t-test Parametric test Biostatics and Research Methodology
Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
1. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
1. Summarize front office operations during the four
stages of the guest cycle.
2. Describe front office recordkeeping systems and front
office documents.
3. Describe the front desk and its support devices, and
describe the services and equipment of a hotel’s
telecommunications area.
4. Identify and describe property management systems
used by the front office.
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
1
Competencies for Front Office Operations
2. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Pre-arrival
• Arrival
• Occupancy
• Departure
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
2
The Guest Cycle
3. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Guests choose their hotels during this stage of the guest cycle
• Hotel choice is affected by: type of travel (business or pleasure);
previous experiences with the hotel; advertisements and promotions;
company travel policy; recommendations from travel agents, friends, or
business associates; the hotel’s location and reputation; frequent
traveler rewards programs; preconceptions based on the hotel’s name
or chain affiliation; ease of making reservations; hotel’s reservations
agent or website
• When a guest makes a reservation, a reservation record is created,
which initiates the guest cycle
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
3
Pre-Arrival
4. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Includes registration and rooming functions
• During this stage of the guest cycle, the guest establishes a
business and legal relationship with the hotel
• In world-class, upscale, convention, casino, and resort hotels,
uniformed staff greet guests at the property’s entrance
• The front desk agent should determine the guest’s reservation
status before starting the registration process
• Guests without reservations (walk-ins) present a sales
opportunity
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
4a
Arrival
Continued
5. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
Arrival Continued from previous slide…
• When a guest presents a form of identification and/or a
payment card during check-in, that is proof of intent to
establish an innkeeper-guest legal relationship
• Gathering guest information during registration helps the hotel
satisfy guest needs
• Front desk agents must be sensitive to accessibility issues when
checking in guests with disabilities
• Registration is complete when the guest has established a
method of payment and departure date; the guest is then
issued a room key and allowed to proceed to the room
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
4b
6. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Occupied
• Complimentary
• Stayover
• On-change
• Do not disturb
• Sleep-out
• Skipper
• Sleeper
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
5
Room Status Terms
• Vacant and ready
• Out-of-order
• Lock-out
• DNCO
• Due out
• Check-out
• Late check-out
7. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Single
• Double
• Triple
• Quad
• Queen
• King
• Twin
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
6
Room Types
• Double-double
• Studio
• Mini-suite or junior suite
• Suite
• Connecting rooms
• Adjoining rooms
• Adjacent rooms
8. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• During the occupancy stage of the guest cycle, the front desk is
responsible for coordinating services for guests
• A major objective during this stage is to serve guests so well that they will
want to come back to the hotel
• Guest complaints should be resolved as quickly as possible
• Security is of concern throughout every stage of the guest cycle but
especially during the occupancy stage
• Hotel goods and services are purchased by guests during this stage of the
guest cycle
• Front desk accounting records for guests must be periodically reviewed for
accuracy during this stage
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
7
Occupancy
9. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• The final stage of the guest cycle; guest services and guest
accounting aspects are completed during this stage
• At check-out, the guest vacates the room, receives an account
receipt, returns the room key(s), and leaves the hotel
• Once the guest checks out, the front office system automatically
updates the guestroom’s availability status and closes the guest’s
account
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
8a
Departure
Continued
10. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
Departure Continued from previous slide…
• Guests should be asked during check-out how they enjoyed their
stays
• During the check-out process, a guest history file is automatically
created or added to; this file is a collection of guest history
records
• Late charges occur if charges are not posted to a guest account
until after the guest checks out
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
8b
11. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Semi-automated front office systems began to be seen in hotels in
the early 1970s
• Fully automated systems arrived in the 1980s, comprehensive
automated systems in the 1990s
• In the twenty-first century, automation has become affordable, with
portable and wireless applications
• Automated systems are now cost-effective for hotels of all sizes
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
9
Front Office Systems
12. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Reservations software usually interfaces with a central
reservations system or other distribution network
• Reservations software may automatically generate e-mail
confirmations, produce requests for guest deposits, handle
pre-registration activities, and establish the credit status of
the traveler
• Reservations software may also generate an expected arrivals
list, occupancy and revenue forecast reports, and other
reports
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
10
Front Office Systems—Pre-Arrival Activities
13. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Guest information collected during the reservation process is
automatically transferred as a reservation record to the property
management system’s front office software
• Front desk agents may give guests a registration card for their
verification and signature
• Online payment authorization terminals enable front desk agents to
receive timely payment card approval for guests
• Since registration data is stored electronically, it can be retrieved
whenever necessary
• Some properties offer self check-in/check-out terminals
• Some hotel companies allow guests to pre-register via the Internet
using a computer, PDA, or smart phone
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
11
Front Office Systems—Arrival Activities
14. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Guests occupying the hotel may interact with the front office
and property management systems via point-of-sale terminals
in revenue outlets
• Employees may use data workstations, smart identification
tags, handheld units, pagers, and other automated devices to
serve guests during their stays
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
12
Front Office Systems—Occupancy Activities
15. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• During the departure stage of the guest cycle, electronic or printed
folios are presented to guests at or near check-out time
• The front office system may automatically post guest transactions
to back office accounts, depending on the guest’s method of
settlement
• For third-party billing, the system can produce a bill to be sent to
the guest’s sponsor or credit-granting agency
• Once the guest’s account is settled, departed-guest information
may be used to create or add to an electronic record in the hotel’s
guest history file
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
13
Front Office Systems—Departure Activities
16. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
Pre-Arrival Documents
• Reservation files
• Reservation confirmations
Arrival Documents
• Registration records
• Credit verification/authorization
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
14a
Front Office Documents
Continued
17. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
Front Office Documents Continued from previous slide…
Occupancy Documents
• Guest folios
• Vouchers (charge, allowance, transfer, paid-out)
Departure documents
• Guest folios
• Payment card vouchers, cash vouchers, transfer vouchers
• Guest history files
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
14b
18. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Most front office functions are performed at the front desk
• Guests register, request information and services, relate
complaints, settle accounts, and check out at the front desk
• Most front desks are prominently located in the hotel lobby
• Front desk design should provide front desk agents with easy
access to the equipment, forms, and supplies necessary to
efficiently serve guests
• There are straight-line, circular, and semicircular front desk
designs
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
15a
The Front Desk
Continued
19. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
The Front Desk Continued from previous slide…
• Some hotels have experimented with a no-front-desk lobby
arrangement
• At least a portion of the front desk must be accessible to guests
with disabilities
• In some hotels, the front desk features items for purchase that
guests may need while traveling
• Support devices at the front desk may include computers, point-of-
sale terminals, electronic payment readers, and security
monitors
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
15b
20. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Local
• Direct-dial long-distance
• Pre-payment card
• Collect
• Third-party
• Person-to-person
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
16
Types of Telephone Calls
• Billed-to-room
• International
• Toll-free
• 900 or premium-price
• Voice over Internet
protocol (VoIP)
21. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Telephone switchboards (PBX systems, PABX systems)
• Call accounting systems
• Guestroom phones
• Pay phones
• Pagers/cell phones
• Automatic call dispensing systems
• Telephone/room status systems
• Internet access
• Call detection equipment
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
17
Telecommunications Equipment
22. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Private branch exchange (PBX)
• Private automated branch exchange (PABX)
• This equipment routes inbound calls to the hotel telephone operator’s
console; the operator then connects these calls to the correct extensions or
station lines
• Telephone switchboards allow the hotel to have a large number of telephones
share a limited number of telephone lines
• Outbound calls are usually placed without the hotel operator’s help (although
they often go through the same equipment)
• Some PBX/PABX systems can handle data as well as voice transmissions
• Some hotels have implemented voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), which
bypasses the hotel’s PBX/PABX equipment
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
18
Telephone Switchboards
23. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Enable hotel-based technology to place, price, and post telephone calls to
electronic guest folios without assistance from phone company personnel or
front desk staff
• A call accounting system (CAS) is a set of software programs that initiates the
routing, rating, and recording of calls emanating from guestroom and/or
administrative office telephones
• A CAS interfaces with a hotel’s property management system to electronically
post telephone charges to guest folios or print charge slips for front desk staff
to post
• Some CASs have a least-cost-routing component that routes a dialed call to the
type of telephone line that can carry the call at the lowest cost to the hotel
• Prior to folio posting, a CAS may add a surcharge or other property-imposed
fee to the telephone company’s call pricing
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
19
Call Accounting Systems
24. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Guestroom phones are increasing in sophistication and capabilities
• Some guestroom phones allow guests to connect a personal computer
or other portable device to the phone via an input jack or port
• Some guestroom phones are two-line phones; one line for connecting
a computer, the other for voice communication
• Other guestroom phone features may include the following:
conference calling, caller ID, speed dialing, hold buttons, call-waiting,
hands-free speakers, voice messaging, and a message-waiting alert
• Some sophisticated guestroom phones combine voice, data, e-mail,
fax, and other technologies
• Some guestroom phones are cordless
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
20
Guestroom Phones
25. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Some hotels offer a pager or cell phone to guests at check-in
• The hotel bills the guest for the number of minutes used on the
cell phone
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
21
Pagers and Cell Phones
26. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
Automatic call dispensing systems
• Wake-up calls for guests
Telephone/room status systems
• Prohibit the unauthorized use of phones in vacant guestrooms
• Employees can enter data concerning in-room bar usage,
guestroom maintenance, and guestroom status
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
22a
Other Telecommunications Technology
Continued
27. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
Other Telecommunications Technology Continued from previous slide…
High-speed Internet access
• Hotels may charge for this service on a per-transaction, fixed-fee,
or daily-fee basis
• Hotels partner with Internet service providers to provide this
service to guests
Call detection software
• Part of the hotel’s call accounting system
• Can pinpoint the exact moment a call is connected, improving
billing accuracy
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
22b
28. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Reservation management software
• Rooms management software
• Guest accounting management software
• General management software
• Back office interfaces
• System interfaces
• Sales automation systems
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
23
Property Management Systems
29. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Enables a hotel to rapidly process room requests and generate timely
and accurate room availability, room revenue, and reservation
forecasting reports
• Connects with global distribution systems (GDSs), Internet distribution
systems (IDSs), and central reservation systems (CRSs)
• Updates and controls reservations activities
• Reformats reservation data into pre-registration files
• Generates letters or e-mails confirming reservations for guests
• Tracks guest deposits
• Generates reservation management reports
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
24
Reservation Management Software
30. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Maintains current information on the status of guestrooms
• Provides information on room rates
• Assists in room assignments
• Helps front office personnel coordinate guest services
• Provides rapid access to room availability data during the reservations
process
• Automatically adjusts guestroom inventory numbers as the status of
guestrooms changes
• Some rooms management software also features maintenance and
special-request dispatch capabilities
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
25
Rooms Management Software
31. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Increases the hotel’s control over guest accounts
• Significantly modifies the front office audit routine
• Maintains guest accounts electronically, thereby eliminating the need
for folio cards, folio trays, and account posting machines
• Monitors predetermined guest credit limits and generates a report on
all guest accounts approaching or exceeding their limits
• Provides flexibility through multiple folio formats
• Automatically transfers outstanding account balances to a back office
accounts receivable file for billing and collection
• Automatically posts guest charges at hotel revenue outlets (via point-of-
sale terminals) to guest accounts
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
26
Guest Accounting Management Software
32. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Cannot operate independently of other front office software
packages
• Generates reports using data collected through reservation
management, rooms management, and guest accounting
management software
• Serves as the internal link between front office and back office
system interface applications
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
27
General Management Software
33. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Integrated front office and back office systems offer hotels a full
range of control over a variety of operational areas
• Back office application modules include:
General ledger accounting software
• Accounts receivable software monitors guest accounts, and
account billing and collection
• Accounts payable software tracks hotel purchases and helps
hotels maintain sufficient cash flow
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
28a
Back Office Interfaces
Continued
34. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
Back Office Interfaces Continued from previous slide…
Human resources software
• Payroll accounting
• Personnel recordkeeping
• Labor scheduling
Financial reporting software
• Chart of accounts
• Balance sheets
• Income statements
• Transaction analysis
Inventory control software
• Monitors stock levels
• Monitors purchase ordering
• Monitors stock rotation
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
28b
35. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
Non-Guest-Operated Interfaces
• Point-of-sale system
• Call accounting system
• Electronic locking system
• Energy management system
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
29a
System Interfaces
Continued
36. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
System Interfaces Continued from previous slide…
Guest-Operated Interfaces
• Automated information kiosks in lobby
• In-room folio review and check-out
• In-room entertainment systems
• In-room vending systems
• Local information provided via access to websites, virtual
shopping malls, e-mail, and other online resources and services
• High-speed Internet access
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
29b
37. Chapter 3: Front Office Operations
• Coordinate and manage group reservations and meeting room
availability
• Help hotel salespeople maximize revenue by tracking the
monetary value of group business
• Collect data to identify group booking trends
• Store group history files
• Sales automation systems and property management systems
are usually integrated
Managing Front Office Operations PowerPoint
30
Sales Automation Systems