What is FrontOffice ?

The FRONT OFFICE is the nerve center of a hotel. Members of the front-office staff welcome the guests, carry their luggage, help them register, give them their room keys and mail, answer questions about the activities in the hotel and surrounding area, and finally check them out. In fact, the only direct contact most guests have with hotel employees, other than in the restaurants, is with members of the front-office staff.

The front office functions can be divided into seven general areas:

 1.Front Desk

2. Guest Relation

3. Concierge Desk

4. Bell Desk

5. Duty Manager Desk

6. Business center
7. Telephone

Two major departments are represented in this list. The employees staffing the first four areas are in the rooms department. The fifth is the financial area, where guest charges are accumulated and posted to the bills, and all cash transactions are consummated. These are all accounting-department functions, and so the cashiers and night auditors are in that department.
 Front office is the face of the hotel and it has all the responsibility to ensure that all the guest needs are full filed and the request of the guest are taken care off. The better coordination between the guest and the hotel is through Front office the GSS of the guest is always passed through the front office and the guest calls front desk and AYS for any assistance if needed. The front office staffs have the prime responsibility to up sell the rooms and to boost the revenue where possible.

Front Desk

A hotel receptionist is the person or persons who work at the front desk of a hotel, greeting guests upon arrival and assisting them with any problems during their stay. A hotel front desk person may also be referred to as a desk clerk. Most hotels simply require their receptionists to have a high school diploma or equivalent, though some may have an associate's degree in an area such as business or hotel management.
In day to day work, a hotel receptionist will likely need to answer phones when potential guests call, to answer questions or take reservations. He or she will need to maintain records and possibly create and keep a filing system, and keep her work area neat because it is the first thing a guest will see upon entering the hotel. When a guest arrives, the hotel receptionist will complete the check-in process. 

This involves assigning a room to a guest, creating a key, and explaining hotel policies regarding check-out times and any included meals. The receptionist will need to maintain a cash drawer in order to accept payments for a room, either on cash or credit cards. She may also need to set up a charge account for guests to use during their stay, so they are able to charge things to their rooms, and pay for it all at once upon check-out. 

A hotel receptionist is available for guests to answer questions throughout the length of their stay. Guests may simply call the front desk, or they may stop by. If a guest has any problems, the receptionist should be able to solve the problem herself, or direct the guest to someone who can. Finally, a hotel receptionist will help guests to check out and accept final payment for their rooms and services. The receptionist should make sure the guests had a pleasant stay, and listen to any suggestions they have for improvement.

Hotel receptionists need good computer skills and math skills, as well as the ability to provide good customer service. The receptionist may be one of the only hotel employees that guests see during their stay, so it is important that they represent the establishment well. Receptionists may work full or part time, and hotels will often have a receptionist at the front desk 24 hours a day, so shifts can vary significantly. Hotel receptionists may be able to be promoted into a supervisory position if they succeed at their job.

Guest Relation

A guest relations officer typically works in an upscale hotel or resort property. Many high-end hotels around the world employ guest relations officers and this could be a career for someone interested in living and working abroad. The role requires someone who enjoys working with people, is friendly and can handle stressful situations.


The Guest Relations Coordinator will lias with all the hotel guests to give information about hotel's facilities, activities, events, general information about the area where the hotel is located, sight-seeing site, reconfirm the flight if guest requested. Take note... if there is some complaints from guest and report to the relevant department head...etc....and etc


She must have all updates from all departments (housekeeping,F&B) which are interacted with guest. She must get preference from guest  and coordinate with other departments by mail. Give them all information what guest like or dis like.  
        The primary goal of a guest relations officer is to make guests feel welcome and keep them happy. It is also the role of the guest relations officer to promote the establishment, ensuring the guests maintain a positive image of the hotel. This position must be able to anticipate guest needs and respond to those needs in a timely and courteous fashion.


She often greet guests as they walk in the door and checks them into their rooms. For VIP guests, the guest relations officer takes extra time to show them to their room and provide them with any needed amenities. Throughout a guest's stay, it is the guest relations officer's responsibility to ensure the guest is happy with her visit. It is essential to listen to guests, hear any complaints and efficiently resolve the complaints.


This position works to ensure the guests not only have a favorable stay at the hotel, but also provides the guests with information on the city and various activities. The guest relations officer may make dinner reservations, provide hotel guests with tickets to shows or sporting events, recommend activities and assist with travel arrangements and tours.




· In addition to staff supervision and customer service, a guest relations executive is required to give her personal attention to guests designated as dignitaries by her superiors. This requires her to make personal contact with these guests at least once a day during their stay and to personally inspect their rooms on a daily basis to make sure they are well stocked and in pristine condition. She is expected to have a clear understanding of all hotel policies and procedures, including those related to hotel safety and evacuation procedures. A guest relations executive typically prepares daily, weekly and monthly reports for review by the hotel manager, general manager and other executives.


·  A hotel environment usually fluctuates between being very busy when guests are checking in and out and serene and quiet in the interim. A guest relations executive spends a good part of his work day walking through all sections of the hotel to spot possible areas of contention and prevent them from escalating. He must periodically return to his desk to complete paperwork and handle hotel correspondence. His attire is expected to be business-like and fashionable. Working hours for this position are frequently long, and typically include some nights and weekends.

Concierge

In hotels, a concierge assists guests with various tasks like making restaurant reservations, arranging for spa services, recommending night life hot spots, booking transportation (limousines, airplanes, boats, etc.), procurement of tickets to special events and assisting with various travel arrangements and tours of local attractions. In upscale establishments, a concierge is often expected to "achieve the impossible", dealing with any request a guest may have, no matter how strange, relying on an extensive list of contacts with local merchants and service providers.

Hotel concierge staff have their own professional association, called Les Clefs d'Or ("The Golden Keys"). It was formed in France in October 1929.[1] It now reaches over 3000 members in over 40 countries. Members can be distinguished by the gold keys they display on their lapels.

Working as a hotel concierge means that your focus is to ensure that the needs and requests of hotel guests are met, and that each guest has a memorable stay. The hotel concierge is expected to be an expert on his local area. Guests will approach the concierge with questions, seeking suggestions, and demanding problem resolutions. Often concierges will make reservations for restaurants, spas, shows and special events. Requests from guests can range from arranging transportation or providing directions to even the most outlandish seemingly impossible outing. The concierge must make an effort to develop relationships with local business owners and VIPs in order to facilitate the fulfillment of her guests' requests. 

Often the concierge becomes the face of the hotel for many guests, which means that appearance and demeanor are of utmost importance. The concierge desk acts as the hub for guest activity planning, which means that the guests' hotel experience depends on the concierge's knowledge and prompt attention. Many business and VIP travelers depend heavily on the concierge, making the position respected and highly regarded. 

 Don't assume that the job responsibilities for a hotel concierge is set in stone, as a concierge receives a vast array of requests and is expected to make even the impossible and unusual happen. While it may seem that the concierge would be a great source for gossip, the opposite is true as the concierge is expected to maintain confidentiality. The concierge is not a front desk agent and does not take hotel reservations. In some cases the concierge is responsible for managing a section of the hotel's front end staff, so contrary to popular observation the concierge does not work alone.

Bell Desk

Welcome and escort guests to and from their rooms and assisting with luggage. Inform guests of safety features and promotion of hotel outlets. Store guest baggage upon request and assist with loading and unloading of baggage into and out of automobiles.

Bell boy are responsible for carrying guests' luggage to their rooms. They may also be responsible for checking the room before the guest arrives. The bellhop(bellboy) may ensure that all amenities, such as the television or telephone, are operating properly. Any malfunctions are reported to maintenance to be repaired promptly before the guest arrives. When the guest checks out of the hotel, the bellboy may be summoned to carry the guest's luggage to the checkout area.
   
Bell desk also provide newspapers, medicines and luggage room facility for the guest. A bell boy should be well groomed and have good communication skills smiley face while he handling the guest. Sometimes they get some money or gift from guest as revert of their services.  

In addition to their regular duties, bell desk may assist guests who are physically challenged by escorting them to their room. They may also assist at the front desk and place claim checks on luggage. Some bellboys run errands or pick up laundry. Bell boys may also be required to work weekends and holidays to accommodate guests.

Duty Manager Desk

Duty Managers possess a busy, emotionally taxing job that requires them to be incessantly on their toes and ready for the worst-case scenario. They ensure that the hotel operates efficiently and effectively when the General Manager is not there. Duty Managers must have a kind personality, an excellent attention to detail and thrive in a fast-paced work environment.


 Duty managers provide the hotel with a person who is authorized to make managerial decisions upon the absence of the General Manager. The General Manager is not able to be present at all times, and the hotel needs a manager for the times when he is not there. Some larger hotels also employ a duty manager when the General Manager is present. In these cases, the Duty Manager performs the more basic managerial tasks, while the General Manager concentrates his efforts to the more complex assignments.


The responsibilities of a duty manager are broad ranging. However, the most important roles of a duty manager are to maintain order and ensure guest satisfaction. For instance, complaining guests seeking a refund speak to the current shift's Duty Manager to voice their displeasure. Additionally, the Duty Manager makes overflow reservations in the case of an accidental over-booking. In essence, The Duty Manager is the on-property contact for anything and everything that goes awry on her shift, and it is his/her responsibility to make a wise decision to restore order.


Take a property round while his/her started.Get observation about meager areas as (Kitchen, Restaurant, Bar and outer area of the hotel).He/She Should have appropriate information about all departments like staffing and current activities. The most essential thing is incident he/she should avoid that as they can do. Whatever it is by the guest complaint or any staff .
   
Duty managers work a wide variety of shifts, but the most common shift is evenings and night since this is when the General Manager is not on the property. A duty manager typically records fifty to sixty hours per week. Also note that hotels located in seasonal destinations give their duty managers more hours during peak season and less during slow season.

Business center

Business center  comes under the front office. As the name suggest business center , guest can explore or connect all over the globe via internet or printed resources like (magazines, novels news papers, story book etc).
Guest could get stationary services like zerox, print outs, book binding lamination. Receive fax mails from it.
At some places business center has small meeting rooms to organize meeting for four or five persons.
Most of the hotel's business center has one executive to assist the guest for each shift ,that depends on the particular hotel policy .

Many hotel business centers make no attempt at even basic security. For example, far too many use the administrator account for logging on - often without even a password. This allows anyone who uses the computer to install programs, modify security settings, and purposely or accidentally infect or compromise the PC's security. Use of the built-in Guest account would restrict users' ability to install programs and modify system settings, and greatly increase the security of the hotel business center PC. Hotels that restrict access to the Guest account only are unfortunately rare.


If you must use a hotel business center, confine it to only the most essential tasks. Assume that any work you perform on that business center PC is being monitored by attackers. When you return to your home or office, change any passwords to accounts you may have accessed through the business center PC. Above all, don't conduct any banking or confidential business via a hotel Internet kiosk or hotel business center PC.