Hotel management front office operations questions

Seven steps of registration Preregistration activities – Does the hotel pre-print the registration card? Yes. Do they ize the credit card before the guest arrival and should they? The guest’s credit card is usually checked upon the arrival of guests, not before. It is better to authorize the credit card after the guest arrives to avoid allegations about the card’s use.
Is it important to pre-assign rooms? Pre-assigning rooms becomes important only if the guest already has an established history at the hotel and there is a lower chance of the pre-assignment not being changed because of cancellation of reservations and changes upon arrival.
What about VIP’s? It is important to pre-assign rooms for VIP’s.
Does the hotel offer alternate areas of registration or different procedures for VIP’s? VIP’s may have alternate areas of registration or different procedures to improve the atmosphere of exclusivity.
2. Creating the Registration Record – Is there a reservation for the guest? Guests can make reservations.
Is the guest a walk-in and what are the differences? A guest can walk in and the difference between a walk-in and a pre-registered guest is that the former may have limitations on available rooms present if pre-registered guests already reserved their rooms.
What is done with the record? The registration record is saved in the records of the hotel.
Is the record a legal document, with small print? Yes, it can be considered as a legal document, because once the client has signed it, it establishes the innkeeper/guest relationship.
3. Assigning the Room and Rate – What steps are taken to determine the status of a room? The front desk agent checks room status through checking the reservation status and housekeeping status.
What role does the housekeeping department play in regards to registration? The housekeeping department prepares a housekeeping status report to inform front desk agents about the readiness and cleanliness of rooms.
What is an occupancy report and what does it tell you? An occupancy report lists the rooms occupied for the current night and indicates those guests expected to check out the following day.
What do V/C, V/D, V/I, and O/C mean? O-O-O? V/C means vacant and cleaned, but not yet inspected. V/I means vacant and inspected. O/C means occupied and cleaned. V/D means vacant and dirty. O-O-O means out of order.
Does it matter where you place a guest and how do you know their preference? It mattes where guests are placed because each room has specific characteristics that can either please or displease them. Front desk agents can know these preferences by asking them about the rooms and the facilities they prefer and referring to the guest history file, if already present.
What are room blocks and what are they used for? Room blocks are used for reserving rooms through an automated reservations file. They are used to reserve special rooms for guests.
What are some of the rates given to guests and why? The room rate is the actual price charged for a given room on a given night. The rack rate is the standard or non-discounted rate for a given room type. If a guest does not qualify for a discounted price, the guest is charged the rack rate.
4. Establishing a Method of Payment – Does the hotel accept checks? Yes.
What type of checks? It accepts personal checks.
Do they accept methods of pre-payment and how is that done? It can accept pre-payment, such as cash and card payments over the phone or online. These pre-payments are done through the reservations system.
What types of credit cards are accepted and are there differences in this and a debit card? Travel and entertainment cards and bank cards with installment payment plans are some types of credit cards. Debit cards are different from credit cards because the former are connected to the owner’s deposit account, so charges are withdrawn from this account and no credit is extended.
How does the credit card issuer determine the card was present at check-in? It can be determined through the signature of the client on the receipt or validation online.
What if the power goes out? What is a DB? DB can refer to database. If power goes out, the hotel uses its power generator.
5. Verifying the Guest’s Identity – What forms of identification are allowed at the hotel property? It is common for front desk agents to ask for photo identification in the form of a driver’s license or passport to ensure positive identification of the guest’s name, address, signature, and photograph.
Why is it important to positively identify the hotel guest? This is for documentation and safety of the hotel and guests.
What are some possible security repercussions? Some possible security repercussions are when guests use fake IDs, which can lead to identification problems, and when front desk agents do not verify identification properly that can lead to problems later on.
Should you note foreign travelers on the guest record and why or why not? Yes, this is for safety concerns only and not for racial profiling. After 9/11, it is better to be safe through noting all foreign travelers.
6. Issuing the Room Key – Does the hotel have a written procedure on key control? Yes, hotels have a written procedure for key control.
Does everyone have access and the same level of access to keys? No, employees do not have the same level of access to keys.
Who does and why do they have their level of access? Front desk agents and housekeeping employees usually have access to keys. They have this level of access because of their need to ensure or check room status availability.
What type of physical key is used? A physical key may be a simple key or an electronic card.
Why don’t keys have the room number written on them? A room number on keys may be unsafe for guests because others will know where they will be staying.
What does the key issued to the guest open at the hotel you are touring? The key is an electronic key.
What is specifically not done when issuing a key and why? A front desk agent does not announce the room number of the guest when presenting the key to guests for the safety of the guests.
Who else might hand the key to the guest and what role would they be doing? The bell attendant can hand the key to the guest. The bell attendant can familiarize the guest about the facilities of the hotel and the features of the room.
7. Filling Special Requests – Where do you find this information? This can be found in the registration card.
What are the different types of common requests? Some of the common requests involve: location, view, bed type, smoking/no-smoking status, amenities, special furnishings for disabled guests, high-speed internet access, and entertainment systems, such as on-demand video systems and video game systems.
When would you pre-assign rooms to accommodate requests and for what reasons? This can be done when requests are done during pre-registration and if the requests can be accommodated.
Are there any laws regarding specific types of requests? Some laws require special accommodations for pregnant, elderly, and disabled people.
Does the hotel offer self-registration? How is that achieved? Yes. Clients can perform self-registration through self-registration terminals that may be located on or off hotel grounds or made available through a mobile device or property website.
Can you deny accommodations and why or why not? Legitimate reasons for refusing to accommodate a guest may include a lack of available rooms, the potential guest’s unruly conduct, or the guest’s inability or unwillingness to pay for accommodations or services.
What is the difference in procedures between a walk-in guest and one with a reservation? Hotels have no obligation to accommodate guests who arrive without a reservation when no guestrooms are available. If a walk-in guest cannot be accommodated, front desk agents can assist the guest by providing directions to nearby hotels. The front desk agent might also offer to contact another hotel on behalf of the displaced guest.
When do you upsell a guest and what is upselling? Upselling is the process of offering guests the opportunity to reserve rooms in categories that are above standard rate accommodations. It is appropriate when front office and reservations staff are trained to be sales agents who know effective techniques in suggesting room upgrades and know when and how to ask for a sale without a pressuring approaching to clients.
What information is communicated to the guest at registration? The hotel communicates the responsibilities of the hotel and the client while using the premises and facilities.
What is implied or written and where is it written? Payment type and status and room type are written in the registration card, while it is implied how hotels are supposed to treat guests without discrimination.