Introduction to Front Office Department

Malwinder Singh
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 Definition
• Most important department in the hotel
Interface between a hotel and its guest
Guest makes first contact with FO department
First place that can makes guest develop an impression
about the level of service, standard, facilities

Malwinder Singh
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 Chapter Focus Point

• Describe the significant of front office in tourism and hospitality business

• Construct front office organisational chart line within a hotel or any tourism
and hospitality business
• Explain personnel job specification, responsibilities among position,
departments and division within a hotel
• Describe the activities in each guest cycle stage of a hotel

Malwinder Singh
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• Communication and Accounting are the most important
functions of the front desk operation.
• Accounting procedure involve settlement of the guest bills
• Accepted advance booking of hotel rooms
• Settle bills at the time of check- out

Malwinder Singh
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Effective Communication with
guest
• Processing the guest reservation
• Handling the guest reception
• Fulfil the guest inquiry usage in the hotel
• Such as internet facilities, safe deposit check-in and
check out the guest
• Other departments of the hotel etc.

Malwinder Singh
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FO department operates 24 hours a day
• Three main shifts in FO department
Morning – day shift
7.00 a.m – 3.00 p.m

Day – evening shift

3.00 p.m – 11.00 p.m

Night shift
11.00 p.m – 7.00 p.m Malwinder Singh
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 Organisation structure of FO department varies
• It is depends on the size and style of operation of
the hotel
• It can be categorised into
- Small sized hotel
- Medium sized hotel
- Large sized hotel

Malwinder Singh
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Duties of Front Office Department
NIGHT
DOOR AUDITOR
ATTENDANT
RECEPTIONIST

CASHIER

FRONT OFFICE
BELL BOY PERSONNEL CONCIERGE

FRONT OFFICE RESERVATIONS

MANAGER AGENT
TELEPHONE

Malwinder Singh
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Duties of Front Office personnel
FRONT OFFICE MANAGER
• Direct and coordinate the activities of the front office
department
• Perform the function of a link between the
management and front office employees
• Responsible for hiring, training, supervising and
disciplinary all front desk, reservation, and guest
services staff members in order to maintain the desired
standard of service
• Prepared the budget for the front office department
• Evaluate the job performance of each front office
employee Malwinder Singh
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Duties of Front Office personnel
BELL BOY
• Handling guest luggage at the time of arrival
and departure
• Escorting guests to their rooms on arrival
• Familiarising guests about safety features and in-
room facilities
• Locating a guest in a specified area of the hotel
• Posting guests mails
• Providing information to guests about
Malwinder Singh
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Duties of Front Office personnel
CASHIER
• Receiving payment
• Balancing guest account
• Opening and maintaining the guest folios
• Recording all credit charges in guest folios
• Preparing bills at the time of check-out
• Handling credits/debit/charge cards for the
settlement of a guest account
• Administer the safe deposit system
• Handling foreign currency
Malwinder Singh
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Duties of Front Office personnel
DOOR ATTENDANT
• Open the doors of guests’ vehicles on their
• Arrival in the hotel portico
• Help bell boys in lifting luggage
• Open the hotels’ entrance door for guests
• Coordinate with parking attendants for parking
guests’ vehicles in the hotels’ parking area.

Malwinder Singh
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Duties of Front Office personnel
NIGHT AUDIT
• Preparing the night audit report
• Check-in and check-out guest who arrive or
• Depart after 11.00p.m
• Processing the reservations
• Performing the duties of security guard
• Monitoring fire safety system
• Act as cashier for banquet function

Malwinder Singh
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Duties of Front Office personnel

RECEPTIONIST
• Greeting guest
• Handling special request
• Handling check-in and check- out
• Providing information to guest
• Assigning rooms and dispensing guest
room keys

Malwinder Singh
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Duties of Front Office personnel
CONCIERGE
• Making reservations for dining in famous restaurant
• Arranging tours, limousine, and
entertainment ticket
• Maintaining good relationship with hospitality
industry
• Personal helper to VIP
• Obtaining tickets for theatres, musicals etc
• Provide latest information of events

Malwinder Singh
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Duties of Front Office personnel

RESERVATION AGENT
• Handling guaranteed and non-guaranteed reservation
• Prepared the expected arrival list and the expected
departure list every day
• Prepared a guest folder and to keep the mails and
messages of guest with reservation doc

Malwinder Singh
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Duties of Front Office personnel
TELEPHONE OPERATOR
• Processing all incoming and outgoing calls log
all wake-up call on the system
• Answer questions about the hotel’s services
and product
• Taking message
• Operating hotel paying system
• Direct incoming calls to the desired
extension

Malwinder Singh
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GUEST CYCLE
GUEST CYCLE STAGE
PRE-ARRIVAL

DEPARTURE GUEST CYCLE ARRIVAL

STAGE

IN-HOUSE Malwinder Singh

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GUEST CYCLE STAGE
PRE-ARRIVAL
• Reservations

ARRIVAL
• Registration
• Room assignment
• Issuance of room key
• Baggage handling Malwinder Singh
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 GUEST CYCLE STAGE
•IN-HOUSE
• Mail and message handling
• Maintenance of guest account
• Paging and travel assistance
• Safe deposit, currency exchange

DEPARTURE
• Preparing the guest bill
• Settlement of guest account
• Transportation Malwinder Singh

• Future reservation linkedin.com/in/malwinder

Thank you

Malwinder Singh
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