Unit 1 Front Office Organization

1.1 Introduction
• Front office department is the first
department noticed by the guests
whenever the guests enter into the hotel.
• It is the department ,which is
responsible for the sale of the hotel rooms
through the systematic method of
reservation followed by registration and
assignment.
• Front Office Department plays an
important role in image building.
• “Nerve Centre “ of a hotel as such is an excellent place to gain a
detail understanding of how a modern hotel establishment operates
or functions. 1
• The main functions of front office is to reserve, receive,
register and assign rooms to the guests and act as a
continuous source of information to them during their stay in
hotel.
• Front office operation is of three types.
1. Non-automated (Run with the mechanical equipment such
as racks, paper files , manual keys and all paper works)
2. Semi-automated (Run with the machines such as posting
machines, cash register, typewriters etc)
3. Automated (It is fully run by the aid of modern computer
system).

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 1.2 Roles of front office department in all category hotels
Front Office Department in the hotel plays an important role. The role includes the
following positions:
1. Management Representative: In certain condition, Front Office Department must
be able to play a role as the vice as management to face or to solve a certain
problem which is usually only can be solved by the management side.
2. Sales Person: Every person in Front Office Department must be capable and has a
salesmanship spirit, because an employee in Front Office has more contact with
the guests rather than another department.
3. Giving Information: An employee in Front Office Department is expected to be
able to give a clear information about the hotel facilities and products, and he or
she also has to know the event which happens in hotel and an important event
which happens out side of the hotel which has a relation with the guests.
4. Record Keeper: Front Office Department is the source and the centre of a datum
keeper in daily activity of a hotel.
5. Diplomatic Agent: An employee in Front Office Department is expected to do a
certain thing in diplomatic way on a certain situation and condition. It has a
purpose to keep and neutralize the atmosphere of a good relation with another,
which has a relation with the hotel.

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6. Problem Solver: As the hub of activities, Front Office Department is the
place to solve the guests problems, mainly the guests complaint. Therefore, it
is a natural thing if an employee in Front Office Department takes a complaint
which does not have a relation with the Front Office Department but the
complaining about other things in the hotel.
7. Service Coordination: Front Office Department in the hotel also plays a role
as service coordinator for the guest and other department activities, which is
communicated through Front Office.
The roles of Front Office Department in giving the safety for the guests in hotel
includes: ·
• Helping watching the guests who are suspicious. ·
• Helping protecting all of the hotel property.
• Reminding the guests who bring private cars to not leave precious things in
the car.
• Keeping the environment working security from the possibility of theft.
• Helping watching the loan deposit box.

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 1.3 Organization chart of front office
departments in small , medium ,large hotel
Front office
Manager

Reservation Assistant Lobby

Reservation Bell
Supervisor Front Office GRE
Supervisors Captain

Reservation
GSA
Assistant

Bell Door
Telephone Reception Front
Boys Attend
Operator /Information Office
ants
Cashier
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1.4 Lay out of front office department

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 1.5 Sections and their Primary Functions
1.5.1 Reservation
Reservation is one of the important or vital sections
within front office department as it is responsible for
taking room reservations made by the guest or clients
from different sources through systematic procedures.
Reservation is located at the backside or behind the
front desk, where guests cannot view or see. Whereas
reception / information center or conceirge and front
office cashier is located at the front desk.

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Reservation is importance in the following ways:
1. It helps in the sale of hotel’s main product
(accommodation or rooms)
2. It provides necessary information about hotel to the
guests.
3. It helps in earning better room revenue and
forecasting of rooms.
4. It provides better management information system,
through various report.
5. It ensures the highest occupancy level.
6. It acts as a permanent record of all occupancies.

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1.5.2 Information
This is the another section under Front Office Department,
which is located separately within the lobby area or joined
together with the front desk. This section is responsible for
providing information related to hotel, rooms, facilities and
about the city/town in which the hotel is located. Information is
also responsible for handling the guest mails and messages.
1.5.3 Reception
This section is responsible for warm and friendly reception of all
the guests. Staff working in this section are known as
receptionists. Receptionists are the staff who have a direct
contact with the guest ,thus should pose amiable personality
with high level of grooming at all the times.

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1.5.4 Cashier
This section is located within the front desk. Front Office cashier,
working in this section is responsible for updating guest bills,
keeping up to date cash and credit transactions of the guest and
get them settled before the guest’s departure. Front Office cashier
should ensure the timely collection of all the guest bills from
different outlets and post them in respective folios in case if the
Front Office is not computerized.
1.5.5 Telephone Operator
This is a separate section under Front Office Department located at the backside
connected to the front desk, which is not seen by the guests. A telephone
operator is the employee in this section, responsible for handling the in coming
and outgoing guest and hotel calls.

Telephone operator is responsible for posting all the changes incurred by the
guests and hotel employees while making out calls.
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1.5.6 Business Centre
Modern technology has change the pace of information system. People can do
their job in a home country from far-off countries. The role of fax, photocopying
and secretarial work is deemed important to provide these type of service to
the guests. There may be the demand of the guest to translate and interpret
service as well as the hire of laptop computers, portable telephones in their
rooms. The responsibility of such type of comes ,under business center. The
arrangement of meeting rooms is also one of the duties of business center staff. If
a hotel has many non English speaking guests , then bilingual secretaries may be
required in the business center.
1.5.7 Lobby desk Lobby is an furnished with seating arrangements and is a
meeting place common to all hotel guests. Lobby desk is situated in the lobby
which is the heart of the coordination between guest and hotel services. To guide
the guests to reception for registration .to carry out guest luggage. To look after
the guest cars .Handling mail and messages. To take care of guest problems.
1.5.8 Bell Desk/ Concierge The bell desk informs the front office of the intention
of the guests so that the cashier can prepare the bill. The front office intimates
the bell desk to send bell boys to help.

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 1.6 Duties and Responsibilities of Front Office
Personnel
1.6.1 Front Office Manager
• Responsible for all the staff under him and discipline in his
department.
• Responsible for hiring and firing of the staff. He appraises the
staff for there performances.
• Manages the front office and its section with the help of his
subordinates.
• Prepares the departmental budgets, targets and reviews
them from time to time.
• Responsible for maintaining standards of services in his
departments.

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• Responsible for submitting the regular Management
Information System(MIS) reports to the higher management.
• Responsible for liaison with other department.
• Responsible for suggesting tariffs to the corporate
management.
• Formulates sales and marketing strategies along with the
marketing manager.
• Responsible for fixing and implementing the discount tariffs.
• Responsible for negotiating special rates with groups,
corporate clients, characters etc.
• Responsible for training and formulation of training ,
schedules for his/her staffs.

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1.6.2 Reservation Manager
• Responsible for the smooth functioning and discipline in his
section.
• Responsible for liaison with other department specially,
reception and marketing.
• Responsible for proper supervision of reservation system and
providing correct information and managing reservations to
provide maximum occupancy.
• Responsible for evaluating and fixing over booking limits for
reservations.
• Provide information to the top management on reservation
status of hotel.
• Responsible for allotting rooms for groups, tentative bookings,
serial bookings etc.
• Responsible for training of the staff under him in reservation
systems. 14
1.6.3 Lobby Manager
• To come into the contact of the guests of different
personalities temperaments and various moods.
• To organize and supervise the uniformed staff.
• To solve guests grievances, give information about hotel tariff
discounts and credit.
• To know the facilities provided to the guests, basic policies,
hotel terms and conditions, places of interest in the city and
other important of the region.
• To represent the hotel for public and guest liaison to the
office.
• To assume direct control and authority in the department.
• Deals with complaints ,receive suggestions from guests and
passes it on to the management.

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• To attend the rooms of VIPs and welcome them at the arrival in
the lobby accompany them to their rooms.
• To co-ordinate with various departments of the hotel specially
with reception, information etc. for effectively handling , arrival
and departure of guests.
• To liaison with airline offices, regarding arrival and departure of
flights and organizing wake up calls.
• To take up reservation for other units of hotel belonging to the
particular hotel chain.
• To make constant records at night of all operational areas.
• To pass credit bills in absence of the front office Manager.
• To verify all guests folios.
• To be responsible for all scanty baggage cases.

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1.6.4 Reservation Supervisor
In the reservation section, the person who supervises all
reservation function is responsible for
• The staff under him
• Preparation of correct and up to date reservation charts.
• Assisting the reservation staff in their day-to-day work.
• Providing daily arrival list to the reception in advance.
• Providing correct information to the management.
1.6.5 Reservation Assistant
The job of reservation assistant falls under falling heads.
• Display reservation position on “Flash Board”.
• Receiving guests reservation calls.
• Checking of reservation status and booking the required rooms.
• Updating the room position.
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• Preparation of wait list.
• Intimating the guests on confirmation of the wait list booking.
• Undertaking cancellation and amendment requests.
• Preparation of reservation requests , confirmation and
amendment.
1.6.6 Front Office Cashier
The cashier section is handled by a shift cashier in each shift.
They report to general cashier and are responsible for:
• Opening and maintaining of guest folios.
• Checking out the guests and collection of dues.
• Receiving guests requests for paid outs and getting them
sanctioned through head cashier and payment.
• Maintenance of cash in the section.
• Handing over of accounts to the next shift head cashier.
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• Preparation of required formats, like registers cashier
summaries, encashment , certificates , paid outs, etc.
• Provide information to other departments on the credit status
of the guest and for liaisoning with all sections of the front
office and other billing departments.
• Disburse pretty cash to hotel staff in certain hotels.
• Controls safe deposit locker keys, and maintains safe deposit
locker register.
• Handles foreign exchange procedures.
1.6.7 Information Assistant
• Maintaining the guest list /racks
• Receiving messages for the guests over telephone or in person
and keeps in safe custody to hand-over when the guests arrive.
• Handles guest room keys.
• Handles guest mails, faxes , etc in comings as well as out going .
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• Provides information on local places of tourist interest, other
hotels services etc.
• Keeps information about happening and events in the city.
• Keeps information about flight details.
• Keep information about shopping malls, restaurants, clubs and
other areas.
1.6.8 Receptionist
• Receiving and welcoming the guest.
• Registering the guest
• Allocation of desired rooms.
• Preparation of room status report.
• Preparation of discrepancy report.
• Maintaining room status as per information from housekeeping.

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• Releasing room after checkout to housekeeping for cleaning.
• Maintaining guest history and maintaining all required registers
and formats.
• Providing necessary information to the management.
• Liaisoning with guest for assistance and handling complaints.
• Issuing VIP amenities voucher and other special requests.
• Give all departure rooms to H/K and receives after cleaned
promptly.
• Good salesmanship.
• Handle scanty baggage diligently.
1.6.9 Night auditor
• Check and validates all transactions of the day.
• Check all bills and folios for verification of all charges raised by
different billing department.

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• Verifies all summaries, especially cashiers summary.
• Prepares a statement of all bills.
• Prepares a night auditors report.
• Prepare a statistical report of room occupancy ,daily
ARR, etc.
• Prepares and accounts for all city ledger.
• Prepares debit vouchers in case of short of cash
received mistakes in billing the staff.
1.6.10 Telephone Operators
• Handle all exchange operations in the hostel.
• They are responsible for receiving and forwarding guest and
hotel calls.

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• They are responsible for providing STD/ISD access, debarring
etc to the room guests.
• Responsible for maintaining records of all trunk calls provided.
• Responsible for receiving wake up calls requests and
executing them.
• Responsible for disconnecting telephones in the vacant and
check out rooms.
• Avoid transferring calls too many times.
1.6.11 Airport Representatives
An airport representative works at a hotel assisting guests with
anything related to their flight arrangements. As an airport
representative, your duties include going to the airport to greet
VIP guests upon arrival, carrying luggage, and making
transportation arrangements to and from the hotel.

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• Handling guest arrival with pick up request, and arrange the
transportation.
• Assist with guest luggage as and when required.
• Give all hotel facilities information to the guest and assists
them in to the car.
• Inform reception manager, concierge or guest relation officers
when VIP on their way to the hotel.
• Be present at all scheduled flight landings and assist incoming
guests with baggage clearance and directing them to
transport facilities.
• Stand by at the arrival terminal for every flight arrival.
• Write all the additional instruction for guests or information
about guest arrival or departure in the logbook and should be
transferred to the expected arrival list of each airport rep.

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• If the pickup is not arranged by the hotel then, Guest should be shown only to the
recommended taxi or limousine.
• Escort the guest to the official car rental and deals with authorized car rental staff.
• Any changes on arrival and departure flight must be reported to Front Office manager and
chief concierge.
• If there is a problem while on duty without the supervisor, must be discussed and report
to front office manager.
• Responsible for good service and maintain close relationship with all official sectors at the
airport and most of all, maintain a spirit of team work among the hotel’s personnel. Submit
names and arrival flight numbers to meeting service staff.
• Ensures the neat of appearance and grooming of airport representative officers.
• Anything that is related to operation as well as special cases of leaving must be noted
down in the logbook, and also have to have the written approval of Hospitality Manager or
Chief Concierge.
• Must follow the working schedule properly. Any changes to be reported and approved by
front office manager, assistant front office manager and assistant managers.
• Maintain detailed knowledge of all facilities and services offered by the hotel.
• VIP and VVIP guests to be welcomed at the airport and ensure transportation is arranged.
• Maintain a good relationship with airline personnel, immigration and custom officers under
the guidance of the Manager.
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 1.7 Quality attributes essential among front office
person
It is required that the staff in the Front Office Department present one of the best
look in the hotel ,as they are the most seen staff within the entire hotel. The staffs
working in the office assume a great importance in the smooth working, which has a
great importance in the efficient operation of the hotel. The roles of front office staff
are as follows:
• A high degree of personal hygiene and grooming .
• Self confidence
• Correct and clear communication
• Diplomatic and enthusiastic
• Calm & Patience
• Good memory power and knowledge.
• Ability to make quick decisions
• Ready smile and salesmanship.
• Good manners and honesty
• Sturdy and Problem solver

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 1.8 Department that Front Office coordinates
with
 Lobby  Accounts
• Arrival • Front Office cashier
• Departure
• Night Auditor
• Shifting
• Scanty baggage • City ledger
• Message  Room Service
• Paging • Arrivals Departures
 House keeping
• VIP Procedures
• House keeping Room report
 Engineering
• Discrepancy report
• Room clearance arrangements
 Sales and marketing
• Occupancy status  Stores
• Special arrangements for groups
and vip’s

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 Lobby
• Arrival: the bell boy escorts the guests from the main door with their luggage to the
front office. After the guest has been registered, the front office informs the bellboy the
room assigned, so that the guest may be escorted to his room and the luggage placed
there after.
• Departure : In the most hotels , the guests wishing to check out of the hotel call the
bell desk for their luggage down. The bell desk informs the front office of the intention
of the guests so that the cashier can prepare the bill . It is only after the front office is
satisfied regarding the payment of the bills.
• Shifting: Often a guest request the front office for a change room, the front office
intimates the bell desk to send bellboys to help in the shifting of luggage.
• Scanty Baggage: “Skippers” are those guests who leave the hotel without paying their
bills. The bellboys have to be alert to notify the front office about guests with scanty
baggage so that a necessary advance is taken from them and a close watch is kept on.
• Message: The information section of front office alert the bellboys to deliver the guest
mails and message to their rooms.
• Paging: “Paging” is the system of displaying the name of a guest on a small board with
long handle. The board is held above the head of the bellboy and has small bells. The
bellboy does the paging in public areas especially in the lobby.

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 Housekeeping
• Housekeeping Room report: to keep tight control over rooms,
the housekeeping and front office have to coordinate closely.
• Discrepancy report: A discrepancy report is prepared by the
front desk on receiving the room report from the housekeeping.
• Room clearance arrangements: When guest checks out ,front
office immediately informs to the house keeping desk to clean
the room ,so as to resale it.
• Occupancy status: After reconciling the room rack with the
house keeping room report the front office reception compile
data on the “occupancy” position of the hotel for the day in the
form of report.
• Special arrangements for groups and VIP’s: The Front Office
informs Housekeeping to be alert to attend to rooms occupied
by groups or vip’s . Service has to be quicker and efficient.
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 Accounts
• Front office cashier: Front Office Cashier receives payments for
a guest’s stay in the hotel. This is the point where all the charge
vouchers generated by the guest are received to be included in
the overall bill.
• Night Auditor: The night auditor audits all guest bills received
from the front office cashier.
• City ledger: Credit Section receives bill from Front Office.
 Room Service
• Arrival Departures: For the service of Food and Beverages
• VIP Procedures: Front Office extends relation with Room
Service

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