FRONT OFFICE

DEPARTEMENT
Front Office Department
Definition
❑ The front office department is the most visible
department in a hotel.
❑ The focal point of activity within the front office is
the reception desk.
⮚ The reception desk is usually the place in which
guest make the first impression of the hotel.
⮚ It is as communication center of the hotel.
⮚ It is the first and last point of guest contact with the
hotel.
⮚ It is also the communication centre for the hotel
operation.
⮚ The reception desk includes front office cashier,
information, and registration section.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF
FRONT OFFICE STAFF
1. FRONT OFFICE MANAGER
❑ Front Office Manager (FOM) is the in charge of the Front Office
Department who allocates the available resources (men, machine,
materials & money) of the department to achieve the organizational
goals.
❑ The basic function of FOM is to supervise all the Front Office personnel &
to ensure the proper and smooth operation of the department. FOM
reports to the General Manager of the hotel.
⮚ Scope of job (Duties & Responsibilities):
1. Directs & coordinates the activities of the FO department.
2. Perform the function of a link between the management & front office
employees.
3. Perform budgeting function.
4. Plan the present & future need of resources.
5. Schedules the tasks of the front office employees.
6. Evaluate the job performance of front office staff & fills their appraisals.
7. Conduct training programs.
8. Resolve guest problems quickly, efficiently & courteously.
9. Reviews all reports generated by all the sections, included night auditors
report.
10. Ensure all SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) are followed.
11. Maintain coordination & good communication with other departments of
the hotel.
12. Conduct regular staff meetings & staff briefing.
13. Resolve employee grievances.
2. RESERVATION ASSISTANT

❑ She/he processes the reservation requests that reach

the hotel by any mode.
❑ She/He should possess great sales man ship skills by
suggesting higher room categories, & also selling
other hotel services like spas, restaurants etc. to the
guest.
❑ As we know the reservation section generates the
maximum revenue for the hotel, so reservation
assistant should understand, anticipate, & influence
consumer behavior in order to maximize the profits.
⮚ Scope of job (Duties & Responsibilities):

1. To receive & process the reservation requests of future

guests.
2. To maintain reservation records by completing reservation
forms, sending reservation confirmation letters etc.
3. To process reservations from sales offices, other
departments of the hotel, travel agents, tour operators etc.
4. To communicate the reservation information to
the reception.
5. To prepare expected arrival & expected departure list every
day.
6. To prefill the GRC of expected arrivals for the next day
(using informa-tion collected at the time of reservation from
the reservation form), & send to the reception.
3. RECEPTIONIST
❑ Is the first person to come in contact with the guest at the time of their
arrival.
❑ The basic function of a receptionist is to receive guests and answer their
queries.
⮚ Scope of job (Duties & Responsibilities):

1. Greet the guest on their arrival.

2. Politely confirm the details of guests with confirmed reservation.
3. Complete the registration formalities of the guest with confirmed
reservations.
4. Check the availability of rooms in case of walk ins.
5. Assign rooms & call the bell boy to escort guests to their rooms.
6. Use upselling techniques to sell expensive rooms & also to
promote other hotel services.
7. Coordinate room status updates with the house keeping
department. 
8. Notifying housekeeping of all check outs, late check outs, early
check in, special requests.
9. Process guest check out requests.
10. Post all the credit charges to the guest folios (bills).
4. INFORMATION ASSISTANT
❑ provides information to the guest about the hotel’s products &
services, nearby food & beverage outlets, places of tourist interest
in the city & around, etc.
❑ She/he also handles guest mail, messages & keys.
⮚ Scope of job (Duties & Responsibilities):
1. Provide desired information to the
guests.
2. Maintain information rack.
3. Handle guest mail.
4. Handle guest messages
5. Guest room keys handling.
6. Coordinate guest room maintenance
work with the engineering &
maintenance departments.
7. Assist in guest paging.
5. CASHIER
❑ During the stay in a hotel, guests may perform various credit & debit
transactions with the hotel. At the time of departure, guest settle his bill
at cashier. It is essential for the front office cashier is to keep the guest
folio updated by posting all credit & debit transactions.
 ⮚ Scope of job (Duties & Responsibilities):
1. Prepare guest bills and present the same for settlement at the time of
guest’s departure
2. Update guests’ credit transactions regularly.
3. Maintain & review guest weekly bills & check not to exceed credit limit.
4. Obtain the house bank/ float (a fixed amount which comprises currency &
coins of different denomination to carry out the day’s work) & keep it
balanced.
5. Transfer guest balances to other accounts, as required.
6. Handle V.P.O. (Visitor paid out).
7. Settle guest accounts by accepting cash, credit card, travellers cheque,
etc.
8. Check the authenticity of currency received.
9. Control safety lockers.
10. Exchange foreign currency according to the daily exchange rate, in strict
accordance with the rules & regulation of RBI (Reserve Bank of India).
6. TELEPHONE OPERATOR
❑ Telephone operator hardly comes in direct contact with the guest, but they
play important role in creating the image of the hotel in the minds of the
guests.
❑ The basic skills of the good telephone operator include clarity & courteous in
their voice, attentiveness &object listening.
⮚ Scope of job (Duties & Responsibilities):
1. Answer all incoming calls.
2. Forward incoming calls to the desired extension,
which are routed through PBX.
3. Keep track of the guest telephone calls & prepare
their bills and post the same to their folios.
4. Provide paging service for the guests & employees.
5. Log all the wake up calls on the system.
6. Answer the queries about the hotel’s services &
products.
7. Work as a communication hub during the
emergencies.
7. BELL BOY
❑ Bell boy transport the guest luggage at the time of check-in & check-out.
❑ They also escort guest to their rooms and familiarize them with the in-
room facilities and services.
 ⮚  Scope of job (Duties & Responsibilities):
1. Handle the guest luggage, i.e.; transport the guest luggage from lobby to
the room at the time of check-in, and from the room to the vehicle at the
time of departure.
2. Put the luggage tag at the time of guest arrival.
3. Escort guest to their rooms and familiarize them with the use of in-house
telephone directory & functions of all the equipment & lighting installed
in the room.
4. When collecting the luggage at the time of check-out, take a thorough look
of the room to check any loss or damage to the hotel property.
5. Keep the record of the lift luggage rooms.
6. Inform the front desk about the scanty baggage guest at the time of check-
in.
7. Perform errands/ sundry guest services like posting of guest mails, making
purchases from outside the hotel premises like flowers etc.
8. Assist paging, process of locating the guest within the hotel premises.
9. Distribution of newspapers to the guest rooms & all departments of the
hotel.
8. Executive Lounge Manager
❑ Executive Lounge Manager work area: executive lounge, executive
rooms.
❑ Ensure the highest satisfaction of guests and staff according to service
standards in accordance with the provisions on the executive floor and
responsible for all aspects of the executive on the executive floor.
⮚ Scope of job (Duties & Responsibilities):

1. Ensure that the schedule is well defined.

2. Ensure that reports and correspondence for departments are met
precisely and thoroughly.
3. Ensure that guest data is always updated.
4. Supervise and order goods on the executive floor.
5. Assist in efficient team building with attention to welfare, safety,
training and staff development.
6. Carry out employee evaluations and review the overall
performance, discuss appeals and areas for improvement.
7. Ensure that staff are adequately informed of the hotel's policies
regarding fire, health, benefits and security.
8. Study and evaluate operational and standard procedures in the
executive lounge and provide suggestions for necessary
changes.
9. Business Centre Supervisor
❑ Work area Business Center Supervisor: business center
area.
❑ Organize and directs all aspects of the functioning of the
business center to achieve the highest satisfaction of the
guests.
 ⮚ Scope of job (Duties & Responsibilities):

1. Supervise staff to ensure maximum guest satisfaction through

self-esteem and warm and appropriate attention.
2. Organize and provide good direction for overall as well as daily
execution and administration for all parts of the business center
3. Provides an assessment of the performance, discipline and
efficiency of all employees under its supervision and initiative
to take action when necessary
4. Continually controlling and analyzing, the expenses of the
department's daily expenses to ensure that expenditures do not
exceed the budget.
10. Door Man/Door Girl
❑ Door Man / Door Girl work area: lobby, front lobby area.
❑ Door Man / Door Girl employment summary: welcome guests by
opening door of hotel door or lobby door.

⮚ Scope of job (Duties & Responsibilities):

1. Welcoming and opening the guest
car door.
2. Greet each guest who comes with a
friendly and smile.
3. Greet and open the hotel lobby door
for guests entering or outside the
lobby.
 THANK
YOU

Any question