PRIMEASIAUNIVERSITY

Department of International Tourism and Hospitality

Management

1st Assignment on:

Reservation Procedure: Reservation & Sales; types of Reservation;
Reservation Inquires; group Reservation; Reservation Confirmation &
Cancellation.
Course Code: 1103
Course Title: Front Office Management

Submitted to
Rezoana Alam
Lecturer
Department of ITHM

Submitted by
Khan Jayed Akter Bin Raji
ID: 183-007-054

Date: 25/04/2020
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1.0 RESERVATION AND SALES
1.1 Definition of Reservation: Customer's concluded arrangement with a goods or services
supplier (carrier, hotel, restaurant, publisher, etc.) representing a completed sale. Also called
booking or transaction.

1.2 Reservation and Sales

Reservation sales agents assist customers with booking hotel rooms, car rentals, flights, and a
host of other services typically in the hospitality, entertainment, or transportation industries.
They interact with customers in person, online, and over the phone to answer questions, make
suggestions, and book reservations. These agents work flexible schedules that often include
evenings, weekends, and holidays due to the around-the-clock nature of the hospitality industry.
Reservation sales agents usually report to a manager but perform most of their work with
minimal supervision. People with positive, friendly attitudes who love to multitask and stay
organized make successful reservation sales agents.
 
1.2.1 Reservation Sales Agent Duties and Responsibilities
Specific job duties for a reservation sales agent vary based on their employer. However, there are
several core tasks common to all reservation sales agents, such as:
01. Provide Information to Customers: Reservation sales agents help customers at hotels, car
rental facilities, airlines, travel agencies, and resorts. They inform customers about services and
products offered, local attractions, driving directions, and provide any other type of information
the customer wants to know about their trip.
02. Make Reservations: The primary task of a reservation sales agent is to book reservations for
hotels, flights, car rentals, cruises, and events, among other things. These agents listen to
customers and help accommodate them with services that best fit their needs. The reservation
sales associate makes sure the requested dates, products, or services are available, and completes
the reservation with a friendly attitude.
03. Handle Customer Complaints: Unfortunately, things don’t always go smoothly for
customers while traveling, and the reservation sales agent is usually the person a customer

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contacts to voice a complaint or concern about their reservation. The sales agent remains calm
and friendly throughout the process and helps the customer resolve the situation.
04. Sell Products and Services: Reservation sales agents often offer additional products and
services to customers who book through them or assist customers in signing up for rewards
programs for special offers and deals.
05. Process Payments and Refunds: Payments for products and services are usually taken when
a reservation is made, and the reservation sales associate processes these payments and issues
receipts. When a customer wants to make a cancelation or is unsatisfied with their reservation,
these agents process and issue refunds according to company policy.

2.0 TYPES OF RESERVATION

01. Confirmed Reservation
02. Non-confirmed Reservation
1. Confirmed Reservation: This type of reservation is also known as guarantee reservation. It
assumes the guest that the hotel will hold the room reservation until the specific time of the day
the guest arrives in the hotel. The guest inform agree to pay the confirmation charge even if
he/she doesn't use the room unless the guest cancel the reservation according to the hotel's
cancellation procedure. It provides the protection for the hotel's revenue even in case of no- show
guest. Reservation may be confirmed by one of the following;
 Advance Payment: A pre payment guarantied reservation which requires full payment
before the arrives of the guest in the hotel.
 Advance Deposit: This system requires the guest to pay a specific amount of money in
advance as a deposit before he/she arrives in the hotel
 Credit Card: In this case the hotel takes all he information regarding the credit card from
the guest which takes the reservation and past the charge to the guest credit card account.
 Travel Agency: In this system the travel agency grantees the reservation of the guest.
Under this method, the hotel generally presents the bill to the travel agency for the
payment.

2. Non-confirmed Reservation: This type of reservation is also known as non-guarantee

reservation. In this reservation the guest simply agrees that they will arrive in the hotel in

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specific date. The hotel agrees to hold the non-guaranteed reservation until a stated cancellation
time. If the guest does not confirmed during the specific period of time, then the room is released
on the list in the available rooms for the free sale.

2.1 Ways to Improve Your Restaurant Reservation Procedure

As a business owner or manager that accepts reservations at your restaurant, you probably have a
love-hate relationship with the concept. On the one hand, it’s nice to have a better idea of how
busy it will be so the chefs and front of house staff can prepare for the rush. On the other hand,
when parties show up late or don’t show up all, it leaves you feeling frustrated and a little lighter
in the pockets.
 
The key to finding the right balance is to look for ways you can improve your restaurant
reservation procedure for maximum operating efficiency and customer satisfaction.
 
1. Train staff to ensure consistency: Rule number one, regardless of how your restaurant
chooses to accept reservations; you need to train employees on the proper procedure. Like many
other characteristics of running a successful business, maintaining consistent customer
satisfaction starts with sufficient training. Since there are multiple ways a restaurant can accept
reservations (which we’ll talk about next), it’s important to train employees across all platforms,
and that the staff displays the same level of professionalism with each reservation request.
 
2. The traditional phone call reservation with a modern twist: Since the beginning of time, if
a patron wants to make a reservation at a top restaurant, he or she would look up the telephone
number and call the restaurant. The employee on the other end (usually the host or hostess) will
pull out the reservation book and try to accommodate the customer for the specific time
requested and the number of guests. Although this practice has been around for quite some time,
it doesn’t mean it can’t use a little fine-tuning. As you train employees on proper phone
procedure, provide an overview and examples of how they are expected to handle phone calls
from customers placing reservations.
 

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3. Online reservations: In today’s digital world, technology has significantly simplified the
reservation process for both restaurants and customers alike. It’s becoming more and more
popular for patrons to book restaurant reservations online than ever before. Thanks to pioneers
like Open Table, more than 250 million diners have been seated at more than 20,000 restaurants
worldwide. It’s also becoming standard practice for restaurants to utilize their point of sale
(POS) system to help streamline reservations. Online reservation modules can seamlessly
integrate into your restaurant’s website with an embedded link provided by your POS Company.
Customers will then be directed to a custom URL address specific to your restaurant to make
reservation requests. Not only does this integration help streamline the online booking process,
but the custom URL also contributes to your branding efforts.
 
From a business owner’s perspective, these powerful tools offer managers and staff a resource to
reduce overbooking errors and efficiently monitor restaurant capacity and waitlists. From a guest
perspective, it allows them the convenience to pre-book tables online, receive updates on their
reservation status, and send cancellation notifications. It’s a win-win for everyone.   

4. Avoid Overbooking: Speaking of overbooking, this is a big challenge that restaurants face
when they accept reservations from multiple channels. Guaranteeing patrons a table that is not
readily available upon arrival only leads to frustrated customers, loss of profits, and damage to
your restaurant’s reputation. Luckily, this is another area where technology and a POS system
like Restaurant Manager’s Duet POS system can save the day. Duet allows you to efficiently
manage tables by tracking how many are vacant and which ones are occupied. 
 
5. Reservation Confirmation: No matter which channel you use to accept reservations, it’s best
practice to implement a confirmation process. Verifying the reservation time and details with
diners is the best way to prevent no-shows and adjust for any changes that might pop up between
booking and dining. The beauty of an online reservation system and your POS software is that
they offer automated reminders and confirmation communication via SMS text message, email,
or phone call. The automation of this process makes it much easier for you and your staff to
manage.

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3.0 RESERVATION INQUIRIES
I see several hosts wondering why their response rating has decreased or their calendar block
when they have responded to all their inquiries and requests. It is important to know the
difference between a “reservation inquiry” and a “reservation request” and how not responding
to one can affect your response rating and in many instances result in your calendar being
blocked.

3.1 All about Reservation Inquiries

First of all, it suggests that guests send out several reservation inquiries when looking for a place
to stay. When a guest sends an inquiry, they usually send them out to several listings in the same
area. It is kind of like window shopping for an Airing listing. The guest can screen hosts by
sending a question (inquiry) but they need to complete the dates which they are inquiring about
staying and the number of guests. A host may receive pre-approvals from several guests
enabling them to choose which listing fits their needs best. The important thing to note on
"inquiries" is that all you have to do is "respond" to the inquiry within the 24 hours to maintain
your response rating. It is of course best to screen the guest who is inquiring and either "pre-
approving" them or "declining" them but the most important thing is to at least respond to them
within the 24 hour time frame.

3.2 What Does the Host Receive When a Guest Sends an Inquiry?
The host will then receive the guest’s reservation inquiry and have the options to either “Pre-
Approve” or “Decline” or respond in the response box. Please note in the picture below there is
a "Dismiss" button which has since been removed. All you really need to do is respond to the
inquiry within 24 hours of receiving it and your response rating will not be affected. If you “Pre-
Approve”, you are essentially allowing the guest to Instant Book the reservation. If they choose
to go with your listing after you pre-approved them, they will complete the checkout process and
your listing will be booked for the dates you pre-approved for. You also have the option of
sending a "Special Offer".

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4.0 GROUP RESERVATIONS
The Groups module is used to make reservations for five or more guests who have some features
in common (they are all from the same company and are arriving on approximately the same
dates, or they are all members of an organized tour group). This module is specifically designed
to manage reservations with similar needs. Additionally, groups may receive negotiated rates or
other special treatment. Using the Groups module you can create, search for, view, and edit a
given group reservation. Additionally, you can assign (before or during check in) rooms, perform
a group check in, reserve rooms for groups, and create rooming lists. You can also create, search
for, view, and edit a given room block whose rooms can be later picked up by a group
reservation. The Groups module also allows you to display and enter events that could influence
occupancy as well as create confirmation letters. If your system is configured for the Wait List
function, you can place a group reservation on a Wait List and activate later. If your property
works with Fidelio Fax Interface, you also will be able to fax confirmation letters.

4.1 Creating a New Group Reservation

When creating a group reservation, you have two options:
 Create a normal group reservation that pulls rooms from a room block.
 Create a standard group reservation that pulls rooms from house availability without
using the advanced features associated with room blocks. Only in rare cases do you use
standard group reservations in conjunction with room blocks.

4.2 Normal Group Reservations vs. Standard Group Reservations

When creating a new group reservation, how do you decide whether to use a normal group
reservation with sophisticated room block features or a standard group reservation? Consider the
following questions:
 Is the group reservation meant to work with travel agent allotments, and do you wish to
track those allotments through OPERA?
 Is the group reservation meant to deal with convention groups where group members call
and pick up their reservations individually?

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  Do you need a high degree of control over the number of rooms blocked for the group,
the number of rooms picked up, and other group statistics and reports?
 Does the group reservation have group bookings with staggered arrivals and departures,
different numbers of rooms booked on each day, or rates that change during the group
booking?
 If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then it is recommended you create a
normal group reservation.

4.3 Creating a New Normal Group Reservation

In OPERA, you use the group profile, room block, post master reservation, and individual
reservation features in concert to create and manage a normal group reservation. A normal group
reservation pulls rooms from pre-defined room block rather than house availability. By using
OPERA's sophisticated room block features; you have precise control over the multitude of
variables associated with a normal group reservation. Each normal group reservation consists of
two primary elements: Post master (also referred to as a pay master reservation) reservation, and
the original group reservation.

4.4 Individual reservations for group members

Be aware that if the room block from which you are pulling rooms is a general (for a travel
agent) room allotment, you need to create a post master reservation and associated individual
reservations for each subgroup. Because many of the steps in creating a normal group reservation
involve working with room blocks, you are referred to the appropriate section concerning room
blocks where necessary.

5.0 RESERVATION CONFIRMATION AND CANCELLATION.

5.1 Confirming a reservation

To book one or more guestrooms you need to provide your credit card details. These details
enable our hotel to request authorization by your credit card company. This is a standard
procedure to certify that credit limits allow for potential expenses. Some credit card companies
inform card holders about authorization requests. In this case your bank statement may report a

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temporary limitation of your credit maximum up to the amount of your reservation. However,
this limitation is not a payment. The actual payment is done when you sign in upon your arrival
in the hotel. At this point you may decide to use your credit card by validating your card
expenses. If you choose to pay cash or by pin the limitation of your credit maximum will be
cancelled immediately.

5.1 Changing your reservation: If you wish to cancel or change your reservation you may do
so free of charge as late as 48 hours of the agreed arrival day. You will receive an email to
confirm your new reservation or your cancellation.

For Example

Dear Mrs X,

Thank you for your letter of 5th April 20.

We are pleased to confirm the accommodation you describe for the month of August 20.

We enclose a short description of how you reach our hotel. We look forward to your stay with
us.

Yours sincerely,

Mr. Y
Reservations Manager

5.2 Reservation Cancellation

If you find yourself obliged to cancel, you may do so by using the online cancellation function or
by contacting the hotel directly. Cancellation is free of charge up to 48 hours before 00.00 hrs
(CET) of the agreed arrival date. Cancellations within 48 hours of your expected arrival will be
billed the amount of the first night. A reservation not cancelled at all will also be billed the

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amount of the first night. The hotel will charge your credit card for this fee and confirm your
cancellation and payment by email.

PRIMEASIAUNIVERSITY

Department of International Tourism and Hospitality

Management

2nd Assignment on:

Role of Front Ofice in Handling Guest Complaints and Ensuring Guest
Satisfaction.
Course Code: 1103
Course Title: Front Office Management

Submitted to
Rezoana Alam
Lecturer
Department of ITHM

Submitted by
Khan Jayed Akter Bin Raji
Page 10 of 26
 ID: 183-007-054

Date: 25/04/2020
1.0 FRONT OFFICE MANAGEMENT
Every multi-departmental physical business needs to have a front office or reception to receive
the visitors. Front Office Department is the face and as well as the voice of a business.
Regardless of the star rating of the hotel or the hotel type, the hotel has a front office as its most
visible department. For a business such as hospitality, the front office department comes with an
aspect of elevating customer experience with the business.
Front Office department is a common link between the customers and the business. Let us learn
more about it.

1.1 Front Office Department

It is the one of the many departments of the hotel business which directly interacts with the
customers when they first arrive at the hotel. The staff of this department is very visible to the
guests. Front office staff handles the transactions between the hotel and its guests. The staff
receives the guests, handles their requests, and strikes the first impression about the hotel into
their minds.

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 Figure: Front Desk or Reception

1.2 Front office department includes

 Front Desk
 Uniformed services
 Concierges
 Front Office Accounting System
 Private Branch Exchange (PBX), a private telephone network used within an organization
 Basic Responsibilities of Front Office Department

1.3 Following are the most basic responsibilities a front office can handle.
 Creating guest database
 Handling guest accounts
 Coordinating guest service
 Trying to sell a service
 Ensuring guest satisfaction

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  Handling in-house communication through PBX

1.4 Front Office Operations

There are two categories of Front Office Operations
01. 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 request for an accommodation.
 Checking accommodation availability and assigning it to the guest.
 Collecting detail information while guest registration.
 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.
02. 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 such
as
 Determining the type of guest (fresh/repeat) by checking the database.
 Ensuring 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.
 Generating reports.
 Guest Cycle in Hotel

Generally, a guest’s interaction with the hotel is divided into the following four sequential phases
 Pre-arrival: It is the stage when the customer is planning to avail an accommodation in
the hotel. In this first stage, the customer or the prospective guest enquires about the
availability of the desired type of accommodation and its amenities via telephonic call or
an e-mail. The customer also tries to find out more information about the hotel by visiting
its website. At the hotel end, the front office accounting system captures the guest’s

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 information such as name, age, contact numbers, probable duration of stay for room
reservation and so on.
 Arrival: The front office reception staff receives the guest in the reception. The porters
bring in the guest luggage. For the guest with confirmed reservation, the front office clerk
hands over a Guest Registration Card (GRC) to the guest and requests the guest to fill in
personal information regarding the stay in the hotel. The clerk then registers the guest in
the database thereby creating a guest record and a guest account along with it. Later, the
clerk hands over a welcome kit and keys of the accommodation. After the procedure of
registration, the guest can start occupying the accommodation.
 Occupancy: During occupancy, a front office accounting system is responsible for
tracking guest charges against his/her purchases from the hotel restaurants, room service,
bar, or any outgoing telephone calls made via the hotel’s communication systems. The
front office staff is responsible to manage and issue the right keys of the accommodations
to the right guests. On guests’ request, the staff also makes arrangement for
transportation, babysitting, or local touring while the guest is staying in the hotel.

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 Figure: Guest’s interaction with the hotel
 Departure: During guest departure, the front office accounting system ensures payment
for goods and services provided. If a guest’s bill is not completely paid, the balance is
transferred from guest to non-guest records. When this occurs, collection becomes the
responsibility of the back office accounting division.
At the time of guest departure, the front office staff thanks the guest for giving an opportunity to
serve and arrange for handling luggage. In addition, if the guest requires airport or other drop
service, the front office bell desk fulfils it.

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2.0 HANDLING GUEST COMPLAINTS AND ENSURING GUEST SATISFACTION

2.1 How to handle guest complaint

There is a certain amount of expertise required when handling customer complaints in a hotel.
Most of the time, the complaint comes to the hotel receptionist, who should have the skill and
knowledge to handle it effectively.

It is not necessary a complaint does always have to be voiced, It can also be unvoiced. Hence,
hotel staff should be able to address both types of complaints. It is important to remember that
the hotel exists because of the guests only and if guests no longer stay at the hotel due to
dissatisfaction then there will be no hotel. A part of the front office’s responsibility is to serve the
customer well and this is evident in the way they handle problem. Here are some tips that will
teach you how to handle customer complaints at your hotel effectively and ensure customer
satisfaction.

2.2 Allow the Customer to Speak

It is important that you give a patient ear to the customer while he is complaining and do not
make an effort to interrupt. The customer is already angry and the interruption will cause his or
her temper to flare even further. Allow the customer to describe, in detail, the reason for their
unhappiness with the hotel or its service. The customer may yell and shout, but the front office
staff should never take it personally. Instead the staff should concentrate on resolving the issue.
While you can ask questions to understand the reasons better, it is important that you let the
customer speak out his mind. Ask open-ended questions if you are not clear about the issue and
this will show the customer you are genuinely interested in understanding their problem and
resolving it. It will help the customer calm down and speak more coherently. As a receptionist,
you should be aware of the difference between a genuine problem that requires solving and a
situation where the customer is venting his frustration. So, listen to the complaint carefully to
find out what is really troubling the customer.
 

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2.3 Your Guests are the Best Advertisement of your Hotel
Hotels should never forget that the best way to advertise their service is through a satisfied
customer. If a customer is dissatisfied, he will give negative feedback and bad reviews about the
hotel and its services. This will have far-reaching consequences, as many customers now use
online sites to provide feedback about hotels. Other potential guests read this and use it to base
their decisions on whether to use the hotel or not. On the other hand, if a customer leaves the
hotel satisfied, not only will he give positive feedback, he will return with friends and family the
next time he is in town.

2.4 Respect the Guests whatever they be

Regardless of the customer’s race, language, appearance or culture, he or she should be treated
with respect and made to feel valued and special. This should be throughout all departments of
the hotel. When you respect your customers, you will make an effort to meet their needs, leading
them to be satisfied.

2.5 Handle the Complaints Smoothly

When dealing with an irate customer face-to-face or over the phone, it is important to be
professional and courteous. Using a polite tone and demeanor will let you show the customer that
you are making an effort to understand the situation and can help in defusing it. You should not
show your nervousness, as this creates an impression of uncertainty and adds fuel to the fire. By
being calm and confident, you will have a more positive effect. The fact that a customer
approaches you should be an indication that he believes you will be able to help and resolve his
problem. Also, handle the complaint positively. See it as an opportunity to improve customer
service rather than taking it personally. Give your customers alternatives and suggestions if a
particular service is not available. Try to convince the customer that you have made a note of
their suggestions and show your appreciation by telling them that you will ask management to
implement them as soon as possible.

2.6 Put yourself in your Customer’s Position

If you look at the situation or problem from the customer’s perspective, you will be able to better
understand their frustration and/or anger. Even if you are not wrong or not part of the problem, it

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is important you issue an apology to the customer. The apology should be issued even if the
customer is angry and yelling at the top of his lungs. Empathizing with the customer is a good
way to handle customer complaints as it shows them that you understand what they are going
through. It will help defuse the situation.

2.7 Take Responsibility to resolve your Customer’s Problem

As much as possible, you should try to resolve the customer’s problem. Remember, the customer
has come to you with the hope that you can help them out. This is the time to show them that you
are willing to aid them. Unless the situation is something you cannot resolve or address, avoid
transferring the problem to another person but, If you do have to take the complaint to someone
else then, stay on the call until the other person answers, first introduce the caller and transition
the situation then after make sure that person understands the problem very clearly and is now
full of aware the customer’s name and problem. Never blindly transfer an angry caller, if the call
is forwarded to a voicemail box or gets disconnected, the customer will be more angry when they
call back.

2.8 Ask the Customer for an Appropriate Solution

Many times asking the customer to suggest an appropriate solution can go a long way in
diffusing the situation. Also, if the solution is reasonable and you have the authority, you can
immediately act upon it. If you do not have the authority, explain this to the customer and give
him a time frame within which his problem will be resolved. If the customer gives an
unreasonable solution, be calm and explain why the hotel cannot use it. Then give the customer
an alternative to calm him down. It is important that you first apologize and then take action to
resolve the customer’s problem. This transition should be seamless. Immediately after
apologizing for the inconvenience caused, you should inform the customer of steps you will take
to address his complaint and how long it will take. This is only possible if you listen to the
customer’s complaint and understand it completely.

2.9 Follow up the Problems with Customers

Once a customer’s problem has been resolved, it is important that you follow up with him or her
to find out whether he is happy with the solution. This will allow you to confirm that the problem

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has really been resolved and that the customer is now happy with the services of the hotel. A
follow up also makes the customer feel special and this can make a huge difference in the overall
impression that the customer has about the hotel. A follow up can build customer loyalty and
pave the way to repeat business.

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 PRIMEASIAUNIVERSITY

Department of International Tourism and Hospitality

Management

3rd Assignment on:

Front Office Operations: Front Office Documents & Property Management
System.
Course Code: 1103
Course Title: Front Office Management

Submitted to
Rezoana Alam
Lecturer
Department of ITHM

Submitted by
Khan Jayed Akter Bin Raji
ID: 183-007-054

Page 20 of 26
 Date: 25/04/2020
1.0 FRONT OFFICE DOCUMENTS AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
A property management system (PMS) is a set of software solutions that give hotel managers the
ability to enhance their operating efficiency and deliver the best possible experiences for their
guests. At its core, a property management system handles booking, check-in/check-out, room
rates, billing, and performance analytics. All of these tasks can be labor and time-intensive when
done by hand, so the goal of a PMS system is to save hotel managers and their employee’s time
and money.

In recent years, property management systems have increased their capabilities and moved
beyond just completing basic front-office tasks. With a PMS system, you can now offer loyalty
programs to guests gather and analyze data, manage food and beverage services and more. But
many hotels still rely on outdated and time-consuming methods to manage their property.
Running a hotel is a complex business, and it’s important to stay on top of the latest technology
to get ahead in a competitive market. Using a modern PMS can help you stay ahead of your
competitors and make sure that your guests have a great experience. Check the video and read on
to learn more about what PMS software can do and how using one can benefit your hotel. Hotel
business is of a kind that needs to provide a myriad range of services to its guests such as food,
accommodation, transport, recreational services, and so on. Since the front office contributes
major portion in coordinating the services requested by the guests, it needs a system that can help
the front office staff to sell services and track them seamlessly and simultaneously. The front
office information system includes mainly the property management system. Let us see, what
PMS is and how useful it is for handling hotel management functions smoothly.

1.1 Importance of PMS

A PMS is required for the hotel staff for the following reasons:
 It integrates all critical operations of the hotel on one platform.
 It provides real-time information on accommodations, reservations, restaurants, spas,
bars, and about every working arm of the hotel.
 It provides highly accurate information which is helpful for the management to plan new
goals and handle the investments in a better way.

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  It boosts the efficiency of the front office staff and in turn maximizes the performance of
the hotel business.
 It simplifies the time-taking or complex operations otherwise done manually.
 It works for the convenience of the hotel staff, managing body, as well as the guests.

1.2 Types of PMS

There are two basic types of PMS:
 Local PMS: They have large technical requirements such as workstation,
Computer/workstation, Data server, Terminal servers, Operating system, Network cards,
and Removable back-up systems.
 Cloud-based PMS: They mainly need computers/workstation and Internet connection.

1.3 Difference between Local and Cloud-based PMS

Subjects Local PMS Cloud-based PMS
Availing the PMS Owner needs to purchase the Owner needs to take
PMS hardware and software. subscription from a PMS
vendor.

Requirement of Internet No Yes, a reliable high speed

Connection connection is mandatory.

System and Access PMS software and data reside PMS software and data reside
on a server to which multiple on a shared server at the PMS
terminals are connected. vendor’s data center.
The PMS is accessed from a Users access the system
program installed on each through a Web browser from
terminal. anywhere, anytime.

Requirement of On-site IT Yes No

expertise

Advantages Does not rely on an Internet Less costs of hardware or IT.

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 connection. No technical and data security
Reduces concerns about responsibility on owner.
online data security. Affordable subscription
Robust functionality for vast pricing.
amount of data. Simple, quick set-up.
Easy access from anywhere,
anytime.
Automatic data back-up.
Integrated Web bookings.
Free system upgrades.
Scalable and adaptable.
Disadvantages Requires complex and Not suitable for properties
expensive hardware. without a reliable Internet
Unreachable from remote connection.
areas. High concerns over online
Expensive and complicated to security.
maintain and upgrade.
Time-consuming, software
installation and training.
Additional costs and hardware
needed for enabling web-
based
features
Responsibility of system and
data security is owner’s
headache.
On-site IT expertise is
required.
Mark on Timeline It is a traditional solution. It is a contemporary solution.

Pricing Capital expenditure and Operational expenses for

operational expenditure both; renewing subscription.

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 for hardware, software and its
updates, and IT expert’s
charges.

1.4 Popular Property Management Systems

Some popular PMS: Autoclerk, Skyware MSICloud, CloudPM, eZee Frontdesk, Hotelogix,
Hetello, Hoteliga, OpenHotel, OPERA PMS, are to name a few.

1.5 Common Software Options in a PMS

A PMS takes care of each department in the hotel. These are the commonly available features
among PMS:

1.6 PMS Features for Front desk

 Reservation
 Registration
 Accommodation status
 Guest and non-guest accounts
 Cash handling
 Night auditing
 Reports

1.7 PMS for Sales and Marketing

 Guest database for market segmentation
 Guest history
 Yield management
 Travel agents information as clients
 Reports for goals
 Performance evaluation by comparative analysis

1.8 PMS for Housekeeping

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  Lost and found
 Accommodation status
 Laundry charges

1.9 PMS for Food and Beverage

 POS sales
 Material inventory
 Periodic sales reports
 Standard recipes

1.10 PMS for HRM Department

Individual staff member’s records regarding shifts, attendance, and appraisals.

1.11 PMS for Accounts

 Account payables and receivables
 Payroll
 Balance sheet
 Profit/Loss reports

1.12 PMS for Communication

Outgoing and incoming call records with date, time, place, duration, and charges.

1.13 Concerns in Selection of Appropriate PMS

The following concerns are considered while selecting an appropriate PMS:
01. Property and Business Domain Concerns
 Size of the property: The number of accommodations
 Number of locations
 Number of employees
 Property service policies
 Budget for technical resources and training

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  Nearest future growth
02. PMS Domain Concerns
 User-friendly design that fosters intuitive navigation through logical order of tasks.
 Training expertise and time period required to train the staff.
 Hotel’s online presence.
 Guest-oriented functionality.
 Scalability.

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