Front desk operations • The guest has signed the form;
• The guest is well informed of the terms
The processing of individual and group bookings and
and conditions (usually indicated at the
the registration of guests are undertaken at the front
back of the registration form), as well as
desk. Some hotels give the name Reception Desk
the room rate and what it covers;
rather than Front Desk. Specific functions of this
section include: • The guest is also informed whether he is
1. Allocating rooms for expected arrivals entitled to a signing privilege or not and
2. Attending to the registration of arriving guest • The details of the booking that are
3. Handling and distributing room keys indicated in the reservations form have not
4. Receiving mails, parcels, messages and other changed.
documents for house guests and ensuring that 6. Endorse the registration form to the Front
they are properly delivered the guest Office cashier for bill settlement (unless the
5. Serving as communication center, desk clerk also does the cashiering function). If
disseminating information about hotel the guest charges are to be billed to a company
facilities and services and also other matters account, check if the letter of authorization
like points of interest, flight schedules, areas from the company is already forwarded to the
entertainment, tourist spots etc. hotel. if not, ask the guest if he has the
6. Updating the room status of all guestrooms and document.
reconciling said status with the room status 7. Once the bill is settled, prepare the Guest ID
report of the housekeeping department. and give it to the guest.
7. Preparing and updating records pertinent to the 8. Call for a bellboy to accompany the guest to his
guest’s stay in the hotel room. Mention the guest’s name and give
8. Submitting night sales report indicating the rooming instructions.
number of rooms sold, Vacant rooms, average 9. Wish the guest a pleasant stay.
rate total revenue, occupancy rate, etc. 10. Prepare a guest folio. This is a document where
9. Coordinating with the either departments in the all guest charges are entered, either manually
performance of its Function, particularly with or in the computer, under the Guest
the housekeeping and accounting section. Accounting Menu. Manually prepared folios
are placed inside an envelope or folder. Some
Individual Guests Registration hotels place this folio on the guest’s key rack
Check in procedures or on a separate file classified according to
1. Welcome and greet the guest. floor/area and room number.
2. Ask for the guest’s name if not known to you. 11. Enter the guest's name and other details in the
3. Verify reservations details if the guest is pre- guest list (maybe done manually or through the
registered, with pre-blocked room. computer
4. If the guest is a walk-in (no reservation, not in 12. Change the room status of the newly occupied
the arrival list and not pre-registered) the desk room in the room status indicator /rack or in the
clerk must first ask the guest’s preferred room computer, whichever is used.
and then checks the Room Status Bulletin (or 13. If the hotel is fully booked, assist the guest
rack whichever is used) if it is available. He getting accommodation elsewhere and offer to
must check rooms with status of “vacant transfer them to the hotel once a room will be
ready”. If the preferred room is available and available.
ready, the desk clerk shall give a registration
form to the guest for him to fill up. Make sure Group Registration
it is duly signed and that all needed information Check-in Procedures:
is entered on the form. 1. The Tour/group escort or coordinator shall fill
5. After the guest completes the registration form, up the registration form and sign for it. Then he
the desk clerk must ensure that: will provide the desk clerk with a master list
• The registration details are complete, containing names of group members, their
correct, and legible
address, contact number, passport number, and c) If the guest is paying with cash, post the
other required information. folio “paid,” time-stamp it, and give a
2. The desk clerk shall accomplish a Rooming list receipt to the guest.
or blocking list with the room assignments of 7. Ask for the room key.
all group members. He shall provide blocking 8. Ask the guest if he wants to make advance
skip (preferably color coded) using one color reservations for his/her next visit to the hotel.
for particular group indicating the name of the 9. Ask also for comments and suggestions for
group, arrival and departure date. improvement of service. Thank the guest for
3. The clerk prepares several copies of the Group staying in the hotel and invite him/her to come
Movement Sheet to indicate the arrangements back. As he/she leaves the desk area, wish him
for morning call, baggage down, meals (if a safe and pleasant journey.
required) and billing. 10. If a guest complains about a service or
4. Upon arrival of the group to the hotel, the maintenance problem, acknowledge and
group members are escorted by a desk clerk to empathize with him following procedures for
the function room, or any place designated for complaints handling. Thank the guest by
briefing. Key envelopes are distributed to the bringing the problem to your attention and
group members. Then the desk clerk clarifies assure him it will be noted, and that appropriate
with the tour escort important details like time action will be taken.
of morning call (if required), requirement for a 11. Take out room rack slip and forward the slip
special meal and the time of meals, (with notations check out) to the Housekeeping
confirmation of manner of payment and time department.
of departure from the hotel. 12. Record checks out in the Departure record
5. The group is advised of the meal venue and 13. File check out registration cards alphabetically
arrangements. in the Checkout Registration Card box.
CHECK-OUT ASSISTANCE Billing arrangement for individual
Procedures: - whether by card or cash or change to company.
1. Get check out registration card from the Front Billing Arrangement for Group
Office Cashier. Prior to group arrival, the salesperson will finalize the
2. Warmly greet the guest and ask you how you billing arrangement with the group coordinator. The
may help him or her. method of bill settlement may be in the form of:
3. Ask the guest's name and room number. Then 1. Sign All Charges (SAC) – In this billing
pull out his guest folio where all his records of arrangement, each member of the group is
consumption are kept. allowed to sign all their charges to the group. The
4. Check for any last-minute messages, mail, or group coordinator of organizer will settle all bills.
additional charges not yet posted (such as To “sign” charges to a room or a group is to be
restaurant, bar, and long-distance phone calls). extended credit.
5. Ask if the guest has made additional charges to 2. Sign Room and Tax (SRT) – the sponsor or
his or her room in the last 30 minutes. If there organizer shall pay only the room and taxes for the
are last minute charges, be sure that they are attendees. All incidentals like laundry, telephone
posted. and meals shall be to the account of attendees.
6. Ask how the guest wishes to settle the account 3. Each Pays Own (EPO) – the arrangement
(or amount owed). stipulates that the attendees will pay for their own
a) If a credit card is used, be sure to follow charges. If this arrangement is applied, the
credit card policies and procedures. Make attendees are not given their room key until they
sure the card is not expired is not listed on settle their room charges.
the credit card cancellation or suspension
Types of color coded
bulletin.
In the Room Status Rack/Board, a color-coded card or
b) If the personal check is used, follow check
slip is placed corresponding to the room number using
cashing policies and procedures.
the color code like:
Green - for vacant clean – ready for sale 3. Night Audit Menu contains data on the Point of
Yellow - vacant dirty – not yet ready for sale Sales (POS), the various accounts, trial audit
Red - occupied room report and other related data.
Orange- reserved or blocked for expected arrival 4. Housekeeping Menu – incorporates data on the
White - out of order room room status that is consistently updated every
after-room check; Guest information based on
Type of Codes
registration record, room blockings and various
Code Stands for housekeeping reports. Like other menus, it also
OCC Occupied Occupied by a paying guest. has a guest message center.
5. Uniform Services Menu – The software has the
option to create in this menu a database that serve
VR Vacant Vacant room, already made up
as Guest locator and Guest message center.
Ready and ready for occupancy
VD Vacant Vacated but not ready for
Dirty occupancy since it is still dirty
or still being made up. It is
also termed as ON -
CHANGED
OOO Out of Room is under renovation or
Order not fit for occupancy since it
room requires repair or maintenance
work.
BLO Blocked Reserved for a guest who is
expected to arrive within a day
NS No Show Room is reserved but the
expected guest did not arrive
SO Slept Out Guest is assigned a room but
did not sleep on his bed
HU House Occupied or reserved for hotel
Use officers or staff
Type of data base menu
- The database created by the computer system in
the Front Office is organized into various menus,
to include:
1. Room Reservations Menu – which contains data
on the details of reservation for all guests, their
names, number of room nights, mode of payment,
type of reservation, arrival and departure, advance
deposits or payments, etc. It also contains data on
group bookings, room forecast, reservations
report, and travel agency commission.
2. Registration Menu – contains guest list and
details of their registration. It also has data on
Guest folio (consumption and charges, balance)
This menu prints the registration card, makes
Front desk reports, do the room blocking and
updates the room status. It also has a guess
message center.
