Duties Of The Front Office Tourism Essay Example
Duties Of The Front Office Tourism Essay Example

Duties Of The Front Office Tourism Essay Example

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  • Pages: 5 (1162 words)
  • Published: October 7, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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The hospitality industry encompasses various sectors, including tourism, entertainment, transportation, and lodging. These sectors include cruise lines, airlines, passenger railroads, car rental companies, and tour operators. However, the primary divisions within this industry are the hotel industry (also known as the lodging industry) and the food and beverage industry (also known as the restaurant industry). The hotel industry consists of businesses that offer temporary accommodation for a fee. These businesses are referred to as lodging establishments and their customers can be called guests or customers. By comparing the roles played by front office staff in a budget motel and a luxury hotel in a major city, we can identify both similarities and differences between these two types of establishments. It may be helpful to mention specific examples of real hotels in your paper.

The responsibilities of the front

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office in a roadside budget motel and a luxury hotel in a metropolitan center are similar. The front office is divided into three subdivisions: response, casher, and mail key and information. The top five front desk reservationists have the responsibility of managing room requests, providing rate information, and documenting reservations. They use reservation systems to input client information, which can range from simple forms organized like desk calendars to computer-based systems. It is crucial for reservationists to thoroughly understand the available rooms, rates, and hotel policies.

The telephone operator at a large hotel has the responsibility of managing the use of the telephone system. This includes answering incoming calls and directing callers to the appropriate guest room, department, or staff member. Additionally, they may need to transfer internal calls within the hotel. It is essential for the operator t

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always have an up-to-date directory of guest room assignments.

This demanding place requires strong written and verbal communication skills, a proficient telephone manner, and attention to detail. A front desk teller, in relation to cashiers, is responsible for checking out incoming guests, posting charges, verifying guest checks, and handling payments. Additionally, tellers may assist other front desk staff in their duties.

The difference between city center hotels and roadside budget motels lies in their location. City center hotels are situated in the heart of the city and cater to both business and leisure travelers. These hotels provide various accommodations and services including a business center, recreational facilities, butlers, concierge service, WIFI access, 24-hour room service, among others.

In contrast,
roadside hotels and motels have smaller sizes compared to most hotels with typically fewer than 50 rooms.

Located on main roads or highways, guests can easily drive up, park outside the building, register, and rent a room at these hotels. Over time, additional amenities such as sofas, restaurants, soda machines, and game rooms have been added.

Question 2 -

Discuss the property management systems utilized by the front office. How do property management systems differ between 3-star and 4-star hotels? You can either participate in a college field trip or visit your own hotel. The property management systems employed by the front office are the primary distinction between 3-star and 4-star hotels; some 3-star hotels still rely on innkeeper systems.

Innkeeper systems is a cost-effective property management system (PMS) created specifically for small inns, hotels, motels, and bed & breakfasts. It is a reservation booking program for desktop that can be easily downloaded, installed, and set up without incurring high setup costs or

signing poor service contracts. There is no specified limit on the number of rooms; however, it may not be suitable for larger hotels with over approximately 20 rooms. Additionally, it can handle small groups, penciled-in reservations, master accounts, and efficiently track reservations and revenues. This hotel management software is perfect for small inns, bed and breakfasts or small motels.

By using Booking Center's Management tool, you can save time and money by easily managing front desk packages without the need for attending preparation seminars or reading certification pages. If you are familiar with the basic concept of making a reservation, you won't struggle with keeping track of it. Innkeeper will no longer handle online reservations. At Inn and Motel, we use Booking Center's Management tool specifically designed for online reservations. This tool is relatively inexpensive and allows us to carefully manage reservations to ensure that guests do not overbook and pay appropriate commissions for their online bookings.

If the guests have many online reservations, this plan is not suitable for a large hotel. The innkeeper does not connect with the back-office system or the bookkeeping plan that tracks guests' bank history. This plan also does not modify anyone's credit card information and does not integrate with the Web Cam for Guest Snaps or the Drivers License Credit Card Swipe Card Reader. The innkeeper does not handle Lost and Found items, guest flight information, or provide wake-up calls. If guests require these services, they are offered in more costly plans.

Innkeeper will not retain any Travel Agent information. Typically, 4-star hotels are fully computerized and use either Fidelio or Opera systems. The Fidelio system is crucial for customer reservations

and management.

The MICROS-Fidelio solution is widely recognized as the industry standard for Property Management Systems (PMS). By fully integrating and automating processes, it reduces errors and improves productivity. This ultimately leads to increased sales, higher occupancy rates, and greater guest satisfaction. Additionally, the Fidelio system simplifies bookings, check-ins, and check-outs through the Reservation Navigator feature. Users can access all the necessary information on one screen, making it easier to manage operations smoothly. Customizable grids allow for easy navigation of arrivals, in-house guests, departures, financial records, and waitlists.

The reservation process benefits from accurately recorded daily reserve information, as it allows for the automatic storage of all reserve details. Other helpful features that enhance business operations include reminders for waiting lists, handling multiple guests, managing parties, arranging guest transportation, locating guests, managing package items, and much more. Additionally, Suite8 offers the option to automatically send customized and personalized letters and emails in any language through the verification letters feature. Furthermore, Suite8 includes a highly efficient Room Rack that provides a comprehensive overview of all your rooms at a glance.

The defragmentation tool helps optimize the occupancy and allocation of rooms. Reservations can be easily created or changed and room moves can be notified using the user-friendly 'drag and drop' feature.

After completing this assignment, I now have a clear understanding of the responsibilities of the front office at Wayside Budget Motel and Metropolis Center Luxury Hotels. These establishments are divided into three parts: cashiers, receptionists, and key handlers. The City Center Hotels have a different management system run by various individuals, while Roadside Budget Motel is managed by one to two people.

The front office section is

the most important section in any hotel because without it, the hotel would not be able to function. This is because when clients come to the hotel, they expect the hotel or motel to operate smoothly. The following is an example of a front office:

  1. Front Office Image
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