CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 1 of 13 PROGRAM CODE & NAME I551-002-3:2017 FRONT OFFICE OPERATION LEVEL L3 COMPETENCY UNIT NO. AND TITLE I551-002-3:2017 C04 GUEST SERVICE OPERATION WORK ACTIVITIES NO. AND STATEMENT 1. PREPARE VIP GUEST ARRIVAL ACTIVITIES 2. HANDLE VIP GUEST ARRIVAL ACTIVITIES 3. PERFORM GUEST RELATION ACTIVITIES 4. ASSIST FRONT DESK FOR GUEST DEPARTURE ACTIVITIES 5. ASSIST DURING EMERGENCY SITUATION CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 - C04/IS(1/12) Page : 1 Of 13 TITLE: GUEST SERVICE OPERATION PURPOSE : The purpose for these Information Sheet is to explain about the definition and the duty and task that have to be followed according to the establishment standard. KOLEJ YAYASAN NEGERI SEMBILAN GENTAM, 72000 KUALA PILAH NEGERI SEMBILAN NO. TEL : 06-4811 225 INFORMATION SHEET
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 2 of 13 INFORMATION : 1. HOSPITABLE AND ITS ELEMENT Good grooming is how you look and how you present yourself. How you look accounts for 55% of impact on impression. An untidy and unclean appearance might be acceptable for eccentrics and geniuses but not for executives or those in the service industry. Most people lack the basic of grooming. a) Grooming What To Do Male Female Shirt • No tailored styles, must be an appropriately sized standard fit • Must be ironed • Appropriate white singlet can worn underneath • No logos or emblems • No tailored styles, must be an appropriately sized standard fit • Must be ironed • Breast Pocket is optional • Appropriate white or flesh colored underwear must be worn underneath • No logos or emblems Trousers • Tailored and fitted but not tight • No Pinstripes • No Hipsters or low sitting pants • No flares or splits • No jeans or chinos • Plain Black belt, no bulky or different colored buckles • Tailored and fitted but not tight or figure hugging • No Pinstripes • No Hipsters or low sitting pants • No flares or splits • No jeans or chinos • Optional Plain Black belt, no bulky or different colored buckles Shoes • Polished black sensible shoes • Closed / Covered at the toe and the heal • Round shaped toe, No pointed toes • No trainers, sandals or heavy boots • Polished black sensible court shoes • Closed / Covered at the toe and the heal • Round shaped toe, No pointed toes • No sandals or heavy boots
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 3 of 13 b) Personal hygiene and grooming WHAT TO DO MALE FEMALE Hair •Neatly groomed, clean hair of a natural colour • Long hair is not accepted by our clients • Hair that hangs down onto the face is considered long • Short Back and Sides styled hair • Neatly groomed, clean hair of a natural colour • Hair that touches your collar must be tied back in a plait, ponytail or a bun. • Hair is to be fixed with a discreet black hair band • Hair that hangs down onto the face should be secured with a spray / gel or a discreet black hair clip Face • Clean shaven • Some client may accept a goatee, but no beards or moustaches. Please check with the allocations • Make up is encouraged, but must always be in neutral tones • Neutral toned Lipstick / balm / gloss is encouraged, but bright lipsticks are to be avoided Hand • Neat clean hands and finger nails • Neat clean hands and finger nails • No nail varnish, this includes clear polish and any nail extensions Jewellery • A watch may be worn • A wedding and or an engagement ring may be worn • No necklaces or chains • No other jewelry to be worn, this includes earrings and other piercings • A watch may be worn • A wedding and or an engagement ring may be worn • No necklaces • No other jewelry to be worn, this includes earrings and other piercings Others • No visible Tattoos • If you smoke, please use breath freshener or mints • Always use deodorant • No heavy aftershave • No visible Tattoos • If you smoke, please use breath freshener or mints • Always use deodorant • No heavy perfume
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 4 of 13 2. SHIFT BRIEFING SESSION a) Shift briefing sessions played a very important role to ensure the smooth flow of the daily front desk operation. b) Normally, the briefing will be led by the Front Office Manager/Executive or the supervisor 15 minutes before starting the shift. c) All guest services personnel on the particular shift should attend the session. d) Shift briefing session normally will be held 3 times a day and will take about 10-15 minutes. e) Among the topic that will be discussed during the session are:- ➢ Any changes of the hotel policy ➢ Current hotel status and expected daily activities ➢ Any event or special event for the day ➢ VIP guests arrival ➢ In-House guests lists ➢ Current hotel occupancy, rival hotel status, average room rate and hotel forecast. ➢ Group arrivals ➢ Feedback/complaint from guests Figure 1: Briefing Session
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 5 of 13 a) Log book review and handover A communication log book is a tool used to facilitate and record interactions between two or more employees. A communication log book is a supplement to a traditional log book and is the responsibility of higher management employees to create and maintain. ➢ Every front desk should have a special log book to record every daily activity that needed attention from all GSO. ➢ Every detail in the log book must be read and understand thoroughly to ensure the best action being taken. ➢ At every shift change, there should be a task handover in the log book to ensure follow-up for every activity or problems occur. Figure 2 : Example of communication log book
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 6 of 13 3. GUEST RELATION ACTIVITIES a) Guest Relation Officer (GRO) A Guest Relation Officer, also known as a Guest Relation Coordinator or Guest Relation Specialist, is a customer service-oriented employee who essentially greets hotel guests. From escorting guests to rooms to assisting in arranging reservations, Guest Relation Officers ensure a pleasant and satisfying stay at a hotel. They also handle guest complaints, assist with the check-in process and explain all facility amenities, such as pool areas and restaurants. Guest Relations Officers are primarily employed by hotels and other lodging establishments, but might also work for spas, theme parks or on cruise ships. b) Duties and responsibilities Since Guest Relation Officers spend a great deal of time interacting with guests, it is important that they have strong communication, interpersonal and listening skills. They should also be aggressive problem-solvers and have the ability to manage crises successfully. Above average organizational and time management skills are also critical for Guest Relation Officers. ➢ Provide Customer Service to Guests From greeting and checking-in to ensuring the daily comfort of guests, a Guest Relation Officer maintains a constant presence at the front desk or lobby of a hotel and is available to handle all customer questions and concerns. A Guest Relation Officer works with front desk personnel in ensuring that all check-in processes run smoothly. ➢ Handle Guest Complaints A Guest Relation Officer listens to and manages all customer complaints and concerns. They might keep a log of these complaints and resolutions. They might communicate with guests in-person or via phone or email. A Guest Relation Officer must also follow-up to ensure that each complaint has been resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 7 of 13 ➢ Assist in Developing Customer Service Satisfaction Programs It is generally up to a Guest Relation Officer to help establishments build strong customer service programs. In this position, Guest Relation Officers will work closely with upper management to measure customer service, such as through surveys and questionnaires, and help to create programs that better address the needs of guests to avoid potential issues in the future. Very often, normally hotel is familiar with its good reputation and facilities that is neglects one important aspect- good guest relations. The guests do not patronize a hotel just to by the tangible product, the room. The other intangible things like service also matters a great deal. The term ‘service’ is a much brought one and a good guest relation is a very important part of it. Even if other aspects of the service are superior, lack of good guest relation skills can do a lot of bad impression to the hotel.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 8 of 13 c) Service S-Sincerity- this is being genuine and straight forward in what we do, being sincere is our work to be honest to not only to the guest but also to your fellow colleagues and ourselves. E-Enthusiasm-we all must have a strong feeling about our work and the interest we show in our daily activities will show the guest that he is welcome and that will enjoy serving him them. R-Respect-towards the guest each other and ourselves is a positive to giving good service to our guests. A guest should always enjoy and must have respect. V-Visual- while in front of guest we must act with decency and at a standard will compliment our hotel. This aspect of their conduct and character are most important. I-Information –It is a very powerful tools for us to have to make us successful in our job. We must make every effort to acquire/ obtain/ ourselves with “All sort of Information”, and make these information available to our guests when we require them so do to while carry duty and responsibilities, efficiently, effectively. C-Courtesy- an essential quality . That We All Must Have ! E-Eagerness- This is a strong desire to do what we enjoy doing. If the hospitality business is not enjoyable to us, then it is unlikely that we will stay with it for long. Our eagerness to serve the guest and do our job well is essential in our daily task. GOOD SERVIS IS NOT TO BE GIVEN TO SOME OF THE GUESTS BY SOME OF THE STAFFS AT SOME OF THE TIME BUT IT IS TO BE GIVEN TO THE ENTIRE GUESTS BY ALL THE STAFFS ALL THE TIME!
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 9 of 13 d) Types Of Guest Relation Activities. ➢ Anniversary ➢ Birthday ➢ Honeymooner ➢ Wedding ceremony ➢ Cooperate function ➢ Annual dinner e) Types Of Guest Complimentary Complimentary Example ❖ Fruit basket ❖ Flower arrangement ❖ Turn down service ❖ Room upgrading
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 2 of 13 f) Types Of Workflow Of Guest Relation Activities. ➢ Determine existing guest profile ➢ Collaborate with other department – F&B Department, Sales Department, Housekeeping Department and Kitchen Department. ➢ Effectiveness guest relation activities. g) Guest Relation Skills Guest service staff especially those are the front desk take note with the following rules and practise. The guest will always happy to be in your hotel and will always come back to the hotel like their homes. ➢ Be the first to smile and greet the guest warmly and friendly, do not sound as if you greeting is taking the last of your energy. ➢ Always address guest by name and use eye contact, if you can’t remember always use ‘sir, madam tuan, puan’. ➢ Treat the guest so that he feels like very important guest. ➢ Always give attention when guest speak. Never interrupt the guest until he finishes what they want to say. ➢ Do not monopolize a conversation with the guest or respond with only YES and NO answer. ➢ Have a generally friendly manner but never be too familiar. ➢ Loyal to guest, always have their interests at heart. ❖ Room stay/ meal voucher ❖ Free hotel facilities
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 3 of 13 ➢ Do not be over sensitive and take comments and gestures too personally. ➢ Be oblivious o guest’s mistakes. Say ‘I’m sorry I didn’t make it clear’ rather than ‘You misunderstood me’.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 4 of 13 SECTION A : SHORT ANSWER Fill in the answer in the space provided. 1. What are the two (2) important things that need to be taken care before before entering shift? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (2 marks) 2. What are the best solution for mens who are smoking in order to make sure their breath feels neutral? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (2 marks) 3. List two (2) staff who can give out briefing to other staff in Front Office Department. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (2 marks) 4. Give two (2) types of guest complimnetary item. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (2 marks) 5. List three (3) duties and resposibilities of Guest Relation Officer. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (3 marks)
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 5 of 13 RUJUKAN/REFERENCE : 1. Stutts A.T,Wortman J.F (2006), Hotel & Lodging Management: an Introduction,2nd ed,John Wily And Sons, New Jersey.ISBN : 0-471-47447-9 2. Lynn Van Der Wagen (2002),Professional Hospitality Core Competencies, Global Books & Subscription Services, New Delhi. ISBN: 81-7512 028-2
PROGRAM CODE & NAME I551-002-3:2017 FRONT OFFICE OPERATION LEVEL L3 COMPETENCY UNIT NO. AND TITLE I551-002-3:2017 C04 GUEST SERVICE OPERATION WORK ACTIVITIES NO. AND STATEMENT 1. PREPARE VIP GUEST ARRIVAL ACTIVITIES 2. HANDLE VIP GUEST ARRIVAL ACTIVITIES 3. PERFORM GUEST RELATION ACTIVITIES 4. ASSIST FRONT DESK FOR GUEST DEPARTURE ACTIVITIES 5. ASSIST DURING EMERGENCY SITUATION CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 - C04/IS(2/12) Page : 1 Of 13 TITLE: RESERVATION INTREPRETATION PURPOSE : The purpose for these Information Sheet is to explain about the definition and the duty and task for reservation that have to be followed according to the establishment standard. KOLEJ YAYASAN NEGERI SEMBILAN GENTAM, 72000 KUALA PILAH NEGERI SEMBILAN NO. TEL : 06-4811 225 INFORMATION SHEET
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(2/12) Page : 2 of 14 INFORMATION : The word reservation is described as reserving or blocking a specific room for a guest for a certain period of time which is made as per the request made by the guest while booking. For a guest, reserving a room in advance increases the chances to a great extent to get a nice deal and they will be assured of room on arrival. 1. INTRODUCTION TO RESERVATION Reservation is the process of booking which is done between two parties i.e. one is a guest and another one is hotel reservation staff. A reservation process is an act where guests make a call to reserve a room in a hotel for a specific day. The reservation is a place where guest interaction starts with the hotel, during this interaction reservation staff are responsible to make a room booking. The reservation procedure differs determining on the size and brand of the hotel. Figure 1 : Online Travel Agent
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 3 of 14 1.1 Duties and responsibilities Responds to communications from guests, travel agents, and referral networks concerning reservations arriving by mail, telephone, telex, cable, fax, or through a central reservation system. Creates and maintains reservation records-usually by date of arrival and alphabetical listing prepares letters of confirmation and promptly processes any cancellations and modifications. Additional duties may include preparing the list of expected arrivals for the front office, assisting in preregistration activities when appropriate, and processing advance reservation deposits. Some other responsibilities are as follows : • Processes reservations by mail, telephone, telex, cable, fax or central reservation systems referral. • Processes reservations from the sales office, other hotel departments, and travel agents. • Knows the type of rooms available as well as their location and layout. • Knows the selling status, rates, and benefits of all packages plans. • Knows the credit policy of the hotel and how to code each reservation. • Creates and maintains reservation records by date of arrival and alphabetical listing. • Determines room rates based on the selling tactics of the hotel. • Prepares letters of confirmation. • Etc.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(2/12) Page : 4 of 14 1.2 Type of reservation sources a) Phone calls • The most common method of making reservation. Guest may telephone the hotel directly. Figure 2: Telephone b) Fax • Copy of reservation from individual or group by an electronic system using telephone lines. Figure 3 : Fax Machine
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 5 of 14 c) Email • Latest technology using internet connection. Example : Yahoo mail, Hotmail , Gmail Figure 4 : Screenshot Of Email d) Internet booking • Method of making reservation through hotel website. Figure 5 : Screenshot Of Internet Booking
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(2/12) Page : 6 of 14 e) Walk-in • Walk in guest are those who are arrive at the hotel without any reservation. Usually, the guest will be asked in advance, for the cost of at least one night’s accommodation. Figure 6 : Walk-In Guest 1.3 Reservation status Reservations plays an important role from guest perspective. Reservation desk performs the following functions : a) Makes bookings • means booking of a hotel room for a guest or a group of guests for a specific number of days for a set tariff or rate. • This ensures that a room will be available to the guest on his arrival to the hotel. • The guest will arrive to use the room which has been booked by him b) Amends existing bookings • means changing an existing reservation. The change could be for: 1. Date (arrival or departure) 2. Type of room 3. Number of guests 4. Number of rooms
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 7 of 14 c) Cancel booking • means removing an existing reservation on request of the person who may have made the reservation. 1.4 Types of reservation There’s a two types of reservation which is a) Guaranteed reservation b) Non-guaranteed reservation a) Guaranteed Reservation The hotel promises to hold the guest room until the check out time of the day following the date of the arrival. In return, the guest guarantees to pay the room even if it is not used unless the reservation is cancelled according to the hotel’s cancellation procedures. The hotels will not loss the revenue from the room sale if the guest does not turn up. on other words, guaranteed reservation protect the hotel from “no show” ( guest who make a room booking but do not arrive or cancelled it) Variations of guaranteed reservation include: i) Pre-Payment • This is the most desirable form of guaranteed reservation because the guest will make full payment before the day of arrival.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(2/12) Page : 8 of 14 ii) Credit Card Guarantee • The most common form of the group reservation. if the guest fails to turn up, the hotel will charge the guest’s credit card account. The card company will then bill the card holder unless the reservation is properly cancelled before a stated cancellation time. Figure 7 : Credit Card iii) Letter Of Undertaking • A letter of undertaking is an assurance by one party to another party that they will fulfill the obligation that had been previously agreed on, but not written into a contract. For example, Mr Azrul from Assassin Sdn Bhd wishes to hold a WIM workshop in the hotel so Assassin Sdn Bhd would issue a letter of undertaking to the hotel stating their intentions. iv) Travel Agent Voucher • Travel agency through their travel agents, normally requests a reservation on behalf of the guests. This type of group reservation is also known as a guaranteed reservation. the hotel generally bills the travel agency for payment in the case of no show • Travel agency will take prepayment from the guests and send confirmation to the hotel. Guests will also get accommodation vouchers to bring to the hotel when checking in. hotel will give travel agents commission for their service recommendation.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 9 of 14 Figure 8 : Example Of Vouchers b) Non-Guaranteed Reservation • The hotel agrees to hold the guest’s room until a stated reservation cancellation time, normally up to 6 pm on the day of arrival. the guest simply agrees with the reservation and confirmed that they arrive, thus this type of reservation does not guarantee that the property will receive payment. • However, the hotel is free to release the room, if the guest does not arrive by the cancellation time. If the guest arrived after the cancellation time, the hotel will accommodate the guest if a room is available. 1.5 Reservation details Guest Personal details include in the guest reservation form. The guest with a reservation simplifies the registration process. The establishment normally collects the required customer details on the reservation created at the time of reservation, thereby making the registration information appear to be a repeat of the detail previously recorded. This is the example of the personal details: (refer to the form below)
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(2/12) Page : 10 of 14 Figure 1 : Guest booking a) Guest’s name • Guest surname, first and middle name and title must be determined correctly upon registration. If not, the guest’s bill, telephone messages other documentation will all have their documentation will all have their names wrongly spelt. Thus, giving the guest a bad impression. With the correct surname, telephone calls for guests can be easily traced. In the event of guest having an alias, a cross reference should be created. b) Contact details • A local contact telephone or fax number is use full for confirming details. example : billing details c) Contact person • A guest contact person is important to do the follow up for booking transaction d) Company’s name • If the guest bills are to be settled by their company, the company name should be checked against the approved credit facility list of the hotel. The guest status in a company or country is important for the VIP report.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 11 of 14 e) Country of origin • A destination details that describes where the guest came from to do the statistic report. Example: guest from the Australia, United Kingdom etc. f) Address • should be properly filled in. residential address needed to enable the hotel to forward any mails, outstanding bills, items accidentally left behind g) Nationality • It is useful when compiling information on the statistics of the nationality of the guest. h) Gender • Characteristics used to distinguish between males and females. As an example the guest make a reservation through email, they need to inform their gender. 2. ROOM ASSIGNING Room blocking is a part of the guest pre-registration activity, This will help plan the hotel to meet special requirements of guest as well as a proper room allocation for the hotel. In Some hotels this process is done one or two days in advance. Although the reservation department may block the desired rooms in advance, it is the responsibility of the front desk to assign guest rooms as per the specific requirement made by them at the time of reservation. Below points will help you to archive a proper room blocking. a) Print detailed arrival list for the next day’s arrival. Which shows additional guest details like arrival date, departure date, room type booked, room rate, VIP status, previous number of stays, time of arrival, gender, room specific features ( smoking / non-smoking), guest specific feature etc. b) Block rooms according to the booked room type of the guest. If the room type is not available then try to upgrade according to the availability and hotel policy.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(2/12) Page : 12 of 14 c) If there is a room specific request like smoking / non-smoking, away from elevator etc then look for room which is matching this requirement and then allocate the room. d) If you are blocking a connecting room (room which is departing and you are blocking the same to another arrival for the day) then always check the arrival time of the guest. Give enough time for HK to prepare the room for next arrival. e) Take special care while blocking rooms for VIP guests after blocking the room you may put a ‘Trace’ or send requisition voucher to other department for placing VIP amenities in the room. If the PMS / hotels software has a feature to super block these rooms then activate this feature. This will ensure that no other front desk staff can de-block and allocate this room for other guest. f) While upgrading a guest to a higher category you must always consider his no previous visits, room rate, importance of the client if the booking is from corporate, designation of the guest etc. g) For single ladies do not block a inter connecting room, Also if your hotel has a separate ladies floor / rooms then block those. Room allocation has to be done as per the status of the reservation ie confirmed / guaranteed bookings to be blocked first. Waitlisted / Tentative bookings can be blocked later. Guest with disabilities may need rooms fitted to their special needs, special amenities or services required at the time of reservation. It is always advisable to super block these rooms well in advance. Some Frequent guest might be very particular about specific rooms which they enjoy most and stay regularly. Try and block this room for these guests.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(1/12) Page : 13 of 14 SECTION A : SHORT ANSWER Fill in the answer in the space provided. 1. What are the two (2) duties and responsibilities of reservation clerk? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (2 marks) 2. What are the two (2) type of reservation sources? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (2 marks) 3. List two (2) type of reservation. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (2 marks) 4. List five (5) example of guest details _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (5 marks) 5. What are the most important things that need to be evaluate before assigning room to the guest? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (3 marks) RUJUKAN/REFERENCE :
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(2/12) Page : 14 of 14 1. Stutts A.T,Wortman J.F (2006), Hotel & Lodging Management: an Introduction,2nd ed,John Wily And Sons, New Jersey.ISBN : 0-471-47447-9 2. Lynn Van Der Wagen (2002),Professional Hospitality Core Competencies, Global Books & Subscription Services, New Delhi. ISBN: 81-7512 028-2
PROGRAM CODE & NAME I551-002-3:2017 FRONT OFFICE OPERATION LEVEL L3 COMPETENCY UNIT NO. AND TITLE I551-002-3:2017 C04 GUEST SERVICE OPERATION WORK ACTIVITIES NO. AND STATEMENT 1. PREPARE VIP GUEST ARRIVAL ACTIVITIES 2. HANDLE VIP GUEST ARRIVAL ACTIVITIES 3. PERFORM GUEST RELATION ACTIVITIES 4. ASSIST FRONT DESK FOR GUEST DEPARTURE ACTIVITIES 5. ASSIST DURING EMERGENCY SITUATION CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 - C04/IS(3/12) Page : 1 Of 14 TITLE: ROOM ASSIGMENT PURPOSE : The purpose for these Information Sheet is to explain about the room assignment that have to be followed according to the establishment standard. KOLEJ YAYASAN NEGERI SEMBILAN GENTAM, 72000 KUALA PILAH NEGERI SEMBILAN NO. TEL : 06-4811 225 INFORMATION SHEET
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(3/12) Page : 2 of 14 INFORMATION : 1. LIASON BETWEEN OTHER DEPARTMENT Interdepartmental communications in a hotel is very important. As front office serves as the communication liaison in providing guest services, other departments have a unique communication link with the front office staff. Most of the time, the front office staff will response to guests’ requests for information on location of hotel, special events in the community and public transportation. Thus, in order to ensure guest stay is satisfactory or their visit is a pleasant one, effective interdepartmental communications is vital. a) Front Office Department The front office is the most visible department in a hotel. Front office personnel have more contact with guests than do staff in most other departments. The front desk is usually the focal point of activity for the front office and is prominently located in the hotel's lobby. Guests come to the front desk to register; to receive room assignments; to inquire about available services, facilities, and the city or surrounding area; and to check out. The front desk often serves as the hotel control center for guest requests concerning housekeeping or engineering issues. International guests use the front desk to exchange currency, find a translator, or request other special assistance. In addition, it may also be a base of operations during an emergency, such as a fire or a guest injury. Other front office functions include receiving and distributing mail, messages, and facsimiles (faxes), as well as guest cashiering. Cashiers post charges and payments to guest accounts, all of which are later verified during an account auditing procedure (often called the night audit). Front desk personnel also may verify outstanding accounts receivable, and produce daily reports for management. Some hotels have added concierge services to their list of front office functions. In a sense, concierge services are simply an extension of the guest services provided by front office personnel.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(3/12) Page : 3 of 14 The functions of the Front Office are to: • Sell guestrooms, register guests, and assign guestrooms. • Process future room reservations, when there is no reservations department or when the reservations department is closed. • Coordinate guest services. • Provide information about the hotel, the surrounding community, and any attractions or events of interest to guests. • Maintain accurate room status information. • Maintain guest accounts and monitor credit limits. • Produce guest account statements and complete proper financial settlement. Figure 1 : Hotel Lobby
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(3/12) Page : 4 of 14 b) Housekeeping • A close liaison between the front office department and housekeeping department is essential so that the information about the guestrooms is kept accurately up to date. • Housekeeping department is considered the most important support department for the front office. • A front desk staff cannot assign a guestroom until the room has been cleaned, inspected and released by the housekeeping department. • The housekeeping department and front office department must promptly inform each other of any changes in a room’s availability or status • In order to maximize room sales, a change in a room’s housekeeping status should be promptly communicated to the front desk. • When the housekeeping status information used by the housekeeping department differs from the room status information used by the front desk to assign rooms, a room status discrepancy occurs. This discrepancy can tremendously affect hotel’s ability to satisfy guest needs and maximize rooms’ revenue. • During high occupancy (sold out) periods, a prompt relay of housekeeping information to the front desk is needed. This will help the registration process to run smoothly when guests check in. Failing to do so might cause dissatisfaction among guests. Figure 2: Housekeeping (Chambermaid)
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(3/12) Page : 5 of 14 c) Foods And Beverage (F&B) • Good communication between both Food & Beverage Department and Front Office Department is important in ensuring guest stay is a pleasant one. • When guests check-in, Front Office Department needs to give out breakfast voucher to guests. Other than that, Food And Beverage Department needs Front Office staff to provide information to guests about operating hours, menu and location in the property. • Problems such as late charges pose inconvenience to the guest. It occurs when guest comes into the restaurant for breakfast and has already checked out without paying. This happens when Food & Beverage Department staff fails to post charges incurred by guests to their room account and forgets to inform Front Office Department about them. • The Front Office Department needs to give reports on guest methods of payment to the food and beverage department. Normally, guests who wish to charge privileges throughout the hotel must leave an imprint of their credit card at front desk. Thus, when the guest charges a meal at a restaurant, bar or calls for room service, Food And Beverage staff does not have to call the front desk for credit information. • Front Office Department must also work with Food & Beverage Department in terms of credit adjustments. Restaurants and room service might wrongly charge guests for their meals. In these cases, food and beverage department need to issue a credit adjustment, take it to the front office desk and have the front office staff deduct the charges from the guest’s account. • Thus, it cannot be denied that both Front Office Department and Food And Beverage Department need to work together hand in hand to give excellent service to guests.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(3/12) Page : 6 of 14 Figure 3: Food and Beverage (Waiters) d) Accounts Department • Collaboration between the front office and accounting department is necessary so that the information about guest accounts maintains accurately and updated constantly. • Accounts department is important support departments for the front office since a large number of transactions with guests happen at the front desk every day. • During the guest stay, they use hotel facilities such as bedrooms, restaurant, laundry and room service. Charges will be made for the services and facilities that the guest uses. All transactions will be recorded by the cashier at the front desk. • The cashier is also part of the account department. Hence, effective teamwork among accounts and front office department contribute to guest satisfaction while staying in the hotel. • At the end of the business various auditing activities will be performed by the night auditor (also part of the accounts department staff). • Auditing is important to determine that all guest bills are properly settled. This is very important to ensure guest satisfaction when they pay all the bills during check-out.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(3/12) Page : 7 of 14 • The night auditor will also produce reports regarding all the transactions including front office arrival guest for the next day. e) SALES AND MARKETING DEPARTMENT • In order for the front office department to generate sales, it requires the coordination between front office department and sales and marketing. • This interaction can influence the hotel’s revenue by proper planning, implementing promotions, advertising and a good marketing technique using various holiday packages and group tours through the use of marketing and public relations skills. • Public relations are important in order to make good business deals with the various travel agency and Airline Company. Hotel can benefit from the good image of public relation as a whole by building good rapport with the public. • Front office can benefit from all the activities carried by sales and marketing and public relation because it can increase their room sales. • Front office department provides important information on room availability so that sales and marketing department can make reservations for groups, tours and corporate bookings. • Marketing strategies made by the sales and marketing department depend on the guest history record by the front office. This history record of frequent and corporate guest is needed so as to create an effective promotion approach to past and potential guest.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(3/12) Page : 8 of 14 f) Maintenance • Front office department will handle various complaints from the guest and staff of the hotel. Thus, front office department and maintenance communicate on requests for maintenance service and room status. • Most complaints are related with problems regarding poor heating or cooling, faulty plumbing, noisy equipment and broken furniture. All reports will be recorded at the front desk log book for repair work order. • Maintenance is responsible for maintaining the appearance of the exterior and interior of the hotel and also responsible for swimming pool sanitation. • Front desk staffs are responsible to monitor the log book so that the problems will be taken care by the maintenance personnel. Failing to do so will make the room unsalable and also make the guest dissatisfied with the hotel services. This will cause lost of revenue. Maintenance help to minimize this loses through repairing all rooms that need fixing. Figure 4 : Maintenance staff
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(3/12) Page : 9 of 14 g) Security • Front office handles large amount of cash and guest assets. Security department provides protection for guests, hotel staff and properties. • The security department provides surveillance and access control for the public area such as the lobby area located near the front desk and guest rooms. • Surveillance is normally done through hidden circuit camera and positioning security guards at various hotel entrances. • Securing access to guestrooms using electronic door locking system operates through a master control console at the front desk which is wired to every guest room door. 2. ROOM INSPECTION Every guest room must be checked on daily basis by housekeeping supervisor, this will help the hotel to attain high guest satisfaction in terms of room comfort and also for safety reasons. If the floor supervisor is not been able to check the room by the end of shift, the Asst. Executive housekeeper must do it before releasing the room for guest occupancy. Use of a pre-printed room inspection check-list form will prove effective for the hotel management. It will establish a set procedure ensuring that will remind both Housekeeping Supervisor / Executive and Room maids of any defects and missing amenities for the guest. The following attachments will offer a sample and guide to check each aspect of getting a room ready for guest.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(3/12) Page : 10 of 14 Figure 5 : Room Inspection Checklist
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(3/12) Page : 11 of 14 3. ROOM KEY CARD ENCORDING PROCESS This function is used when a new guest is to be checked into a room. When the new card is used in the lock, the card of the previous guest will automatically be canceled in the lock. Since this function is the most frequently used, the steps used during key card encording are differs based on the operating system being used in hotel’s. Below arre the steps for HT22 operating system. 3.1 Steps To check in a new guest : a) Enter your password. b) Press the ENTER key. If a back-up needs to be made or updated, the screen will prompt you to take action. Once this process is complete, the screen will display "New Guest Check-in” 3.2 A guest loses a keycard If a guest keycard is lost, a new guest card must be Made for each guest in the room who has a key. By Encoding a new guest key, the code of the room Lock will be changed which will disable the lost Keycard. If the guest had two or more keycards and Only one is lost, it is imperative that the remaining Keycards be retrieved and re-encoded, or they will not Work in the lock once the new card is used. . NEW GUEST CHECK IN Room: _
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(3/12) Page : 12 of 14 3.3 A guest wants an additional keycard To make an additional keycard, use the copy guest Function. This will not cancel the existing keycard for The room. This is also the function to be used if the Guest has left his or her keycard in the room. As long as The key is not lost, it is okay to make a copy.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(3/12) Page : 13 of 14 SECTION A : SHORT ANSWER Fill in the answer in the space provided. 1. What are the two (2) front of the house department? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (2 marks) 2. What are the two (2) back of the house department? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (2 marks) 3. What are the most important things before releasing room to sale? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (2 marks) 4. What are the most liason department to Front Office Department? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (2 marks) 5. What are the thing need to be done incase guest lost his keycards? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (3 marks)
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(3/12) Page : 14 of 14 REFERENCE : 1. Stutts A.T,Wortman J.F (2006), Hotel & Lodging Management: an Introduction,2nd ed,John Wily And Sons, New Jersey.ISBN : 0-471-47447-9 2. Lynn Van Der Wagen (2002),Professional Hospitality Core Competencies, Global Books & Subscription Services, New Delhi. ISBN: 81-7512 028-2
PROGRAM CODE & NAME I551-002-3:2017 FRONT OFFICE OPERATION LEVEL L3 COMPETENCY UNIT NO. AND TITLE I551-002-3:2017 C04 GUEST SERVICE OPERATION WORK ACTIVITIES NO. AND STATEMENT 1. PREPARE VIP GUEST ARRIVAL ACTIVITIES 2. HANDLE VIP GUEST ARRIVAL ACTIVITIES 3. PERFORM GUEST RELATION ACTIVITIES 4. ASSIST FRONT DESK FOR GUEST DEPARTURE ACTIVITIES 5. ASSIST DURING EMERGENCY SITUATION CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 - C04/IS(4/12) Page : 1 Of 9 TITLE: VIP GUEST ESTABLISMENT PURPOSE : The purpose for these Information Sheet is to explain about the room assignment that have to be followed according to the establishment standard. KOLEJ YAYASAN NEGERI SEMBILAN GENTAM, 72000 KUALA PILAH NEGERI SEMBILAN NO. TEL : 06-4811 225 INFORMATION SHEET
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(4/12) Page : 2 of 9 INFORMATION : Greeting is an act of communication in which human beings intentionally make their presence known to each other, to show attention to, and to suggest a type of relationship (usually cordial) or social status (formal or informal) between individuals or groups of people coming in contact with each other. 1. MALAYSIAN STANDARD GREETING • The rules of pronunciation are very predictable and straightforward. To make learning even easier, Bahasa Malaysia uses the Latin/English alphabet most familiar to native English speakers. • Officially known as Bahasa Malaysia, the Malay language is very similar to Indonesianand is understood in neighboring countries such as Indonesia, Brunei, and Singapore. The language is also commonly referred to as Malaysian and Bahasa Melayu. "Malay" can be used as an adjective to describe something from Malaysia (e.g., the Malay language), but as a noun, the word is most often used when talking about a person from Malaysia (e.g., Malays speak the Malay language). By the way, Bahasa simply means "language" and is often used standalone when referring to the entire family of similar languages in the region. Although not completely correct, it is common to hear people say that "Bahasa" is spoken in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Singapore. All greetings in Malaysia begin with the word selamat (sounds like "suh-lah-mat") and are then followed with the appropriate phase of the day: • Good Morning: Selamat pagi (sounds like "pag-ee") • Good Afternoon: Selamat tengah hari (sounds like "teen-gah har-ee") • Good Evening: Selamat Petang (sounds like "puh-tong") • Good Night: Selamat Malam (sounds like "mah-lahm")
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(4/12) Page : 3 of 9 As with all languages, formalities are often simplified to save effort. Friends will sometimes greet each other by dropping the selamat and offering a simple pagi -- the equivalent of greeting someone with just "morning" in English. If unsure about the time, sometimes people may simply just say "selamat." Figure 1 : Malaysian Greeting
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(4/12) Page : 4 of 9 2. VIP GUEST 2.1 Abbreviation • VIP – Very Important Person • VVIP – Very Very Important person A very important person or person (VIP or VVIP) is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their high social status, influence or importance. Examples include celebrities, heads of state or heads of government, other politicians, major employers, high rollers, high-level corporate officers, bankers, economists, physicians, clergy, military personnel, Crime bosses, wealthy individuals, or any other socially notable person who receives special treatment for any reason. The special treatment usually involves separation from common people, and a higher level of comfort or service. VIP guests are of great importance in hospitality industry because of their significance on the revenue of the business. Although all guests should be treated as. VIPs there is research indicating that different businesses prioritize their guests differently. VIPs can be categorized based on their loyalty or recognition but overall should always receive the best service the property is able to provide. In some cases, such as with tickets, VIP may be used as a title in a similar way to premium or exclusive. Usually, VIP tickets can be purchased by anyone, but still meaning separation from other customers, own security checks.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(4/12) Page : 5 of 9 Figure 2 : Handling Vip Guest 2.2 VIP Guest’s Personal Details Guest Personal details include in the guest reservation form. The guest with a reservation simplifies the registration process. The establishment normally collects the required customer details on the reservation created at the time of reservation, thereby making the registration information appear to be a repeat of the detail previously recorded. This is the example of the personal details: (refer to the form below) Fill in as much information that you can on the Registration Form prior to presenting it to the Guest. Offer a tour of the property at the Guest’s convenience and the person who escorted the Guest to make courtesy call within the first 24 hours. List of VIP and VVIP guests are noted down on the white board at Back office, Operators Cabin and housekeeping control desk.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(4/12) Page : 6 of 9 Figure 3 : Guest Registration (System) a) Guest’s Name Guest surname, first and middle name and title must be determined correctly upon registration. If not, the guest’s bill, telephone messages other documentation will all have their documentation will all have their names wrongly spelt. Thus, giving the guest a bad impression. With the correct surname, telephone calls for guests can be easily traced. In the event of guest having an alias, a cross reference should be created. b) Contact Details A local contact telephone or fax number is use full for confirming details. example : billing details c) Contact Person A guest contact person is important to do the follow up for booking transaction
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(4/12) Page : 7 of 9 d) Company’s Name If the guest bills are to be settled by their company, the company name should be checked against the approved credit facility list of the hotel. The guest status in a company or country is important for the VIP report. e) Country Of Origin A destination details that describes where the guest came from to do the statistic report. Example: guest from the Australia, United Kingdom etc. f) Address should be properly filled in. residential address needed to enable the hotel to forward any mails, outstanding bills, items accidentally left behind g) Nationality It is useful when compiling information on the statistics of the nationality of the guest. h) Gender Characteristics used to distinguish between males and females. As an example the guest make a reservation through email, they need to inform their gender.
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(4/12) Page : 8 of 9 SECTION A : SHORT ANSWER Fill in the answer in the space provided. 1. What is mean by “Greeting”? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (2 marks) 2. What is the abbreviation for VIP guest? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (2 marks) 3. What is the abbreviation for VVIP guest? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (2 marks) 4. List (3) example of VIP guest. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (3 marks) 5. List five (5) example of guest detail’s. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (5 marks)
CODE NO. I551-002-3:2017 -C04/IS(4/12) Page : 9 of 9 REFERENCE : 1. Stutts A.T,Wortman J.F (2006), Hotel & Lodging Management: an Introduction,2nd ed,John Wily And Sons, New Jersey.ISBN : 0-471-47447-9 2. Lynn Van Der Wagen (2002),Professional Hospitality Core Competencies, Global Books & Subscription Services, New Delhi. ISBN: 81-7512 028-2
