Front Office Hierarchy : Front Office Organisation

The front office or reception is an area where visitors arrive and first encounter a staff at a place of business. Front office staff will deal with whatever question the visitor has and put them in contact with a relevant person at the company.

The staff of this department is very visible to the guests. The front office staff handles the transactions between the hotel and its guests. Receives the guests, handles their requests, and strikes the first impression about the hotel into their minds.

Front Office Operations

There are two categories of Front Office Operations:

Front-House Operations

These operations are visible to the guests of the hotel. The guests can interact and see these operations, hence, the name Front-House operations.

Few of these operations include:

• Interacting with the guests to handle the accommodation requests.
• Checking accommodation availability and assigning it to the guest.
• Guest registration and collecting required information.
• Creating a guest’s account with the FO accounting system.
• Issuing accommodation keys to the guest.
• Settling guest payment at the time of check-out.

Back-House Operations

Front Office staff conducts these operations in the absence of the guests or when the guest’s involvement is not required.

These operations involve activities:

• Determining the type of guest (fresh/repeat) by checking the database.
• Ensuring the preferences of the guest to give a personal touch to the service.
• Maintaining guest’s account with the accounting system.
• Preparing the guest’s bill.
• Collecting the balance amount of guest bills.
• Auditing and generating reports.

Front Office Hierarchy

The number of staff working under the front office manager. The structure of the front office department depends on the size of the hotel business, the physical size of the hotel, and the hotel management policies.

Following is the general structure of the front office department:

Overview of responsibilities of the different staff of front office department:

Front Office Manager

• All administrative tasks
• Hiring staff
• Training
• Giving appraisals
• Ensure smooth functioning of the department
• Make departments budget
• Forecast sales
• Monitor reservation systems to maximize occupancy, sales, and revenue
• Conduct department meetings
• Check arrivals, departures, and review all reports of the FO department.

Assistant Front Office Manager

• Supervise and coordinate day to day activities
• Assign duties
• Check daily reports, arrival lists, departure lists, VIP arrival, group arrivals
• Update FO manager about the happenings
• Coordinating with other departments like HK, sales, F&B

Lobby Manager

• To ensure smooth check-in and check-out
• Handle guest complaints
• Coordinating with travel counter and airlines
• Coordinates with the security department and ensure the safety and security of the hotel
• Ensure smooth functioning of the lobby
• Handle keys

Guest Relation Executive

• Take feedback from guests
• Maintain guest feedback forms
• Maintain guest comment cards
• Handle VIP arrivals
• Ensure that guests leave with a positive image of the hotel
• Check any complaints and inform the department

Reservation Assistants

• Receive and process reservation inquiry of guests
• Maintain the reservation records
• Share the information with other departments like sales F&B
• To prepare the expected arrival list, departure list for the day
• To fill registration cards, guest history card
• To give the information to the receptionist
• To prepare guest folder having reservation documents, emails and messages

Receptionist

• Greet the guests on arrival
• Confirm the identity of guests
• Fill the registration form
• Assign room
• Prepare room status report and check discrepancy with housekeeping
• Process request for check out
• Inform late checkout, early check out to HK department
• Give information about the hotel, facilities and the city to the guest

Cashier

• Prepare guests’ bills
• Update guest transactions daily
• Exchange foreign currency
• Make closing balance account at end of shift
• Maintain house bank

Telephone Operator

• Answer the calls directly
• Direct incoming calls to the extension number, department, etc
• Answer the queries about the hotel and its services
• Log all wake-up calls
• Handling guest messages
• Handling outgoing calls
• Handling calls from the rooms/guests

Bell Boys

• Handle guest luggage
• Transport the luggage to the room on arrival/guest check-in
• Put luggage tag on bags and luggage on arrival
• Escort guest to the room and tell them about the room, service directory and function of equipment in the room
• Deliver mail, message and package to the rooms

Front Office Responsibilities

• Directs and coordinates the activities of the FO department.
• Creating guests’ database.
• Perform the function of a link between the management and front office employees.
• Perform budgeting function.
• Planning present and future needs for the resources.
• Schedule the tasks of the front office employees.
• Resolve guest problems quickly, efficiently, and courteously.
• Reviews all the reports generated by all the sections include night auditors report.
• Coordinate with the sales and marketing team to ensure maximum sales and profit.
• The front office staff handles the transactions between the hotel and its guests.
• Creating a great first impression in guests’ minds.
• Ensuring guests’ satisfaction.

Qualities Of Front Office Staff

• Pleasing personality
• Smiling face
• Positive attitude
• Punctual
• Hard-working
• Good Personal hygiene
• Honest
• Good communication skills
• Calm, courteous
• Salesmanship
• Good memory