A

Project

On

Bell desk
Submitted to Osmania University in partial fulfillment of the requirement of the
degree of Bachelor of Hotel Management and Catering Technology for the
academic year 2016 – 2019

Name: P.HARISH

Roll no: 1677-16806-035

Pinnacle Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology

(Affiliated to Osmania University)

Moosapet, Hyderabad -500072

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 A project report on

BELL DESK

This is to certify that this is bonafide of the project work entitled “BELL DESK”
done by the student.

Mr. P.HARISH

Roll no: 1677-16806-035

Lecturer In charge Principal External Examiner

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 CERTIFICATE BY THE GUIDE

This is to certify that the project entitled “BELL DESK is a record of

research work done by PABBA HARISH get the bachelor’s degree
of hotel management under pinnacle institute of hotel
management, Hyderabad .

The subject on which the project has been prepared is her

original work. The research work represents entirely an
independent work on the part of the candidate but for the general
guidance offered by me.

SIGNATURE

(N.DHARANI KUMAR)

DATE:

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 CERTIFICATE BY THE STUDENT

This is to certify that the project entitled “BELL DESK is a record of

research work done by PABBA HARISH to get the bachelor’s
degree of hotel management under pinnacle institute of hotel
management, Hyderabad.

The subject on which the project has been prepared by my own

the research work represents entirely an independent work of
mine.

SIGNATURE

(PABBA HARISH)

DATE:

PLACE:

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank Mrs. Y.SRIDEVI (Principal), Pinnacle Institute of Hotel

Management and Catering Technology Hyderabad.

I offer my sincere Thanks to Mr. DHARANI for giving me an opportunity to

undergo my project report on “BELL DESK”

I would also like to thank the Faculty of Pinnacle Institute of Hotel Management
And Catering Technology for their help and guidance.

5
S.NO CONTENT PAGE.NO

01 INTRODUCTION O8-35
 Definition
 Meaning
 Lay out of bell desk
 Organization structure of bell desk
 Work profile
02 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 36-56
 Duties and responsibilities
 Luggage inventory sheet
 Forms used in bell desk
 Coordination and communication
 Functions of bell desk
 Night auditing
03 METHODLOGY & OBJECTIVES 57-77
 Concierge
 Functions of concierge
 Service of concierge
 Modes of concierge

04 PRIMARY & SECONDARY DATA 78-83

 By contacting and visiting hotels
 During my IET I have got the
information

05 FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, & 84-89

RECOMMANDATIONS

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06 BIBILOGRAPHY 90-91

07 QUESTIONARE 92

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 BELL DESK

Bell desk is an extended arm of front desk. There are many activities at the time
of arrival, during stay and at the time of departure of guest which cannot be
carried out from the front desk but are to be carried out essentially, in order to
provide services to the guest. As the name suggests it is a small desk/counter in
the lobby near the main entrance of the hotel. The bell desk should be situated in
clear view of the front desk, cashier and particularly the doorman standing
outside the lobby, so that the doorman may signal for a bellboy at the arrival of a
guest. Further, it is also important that the bell desk is situated near the luggage
centre and luggage entrance.

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 LAYOUT OF BELLDESK
Staff
entrance

2 entrance

Guest luggage room

Bell desk

6 8

1. Telephone
2. Time & date punching machine
3. Franking machine
4. Ring bell
5. Weighing machine
6. Computer
7. Luggage trolley
8. Racks
9. Bell staff

In large hotels there is a separate rooms for the bell related activities these
large hotels may provide a separate cabin for bell captain in bell section . there
are mat drawers or under counter racks below the bell desk in which bell staff can

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keep various small items like stationary ,staplers ,calculator, luggage net , bag tag
and various bell desk forms ,registers , files and so on.
Behind bell desk there is small room in which left luggage are kept . a brief
description of bell desks section/ counter includes
1. Front counter
2. Under counter
3. back counter

Front vounter:-This counter is used for guest intaction from e=where guest can
enquire or take information whatever he/she want from the bell desk. This
counter contains the following equipments:-
 a ring bell
 telephone
This counter shold be looking attractive and keep neat& clean at all the time.

UNDER COUNTER:-IT IS ALSO KNOW AS “WORKING COUNTER” ON WHICH BELL

CAPTAIN OR BELL ATTENDENT PERFORMS HIS DAILY WORK LIKE PREPARATION of
luggage tags, making entry into bell desk register, filling log book, etc. the counter
is also attached with a drawer which consists of several slots to keep various
miscellaneous items like – stamps, ink, pad, pen ,pencil, stapler, etc.

Back counter:-this counter is used for keeping the guests luggage but in large
hotals there will be a separate room for it . this section is used for placing the
luggage cartor trolley . one may also built filling cabinet in this section which will
used to keep various files for record perpose.

Side counter:-this counter will be on the right % left side of under deskwhich is
used to keep heavy or electronic equipmentsloke :- frankingmachine, computer,
printer, etc., these counters will work asa supportive counter likr bed side tables
in guest room.

Manual equipments Mechanical equipments Optional equipments

 Bell hop trolley  Computer with  luggage net &

 Bell stand printer luggage tag
 Various stamps  Calling bell  beach umbrellas

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 telephane  stationary

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 Organizational structure of bell desk

Duties & responsibilities of bell desk staff

Senior bell captain:- the position title is also known as “HEAD HALL PORTER” who
directly reports to lobby manager or front office manager and principally
responsible for managing & supervising to his/her bell desk staff . senior bell
captain is constantly dealing with the hotels patrons therefore he?she must have
knowledge of local affairs & entertainment.
Some of important duties of bell captain:-
 Greet guests and inform them of property amenities, services, and hours of
operation, and local areas of interest and activities.
 Open doors and assist guests/visitors entering and leaving property.
 Assist with luggage storage and retrieval.
 Transport guest luggage to and from guest rooms and/or designated bell
area.
 Assist guests/visitors in and out of vehicles, including assisting guests with
loading/unloading luggage.
 Supply guests with directions.
 Arrange transportation (e.g., taxi cab, shuttle bus) for guests/visitors, and
record advance transportation request as needed.
 Dispatch bell staff or valet staff as needed.
 Communicate parking procedures to guests/visitors.
 Follow up with guests to ensure their requests or problems have been met
to their satisfaction.
 Serve as a departmental role model, and assist management in hiring,
training, scheduling, evaluating, counseling, disciplining, motivating and
coaching employees.
 Develop and maintain positive working relationships with others.

Bell captain:-A hotel's bell staff often gives guests their first impression of the
hotel's service. It's up to them to make each guest feel welcome, relaxed and that

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their needs will be met. As the leader of the bell service team, the bell captain is
responsible for setting the tone for the rest of the staff and demonstrating the
proper ways to perform bell services.
 Supervises Bell Staff
The bell captain manages the bell staff by setting work schedules, assigning duties
and supervising their day-to-day work. This includes calling bell staff to the front
desk for service and overseeing the way they carry out guest services, from
transporting luggage to answering guest questions and fulfilling requests. The
captain trains new staff in all aspects of bell service and corrects and coaches all
staff on their performance.
 Interviews, Hires and Evaluates
Part of the bell captain's job is interviewing and hiring new bell staff and training
them according to the specifics of the job. The bell captain must know all aspects
of the job of fulfilling guest services, as well as the rules and specifics of the
individual hotel. Captains also conduct performance reviews on a scheduled basis
and coach employees to help them improve in their jobs.
Performs Bell Duties
The smart bell captain sets an example of hard work and good service by
performing all bell duties when needed. This means helping guests in and out of
taxis, carrying guests' luggage to and from their rooms, explaining the room's
features, assisting physically challenged guests, answering questions, fulfilling
requests, running errands, delivering messages, offering advice on local
restaurants and attractions and obtaining tickets to events. At some hotels, the
bell staff may drive guests to activities; others arrange transportation. As the
department head, the bell captain makes sure the hotel doors are kept clear and
the lobby is inviting and easy to navigate. The bell captain is sometimes part of
the hotel security team.
Interacts with Other Departments
As part of the supervisory staff, the bell captain must have regular, efficient
communication with the managers of other departments. This can involve holding
and attending daily recaps, front office and interdepartmental meetings. The bell
captain must have knowledge of all hotel departments, understand the hotel's
overall service goals and ensure the bell staff carries them out.

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Desired Skills and Traits
Bell captains and bellhops must enjoy working with the public in a service
capacity. Good listening skills are needed to hear what customers want to know
and respond effectively, and to work well as part of the hospitality team. Both
positions require the employees to be on their feet for most of their shifts. The
jobs involve a lot of walking, a lot of lifting of baggage and luggage and pushing
heavy carts that can be unwieldy. The bell captain must have good math and
computer skills, great attention to detail to oversee others and the ability to
coach bellhops to succeed in their jobs.
Bell boy:-
Primarily responsible to Greet and welcome all guest to the hotel and relieve
guests of their luggage on arrival. You will ensure that the highest standards of
hospitality and welcome are demonstrated at all times, and that all guest
requests are dealt with in a prompt and courteous manner.
In Addition to assist guests with luggage, Porters are also responsible to collect
and distribute post, parcels. And also deal with general enquiries and ensuring the
lobby and forecourt areas are always clean and tidy.
BELL BOY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
 Checks the daily arrival list for VVIP's or guests with special need.
 To be present at the Concierge/Reception desk or in the lobby to be ready
to assist guests, colleagues and visitors when requested.
 Ensure collection and delivery of guest luggage and equipment in an
efficient and timely manner.
 Tag baggages it and return the identification slips to guests.
 Assists guests with luggage to the front desk.
 Escorts guests to room, placing luggage in room assigned by front desk.
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 Inspects guest room for order and adequate supplies and informs guests of
room amenities
 Delivers faxes, messages, packages and flowers to guests rooms and other
offices.
 Provide items on loan to guest and collect the items back from guest before
departure.
 Inform Front Desk Cashier to charge items given on loan, in case there is
any charges applicable.
 Ensure the efficient delivery and collection of group luggage.
 Ensure that the guest has verified that all luggage has been accounted for.
 Ensure safe storage and collect ticketing of guest coats and personal items.
 Assist guest with Long term luggage storage requests / Left luggage
requests.
 Update and file the left luggage request form / Long Term luggage request
form.
 Update and file errand cards.
 Update the Luggage movement register.
 Transport departing guests luggage from the room to the lobby, then into a
car or taxi after reconfirming with the guest.
 Respond to guest requests and queries providing a knowledgeable, efficient
and helpful information service.
 Assist the senior Concierge on duty with his/her duties during busy periods
and breaks.
 Assist with answering the telephone and taking messages, transferring calls
or dealing with enquiries.
 To provide an efficient luggage storage, delivery and collection service.

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  Perform any other works as and when assigned by the management.
Door man:-
The job of a doorman is more important than many think. A doorman is usually
the first person someone encounters when entering a building, and making a
good first impression can make the guest or resident feel comfortable and secure.
Doormen should have a cleancut appearance and a cheerful attitude. They should
remain professional at all times. A good sense of humor can also be a plus.
The responsibilities of a doorman go far beyond greeting people as they enter the
building. A doorman will hail taxis, sign for packages, give directions and keep an
eye out for suspicious activity in and around the entrance of the building. Being
alert and keeping the entrance safe are perhaps the most important duties of a
doorman.
The duties of a doorman will vary depending on the type of establishment, area,
size of building and shift. Hotels in larger cities employ doormen around the clock.
In the winter, the doorman may be responsible for keeping the entrance and
sidewalk clear of ice and snow. Many doormen also tidy up around the lobby,
monitor security cameras, keep logs of package deliveries and open taxi doors for
residents. A doorman in a co-op or condo will get to know the residents and make
note of any visitors that come by when the residents are away.
Lift attendant:-
A lift operator is a person who is appointed at the position of a job which involves
the operating of lifts of various kinds. This job position requires the candidate to
be an expert at the operating and maintenance of lifts. A lift operator need not
have specific educational qualifications or academic background. This job position
comes with a set of important job responsibilities. The following is a list of a few
of the major job responsibilities of a lift operator.
 A lift operator’s primary job responsibility is to ensure the safe and efficient
operation of the lifts which can be mountain chair lifts, goods lifts, person
lifts or any other kinds of lifts.

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  A lift operator is responsible for seeing to the fact that a lift is properly
managed as per the standards of the lift authorization.
 A lift operator is responsible for loading and unloading items and goods in
and out of the lift and deliver it to the right floor or level of the building
where needed.
 A lift operator is responsible for helping elderly people or disabled
individuals to get inside the lift and outside it if required.
 A lift operator is also responsible for regularly cleaning the lift and checking
its working condition time and again.
 A lift operator is responsible for ensuring that the goods are safely put
inside the lift and are in the right condition when they are being put outside
the lift.
 In case of any emergency, a lift operator must know how to repair the lift.
Clerk room attendant:-

Enquiry clerk:-
1) Operate telephone switchboard to answer, screen and forward calls, providing
information, taking messages and scheduling appointments.
2) Receive payment and record receipts for services.
3) Perform administrative support tasks such as proofreading, transcribing
handwritten information, and operating calculators or computers to work with
pay records, invoices, balance sheets and other documents.
4) Greet persons entering establishment, determine nature and purpose of visit,
and direct or escort them to specific destinations.
5) Hear and resolve complaints from customers and public.
6) File and maintain records.
7) Transmit information or documents to customers, using computer, mail, or
facsimile machine.
8) Schedule appointments, and maintain and update appointment calendars.

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Valet:-
 Ensure to commit plus demonstrate corporate culture, values, vision and
goals always.
 Ensure to park as well as retrieve guest vehicles for careful and respectful
procedures.
 Provide continuously four or five star service pertinent to AAA guidelines.
 Prepare, complete and fill out legibly suitable valet tickets for all guest
vehicles.
 Supervise valet parking lots for all self parked vehicles.
 Ensure to maintain cleanliness at valet lots as well as garages.
 Present service of guest vehicles inclusive of window cleaning and trash
removal etc.
 Report maintenance needs if any within valet lots and garages.
 Maintain valet equipment inclusive of air tanks plus battery packs along
with umbrellas and coolers.
 Provide support as required to assure exclusive guest service.
 Provide recommendations and information to management for supporting
quality operations.
 Comply with all GPI policies plus procedures always.
 Support customers promptly as well as courteously in Valet checkout and
check-in.
 Ensure to quickly clear valet drop-off area of cars as parked.
 Ensure high level of client service plus satisfaction is accomplished

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 Work profile of bell desk
1. Luggage handling
Luggage handling of the guest is done at various occasions such as
arrival, during stay (change of room) and at the time of departure. At the
time of arrival when the luggage of the guest is moved from car/taxi to the
lobby and further to the allotted room, the activity is called “up bell
activity”. When the luggage of the guest is moved from room to lobby and
further to the car/taxi at the time of departure the activity is called “down
bell activity”.
2. Temporary storage of luggage
The baggage is collected from room upon request. A left luggage register
(Refer to proforma given below) is maintained in this case and an entry is
made in this book. A baggage ticket (which has two parts) is used (refer to
proforma given below). One part is attached to the luggage and the counterfoil
is given to the guest. This portion details the hotel’s liability exemption clause.
When the guest comes to collect his luggage he has to produce his portion of
baggage ticket. The luggage store room must be secure at all times.

Peocedure:-
The term ‘left luggage’ is attributed to luggage left by a guest who checks
out of the hotel but wishes to collect his luggage later. Guests who want to visit
other cities in a country on a short tour may find it inconvenient to carry all their
baggage with them or may find it uneconomical to retain a room in the hotel
where they can keep their luggage. Hotels provide the left luggage facility to
guests who are likely to check into the hotel after their return from a tour though
this is not strictly necessary. There might be guests who check out but intend to
eventually depart much later in the day and occupy their time sight seeing. They
would find it inconvenient to carry their luggage either them. They leave their
luggage ion hotel premises under the guarantee by the management that the
luggage would be safe. Some hotels may char4ge a fee for this facility but most
hotels do not.

Procedure for receiving and eventual delivery of left luggage.

Receipt:
1. Ascertain if the guest wishing to leave his luggage has paid his hotel bill.

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2. Staring the baggage ticket on each piece of luggage separately. The baggage
ticket has a number, which is also printed on the counterfoil of the ticket.
3. Enter details in the left luggage register.
4. Tear off the counterfoil of each ticket and hand it over to the guest.
5. Keep the luggage in the left luggage area.

Delivery:
1. Take the counterfoil of the luggage from the guest.
2. Tally the same with the ticket attached to the luggage in the left luggage area.
3. Enter the date of delivery in the left luggage register.
4. Retain counterfoil and tags of luggage.

Luggage Inventory:-

It is a procedure to keep a track of all guests’ stored luggage either the bell
service. This report is made periodically by the bell captain along with the help of
bellboys. While doing this exercise the bell captain checks the following:

S.N Luggag Nam Roo Date Descriptio Locatio Collectio Remark

o e Tag e of m No of n of n in n Date s
No the Deposi Luggage Luggag
Gues t e Room
t

(Performa given below)

Luggage inventory sheet

-Check that all the stored luggage have individual storage ticket and the name,
date of deposit and collection etc. Written clearly on the ticket and are tallying
with the record in the luggage storage register.

-Also check that inventory details regarding each baggage viz. (luggage ticket
number name of guest, room number, date of deposit/collection, description of
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baggage, location etc.) are written clearly and legibly on the ‘luggage inventory
sheet’. And make sure that the total of luggage pieces in store are tallying with
the records on the register once the inventory is done, the same is checked by the
assistant manager.

1) Left Luggage procedure:

At times guest find it inconvenient and expensive to carry their luggage to a place
where they are going for a few days. Guest are expected to check out by check
out time (12 noon) even if their fight is in the evening and they find it too
expensive to retain the room for extra day just to keep the luggage. Mostly hotels
offer the left luggage room facility free of cost but some hotels do charge for it.
Left luggage facility may also bring back the guest to stay in your hotel on his next
visit. The procedure for receiving luggage is as such:
 Before accepting the luggage, it is checked that whether guest has settled
his bill or not.
 Check the baggage of the guest if it is properly locked or not. In case the
baggage is damage than the guest must be informed and note for the same
must be made in the receipt.
 Luggage stickers should be pasted on all luggage pieces. A proper receipt
must be made, signed by both guest and bell captain and handed over to
the guest.
 Enter the details in the left luggage register with the expected date the
luggage will be picked up by the guest.
 Keep the luggage in the left luggage room under lock and key.

When the guest comes to pick up his luggage pieces from the left luggage room
then the follo0wing procedure is carried out.
 The guest is requested to give the receipt. In case guest has lost the
receipts than guest is requested to sign in the left luggage register.
 Check the receipt and bring out his luggage pieces from the left luggage
room.
 Make an entry in the left luggage register entering the date luggage pieces
delivered.
 Stick hotels stickers for publicity.

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 HOTEL XYZ LTD.
DATE……………..
ROOM NO…………
BAGGAGE CHECK
NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR GOODS LEFT OVER 30 DAYS
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………
SUIT CASE BRIEF CASE SUIT BOX GOLF BAGS
UMBRELLA OVERCOAT PACKAGE OTHERS
NO 1234
NOT RESPONSBILE FOR GOODS LEFT OVER 30 DAYS

DATE……………… ROOM NO:-………………

A left luggage register

LEFT LUGGAGE FLOW CHART

Intimation received from guest for storing luggage

Ascertain no. of pieces and duration for storing

Prepare left luggage receipt

1st copy 2nd copy 3rd copy 4th copy

Collect cash & stamp Affix on File copy Retained in the Book
‘paid’ & give to the guest baggage

Direct bellboy to affix 2nD Book sent to FO cashier as and when Copy on baggage
and store directed with the cash collected Systematically as assigned to be
deposited.

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 PROCEDURE FOR DELIVERY OF LUGGAGE

Request guest for receipt For collection of baggage

Identification of baggage by guest

Collect receipt. Stamp ‘delivered’

Baggage to guest’s room or as directed

File receipt systematically

2) Scanty Baggage Procedure

Scanty baggage means no baggage or a light baggage consisting of brief
case or air bag. Guest with scanty baggage is normal skippers from the hotel.
Skippers are those persons who check out of the hotel without settling their bills.
The scanty baggage guests also normally go out with their light baggage and hotel
never knows that if this guest is going out with an intention to come back or not.
To save guard the hotels interest, normally guest with scanty baggage are
requested to pay in advance. There is a set procedure adopted by hotels to keep a
control on guests, with scanty baggage.
 Lobby manager and the reception are notified immediately on guest’s
arrival about the scanty baggage.
 Arrival errand card is stamped with scanty baggage.
 Guest registration card’s all copies are stamped with ‘scanty baggage’.
 The scanty baggage register is filled up by the bell desk.
 Get the guest registration cards and the scanty baggage register signed by
the lobby manager.

3) Luggage handling procedure in case of groups’ arrival & departures.

In case of a large group arrival, usually there are many number of luggage
pieces to be carried to the guests’ room. Usually each suit case has the guest
name printed. A copy of the rooming list is supplied by the tour operator, which
contains the names of all the residents. The room are allotted by the receptionist.
The bell boy puts the luggage tags and hotels stickers on each suit case. On
luggage tags the bell boy writes the room number of the guest. The bell boy

23
ensures that each suit case is delivered to the respective guests’ room as early as
possible.
At the time of check out, the guest is requested to keep their luggage
outside their room or they are picked up from their rooms and brought down to
the lobby. After getting the luggage pass from the cashier, the bell boy take their
luggage to the waiting cars/buses.

2. Paging Apart form luggage handling the bell desk is also responsible for paging
a guest. The paging is a system of locating the guest in the hotel. Many times the
in-house guest expects a phone call or a visitor but decides not to wait in the
room, and might decide to go to a public area such as bar, restaurant, swimming
pool, lobby or lounge etc. of the hotel or may go out of the hotel. In such cases
the hotel requests the guest to tell about his whereabouts through a location
from (Refer to proforma on page number 331). This proforma may be kept in the
stationery folder in the room as well as at the information section of the counter.
Usually it is filled in by the guest but many times it may be filled in the hotel staff
on the instructions of the guest. The completed location form is kept in the key
and mail racks. This information is sent to telephone department also (the guest
may directly inform or the front desk may do so) the purpose of the form is to
earmark the area of paging and save time. In case of computer system the
information is recorded in computer instead of location forms. In hotels different
systems of paging are used. Page Board System

The most commonly used system is called ‘page board system’ or traditional
system of paging in hotels. This is a simple system in which the bellboy/pageboy is
required to carry a small board which has a small handle and small bells attached
to it. The receptionst/Informationist writes the name of the guest and his room
number on the board, and the pageboy/bellboy carries this board to the public
area which has been mentioned on the location form by the guest and keeps
rigning the attached bells. This attracts the attention of the guest immediately. To
avoid any embarrassment to the guest, no message etc. Should be written on the
page board. This method of paging may create disturbance to other guests in the
area and if the guest has not left any 5

24
whereabouts this system is time consuming as the paging might have to be done
in various public areas one. In case the guest is in some meeting or conferece, the
bellboy should contact and organizer or secretary who will contact the guest
himself.

Public Address System (A.P. System) Another system called as Public Address
System (P. A. System) is used in some hotels theseDays. In hotels,
piped/relayed/channeled music is played from a central room. One switch of the
same is with the receptionist/informationist who on receiving the phone call or a
visitor for a guest switches off the channeled/piped music from all public areas
and announces the name and room number of the guest to be paged. This is
transmitted to all public areas at the same time. This saved times as well as
efforts of pageboy/bellboys. The communication skill of the person announcing
are important in the system. His voice, manner of speech modulation of voices,
correct use of phrases, worlds and tone, etc. are very important. The tone should
be friendly, interested and helpful.

Hotel ABC
Zero Street, New Delhi-110001
Phone………………..
Date:
Time:
EXPECTING
Phone call……………………………………………….
Visitor…………………………………………………….
I will be
at……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………. Restaurant: Abasacus china street Moughal Surabi Bar
red &black

Barber Shop Bank

Lobby Swimming Pool
Shopping Area Health Club

Between………………………………………………………………………………………and…………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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……………………………………………………………………….Gone

to……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………..
Will be back
by…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………

MESSAGE
Name:_ Room no:-

In case guests leave their room expecting any visitor or message, please fill in and
leave this form at front desk.

Thanking you
Information Asstt.

Location form

Pager/Beeper System

With the development of electronic communication equipment some hill resorts

or sea beach resorts which are spread in a vast area use pagers or beepers for
paging VIP guests who are given pagers where they can be immediately reached if
there is a phone call or visitor for them.

3. Mail and Message Handling The bell desk’s function is also to handle and
distribute mail and message received by the front desk in the absence of the
guests to their respective rooms. Also distribution of newspaper and magazines
etc. to various rooms and the areas of the hotel and keeping a record of the same

26
is done by the bell desk. ( The activity of mail and message handling is discussed in
detail later in this chapter).

4. Delivery of newspapers As per the hotel policy all hotel guests receive a copy
of local newspaper each morning. The bellboys in the night shift are responsible
for delivering the newspapers to all occupied rooms. The bell captain obtains the
room verification report (providing information on all rooms presently occupied).
The bellboy then marks the room numbers on each newspaper. The bellboys also
inserts the daily newsletters in each paper provided by the public relations office
the previous evening. The bellboy then distributes the newspapers. The record of
numbers of newspapers received on daily basis is maintained by the night shift
bell captain.

5. Collection of Room Keys at Departure.Another very important function of the

bell desk is the collection of room key from a checkout guest and Depositing the
same at the information desk.

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PROFORMA OF SERVICE CALL SHEET

S NO:-
DATE:-…………

PLEASE PERMIT THE FO;;OWING EMPLOYEEFOR OUT DOOR WORK

AT………………………………………..FROM…………………hrs TO………………..hrs

FOR USE OF DEPARTMENTAL HEAD FOR THE USE OFSECURITY

DEPARTMENT

S NO NAME TOKEN NO TIME OUT TIME IN

1.
2.
3.
4.

DEPARTMENTAL HEAD
SECURITY HEAD

This form must be submitted to Personnel Department immediately on return

failing which deduction in wages will be effected.

Verified by…………………………………………………………………(Personnel Department)

6. Miscellaneous Jobs Miscellaneous Jobs such as postage stamps handling, taking

care of outgoing mail of the guest, carry out outside errands for the guest and
hotel such as buying of cinema tickets, moving of files and documents etc. for the
guest as well as going to banks, post office and FRRO police station foe delivering
of ‘C forms’ etc., confirming of railways/bus reservation etc. are done by the bell
desk. Bellboy shall do the outside jobs only on the instructions of bell captain. A
service call slip will be prepared (Refer to page number 333 for proforma). Also an
entry in the log book will be made and an entry in bell captain’s control sheet,
28
which is meant to control the movement of bellboy will be made. Finally when
the bellboy will return an entry will be made in the service call slip and bell
captain’s control sheet and will be signed by bell captain.

In most of the hotels these days bell desk is also responsible for ca parking area
and control of revenue generated from car parking area.

At times when there is a room discrepancy, the bell desk staff helps the lobby
manager in checking and sorting out of the status of the hotel.

7. Wake Call In some hotels the wake up call to groups and crews is coordinated
by bell desk. In such cases it is the responsibility of the bell captain on duty in the
morning shift to prepare the wake call sheets of all the groups and crews in –
house.

Procedure:-

The bell captain obtains the group folio numbers of all the groups/crews in-house
which are expected to leave that day or crew/groups leaving the next day before
3 PM.

He then prepares the wake call sheet of such groups by putting their room
numbers and wake call time and baggage collection time/departure time from the
hotel. These room numbers are again checked to ensure that all groups/crew
members have received wake call.

Once all such sheets are made, a summary of group/crew departure is prepared
and is handed over to the assistant manager on duty. The assistant manager again
checks these sheets, and co-ordinate the calling time with the group
leader/airlines staff to ensure that wake call is given at the correct time.

Once the wake call is finally confirmed, the bell captain on duty assigns duty to
the bellboys to distribute these sheets to various departments so that necessary
arrangements may be made for a smooth check-out. He also assigns the duty to
bellboy to bring the luggage at the given time and arrange for the check-out.

29
 FORMS USED IN BELL DESK
1.LUGGAGE TAG

LUGGAGE TAG

ROOM NO:-………………………… TAG NO:-………………………………..

GUEST NAME:-……………………………..............................................................................................

REMARKS:-
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

HANDLED BY:-…………………………………………………….

2. GROUP RECORD FORM

GROUP RECORD FORM

Date & time of arrival:-………………………………… date & time of departure:-………………………….

Arrival flight name & no…………………….......................... nationality:-………………………….

Name of group?group leader:-………………………………….. no of persons:-…………………………….

No, of luggage:-……………………………………………..

Remarks:-……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Supervised by……………………………………… handled by…………………………………….

30
3.service call record sheet

service call record sheet

date & day…………………………….. shift………………………………

Room no Bell boy Time No, of remarks

bags

Sign of shift captain

4.luggage book

luggage book
date & day………………………………………

Sr, no No of Room no Arrival Departure No of remarks

guests time time pieces of
luggage

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5.left luggage register

Left luggage regiter

S no:-……………
date Room no Name of Name of Luggage Description Date of remarks
guests bell boy tag no of luggage delivery

32
Coordination and Communication of Bell Desk with
Other Areas of Front Office.
During the various stages of providing service to the guest it is important that the
bell desk staff must communicate with various persons and sections such as
doorman, reception, information, cash and lobby manager desk. Since the bell
desk is near to all these sections and in clear view of them the most common way
of communication is by gestures and phrases and words. But at times it may not
be possible to draw the attention by gesture so a light and buzzer system may be
used. In this system each of the above mentioned area is connected with a switch
and light panel of different colour and a different sound buzzer. For example,
when the doorman wants a bellboy he will press a button and at the bell desk a
buzzer will start ringing and a specific colour light (say red) will glow which will
indicate that a bellboy is needed at the door. Similarly other areas such as lobby
manager’s desk and front desk are connected with different coloured lights and
different sound buzzer to the bell desk. With the doorman the bell desk has to
coordinate and communicate at the time of arrival of a guest for luggage handling
i.e. taking out of the luggage from the car/taxi and carrying it to lobby and also at
the time of departure for luggage outpass, only on the basis of which the luggage
of the guest will be allowed to be taken out of the hotel.

Equipment Needed at Bell Desk

The list of various equipment required for efficiently performing the bell desk
function is very exhaustive and comprehensive and depends upon hotel to hotel,
its standard and degree of automation used in the hotel. But generally the
following items are important.

1. Luggage trolleys and bell hop trolleys: It is important that the trolleys
are well maintained, proper greasing and oiling is done in time and in
case of brakes, make sure that they function properly. Also make
sure that their movements are well controlled and move only in
required guided direction. There is no squeaking or rattling noise
when the trolleys are moved. However avoid excessive oiling as the
oil drops may cause stains on floors and carpet which may be difficult

33
 to remove and may also cause accidents. The trolleys should fit in
easily along with the guest and bellboy without creating overloaded
condition in the elevator cage:

2. For proper and effective intra-communication with front desk areas

and inter-communication with other areas of the hotel as well as
outside hotel the bell desk must be equipped with intercoms,
telephone and computers, etc. For written communication proper
proformas should be there.
3. Postage weighing machine is also important.
4. Franking machines for printing the value of postage.
5. Date and time punching machine for putting the date and time of
reviving the mail and message by the bell desk.
6. Luggage net for identifying and separating the luggage of groups
usually.
7. Stamp folder, glue, twines, scissors cardboard for packaging etc
8. Stamp folder, glue, twines, scissors cardboard for packaging etc.

Prepare for expected guest arrivals

In preparation for guests‘ arrival, Porters will need to check front office reports
for Arrivals, expected departures, trace and special reports and any expected
VIPs.

The Arrivals List provides information to many departments, one of which is

uniformed Staff, where it assists the porter in efficiently checking all incoming
guest requests and information. In some venues this may include a photo of the
guest to aid recognition.

Whether the Arrivals List is manually or computer generated, the information

found on it must always be treated in the strictest of confidence and should never
be left unattended for public viewing.

Information found on an Arrivals List may vary from establishment to

establishment, but can be expected to include:

34
  Arrival date and method of travel, the estimated time of arrival (ETA)
 The departure date and estimated time of departure (ETD)
 The guest‘s name, or the name of the reservation
 The number of guests
 The room type and special requirements for room features
 The market segment
 The room rate and whether the booking was guaranteed or not
 Any special requests that have to be prepared, for example removal of the
mini bar or a charger for an iPhone.

The Arrivals List is a necessary tool in the planning undertaken to receive guests. It
helps to inform management and staff of details and special requirements.

Determining the number of porters

required to meet shift demands. If a
Staffing Levels number of tour group busses are
expected then it will take several
Porters to assist guests, unload and
distribute luggage in a timely manner.

Planning of daily tasks When not assisting guests Porters may

have to collect mail, distribute
newspapers or run errands.
Such as tours this requires co
ordination with front office staff for
room allocation and key dispersal,
Prepare for group arrivals having a dedicated luggage storage
section and checking all information is
ready to give to the tour members such
as breakfast location and time, meeting
areas arranged and up to date list of
hotel services.

Organizing luggage storage areas Especially for large groups of guests

who may be on a tour, or who have all
come off a recently landed plane.

35
Comply with special requests
Special requests are a common occurrence in most accommodation
establishments.

The front office usually takes these special requests, with the original booking of
the room or face-to-face with guests at check in or during their stay. The actual
filling of these special requests requires a team effort and frequently it is the
porter who is required to assist in ensuring special requests are fulfilled in
accordance with requirements and establishment procedure and policies.

Porters need to liaise with staff from other departments to meet and prepare to
meet guest‘s special requests – which may include items such as preparing for
guests with a physical disability, a request for a bottle of wine on arrival in the
room, a fruit platter, chocolates, or a cot in the room.

In an establishment with an electronic Property Management System special

requests can be logged as traces. Traces are electronic messages from one
department to another identifying by login tag who has processed and accessed
the trace. Each department can print their trace or special request report to check
all requests have been completed.

Porters may liaise with housekeeping to provide extra equipment such as printers,
play stations or coffee makers a guest may have requested. If a guest is a VIP then
there may some standard extras added to the room or suite depending on the
level of VIP. Extra furniture may be requested such as a child‘s cot or desk chair.

Liaising also with Room service staff may also include delivery of floral
arrangements, fruit or local produce baskets or a different brand of snacks or
newspapers.

In house protocols for pre-arrival information available may include:

 Guest name/s, title (if appropriate) – Doctor, Sir, Mr, Miss

36
  To personalise the welcome guest profile can include family information –
number and age of children, together with their sleeping arrangements,
and room number(s)
 The number in party – and designation of those involved this may include
the names of staff such as the secretary, or the trainer, or the nanny
 There may be special security arrangements or extra security staff.

The profile may include a company name and business information, the nature of
the business. Information will also include personal preferences, for brands of
beverages, newspapers, confectionary preferences such as the preferred colours
of jellybeans, the preferred temperature level of air-conditioning, even the
preference of wake up time, and information on the type of car.

Assist guests on arrival as required

The concierge or bell desk is usually located in the front foyer or lobby of a
Hotel or Resort in an area close to the driveway and front doors. The porter is
usually the first representative of the establishment who meets face-to-face with
the guest and this meeting can therefore have a lasting impression. The moment
the porter identifies a guest, they should immediately acknowledge them and not
wait for the guest to make the first move.

When guests arrive the porter should welcome them warmly, the
Establishment may have a protocol for greeting guests. As part of the greeting,
offer assistance to guests. When assisting a guest out of a car or from a bus
support the guest under the elbow to steady them. Check the number and type of
luggage the guest has for and then the porter will collect the luggage from the
car, bus or shuttle or other transport. Porters may check luggage for damage or
irregularity.
The Porter will direct the guest to reception and if the guest has limited local
language, body language will indicate the direction the guest should go.

Porters are responsible for driveway security and may need to direct buses
and taxis to parking areas. If the guest has arrived in their own car a Porter or
valet may park the guests‘ car this may be a venue s own car park other venues
may rent parking spaces from a commercial car park close by.

37
 If guests are arriving by transit bus or airport shuttle then porters may have
to greet guests at a drop off point.

Escort guests to rooms

When the guest has checked in a porter may escort them to their room or follow
later with the luggage. As the porter escorts the guest they need to ensure that
guests are going in the right direction and allow the guest to set the walking pace,
even when the porter is leading the way. The Porter has an opportunity to market
or sell hotel features or services as well as point out the location of meeting
rooms to a guest attending a conference or the area set aside for a tour group
breakfast or other areas such as dining, bars, sports facilities, entertainment. A
porter will also mention in- house facilities such as laundry, cleaning, repairs,
secretarial, child minding, translator, room service), in room facilities (mini bar,
movies, internet, safe deposits.
A porter may suggest or offer additional services to reserve table at the in
house restaurants or dining areas, the location of the guest services desk, or
maybe a spa booking for a guest tired after a long flight, or offer to book a
reservation at an entertainment or sports event or even reserve a court or tee
time for racket sport or golf the trip to the guest room may also include discussing
upcoming events in the town or city especially those that will impact on the
guests stay.

Rooming the guest

While the porter is escorting the guest to their room they have an opportunity to
advise the guest of the venue‘s emergency evacuation procedure, answer any
questions the guest may have. When arriving at the room location the porter will
explain how to use the key, insert the key if it‘s a metal standard key, mention
which direction to turn; if it‘s a magnetic key card, insert into the slot and wait for
the light to turn green then open the door. Having opened the door the porter
will do a visual check to insure the room is ready for occupancy, and then the
porter will allow the guest to enter and follow with the luggage.

The room may have a suitcase rack or support to place a suitcase, hanging
items will be placed in the wardrobe, vanity cases or makeup bag will be places in
the dressing area or bathroom, briefcases or laptops or other personal items will

38
be placed on the bed. The porter will always seek the guest‘s approval before
positioning items.

For example:
Mrs Collins would you prefer your makeup bag in the bathroom?‖ or
Mr Ling, can I put your laptop on the desk or would you prefer it on the end of the
bed?‖

When opening the door may involve a metal key or more frequently a key
card with a magnetic strip the card is inserted into the door and may have to be
placed in a slot inside the door to activate the main power switch turning on lights
and TV with a welcome message. The newest form of ‗key‘ is to use an app sent
to a mobile phone to access the guest room.
The porter will point out room features to the guest; explain the operation
of air conditioning or temperature control, access to intranet, guest messages,
telephone and curtains and window features. Also the porter will point out the
location of the compendium and other hotel information and explain the min bar
procedure especially if it‘s a mini bar with direct charge capability.
Finally the porter will ask if there is anything else they can do, return the
key to the guest and wish the guest a pleasant stay.

Adhere to enterprise policies and procedures for luggage handling

The porter should always remember that the luggage they carry belongs to
someone else. All luggage should be handled carefully it may contain breakable or
fragile items.

Luggage should also be treated as an item of great value and never be left
unattended, particularly outside the hotel entrance. On arrival a porter may tag
luggage with a hotel tag identifying the number of items and guest name and
room number, a luggage tag will also include an expected Date of Departure.

Most accommodation establishments have luggage labels to identify and

confirm the ownership of luggage to ensure the security of the luggage. Luggage
labels or tags will ensure the luggage is delivered to the owner.

The tag will indicate:

39
  Whose luggage it is (guest name)
 Guests room number
 Group name (if appropriate)
 Number of pieces, often expressed as a % 1 item of a total of 4, e.g. 1/4
then2/4 and so on
 Type of luggage, suitcase, soft pack, sports bag, sporting equipment, make-
up bag, briefcase, laptop etc.

The porter should always use luggage labels to write the guest‘s name and room
number on as soon as this is known. The label should then be attached
immediately to the guest‘s luggage.
It is most important for the porter to ensure that all luggages are labelled
accurately.
Sending the wrong luggage to the wrong room causes annoyance, poor guest
relations, and embarrassment and has the potential to lead to theft, and breaches
of privacy.
Occupational Health and safety; Luggage can be heavy – sometimes very, very,
heavy – and therefore the porter must be aware of some basic occupational
health and safety issues regarding handling luggage, including:
 Test the weight of bags before lifting – give them a test lift
 Adopt the correct posture for lifting
 Keep the back straight
 Bend the knees
 Lift the luggage.

Use an approved trolley if luggage is too heavy to lift comfortably and correctly.
If more than one item is to be placed on the trolley, the heaviest bags should be
placed on the bottom and the lighter ones near the top.
If an item is too heavy to pick up, the vertical trolley should be used as the porter
will not have to personally lift the bags. Most trolleys have a number of ‗hooks‘,
which allows the porter to hang garment bags, handbags and other light items
with handles. A porter should ask the guest if they want any personal items or
delicate items on the trolley or would they prefer to carry them.
In some establishments, specific routes for the trolleyed transportation of guest
luggage have been identified these should be adhered to where they apply.

40
In very large hotels there might even be a conveyer belt to get the luggage from
the arrivals area to the reception area or even convey the luggage to the required
floor or wing of the hotel.
Likewise, some establishments have procedures for where certain luggage
should be placed within rooms – articles on hangers may have to be hung up,
suitcases to be put onto the appropriate racks, briefcases next to the bed, and so
on: these must be adhered to with every guest in every room, unless the guest
requests something else.

Group arrivals
As a tour group or convention group arrives usually by bus and luggage is
unloaded and transported by the driver and/or porter to designated area, some
hotels or resorts have a designated porter and front office reception staff to greet
and check in groups. Or have a special group check-in reception area.
The porter will count and record the luggage on the group file. Receptionist
checks Rooming Lists and all relevant information for correctness and smooth
check-in process.
 Luggage is tagged by the porter
 Porter obtains Rooming List and places room numbers on tags
 Luggage is distributed to the different floors/rooms.

Luggage may need to be stored at the time of arrival or departure. At the time
of arrival, a guest‘s room may not be ready. To give the guest the freedom to
leave the venue without the inconvenience of holding onto their luggage, the
venue will store it for them. Conversely, at the time of departure, the guest may
be required to vacate the room by 11.00 am but not due to leave until that
evening. Again, the venue will store the guest‘s luggage for them until required.
Many venues use a trolley to transport luggage but it is still necessary to lift
the luggage onto and off the trolley. When stocking the trolley, place large, heavy
items on the bottom and place first those pieces of luggage that are to be
delivered last.

Assist with guest departures

Respond to guest requests for help when departing :-

Prior to departure, the porter or valet will need to assist the guest to pack their
luggage. The guest may need extra bags or paper to pack delicate items. The
41
guest may need extra laundry bags for dirty clothes and plastic shoe bags for
shoes.
The following are some guidelines to follow when packing:
Don‘t start packing until you are fully prepared and aware of everything that
needs to be packed along with the bags/luggage that you have to pack into
 Make sure you have all items that need to be packed – where unsure, ask
the guest: many
 guests will want to carry/pack some things themselves
 Fold clothes according to establishment requirements/procedures
 Pack shirts in folded pairs reversed and toward each other
 Pack the front of garments toward the front and top of the luggage
 Place shoes into plastic bags, inserting shoe-trees as appropriate
 Pack shoes with the soles flat against the sides of the luggage
 Pack luggage with heavy items at the bottom and lighter items on the top
 Complete the packing with a towel to cover all items.

Transport luggage for departing guests

When a guest is ready to check-out of their room, a porter may be required
to assist the guest with their luggage, or the porter will be asked to take the
luggage down to the reception area or storage area and the guest will check-out
later some guests may carry their luggage to the check-out desk.
The porter will usually be advised as to how much luggage has to be moved
and the type or approximate weight of the luggage. A trolley may frequently be
needed and the porter should check with the guest, if they are present, if all items
are accounted for, if the guest is not in attendance the porter will use the luggage
tag to identify the number and type of luggage, alternatively the front desk will
include the number and type of items the porter is to collect.

The porter should arrive at the room in plenty of time to ensure that guests
complete check out in a sufficient time for the guest to meet travel time
deadlines. International travellers are required to be at airports several hours
before the flight departs. The guest can get very anxious at check-out too.
Especially if the guest has a tight schedule or is time poor.
Upon arriving at the guest‘s room, the porter should knock on the guest‘s door
and announce him or herself. On being invited into the room, the porter should

42
inquire as to the whereabouts of the luggage and the number of items, some will
be quite obvious but some might be in the bedroom, the lounge or even the
bathroom.
If the guests travel arrangements have luggage weight limits then porters
will need to weigh all items and inform the guest of any over the limit items as
this may incur extra fees.
The porter may need to organise the transport of unaccompanied luggage if the
guest decides to send items to their home or business while continuing their trip
with fewer pieces of luggage. The porter will do a visual check of the guest room
to ensure the guest has not forgotten any item.
The porter or valet will collect the guest car from the parking area
alternatively the porter may need to arrange for other transport, a taxi, or airport
shuttle. When the transport ready the porter will load the luggage first confirming
with the guest which pieces are to be loaded into the boot or luggage storage
compartment and which pieces the guest will carry themselves.
Following check out the guest services desk or bell desk will arrange to
forward mail or messages. The porter may need to provide information on
weather conditions in the guest's next destination, or on traffic or airport delays,
and answer any question the guest may have. A porter may need to provide
directions to pick up points or transport locations.

Operate in-house guest luggage storage facilities

In house luggage storage systems vary between establishments, in terms of
their size, location and documentation used. Luggage storage systems or Luggage
Rooms are places where guests can store their luggage before they are roomed,
or after they have departed their room.
In some cases, the guest may have arrived early at 0600 [6am], if the Hotel
or resort had a full house the night before there is no vacant rooms as the guests
have not checked out and/or dirty rooms have not been cleaned and notified as
‗room ready‘ or ‘inspected‘. In such cases, the establishment may register the
guest offer them a free breakfast or hot beverage or even supply a courtesy room
for the guest to bathe and change while they wait, and store their tagged luggage
in the Porters store room or Luggage Room. The first appropriate room that
becomes vacant will be allocated to them, the porter notified, and the luggage
delivered.
In another example, a guest may depart their room at 0900 [9am] and be
leaving that evening at 1800 [6pm] on a cruise or flight. The guest may ask that

43
their luggage is kept for them until 2pm to enable them to go and do some
shopping before they pick it up and head off to the wharf or the guest may attend
a meeting and collect the luggage on the way to the airport.
The Porters store room or Luggage Room would be used for this type of safe
storage. The guest‘s luggage should have a tag attached. This tag may be a two-
part type where one-half of the tag is attached to the luggage, and the other
portion is given to the guest for them to use when claiming the luggage.
Other tags simply register the name of the guest whose luggage it is,
together with the total number of items stored the guest is asked to provide an
approximate time of pick-up so that the porter can determine where in the
Luggage Room to physically store the items. Some establishments utilise an alpha
storage system, items are stored in alphabetical order, using the guest‘s surname
as the indicative letter other venues will use a system based on given departure
date and time. Where a group is storing luggage, the marking and storing will take
this into account – perhaps by using a colour-coded tag or a barcode system. An
efficient system speeds things up for porters when they are trying to identify
appropriate luggage.
Security is always paramount in luggage storage, and porters or staff must
check any dockets or documentation presented to ensure its validity, and only
present the proper items to claimants. Staff must always check receipts/tags and
never just take a guest‘s word for which bags are theirs, the guest say ―mine‘s
the one with the Blue ribbon around the handle‖.
Where guests have a complaint that their luggage has been lost or
damaged, the establishment policies must be followed. This will include notifying
management, taking full written details, making some interim arrangements for
the guest, and then deciding whether compensation is payable, and if so how
much. Do apologise for any problems but ensure staff never commit the
establishment to making any form of compensation without management
approval. Establishment policy may require staff to note specifically any damaged
luggage that is presented for storage to ensure the guest doesn‘t subsequently
claim for damage

The term ‗Porterage‘ refers to the fee charged by some venues for the
convenience of luggage storage. When porters place a guest‘s luggage into the
storage system the porter should recheck the number and type of luggage and
also consider the size, weight shape. When positioning luggage in the storage

44
area staff also need to consider how long the item is to be stored. Guests trust
staff to actually place their luggage into safe storage and this means away from
public view and securely located within a protected environment.
The method used by porters and staff to handle luggage is important guests
do not want to see their precious luggage tossed carelessly into a bay, or onto a
shelf. They don‘t want to see someone else‘s bags thrown on top of theirs either.
Luggage should be grasped by the proper handles, and stood up as intended.
Laying luggage flat is to be avoided as it encourages others to place bags on top –
and you don‘t know what fragile/breakable items there may be inside. Luggage
with wheels may be wheeled but handles should be retracted and wheels
checked for cleanliness.
If a large group is checking out and there is not enough space in the
Porter‘s Room or Luggage Room, then the following three possibilities may apply:
 Luggage may be placed in a hotel room or a hospitality room used for this
purpose. The room may be the one occupied by a tour leader or the
establishments may charge day use rate, 50% of the room rate for such a
service
 Luggage could be positioned in one corner of the lobby and roped off. A
thick rope goes through all the handles on the luggage so that nothing can
go missing. Alternatively the luggage is positioned in one corner of the
lobby and it is netted, a large net, similar to fishing net, is placed over the
top of the luggage and secured tightly.

It is a requirement of this Unit you complete Work Projects as advised by your

Trainer. You must submit documentation, suitable evidence or other relevant
proof of completion of the project to your Trainer by the agreed date.

3.1 Create a collection of information to train a new porter in butler duties of

packing asuitcase. Download information on folding:
 Shirts
 Jackets
 Men's suit
 Men's long pants
 Ladies dress or frock
 Ladies coat.

45
3.2. Research the various methods of transport a guest could use to get to the
airport and the approximate cost.
3.3 Design a system that could be implemented to track and store luggage in a
storage room. Include date, weight and name.

Assist other departments

Support room service requests for assistance :-

Porters may be asked to perform other duties, in departments short of staff

for example room service need to clear a large number of trays or trolleys. Room
service may rely on the porters to collect door knob menus while returning from
escorting new guests to their rooms.
The guest services desk will use porters to put electronic equipment into a guest‘s
room such as PlayStation‘s or chargers for mobile phones or laptops, coffee
making machines or toasters etc. Porters may assist in preparing Picnic requests
from guests, Room service will have prepared the food and beverage items but
the porters may need to supply tables, chairs, umbrellas, marquees transport
perhaps boat or helicopter transport.

Porters may also be required to collect external food deliveries for guests
or specialist food items such as imported brands or culturally specific items.

Room service staff have contact with guests and will pass on to porters any
specific requests or information such as questions about tourist information or
food requests. When servicing VIP guests, especially international guests may
request home brand foods, Americans may ask for Dr Pepper, English guests may
ask for a specific brand of tea, Australians prefer Cold Beer, Japanese may request
a brand of Wasabi, Middle Eastern guests may ask for a specific style of Turkish
coffee. Porters may be sent to purchase the items.

Assist in emergency cleaning requirements:-

The porters must follow guest requests or instructions regarding the

handling of items in their luggage, as each guest has personal needs and
sometimes accidents leave clothing and other items stained and in need of
cleaning. The Hotel will keep contact details with specialist dry cleaners or fabric
cleaners. Some stains may be treated on site by Hotel staff, for example red wine

46
spilt on a guests dress, or chocolate or berry stains. If the guest has played a sport
or participated in an outdoor activity, Porters may have to clean a variety of dirt,
mud or grass stains.
Hotel staff will have a reference resource on treatment of stains in an
emergency. This would include accidental spills within the luggage caused by
broken or damaged bottles or product such as body wash or makeup.
Guests who have travelled some distance by a variety of transport may find their
luggage exterior dirty or stained and Porters may need to effect emergency
cleaning before or after delivery to the Guests room. If the Porters need to send
off clothing to be dry cleaned or laundered, the hotel laundry bags may need to
be completed with the guests details, the form is usually in triplicate and includes
Guest name, Suite or room number, the date. Staff need to tick any of the ‗care‘
boxes for same day service or overnight service and check the garment count
column and add the colour of the garments and note the location of any stains
and their cause, if known. Always check all care labels and wash directions.
Lobby appearance is an important aspect of the guest's first impression;
Porters are responsible for the cleanliness of the lobby and driveway. Sweeping or
vacuuming soil tracked in by guests, smokers ash trays can be bumped or spilt.
There are also accidental liquid spills, drinks or beverages especially if the lobby
area is also used for food and beverage service.

Assist in emergency situations and procedures, as required

The Hotel or resort would have staff trained in various levels of first aide
and policies and procedures for staff to follow in case of emergency. Porters, in
keeping a reference file of information to assist in responding to any guest
requests, have an extensive list of medical professionals including specialists,
dental doctors, chiropractors, physiotherapists, sports therapists and also
culturally applicable medical service.
The concierge and porters may be required to assist in emergency
situations. Porters are required to explain emergency procedures to guests, this
include describing the actions to take in case of fire or emergency evacuation.
Guests are instructed to take the stairs not the elevator or lift and to assemble at
a safe location; guest registration cards would help account for guests in the case
of evacuation. Evacuation can also occur in the case of bomb threat, flood or
storm.

47
 Porters are required to assist if a guest is ill or injured, contacting medical
professionals. This may include driveway control to enable emergency vehicles to
access the venue.

Porters will also be required to assist guests in the case of power failure;
their knowledge of the layout of the establishment will assist guests who may be
disorientated.

All incidents will be recorded and logged following the establishment‘s

policies and procedures.

Back-fill in departments and service areas where required

Cross training or multi skilling means that staff are trained to perform in
more than one role. This allows for greater flexibility in the tasks and roles each
staff member is able to undertake and thus tends to eliminate the possibility of a
staff member not being able to fulfil a guest‘s request where that request is not
part of their normal duties.

Guest requests to the porter can come at any time and may or may not be
the porter‘s responsibility. But this does not mean the porter doesn‘t take
responsibility for ensuring the request is met. For example, a guest requesting
their room be serviced is the responsibility of housekeeping. However, if it is the
porter who the guest asked to clean the room, it is the porter‘s responsibility for
ensuring the request is completed. In this instance housekeeping is contacted and
the request passed on.

Other departments may be short of staff or experiencing an influx of

guests. For example if a restaurant has been unusually busy porters may be asked
to assist clearing tables and resetting.

Manage difficult patrons

The porter plays a significant role in minimising the possibility of a security

breach. Porters spend most of their time in the public areas of the venue, which
means they are in an excellent position to observe the comings and goings of
guests and other people. Because any person can access these areas, not just
guests, there is considerable potential for security breaches, such as theft and
48
disturbances to occur. A porter needs to be constantly alert to people who seem
‗out of place‘, uncomfortable or suspicious
The porter may be required to assist when a disturbance does occur. A
disturbance is any incident that interrupts the normal activities of the venue. It
may include guests who are having an argument, or are intoxicated or it could be
somebody who is attempting to steal or damage the property. People who are
causing a disturbance could pose a threat to the venues safety or the safety of
guests. Frequently a potential disturbance can be averted if the porters are
observant however porters should not involve themselves in a disturbance but
contact security staff and the duty manager or department manager. All staff
should be aware of the protocols and procedures for dealing with difficult guests.

Provide concierge services

Distribute mail and messages to guests :-
A Guest purchases more than just a room when they stay in a Hotel or
Resort; they purchase intangible products for example security, comfort, luxury,
service, and a feeling of importance. Good service will result in guests departing
happy, content and relaxed. Porters‘ duties are key to satisfied happy guests.

The mail and packages that may be delivered are sorted and then it is
common practice for the concierge or porter to be given the mail to distribute to
guests and departments. The porter will sort the mail by room number and floor
level. Some deliveries may require signatures. Guests may receive information
through the internet via the hotels business centre these also may need to
printed and delivered.

When mail is received for a guest a porter needs to:

 Check that the guest is registered or if a departed guest that the hotel has a
forwarding address
 Record the date and time it was received, if it‘s had to be signed for which
staff member signed for the mail. Also record name of guest, type of mail
item such as letter, Postcard, parcel etc.

Message delivery

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 All hard copy messages or requests for hard copy messages whether
they are phone messages, internet, email or faxes, will be delivered to the
guests by the concierge or porter. Many messages can be delivered through
electronic property management system guests are notified by a message
light or indicator on their TV screen. In some establishments messages can
be sent via the intranet or the in-room television or put on voice mail for
easy retrieval by the guest. These services will be monitored by the
concierge or bell desk.

Arrange wake-up calls for guests

A wake-up call is a telephone call made by a Hotels telephone operator to a
guest at a time requested by the guest. It is a telephone call to wake up a sleeping
guest. It is common practice for the telephone receptionist/department to receive
the request for a wake-up call directly from the guest. A Concierge or Porter may
be required to organise the wake-up call for an individual guest, airline crews and
travel groups.
The wakeup call lists include the names of guests in the airline crew or
particular travel group.

The group leader would usually identify when the group should be given a
wake-up call. It may then be the job of the porter prepare a list of guests (the
group list) and forward same to the telephone receptionist so that he can give
each member of the travel group a wake-up call.
The airline operations office will nominate the pickup time for their crew.
Depending on standard procedures the time of the wakeup call is usually 45-60
minutes before the pickup time and then a list of guests is forwarded to the
telephone receptionist so each member of the group will receive a wake-up call.

Most hotels have automated wake-up systems which are activated by the
guest himself or they provide alarms clocks within the room. Manual wake-up call
procedures will vary from property to property but usually involve filling out a
‗wake-up call sheet‘ which has columns representing 5-10 minute intervals. If
staff receive a wake-up call request they would be required to write the name and
room number of the guest that requires the wake-up call in the appropriate
column. In the morning the receptionist or switchboard operator would make

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each wake-up call, throughout the morning, recording each wake-up call as it is
answered by the guest.

Some guest or VIPs may request a personal wake up from Room Service or
Porters. Staff personally knock on the guest‘s door to awaken them usually with a
morning service tray with a hot beverage or fruit juice. Porters may have to wake
guests who have not responded to the Telephone call.

Organise transport for guests during their stay-

During the guest stay bell boys or porters will a range of transport such as
,hire cars, limousines other local style transport such as cycles, taxis, carriages,
water taxi, riding on an animal and bus transport or tours on behalf of the guest.
The type of transport will depend on the destination and duration of the travel.

Guest needs such as disability or size will affect the type of transport
arranged.
Concierge or porters have extensive contacts with a wide range of tourist
businesses and a range of transport methods. Also many external transport
businesses will have promotional material and details to encourage a hotel or
resort to use their services, especially for the range of animal rides such as
horseback, donkey, elephant, dolphins etc.

Group tours will have special arrangements often pre-booked but as many
tours include free time for the guests the bell desk or porter will have to meet
some extra needs for sightseeing transport.

When arranging transport the porter needs to ask the right question such as
 The numbers of guests travelling
 The destination and terrain to be covered
 Luggage or picnic needs
 Self-drive will need a valid license
 If a driver is required is there a language preference.
 Arrange transfers for departing guests
 Asking a guest who is checking out whether he/she would like any
transport arrangements made, is particularly important for a guest who is
heavily laden with luggage or who does not know what transport is
available. Remember, not all guests are experienced travellers. This is an

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 opportunity to make a good lasting impression on the guest especially if the
guest has to meet connections for further travel.
 A variety of transportation may be arranged for a guest. This may include:
 Courtesy bus
 Hire car
 Limousine
 Taxi
 Helicopter.

A guest may wish to travel by public transport, in which case up-to-date bus, train
and perhaps ferry timetables will be needed. When a guest is going to the airport,
remember to allow plenty of time when advising as to which bus/train to take.

Whatever form of transport is arranged, certain information is needed:

 The estimated time of departure of connecting transport
 The guest‘s name and number of passengers. If children are included then
booster seats, capsules or other requirements need to be considered
 The number of pieces of luggage
 Destination
 Any special details, such as flight arrangements/rail details.

 Other information that may that may need to be taken into consideration
include:
 Whether disabled/wheelchair access is required
 Whether there is a large amount of luggage
 If there are large, cumbersome items to transport.

Once all details have been obtained from the guest, the information is recorded
by the porters, if any arrangements the guest has requested need to be altered,
discuss these with the guest before arranging them. When the guest is not
available, make the arrangements and confirm them with the guest as soon as
possible.

Once transportation is confirmed a guest may request that luggage be

taken down to the lobby or conveyed to the vehicle. Alternatively, a guest may
request that luggage be stored until later in the day.
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Organise luggage pick-up from rooms and destinations :-
The guests will normally contact Concierge by phone when they want their
luggage picked up. When speaking to the guest porters should enquire:
 How much luggage there is and the type of luggage, there may be a need
for more than one porter and trolley
 Where is the luggage? Guest's room or the guest may have luggage in
storage or items to be collected from local vendors or customs agents if
they have purchased an item that needs certification
 What time is the guest due to leave the hotel or resort as they may require
luggage to be stored for a short time
 Whether the luggage is to be loaded into a car or if commercial transport is
to be met.

If the luggage has been stored then the Porter needs to check the tag and
verify the guest name and number of items. Luggage may have to be re tagged if
the guest is not travelling with the luggage or its being sent to a different location.

Page guests as required

Historically the process of paging a guest by a bell hop or bell boy who
carried written messages around the Hotel ringing a bell and calling out the guests
name 'Message for Mr Wu', the hand written message was placed in a slot at the
top of the pole or rod the bell was placed on, hence the term bell boy.

Messages are still carried to guests in this way in some hotels especially
those with historical or period themes. Currently messages are more likely to be
forwarded by text to a mobile phone or accessed on an iPhone or notebook.

Staff are also paged in this way to meet guest requests. With modern VOIP
[Voice over Internet Protocol] computer generated messages can be sent
instantly, or guest room telephones can be diverted to another location such as
the Spa. Porters may use hands free ear pieces to hear requests.
If Mrs Wilson wants to check out she may ring the concierge phone
extension, but in fact it‘s an internal call centre which relays the message to the
first available porter.

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 Pocket buzzer pagers are also used if guests are asked wait or queue
instead of issuing a number token. In larger areas such as leisure or entertainment
complexes in a hotel a loud speaker system may be used

Prepare in-house guest information/directories

It is the concierge‘s role to provide help and information to guests on all matters
including:
All the details about the facilities
 Tourist attractions
 Car hire, taxis and public transport options
 Theatre and dinner bookings
 Airline and other bookings.

Due to the variety of requests, uniformed staff commonly compile a book of

information and frequently called numbers this information can be hard copy or
electronic.

This information is sometimes stored on computer at the concierge‘s desk,

enabling easy access by all staff and facilitating the provision of excellent service.
Information is found in a variety of directories, guide books, pamphlets and
tourist publications. Most establishments have a brochure rack which contains a
wealth of information on local attractions, activities, restaurants, etc.

Tourist groups and tour and tour companies, local attractions and
government agencies or a local area newspaper, transport timetables, telephone
book and locality directory will be invaluable. Whatever material is available, do
not simply hand it over to the guest when asked for directions or information.
Review the information with a guest and ensure all questions have been
answered and staff may offer suggestions or alternatives from personal
experience or their local contacts.

Respond to guest requests for advice and local knowledge

Guests require a range of information and staff in all areas need to be able to
supply a variety of information including information about the Hotel or Resort
and its services and in house businesses, information about Local attractions and
destinations, information about regional destinations and attractions. Hotels and

54
Resorts also seek feedback about services and information in order to effectively
and efficiently and provide guests with exceptional guest service.

This includes knowledge of:

 Seasonal influences (e.g., pilgrimage season, best times to see particular
flora or fauna)
 Children‘s parks tourist developments
 Natural heritage sites
 Local markets
 Museums
 Keep up-to-date with industry information so that you can give guests and
junior team members information
 Know what is going on in your property and industry
 Promote products and services and help meet guest expectations.

 Up to date knowledge of the property and the local accommodation and

hospitality industry shows enthusiasm and commitment. Porters should
make sure that they listen carefully to a guest‘s request and ask questions
to clarify the guests needs and determine how best to fulfil their request.
Responding to guest requests for information about the local area might
require a porter to:
 Supply phone numbers of a tour/travel agent
 Make personal recommendations
 Supply brochures, business cards, maps etc.

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 THE NIGHT AUDIT
A night auditor is a person who works at night at the reception of a hotel.
They typically handle both the duties of the front desk agent and some of the
duties of the accounting department. This is necessitated by the fact that most
fiscal days close at or around midnight, and the normal workday of the employees
in the accounting department does not extend to cover this time of day.[1]

In larger hotels, night auditors may work alongside other nighttime

employees, such as security officers, telephone attendants, room service
attendants, and bellhops. In smaller hotels and motels, the night auditor may
work alone, and may even only be "on-call", meaning that once he or she
completes running the daily reports, the auditor retires to an area away from the
desk while remaining available to attend to unexpected requests from guests. In
the smallest hotels and some bed and breakfast establishments, the front desk
may close entirely overnight. Guests in such facilities are typically given a contact
number for an employee or manager, who may be sleeping on the premises or
live nearby, for use in case of emergency.

Accounting function
The night audit itself is an audit of the guest ledger. The guest ledger (or
front office ledger or transient ledger) is the collection of all accounts receivable
for currently registered guests. It can also be defined as the collection of all guest
folios. A folio (billing receipt) is the account of an individual guest who is currently
registered. The guest ledger is distinct from the city ledger, which is the collection
of accounts receivable for non-registered guests (such as credit card companies).
The purpose of the night auditor is, but is not limited to, ensuring the accuracy of
all financial information, and gathering all needed paperwork to complete the
audit. This will include pulling any or all checked-out guests' registration cards,
and making sure all guests are checked-out in the system that should be checked-
out.

One task of the night auditor is posting the day's room rate and room tax to
each guest folio at the close of business (which usually occurs from midnight to 2
AM).

Second, the night auditor must ensure the accuracy of the charges to the
guest folios, ensuring that the sum of revenues due to accounts receivable from

56
the various departments (i.e. Food & Beverage, Rooms, gift shop) found on the
department control sheets equals the sum of the charges made to the guest
folios.

The folios for guests who are scheduled to depart the next morning may be
printed and delivered to the guests' rooms.

Most hotels currently use computerized property management systems

(PMS) to help perform the night audit. This has significantly reduced the amount
of time required to perform the audit, as well as the arithmetic skill required of
the auditor. An audit for a 1,000-room hotel can be completed in one hour with a
PMS, whereas it would have taken an eight-hour shift using previous generation
technology (the NCR 4200 mechanical system).

Another duty of night auditors is to produce daily management reports

from the PMS. These include occupancy reports, calculations of average daily rate
(ADR) and revenue per available room (Revpar).

In addition to the accounting function, night auditors may also be required to

perform the typical front desk functions during the graveyard shift. These
functions include check-in, check-out, reservations, responding to guest
complaints, coordinating housekeeping requests, and handling any emergencies
that may arise.

Night auditors may work alongside a security officer to maintain a level of

security during late-night hours for both night staff and guests. In addition to
balancing the guest ledger, the night auditor is usually responsible for balancing
the city ledger and the advance ledger. The city ledger consists of monies owed to
the hotel by credit card companies and direct bill accounts. The city ledger also
contains house accounts, such as management dry cleaning charges, or local
phone call charges which are usually adjusted (written) off at the end of each
month. The advance ledger is aptly named because it is a ledger for guests who
have sent money in advance to either pay for or guarantee their stay. These funds
are posted to the advance ledger when received by the hotel, and then
transferred to the guests folio (in the guest ledger) upon arrival of that guest.

57
 Front office records must be periodically reviewed for accuracy and
completeness. This need is met through the NIGHT AUDIT. With computerised
accounting it can be carried out at any time during the day. These properties
choose to call the audit the Front office audit or System up date. Even though
computerised properties can perform these functions at any time, they almost
invariably follow the night time tradition since the no. of transactions are less
during the late night or early morning hours. Performing the night audit requires
attention to accounting detail, procedural controls and the guest credit
transactions.

Duties and responsibilities of a night auditor:

 The night auditor is an official of the hotel who verifies the correctness of
the guest accounts checks the entries of the day’s sales and verifies
whether the cash collected during the day has been duly accounted for
with the help of summaries and statements received from various
departments during the night shift.
 The night auditor should also be familiar with the nature of cash
transaction affecting the front office accounting system.
 The night auditor typically tracks room revenues, occupancy percentages
and other operating statistics.
 In addition, the auditor prepares a daily summary of cash, check and credit
card activities that occurred at the front desk. These data reflect the front
office’s financial performance for the day.
 The night auditor summarizes and reports the results of the operations to
the front office management. This accounting data can also be used by
hotel’s accounting department for the generation of further statistical
reports.
 The night auditor establishes guest and non guest account integrity by
cross- referencing account posting with departmental source
documentation.

The audit process is complete when the totals for guest, non-guest and
departmental accounts are in balance. As long as the audit process presents an
58
out of balance position, the audit is considered incomplete. An out-of-balance
position exists when the charges and credits posted to guest and non guest
accounts throughout the day do not match the charges and the credits posted to
the departmental revenue sources. An out-of-balance condition may require a 12
thorough review of all account statements, vouchers, support documents and
departmental source documentation.

Proper internal control techniques call for different front office staff to
post, verify and collect for different sales transactions at the front desk. If a front
desk agent was allowed to sell a guest room, post the charges, verify the postings
and collect the cash for the room, no one else would be able to detect mistakes.
Instead, duties should be split among the employees; a front desk agent may
perform posting, a night auditor the verification and a cashier the settlement.

Supervising the credit limits of guests and non guests accounts helps to maintain
the integrity of a front office accounting system. Establishing lines of credit or
credit limits depends on a lot of factors, such as credit card company floor limits,
the hotel’s house limit, and the guest’s status or reputation as a potential credit
risk. High account balances should be noted as a part of the posting process. At
the end of each day the auditor has to identify those guest and non guest
accounts that have reached or exceeded the assigned credit limits. A report listing
high balance accounts or a high balance report for the front office is made to take
appropriate action.

Night audit functions can be performed manually, mechanically or electronically.

Regardless of how the night audit is conducted, the basic accounting formula
that applies is as follows:

Previous Balance + Debits - Credits = Net outstanding balance

PB + DR - CR = NOB

A daily transcript is made in manual and semi automated hotels as a detailed

report of all guest accounts. The daily transcript indicates those guest accounts
that had transactional activity on that particular day. A supplemental transcript is
often used to record the day’s transactional activity for non-guest accounts. Daily

59
and supplemental transcripts are simply worksheets designed to detect various
types of posting errors. They can facilitate the night audit routine by identifying
out-of balance figures. An out-of-balance condition among the non-guest
accounts, for example, will help the night auditor to detect and correct errors
without having to review all transactions occurring on that day.

60
 The Night Audit Process:
A manual accounting module simply is not feasible for a large hotel’s front office
operation.

The duties of the night auditor working with a non-automated system are as
follows:

1. All pending vouchers, left unposted by the previous billing clerk are entered
into the guest account.
i. Charges room rate to all guest accounts and accumulates room charges for the
day are also posted in the guest account
ii. Closes all guest accounts for the day in the Visitors Tabular Ledger as well as in
the Guest Weekly bills
iii. Prepares new sheets of Visitor Tabular Ledger for coming day and opens all
guest accounts
iv. Totals Debit and Credit sides of each V.T.L.

Checks the arithmetical accuracy of the total of each debit and credit item on the
last sheet of the V.T.L. The formulas applied are:
Daily total vertical figures = daily total horizontal figures
Daily total + Balance B/F(Dr.) – Balance B/F(Cr.) = Grand total(Dr.) – Grand
Total(Cr.)

2. Two transcripts of the guest accounts are prepared; one for the in-house guests
and the second for the departed guests 3. The total individual items showing the
transcript are compared with the respective sale summaries of the departments
a) The total room sales is compared with the room sales shown by the V.T.L.,
room count sheet and the night receptionists room sales report
b) The total food sale is compared with the restaurant sale summary, cash book
summary and V.T.L. food column
c) The total of the bar sale is compared with the bar allocation sheet of control
dept. and cashiers bar sale summary and V.T.L. bar column.
d) The total of telephone column is compared with the telephone summary and
V.T.L. telephone column.
e) The total of other departments is compared with the sales journals of these
departments and respective columns of the V.T.L.

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f) The balance b/f is compared with the balance c/f for the previous day
g) The total of cash receipts is compared with the front office cash sheet
h) The allowance vouchers are not listed in the front office so the night auditor
prepares a consolidated statement of allowances. The total of these is compared
with the allowance column of the transcript.

Sends the departmental summaries, transcript sheet, V.T.L., etc. to the income
auditor. In some hotels semi-automated accounting system is used with the help
of N.C.R. machines. The duties performed by the night auditor are as follows:
1. Takes the readings for all departments with the help of accumulating key
2. The night auditor prepares a trial balance with the help of N.C.R. machine.
3. It is also the responsibility of the night auditor to remove bills of those guests
who have completed their seventh day in the hotel and reopen new bills for them
for the new week
4. Sends all department summaries, transcript sheet, machine balance and audit
roll tape is sent to the income auditor.

The night audit focuses on two aspects, The discovery and correction of front
office guest accounting errors and management reports. Guest and non guest
accounts are compared with the source documents from the revenue centers to
provide individual transactional entries and account totals. Discrepancies found
during a night audit should be corrected so that the front office accounting
system is in balance. For management reporting, the night audit provides
important operating information, such as average rate, occupancy percentage,
usage of package plans and other marketing programs and the no. of group rooms
and complimentary or no-charge rooms occupied. The degree of scrutiny required
during the night audit process depends firstly on the frequency of errors which
relates to the quality of the front office work and secondly the volume of the
transactions to be reviewed which relates to the size and complexity of the hotel
operations. The following steps are common to the sequence of a night audit :

1) Complete outstanding postings

One of the primary functions of the night audit is to ensure that all
transactions affecting guest and non guest accounts are posted to appropriate
folios before the end of the day. Charges posted to wrong date will confuse guests

62
and severely complicate cross-referencing. Posting errors can also lead to
discrepancies and delays at check-out.

Though the transactions have to be posted to the proper account as soon

as they are received, the night auditor must confirm that all the transactions
received by the front office for posting are been posted, before starting with the
audit routine. Incomplete posting will result in errors in account balancing and
complicate summary reporting. In addition to completing posting functions, the
night auditor verifies that all vouchers for revenue center transactions are posted.
If the hotel does not have interfaced computerised telephone call accounting
system, outstanding telephone charges may require manual posting. In case of a
point of sale or call accounting system interfaced with the front office accounting
system, the previously posted totals should be verified to ensure that all outlet
charges have been posted. This can be done by generating printed posting reports
from the interfaced system and comparing them with the total reported by the
front office account system. If the figures are identical, the systems are in
balance. If they do not tally the auditor begins to compare transactions between
the two systems to identify the transactions that have been omitted or
improperly posted.

2) Reconcile Room Status Discrepancies

Room status discrepancies must be resolved in a timely manner since imbalances
can lead to lost business and cause confusion in the front office. Errors in room
status can lead to lost and uncollectible room revenues and omissions in postings.
The front office must maintain current and accurate room status information to
effectively determine the number and types of rooms available for sale. For
example, if a guest checks out but the front desk agent fails to properly complete
the check-out procedure, the guest's room may appear occupied when it is really
vacant. This error in procedure could prevent the room from being rented until
the error is discovered and corrected.

` In manual and semi-automated hotels, before the end of the day, the night
auditor reconciles discrepancies between the daily housekeeper's report and
the front office room status system (the room rack and guest folios in manual
and semi-automated hotels). To minimize errors, housekeeping departments
typically require staff to record the perceived status of all rooms serviced. The
63
auditor must review front office and housekeeping department reports to
reconcile and finalize the occupancy status of all rooms for a given night. In fully
automated hotels, the night auditor compares the daily housekeeper's report
with the room status report of the system and the bucket where the registration
cards for in-house guests are kept.

If the housekeeping report indicates that a room is vacant, but the front
office believes it is occupied, the auditor should search for an active room folio
and registration card. If the folio exists and has a current outstanding balance,
there are several possibilities:
 A guest may have departed but forgotten to check out.
 A guest may be a skipper who left with no intention of checking out.
 A front desk agent or cashier may not have properly closed the folio at
check-out.

After verifying that the guest has left the hotel, the night auditor should process
the check-out and set the folio aside for front office management review and
follow-up. If the folio has been settled, the front office room status system should
be corrected to show that the room is vacant. The night auditor should verify the
guest folio against the housekeeping and the room status reports to ensure that
all three are consistent and in balance. In a computerized system, the check-out
process is normally linked to a rooms management function that automatically
monitors and updates the room's status. Few, if any, room status discrepancies
should occur in a computerized front office system, but the night audit process is
still necessary to ensure accuracy.

3) Balance All Departments

The night audit process can become quite complicated when errors are
discovered. It is generally considered more efficient to balance all departments
first and then look for individual posting errors within an out-of-balance
department.

The night auditor typically balances all revenue center departments using
source documents that originated in the revenue center. The night auditor seeks
to balance all front office accounts against departmental transaction information.

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Vouchers received at the front desk and other documents are totaled and
compared with revenue center summaries. Even fully automated front office
accounting systems rely upon source documents to help resolve discrepancies as
they arise.

When the front office accounting system is out of balance, the correctness
and thoroughness of account postings must be investigated. A detailed
department audit (by shift or by cashier) may be conducted and individual
postings reviewed until the front office accounting error is corrected.

The process used to balance the revenue center departments is often called
the trial balance. The night auditor completes the trial balance before verifying
the final system balance and creating final night audit reports. The trial balance
usually uncovers any corrections or adjustments that need to be made during the
night audit process. Night auditors often perform the trial balance before posting
room and tax charges. Doing so can simplify the final night audit procedure. If the
trial balance was correct and the final balance is wrong, the auditor can deduce
that the error must relate to the room and tax posting.

It is important to note that a mathematical balance in guest and non-guest

accounts against departmental totals does not necessarily mean that the proper
accounts were selected for posting. Posting the correct amount to an incorrect
account would still present an imbalance total. This type of error usually goes
unnoticed until a guest has a problem with the validity of an entry on his or her
statement. Exhibit presents a sample sequence of night audit procedures useful in
departmental balancing.

4) Verify Room Rates

The night auditor may need to complete room revenue and count report such
as the one shown in Exhibit. This report provides a means for analyzing room
revenues since it shows the rack rate (price) for each room and the actual rate at
which the room was sold. If a room's rack and actual rates do not match, the night
auditor should consider several factors.
 If the room is occupied by a member of a group or by a corporate-rate
customer, is the discounted rate correct.

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  If there is only one guest in a room and the actual rate is approximately half
the rack rate, is the guest part of a shared reservation? If he or she is, did
the second guest register.
 If the room is complimentary, is there appropriate supporting back-up for
the rate (for example, a complimentary room authorization form)

The proper use of room revenue and count information can form a solid
basis for room revenue analysis. The night auditor may be required to produce a
copy of this report for review by front office management. Some hotels today
measure room revenue potential against actual room revenue.

The actual room revenue posted is compared with the rack rate of the
rooms occupied for the night. The comparison may be shown as a percentage.
The night auditor may be responsible for calculating this number and reporting it
as part of the night audit or it may be done automatically by the front office
computer system.

5) Verify No-Show Reservations

The night auditor may also be responsible for clearing the reservation rack
or filing and posting charges to no-show accounts. In posting no-show charges,
the night auditor must be careful to verify that the reservation was guaranteed
and the guest never registered with the hotel. Sometimes duplicate reservations
may be made for a guest or the guest's name may be misspelled and another
record accidentally created by the front office staff. If these are not identified by
front office or reservation staff, the guest may actually arrive but appear to be a
no-show under the second reservation.
No show billings must be handled with extreme care. A front desk agent
who does not record cancellations properly may cause clients to be billed
incorrectly. Incorrect billing may lead the credit card company to re-evaluate its
legal agreements and relationship with the hotel.

Incorrect billing may also cause the hotel to lose the guest's future business
and (if applicable) the business of the travel agency that guaranteed the
reservation. All front office staff must adhere to established no-show procedures
when handling reservation cancellations or modifications.

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6) Post Room Rates and Taxes
Posting room rates and room taxes to all guest folios typically takes place at
the end of day. Once room rates and taxes are posted, a room rate and tax report
may be generated for front office management review. The ability to
electronically post room rates and room taxes on demand is surely one of the
most frequently cited advantages of an automated front office system over
manual and semi-automated systems. Once the night auditor has verified the
room rates to be posted, the computer can auto-post numerous room rate and
room tax charges to the appropriate electronic folios in a matter of minutes. With
manual or semi-automated systems, the procedure required to post room rate
and room tax can be very tedious and time consuming. In addition, automatic
charge postings are accurate, with no chance for pickup, tax calculation, or
posting errors. This feature can be especially important to hotels located in
municipalities that have bed or occupancy taxes in addition to a sales-tax. Some
automated hotels may pre-set their computer systems to post daily recurring
charges, such as valet parking or gratuities. Auto-posting these charges can save
night audit time and improve accuracy.

7) Prepare Reports
The night auditor typically prepares reports that indicate the status of front
office activities and operations. Among those prepared for management review
are the final department detail and summary reports, the daily operations report,
the high balance report, and other reports specific to the property.

Final department detail and summary reports are produced and filed along
with their source documents for accounting division review. These reports help
prove that all transactions were properly posted and accounted for.

The daily operations report summarizes the day's business and provides
insight into revenues, receivables, operating statistics, and cash transactions
related to the front office. This report is typically considered the most important
outcome of the front office audit.

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 The high balance report, as shown in Exhibit, identifies guests whose
charges are approaching an account credit limit designated by the hotel (the
house limit).

In a computerized front office system, the computer may be programmed

to produce many management reports on demand. For example, the high balance
report may be produced at any time during the day as a continuing check on
guest transactions and account balances.

In addition, other reports are usually created at this time by the night
audit. A report showing each group in the hotel, the number of rooms occupied
by each group, the number of guests for each group, and the revenue generated
by each group is common. This report helps the hotel sales department with the
group history. The same type of report may be generated for guests on package
plans or guests staying in the hotel due to a special promotion or advertising
program. Other reports may list guests who stay frequently and guests who are
VIPs. In automated hotels, this type of marketing information can be
automatically tracked, sorted, and reported.

8) Deposit Cash
The night auditor prepares a cash deposit voucher as part of the night audit
process. The night auditor compares the postings of cash payments and paid-outs
(net cash receipts) with actual cash on hand. A copy of the front office cashier’s
report may be included in the cash deposit envelope to support any overage,
shortage, or due back balances. Since account and departmental balancing often
involve cash transactions, accurate cash depositing may depend on an effective
audit process.

9) Clear or Back Up the System

In manual and semi-automated front office operations, totals must be
cleared from the system after the night audit is complete. Manual systems are
cleared by simply moving the closing balance from the night audit report to the
opening balance of the next day's report. In semi-automated operations, the
totals in the posting machine must be brought t a zero balance. The night auditor
controls this function so that the possibility of fraud is minimized. As each account

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is reduced to zero, a separate card (sometimes called a Z card) is used to verify
the zero balance. A Z card is usually submitted with the night audit work to show
that all accounts have been properly reset. In semi-automated systems, typically
only the ending balance is maintained in the posting machine.

Since a computer system eliminates the need for a room rack, reservation
cards, and a variety of other traditional front office forms and devices, front office
accounting depends on the continuous functioning of the computer system. A
system back-up in the night audit routine is unique to computerized front office
systems. Back-up reports must be run and various media duplicated in a timely
manner so that the front office can continue to run smoothly.

End-of-day reports can be developed and automatically generated by a

front office computer system. Normally, at least two guests lists are printed for
back-up and emergency use: one for the front desk and one for the switchboard.

A printed room status report enables front desk agents to identify vacant
and ready rooms should the computer become inoperable. A guest ledger report
can be generated which contains the opening and closing account balances for all
registered guests. A front office activity report can also be generated. Such a
report contains expected arrival, stayover, and departure information for several
days.

In some front office systems, the next day's registration cards are pre-
printed as part of the front office activity report. Due to requirements of the
Americans with Disabilities Act, hotels must also keep track of guests with
disabilities. One reason for this is to ensure that all disabled guests are accounted
for in case of an emergency. This report is usually produced at this time and
distributed to the various departments needing this information.

Computer-generated front office information should also be copied (backed

up) onto magnetic tape or magnetic disk, depending on the system configuration.
A system back-up should be conducted after each night audit and stored in a safe
place. Many computer systems have two types of system back-up. A daily back-up
simply creates a copy of front office electronic files on magnetic tape or magnetic

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disk. The second type system back-up is performed once or twice a week. This
back-up not only copies daily information, but eliminates account and transaction
information deed to no longer be of value. For example, accounts that have been
checked out for over three days and have had no activity during that time can be
deleted from active computer memory. Following this procedure will reduce the
overall amount of computer storage required for back-up. If any account must be
researched in the future, it can be found on previously printed reports or the
weekly back-up.

10) Distribute reports

Due to the sensitive and confidential nature of front office information, the
night auditor must promptly deliver appropriate reports to authorized individuals.
The distribution of night audit reports is the final step in the night audit routine,
and is important to efficient front office operations. Informed managerial
decisions can be made if all night audit reports are completed accurately and
delivered on time.

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 Concierge desk
It is a French word which means ‘information counter/ desk’
. which is a very comman service in European countries, the concierge
section in front office department is work as a source of information .
thus. It should be equipped with all the information of the hotels
facility, servicesto hotel guests,desk staff duties includes making
reservations for dining.security tickets for theater & sporting events.
Arranging transportation, and providing information on cultural events
and local attractions. concierge are well known for their
resourcefulness,

The roots of the title, "concierge" are from the Latin word conserves,
meaning "fellow slave." The word itself is French, meaning "keeper of
the keys." During the Middle Ages, concierges did just that. When
castles across Europe hosted visiting nobility, the concierge kept the
keys to the castle rooms, and ensured that guests had everything they
needed during their stay. By the 1800s, a number of buildings in
Europe, from government offices to prisons, had their own concierge
on staff.
In the 20th century, the introduction of steamships and steam trains
helped launch the modern travel industry. Guests from distant locales
relied on hotel employees for tour assistance and other services during
their stays. Hotels throughout Europe began creating concierge
positions to take care of their guests.
In 1929, Ferdinand Gillet, head concierge at the Hotel Scribe in Paris,
founded Les Clefs D'Or. This association enabled concierges throughout
Europe to share ideas with one another. Today, Les Clefs D'Or has 3,000
members in 39 countries.

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It wasn't until the 1970s that the concierge position emerged in the
United States, although hotel bell captains and front desk staff had
unofficially been performing the same duties for many years. Thomas
Wolfe is known as one of the first American concierges. He worked in
Europe for several years before taking up a position with the Fairmont
Hotel in San Francisco in 1974, and he founded the original West Coast
chapter of Les Clefs D'Or (the West Coast and East Coast chapters
eventually merged to form the organization's modern incarnation).
Technology has impacted the concierge business, just as it has virtually
every other industry. Using a Web-based system, concierges can now
track guest requests until they're fulfilled, and can make reservations
even before a restaurant opens.
In some hotels, touch-screen kiosks have supplemented or even
replaced concierge. These kiosks provide information on restaurants,
shopping, city tours, and services. Guests can use them to print out
maps, coupons, and tickets without ever interacting with a human
being.
Personal concierge services also have gone virtual. For a set fee,
companies such as VIP Desk provide corporations with 24-hour-a-

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day phone and e-mail access to concierges for their employees and
clients.
The hotel concierge business has also changed in another way. Not all
hotel concierges today are the real things. They may wear the
concierge uniform and provide the same services, but many are actually
contract employees of hospitality companies and ticket brokers.
Outsourcing saves hotels on benefits, and some hotel industry insiders
say it helps lower-tier (two- and three-star) hotels provide a service
they couldn't otherwise afford. But outsourcing may not always be in
the best interests of the guests, says Shujaat Khan, President of Les
Clefs D'Or, and Chef Concierge at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C.
The contractor may have relationships with particular restaurants,
sightseeing companies, and venues, and it may tell its concierges that
they can only recommend those places to guests. "Whereas, as an
employee of the hotel, I have no obligation other than to the guest,"
explains Khan. "I will recommend the place that is best suited to the
guest and is of the highest quality."

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 Duties and functions of concierge
The concierge serves guests of an apartment building, hotel, or
office building with duties similar to those of a receptionist. The
position can also be maintained by a security guard over the late night
shift. In medieval times, the concierge was an officer of the king who
was charged with executing justice, with the help of his bailiffs.Later on
in the 18th century, the concierge was a high official of the kingdom,
appointed by the king to maintain order and oversee the police and
prisoner records.

In 19th-century and early 20th-century apartment buildings,

particularly in Paris, the concierge was known as a "Suisse", as the post
was often filled by Swiss people. He often had a small apartment on the
ground floor, called la loge, and was able to monitor all comings and
goings. However, such settings are now extremely rare; most
concierges in small or middle-sized buildings have been replaced by the
part-time services of door-staff. Some larger apartment buildings or
groups of buildings retain the use of concierges. The concierge may, for
instance, keep the mail of absented dwellers, be entrusted with the
apartment keys to deal with emergencies when residents are absent,
provide information to residents and guests, provide access control,
enforce rules, and act as a go-between for residents and management
when management is not on-site.

A modern concierge may also serve as a lifestyle manager, like

a secretary or a personal assistant.

In hotels or resorts, a concierge assists guests by performing

various tasks such as making restaurant reservations, booking hotels,

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arranging for spa services, recommending night life hot spots, booking
transportation (like taxi, limousines, airplanes, boats, etc.), coordinating
porter service (luggage assistance request), procuring tickets to special
events, and assisting with various travel arrangements and tours of
local attractions. Concierges also assist with sending and receiving
parcels

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 Concierge services
In hospitals, concierge services are becoming increasingly
available.] A hospital concierge provides similar services to those of a
hotel concierge, but serves patients and employees as well. This helps
hospital employees who work long shifts, and helps to provide work-life
balance.

There are numerous independent personal concierge companies

that provide errand services and information services for their
members. Services include informational requests, setting dinner
reservations, making telephone calls, researching travel arrangements
and more. Typically, concierge companies will bill on an hourly rate,
and depending upon the type of task, fees can vary drastically. Other
companies bill a flat monthly fee based upon the number of requests a
member is allowed to place each month. In the United Kingdom, since
the year 2000 and as of 2010, concierge has become a key marketing
and loyalty tool in the banking sector and offered as a benefit on
luxury credit cards. This service offering is also known as lifestyle
management. Concierges also entertain their clients.

In the luxury yachting industry, concierge services are available to

meet the demands of yacht owners and charter guests travelling on
board. Often enlisted by yacht captains and crew, yacht concierges
typically provide entertainment and excursions for guests in their
destination(s) and can also assist with support services for the crew and
yacht itself, typically offered by ships agents.

Airport concierge services help travellers make it through security,

customs, and immigration faster, and provide lounge access.

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 The owners and operators of concierge, lifestyle management and
errand service businesses are supported and advocated by the non-
profit International Concierge and Lifestyle Management Association
(ICLMA) and the National Concierge Association.

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 MODES OF CONCIERGE
MANUAL CONCIERGE

Still in present scenario. Most of the hotels offer

professionals for guest dealing on the concierge desk . the person who
works at concierge desk must be flent in English ,good communicator as
well as also possess the knowlwdge of any one foreign language like
French .Spanish or Germany .here are just a few of the fundamentals
concierge duties at a hotel:

 Greeting guest at the front desk with a friendly and pleasant

manner,
 Providing customer service.
 Answering guest inquires about the city and local events and
attractions.
 Handling special requests from guests.
 Making reservations for guests to eat at area
restaurants.procuring tickets for guests to attend to culture
and artistic performances, or by booking sightseeing tours.
 Interacting with personnel from other departments within
the hotels.
 Inputting data into computerized reservation systems.

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 A MODERN APPROACH TO CONCIERGE SERVICE
In a telephone interview, David Lee, Vice-President of
Development for Interstate Hotels states that Interstate Hotels has a
total of 37 different brands within the Interstate Hotel Company. By
using brand identification associated with Marriott, Hilton, and
Starwood, the Interstate Hotel Company is supportive of advancing
national brand, marketing initiatives. The question of relocating the
concierge floor was addressed; the primary reason that the Concierge
Lounge was moved from the upper floors to the lower floors at the
Pittsburgh Airport Marriott was to increase lobby activity by increasing
customer traffic and interaction with service and staff; this would
increase service involvement. Two additional components were the
efficient use of space and the prospect of increasing revenue. Mr. Lee
stated that by putting guest room bays that were historically out of
order because of concierge space requirements, they were now added
as revenue investments in guest room availability (Oct., 2006)

Because of the new developments in concierge services

implemented by The Pittsburgh Airport Marriott, an open-ended
interview was conducted with Tom Hardy, General Manager of the
Pittsburgh Airport Marriott (Oct., 2006). Mr. Hardy contributed
information to advance research for the study of Concierge Lounges
placed in a hotel lobby rather than the familiar location on top floors of
hotels. The first question was “why” the concierge lounge areas should
or are moved from the top floors to the lobby area. According to Mr.
Hardy, the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott entertained a variety of reasons
for moving their Concierge Lounge. When the hotel changed brands,
the Marriott brand had to be incorporated into the scheme to satisfy

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the Marriott brand standards. One problem encountered was that the
Concierge Lounge needed to have three bays which are the size of
three hotel rooms; the structure of the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott
prohibited this because of the size of the structure of the hotel. They
were unable to meet these standards and needed to make an
adjustment and find another space to better accommodate this need.
Mr. Hardy added, “After reviewing many areas of the hotel, we were
able to find a space that could accommodate this need in the rear of
our Restaurant.” The restaurant is on the first floor, and although this
might have been problematic, Mr. Hardy believed that this would be
more economical for the hotel for a variety of reasons. “By selecting
the private dining room in the back of our restaurant, we are now able
to provide the guests with Concierge Lounge access to better service.”
Mr. Hardy added that the new location provides the guest with access
to a larger breakfast buffet menu, a full wait staff, and a full culinary
team. This is significant because the consumer now must make an
adjustment from the limited Concierge Lounge, restricted by size and
service, to a full scale operation with unlimited

Digital Concierge? The latest customer experience (CX) technology

enables hotels to put a personal concierge in the pocket of every guest.
The Digital Concierge is a conversational, digitally-powered, and
intelligent messaging experience embedded into your native app. With
the Digital Concierge you can say goodbye to the disjointed model of
the past. By augmenting existing native apps, hotels can provide higher
value to their guests through every step of their journey. Digital
Concierges provide guests with the conversational, contextual
assistance and special attention that guests have come to expect from a
traditional in-property concierge. Whether it’s an inquiry about booking

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availability and room selection, pre-stay research, or inquiring about in-
stay amenities, the Digital Concierge is always there and always ready
to provide an answer.

How Technology Digitizes the Traditional Concierge The best guest

experience solutions focus on endpoint technology features as the
most crucial components for success. These features mimic the
attributes of a traditional concierge to provide a conversational,
contextual experience for guests: One persistent interaction: Once you
know who the customer is, with one canonical thread you’ll never lose
the chat session like you would at the end of a typical web chat session.
Past conversations will always be there, allowing both companies and
customers to see the context behind any inquiry and everything
chatted about in the past. Serving up information at the right time: As
with any good concierge, listening to the guest and determining when
to offer certain information makes the experience feel more personal
and human. If a guest asks how long it takes to drive from a conference
center to the hotel, for example, a concierge would supplement the
answer with information on parking. Predicting the best time to provide
information to a guest is necessary for delivering the optimal guest
experience. Contextually relevant: The ability to understand the context
behind a guest inquiry humanizes the guest experience. If a visitor in
the pre-stay stage of their experience (booked but still researching) is,
for example, on the Hilton Santa Fe property page in the app and asks,
“Can I bring my pet?” The digital concierge can see that the visitor is on
the Hilton Santa Fe page, know that pets are welcome, and provide a
specific answer like,“The Hilton Santa Fe property does allow pets. You
can even add a Pampered Pet Package for $50 per stay. Click here to
add this to your booking.” By understanding the context of a guest

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inquiry, the system goes beyond the outdated ‘keyword triggered’
automated systems that only provide general information. Provide one
right answer: If a guest asked a concierge a question and she replied
back with “Here are six potential answers to that question.” The guest
would be left quite perplexed as to why they weren’t just given the
single answer they were looking for. Technology only provides multiple
answers when it can’t figure out what the guest is looking for.
Delivering a digital concierge experience that uses natural language
processing, predictive analytics, and machine learning to provide the
one right answer to the guest the same way a traditional concierge
would, is key. Then there are the unique technology features that
provide a level of customization that goes beyond the traditional
concierge. Retaining information: Every guest interaction will have a
digital “paper trail”. This information can be used to provide benefits to
the guest that traditional methods could not. If a guest enters specific
preferences for a hotel stay, during their next stay that archived
information can be used to present a notification asking if they’d like
the same special considerations they had last time. This gives guests
the experience they want with no extra effort on their part.

The essence of the concierge job is to provide service. A hotel

concierge is there to ensure that guests have everything they need
during their stay. Typically, the concierge sits at a desk in the lobby, and
guests can either stop by or call with their requests. Those requests
may include:

 Getting restaurant reservations

 Booking theater or concert tickets
 Scheduling sightseeing tours and shopping excursions
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 Giving directions to local attractions
 Hiring a car/limo for sightseeing or to get to the airport
 Making complete travel arrangements, from confirming flights
and seat assignments to securing visas
 Replacing a toothbrush, toothpaste or other personal items that a
traveler left at home
 Storing luggage until a guest checks in or out
 Helping to plan a corporate meeting, party or wedding at the
hotel
 Arranging for an interpreter to assist a foreign guest

The goal of a personal concierge is to take care of all the little odds and
ends that get overlooked in the frenetic pace of daily life. "Everyone is
time-starved, and we're trying to squeeze 36 hours into a 24-hour day,"
explains Katharine C. Giovanni, President and Co-founder of Triangle
Concierge, Inc., and Chairman of the Board of the International
Concierge and Errand Association (ICEA). "A concierge can do the things
that have to be done so that you can do the things you want to do."

A personal concierge may handle any of the following jobs:

 Making dinner and theater reservations

 Getting tickets to concerts and sporting events
 Buying a gift
 Hiring a caterer
 Arranging for pet sitting, car detailing, housekeeping or
babysitting services
 Shopping for groceries
 Going to the bank

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Hiring a personal concierge can cost anywhere from $25 to $65 per
hour. In New York, Los Angeles and other big cities, rates typically start
at $50 per hour.
Next, we'll learn about the training that goes into become a concierge
and get a sample of some unusual requests posed to concierges.

Concierge Training
Although a few university hotel schools offer programs in hospitality,
and many of the larger hotels provide training for their concierges,
most of the skills needed to be successful in the position are either
intuitive or learned on the job. In fact, some of the best concierges in
the business never had any formal training. They've started in other
positions at the hotel, such as bellman or front desk clerk, and worked
their way into the concierge job.
Larry Johnson, Lobby Concierge and Historian of the Seelbach Hotel in
Louisville, Kentucky, started out as a doorman. He then worked his way
up to bell captain, and finally became a concierge in 2002. Johnson
learned the business by literally pounding the pavement. "I would pick
two streets a week, and all I would do is walk up and down the streets
to see all of the restaurants and businesses," he recalls. In the process,
he became so knowledgeable about the city's historical and cultural
sites that the hotel made him its official historian.
Knowing your city inside and out -- every restaurant, theater,
attraction, and shop -- is essential to becoming a successful concierge.
Other necessary skills include:

 Critical thinking and problem solving

 Patience
 Flexibility
 Organizational skills

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 Multitasking
 Clear and effective communication skills

 Ability to talk to anyone

 Administrative skills

 Positive attitude

Concierges also need great connections -- a Rolodex stuffed with

contacts in the restaurant, entertainment and tourism industries. So
when a guest comes in asking for tickets to a hot new Broadway show,
or front-row seats to a sold-out concert, the concierge knows exactly
who to call to get them.
Despite their often posh surroundings, the average concierge earns
only about $23,500 a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics. More experienced hotel concierges can make about $50,000.
The position does come with some perks, however. There are free
meals from local restaurants trying to make a good impression, and
complimentary tickets from theaters and sports arenas. Concierges also
receive tips, from $5 to $100 or more, depending on the service they
provide.
By far the most profitable side of the profession is the personal
concierge business. Personal concierges who own their own company
can earn well into the six figures.
In the next section we'll look at the unusual requests concierges
sometimes handle.

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 Unusual Concierge Requests
Because concierges pledge to satisfy every request, every once in awhile,
concierges are asked to provide some pretty bizarre services. Here are a few of
the strange requests concierges have received:

One year during the Kentucky Derby, a company asked to have a horse and jockey
brought to the hotel. I said, "Okay." They replied, "Are you serious?" I contacted
my friend, who is a trainer, and he gave me a price and said it would be no
problem. Then I got a jockey friend of mine to agree to come in and sit on a bale
of hay and talk to the people. About three weeks before the Derby, the company
realized the backlash that would occur if someone were to be hurt by the horse,
so they decided to just go with the jockey. -Larry Johnson, Seelbach Hilton
A guy called and wanted to know if the concierge offered "deer pushing services."
He was a hunter, and he needed someone to follow him into the woods and push
the deer toward him so that he could shoot it. -Katharine C. Giovanni, Triangle
Concierge, Inc.
Once I had to fly a bellman to New York to get a special set of shoes for an Arab
prince who was attending a formal event. -Jack Nargil, Head Concierge, Hay-
Adams Hotel
A few years ago, we had a big meeting in the hotel, and a woman was attending
who had recently had a baby. She called me and told me that she wasn't bringing
her child, but she was breastfeeding and didn't want to waste the milk. She asked
me to find a private room for her to pump, and then she wanted me to freeze the
milk and FedEx it to her home. Getting a room was no problem, but to ship the
milk I had to have dry ice, and very few companies sell it. It took me a full day to
find a small enough quantity of dry ice, but I was able to do it. -Shujaat Khan, Chef
Concierge, Capital Hilton, and President, Les Clefs D'Or
A woman called and she wanted to lose weight. She asked the concierge to hire a
hypnotist for her, but first she wanted him to call a psychic to see if it would work.
-Katharine C. Giovanni, Triangle Concierge, Inc.

No matter how strange the request, concierges rarely turn down a client or guest.
"We always say that if we can't get you a white elephant, perhaps we can get you

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a pink elephant," says Nargil. "The word 'no' really doesn't exist. It's a word
concierges rebel against."

The Concierge Program consists of:

 Providing a “Road Map” to customers who are unfamiliar with the
permitting process
 Walking around the Development Services Centers and actively engaging
with customers to determine if further assistance can be provided
 Providing in-depth service for customers that are referred by city staff
 Providing customers with information on what to expect as they wait in line
at the counters
 Preparing customers with the correct information, forms and applications
needed for the counters they are waiting for
 Establishing and maintaining a network of supervisors from all
development permitting counters to ensure customers will be referred to
the correct place
 Providing information to customers with orders to comply issued by LADBS
Code Enforcement and LA Housing

Features of complete concierge

Check-in / Check-out Process

 On check-in all guest-specific data will be transmitted to the PBX. For

example:
 The caller ID of the extension will be set to the format “
 The phone will be barred / unbarred as per the settings in the PMS.
 The guest language will be set for the extension.

On checkout, the following tasks will be performed by Complete Concierge:

 The extension caller ID will be set to format “ Vacant”.

 The phone will be barred for outgoing calls.
 Old voice mails will be deleted

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  The guest language will be reset to English.
 The “Do Not Disturb” (DND) option will be reset.

Room Change
Actions when a checked-in guest changes rooms, the following actions will be
performed:

 Existing voicemail messages of the previous guest will be deleted.

 The old room callerid will be set to the “Vacant” format.
 The old room DND will be reset.
 The old room phone will be set to the “barred” status.
 The check-in data for this guest will be transferred to the new room
extension.

Wake-up System

A wake-up call can be set either via the PMS or directly by the guest (by
dialing *68 from the guest phone). The Complete Concierge software will send
the PMS the result of the wake-up attempt as either WAOK (wakeup ok) or
WANR (wakeup not reachable). Also, cancellation of the wake-up call is
possible.

DND Setting

Do Not Disturb (DND) can be turned on / off.

Class of Service / Phone Barring

The phone can be set to make outgoing calls or internal only.

Call Accounting

o Call charges will be transmitted automatically to the PMS account for the
guest.

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 o The call rates can be set easily by using the Complete Concierge
configurator utility.

Call Accounting Principals

Complete Concierge looks for a corresponding tariff by comparing the called
number with the prefix that appears in the Country Search String column (see the
table above). But before looking up in the table, Complete Concierge converts the
dialed number according to the following steps:

A. Removes number of digits defined in the General Digits to remove parameter

from the beginning of the called number. Many PBXs are configured in such a way
that the users have to dial an outgoing line access code before dialing the phone
number. For example, if the outgoing line access code is ‘9’ then the digit 1 must
be input in the General Digits to remove parameter.

B. If the called number length is a maximum of 7 digits then the call will be
considered as a local call and the tariff for a dummy country code 7777777 will be
used.

C. If the called number is longer than 7 digits and does not have ‘00’ at the
beginning of the number, then Complete Concierge removes number of digits
defined in the Country Wide Calls Remove first parameter from the beginning of
the called number. The purpose of this operation is to remove the so-called
“national trunk prefix” from the phone number. In many countries it is ‘0’ that
must be dialed for the inter zone calls. So, the length of the “national trunk
prefix” must be defined in the Country Wide Calls Remove first parameter. In
most cases it will be 1.

D. If the called number length is shorter than 12 then Complete Concierge will put
the prefix defined in the Insert Numbers at begin parameter at the beginning of
the called number.

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Once these actions have been performed, Complete Concierge will try to find a
suitable tariff.

Creating/Modifying the Call Accounting Table

The Call Accounting table includes about 3000 of different country codes. During
the first system configuration it is usually necessary to assign tariffs to the country
codes. The recommended way to do it is to assign a tariff for all codes globally
and then to change tariff for some specific country codes if necessary. This could
be achieved by executing the following actions:

 Check the Not use filter, set all zones check-box

 Define a value in the Price sell/minute field and click on the Setting
price/zone button
 Optionally you can define a value in the Surcharge field and then click on
the corresponding Setting price/zone button. The Surcharge field defines a
call completion payment that will be added to the calculated call cost. The
call completion payment does not depend on the call duration.
 Select the desired Price calculation method and click on the Setting
Calc/Zone button.Typically, the 1-per Minute options should be selected.

Complete Concierge Verification Tests

The following tests may be performed to verify the Complete Concierge and PBX configuration.

Calls from an Occupied Room

 In order to evaluate Complete Concierge without a PMS, it is possible to
simulate check in of a guest in room number 101 by pressing Ctrl+F3in the
Fidelio Demo PMS Interface.
 Make a call from this room to the reception. The guest name and the room
number shouldappear on the reception telephone LCD screen.

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  Unbar the room phone via the PMS (Alt+F3 in the Fidelio Demo PMS
Interface) and make an outbound call. The call should be established.
Make sure that the guest account is properly billed.
 Bar the room phone via the PMS (Alt+F4 in the Fidelio Demo PMS Interface)
and make an outbound call. The call should be rejected. Then make a call
to the reception. The call should be established.

Calls from a Vacant Room

 In order to evaluate Complete Concierge without a PMS, it is possible to
simulate a check out of a guest from room number 101 by pressing Ctrl+F4
in the Fidelio Demo PMS Interface.
 Make a call from this room to the reception. The guest name “Vacant” and
the room number should appear on the LCD screen of the reception
telephone.
 Make an outbound call. The call should be rejected.
 If voice mail is configured for this particular hotel installation, then make
sure that thevoicemail messages of the guest are deleted.

Room Change Operation Change

 the room of the guest using the PMS.
 Verify that the phone barring status is set correctly.
 The guest name should be assigned to the new room and the
previous room should bevacant.
 The voice mail messages should have been deleted from the previous
room voice mail box.

Note: The “room change” operation is not available in the Fidelio Demo PMS
Interface.

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 Wake-up Calls
 The wake-up calls work regardless of the room telephone status.
Thus a wake-up call may be scheduled even for a barred phone or a
phone that is set to DND mode from the PMS. The wake-up calls may
be scheduled either via the PMS or from a room phone.
 In order to evaluate Complete Concierge without a PMS, it is possible
to simulate a wakeup call order for room 101 by pressing Ctrl+F7 in
the Fidelio Demo PMS Interface.
 Check in a guest. Order a wake-up call via the PMS. Answer the wake-
up call when the room telephone rings. Make sure that PMS received
the correct wake-up call report from Complete Concierge.
 Order a wake-up call via the PMS and do not pick up the phone when
it rings. After three attempts the wake-up call will be considered
unsuccessful. Make sure that the PMS received the correct wake-up
call report from Complete Concierge.
 Make sure that the wake-up calls work when ordered by dialing *68
from the room telephone. Check that the wake-up call request is
registered in the PMS.

“Do Not Disturb” (DND)

 Set the DND mode for a room (Alt+F5 in the Fidelio Demo PMS
Interface). Make a call from reception to this room. The room
telephone should not ring.
 Disable the DND mode for a room (Alt+F6 in the Fidelio Demo PMS
Interface). Make a call from reception to this room. The room
telephone should ring.

It is also possible to enable/disable DND from the room telephone. The

telephone DND button (if it exists) must be programmed to dial the
corresponding Free PBX feature code (*76 by default). Alternatively, it is possible
to dial the code from the telephone keypad.

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 Set the Room Maid Status
Room Maid Status can be changed by dialing *1* to *6* or #1# to #6# from
the room telephone. The following statuses may be defined:

 1 Dirty / occupied
 2 Dirty / vacant
 3 Clean / occupied
 5 Clean / vacant
 6 Inspected / vacant

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Bibliography
1. "#230 - Belldesk& Baggage Porter". Michigan Department of Career
Development. Archived from the original on November 15, 2011.
Retrieved October 4, 2011.
2. http://www.jimssouthdelhi.com/MODEL%20QUESTION/HM/Bank%2
0front%20office%20-%20RUCHI%20.pdf
3. /www.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_bell_desk_of_a_hotel
4. https://work.chron.com/duties-responsibilities-bell-service-
21277.html

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 Questionnaire

1 what is bell desk and explainits organization ?

2 explain functions of bell desk in brief?

3 Describe about comprehensive list of bell desk equipments?

4 explain various functions performed by bell desk ?

5 explain the duties and responsibilities of night audit ?

6 draw a luggage inventory sheet ?

7 Duties and responsibilities of bell desk ?

8 what is the importance of bell desk in a hotel ?

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THANK YOU

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