Introduction
The front office or reception is an area where visitors arrive and first encounter a staff at a place of business. Front office staff will deal with whatever question the visitor has, and put them in contact with a relevant person at the company. Broadly speaking, the front office includes roles that affect the revenues of the business. The term front office is in contrast to the term back office which refers to a company's operations, personnel, accounting, payroll and financial departments which do not interact directly with customers. The front office receives information about the customers and will then pass this on to the relevant department within the company. The front office can also contact the marketing or sales department should the customers have questions. The company needs to give training to the front office manager as this position will come in contact with customers the most. The most common work for the front office staff will be to get in touch with customers and help out internally in the office. Staff working at the front office can also deal with simple tasks, such as printing and typing tasks and sorting emails. Although front office staff might only need to perform tasks such as answering the phone, using the printer and fax machine, training is still needed on these tasks. Front office is related to a service delivery system, where employees engage with customers. It uses the parameter of labor intensity to figure out the distinctive characteristics of a service.
HOTELS
At hotels, front office refers to the front desk or reception area or the core operations department of the hotel. This would include the reception and front desk, as well as reservations, sales and marketing, housekeeping and concierge. This is the place where guests go when they arrive at the hotel. Employees working in the front office will confirm guest reservations and also attend to guest complaints and queries. The employees who work in the lobby of the hotel are also part of the front office as they deal with guest directly. The concierge, cashier, porter, and mailing service are included in the front office. The important area of Front office are a. Reception b. Information c. Cash
Sports
In some sports, the front office usually gets in touch with the players and organises activities for them. The front office staff is usually the person who has the highest position in the sports team, who can control the whole team.[1]
Challenges faced
The front office staff might lack motivation sometimes as they do the same work repeatedly on a daily basis and usually their pay is the lowest compared to other staff. This is a very important fact to take note of as this might affect the profitability and efficiency of the company as this staff member will directly deal with customers the most. This staff member might have high stress levels as they might have to deal with bad-tempered customers and a lot of complaints, making it hard to maintain good services. One of the biggest challenges that front office staff might face in the hotel industry would be over booking. These bad communication and organisation skills might lead to a bad reputation for the company and unsatisfactory services to customers. Front office staff should receive continuous training as this will improve their customer service. Salary increases can also provide more motivation. The phone system could be configured in such a way that the company can track the calls that are missed by the front office. This can help them get back to the customers as soon as possible.
Hotel operation front office
1. 1. The Front Office is truly the nerve center of a hotel. Members of the front office staff welcome the guest, carry their luggage, help them register, give them their room keys and mail. The sleeping rooms are comfortable, well equipped and clean. The role played in the Front Office is promoting good guest relation is self-evident and cannot be overemphasized.
2. 2. The Front office Function can be divided into 5 general areas: 1. Reception 2. Bell Service 3. Mail and Information 4. Concierge 5. Cashiers and night auditors
3. 3. The Room Rack Consist of a series of metal trays slotted to hold slips, usually 1 ½”x4” in size. The clerks should know the established rates, the kind of accommodation offered in each room or suite that is, the type of beds-single,double,twin or studio-the location exposure and even the size.The chief room clerk must see that the room rack is updated.
4. 4. The Room Clerks The Room Clerks daily routine: The chief clerk reviews the night clerk’s report to get an idea of the preceding day’s occupancy and the number of vacant rooms, if any available for immediate assignment to new arrivals. The room and the total number of projected departures for the day are checked.
5. 5. The clerk must check the reservations for the day, noting the approximate time of arrivals, special requirements,instruction,deposit,and so on, must block out rooms for some of the expected arrivals. Supplies must be checked The time stamp is checked for the current date The room rack is checked against the housekeeper’s morning report of the preceding nights occupied and vacant rooms.
6. 6. The 3 task that clerks need to perform when the guest check out: They indicate in the room rack that the guest has vacated, but at the same time they show that the room is not yet available for a new guest generally either by folding rack slip in half and placing it back n the slot, or taking out the slip and stock card and standing both up in the slot. They notify the house keeper They notify the telephone operators and/or information clerks.
7. 7. REGISTRATION The incoming guest according to 3 general categories: GROUPS AND CONVENTIONS-This category involves a substantial number of guest who may all arrive at or about the same time. GUEST WITH RESERVATION-As the guest come to the registration clerk, each should be pleasantly greeted and asked if he or she has a reservation. WALK-INS-These are people who come into the hotel without a reservation and asked for a room.
8. 8. Assistant Managers The assistant managers are not part of the front office staff, yet they must be included in the reception area
9. 9. DOORMEN For those guest who arrive by private car or taxi, the first hotel employee they meet is the doorman.
10. 10. BELLMEN Once the guests have registered and been assigned a room, they are turned over the bellmen, whose function is to carry the guests baggage and take them to their room
11. 11. OTHER BELL SERVICE EMPLOYEE: Elevator Operators Starters Lobby Porters Packaged Room Clerks
12. 12. MAIL Handling the guests’ mail before they arrive, during their stay, and after they check out is probably the clerk’s most important function.
13. 13. ROOM KEYS The mail rack also holds the room key, so this is also the function of the mail and information clerks.
14. 14. INFORMATION The information responsibilities of the mail and information clerks are usually limited to answering questions regarding the guest rooms and other facilities of the hotel.
15. 15. AUTOMATION Complete automation of the front office,reservation,and accounting functions has been and still is the fervent wish of most hotel operators.
The quality of the guest experience is dependent on the quality of front office operations and the processes in place to handle guest needs. Each staff member interacts with the guest at some point during his stay and is instrumental in forming a friendly and trusting relationship. Whether the guest stays a day or a week, front office operations staff are critical to a successful guest experience.
Reservations
Making reservations for guests is a function of front office operations. Even though guests may make reservations online, reservations have to be monitored, verified and often changed at the guest's request. Hotels offer personal services that require reservations agents to document special requests, such as pillow preferences, baby equipment, extra towels and others. Early check-in or late checkout requests often affect housekeeping and room turnover. The front office must also communicate special requests to other departments.
Check In
Once guests arrive, the front desk staff reviews their reservation information for accuracy. Each staff person must be well trained on front desk systems, rates, accommodation types and how to handle special requests. Occasionally, rooms need to be reassigned or additional equipment, pillows or other amenities provided. How these requests are handled and problems are resolved sets the tone for the rest of the stay and any future interactions with the front desk.
Concierge Services
Resort hotels, destination hotels or those in major cities or recreation areas often have concierge services such as making restaurant reservations, suggesting activities for families, booking tours and providing information about the area. Concierge services are part marketing, public relations and customer service. A well-informed concierge can quickly suggest activities or restaurants that enhance the guest's stay and the overall guest experience.
Check Out
Guests expect a quick check out with accurate billing. The checkout is the guest's final experience with front office operations and the end of the guest cycle. Even though many hotels print out final bills and slide them under the guest room door well before dawn, guests still feel more comfortable making a final stop at the front desk to be sure everything is in order. Fast, friendly service leaves the guest feeling good about his stay and may prompt him to return when travel takes him back to the area.
How To Spell A Letter On A Phone call
Letters (ICAO/ITU/NATO Spelling Alphabet)
A Alfa
B Bravo
C Charlie
D Delta
E Echo
F Foxtrot
G Golf
H Hotel
I India
J Juliett
K Kilo
L Lima
M Mike
N November
O Oscar
P Papa
Q Quebec
R Romeo
S Sierra
T Tango
U Uniform
V Victor
W Whiskey
X X-ray
Y Yankee
Z Zulu
Digits (ICAO/ITU/NATO Spelling Alphabet)
0 Zero / Nadazero
1 One / Unaone
2 Two / Bissotwo
3 Three / Terrathree
4 Four / Kartefour
5 Five / Pantafive
6 Six / Soxisix
7 Seven / Setteseven
8 Eight / Oktoeight
9 Nine / Novenine
Space
. Dot / Period / Full Stop
, Comma
- Semicolon
- Colon
? Question Mark
! Exclamation Mark
@ At Sign
& Ampersand
" Double Quotation Mark
' Apostrophe / Single Quotation Mark / Prime
- Dash / Minus Sign
/ Forward Slash
\ Backslash ( Left Round Bracket / Parenthesis / Open Bracket
) Right Round Bracket / Parenthesis / Close Bracket
[ Left Square Bracket
] Right Square Bracket
{ Left Curly Bracket
} Right Curly Bracket
< Left Angle Bracket / Less-Than Sign
> Right Angle Bracket / Greater-Than Sign
| Vertical Bar / Pipe
° Degree Symbol
- Asterisk / Star
+ Plus Sign
= Equal Sign
- Number Sign / Pound Sign / Hash
§ Section Sign
$ Dollar Sign
€ Euro Sign
~ Tilde
_ Underscore
% Percent Sign
^ Caret