre-authorization will expire and the funds will be released by the card issuing bank back to the cardholder. (iv.) Explain advance deposit. Ans: When booking a reservation for a hotel room, guest may be asked to make an advance deposit, which is money paid, usually by check or credit card, by a guest that is generally equal to one night's lodging fees. The purpose of the advance deposit is to guarantee a reservation, and the full amount is applied to the guest's bill upon check-out. Also known as a guarantee, these advance deposits help hotels, motels, inns, and other forms of accommodation prepare for guests arrival, budget finances, and cover costs of last-minute cancellations. Although not all hotel rooms require an advance deposit, the practice is becoming more and more commonplace, especially among luxury and more expensive accommodations like Hilton, Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, and Park Hyatt chains. (v.) Explain Class “A” Fire. Ans. Class A Class A Fires consist of ordinary combustibles such as wood, paper, trash or anything else that leaves an ash. Water works best to extinguish a Class A fire. C.Match the following: Questions (i.) 15 or more members – Group reservation (ii.) Single Ladies – Eva Floor Page 2 of 34 (iii.) Up selling – Increases room revenue (iv.) Accidents – Excessive haste (v.) Visitor‟s Paid out Voucher – Money paid by the hotel on behalf of the guest. Q.2. Answer the following: ( Any three) A. List down and explain types of reservations Page 3 of 34 Page 4 of 34 Page 5 of 34 B.Importance of room reservations to guests. Page 6 of 34 C.Explain the procedure of room change in a hotel. Ans: ROOM CHANGE PROCEDURES Guest rooms are the most important commodity for the hotel. They form a large component of the guests overall experience at the hotel. In case the room does not match the guests expectations the guest may want to change the room. This is an opportunity for the front desk agent to upsell and offer a superior/ higher priced room to the guest. However if it is a VIP guest and the room booked for him is not upto his expectations, he could be given a higher priced room/ suite for the price of the original room. This is an upgrade and done at the discretion of the duty manager taking into consideration that the goodwill gesture will ensure brand loyalty from the guest and will promote future business. The hotel may wish to relocate the guest in another room (change the room) for the following reasons By way of upgrade if the guest has been temporarily accommodated in a room at check-in due to the non- availability of the room of his choice and is now being shifted to a superior room on availability. If the guest overstays and the hotel has committed the existing room to the new guest checking in. If the hotel has scheduled a spring cleaning for the room If the room requires maintenance work. It is important for the guest and the hotel to mutually agree on the change of room to avoid any discord or unpleasantness. The guest may want to change his room in the following circumstances If the room assigned to the guest is not as per his choice Page 7 of 34 If one or more equipment or facilities in the room are not working satisfactorily If the number of occupants in the room increases or decreases If the change of room is done in the presence of the guest, it is called a live move. If its done in the absence of the guest, it as called a dead move The front desk agent calls up the guest informing him politely of the circumstances for relocating to another room and asking the guest to keep the luggage ready OR The guest calls the front desk requesting for a relocation to another room. In both cases the bell boy is sent to the room with the alternate room keys. The BB will escort the guest to the new room and receive his approval. If so he will inform the front desk agent(receptionist) and the Bell Captain of the materialization of the room change. He will proceed with the transference of luggage. He will fill in the miscellaneous errand card with the „original room number______ changed to new room number__________, particulars of luggage, date & time. (the reason for room change is communicated to the Bell Captain who will mention the same in his „control chart‟) The receptionist/ cashier checks-out the guest from the original room. The guest is checked-in into the new room and the folio A/c transferred. If there is a rate change, the new rate will be applicable. The receptionist will inform Housekeeping Room Service/ In Room Dining Telephones Laundry Business centre F&B outlets The Club Floor reception (if the new room is at the club floor level) and the floor butler If the hotel has a PMS with an interface with the POS (POINT OF SALE) areas, individual room chance slips may not be prepared to be sent to the above departments. However if the hoteldoes not have Page 8 of 34 electronic interconnectivity individual room change slips are made and sent. Note :He will inform the HK dept to service the original room so that it can be available for re-letting unless there is maintenance requirement in connection to the malfunction/ maintenance of any electronic/ electrical item of equipment. He will chance that room status to OOO/UR, inform the DM. This room will be a „red slip‟ room till the fault is rectified. D.Explain check-in procedure for Airline crew. Ans: Crew (Airline- Layovers/ Cruise lines/ Cargo)- Many hotels take airline crew business like groups on continuous and consistent basis. The following steps are needed to follow for the check in procedure: Hotels should block crew rooms on higher floor and preferably on the same floor, away from noise sources, stairwells and elevators. The rooms should have blackout curtains and quiet heating and air conditioning systems. On the crew‟s arrival, send the bell boys to handle the luggage of the guest. They should identify the luggage of individual guests and put the luggage tags as per the rooming list. Then they should transfer the luggage to the respective rooms using luggage trolleys. The front office agent should be ready with a separate crew sign-in sheet that contains their rank, passport details and signature column for the crew members to complete the registration formalities. Handover the GRC‟s and room keys of all the crew members. Meanwhile organize to serve the welcome drink to all crew members at an appropriate place. Once the crew hands over the signed registration cards at the front desk check if the same are complete .Confirm the requirement of meal and wake up calls and make a note of the same. And allow them to proceed to their respective rooms. Page 9 of 34 The front desk agent should ensure unblocked telephones with free local calls and no long distance access The front desk cashier should prepare a master folio for the group and individual folios for each member of the group after the mode of payment is settled. Circulate the rooming list of the group to all departments- Housekeeping, telephone, room service etc. E. Explain any five functions of front office during the “Stay” of the guest. Ans. The manner in which the front office staff represents the hotel is important during the occupancy stage. 1. As the main contact centre for hotel activity, the front office is responsible for coordinating guest requests. Among those providing information and supplies to the guests. 2. Front desk should take extra care to respond to the guest on a timely and accurate manner. The main focus of the front desk staff is to provide anticipatory service and to meet or exceed the guests expectations.

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