Class 12

Front Desk
is a very important
department in the hotel, making direct
contact with guests. The main function
of this department is Reservation,
Guest service, Check-in, Check-out,
Telephone, Finance & Cashiering,
Foreign Exchange, Room
Assignment, Inquiry etc.
The Front Office is also called the
nerve centre of a hotel. It can be
defined as a front of the housing
department located around the foyer
and the lobby area of
a hospitality property. As this
department is located around the foyer
area of the hotel and is visible to the
guests, patrons and visitors, they are
collectively called “Front Office”.
This department is one of the major
operational and revenue-producing
departments of the hotel which
generates two-thirds of the revenue
earned by a hotel from the sale of the
guest rooms. It involves in providing
valuable services to the guests during
the entire guest cycle consisting of
Pre-arrival,
Arrival, Occupancy and Departure.
The operational function of the
Front Office Department:
Guest Registration: Does all guest
registration-related activities like
Check-in, room assignment,
welcoming, room rate etc.
Guest Service: Fulfils any Guest
Services related activities.
Guest History and records: Creates
and maintains a guest profile, history,
likes and dislikes, collect feedback etc.
Guest Database: Develops &
maintains a Comprehensive Database
of Guest Information
Updates Room Status: responsible to
update the correct room status like CI,
CO, DNCO, DND etc.
Reservation: This section is
responsible in registering the room
reservation from various sources, with
recordings, filing of reservation
records, and revise on the appropriate
time to make sure that guests would
have their rooms upon entering the
hotel.
Postage and Parcels: This section is
to facilitate guests pertaining to the
posting of letters, telegrams, and
parcels.
Telephone: This section is to facilitate
guests pertaining to the telephone both
internally and externally, and to wake
guests up in the morning upon request.
Finance and Foreign
Exchange: This section relates with
the Accounting Department, through
the collection from guests through
their services, and also give the
foreign exchange service.
Inquiry: This section is to answer
questions and inquiries of guests.
Therefore, this section would have to
be alert with all the movements of the
hotel.
Bell Desk and Concierge: Provide all
services related to Bell desk and
Concierge.
Importance of Front Office
Department:
Traditional Front Office functions
include reservation, registration, room
and rate assignment, guest
services, room status, maintenance
and settlement of the guest account,
and creation of guest history records.
The Front Office develops and
maintains a comprehensive database
of guest information, coordinates
guest services, and ensures guest
satisfaction. These functions are
accomplished by personal in diverse
areas of Front Office Department.
The front office is also known as the
face of the hotel. It is the first guest
contact area and also the nerve centre
of the hotel. All the activities and
areas of the front office are geared
towards supporting guest transaction
and services.
Introduction and Importance of the
Reservation Department
The term reservation is defined as
‘blocking a particular room type for
a guest, for a definite period of time,
for a particular guest'. To ensure a safe
and secure place to stay during their
visit to another town, guests generally
prefer to make advance reservations
in hotels and other types
of accommodation units.
All hotels will readily accept advance
reservations and booking in order to
achieve high occupancy and to
maximize their room revenue. When a
guest makes an advance reservation
for a definite time period it is expected
that the hotel will accept and honour
its commitment by a contract between
the hotel and the guest.
If either the hotel or the guest wishes

to alter or cancel the reservation, this
can be done only through a mutual
agreement. If a guest fails to inform
the hotel about their cancellation the
hotel property may decide to retain the
advance deposit received from the
guest earlier to cover up for any loss
of accommodation revenue
The importance of reservation.

Process of reservation
A) Enquiry for reservations:
First step of reservation is registered
as enquiry of reservation where
reservation personnel conduct a brief
question answer section with guest or
customer to gain various knowledge
about reservation which he/she wants
to make. The point that are to be
recorded are note down below:
i) Name of the guest
ii) Date of arrival
iii) Date of departure
iv) Desired room type

v) Desired room rate
vi) Required number of rooms
vii) Desired room plan
viii) Number of pare.
ix) Contact address and number
(details)
x) Special recommendation
B) Determining the room
availability:
The second most important step in
reservation is determining the room
availability. In this process we check
the demand of guest encoded during
the first step. The availability can be
checked by referring to forecast chart,
conventional chart or density chart. In
fully automated system we can begin
check in the same availability by
computerized system or software.
C) Excepting or dying the request:

Now after check in the room
availability in hotel we are able to
expect or deny the reservation request.
Expecting can be done if the request is
fully validated by the availability
formats and system, where as vice
versa can be conducted for denying.
Exceptional: In few cases reservation
personnel an up sale another room of
same criteria or higher by conveying
or motivate the customer or guest.
D) Documenting the reservation
details:
After accepting or denying reservation
next process is documentation.
Documentation is conducted by
reservation staff by completing
undone part of reservation form with
the necessary details of guest who is
about to stay.
E) Confirming the reservation
request:
After documenting the details of a
guest we need to confirm the room to
a guest confirmation are generally
done by dispatching a confirmation
letter to the guest by having a
guaranteed reservation and may be
sometime non-guarantee too.
F) Maintaining the reservation
record:
After confirming a room to the guest
we need to make a reservation record
for each and every booking made. The
records can be maintained or
processed in two ways:
a) Documenting the original
reservation: In this process we file and
record the original reservation details
and if we are working in a
computerized system we will be
recording a printed form of reservation
done. The documentation are done in a
basis of date of arrival and afterward
in assurance to the surname of guest.
b) Modification of reservation: The
next step in processing is changing of
the details that are recorded in
reservation form. In this case, we need
to attach the different ammessdement/
correction form or slip with the
original one.
G) Compiling the reservation
report:
Now after completion of reservation
record we need to prepare the report of
reservation dept. on either basis of
date, week, month or year.
.

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Front Desk

If either the hotel or the guest wishes

The importance of reservation.

iv) Desired room type

C) Excepting or dying the request:

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