Role Of The Front Office Manager Tourism Essay

Given the signification of the role of the front office manager in front office, there are some of the responsibilities that the front office manager has to take notice. Some of the major responsibilities of the front office manager include reviewing the final draft of the night audit, a daily review of the financial accounting procedures at the front desk and other guest service areas during the previous 24-hour period and an analysis of operating results; operating and monitoring the reservation system; developing and operating an effective communication system with front office staff and other department directors; supervising daily registrations and check-out; overseeing and developing employees; established in-house sales programming at the front desk; preparing budgets and cost control systems; forecasting room sales; and maintaining business relationships with regular corporate and communities leaders. The front office manager works with an assistant front office manager, a night auditor, a reservation manager, and a bell captain to tend to the details of running an efficient department.

These are just few of the responsibilities of the front office manager. The front office is a pivotal point in communication among in-house sales, delivery of service to the guest, and financial operations. It requires an individual who can manage the many details of guest needs, employee supervision, interdepartmental communication and transmittal of financial information. This exciting position enables the person to develop an overview of the loading property with regard to financial and communication.

2.0 ANSWER QUESTION 1

Guest checkout can indeed be a time of confusion, short tempers, and long lines, a test of the patience of the both guest and cashier.

Check-in and check-out is the responsibilities of a front desk that are on duty on the particular day. Usually front desk is the first and last contact with the guests. Front desk clerk represents the hotel to the guest throughout all stage of the guest’s stay. Front desk clerk job involves customer service, answering the telephone, securing payment for services rendered, and resolving problem. Front desk clerk must possess a working knowledge of the reservation process and room pricing strategies. Front desk clerk also takes same-day reservation and future reservation and often need to able to sell features of the hotel along with the necessary pricing strategy guidelines.

2.1 PROBLEMS SOLVES

As a position of front desk clerk, it is responsible for checking guests in and out of their rooms. When a guest arrives with a reservation, front desk clerk pulls the reservation from a computer; confirm the name, address, and length of stay; and ask for a method of payment. If a credit card is to be used, front desk clerk process the payment in the computer and have the guest sign the registration card or folio acknowledging the rates and length of stay. At check-in front desk clerk can also take cash deposits as necessary to cover any phone or other charges that may be incurred. After check-in, front desk clerk will past the guest the room key and give direction to the room, and offer to summon a bellhop to help with the luggage. Front desk clerk then place the information about the guest and room in the appropriate front desk racks and communicate the information to the appropriate hotel personnel.

For guests who are walk-ins, or those who don’t have reservations, front desk clerk find out each guest’s name, address, and the expected length of stay. If a room is available, front desk clerk quotes the rate and asks about preferences for a smoking or nonsmoking room, location, and room size. Front desk clerk should also try to “sell up” by suggesting that the guest spend a little extra money to obtain a larger room, one with a better view, or one with more amenities. The rest of the check-in process is the same as for guests with reservations.

At check-out, front desk clerk take the guest’s room key, look up the account on the computer, and inform the guest how much is owed. Front desk clerk inquires whether or not everything was satisfactory.

At the start of each day, front desk clerk print a report of special requests of incoming guest. Requests are recorded in the computer station at the desk and entered into a logbook, and they become part of a guest’s history in the computer system. The history is used each time the guest returns for a visit in order to personalize the guest’s experience. Another report lists any groups that will be arriving. Using it, front desk clerk can prepare materials packets, which includes a room key, for each guest to speed up check-in.

Between check-ins and check-outs, the front desk clerk handles the mail and messages and the placement items in safe deposits boxes for the guests. Front desk clerk post and file all charges to the proper accounts. In addition, front desk clerk should also work closely with the housekeeping department in keeping room status reports up to date and coordinating requests for maintenance and repair work. Front desk clerk must know all safety and emergency procedures and be aware of accident prevention policies as well.

Another important task is solving guest problems. Front desk clerk is the liaison or contract between the guest and the hotel. When guests have problems, they call the front desk clerk or go to the front desk personally. Front desk clerk job is to solve the problems-or quickly find someone who can solve it.

Keep your guests happy by keeping everything easy for them. In turn, a satisfied guest is a repeat guest and that make “dollars and sense” for the hospitality professional.

2.2 PRINCIPLES FOR ACHIEVING GUEST SATISFACTION

Guest satisfaction is the fulfillment of a guest’s wants and needs. In the hospitality industry, market share dominance is exceeding guest’s expectation on a regular basis. A hotel guest expects a safe, clean, comfortable sleeping room. A restaurant patron anticipates a tasty meal in a clean, pleasant atmosphere with a balance price-value relationship. Meeting these expectations is the hospitality professional’s priority. The job is done only when the guest are satisfied. Below are the few principles for satisfying and keeping guests.

Recognize your guest. Personalizing interaction’s by using the guest’s name is not always possible, but a sincere and warm interaction goes a long way.

Make a positive first impression. The initial greeting and warm welcome are essential elements of creating a positive exchange. Guests judge your advertising claims against beliefs they already hold and accept only new information that match those beliefs. Changing a negative first impression is challenging, if not impossible.

Fulfill your guest’s expectations. Guests expect a trouble-free environment. All the guests want is to have their needs met without aggravation. Those organizations that can exceed guest expectation will have leg up the competition.

Facilitate customer decision making. The guest may not be familiar with the entire offer that provide by the hotel. Guest decisions can facilitated in subtle ways, such as carrying a flaming dessert that is sure that attract attention high on a tray. Engage the customer in dialogue about the food and beverage offering to enhance their experience and narrow the uncertainly of satisfaction they may have.

Avoid violating the customer’s unspoken time limits. Time spent waiting always seems four times longer than it really is. Anticipate the next sequence in the service delivery and time the service accordingly.

Expert your customer to remember bad experience. Also expect your customer to tell you about those bad experiences, embellishing with each retelling. The result can be an unfavorable impression on people who haven’t yet patronized your establishment.

3.0 CONCLUSION

The functional role of front office manager can be understood by preparing a job analysis and job description. This process allows the future professional to see the major responsibilities of the job and the various departmental relationships involved.

The many positions found on a front office staff have to common goal of providing hospitality to the guest. Training, empowerment, and flexibility are necessary to make the team work.

Forecasting, scheduling, developing a supervisory style, motivating personnel, balancing staff personalities, delegating tasks, training and effectively communicating are only a few of the skills a good supervisor must master. It is a lifelong effort developed through continuing education and trial and error.

QUESTION 2

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Making reservation is a necessity for travelers and an important marketing tool for lodging establishments. Travelers in various market segments depend on a well-organized reservation system that is easily accessible through toll-free telephone numbers or on the Internet, or at a few moments’ notice through social networking opportunities such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to ensure a well-planned trip. Lodging establishment want to provide a continuous flow of guest, which will bring profits.

A reservation system must ensure efficient means of accessing, processing, and confirming information. Without an efficient reservation system, all aspects of managing a hotel will be negatively affected. For example, while overbooking reservation may guarantee a full house for the hotel, it will also leave the guest who is turned away with a negative experience. This is not only decrease the hope of repeat business but also ensures the dissatisfied customer will tell to others of the negative experience. The reservation is an integral part of progressive front office management and the operation of a well-run system.

2.0 ANSWER QUESTION 2

Profitable business ventures rely on effective marketing principles. Effective marketing principles include reviewing people who are in need of hotel products and services, determining their needs, developing products and services that meet their needs and marketing a profit on the sale of those products and services.

A well-organized reservation system allows hotels to ensure a steady flow of guest into their properties. Hotel chains, through their central reservation system, offer their members to ability to fill 30 percent or more of available rooms on nightly basis. Independent hoteliers, in contrast, have the onerous responsibility of creating exciting marketing programs to capture room business. Easy access to a chain hotel’s data bank of rooms help to fulfill the customer’s needs, as well as in reaching a targeted daily occupancy rate, average daily rate, yield percentage, and RevPAR. A reservation system is the primary represents means of producing positive cash flow and favorable income statement.

2.0 ANSWER QUESTION 2

2.1 TYPE OF RESERVATION SYSTEM

There are two types of reservation systems such as Franchisee systems and Referral member systems.

2.1.1 FRANCHISEE SYSTEMS

A franchisee is a hotel owner who has access to a national reservation system and services the benefits of the corporation’s management expertise, financial backing, national advertising, and group purchasing. A franchise member of a reservation system or a member of a reservation system or a member of a referral system gains significant advantage from interhotel property referrals, a system in which one member-property recommends another member-property to a guest, and national advertising.

2.1.1 REFFERAL MEMBER SYSTEMS

A referral member of a reservation referral system, a worldwide organization that processes requests for room reservations at a particular member hotel, is a hotel developer/owner who has access to the national reservation system. Hotels that are members of the reservation system are more than able to justify the associated costs; for example, a chain property may obtain 15 to 30 percent of its daily room rentals from the national reservation system, depending on local economics and market condition.

2.2 SOURCES OF RESERVATION

Guest reservations come from a variety of market segments. Some of the more common groups are corporate clients, group travelers, and leisure travelers who want to return to the same hotel. This is only one way of classifying guest reservations. The purpose of analyzing these segments is to understand the needs of each group and to provide reservation systems that meet their needs. Keep in mind that reviewing these needs will assist employee in gaining insight into guests’ methods of communication.

2.2.1 CORPORATE CLIENTS

The corporate client is a hotel guest employed by a business or a guest of that business. Corporate clients provide a hotel with an opportunity to establish a regular flow of business during sales periods that would otherwise be flat.

2.2.2 GROUP TRAVELERS

Group travelers are persons traveling as a group either on business or for leisure. Convention guests and seminar attends are examples of groups that travel on business. Participants in organized tours who pursue recreation, education, hobbies, and special interests constitute some of the leisure segment. The key to marketing reservations to this group is providing an efficient access method for planning details of a tour.

2.2.3 LEISURE TRAVELERS

Leisure travelers are people who travel alone or with others to visits points of interest or relatives, or for other personal reasons. These travelers, who are often unrestricted by deadlines or schedules, are more flexible in their travel plans than are corporate clients and group travelers. They are more willing to seek someplace to stay along the way; however, some of the people in this group may want to obtain consists of many subgroups, including singles, married couples, young families, senior citizens, and student. Some of the methods the leisure travelers can use secure room reservations are travel agencies, toll-free numbers, reservation/referral systems, the Internet, Twitter and even in Facebook.

2.3 ADVANTAGES FOR RESERVATION

The advantages for reservation are to prevent when customer need a place to stay overnight and the hotel are fully booking. This situation might make the customer feel disappointed when they expected the hotel is available for the rooms.

The advantages for reservation are when the customer make a early book, the customer might get a discount from the hotel or even like buy 1 room free 1 room, free breakfast or free using the of the hotel. This type of promotion will satisfy the customer’s need and it make customer feel that the hotel are welcoming them to stay in the hotel. In other word, customer are usually are knowledgeable. Once the hotel services fulfill the customer need, the customer will sure visit the hotel when they make a next visit or they might share their experience in staying the hotel to other friend or relative so that they can also get the same services that the hotel provide.

2.4 IMPROVEMENT FOR THE EARLY RESERVATION BOOKING CUSTOMER

The management of the hotel should given a plan for the customer who makes an early booking in the peak season. This holiday plan may help attract the customer who planning a holiday trip with the family member and the trip will help to build strong relationship with each of the family members. The promotion such as free breakfast, free uses the facilities in the hotel, and free tour guide to travel in the particular city.

This may help to increase the sales of the hotel and even the customer will be coming back for their next trip.

3.0 CONCLUSION

The reservation has addressed the hotel reservation systems. As the popularity of computerized reservation systems increases, chains and referral properties have adopted them to meets the needs of the traveling publics.

Reservations ensure that corporate, group and pleasure travelers will have accommodations as their destination and provide the hotel with a steady flow of business. Determining the sources of these reservations assist the front office manager developing procedures to satisfy the needs of the guest. The traveler can use various means to make reservations, such as toll-free telephone numbers, fax numbers, the Internet and social media. The concept of customer relationship management links hospitality and technology. The management of social media applications helps develop the reservation concept.