Front Office Manual

Hotel Front Office Training Manual with 231 SOP Hotelier Tanji Owner

www.hospitality-school.com

Copyright © 2013 Hotelier Tanji All rights reserved. ISBN: 149096990X ISBN-13: 978-1490969909

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Hello, I am Hotelier Tanji, owner of www.hospitality-school.com, world’s most popular free hotel & restaurant management training web site, running from December 2009. This book is a comprehensive collection of 231 professional Front Office Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). In last 3 years we got immense praise and support from our readers. This book is an attempt to give something back to our readers. Thanks for purchasing this book.

Table of Contents No.

Topic

Page No.

Reservation Policies & Procedure 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.

Documents Reservation into Appropriate Reservation Forms Receives & Answers Email/ Fax Reservation Inquiries Confirms FIT Room Reservations via Emails and Faxes Answers/Handles Telephone Calls Confirms FIT Reservations via Telephone Up-sells to Booking Parties Liaison with Sales Department for Group Bookings Reviews the Following Day's VIP Arrival Distributes All Pertinent Reports to all Departments Concerned Regarding Guest Replies to All Guest Queries Regarding Hotel Information Documents Reservation Amendments Documents Reservation Cancellations Handling of Guest History Reservations Checks Guest History Records Regularly for Duplications Checks the Arrival List Daily to Review Reservation Particulars Creates & Updates the Blacklist File Files All Reservation Correspondences & Miscellaneous Documents Properly Personal Appearance with Hotel Standard Grooming Logbook Recording Review Tasks Change of Shift Procedures Requisitions Adherence to Reservation Policies Handle Guest Complaints Confirmation Number

2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6 6 6-7 7-8 8-9 9-10 10 11 11-12 12-13 13 13-14 14-15 15 16-17 17-18 18 19 20 20-22 22-23 23

Hotel Front Office Training Manual with 231 SOP

Reservation Supervisors Policies & Procedures 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31.

Monitor the Hotel’s Closed out Dates Monitor Room & Bed Status & Availability during High Occupancy Prepares the Staff's Monthly Roster Conducts Training of New Reservations Staffs Monitors IIT Allotments & Cut-off Dates Maintain Associates Relation

25 25-26 26 27 28-29 29

Guest Service Agent Policies & Procedures 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55.

Prepares all Requested Reports for Guest Relations Manager’s Approval Bulletin Board Computer Security Special Programs & Rates Room Familiarity Room Availability Status & House Count Identify Guest Needs Confirm Availability Sell Room Suit Basic Manual Reservation Enter Guest Reservation into System Guarantee Status Changing Reservations Cancelling Reservations Registration of the Guests Walk in Reservations Locate Reservations Present Registration Card Establish Method of Payment Travel Agent/Airline Vouchers Assign a Room Register Guest in Computer Information Described to Guests Obtaining Guest Rooming Assistance v

31 31-32 32 33 33-34 35-36 36-37 37-38 38 39 40-41 41 42 42-43 43-44 44-45 45-46 46-48 48-50 50-51 51-53 53 53-54 54-55

www.hospitality-school.com

56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92.

Thank the Guests Repeat Guests Providing Local Information Package Guests Disabled Guests Share-with Guests Trace File/Flags Rate Changes Room Change Request Concierge Stand Phone & Log Guest Messages Wake-up Calls Non-Registered Guests (NRG) Guest Mail/Packages Safety Deposit Boxes Lost & Found Foreign Exchange Cash Traveler’s Checks Process Miscellaneous Charges Process Corrections Vouchers Process Adjustment Vouchers Process Paid-Outs Guest Comment Card Late Check-Outs Review Arrival Report Blocking a Room Pre-Register V.I.P.'s Block Special Requests Amenity Requirements Group Preparation Assign Rooms & Balance Room Types Due Outs & Discrepancies Greet the Guests Telephone Courtesy Take a Message Maintenance of Guest Confidentiality Maintenance of All Areas in the Guest Service Agent vi

55 55-56 56-57 58 58-59 59-60 61 61-62 62-63 63-64 64-65 65-66 66 66-67 67-68 68 69 69-70 70 71 71-72 72 73 73-74 74-75 75 75-76 76-77 77 77-78 78-79 80 80-82 82 83 84 84-85

Hotel Front Office Training Manual with 231 SOP

93.

Shift Duties

85-86

Cashiering Policies & Procedures 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124.

Issue a Safe Deposit Box 88-89 Allow a Customer to Access to the Safe Deposit Box 89-90 Close a Safety Deposit Box 91-92 Conduct a Manual Posting 92-93 Rebate a Charge 93-94 Issue a Paid-out 94-95 Accept Payment by Credit Card 95-96 Accept Payment by Voucher 97-98 Accept Company Payment 98-99 Accept Payment by Third Person 99-100 Accept Payment by Traveler Cheque 100 Check out a Customer 100-102 Check out Shared Room 102-103 Present Folio 103-104 Make an Audit 104-105 Balance your Float/Finish your Shift 105-106 Obtain Cash Deposit upon Check-in 107-108 Post Advance Deposit 108 Receive Outlet Checks 108-109 Daily Check of the Next Day’s Departure 109-110 Daily Check of Long Stay Customer’s Invoices 110-111 Prepare the Transfer of Monthly Long Stay Customer’s 111 Invoices Extension of Stay 111-113 Check out Guest using Back-up System 113-114 Update of Folio Manually 114-115 Group Check-out 115-116 Settle Guest Account 116-118 Late Charge/Charges after Departure 118-119 Preparing Shift Audit 119-121 Complete Deposit Envelope & Count Bank 121-122 Closing Foreign Exchange Float 122-123

vii

www.hospitality-school.com

Front Office Duty Manager Policies & Procedures 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154.

Grooming & Uniform Standards Review Logbook Check Employee Attendance Conduct Shift Briefing Attend Meeting Monitor Employee Interaction Prepare Schedule Conduct Department Orientation Fill out Maintenance Request Conduct Performance Appraisal Counsel & Discipline Staff Handling Food & Beverage Guest Complaints Inspect Lobby/Desk Area Standards Supervise Registration VIP/SP Check Room VIP/SP Check In VIP Care Handle Walk in Guest on Sold out Days Room Revenue Rebate Handle Dispute Check Account with High Balance Hotel Rate & Information Balance Room Type No Show Reservation Prepare Skippers Report Researching “Do Not Disturb” Issue Handling Case Release Out of Order Room End of Shift Task & Endorsement Logbook

125 125-126 126 126-127 127-128 128-129 129 129-130 130-131 131-132 132-133 133-134 134-135 135 135-136 136-137 137 137-138 139 139-140 140-141 141 141-142 143 144-145 145 145-147 147-149 149 149-150

Executive Floor Policies & Procedures 155. Welcome the Guests

152 viii

Hotel Front Office Training Manual with 231 SOP

156. Escorts Arriving Executive Floor Guests to the Room 157. Inspects Pre-Assigned Rooms on the Executive Floor Maintain Overall Cleanliness & Orderliness of the Executive 158. Floor 159. Supervises the Buffet Breakfast at the Executive Floor 160. Supervises Cocktail Hour at the Executive Floor 161. Coordinates Wake-Up Call Requests with the Operator 162. Handles All Guest Queries & Complaints Liaise with Concierge Desk with Regards to Luggage Handling, 163. Check-0uts & Message Delivery 164. Reports all Activities or Endorsements in the Logbook Arranges Business Centre Requirements which are Available 165. on the Executive Floor 166. Arranges & Checks all Executive Floor Room Amenities 167. Arranges Special Events Amenities through the Arrival List 168. Assists Executive Floor Guests with Flight Reconfirmation 169. Performs Check-in of Executive Guests on the Floor 170. Checking-in 'Return' Executive Floor Guests 171. Checking-in using the Back-up 172. Handling Travel Vouchers 173. Processing Special Billing 174. Performs Check-out of Executive Guests on the Floor 175. Checking-out “Share-with” Room 176. Handling Guest Messages 177. Handling Hold For Arrival (HFA) Items

152-153 153-154 154-155 155-156 156-157 158 158-159 160 160-161 162-163 163-164 164-165 165-166 166-168 168-169 169-171 171-172 172-174 174-175 175 175-177 177-178

Driver Policies & Procedures 178. 179. 180. 181. 182. 183.

Pre-Trip Inspection Post-Trip Inspection Trip Log Planning Routes Vehicle Maintenance Cleaning Vehicle

180-181 181-182 182 182-183 183-184 184

Doorman Policies & Procedures 184. Assists Guests in & out of Cars 185. Lays out the Floor Mat at the Hotel’s Entrance ix

186 186-187

www.hospitality-school.com

186. 187. 188. 189. 190. 191.

Assist Guest in Loading & Unloading of Car Open Vehicle Doors for all Guests Loading & Unloading of Luggage into & from Guest’s Vehicle Obtain Taxis for Guest if Requested Maintain all Accesses through Hotel Drive way Clear of Cars Rain Procedure

187 188 188-189 189-190 190 191

Guest Service Centre Policies & Procedures 192. 193. 194. 195. 196. 197.

Handling Outgoing Calls Voice Mail Messages Screen Call Guest Locator Request Busy Verification, Emergency Situation Monitor Telephone Problems

193 193-194 194-196 196-197 197-198 198

Business Service Centre Policies & Procedures 198. 199. 200 201. 202. 203. 204. 205. 206.

Filling of Fax Photocopying Type Guest’s Matters Guest Newspaper Process a Courier Service Request Translation & Interpretation Arrangement Presentation & Rental of Equipment Long Distance Call Arrangements Post Revenue & Prepare Summery Reports

200 200-202 202-203 203-204 204-206 206-207 207-209 209-210 210-211

Bell Desk & Concierge Policies & Procedures 207. 208. 209. 210. 211. 212. 213. 214. 215.

Welcome Guest at the Airport Airport Transportation (from Airport) Airport Transportation (from Hotel) Rooming the Guest Delivery & collection of Guest Room Luggage Store Guest’s Luggage Helping Guest with Hand Carried Luggage Delivery & Collection of Group Luggage Luggage Collection for Group Check-out x

213 213-214 214-215 215-218 218-219 220-221 221 222-223 223

Hotel Front Office Training Manual with 231 SOP

216. 217. 218. 219. 220. 221. 222. 223. 224. 225. 226. 227.

Arranges Mailing of Guest Letters & Internal Mail Cleaning of Bell Equipment Regularly Raising/Lowering Hotel Flag Daily Parcel Delivery Service Packs Parcels Receive Terms for outside Guests from In House Guest Receives/Delivers Terms for Registered Guests Give & Accepts Airline Information & Confirmation Arrange Restaurant & Limousine Reservation Lifting Heavy Objects Weights Luggage Guest Paging

224 225 225-226 226-227 227 227-228 229-230 230-231 231-232 233-234 234-235 235

Other Policies & Procedures 228. 229. 230. 231.

Bucket Check Basic English Courtesy Code for Guest Service Documents Reservation into Appropriate Reservation Forms

xi

237 238 239 240

This training manual is brought to you by www.hospitality-school.com

World’s Most Popular Free Hotel Management Training Blog

Reservation Policies & Procedures

Hotel Front Office Training Manual with 231 SOP

Page 1

SOP-1: Documents Reservation into Appropriate Reservation Forms Standard To ensure an accurate inputting system, all particulars related to guest reservation are properly documented into appropriate reservation forms. Procedures Front office requires certain basic information while taking a new reservation. This following information will be recorded on the reservation form after the room availability has been checked:  Name of the guest (surname, first name, title)  Arrival and departure date of the guest  Arrival time of guest, airport pick up (on charge)  Number of rooms and room types  Caller’s name, company, telephone, fax number and email address  Method of payment  Status of guest, (ex-VIP/SP) if possible, so as to arrange for VIP treatment or any other special treatment  Special requests from the guests (i.e. non smoking, high floor, clam atmosphere) The reservation staff who has taken the reservation will record his / her initials and the date/ time when the reservation was taken and input the all details to

Hotel Front Office Training Manual with 231 SOP

Page 2

SOP-231: Stocking Work Stations Standard Provide assurance that there are enough stationery for serving purposes. All stationeries should be kept orderly and ready for serving. Procedures  Re-stock your work stations completely at the beginning and end of the shift.  Check to ensure a par level of supplies to include: a. Stationary supplies b. Printed forms c. Keys  Change printer ribbon if required.

Hotel Front Office Training Manual with 231 SOP

Page 240