HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

A hotel is defined by the British Law as a ‘place where bonafide travelers can receive
food or shelter, provided he/she is in a position to pay for it and is in a fit condition to
be received‘. Hence, a hotel must provide food (and beverage) and lodging to a traveler
on payment, but the hotel has the right to refuse if the traveler is not presentable
(either drunk, or disorderly, or unkempt) or is not in a position to pay for the services.

Ancient Definition:
The word “Hotel” is derived from the Latin word “hospitum” i.e. the halls in olden days
where guests were given hospitality, or in short the notion of hospitality can be
described as the sprit, practice, quality and an act of receiving and treating strangers
and guest in warm, friendly and generous way without any consideration for the reward
and / or return.
Modern Definition:
Hospitality in the modern sense comprises of four characteristic features.
 It is conferred by a host on a guest “a home away from home”.
 It is interactive i.e. involving the coming together of a provider and receiver.
 It comprises of a blend of tangible and in-tangible factors.
 The host provides the guest’s a sense of security and psychological and
physiological comfort.
The four attributes, if put to practice; deliver the desired feeling of being “at home”.

UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO ROOM DIVISION MANAGEMENT

Rooms Division Management leads, control and supervise the Front Desk, Guest
Services and Housekeeping departments. They work closely with Reservations to assure
and maximize occupancy rate and revenue and they are also in charge of providing all
necessary forecasts.
In larger hotels, the rooms division has several departments that all work together to
please guests. In mid-size and smaller properties, those departments may be reduced in
size and number, but they still need to serve guests. Rooms Division theroom’s division
director is held responsible by the GM for the efficient and effective leadership and
operation of all the rooms’ division departments. They include concerns such as the
following:
• Financial responsibility for rooms division
• Employee satisfaction goals
 • Guest satisfaction goals
• Guest services
• Guest relations
• Security
• Gift shop
The rooms division consists of the following departments: front office, reservations,
housekeeping, concierge, guest services, security, and communications.

UNIT 2: FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT

2.1 Introduction and its sections
2.2 Organizational chart and Layout of Front office
2.3 Duties and Responsibilities of front office personnel
2.4 Coordination between Front office and other department

INTRODUCTIONS TO THE HOTEL FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT

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 center 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.
Its basic responsibilities are:
 Reservations;
 Registration and checkout for guests;
 Guest Service coordination;
 Providing information;
 Managing yields;
 Night audit;
 Providing in-house sales.
 All these functions can be divided into 2 groups:

1. Front of the house activities

2. Back of the house activities
All functions are fulfilled by working under the front office manager. Big hotels require
having many sub-departments and more staff members, whereas in small hotels one
employee can perform a wide variety of duties.
Sub Departments of Front Office
Reservations:

 Manage all booking calls for all bookings, such as free individual traveler (FIT) or classes,
and even make a reservation
 Handle all booking requests by some other means, such as fax, telex, e-mail, etc.
 Maintain reservation rack
 Maintain an accurate and up-to-date inventory of rooms
 Deal with all the sources of the reservation including a travel agent, airline crew,
business, etc.
 Set booking rates and closeout dates if fully booked
 Makes Efforts to sell the rooms
 Eventually, keep a clear record of the booking, space forecasting, etc. to make the later
process run smoothly.
Reception / Registration:-

 This is one of the most critical parts because they are in constant touch with the guest
right from arrival to departure time.
 Reception workers perform such tasks as welcoming the visitor to the hotel, registering
them and assigning them rooms
 Complete Full formalities for pre-registration of VIP SPATT members, groups, etc.
 Maintain various records such as identification cards, C-forms, vouchers for services, a
slip of travel, a note of inconsistencies, occupancy list and statistics, etc.
 Execute formalities of government relating to foreigners such as C- Form
 Coordinate room clearance with the housekeeping team.
Bell Desk:-

 It is also a very important section of FO since the bell boys are the first staff with whom
guests come into touch as soon as they reach the hotel
 Throughout the arrival and departure process, the bell boys help the guest to carry the
luggage from the lobby to the bed and from the bed to the lobby.
 Carries out various miscellaneous jobs for the guest and the official job given by the
F.O.M.
 Responsible for the delivery of newspapers in the rooms.
 Does the guest paging too
 Maintains and sells postal stamps.
 Maintains documents such as bell boy logbook, check-in, and check-out card,
newspaper register, postal stamp register, scanty baggage register, left baggage register,
etc.
Concierge:-

 In certain hotels, concierge offers information to the guest when there is a need for
longer interactions, such as planning a route, etc., and this can be considered an
extended information desk.
 This is a French word that means porter-doorkeeper, and also refers to hospitality.
Cashier:-

 Opening and maintaining of the guest folio.

 Posting room charge in guest folio.
 All credit charges are recorded in guest folio.
 Maintaining a record of the cash received from the guest.
 Preparing bills at check-out time.
 Receiving account payment cash/traveler cheques /credit cards.
 Organizing foreign currency exchange for guest account settlement
Travel Desk:-

 Arranging pick-up and drop facilities for guests as they arrive and leave.
 Provide vehicles to guests at pre-determined rates upon request.
 Creating travel plans, such as train reservation/cancelation/modifications, or purchasing
guest air tickets.
 Half-day or full-day sightseeing tours to and around the area.
 Arranging for guides who can communicate in the guest’s language.

FRONT OFFICE ORGANIZATION CHART / FRONT DESK ORGANIZATION CHART

The organizational chart should provide a clear picture of the lines of authority and
the channels of communication within the department. In a large hotel, the department
is headed by the Front Office Director who is assisted by
respective Reservation Manager, Front desk Manager and the Revenue Manager.
Front Office department chart not only provides for a systematic direction of orders but
also protects employees from being over directed. The organogram chart shows that
each employee should take orders only from the person directly above him/her.
A copy of the chart should be posted in an area so that all Front Office staff can see
where they fit into the overall organization of the department. Ideally, the organization
chart needs to be placed on the Front Office notice board and the back of the
house area reception.
LAYOUT OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
 COORDINATION OF FRONT OFFICE WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF FRONT OFFICE PERSONNEL

1) Front Office Manager

 Directs and coordinates the activities of the front office department. This includes room
reservations, guest room assignments, mail, and information.
 Reports to the management ‘(either manager or executive assistant) and is, wholly
responsible to him for the daily functions of the front office.
 Maintains and/or develops applicable operation procedures involving both convention
and non-convention reservations, controlling of open and closed dates, availability and
condition of rooms and suites, guest arrival patterns, control of keys, receipt, and flow
 of mail and messages to ensure efficient methods and liaison between department
sections and shifts.
 Must understand the functions of, and be able to cooperate with closely related
departments such as front office cashiers, assistant manager. Credit, sales,
housekeeping, service, and inter-hotel reservations.
 Meets with executive management and supervisors from these and other departments
at regular intervals to plan and coordinate hotel housing activity.
 Works closely with various convention group secretaries to aid their planning of arrival
and guest housing.
 Meets with individual guests or convention group representatives on problems of room
assignment, price, and location.
 Prepares reports to the management and other supervision relative to anticipated
rooms occupancy, reservation pattern, expected check-in, and out.
 Responsible, along with the personnel department, for the employment and training of
staff.
 Aids and promotes in carrying out hotel-employee relation policies such as courtesy
program, work performance records, vacations, etc.

2) Assistant Front Office Manager

 Assists front office manager in supervising and coordinating the day to day operations of
the front office staff and resolves internal problems.
 Co-ordinates staffing of mail and information and reservation clerks with their
supervisors.
 Arranges schedules of room salespeople.
 Liaises with the sales department for present and future convention and group
bookings.
 Corresponds with future guests and blocks suites and special requests for large
conventions.
 Deals with problems arising from guest complaints and reservation and room
assignment activities.
 Interviews and hires applicants.
 Responsible also for any miscellaneous duties assigned by the front office manager.
 Assumes the responsibilities of the front office manager upon his absence.

3) Reservation Manager/Assistant Manager Reservation

 Supervises and answers inquiries of reservations agents.

 Arranges schedules of reservations agents.
 Maintains close liaison with secretaries of major companies that do business with the
hotel. Frequently called upon to entertain these secretaries.
 Types and processes reservation requests received by phone, telegraph, a letter at Is
responsible for accurate and effective handling of reservation tally sheet.
 Advises and informs the front office manager or assistant on the duty of a significant
increase or decrease of reservation tally, which could affect the hotel’s open or close
status.
 Types and files reservation slips. Type’s confirmation slips.
 Trains new agents in all aspects of the above.
 Supervises and coordinates activities of filing clerks.
 Opens and routes all mail addressed to the front office. Timestamps all correspondence.
 Marks mail to emphasize important points for reservation typist.
 Keeps a record of all reservations and makes a monthly room nights report; in addition,
prepares a half-year report of all accounts and their respective production.

4) Lobby Manager

 Schedules the duty roster and determines justification for manpower strength.
 Handles guest complaints, and ensures that the front office has good relations with all
departments. Coordinates with various departments for effective guest handling.
 Co-ordinates with the front office (reception and information) to facilitate rooming and
departure of guests and front office cash (to allow credits).
 Does liaison between the travel counter, airlines regarding arrival and departure of
flights. Takes constant rounds at night of all operating areas to ensure smooth
functioning.
 Passes credit bills in the absence of assistant front office manager.
 Trains all staff under him, and trainees as well.
 Co-ordinates with the security and ensures that no unwanted happening takes place in
the hotel.
 Attends general manager’s meetings.
 Completely responsible for all going-on in the lobby, and operating public areas and
rooms at night as well.

5) Front Office Assistants

(i) Reservation Assistants

 Courteously and promptly handle all reservations on phone, by mail, telex cable, and
computer, etc.
 Up-date the reservation register/records in order to have an updated inventory of room
availability. (Receive and store information).
 Type out advance reservation slips and maintains reservation racks and correspondence
tiles and in case of computers updates information in computers.
 Carry out amendments and cancellations intelligently and accurately.
 Keep the availability status chart updated.
 Display reservation position on “Flash Board”.
 Check on reservation stationery and keep a satisfactory par stock if the same.
 (ii) Reception/ Registration Assistants

The friendly welcome given by the receptionist to a guest changes an impersonal hotel
building into a friendly and homely place and his unfriendly. Hostile and indifferent
attitude may convert the guest’s experience into an unpleasant and uncomfortable stay.
If the front office is the hub of the hotel then the receptionist is aptly called the person
who keeps this hotel world moving.
 Be informed on daily room status. Have detailed information regarding arrivals, their
room requirements, and expected departures of the day.
 CheckupVIP’s reservations and issue VIP amenities, a voucher for fruits and flower
beverages, etc. and any other special requests.
 Prepares all records connected with pre-registration for VIP, invalids and old people
 Handle group/crew registration as per laid down procedures as well as FIT.
 Maintain a satisfactory part of all registration of stationery.
 Room all arrivals using arrival errand cards.
 Constantly update room rack/information rack.
 Type out permanent arrival slip after registering guests and slot in racks.
 Open out guest folio without delay and transmit it to the front office cashier himself or
send the GR. card to cashier for opening the guest folio.
 Maintain room fates absolutely current and up-to-date.
 Prepare room discrepancy report and ensure a double-check through lobby attendant
Work closely with information assistants.
 Give all departure rooms to housekeeping promptly. Take all cleared rooms promptly
from housekeeping.
 Take room reports/occupancy statistics and maintain an inventory of rooms.
 Receive and greet the guest. The friendly welcome given by the receptionist to a guest
changes an impersonal hotel building into a friendly and homely place, while his
unfriendly, hostile and indifferent attitude may convert the guest experience into an
unpleasant and uncomfortable stay. If Front Office is the ‘Hub’ of the hotel then the
receptionist can be aptly called the person who keeps the hotel world moving.
 Sell higher priced rooms and other hotel facilities through trained salesmanship and
assign rooms.
 Help room service and telephone departmentally to racks.
 Handle scanty baggage diligently.
 Know color codes used in reception.
 Know room history, namely location, kind, rate, theme, if any, and the view each room
commands.
 Set up and posts the guest accounts in small hotels.
 Deal with cash, credit cards, and checkouts and perform cashiers function in a small
hotel.
 Provide safekeeping for guest valuables.
 Deal with complaints and emergencies.
(iii) Information Assistants

 Distribute room keys to registered guests in the hotel when the arrival errand card is
presented.
 Answer incoming calls for guests and report all messages.
 Handle all guest mail, information, parcels, telegrams as per laid down procedures
Answer queries on house facilities and places of tourist interest.
 Keep information aids like time-table, road maps, hotel guide, etc.
 Help in paying guests.
 Receive and give information.
 Maintain log for guest and staff information.
 Maintain guest racks alphabetically.
 Sell hotel facilities through trained salesmanship.
 Sign departure errand cards in acknowledgment of receipt of room key from a departing
guest.
 Report keys not retrieved or lost to the front office manager at once.
 Maintain close contacts with housekeeping, engineering, lobby, food and beverages,
and other coordinating departments.

6) Night Manager

 Supervises the operation of the hotel through the night.

 Represents management when decisions must be made during these hours.
 Answers inquiries concerning hotel services and facilities and deals with complaints.
 Maintains the reputation of the hotel by refusing or ejecting undesirables.
 Assists cashiers with questions of credibility.
 Dispatches security officers to investigate disturbance or investigates him.
 Receives articles and maintains a ledger of articles turned-in for the Lost and Found
Department.
 Maintains logbook noting unusual occurrences.
 Checks function board for accuracy.
 Keeps a close watch on night clerks.

7) Night Clerk

 Registers and assigns room to guests.

 Gives and receives keys-maintaining a “key control”.
 Answers inquiries over the telephone and in-person pertaining to hotel services and
registration of guests.
 Arranges for room changes as necessary.
 Makes and confirms reservations received in person, over the phone, or over teletype
machine.
 Balances room revenue with night auditor.
 Completes numerous reports for management analysis through the following
procedures. Prepares night clerks summary, three days, seven days, or fifteen days
forecast, and VIP list.
 Verifies guest origin and source of business on previous day check-out cards.
 Completes reports on the geographical surveys.
 Checks the room racks against the information board (Concierge) and telephone
operator’s board for omissions and sleepers.
 8) Bell Captain

 Supervise the lobby attendants. Control their movement and activities on the lobby
attendants control sheet.
 Take attendance and prepare staff schedules to meet exigencies of work.
 Advise the assistant manager-lobby periodically on the performance of lobby
attendants, and at times provides information to the guest.
 Attend to guest complaints and handle telephone calls in the absence of assistant
manager-lobby.
 Handle left luggage formalities and maintain the baggage checkroom.
 Train lobby attendants to maximize departmental efficiency.
 Organize and supervise check-in/out baggage formalities of groups, crews, etc. Control
the sale of postage stamps and stationery to guests.
 Maintain a record of all guests with “scanty baggage” and inform assistant manager
lobby and front office.
 Assist security in lobby surveillance.
 Conduct daily briefing of lobby attendants.
 Co-ordinate and control the distribution of morning newspapers.
 Supervise the storage of essential medicine prescribed by the house doctor and be
accountable for the issues made. Keep lobby clean at all times.
 Keep baggage neatly and orderly at the specified places.

9) Bell Boy and Night Porter

The night porter will specifically take care of the cleaning of walls, carpets, furniture,
etc. and may also take charge of some snacks and hot and cold beverages service in a
small hotel to make sure that the doors, windows, etc. are closed at a specific time and
also make a note of all the midnight and early morning departure rooms so that
properly their luggage may be handed.
 Report to bell captain.
 Handle guest arrival.
 Take the baggage from the car in the porch/gate to the room.
 Escort the guest to the room on arrival.
 Place the baggage in the room, on the luggage rack.
 Explain the operation and control of light switches/air-conditioning etc. to the guests
and switch them on.
 Handle departure of the guest (through use of departure errand card).
 Under instructions from bell captain bring the baggage down from the room on
departure. Check the room to ensure that the guest has left no articles in the room by
mistake.
 Switch off all lights and air-conditioning.
 Obtain clearance from the front office cashier on the errand card regarding the bill i.e.
paid/signed by the guest.
 Ensure the collection of keys from guests at the time of check out and obtain clearance
from the information section.
 Check for mail, messages for departure guests and, if available, collect and give mail or
messages to departing guests.
 Take the baggage and place it in the car at the porch/gate.
 Handle errands requested by guests and front office staff.
 Track/keep eye on unwanted guests in the hotel.
 Attend the instructions of the supervisor.
 Handle baggage of guests when they are shifting to another room.
 Distribute newspapers to guest rooms and selected offices.
 Keep the lobby area clean and clear to ensure smooth traffic flow.

10) Page Boy

Key Responsibilities –
Stations himself at the side of the main door along with the doorman; opens and closes
lobby door for guests and assists them.
Pages guests in the lobby.
Performs any other duties as may be assigned, usually all duties of bell boy or porter.

11) Concierge

It is a French word and as per dictionary, the word means doorkeeper-porter. The word
also refers to hospitality. In some hotels in India, it is used in a more broad sense and
refers to a person who has a desk called ‘The desk of concierge’ which is in the lobby of
the hotel. It is an extended arm of ‘Information counter’ and provides all that
information when longer interaction with a guest is needed, such as planning itinerary,
etc. The concierge may also handle room keys and does paging of guests Calls guests
(after they have been roomed) to ask whether they require any immediate service.
Job Specification
 The concierge can be called as a ‘Man-about-town or ‘Mister-know-it-all’. Unusually
resourceful and knowledgeable about the hotel and the surrounding.
 It should be equipped with brochures, travel facilities information, sightseeing. Shopping
and other such things for providing assistance to the guest.
 He is required to make airlines booking, taxi booking and planning of itineraries etc. for
guests and offers accurate and informative facts and opinions to the guests
 . Serves as guest’s liaison with hotel and non-hotel services.
 Provides a personal approach to guest services Takes charge of all packet/ tickets for
guests and ensures follow up.
 Prepares daily summary reports and checks daily mom position of suites. Introduces and
sells all hotel services and facilities to the guests.
 Reviews and follow up any incidents and complaints of guests and coordinates with
guest services manager.
 Coordinates with airlines and reconfirms the departure details of the ‘crews’ and
arranges for transport for them.
 Arranges for hotel doctor as and when required
 Maintains an up to date “LOG BOOK “
 Arranges welcome drinks for all arriving groups and ensures that these drinks are served
promptly.
 To have a complete understanding of policies and procedures relating to fire, hygiene,
health, and safety.
 To have a complete understanding of the hotel employee’s handbook and adhere to
regulations contained within the book.

12) Doorman/Commissionaire/Link Man/Carriage Attendant

Responsibilities
 First staff to greet the guest in a hotel.
 Calls taxis for guests and flags down the meter to ensure maximum guest satisfaction.
 Opens doors of arrival cars and taxis and greets and welcomes guests with a smile.
 Brings umbrella if needed.
 Checks baggage before the car or taxi leaves.
 Ensures smooth traffic flow in the porch and ensures that the porch is always clear.
 Provides other information about the hotel and city. No information should be
given unless appropriate and correct.
 Calls for cars parked in the basement.
 Keeps the keys of incoming guest car orderly.
 Checks taxis to ensure that the guest has not left any belongings.
 Should know driving to assist the guest in case of an emergency.
 Performs any other duties as may be assigned.
 Responsible for the cleanliness and orderliness of the front area of the hotel and around
it.
 Checks the luggage out pass before allowing the bell boy to load the luggage in a car or
taxi at the time of departure and maintains a car register.

13) Guest service executive

Responsible for guest services such as hell desk, concierge desk and guest
transportation and ensures the smooth running of these areas.
Key responsibilities-
Prepares duty schedules for the above area staff and supervises their routine and
special work. Keeps information folder updated and keeps the GR. cards and room keys
of pre-registered guests ready. It also looks after the training program for new staff.
Handles complaints.Keeps an eye on the tidiness of the lobby area. Prepares daily
summary reports and circulates them to EAM, and F .O.M., etc. Ensures that amenities
are sent in time to the VIP rooms prior to their arrival. Meets and escorts VIP to their
room at check-in.

UNIT 3: FRONT OFFICE OPERATIONS

 3.1 Reservation -Introduction -Modes/Source/Types/Process of Reservation -
Cancellation and amendment
3.2 Registration and Reception -Introduction -Arrival and Departure procedure of
[Registration, Luggage handling, Scanty baggage, Left-luggage handling] -Room rate
and its types -Types of room or meal plans -Forms and Formats
3.3 Telephone -Roles and Introduction -Types of calls -Etiquettes of handling phone
calls -Handling wakeup call
3.4 Information and uniform service -Introduction -Handling mails and message
3.5 Complaint Handling -Reason of complain and handling them -Types of complain -
Handling lost and found - Types of keys and their control

Unit-3
RESERVATIONS
The term reservation is defined as ‘blocking or booking a particular room type for a
guest, for a definite period of time, for a particular guest’. To ensure a safe and secure
place for 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 reservations in order to achieve high occupancy and to maximize their
room revenue. When a guest makes a reservation for a definite time period, it is
expected that the hotel will accept and honor its commitment by a contract between
the hotel and the guest. A reservation is therefore is a bilateral contract between a
hotel and a guest, according to which the hotel must provide the specified room type to
the guest and the guest must agree to pay all relevant charges. This is also known as
CONTRACT OF BOOKING. 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 his cancellation, the hotel may decide to retain the advance deposit
received from the guest earlier to cover up for any loss of room revenue. The amount
forfeited when a guest does not inform about his cancellation to the hotel is termed as
RETENTION CHARGES. Alternatively if a hotel is unable to provide room to a guest upon
his arrival, the hotel has to provide alternative accommodation of similar standard in
another hotel and pay for any differences in room rates and any additional expenses the
guest may have to incur. The reservation department handles all reservation requests
for accommodation, interacts with the customers and constantly monitors the room
status and the reservation status.  Importance of Reservation The role of reservation
department is not limited to making reservation. It also maintains records of the hotel
occupancy, which helps in planning sales and marketing strategies.
Importance of reservation for guests:
 Ensures room on arrival – A guest who makes prior reservation is ensured of the
required type of room and number of rooms for his entire stay in the city. This saves him
from the difficulty of finding accommodation on arrival especially during peak seasons
when most of the hotels are full.
 Budgeting – As the guest is informed about the tariff of room reserved at time of
booking, he is able to budget his holiday or tour, taking in account the amount he
spends on his stay, food, entertainment etc.
 He is able to plan his holiday or tour without worrying about the basic needs of
accommodation and food.
 Other facilities – The guest is ensured of certain facilities offered by the hotel which
can be confirmed by making the reservation e.g. iron and ironing board on loan basis,
laundry services in hotel, Wi-Fi, tea and coffee maker, kids’ zone, provision of babysitter,
etc.
 A business traveler is also able to give the hotel address to his associates for any
meetings, correspondence transfers to and from the hotel.
Importance for the hotel:
 Prior reservation gives the hotel an indication of the level of business likely to be
encountered during any particular period. The reservation manager knows the amount
of business ensured during that period from the confirmed reservations.
Gives the first impression of the hotel to the guest.
Sells the main product of hotel (accommodation).
 Generate customers for other departments.
 Provide important management information to the guest.
 Reservation department updates the room availability record and thus maximize the
revenue generated from room booking.
 Reservation department prepares the housekeeping and front desk for arrival by
communicating the arrival details taken at the time of reservation.
 Reservation department helps in planning the distribution of the staff at the front
desk-the roaster for the staff can be prepared according to the number of confirmed
reservation for the day.
 Reservation department provides reservation data to the finance department, which
forecast the volume of business on the basis of confirmed reservation.
 It generates the customer for the hotel-first time customer as well as repeat customer-
by handling the reservation queries and request politely.
 It maintains the hotel occupancy record, which helps the management to plan
business strategies-change in room rates, renovation of rooms, expansion program and
opening a new unit in the city.
TYPES OF RESERVATION
a) Tentative Reservation
b) Confirmed Reservation –
i) Non- Guaranteed Reservation
ii) Guaranteed Reservation
c) Waitlisted Reservation
Tentative Reservation – It is a reservation request that a prospective guest makes on a
tentative basis for his particular stay dates. The hotel holds the room for the guest till a
cut-off date, by which the guest should confirm the reservation. Upon confirmation
from the guest, the hotel changes the tentative reservation to a confirmed reservation,
and updates its records accordingly. If the confirmation is not received from the
prospective guest by cut-off date, the reservation is cancelled and the rooms’ inventory
is updated.
Confirmed Reservation – Once a guest confirms a reservation request, the hotel blocks
a room for specified stay dates and sends a written confirmation of the same to the
guest either through letter or email. Confirmed reservation is of two types
Non- guaranteed Reservation: When a guest confirms her reservation at a hotel but
does not guarantee it with an advance deposit, it is treated as a non-guaranteed
reservation. In this type of reservation, the hotel agrees to hold the room for the guest
till the cancellation hour (which is usually 6 PM), unless the guest informs the hotel
about his late arrival. If a guest does not arrive by cancellation hour, the hotel is free to
release the room and sell it to any walk-in guest. This enables the hotel to cover the
probable loss due to a no-show. Hotels nearing full occupancy might accept only
guaranteed reservations once a specified number of expected arrivals is achieved.
ii) Guaranteed Reservation: A guaranteed reservation is a confirmation that the hotel
will hold the reserved room for the guest and not release it to any other guest even if
the guest doesn’t arrive on time. This requires the guest to make an advance payment
(part or full, depending on the hotel policy and hotel occupancy for requested stay
dates). The hotel has to hold the room for such guests even beyond its cancellation
hours, till next day’s check-out time in case of no-show of guest. The guest is sure of
desired accommodation ready for him even he arrives late without any prior
information to the hotel. The guaranteed reservation can be obtained through one of
the following ways-
Prepayment and Advance Deposit :Prepayment requires payment in full be received
from the guest whereas Advance deposit requires payment of a specific amount of
money as deposit (generally one room night rent plus taxes) from the guests. A
guaranteed reservation requires the payment of the room rent or a specified amount in
advance, known as pre-payment. As the hotel holds the room for the guest even after
cancellation hours, pre-payment protects the hotel from any loss of revenue in case of
last minute cancellation or a no-show. Pre-payment can be made by sending demand
draft or depositing cash at the hotel. Cash deposit is the most preferred mode of
accepting guaranteed reservation by most of the hotels. Guests can alternatively choose
to pay the full amount in advance through their credit/ charge cards. A guest should
send a letter authorizing the hotel to charge payment to their credit cards account for
obtaining guaranteed reservation, along with a copy of the front and back of the credit
card. The hotel staff must check the validity and authenticity of the card before using it
as a guarantee.
Contractual Agreement – A hotel may have a contract with an individual or a company
for providing guaranteed reservations. According to such a contract, the hotel confirms
the reservation for the individual or a person referred by a company on guaranteed
basis, and the person or company agrees to pay for the reservation, even in case of no-
show. Hotel may have contractual agreement with the following
i. Tour Operators and Travel Agencies
ii. Companies or Corporate houses
iii. Allotment
iv. MCO
Tour Operators and Travel Agencies: They make bulk purchases of rooms at a relatively
low contracted price. They guarantee the hotel a minimum number of room nights in a
particular period and agree to pay the room charges even if they are unable to fill the
number of rooms as per their agreement with the hotel. The hotel guarantee these
reservations on the basis of vouchers issued by the travel agencies or tour operators, by
which they agree to pay for the room and service charges mentioned on the voucher;
other services are charged from the guest.
Companies or Corporate houses: In this case, a company may enter into a contract with
a hotel, whereby the company guarantees payment for its employees or sponsored
guests and accepts the financial responsibilities for any no-shows. Hotels guarantee
these reservations on the basis of a letter from the company, called a bill to company
(BTC) letter, acknowledging the guest as its employee or client and agreeing to pay his
bills as per contract.
Allotment: Allotment is a set of rooms booked for a particular period of time for a
company or for a group. This type of reservation is made for training courses,
conferences or for private parties. A guest may be asked for a booking reference or for
any other verification before they are provided a room. Allotments are managed by the
reservations manager or the group coordinator and the operational issues are checked
on a daily basis.
Miscellaneous Charge Order (MCO):The Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC) issues
MCO and thus guarantees payment to the hotel if the travel agency defaults on
payment or if the guest is a no show.
iii)Waitlisted Reservation
A reservation is waitlisted when a requested category of room is not available for the
requested dates. A waitlisted reservation will be confirmed when a hotel receives a
request for room cancellation in the same category. The hotel does not guarantee a
room in case of waitlisted reservation, it is understood that the room will be assigned to
the guest in case of a cancellation or a no show.

MODES OF RESERVATION
The mode of reservation tells us HOW the reservation has reached the hotel. For
example, a reservation request may reach the hotel through a written mode such as –
letter, fax, telex or email or through a verbal mode like telephone or in person.
1. Written mode:
Letter – this mode is commonly used by companies and corporate houses,
travel agents and tour operators who send in their reservation request to the
hotel on their company letterheads. The hotel will make the reservation as per
details given in the letter.
Fax – Fax or Facsimile transmission uses electronic scanning technique to send
copies of a document over an ordinary telephone line through a special
machine that prints identical copies of the document. This makes it possible to
send a reservation request instantaneously. Hotel processed the request as per
details and send the confirmation letter to the guest.
Telex or Tele Printer Exchange – involves the use of specialized telephone
lines, where the message is communicated in a written form.
E-mail – It is the most common method of communication. E-mail or
Electronic mail that makes it possible to contact the hotel instantaneously. This
is a fast and very convenient method of reservation.
2. Verbal mode:
Reservation requests may also reach the hotel through verbal mode or oral
communication, i.e. in person or over the telephone. The advantage of oral
communication is that it generates immediate response and feedback and is
very fast and convenient.
 In person – if an individual or a representative goes to the hotel to book
rooms for future, it is termed as an in person reservation.
Telephone – the most common method of direct reservation communications,
a prospective guest may telephone the hotel directly. The reservationist takes
the information sequentially as per the script. Most of the hotels these days
have high-end systems that record a call which can be used later on, for
training purpose.

SOURCES OF RESERVATION

A hotel receives reservation requests from different sources like direct guests,
central reservation system, travel agencies, etc.
1. Direct Reservation or Property Direct – When a hotel receives a reservation
request directly from a guest without any mediator, it is termed as direct
reservation. An individual or group can contact the hotel directly. Modes of
Reservation Written Mode (Letter, Fax, Telex, E-mail) Verbal Mode (In person,
Telephone)
2. Travel Agents and Tour Operator – Travel Agents are intermediary retail
agents who sell rooms, airline seats and other products and services to the
travelers. On the other hand, Tour Operators are wholesalers who purchase
the rooms, airline seats and other travel products from the various principle
suppliers and form a package and finally sell the packages to a travel agent.
Many guests make reservations through a travel agent or a tour operator. The
agent will normally take a pre-payment from the guests and send a
confirmation to the hotel, and issue a TAV (Travel Agent Voucher) on its behalf.
Travel agents generally receive a commission for their services to the guest, or
to the hotel or both.
3. Companies and Corporate Houses – They may have special contracted rates,
assigned to them on the basis of volume of business they provide. Since these
companies also provide bulk business to the hotels, the hotel may decide to
offer low rates.
4. Corporate Travel Departments – Most corporate organizations have a
separate travel department consisting of hired professional who arrange and
cater for the travel and accommodation requirements of the employees.

5. Hotel Sales and Marketing – Most of the hospitality properties have sales
representatives who approach various market segments and combine their
efforts of selling products and services offered by a hotel, thus generating a
large amount of revenue for the hotel.
6. Intersell Agencies – These are multiple product handlers, i.e. they deal with
multiple products, such as hotel reservations, car rentals, travel arrangements,
airline reservations and so on. Intersell agencies such as Make My Trip,
Yatra.com are rich source of reservation to the hotels.
7. Central Reservation System (CRS) – CRS is a computer based reservation
system, which enables a prospective guest to make reservations in any of the
properties of a single chain. The CRS office deals with direct guests, corporate
houses, travel agents and so on by means of toll free telephone numbers.
Equipped with the necessary communication equipment, the CRS office works
7 days a week and 24 hours a day. They have accurate and up-to-date
information of the number of rooms available for the day of the member
hotels, thereby, assisting the guests to make reservations in more than one
hotel through a CRS. In case rooms are not available, the reservationists can
direct the reservation to the other member hotel.
8. Global Distribution System (GDS) - It is a world-wide computerized
reservation network, and is used as a single point of access for reserving hotel
rooms, airline seats, car rentals and various other travel related services by
travel agents, large corporations and online reservation sites. Being a link
between the producers and the end users of travel related products and
services; GDS provides a bundle of products to the prospective users across
geographical boundaries. Used around the globe are Amadeus, SABRE, Galileo
and World span.

HIERARCHY OF RESERVATION SECTION OF A LARGE HOTEL

Reservation Manager/ Revenue Manager

Reservation Supervisor

Reservation Assistant

FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT’S USED IN RESERVATION DEPARTMENT

1. An office for Reservation Manager
2. Status board for knowing room status or Computers
3. Filing racks, cabinets for storing reference material
4. Telephone, fax machines, scanners, printers etc.

SYSTEMS OF RESERVATION

Manual or Non-automated System of reservation: In a manual system, all the

reservation records are maintained manually. This old system reservation is
suitable for a small property, where the number of rooms is less and the
volume of reservation requests is also low. Room Availability Records used in
Room Status Board/ Perpetual Year Planner/ Stop & Go Board As the name
suggests, this chart
Shows the rooms booking position for 1 year on continuous basis.
 The status are shown under three categories
a) Sold Out- means no rooms are available
b) On Request – means rooms can be blocked subjected to cancellation andthe
guest is given the status of waitlist.
c) Free Sales – means the rooms are freely available for booking. The Free sale
status changes to Sold out & further to on request in case of reservation
request and with the cancellation, the status changes from on request to Sold
out and further to Free Sales are recorded on following charts.
1. Advance Letting Chart (ALC) or Conventional Booking Chart
 It is an old system used only by small hotels and those which do not have
computerized system.
 This system uses charts on monthly basis.
Since there is max.of 31 days in a month, the chart has 31 vertical columns
which indicate dates & on the horizontal rows the room numbers are
mentioned.
 The number of horizontal rows will depend on the number of rooms in the
hotel like single room, double room, etc.
 Abbreviations for room features like SR for Single room, Sp for facing
Swimming Pool, DR for Double room etc. are used.
 Blocking, cancellation & amendment entries are generally made by PENCIL on
the chart, so that the chart does not become messy by frequent usage &
maintain records effectively.
 On receiving the request of booking from the prospective guest which include
the type of room and period for which booking is required, the reservationist
checks up the position from the chart & then blocks the room on the chart with
the help of a pencil by drawing a line from the concerned dates against the
room nos.
 All HK status such as OOO rooms, U/R rooms etc. for that period are also
recorded on the chart so as to avoid booking of such rooms.
Advantages –
I. It is visual reference of future expected business of hotel.
II. Useful for small hotel where guest’s length of stay is long.
Disadvantages –
I. It is not easy to find out number of rooms booked or available by
looking at glance in case of large transit hotel.
II. It is difficult to show overbooking.
Symbols used
– SR – Single Room
 , DR – Double Room,
SUI - Suite
2 Density Control Chart
 Useful for large hotels not operated on automatic system & hotels with short stay of
guest, a better system than ALC is Density Chart.
 This chart is designed on the principal that each reservation reduces the availability
of rooms & each cancellation increases the room availability.
 All the rooms of same type are grouped together irrespective of their location in the
building & are put on one chart.
 Like ALC, 31 vertical columns are made for dates.
 The first vertical column on the left side of the chart does not indicate specific room
numbers but shows the no. of rooms of a particular type of the hotel & are written in
descending order.
 This chart does not book individual rooms but books the room of a specific type.
Advantages –
I. No specific room number is allotted to the guest prior to his arrival; the
available room is given at the time of check-in.
II. Easier to work on this chart.
Disadvantages –
I. This chart works well where all rooms are of a particular type & have
same physical facilities.
The hotel may use one of the following systems of manual reservation:
1. Diary system of reservation
2. Cardex system of reservation
DIARY SYSTEM OF RESERVATION
 Most suited to small hotels where the average stays of guest is long.
 The system consists of a bound book called Booking Diary or Hotel Diary.
 Each page of this diary represents one day. Hence it has 365/ 366 pages for a year.
 All necessary information that is received from the prospective guest & recorded on
reservation form is transferred to diary.
 For a small hotel, one page for each day may be sufficient.
 In case of large hotel for seasonal period where the volume of reservation is high, one
page may not be sufficient, individual loose leaf may be used.
 Some hotels, in addition to reservations, also record all walk-ins that come to hotel, so
that a complete detailed record for the period is always available.
 Cancellations are done by drawing a straight horizontal line.
 Later when expected arrival list is prepared one day before the arrival of the guests, all
special requests such as late arrival, car at airport etc. are recorded.
Advantages
i. Useful for small & resort hotels.
ii. All reservation records are available in one consolidated book.
iii. Chances of losing the records are very less, hence it is safe.
iv. Easy to store.
Disadvantages –
i. Since the diary is bulky, its movement for reference from reservation section
to front desk is difficult.
ii. Only one person can work on the diary at one time.
iii. Diary can be maintained in date & time sequence only and it is not possible
to arrange it in alphabetical order, as well as quick reference of a reservation
request alphabetically is not possible.
iv. Cancellations & amendment also create problem & disturb the sequence of
diary.
CARDEX SYSTEM OF RESERVATION
 This system is still used in some of the small & medium hotels
 It comprises of a very compact equipment to store reservation data in
hotel.
 The basic concept of this is like a library cardex system.
 The system consists of a rack which consists of 12 drawers (one for one
month) and each drawer has 31 cardex sheets which can be arranged
overlapping each other with a transparent plastic sheet separating each.
 The sheets are arranged in such a way that the bottom part of each sheet
showing the date & day is visible for the entire month of one year.
 All reservation requests within the lead period of one year shall be entered
in the cardex sheet as per the date of arrival.

SEMI-AUTOMATED SYSTEM OF RESERVATION –

WHITNEY SYSTEM

 Produced by ‘Whitney Duplicating & Check Company’ of New York from

which it took its name
 Whitney reservation racks are arranged on the wall in the reservation
room. Generally 31 racks are used for each current month. Each Whitney
rack is for a particular date. For the next eleven months, 11 racks are used
and 01 rack is used for the following year.
 As soon as request comes for booking, it is typed in duplicate. One goes to
the rack of the corresponding date and the copy is attached to reservation
form and kept either in correspondence file or Rotary rack.
 The Whitney rack for the next day goes to the front desk arrival section
before closing of the department after checking with reservation form. In
this way the rack moves ahead each day.

COLOUR CODE –
To indicate and identify the status at a glance, hotels may use their own
different color Shannon. For example, white slips for FIT’s, blue slips for
travel agent booking, pink for airline booking and yellow for group booking,
and so on.
AUTOMATED SYSTEM OF RESERVATION –

Automated reservation systems are computerized reservation systems that

are used to store and retrieve room status information and conduct
transactions. The information stored in the automatic system is the same as
in a manual system. However, the processing of reservation request does
not require manual study of ALC, Density control chart etc. The reservation
assistant can check the availability of rooms by clicking on a link on the
computer. In this system, the reservation information is keyed into the
electronic format of the reservation form, and this information is transferred
to the central server where the room status is updated automatically. The
automated system saves the trouble of manually updating the records. It
also generates reports like occupancy records or forecasts and lists like
Expected Arrival List, Expected Departure List, etc. CRS and GDS are
examples of automated systems.

CENTRAL RESERVATION SYSTEM (CRS)

Also known as Central Reservation Office (CRO), it is generally used by

chains. The concept of CRO is simple. A chain of hotels which has a CRO
system has reservation office in different cities, although they may have no
unit operating in that city. All the units of the chain are inter-linked with
CRO/CRS of the chain. The unit allocates a particular percentage of the total
no. of rooms for the hotel. For providing this service, the unit gives a
particular percentage of commission to CRO. Over a period of time a close
watch on the performance of CRS is kept. If the CRS is not able to book the
allocated no. of rooms, then the unit can withdraw rooms from CRO. If CRO
is able to book more rooms than allocated to them, more rooms can be
given to CRO for booking. If any such changes in the allocated no. of rooms
are made, both the parties must very clearly understand this, so as to avoid
any double booking. CRO can also be an independent organization
unattached to any chain and hotel company. This type of CRO offers a
greater range of hotels over a wide area. The biggest example of one such
CRO is OMAHA (Western International). CRO is very useful for those units of
the chain which are normally not doing well on their own.
Examples of CRS –
1. Marsha (Mariott Hotels)
2. Taj Central Reservation System
3. Utell
4. Welcomnet
5. Holiday Inn Worldwide
6. Leading hotels of the world

INSTANT RESERVATION SYSTEM (IRS)

It is generally an independent division of the chain of hotels and situated in

one of its units. While the reservation department of that unit of the chain
takes reservation for that unit only, IRS takes booking for all the units of the
chain, except that particular unit where IR office is located.
Points to be considered while accepting a reservation request
1. Write names clearly. Surname in block letters. A slight difference in
spellings may delay a receptionist in locating the reservation of a guest on
arrival. Always get the last name and the first name correctly with spellings.
2. Ask for exact date and time of arrival and departure.
3. Avoid taking reservation for an indefinite date.
4. For the time of arrival, apply the European system of 24 hours.
5. Clarify the type of meal plan to the guest.
6. If the arrival is given after midnight, make sure the reservation is recorded
for the next day.
7. Always specify the type of rooms and the no. of rooms required.
8. Explain to the guest that the rooms may not be available at the early
morning hours, since the checkout hour is generally 1000hours or 12 noon in
most of the hotels. The only way a guest can guarantee a room for very early
occupancy is to have it reserved from the night before.
9. When referring to previous correspondence or booking in case of a
change or cancellation,
10. Inquire from the guest their originals date of arrival as all records are
filled under original date of arrival.
 RESERVATION PROCESS

The standard procedure of responding to a guest request is

a. Receiving reservation inquiries
b. Determining room availability
c. Accepting or denying request for reservation

Hotel ABC
Reservation Form No.___
Name of Guest __________________________________
Company_____________________
Designation __________________________________
Address,
______________________________________________________________
____
______________________________________________________________
____________
Phone No.& E-mail ID
______________________________________________________
Date of Arrival _____________________
Time of Arrival __________________________
Date of Departure___________________
Exp. Time of departure _____________________
Type of Room S( ) D ( ) T ( ) Others ________________________________
Category _________________________
Room Rate _______________________________
No. of Pax________________________
Discount _________________________________
Mode of Arrival ___________________
Flight No. ________________________________
Mode of Payment/ Settlement of bills
___________________________________________
Credit Card No. ___________________
Date of Expiry ____________________________
Personal details of the person/ agency making reservation
___________________________
______________________________________________________________
____________
Special Request
____________________________________________________________
Date & Time of Booking
_____________________________________________________
Remarks
______________________________________________________________
____
Reservationist’s Name___________________
Signature __________________

AMENDMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS

1. Occasional reservation change or cancellation:

Potential guests initially asking for an accommodation might make up their
minds later (before arrival) and call back for a reservation modification. In
fact, guests might change their arrival date, expected departure date,
method of payment or call for any other change previously confirmed in
their confirmation letter or simply call to cancel their previous reservation.
2. Modify a reservation type (from non-guaranteed to guaranteed):
In this very case, the reservation assistant shall.
a.Obtain the guest’s name, and access the correct non-guaranteed
reservation.
b. Obtain the guest’s credit card type, number and expiration date, and
cardholder’s name, and verify the validity of the credit card.
c. Assign the guest a new reservation confirmation number.
d. Complete the reservation type change from non-guaranteed to
guaranteed reservation status.

3. RESERVATION CANCELLATION:

a. Reservationist accepting a reservation cancellation shall behave in a

polite, courteous and effective manner even though reservation might make
the hotel faced with unsold room(s).
b. When cancelling a reservation, the reservationist shall issue and
communicate a cancellation number to the guest. In accordance to
confirmation numbers, cancellation numbers shall be meaningful as to be
used for statistical purposes, and as to prove whether a reservation has been
properly cancelled according to hotel cancellation policies or not.
I. Cancellation of a non-guaranteed reservation: In this case the
reservationist shall
a. Obtain guest’s name and address.
b. Obtain number of reserved room(s).
c. Obtain scheduled arrival and departure dates.
d. Obtain the reservation confirmation no., if applicable.
e. Access the right account, and cancel it.
f. Assign the cancellation number.
g. Suggest an alternative reservation.
II. Cancellation of a guaranteed reservation: All the above mentioned
procedure applies also for the cancellation of a guaranteed reservation.
Moreover, the reservationist shall pay attention to the following
a. In the case of a cancellation of a credit card guaranteed reservation, the
cancellation number acts as a proof of whether a certain guarantee shall be
refunded to the potential guest or not.
b. In the case of advance deposit guaranteed reservation, again the
cancellation number acts as a proof of whether a certain guarantee shall be
refunded to the potential guest or not.
c. In case of any other guaranteed reservation, the reservationist shall
coordinate with the representative and mail him/her a letter documenting
the cancellation.
4. RESERVATION REPORTS:

In the reservation department, the widely used management reservation

reports include
a. Reservation transaction report
b. Commission Agent report
c. Turn Away report (Guests who cannot be accommodated in the hotel for
certain reasons or sometimes when a guest himself refuses to go ahead with
the reservation due to certain reasons are called Turn Away guests). This
report is also called refusal report.
d. Revenue forecasts report

5. Expected Arrival, Stay over, and Departure Lists:

On a daily basis, the reservation department shall prepare the expected

arrival, stay over, and departure lists and communicates them to front
office.
a. Arrival list – list of names along with the respective room number of
guests who are expected to arrive the next day.
b. Stay over list – list of names along with the respective room number of
guests who are expected to continue occupy their rooms at least till the next
day.
c. Departure list – list of names along with the respective room number of
guests who are expected to depart the next day.
 6. Processing deposits:

Guests who decide to guarantee their reservation by paying a certain

amount/ deposit to the hotel shall be informed about the procedure of
sending deposits.

7. Maintaining Reservation History Statistics:

The reservation department shall maintain, and update various reservation

history statistics to be used in the future whenever needed. The following
items are some of the data that might be stored in the reservation
department system –
a. Number and distribution of guests by market segment, age, income and
nationality.
b. Number of expected occupied rooms.
c. Reservation volumes by sources of reservation.
d. Reservation volumes by types of reservation.
e. Number of turn away guests with reasons of refusal.
8. Potential reservation problems: While processing reservations,
reservationist might be laced with lot of problems. Below is a tentative
categorization of 4 main/ common problems that might be communicated –
a. Errors in reservation records-
 Record a wrong arrival or departure date
 Misspell the guest’s name or reverse it.
Reserve for the caller instead of the guest.
b. Misunderstandings due to industry jargon –
 Confirmed versus guaranteed reservation
 Double room versus 2 beds
 Connecting rooms versus adjacent rooms
c. Miscommunications with external reservation systems-
 Book a guest in the wrong hotel
 Book a guest in the wrong city
d. Central reservation system failures –
 Fail to update central reservation system concerning room availability or to
communicate rate changes in real time.
 Delays in communicating reservation requests.
 Equipment used may become technologically inoperable.
 3.2 Registration and Reception -Introduction -Arrival and Departure procedure of
[Registration, Luggage handling, Scanty baggage, Left-luggage handling] -Room rate
and its types -Types of room or meal plans -Forms and Formats

6 STAGES OF THE GUEST CHECK-IN PROCEDURE

The hotel guest check-in procedure involves all stages from arrival of a guest to the
issuance of the room key to the guest;
1) Receiving and Registration
2) Allocation of the room
3) Secure advance Payment
4) Information service
5) Complete the check-in formalities
6) Open the guest folio.
In case of manual or semi-automated operation systems, the process begins as the
guests arrive at a hotel and are greeted by the front office staff, subsequent to which
they complete the registration formalities, and finally the guests are assigned rooms and
issued the room key by the front office personnel. In a fully automated system, the
same activity is performed automatically by self-service terminals located in the
hotel lobby.
The procedure for normal check-in may be summarized in the following 6 stages:
Stage 1: Receiving and Registration
Receive the guest in front of the house
 Open the door and welcome the guest.
 The doorman informs the bell desk to pick-up the guest baggage.
 Bring the luggage and baggage into the lobby (Incase the bell desk team not
available then the doorman should assist with the baggage.)
 Escort the guest up to reception desk (usually done by the bellboy/porter)
 Provide welcome drink and welcome gift if any (Like Spice Garland, Spice box, Juice
etc.)
Receive the guests at the reception
 Welcome the guest promptly with a cheerful and pleasant smile.
 Address with the appropriate surname, if known.
 Request for the reservation details like guest last name, confirmation no., booking
source etc.
 Request for the guest id card or passport.
  Request for the guest business card.

Registration
It is the process of gathering information from the guest that is mandatory as per the
law prevailing in the country. According to the Foreigner’s Act, 1946 and the
Registration of Foreigners’ rules, 1992, the innkeeper should keep the records of the
guests staying in his premises as per Form F (of the Registration of Foreigners’ Rules,
1992). Registration is the formalization of a valid contract between the guest and the
hotel, in which the hotel offers safe and secure boarding and lodging facilities to the
guest and the guest accepts to pay for the services and facilities received.in case foreign
visitors, the front desk staff should fill Form C and verify the passports and visas of
guest.

Guest Registration Card

Guest Name :

Organization : Designation :

Address :

Email ID :

Mobile No : DOB :

Arrived From : Proceeding To :

Arrival Date : Arrival Time :

Departure Date : Departure Time :

Mode of Payment :

Credit Card No : Expiry Date :

Foreigners Only

Nationality :

Passport No/Reg Certificate No :

Date of Issue : Date of Expiry :

Date of arrival in India :

Visa No :

Date of Issue : Date of Expiry :

Whether Employed in India :

Proposed Duration of Stay In India :

Hotel Use:

Room Number : Room Type :

Room Rate :

Adults : Children : Extra Bed :

Booked By :

Billing Instructions :
 Instructions for Guest Safety &
security

1.

2.

Front Office Guest Signature

FORM C
According to the Registration of Foreigners’ Rules, 1992, Rule 14, it is obligatory on the
part of the hotel owner to send information about foreigners registered at the hotel.
Any person who is not an Indian national (i.e., a person holding a passport of any
country other than India, except Nepal and Bhutan) is known as a foreigner. The hotel is
liable to send the information in the format of Form C to the nearest Foreigner’s
Regional Registration Office (FRRO) or to the Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) or local police
station, within 24 hours of the arrival of a foreign national; in case of Pakistani,
Bangladeshi, and Chinese nationals, this information should reach within 12 hours to the
nearest FRRO or LIU, and also to the local police station. It should reach the FRRO every
day by 1500 hours. Form C should be prepared in duplicate. Top copy is sent to the
competent authority and second copy is kept for permanent records for the duration as
specified in the law related to the same. Form C may also be submitted online to FRRO
these days through website – www.indianfrro.gov.in
Register the guest - Complete the registration card or register the guest
 Verify the information on the registration against the reservation ensuring the
accuracy of name, date, and payment mechanism.
 Stamp check-in time on the registration card.
 Show check-in in the hotel software/PMS.
 Carry out the final check of the registration card for the guest signature.
 Discuss room preference with guest as per the availability, or select an available
room which is "ready to let” and allocate the room.
 Take a note of the expected departure details.
 Take note of the airport drop, any special request etc.
Stage 2: Allocation of the room
 Allocation of the room means assigning a vacant and ready (VR) room to the guest
for staying (if this was not done already).
 For repeat guest assign room as per the preference.
 In order to allocate a guest room, accurate room status information is required. For
this purpose, a room status board or room rack is kept in the reception.
 When the room has been allocated, the reception should; Block or code the room
as sold.
 Prepare key card of related room number by entering the arrival
and departure date, rate and offer it to the guest for signature.
 Give the room key to either the guest or the bellboy.
 Record guest arrival on daily arrival list.
Stage 3: Secure Advance Payment
 Advance payment should be done for security purpose. It is usually done by
accepting a cash deposit or taking a credit card.
 While handling advance deposit, whether cash/ cheque, always:
 Issue a receipt for cash/ cheque and record the payment in the guests ‘ledger.
 Accept credit card and evaluate for its credit limit and availability.
 Get the imprint of the card and obtain a guest signature.
Stage 4: Information Service
The receptionist is responsible for informing guest about the facilities and services
offered by the hotel. This helps the guest to familiarize about the hotel facilities and also
to increase the sale. At this point, the receptionist should;
  Acknowledge the guest about the hotel's activities, facilities, and service with
direction and location.
 Enquire if the guest requires a wake-up call. If so, record it correctly.

Stage 5: Complete the check-in formalities

After the check-in formalities are completed;
 The bellboy or the GRE should escort the guest up to the allocated room.
 Inform other departments and sections about the guest arrival by arrival
notification slip.

Stage 6: Open the guest folio

 Open guest bill/ folio/folder and clear any old bill copies.
 Record the key information for billing purpose (room rate, number of nights,
departure date and mode of payment).
 File the bill in the guests' folio box together with the completed registration card.

CHECK OUT PROCEDURE

The objective of the checkout process is to process the guest’s request for settlement of
his or her account as quickly and efficiently as possible. The lodging establishment also
wants to maintain a quality-control system for both the guest and the hotel: posting
errors can mean erroneous charges for the guest and lost money for the lodging
establishment.

The guest checkout involves the following steps:

1. Guest requests checkout.
2. Desk clerk inquires about quality of products and services.
3. Guest returns key to desk clerk.
4. Desk clerk retrieves hard copy of electronic folio.
5. Desk clerk reviews folio for completeness.
6. Guest reviews charges and payments.
7. Guest determines method of payment.
8. Guest makes payment.
9. Desk clerk inquires about additional reservations.
10. Desk clerk files folio and related documents for the night audit.
11. Desk clerk communicates guest departure to housekeeping and other
departments in the hotel if necessary.
LUGGAGE HANDLING

On Guest arrival:

1. As soon as a taxi (or any other transportation) stops in front of the hotel / porch,
Bell Personal or Door man should open the passenger door.
2. Greet the guest: "Welcome to [Your hotel name], I am [your name] do you need
some help with your luggage?"
3. Help the guest to get out of the taxi (if needed).
4. Take the luggage from the trunk (ensure with the guest that nothing is missing).
5. Ask for guest name: "May I have your name Sir / Madam?"
6. Tag the luggage.
7. Escort or guide the guest to the reception area or to the reception floor.
8. Inform the guest that you will be taking care of their luggage.
9. If the reception is located on another area or floor then, Check the PMS and find
out what room has been allocated to the guest.
10. Write down the room number on to the luggage tag.
11. Check with the FO team if the check-in formality is completed.
12. If the room is ready then place the luggage on the luggage rack in the room.
13. If the room is not ready, then store the luggage in the store room on the
designated arrival shelve and update the Daily luggage register or log book with the
details.
14. Escort the guest to the room if required and send the luggage by the staff
elevator only.

On guest departure:

1. Collect the luggage from the guest room.

2. Try to have a casual conversation with the guest on the way down: "Mr / Ms. [Guest
Name] I hope you enjoyed your stay with us. Would you need a taxi to airport?"
3. If the guest ask the luggage to be stored, tag the luggage accordingly (guest name,
room number, date and time of collection) and get the guest signature on the -
Long term luggage request form.
4. Store the luggage on the designated departure area.
5. If the guest is leaving the Hotel immediately after completing the check-out
procedure, then bring the luggage to portico.
6. If taxi is waiting then load the luggage to the taxi and request the guest to verify the
loaded luggage.
7. Update the departure luggage movement on the Daily Luggage movement register
or log book.
 SCANTY BAGGAGE GUEST
The term Scanty Baggage refers to a guest with hand baggage. Such guests are a threat
as they may check-out of the hotel without paying their bill. Most hotels have a policy of
taking an advance as a safeguard against skipping out of the hotel. The bell desk
maintains a strict control of such guests with definite policies to guide them. The
procedure is:

1. The bell boy informs the Bell Captain and front desk agent of a guest with scanty
baggage.
2. The Bell Captain stamps ‘Scanty Baggage’ on the Guest Arrival Errand Card and
informs the lobby manager. The front desk agent is alerted with the stamp when
he/she receives it.
3. The front desk agent stamps ‘Scanty Baggage’ on the Registration Card.
4. The front desk agent informs the lobby manager who has the following options for
the guest:
a) To ask for the entire room charges in advance
b)To ask for a deposit that covers at least one night charge
c) To lower the house credit limit for bills in which the guest has to clear the bills
periodically as he touches the limit.
This is normally done when guests check-in to the hotel for the first time. Regular guests
known to the management may be excused from such policies. The Lobby Manager
`signs the registration card with his/her instructions.

 The Bell Captain fills the Scanty Baggage Register and gets it signed by the Lobby
manager.
 Housekeeping and Security Departments are informed of the guest room number to
keep a watch.
LUGGAGE STORAGE ROOM/LEFT LUGGAGE ROOM
1. Luggage room should be always organized and neat.
2. The luggage room is divided in 3 areas, arrival, departure, long term storage.
3. Each luggage has to be tagged using luggage tag (Sl no, Guest name, date, room no,
guest’s signature and time of collection).
4. A phone number or email address must be on the long term storage luggage form.
5. Long term luggage storage register has to be completed and signed by the guest.
Following questions need to be asked while keeping in Items for long storage:
a) Fragile Items
Ask the guest if there are any fragile items in their suitcase, If yes, mark “Fragile” on the
luggage tag.
b) Perishable
 1. For items who need to be kept cool (medication, food…) check with Food and
beverage kitchen.
2. Record where the items are stored in the luggage register.
3. For long term luggage storage ensure with the guest that there are no perishable
items inside the luggage.
4. Security & Safety
5. Always keep the luggage room closed and dry.
6. Do not leave guests alone in the luggage room.
7. Remind the guest to keep their valuable item with them (Jewellery, phone, wallet,
camera, Ipad etc.)

ROOM RATE AND ITS TYPES –

Definitions of room rate.
The rate charged daily for a hotel room
TYPES OF ROOM RATE
Standard rate (RACK)
The standard rate is also called a RACK rate. This is the price per room without discounts
or extras. It’s also the price shown on the website and the published price list for the
hotel. Think of creating at least two different kinds of RACK rates: including and
excluding breakfast.
Best available rate (BAR)
The best available rate, or BAR, is the most affordable rate that can be offered to the
guest. There are two types of BAR rates, a dynamic rate, or a daily rate.
A dynamic rate is typically a standard rate based on the number of rooms available. For
example, BAR rate 1 is used with a room occupancy of 0 – 20 percent, BAR rate 2 with a
room occupancy of 20 – 40 percent, BAR rate 3 with 40 – 60 percent and so on. The
prices increase as occupancy increases.
The daily rate has a fixed price based on the day of the week. For example, from Sunday
to Tuesday you pay 100 euros for a standard room, on Wednesday and Thursday it’s 120
euros and Friday and Saturday it’s 150 euros. The prices are always adjusted
proportionally based on forecasts made by the revenue manager.
Non-refundable rate
A non-refundable rate means that the guest cannot cancel the booking free of charge.
Not every booker is interested in this rate, because there is an element of risk should
they need to cancel the booking. Nevertheless, a non-refundable rate is attractive, the
price is lower than the standard rate and, as a hotelier, it is guaranteed revenue. Many
hotels choose to offer a 5 - 10 percent off or 5 to 20 euro discount on the standard rate.
Last-minute rate / Walk-in rate
The description says it all; this rate is for guests who book a room at the last minute or
at reception for that night. The rate is often lower than the standard rate to stimulate
last minute room sales. How much lower this rate is, is up to the hotelier to determine.
Length of stay (LOS) rate
You can use this rate type when you want to encourage extended stays. The longer the
guest stays, the more discounts they will receive. It’s an interesting rate type because,
as the guest is staying longer, the overall cost of maintaining the room is lower. The
guest is also more likely to spend extra at the hotel and the longer stay inspires a
positive review because of familiarity.
Family rate
A family rate is a price reserved for parents and children. The price of extra beds is
usually included. Also, there are often some add-ons included, such as fun children
activities. If your accommodation is a place where many families stay, this can be an
attractive rate to offer.
Package deal
The best available rate (BAR) in combination with an activity or dinner is called a
package deal. There can be many different kinds of package deals so get creative and
offer different choices. Think of a package deal including bike rental, or a 2-night stay
including dinner on one night.
Corporate rate
Is your hotel popular for business travellers? If so, you can consider a special rate for
this target group. The corporate rates are for business guests who return regularly or
add significant value to the hotel. Look at businesses that drive volume to your property
and offer them a competitive price, exclusively for them.
Group rate
When large groups stay at your hotel, for meetings or conferences, there’s a good
chance that they’ll receive a group discount. Group travellers for leisure can also receive
a similar discount, for example, tour groups or weddings. These agreements are not
made directly with the guests, but with the travel agencies, companies, or organisers.
Complementary rate
This rate is not seen anywhere online but only in the property management system. The
rate is set at 0 euros and can be used when you are offering someone a free stay.
Promotional rate
If you want to increase room sales during the low season, promotional rates are
excellent to use. Think of offers like “3 nights for the price of 2” or a free breakfast.
Half-day rate
The half-day rate is popular with airport hotels or hotels that are attractive to business
guests. It’s likely that the booker only wants to stay half a day at the hotel, whether as a
layover until their next flight or to have a quiet place to work. The advantage to the
hotelier is that the hotel room can be rented twice in one day: during the morning and
then for an overnight stay. However, for housekeeping, logistical challenges can arise so
keep this in mind.

Early booking rate

Early bird rates encourage early bookings. This is usually a rate that offers a discount if
you book well in advance (30 days up to 6 months). For the hotelier, it guarantees
advance room occupancy, and for the booker, it’s nice to be rewarded for their loyalty.
TYPES OF ROOM OR MEAL PLANS -
A meal plan is a plan that is added to a room rate for providing a room and meals to
guests at a hotel. It is very important for travelers to select a meal plan after checking
the room rate. Most of the time, travelers compare different room rates without looking
at meal plan. Selecting a meal plan after checking the room rate is very important for
travelers.

On the basis of the type of meal plan, hotels can be classified into the following :
1. European Plan
2. Continental Plan
3. American Plan
4. Modified American Plan
EUROPEAN PLAN
It is a plan where only the lodging that is a bed is offered. Thus the charges are made for
lodging facilities only. The guest is free to take or not to take teas, breakfast, and meals
in the hotel. He has a choice of eating out at any other good restaurant. The guest is
booked to pay for lodging only and is charged separately for all other things or services
he enjoys or consumes. This system is generally followed by youth hostels or hotels
which are situated in metropolitan cities. In India, most of the hotels are being run on
the European plan. Almost all the public sector hotels are run on this basis.

CONTINENTAL PLAN
In the case of continental plan, bed and breakfast are included in the tariff charges. Thus
bed is offered along with breakfast and the guest is, however, free to take his meal and
tea as he likes. Thus the guest tariff includes lodging and ‘bed and breakfast’ and for
others, he is separately billed.

AMERICAN PLAN
The hotel where American plan is prevalent, boarding, and lodging is provided in the
charge. The tariff fixed includes board and lodging. It is an all-inclusive full board tariff.
Accommodation and three meals daily are included in the price of the room. It includes
bed, breakfast, and two principal meals and evening tea. It does not include early
morning tea or
Coffee after lunch, or dinner. The needs are usually ‘table d’hôtel menu’. It is also known
as ‘full pension’. This analysis is mostly used at those tourist resorts, which are not
situated in big cities.

MODIFIED AMERICAN PLAN

The tourists mostly prefer this plan, as it is comparatively more flexible. It is offered in
most of the good hotels and is normally by arrangement. It includes hotel
accommodation, breakfast and either lunch or dinner in the price of the room. Thus, in
this type of accommodation bed and breakfast and along with it one principal meal,
lunch, or dinner at the discretion of the guest is also included. It generally includes
continental breakfast and either ‘table d’hôte lunch or dinner in the room rates. It is also
known as ‘demi-pension’.

FORMS AND FORMATS

(PROJECT WORK)

TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE IN HOTELS

Large hotels has to handle much higher number of calls, act as an automated
operator with a uniform level of service to each customer and also play the role of
managing hotel assets and property through integration with other specialized devices.
Besides controlling the call overheads, the intelligently designed and implemented
telephony system can also help in managing resources. Keeping track of guest status
and automated room cleaning service arrangements, enhanced customer service
through history are few advanced functions to name, a telephony system can perform
when integrated with Property Management Systems (PMS) or hotel management
Systems.

BASIC TELEPHONE ETIQUETTES:

Answer the call promptly:

Always try to answer the call immediately and with an enthusiastic, standardized
greeting to establish a positive first impression with the guest. An energetic, pleasant
greeting with a smiling voice will set the tone for the rest of the guest interaction.
Necessity, as much as a courtesy, demands that the person answering the telephone
should identify himself or herself. It is meaningless to say “Hello”.
Answer the telephone by saying, “RECEPTION (concierge or reservation) GOOD
MORNING (good afternoon or good evening), MAY I ASSIST YOU?
Polite and Speak with a “smile”:
The first rule of telephone etiquette is to be polite and speak with a “smile” in your
voice. Smile when speaking to a guest, even though the person on the other end of the
line cannot see them. Believe it or not, you can actually hear a smile over the phone.
Speak clearly and pronounce the words carefully. The caller may find it difficult to
understand you on the telephone than if you speak to him at the counter.
Be polite, friendly, and helpful:
Every hotel want potential guest to receive. On the telephone, operator’s voice can
indicate the welcome we want every potential guest to receive. She/he must never
sound short, sharp, irritated and impatient over the phone and never interrupt the
caller while he is talking.
Courtesy:
Be courteous in explaining the hotel rules. Using phrases like “You have to”, “I suggest”
or “would you mind” is not preferable. Never argue with the guest, remember the guest
is always right. If you cannot deal with a certain problem, inform the seniors in the
department so that they can deal with it.
Speak directly into the mouthpiece:
It is always good to speak directly into the mouthpiece, if this is not feasible because of
using other equipment while on the telephone (i.e., computer), prefer using a headset,
which will free your hands. If you are speaking to the other person, the hand
should be placed over the telephone mouthpiece. This saves the caller the
embarrassment of overhearing a conversation not intended for his or her ears.
Do not eat or chew gum while talking on the telephone.
Use hold button:
If someone walks into your office while you are talking on the telephone, ask the caller if
you may put him/her on hold briefly. Press the HOLD button. Do not lay the receiver on
the desk, without placing the caller on hold (the caller can hear the discussion and may
not be pleasant to his ears).

STANDARD PHRASES AND COURTEOUS WORDS:

Using standard phrases and courteous words is essential in displaying a professional
atmosphere.
Avoid Slangs:
Avoid common words and slang such as yep, yeah, nope, uh-huh, sure, no problem, um,
ya know, etc. Use polite words such as please, thank you, pardon me, would you prefer,
may I offer, absolutely, certainly, etc.
Listen carefully:
Listen to the caller actively and without interrupting, absorb the information they are
giving you, and ask the right questions to ensure the caller is serviced quickly and
thoroughly.
Short and Crisp:
Be brief and to the point, but not abrupt. Remember that telephone time costs
money and that the switchboard operator may be holding another call for you.
Using guest’s name:
Using a person’s name is the most valuable and free of cost tool to utilize to make
the guest feel important, whether the interaction is conducted via telephone or in
person. This is just the first of two or three times the guest’s name should be used. At a
minimum, the name should also be used in the closing interaction such as, “Thank you
for calling, Mr. Kapoor. Have a nice day.” If you absolutely cannot obtain the guest’s
name, it is acceptable to use “Sir” or “Ma’am.”
Do not place guest on hold for a long time:
Avoid placing callers on hold unless you absolutely must do so. When placing a guest on
hold, be courteous and ask if it is OK to do so prior to actually pressing the hold button.
A simple way to ask would be, “May I place you on hold?” or “Allow me to put you on
hold”. Wait for an answer, then thank the caller and inform them you will be back with
them shortly. Do not keep the caller waiting for a long time before attending to him.
Return to the caller and complete the call as soon as possible. A caller on the telephone
should never be placed on hold for longer than 30 seconds. If you cannot complete your
side task within the 30-second window, return to the original caller and tell them “I am
sorry to keep you waiting” or you appreciate their patience and you will be right
with them.
Do not avoid calls:
Do not remove the receiver from the cradle in order to stop the bell ringing or lay it
down on the table without acknowledging the caller. It is an extremely rude gesture to
remove the receiver and then replace it without speaking, thus cutting off the caller.
Taking message carefully:
In a well-run hotel telephone operators must ensure that they should always have a pen
and notepad to write down messages as they are received. Make sure all key
information from guests is accurately and properly noted. The definition of “key
information” varies based upon the business function as key information will be
different for front desk agents than it would be for a restaurant personal. All
messages should be read back to the caller to ensure that they have been received
correctly, particular attention being paid to names, addresses and numerals.
Messages containing times and dates are frequently given over the telephone, and it is
particularly important that these are received and passed on correctly.
Take calls confidently:
Be accurate in what you say. The guest wants to have confidence in you. Do not ‘THINK’
or ‘SUPPOSE’ if you do not know the answer; find out and call back. Before, keeping the
receiver down notes down the guest’s name and his contact number for calling him
back.
Closing call:
When ending a guest call, always stay on the line and only hang up after the guest has
done so first. Thank the guest for calling with a pleasant farewell (remember to use
the guest’s name) and stay on the line until you hear the call ended by the familiar
“click” from the caller hanging up.
HANDLING CALLS
Always remember that you represent the hotel or the organization you are working for
when you pick-up a telephone call at work. The caller does not see you or your hotel, so
your voice alone has to help the caller become and remain a satisfied guest. Lastly,
ensure the telephone is only used for business purposes. Tying up the telephone
talking with friends or family means guests cannot get through which causes
aggravation and potentially loss of revenue.
First impression:
The first and foremost important thing is to provide a welcoming environment to
caller so they are comfortable asking questions. Within the first, few seconds of the
conversation guest can sense how the rest of the call will go. Therefore, make sure that
they feel at ease and know that you care about their issue.
1. Be a good Communicator
2. Be interested in your caller and their issues they are calling about.
3. Inform guests while you are investigating the issue to let them know that you are
working on how to resolve their issue.
4. Explain to guest what you are doing and why.
5. Assess the level of expertise of caller has and adjust your communication style
accordingly.
6. If caller does not understand a term that you use, explain to them what you mean.
7. Do not use abbreviations unless the caller is familiar with them.
8. Let the caller know what the next step is and how you will find it.
Manage the Call
1. The telephone operator is the moderator of the call, so keep track of time.
2. Keep in mind where you are in the call framework, from opening, resolving, and
closing the problem.
3. Be sure to properly greet and collect all mandatory guest information before asking
why they have called for support.
 4. Know how long you usually need to open and close calls, to use as much time as
possible for troubleshooting.
5. If you must put the guests on hold, tell them exactly how long they will hold and
return exactly to that estimate.
6. If your troubleshooting steps do not resolve the problem, do not continue to look
for solutions. Refer to your procedures and escalate the case to higher authorities
(as directed).
Listen!
1. Be a good listener. Resist distraction and focus on the caller.
2. You might know what your caller will say, but let them finish anyway.
3. Remember active listening is an art and includes listening to what your
customer is saying and what they are not saying.
4. Look for cues such as tone of voice. It can reveal a lot about your caller and help
you manage the call smoothly.
5. Do not interrupt the caller. If you do have to interrupt them, apologize and explain
why.
Answering Calls
1. Try to answer the phone within three rings. Answering a phone too fast can catch
the caller off guard and waiting too long can make the caller angry.
2. Answer with a friendly (Example – “Good Afternoon, Hotel XYZ, Operator
number 254 at your service, May, I assist you!”).
3. Smile – it shows, even though the phone lines; speak in a pleasant tone of voice –
the caller will appreciate it.
4. Ask the caller for their name, even if their name is not necessary for the call. This
shows you have taken an interest in them.
5. If the caller has reached the wrong number, be courteous. Sometimes a caller is
transferred all over the hotel with a simple question and the caller gets frustrated.
If possible, take the time to find out where they should be calling/to whom they
should be speaking.
6. The hand should be placed over the telephone mouthpiece. This saves the caller the
embarrassment of overhearing a conversation not intended for his or her ears.
7. Use the hold button when leaving a line so that the caller does not
accidentally overhear conversations being held nearby.
8. When you are out of the office or away from your desk for more than a few
minutes, forward your phone to voicemail.
Making Calls
1. When you call someone and they answer the phone, do not say “Who am I speaking
with?” without first identifying yourself: (Example – “This is Lisa from hotel XYZ. To
whom am I speaking?”)
2. Always know and state the purpose of the communication.
3. When you reach a wrong number, don’t argue with the person who answered the
call or keep them on the Say: “I’m sorry, I must have the wrong number. Please
excuse the interruption.” And then hang up.
 4. If you told a person you would call at a certain time, call them as you
promised. If you need to delay the conversation, call to postpone it, but do not
make the other person wait around for your call.
Handling Rude or Impatient Callers
1. Stay calm. Try to remain diplomatic and polite. Getting angry will only make them
angrier.
2. Always show a willingness to resolve the problem or conflict.
3. Try to think like the Remember, their problems and concerns are important.
4. If you are in a non-supervisory position: Offer to have your supervisor talk to the
caller or call him/her back if the caller persists.
5. If you are supervisor: Be willing to handle irate Speak slowly and calmly. Be
firm with your answers, but understanding. Sometimes the irate caller just
wants someone in a supervisory capacity to listen to their problem even if you are
unable to help them.
Placing Calls on Hold
When putting a caller on hold, always ask permission. Use standard phrases like: “Allow
me to put you on hold” or “Can you hold briefly while I see if Mr. Jones is available?”
When taking a caller off hold, always thank him/her for holding. “ Thank you for holding
the line”
Sometimes you may have other lines ringing too. Remember to write down the names
of callers holding so you avoid asking who the caller is holding for more than once.
Transferring Calls
If the caller needs to speak to another person or department, transfer the caller directly
to the desired person’s extension rather than the operator. This will save the caller
having to explain his/her requests another time, and it will cut the number of times the
caller needs to be transferred.
When transferring a caller, tell them who you are transferring them to, and
announce the caller to the person you are transferring them to.
If the called party is busy or not answering the call, return to the caller ( Example
–“He/she is out of the office, may I take a message or would you like his/her
voicemail?”)
Taking Messages
1. Be prepared with a pen and message slip when you answer the phone.
2. When taking messages be sure to ask for:
3. Caller’s name (asking the caller for the correct spelling.)
4. Caller’s phone number and/or extension (including area code)
5. Repeat the message to the caller.
6. Record the time and date the call came in.
7. Be sure to fill in the date, time, and initials.
 8. Place the message slip in the called guest’s mail & message rack slot or in a
conspicuous place in his/her room, such as on the bedside table or writing table,
etc.
9. Don’t forget that you can transfer them to voicemail instead of taking a paper
message, but don’t forget to ask, “Would you like me to transfer you to his/her
voicemail?” Do not assume that the caller would rather go to Always ask first.
Ending Conversations
1. While ending a call following points to be considered:
2. End on an “up” note.
3. Tell the person how much you have enjoyed speaking with him/her.
4. Before hanging up, be sure that you have answered all the caller’s questions.
5. Always end with a pleasantry such as: “Have a nice day” or “It was nice speaking to
you”.
6. When a call is terminated, the receiver must be replaced properly on the cradle and
a period of at least ten seconds should elapse before another call is made. This
enables the operator or the automatic mechanism to disconnect the previous call.
DO'S AND DON'TS
DO’s
1. Answer the calls promptly within three rings.
2. Smile as you make the call though you are on the telephone.
3. Sit or stand up straight.
4. Use a low voice pitch.
5. Announce the name of the hotel, your identity, and appropriate greetings.
6. Avoid extremes in volume.
7. Match your speaking rate to the callers.
8. Assume your “telephone” voice, controlling your volume and speed.
9. Project a tone that is enthusiastic, natural, attentive, and respectful.
10. Always have a pen and paper in hand to make the records.
11. Listen carefully, pay close attention to the details being expressed by the
caller.
12. Use reflective/active listening to clarify and check for understanding.
13. Listen “between” the words.
14. Make the callers feel that they have your undivided attention, mention
the name of the caller, if possible.
15. Always speak calmly and choose your words properly and naturally.
16. Enunciate/articulate clearly. Speak distinctly.
17. Use plain English and avoid unnecessary jargon and acronyms.
18. Use action specific words and directions.
19. If there is a problem, project a tone that is concerned, empathetic, and
apologetic.
20. If you have to ask the caller to hold, explain, Wait for the caller’s
permission before putting him/her on hold.
21. If you say that you call back do it as soon as possible, tell the caller the
approximate time you can take.
 22. Repeat back in any details and follow up in writing (if necessary).
23. Never give wrong information, if you don’t know the answer, transfer the caller
to the right person.
24. In transferring calls: Transfer only when necessary; get the information
yourself.
25. If you must transfer, avoid the use of the word “transfer.” Say instead: “I am
going to connect you with”.
26. Rid your mouth of food, chewing gum, cough drops, or candy before talking on
the phone – the receiver amplifies your noshing.
27. If you have to sneeze or cough, turn your head and cover your mouth – and
the receiver.
28. Speak directly into the receiver – don’t bury it in your shoulder or neck.
29. If you dial the wrong number, explain yourself and verify the phone number so
you don’t repeat the call. Don’t hang up; that’s just rude.
30. Cut down on the background noise when taking or making a Even
working on computer bings and bleeps can be distracting over the phone.
31. Close the conversation politely. Always say “Thank you for calling”.
32. Put the phone down gently to spare your caller’s ear.
DON’Ts
1. Let the telephone ring more than three times.
2. Answer the phone with “hello” or “yes”.
3. Leave an open line.
4. Ask the caller to hold on while you scramble for pen and paper.
5. Place the caller on hold by saying “hold on” and leave the caller wondering if he/she
is still being attended.
6. Put down the receiver heavily on the table or desk or left it to dangle.
7. Check back with the caller frequently: every 30-45 seconds.
8. Forget to call back.
9. Keep talking to another person while answering the phone.
10. Type or shuffle papers while you are on the phone – it suggests that you are
not listening to the caller.
11. Eating, drinking or chewing something while answering the phone.
12. Say you cannot help and not offer the caller to someone who can.
13. Hang up without thanking the caller for calling.

What all points should be taken care of while answering a call?

1. Phone should be answered within three rings.

2. Smile even though you are on the telephone.
3. Sit or stand up straight.
4. Use a low voice pitch.
5. Match your speaking rate to the caller's.
6. Avoid extremes in volume.
STANDARD PHRASE:
How to answer an External call?
Wish according to the time of the day (Good Morning, Afternoon or Evening), (Your
Hotel Name) , How may I help you.

How to answer Internal Guest calls?

Wish according to the time of the day (Good Morning, Afternoon or Evening) Mr.
_________ (Guest last name), This is ________(Your first name), How may I help you.

How to answer interdepartmental calls?

Wish according to the time of the day (Good Morning, Afternoon or Evening), This is
_______ (Your first name), How may I help you.

HANDLING WAKE-UP CALLS FOR GUESTS

It is very important to handle wake up call accurately and promptly for guests in hotel
font desk operations, If Front desk staffs fails to give the wakeup call to guests then this
can lead to inconvenience to guest eg: Missing flights or important meetings and lead to
guest dissatisfaction.
Taking down Wakeup Call for guests:
Automated process:
In most of the hotels guests can set wakeup call from their room telephone, hotel
mobile application or in-room entertainment system (T.V)
Proper instructions must be displayed on the telephone instrument, TV screen or on a
tent card next to the telephone or in-room entertainment system.
The procedure of setting the wake-up call from the room must be well aware to all front
desk staff, in case the guest asks for the same then the staff should be able to give clear
instruction.
Once the guest enter the wakeup call from his room the information will be updated to
the EPBX system and also to the front desk property management system (If an
interface is available between telephone system and property management software)
Even if guest had set the wakeup call on his own from the in room telephone, the front
desk or guest service staff should always give the guest a reminder call manually.

Manual Process:
Guest can also give the wakeup call request directly to the front office staff at the
reception or calling from the room.
1. Greet the guest as per the time.
2. Take down the below details on to the wake- up call log book / wakeup call register:
3. Guest Name
4. Room Number
5. Wake up date
6. Wake up time
7. Any special request ( Eg: Tea / Coffee with wakeup call)
8. Repeat the details written with the guest again for re-confirmation.
9. Wish the guest a pleasant continuation when leaving the counter or at the end of
the call. ( Eg: Good night, Have a nice day ahead etc.)
10. Call the Room service and inform them about the special request if any. Note
down the name of the Room service staff to whom the information was passed.
11. Update the details on the PMS (property management software) by accessing
the reservation record for this room. (This step may vary according to the property
management system the hotel is using.)
12. Cross check the details entered on the PMS with what is written on the wakeup
call log book.

Performing Wake-up calls:

1. Print ‘Wake-up call Report’ sorted by time from the PMS for the required date.
2. Cross check with the wake-up call log book and make sure that there is nothing
missing or not updated on the system.
3. Automated Wakeup call or 1st wakeup call would be performed by the EPBX
automatically.
4. The Reminder wakeup call or follow up call or 2nd Wake-up call need to be
performed by the Front desk staff or the telephone operator.
5. Once the 2nd wakeup call is completed ticket mark that reservation on the report
and update the remarks section on the report.
6. If the Guest does not answer to the 2nd reminder call then try again after 5
minutes.

Security department to be informed in case the below:

1. Guest doesn’t respond to the reminder call.
2. Guest telephone is out of order.
3. Guest telephone is having continuous engaged or busy tone.
4. One of the Front desk staff members to go along with the Security and knock the
guest room to give the wakeup call.
5. All such incidents should be recorded in detail on to the hotel log book / incident
book.
6. Duty manager should check the wakeup call report and the same to be filed on a
daily basis
INFORMATION AND UNIFORM SERVICE –
INTRODUCTION
The Information Desk deals with all the matters related to arrival or check-in, getting
settled, providing essential information and till the departure or check-out. In short The
Information Desk plays an important role throughout the entire guest cycle

UNIFORMED SERVICES IN HOTELS | HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

Employees who work in the uniformed service department of the hotel generally
provide the most personalized guest service. Taken into consideration the degree of
attention given to the guests by this department, Some Properties refer these as
Uniformed services others simply as Guest service.
While personal in reservations, front desk, and communications areas affect guest
perceptions, it is often personal in uniformed service who make a lasting impression.
Also uniformed service staff are usually classified as "tipped employees", Since a portion
of their income is derived from guests gratuities!
The primary positions within the uniformed service department are:
Bell attendants - Persons who provide baggage services between service between the
lobby area and the guest room.
Door attendants - Persons who provide curbside baggage service and traffic control at
the hotel entrance.
Valet Parking attendants - Persons who provide parking service for guests automobiles
Transportation personnel- people who provide transportation services for guests.
Concierges - Person who assist guests by making restaurant reservations, arranging for
transportation, getting tickets for theater, sporting etc.

BELL ATTENDANTS:
Many Guests arrive at the hotel with heavy baggage or several pieces of luggage. Guest
receive help handling this luggage from probably the best known employee among the
uniformed service staff: the bell attendant.
The selection of the bell attendant has to be done carefully, because most hotels have
carts or baggage trolley for transporting baggage, the physical ability to actually carry
the baggage is nota a critical job qualification. More importantly the bell desk personals
should have strong communication skills and should be able to give personalized service
to each guest.
Below are some tasks performed by the bell desk attendants, Even though the
mentioned tasks appear simple they all require a degree of professionalism.
1. Transport Guest Luggage to and from guest rooms.
2. Familiarize guests with the hotels's facilities and services, safety features, as well as
the guest room and in room amenities .
3. Provide a secure area for guests requiring temporary luggage storage.
4. Provide information on hotel services and facilities.
5. Escort guest to guest rooms.
6. Deliver mail, packages, messages, and special amenities to guest rooms.
7. Pick up and deliver guest laundry and dry cleaning.
8. Perform light housekeeping services in lobby and entry areas.
9. Help guests load and unload their luggage in the absence of a door attendant.
10. Help guest with special challenges or disabilities.
DOOR ATTENDANTS:
Door attendants play a role similar to bell attendants, they are dedicated to welcoming
the guest to the hotel, They are generally found in the hotels offering world class service
/ Luxury hotels / with 5 Star classification.
A Skilled and experienced door attendant learns the names of frequent guests. When
these guests return to the hotel, the door attendant is able to greet them by name and
can introduce them to other front office staff. Such personal service enhances the
reputation of the hotel and provides the guest with a unique experience. \
Some of the duties on the door attendants are :-
1. Opening hotel doors and assisting guests upon arrival.
2. Helping guests and unload luggage from vehicles.
3. Escorting guests to the hotel registration area.
4. Controlling vehicle traffic flow and safety at the hotel entrance.
5. Hailing taxis, upon request.
6. Assisting with valet parking services.
7. Performing light housekeeping services in the lobby and entry area.
VALET PARKING ATTENDANTS:
Valet Parking is generally available at hotels offering world-class, Luxury or 5 Star
service. Specially trained employees should park guest and visitors cars. The personal
attention and security of valet parking service is considered both a luxury and a
convenience.
Guest do not have to worry about finding a parking space, walking to the hotel in
inclement weather, or finding their vehicles in the parking lot. Some hotels charge for
these service. Hotels generally charge a higher fee for valet parking than for self-
parking. In addition to paying the higher fee for valet parking, guests are also likely to
tip the Valet parking attendant for his service.
Valet parking attendants are also responsible for the security of vehicles being moved to
and from the hotel entrance. Attendants should not take a car into their care without
issuing a receipt to the guest. Usually in the form of a ticket.
Vehicles keys must be kept in a secure area, and only issued by qualified personal. Cars
should be only returned to the guests when they return the receipt or ticket issued by
the attendant before they can receive their keys. If a Key is lost or given to the wrong
person, the vehicle can be rendered inoperable or considered stolen and the hotel may
be held financially responsible for the same.

TRANSPORTATION PERSONAL:
Transportation personal or Divers must be well trained and properly licensed to operate
the vehicle. Since these drivers are sometimes the first contact the guest will have with
the hotel, it is important for them to be polite, efficient, and knowledgeable about the
property. Drivers should also offer according to the weather hot /cold towels and
packaged drinking water to the guest. It is generally customary for drivers to provide
some information about the hotel while in transit, either through a live spoken
presentation or a pre-recorded audio tape.
Drivers should also help guests entering and exiting the vehicle. An experienced drivers
efficiently and carefully loads guest luggage into the van. Drivers should also inform the
hotel before the guests reaches the hotel. This allows the hotels to prepare and keep
ready the check in procedures before the guest arrival at the hotel.

CONCIERGES:
In the distant past the concierge was the castle doorkeeper. A concierge's job was to
ensure that all castle occupants were secure in their rooms at night. Travelling royalty
often were accompanied by a concierge who provides security, finalize food and lodging
arrangements etc. As hotels became more common in Europe, the concierge eventually
became part of the staff that provides personalised guest services. It is not uncommon
to find concierge at world class or luxury hotel.

Concierge may be easily identified by the prominent gold crossed keys displayed on
their jacket lapel. To earn these keys, a concierge must be certified by the international
association of concierges, known as Les Clefs d'Or ( Golden Keys).
Concierge may provide custom services to hotel guests. Duties include making
reservations for dining; securing tickets for theatre and sporting events; arranging for
transportation; and providing information on cultural events and local attractions.
Concierges are known for their resourcefulness. Getting tickets to sold-out concerts or
making last minute dinner reservations at a crowded restaurant are part of a concierge's
responsibility and reputation. Finally a Highly reputed concierge should speak several
Languages.
HANDLING MAILS AND MESSAGE

KEY, TYPES OF KEY, KEY CONTROLLING PROCEDURES

Types of Keys used in hotels for effective Key control

The hotel guest room key is normally issued to open only one room for which it was
intended, viz. individualized key for each lock. If the guest room lock is in shut-out mode
the guest room key can neither open it nor lock from outside of the room.

Below are few types of key configurations used in hotels:

1) Guest Room Key’s

2 ) Master Keys
3) Grand Master
4) Emergency Keys
5) Floor Supervisor Key
6) Guest Room Key

Master Key:

A master key is designed to open a set of several locks. These locks also have keys which
are specific to each one (the change key) and cannot open any of the others in the set.
Locks which have master keys have a second set of the mechanism used to open them
which is identical to all of the others in the set of locks.

For example, master keyed pin tumbler locks will have two shear points at each pin
position, one for the change key and one for the master key.

Grand Master:
Key operates all locks in the Hotel. Including laundry and linen rooms.

Emergency Key:

The emergency key opens all guestroom doors, even when they are double locked. It
can be used, for example, to enter a room when the guest needs help and is unable to
reach or open the door. The emergency key should be highly protected and its use
strictly controlled and recorded; it should never leave the property.

One procedure for emergency keys is to have them locked in a safe or safe deposit box
and signed out by the individual needing one. The log should be dated and signed by the
individual taking the key.

Floor Supervisors Master Key:

Key operates all sections on the floor/ floors supervised by the particular supervisor.

Housekeeping Staff Master Key:

Key operates all rooms serviced by particular room maid or housekeeping staff.

IMPORTANT KEY CONTROL PROCEDURES:

Security of keys is essential from the moment they arrive on site.
Keys should be stored separately and securely.
No unauthorized person should be allowed access to any key, either to examine or
handle it, since a photograph or impression can be taken in few seconds and duplicate
subsequently made.
Keep a log book of all keys signed out.
Establish protocol for distribution of keys.
Use keys that do not identify the property’s name, address, logo, or room number.
Perform an annual key audit
When keys are lost or stolen, the locks should be changed or rotated to another part of
the property.
Authorized employees should remind guests to return keys at check-out.
The loss or suspected compromise of a key should be reported immediately and, after
due investigation, a decision be made as to whether or not the lock should be changed.
Place well-secured key return boxes in the lobby, at exit points of the property, and in
courtesy vehicles.
LOST AND FOUND PROCEDURE
• An item left behind by guest either in the room or in public area identified by any
staff and brought under the notice of Housekeeping is termed as “Lost and Found” item.
• There should be one dedicated location to receive lost and found items whether it
is found in guestrooms, meeting rooms, public area or restaurants.
• The lost items must be secured in a locked closet or area that has highly restricted
access.
• Employees are instructed to bring items to lost and found area, with valuables
receiving immediate attention.
• All items received to be recorded in a lost and found register.
• All items regardless whether it is valuable, non-valuable items and perishable items
must be recorded on the Lost and found register.
• Items should be put in a plastic bag noting the serial number from the register,
place found, date, name of the person found the item etc.
• Valuable items like Jewellery, mobile, wallets, laptops, ipads etc. must be stored in
a locker.
• If the Property management system has Auto trace functionality then put a trace on
the guest profile stating the there is a lost item held with the housekeeping department.
• Send Email to the guest to notify the guest about the lost item ( as per the hotel
policy )
• When guest calls up the hotel to ask about the lost item, only the person who
maintains the lost and found register should revert to the call.
• Once the item is sent to the guest / collected by the guest authorized person an
appropriate entry to be made on the system.
Sample lost and found register:
• All items received to be recorded in a lost and found register.
• All items regardless whether it is valuable, non-valuable items and perishable items
must be recorded on the Lost and found register.
• Items should be put in a plastic bag noting the serial number from the register,
place found, date, name of the person found the item etc.
• Valuable items like Jewellery, mobile, wallets, laptops, ipads etc. must be stored in
a locker.
• If the Property management system has Auto trace functionality then put a trace on
the guest profile stating the there is a lost item held with the housekeeping department.
• Send Email to the guest to notify the guest about the lost item ( as per the hotel
policy )
• When guest calls up the hotel to ask about the lost item, only the person who
maintains the lost and found register should revert to the call.
• Once the item is sent to the guest / collected by the guest authorized person an
appropriate entry to be made on the system.
Sample lost and found register:

The lost and found items are classified as follows:

1. Valuable items.
2. Non valuable items.
3. Perishable items.
Valuable items:
• One separate Register is maintained for Valuable lost and found items and the
items are kept in a safe Deposit Locker.
• Valuable items are kept for a period of six months ( as per the hotel policy),
• If there is no response from the guest, auction to be conducted.
Non valuable items:
These category items are kept for three months in safe custody after making necessary
entries.
If there is no response from the looser till the time, these items are to be disposed off.
Eg: To be distributed to the finder.
Perishable items:
• Perishable nature lost and found items are kept for three days.
• In case of any quarry and need to keep further is to be done accordingly.

COMPLAINT HANDLING
Top Ten ways of handling guest Complaints:
1. Listen with concern and empathy.
2. Isolate the guest if possible, so that other guests won't overhear.
3. Stay calm. Don't argue with the guest.
4. Be aware of the guest's self-esteem. Show a personal interest in the problem, Try to
use the guest name frequently.
5. Give the guest your undivided attention. Concentrate on the problem, no on placing
blame. Do NOT Insult the guest.
6. Take notes. Writing down the key facts saves time if someone else must get
involved. Also, Guest tends to slow down when they see the front desk agent trying to
write down the issue.
7. Tell the guest what can be the best done. Offer choices. Don't promise the
impossible, and don't exceed your authority.
8. Set an approximate time for completion of corrective actions. Be specific, but do
not underestimate the amount of time it will take to resolve the problem.
9. Monitor the progress of the corrective action.
10. Follow up. Even if the complaint was resolved by someone else, contact the guest
to ensure that the problem was resolved satisfactorily.

UNIT 4

Housekeeping Department
Housekeeping Means Performing All the Duties towards Cleaning, Maintaining
Orderliness, and Running a House Or A Business Property. In Case Of Hotels, The
Housekeeping Duties Involve Maintaining The Hotel To The Best Possible State In Terms
Of Cleanliness, And Keeping It At Highly Desirable Ambience.
IMPORTANCE OF HOUSEKEEPING
Housekeeping is an operational department in a hotel, which is responsible for
cleanliness, maintenance, aesthetic upkeep of rooms, public area, back area and
surroundings. A hotel survives on the sale of room, food, beverages and other minor
services such as the laundry, health club spa and so on. The sale of room’s constituter a
minimum of 50 per cent of these sales. Thus, the major part of the hotel’s margin of
profit comes from the room sales, because a room once made can be sold over and over
again. The effort that a housekeeping department makes in giving a guest a desirable
room has a direct bearing on the guest’s experience in a hotel. Guestrooms are the
heart of the hotel. The housekeeping department not only prepares clean guestroom on
a timely basis for arriving guest, but also cleans and maintains everything in the hotel so
that the property is as fresh and attractive as the day it opened for business.
Objectives of Hotel Housekeeping
The main objectives of hotel housekeeping are:
• To maintain overall cleanliness of the entire hotel at all times.
• To perform cleanliness duties most efficiently and effectively.
• To use good quality, safe cleaning equipment and chemicals.
• To manage laundry and linen.
• To control pests.
• To keep up the hotel with classy interior decoration.
• To take care of the furniture, fittings, and fixtures of the entire hotel.
• To Provide and maintain the floral decorations and maintain the landscaped areas
of the hotel.
• To deal with lost and found articles.
Housekeeping Department Layout in Hotel
The layout of the housekeeping department depends on the total number of
Guestrooms, Outlets, and Required Staff. The following areas of the department are the
most prominent ones:
 Office of the Executive Housekeeper: The administrative work of the department is
carried out here. It must be an independent cabin to provide the housekeeper with
silence to plan out her work.
 Housekeeping Control Desk: This is the main communication center of
housekeeping. It is form here that all information is sent out and received concerned
the department. The desk control room should have a desk and chair with
preferably more than one telephone. The desk control room is the point where all
the staff members report for duty and check out at the duty end.

 Linen Room: Here, the linen of the hotel such as bed-sheets, towels, pillow cases,
etc., are stored, collected, and carried to the required places in the hotel. The room
should be large and airy and free from heat and humidity. It should have adequate
shelves to stack linen.

 Uniform Room: The staff uniforms are collected, stored, and distributed from here.
It is possible that smaller hotels may choose to combine this room with linen room.
A separate uniform room depends on the volume of uniforms.

 Tailor Room: Here, stitching and repairing of linen and uniforms takes place.

 Laundry Area: Washing, ironing, dry cleaning, folding of linen and staff uniform takes
place here

 Housekeeping Stores: It is a storage area where the cleaning equipment and items,
and guest supplies are securely stored.

 Flower Room: It is an air-conditioned room with worktables, sink and water supply,
cupboards to store vases and stones, and a counter

 Lost and found: It stores all the items left by the guests. It directly communicates
with the front office desk, as there the guests tend to first enquire about their lost
articles.

 Upholstery Yard: This is a space provided to store damaged upholstered furniture.

Tailors specialized is re-upholstery work in this yard.

 Laundry: It is the part of housekeeping that can either enhance the quality of
housekeeping services. The responsibility of laundry is to wash dirty clothes and
 deliver clean and fresh linens to the guest as well as the other departments of
hotels. The laundry has to supply clean linens to the housekeeping department time
to time in order to run the operation smoothly.

HOUSEKEEPING: AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

The housekeeping department is responsible to keep the following areas clean and tidy.
• Guest Rooms
• Guest Bathrooms
• Public Areas such as Lobby and Lifts
• Banquets and Conference Halls
• Parking Area
• Sales and Admin Offices
• Garden
Apart from the cleaning task, the housekeeping is also responsible for handling keys of
each floor. In addition, it manages the laundry, which is often at some places considered
as a sub department of housekeeping
HOUSEKEEPING ORGANIZATION CHART
Executive housekeeper/ manager of housekeeping
• The Executive manager is the chief of housekeeping department. The deputy
housekeeper and assistant manager of housekeeping report to him. Their
responsibilities include:
• Ensuring overall cleanliness and aesthetics of the hotel.
• Ensuring overall sanitation, comfort, and ambience of the hotel.
• Training the new joiners and motivate the existing employees.
• Modeling and establishing standard operating procedures (sops) for cleaning and
decorating.
• Monitoring regular inventory of guest supplies and linen.
• Monitoring housekeeping equipment and hotel property.
• Evaluating employee performance, and handling their training, promotions, and
transfers.
• Presenting the estimate of the required budget to the general manager of the hotel.
Supervisors of Housekeeping
The supervisors report to the assistant housekeeper. Their positions and their respective
responsibilities include:
Floor supervisor
• Issuing keys to the room attendants.
• Coordinating floor operations and tray clearance with room attendants.
• Inspecting rooms for readiness and reporting to the front office for the same.
 • Catering for VIP facilities and providing special supplies such as hot drinking water,
baby-sitting provision.
Public area supervisor
• Ensuring that cleanliness is maintained at all times in public areas such as lobby,
lifts, parking, swimming pool, coffee shop, conference hall, banquet hall, and
restaurant.
• Ensuring banquet and conference halls are well kept and ready.
• Ensuring the concerned operating staff is available as per the schedule.
Night supervisor
• Ensuring provision of guest supplies such as water, extra bed, fans, or towels.
• Ensuring the operating staff working at night is following all cleaning sops.
• Supervising hotel area at night and ensuring cleanliness in all areas of hotel.
Uniform room supervisor
• Providing clean, ironed, and fresh uniforms to the hotel staff.
• Suggesting procurement of any uniforms required.
• Checking repaired linen from tailor room.
• Keeping track of number and condition of uniforms.
Linen room supervisor
• Inspecting linen and sending it to the laundry.
• Checking linen from laundry and sending it for ironing.
• Maintaining linen influx and out flux register.
• Checking repaired linen from tailor room.
• Suggesting linen replacements if required
Operating Staff / Attendants
The positions and responsibilities of the operating staff/attendants are explained
below.
Uniform room attendant
• Collecting uniforms of staff at the end of every shift and maintaining them to be
used for the next time.
• Maintaining the shelves of uniforms and linens clearly.
• Giving and taking back the uniforms from the staff.
Linen room attendant
 • Segregating the dirty linen according to its type and sending it to the laundry.
• Keeping the track of linen count before and after laundry.
• Stacking towels, bed sheets, pillowcases, table napkins separately into different
sections of shelves
Guest room attendant
• Reporting to the floor supervisor.
• Cleaning the guest rooms, guest bathrooms, and the corridors.
• Changing the linen of the guest room and guest bathrooms.
• Topping up the guest supplies.
• Making guest-room beds.
• Replenishing the hotel cleaner’s trolley with supplies and linens for the next shift
staff.
Storekeeper
• Reporting to the floor supervisor.
• Keeping the count of cleaning equipment and items such as cleaners and
detergents.
• Generating requisition to purchase the required material.
Public area attendants
• Reporting to public area supervisor.
• Keeping the parking, lobbies, guest rooms, lifts, and corridors in best maintained
status.
• Keeping these areas smelling fresh and clean.
Night shift attendants
• Reporting any hotel safety issues to the night supervisor.
• Performing housekeeping duties during night
COORDINATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENT
Housekeeping-front office coordination
• Sharing occupancy information that helps to estimate future occupancy, budget,
and required number of staff.
• Cleaning public areas of hotel premises.
• Special attention requirements like VIP guests, corporate or large family groups, or
airline crews as occupants.
 • Collection of soiled uniforms from and provision of ready uniforms to the front-
office staff daily.
Housekeeping-food and beverage coordination
• Coming banquet events and parties.
• Pest control in kitchen.
• Collection of soiled linen and uniforms from the F&B department and provision of
ready linen and uniforms to the F&B staff daily.
• Clearance of trays from guest corridors.
• Placement of special guest amenities in guest rooms such as VIP amenities or
welcome drink.
Housekeeping-sales and marketing department coordination
• Supply of promotional brochures, rate cards, or other items such as pen stand in
the guest rooms.
• Collection of soiled uniforms from the S&M department and provision of ready
uniforms to the S&M staff daily.
Housekeeping-human resource department coordination
• Selection of new staff for the housekeeping department.
• Compensation of housekeeping staff members such as salary, over time, medical
treatment, etc.
• Motivation for staff performance by appraisal or reward, induction and training
program for new staff.
• Collection of soiled uniforms from the HRD and provision of ready uniforms to the
HRD staff daily.
Housekeeping-security department coordination
• Safety of hotel property, and keys.
• Prevention of fire and thefts in the hotel.
• Prevention of any anti-social activities such as any suspicious activities, gambling, or
smuggling performed by guests in the guest rooms or hotel premises.
Housekeeping-accounts department coordination
• The issues related to payments of housekeeping staff.
• Collection of soiled uniforms from the accounts department and provision of ready
uniforms to the accounts staff daily.
Housekeeping-engineering department coordination
 • The issues related to erroneous functioning of cleaning and gardening equipment,
faulty electric power points, leaning pipes, air-conditioning maintenance, or any
other such work.
• Collection of soiled uniforms from the engineering and technology staff and
provision of ready uniforms to them daily.
Housekeeping-maintenance department coordination
• The repairing and maintenance of broken furniture and fixtures.
• The painting of the required area in the hotel.
• Repairing pipes and electric points in the guest rooms.
• Collection of soiled uniforms from the maintenance staff and provision of ready
uniforms to them daily.

AMENITIES AND SUPPLIES IN THE ROOM

The hotel provides a variety of guestroom supplies and amenities for the guest's needs
and convenience. As the head of the housekeeping department, the Executive
Housekeeper is responsible for the operation.
The guest supply includes all items that are conducive to the guest’s material comfort
and convenience. The supplies or amenities are subdivided into
1) Guest amenities,
2) Essentials,
3) Expendables and
4) Loan items.
Most of the hotels follow a common pattern in the placement of guest supplies in their
guestrooms and suites. Below are the details of standard supplies placed
What are the supplies placed in the guest bedroom and bathroom?
The guest supplies are placed in various areas of the guest bedrooms and living area
(for suite rooms) the detailed list of standard items are described below.
1) Behind the Main Door:
1. Detailed fire exit plan map is affixed behind the door of all guest rooms.
 2. DND - Do Not Disturb card which can be hung to the door handle.
3. 'Make up my Room' card.
4. 'Pick up my Laundry' card.
5. Room Service Breakfast Card which can be hooked on to the doorknob.
6. Some hotels also have a notice reminding them about the availability of safe
deposit facilities with the front desk.
7. Notice about the availability of the electronic safe in the guestroom.
8. Key hotel policies are also places in some hotels.
9. Room’s rates for different kinds of rooms offered, in the frame or plastic holder
behind every door.
10. Hotels brochure with the details of facilities and services, in a plastic holder
behind the very door.

2) Guest Supplies and Stationeries in the Writing Table:

1. Guest stationary folder with monogrammed note papers.

2. Postage or plain envelopes.
3. Courier envelopes.
4. Postcards with hotel pictures.
5. Telegraph forms (not used commonly now as telegraph technology is outdated and
not available in many countries).
6. Fax forms.
7. Guest Comment Cards.
8. Folder with hotel rules and regulations.
9. A pen and a pencil with the hotel logo.
10. Telephone.
11. I pad Doc or similar docking stations.
12. Tent card with instruction on how to connect to the hotel Wi-Fi network.
13. Tent cards/publicity cards giving information about specialty restaurant
or SPA or Massage etc.
14. Tent cards about any special shows in the hotel are also placed on this desk.
 15. An ashtray and matchbox for depending upon the room type (smoking rooms
only).
16. Candle, a candle holder and a matchbox are kept inside the writing desk
drawer.
17. Small emergency led light or torch in case there is no candle.
18. The hotel brochure kept inside the drawer.
19. Multi-pin universal travel adaptor with USB charging port (the item should have
hotels logo on it) inside the drawer.
20. Wastepaper basket next to the writing table, on the floor.
21. LED desk or table lamp with multiple adjustment levels and light settings.
22. A chair with a backrest placed in front of the writing table.
23. A personalized welcome letter signed by the front desk manager or general
manager.

3) Guest Supplies and Amenities placed on the Bedside Table:

1. The telephone with quick dial buttons.

2. Instruction for setting automated wakeup calls.
3. The service dictionary or tent cards are placed on the bedside table.
4. A notepad and a pencil are placed beside the phone.
5. An ashtray and a matchbox according to the room type and bedding type,
E.g.: twin rooms will have two ashtrays and matchbox, non-smoking rooms will not
have ashtrays and matchbox.
6. A breakfast knob card is kept on the first shelf or in the drawer of the bedside table.
(During evening service the same is kept on the pillow)
7. The local telephone directory kept on the lowermost shelf on the bedside table.
8. A Bible, a Gita or Quran may also be placed or similar holy books depending upon
countries the hotel is located.
9. The channel music panel may be affixed to the bedside table.
10. The DND - Do Not Disturb button, clean my room button, pick up laundry
button, lighting controls, curtain controls etc. may be affixed to the bedside table
panel.
11. Alarm clock with in-built radio.
12. Multi-pin plug point for laptop or mobile charging.
 13. USB charging port for mobile, tablet charging.
14. TV, Set Top Box, Home Theater, DVD player remote.
15. Room Service menu card inside the drawer.
16. The bedside lamp is placed on the bedside table, in case of twin room or two
bedside tables available in the room then two bedside lamps may be placed.
17. A flask on the tray with two glasses may be kept beside the bed at the bedside
table.
18. The master light switch in order to switch off all lights is also available in the
bedside table panel.

4) Guest Supplies and Stationeries placed on the coffee table:

1. An ashtray and a matchbox according to the room type, E.g.: non-smoking rooms
will not have ashtrays and matchbox.
2. The house magazine, Hotel Chain magazine or some tourist magazines.
3. A newspaper is also neatly arranged on the coffee table.
4. The room service menu is placed on the coffee table at some hotels.
5. Fruit basket with the paring knife.
6. Chocolates on a quarter plate wrapped in plastic film.
7. Cookies on a quarter plate wrapped in plastic film.

5) Guest Supplies placed in the Drawer and the Cupboard:

1. A sewing mending kit is placed in the drawer.

2. Laundry bag.
3. Laundry price list.
4. Laundry terms and condition.
5. Iron and Foldable Ironing Board.
6. Shoe Shine.
7. Shoe Polish.
8. Shoe Shining Brush.
 9. Weighing Machine.
10. Digital Safe deposit locker.
11. Tent Card with the details of operating safe deposit locker.
12. A few plastic utility bags may also be placed in the wardrobe for guests to keep
their shoes or wet swimming suits in.
13. Free backpack or shopping bag with eco-friendly materials.
14. Cloth hangers are hung on hooks.
15. Hanging rod inside the cupboard.
16. Extra Pillow.
17. Bed Spread or Bed cover folded and kept in the drawer when not in use or
evening service.

6) Guest Items and Supplies Placed below the Luggage Rack

1. The space below the luggage rack is usually meant for the guests to keep their
shoes.
2. In Room Slippers with hotel logo depending upon the room occupancy.
(For single occupancy 1 pair is kept and for double 2 pairs)
3. Shoe mitt.
4. Shoeshine kit.

7) Guest Items places at the dressing table:

1. Guest cosmetic kit, Nail Filer, Moisturizers etc.

2. A small flower arrangement.
3. Drawers may contain all purpose kit, sewing kit etc.
4. Combs or hair brushes are also placed in the dressing table drawer.
5. An upholstered stool is placed under the dressing table and it can be pulled out as
and when required.
6. A mirror is mounted on the wall with appropriate lighting facilities.

8) Guest Supplies and Stationeries on the Bed:

 1. A mattress, mattress protector.
2. Bed sheets.
3. Bedspreads.
4. Night spread.
5. Pillows with pillowcases.
6. Blanket.
7. Bed Cover and lining.
8. A small gift box or a box of chocolates may be placed on the pillow as the part of
the turn-down or evening service.
9. For any special occasions like the wedding or honeymoon the bed would be
arranged with flower, chocolate box, wine or champagne bottle etc.

9) Guest Supplies and Stationeries in the Television Cabinet:

1. LCD or LED Television set.

2. Set top box for satellite channels.
3. Fire stick or Comcast or Apple TV.
4. DVD or CD player.
5. Home Theater System.
6. Remote for all the infotainment systems.
7. Tablet or I paid for in-room app or hotel app along with the docking or charging
point.

10) Guest Supplies and Stationeries inside the Mini Bar / Mini Fridge:

1. The Minibar may contain all or some of these items, depending on the type of
hotel, the type of guestroom, as well as the profile of the guest e.g.: VIP, VVIP etc..
2. The daily consumption from mini bar is usually charged as per the pricing card kept
near to the mini bar.
3. For some guests, the use of mini bar would be complimentary.
 4. Some guests or companies may request the hotel to remove the mini bar items or
lock them.
5. Different Type of Chocolates e.g.: Mars, Toblerone, Galaxy etc.
6. Mineral water bottles.
7. Pepsi, Coke, tonic waters.
8. Diet variety of Pepsi, Coke etc.
9. Fruit juice.
10. Ice trays.
11. Lemon wedges.
12. Some snacks.
13. Energy Drinks like Red bull, Gatroid etc.
14. Hard Beverages such as liquor.
15. Different Type of Beers.

11) Guest Supplies and Stationeries kept on the Mini-Bar Cabinet

1. The below supplies may be on a small side table near the guestroom entrance, by
the bed or on top of the mini bar.
2. Tea coffee maker. kettle
3. Coffee maker.
4. Tea bags, coffee powder.
5. Sugar or sugar alternatives.
6. Ready to mix coffee late or chai latte.
7. A tray of tea bags and sachets of coffee powder, milk powder and sugar.
8. On the same tray a couple cups, saucers and spoons.
9. A kettle and/or coffee maker.
10. An ice bucket.
11. Complimentary drinking water.

12) Supplies and Stationeries in the sitting area:

 1. A sofa and two easy chairs.
2. An occasional table.
3. A lampshade.
4. A table for in-room dining.
5. Fruit basket.
6. A couple of magazines.

13) Supplies and Amenities in the bathroom:

1. Full Length Mirror.

2. Vanity Mirror.
3. Bath Tub.
4. Shower Cubical.
5. Bath Mat.
6. Water Closet.
7. Tissue Roll.
8. Wash Basin.
9. Hot and Cold Running Water 24X7.
10. Bath Robe.
11. Hooks for hanging Cloths.
12. Retractable clothes drying line or liner.
13. Shower Curtains.
14. Dustbin.
15. Sanitary Napkin cover and bin.
16. Soap holders.
17. Wall Mounted Telephone with quick dial extension.
18. Shaving Mirror.
19. Faucet.
20. Gargle Glass.
21. In some hotels, there is also a bucket and mug placed inside the bathroom.
 22. Hair Dryer or hair Blower.

14) Guest Supplies and Amenities near the Bathroom near the vanity unit:

1. Soaps.
2. Shampoo.
3. Moisturizers.
4. Cologne.
5. Aftershave Lotion.
6. Shower gel.
7. Shower Cap.
8. Conditioners.
9. Gargle Glasses.
10. Tissue Box.
11. Razor Blades or Shaving Kit.
12. Tissue Box.
13. Toilet Paper rolls.
14. Dental Kit.
15. Comb.
16. Ear Buds.
17. Cotton Swabs.
18. Bath Oil.
19. Super Glow Body Gel.
20. Hair Cream.
21. A mirror mounted on the wall with appropriate lighting facility.
22. A sanitary bin beside the WC or placed under the vanity counter.
23. Shaving Mirror with appropriate lighting.
24. Eau de cologne.
25. Face Towel.
26. Hand Towel.
15) Guest Supplies and Amenities on the Towel Rack
The towel rack in a hotel consists of the following supplies:
1. 2 Set of Bath towels or Bath Sheets.
2. Hand towels and faces towels; these may also be near or on the vanity unit
depending upon the hotels policy or available space near the vanity area.
3. Bath mat (mostly placed on the bathtub).
Bed Sizes:

Twin / Single Bed: Bed Sizes: 75” long and 39” wide
A twin bed size is commonly used by children and kids of all ages. It is also referred to as
a single bed which can come in many forms, such as in a captain’s bed, trundle twin and
bunk bed.

Twin X-long: 80” long and 39” wide

An extra—long twin bed is ideal for tall kids, teens and adults. Its defining feature is that
it is 5” longer than a standard twin. It is the same length as a Queen or Standard King
bed and is best suited for people that are over 6 feet tall.

Full / Double: 85” long and 54” wide

A full-sized bed, which is also known as a double bed is about 15” wider than a twin /
single bed. This bed size is popular among college students, hotels and is gaining
popularity as a full sized bunk beds and loft beds.

Queen: 80” long and 60” wide

A queen sized bed is 80”L by 60” wide and is the most popular bed that is used by kids,
teens, young adults and newlyweds. It is the most used bed size for hotels, bachelor’s
and guest rooms.

Standard / Eastern King: 80” long and 76” – 78” wide

A standard king is also known as an Eastern King and is 80”L by 76” – 78” wide. It is the
same length as a queen bed but is roughly 18” wider. This bed is ideal for larger rooms
and provides plenty of sleeping space for couples and even enough room for the little
one that wants to sneak in during the night.
California King: 84” long and 72” wide
A California king is commonly 80”L by 72” wide. This bed is 12” wider than a queen bed
and 4” longer. This bed is perfect for tall children and couples.

UNIT 3
CLEANING AGENTS AND EQUIPMENT’S
The housekeeping staff needs to clean various guest rooms, guest bathrooms, and a
number of public areas in the hotel. The staff needs to take the help of various cleaning
equipment while trying to keep the hotel premises to the highest standard of
appearance.
Today, there is a wide range of cleaning products available in the market.
Advantages of Cleaning Equipment
The cleaning equipment is advantageous in multiple ways −
 Equally effective for general as well as tougher cleaning tasks.
 High cleaning capability.
 Reduce work fatigue and increase productivity.
 Save the time of hotel housekeeping staff.
 High maneuverability. They can reach any corner or height of the room, which is
otherwise difficult to reach.
 Eco-friendly, widely available, and easy to operate.
 They give protection from injuries occurring while cleaning when they are handled
by using proper instructions.
Classification of Cleaning Equipment
There are broadly categorized as follows −
Manual Cleaning Equipment
As the name suggests, they are used manually to keep the surfaces clean. Some
commonly used manual equipment is −
 Abrasives − they are the sharpening stones or grit papers used to polish metal or
wooden surfaces. There are various abrasives depending upon the size of grit and
adhesion of grit particles on the paper.
 Brushes − they are handheld flat brushes with bristles to dust the plain surfaces as
well as the corners. They come with non-slip handles and stiff scratch-free bristles.
They help removing stubborn dust.
 Chambermaid’s Trolley/Housekeeping Trolley − this trolley is large enough to keep
all the guest room and guest bathroom supplies in an organized manner. It makes
the housekeeping staff to move it around and carry large number of items in
 One goes while keeping and cleaning the guest rooms.
 Dustbins − they are used to collect daily garbage produced in the hotel.
 Dusting Cloths − they are soft cloths used for wiping the surface dust.
 Dustpans − they are used to collect dust and garbage from the floor and putting it
into the dustbin.
 Janitor’s trolley − It is a trolley that stores cleaning supplies such as detergents,
spray bottles, dustbin, mop, and dusting cloths, all in a compact manner. It can be
moved around easily. It fulfills the challenge of modern day housekeeping in hotels.
 Mops − There are various types of mops such as string mops, flat mops, dust mops,
and synthetic mops. Mops are generally made of flat cotton strings or heavy-duty
sponges fixed on the metal frames. The cotton mops have high absorbing ability but
need more care unlike the synthetic mops that offer almost zero absorbing ability
and very less maintenance.
 Mop Wringer trolley − A mop bucket cart (or mop trolley) is a wheeled bucket that
allows its user to wring out a wet mop without getting the hands dirty. The mops
are squeezed between two surfaces to remove dirty water from it.
 Scarifying machine − It is used for keeping gardens, golf courts, and lawn in the
hotel premises. It cuts through the turf, and removes moss and dead grass. It helps
grow spongy lawn. Scarifiers have fixed knife blades attached to the rotary cylinder.
They cut through the grass by which the offshoots are separated into lots of
individual plants. This helps to thicken up the turf and improve its health.
 Spray Bottles − they are used to spray water or chemical solutions on the surface
that needs cleaning. They are also used to spray water on the delicate flowers or
leaves of flower arrangement.
Electric Cleaning Equipment
As the name depicts, these equipment require electrical power to operate. They are
operated either on AC power or on the battery. Some important electric equipment is −
 Box Sweeper − It is electric sweeper that consists of a friction brush. The brush
often is fit to revolve vertically or horizontally, when the equipment moves on the
surface. It can clean floors as well as carpets. The wider the better is the box
sweeper brush.
 Vacuum Cleaner − It is again a majorly used equipment in hotel housekeeping. It
comes with a suction motor fit in a case, a hose, and various attachments for
delicate as well as tough cleaning requirements.
 Polishing Machine − they are used to add a shine to the floors of most frequented
areas of the hotel.
 Scrubber − It is a floor care accessory that comes with handheld electrically
operated scrubber. It is used where only mopping doesn’t suffice. It can scrub
stubborn and sticky stains on the floors of cafeterias, restaurants, lobbies, and
fitness areas where people can take food and beverages.
 Vapor Cleaning Machine − they are used where the chemical odors are not desired.
They are equipped for continuous operation. They heat up quickly and work with
low amount of moisture. They kill the beg bugs and their eggs, the yielding a
 Completely clean environment.
Cleaning Agents or Chemicals
Apart from water and regular detergents, the housekeeping staff also uses cleaning
chemicals, which are often available in the form of liquids, blocks, and powders.
 Water − It is the most commonly used medium for cleaning and rinsing. The
housekeeping staff needs to use only soft water because hard water cannot dilute
detergents properly. Non-oily and non-greasy stains such as ink stains can be
removed using water.
 Vinegar − It is used in removing light stains in the bath.
 Bathroom Cleaners − they come in liquid form for easy cleaning. They clean,
descale, and disinfect the bathroom walls, bathtubs, bathroom flooring, sinks, and
showers. They often contain phosphoric acid.
 Clean Air Sprays − they are best for freshening the hotel corridors, washrooms,
bathrooms, and reception areas. These sprays remove the pungent smell of
tobacco, smoke, and organic wastes.
 Degreaser − this is mainly used in bars to remove the marks of grease and lipstick
that cannot be removed by traditional washing of glasses and cups. Degreaser
restores the surface shine and transparency of the glasses and bowls.
 Floor Cleaners and Sealers − One of the important tasks of hotel housekeeping is
cleaning the floor periodically and keeping it sealed with the help of sealer of the
right consistency for optimum maintenance. Some areas in the hotel are busy and
bear heavy traffic such as lobby, corridors, parking areas, restaurants, and dining
halls. Their floorings lose smoothness and shine. In such a case, the floor cleaners
and sealers are used for restoring their look and shine.
 Laundry Cleaners − They are liquid concentrates with variable amount of peroxide
that removes tough stains, bleaches the linen, and enhances its whiteness
 A number of chemicals are used in dry-cleaning. They are camphor oil, turpentine
spirits, benzene, kerosene and white gasoline, petroleum solvents such as naphtha
blends, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and liquid carbon dioxide. They remove
the stains from silk tapestry without damaging the fibers.
 Surface Sanitizers − they often come in the form of liquid concentrate. They are
water-based and sanitize the surfaces without damaging their appearance. The
sanitizers reduce the presence of bacteria to a great extent. They come with
different concentrations and fragrances.
 Toilet Blocks − they deodorize the toilets and leave them with a fresh smell. They
come with two variants: continuous action and instant action. They contain
oxidizing agents such as ozone, hydrogen peroxide, or chlorine that removes
unpleasant organic odor from the surface of a material.
 Toilet Cleaners − they are available in liquid form containing strong hydrochloric
acid. They remove stains and plumbing scales easily, and restore the shine of their
surface.
 Carpet Cleaning Agents − Cleaning and maintaining the carpets are important tasks
of hotel housekeeping. As suggested by the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), carpet
cleaning is complete when the following issues are tackled −
o Soil containment

o Vacuuming

o Spotting

o Interim cleaning

o Restorative cleaning

Carpet cleaning chemicals are often low-moisture, fast-drying cleaners that take
care of the above said issues effectively
 Swimming Pool Cleaners − they are used for cleaning the swimming pool water.
Some of them are TCCA-90 granules or tablets, SDIC, hydrochloric acid (HCL), liquid
 chlorine, and alum. The pool cleaning chemicals kill the bacterial and algae growth
in the water.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN SELECTING CLEANING EQUIPMENT FOR HOUSEKEEPING?

Before buying cleaning equipment for the staff the Executive Housekeeper / AEHK
should ask for a product demonstration. Also ask for business references and for
locations where the same is in use.
It is the responsibility of the EHK to procure the ideal, most efficient equipment for
her staff to ensure maximum productivity. The below checklist will help you to compare
available features and to find the best one which will suite your requirement.
Consider the following factors:
1. Productivity: how much square feet of carpet area can be cleaned in one hour?
2. Work performance: in terms of capacity and machine and consumer reports on
performance.
3. Ease of handling: in terms of size, weight and height of the machine and ease of
maneuvering and operating.
4. Appearance: What impression might guests have if they see the equipment in use?
5. Accessories: What kind of accessories is required or available?
6. Refill Procedure: How easy or difficult to refill required chemicals or cleaning agents?
7. Regular Maintenance and care: What kind of regular care and maintenance is
required for the upkeep of the equipment?
8. Safety in operation and maintenance.
9. Suitability: to the type of area, surface, work, amount of obstruction and cleaning
frequency.
10. Versatility: to undertake various types of cleaning.
11. Portability: in terms of ease of transfer between floors and the provision of wheels
and detachable parts and consumer reports on life expectancy.
12. Noise level: which is a more important consideration for hospitals than hotels.
13. Availability of spare parts: easy servicing conditions and lead time after booking of
equipment.
14. Protective design: This may feature a protective edging to prevent damage to wall
furniture and fittings and no sharp edges.
15. Ease of storage: in terms of ease of dismantling detachable parts and storage space
required.
16. Cost: as a sum of initial costs, operating costs, maintenance and depreciation, as
well as hiring considerations as opposed to purchasing.
Training: What Training programs are given to the hotel staff on using the product?After
Sales Service: What product and service warranties are included? And is service
provided onsite?

ISSUING OF THE CLEANING AGENTS CAN BE DONE IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:

Requisition
Each peripheral storage area will have a requisition book with forms in triplicate. Every
time good are required, the person responsible for the storage area will complete the
form and sign it. The top copy of this form will then be taken or sent to the central store
prior to the collection time, where it will be checked by the supervisor and the items put
together for collection by the cleaner. The second copy will go to the housekeeper
responsible for cleaning expenditure. The third copy will remain in the book which is
returned with fresh supplies.
Full for empty/ new for old
This system is used extensively in smaller establishments. Individual cleaners will take
empty containers or old dusters, etc. to the central store and will be given a
replacement in return.
Topping up
At a fixed time each day or week, the cleaners will take their containers to the main
store to be topped up. This avoids the danger of running out of supplies. In some
establishments, cleaners will deposit their bucket of cleaning agents in the main store at
the end of each day or regular intervals. These will be replenished ready for collection at
the start of the next shift.

It is the responsibility of the executive housekeeper to procure the ideal, most efficient
equipment for her staff to ensure maximum productivity. The choice of equipment to be
purchased is made after considering the following factors:
Safety in operation.
Suitability to the type of area, surface, work, amount of obstruction and cleaning
frequency
Versatility to undertake various types of cleaning Work performance in terms of
capacity and machine and consumer reports on performance.
Ease of handling in terms of size, weight and height of the machine and ease
ofmaneuvering and operating.
Portability in terms of ease of transfer between floors and the provision of wheels
and detachable parts and consumer reports on life expectancy
Noise level which is a more important consideration for hospitals than hotels
Availability of spare parts, easy servicing conditions and lead time after booking of
equipment.
Protective design which may feature a protective edging to prevent damage to wall
furniture and fittings and no sharp edges
 CLEANING CHEMICALS IN HK
TASKI R1 / Diverse R1 Cleaning and Sanitizing of Bathroom / Toilet surfaces
TASKI R2 / Diverse R2 All-purpose cleaning agent / Hygienic Hard Surface Cleaner
TASKI R3 / Diverse R3 for Cleaning Glass and Mirror Cleaner
TASKI R4 / Diverse R4 for Furniture Polish and Cleaning / Furniture Maintainer
TASKI R5 / Diverse R5 Air Freshener / Room Freshener / Bathroom Freshener
TASKI R6 / Diverse R6 Heavy-duty toilet bowl/urinal cleaner for the removal of lime
scale, stains and other residues.
TASKI R7 / Diverse R7 For removal of oil and grease from floor / Non-abrasive
cream cleaner for water-resistant hard surfaces
TASKI R 8 /Diverse R8 Kettle Descale -Highly effective acid based descale for kettles,
kitchen equipment, shower heads etc.
TASKI R9 / Diverse R9 fully formulated cleaner for cleaning all fittings and walls in
the bathroom, sink, tub, tiles and fittings.

Unit-4
CLEANING ORGANIZATION
PROCESS OF CLEANING
PUBLIC AREAS CLEANING PROCESS:

We know that the public areas on a Hotel comprises the ‗front of the house‘ areas
such as entrances, lobbies, lounges, the front desk, guest corridors elevators and
restrooms, functional areas like the restaurants, banquet halls, bars, waiting rooms,
leisure areas such as swimming pools, the spa and health club.
Cleaning of Lobby: Lobby is a area provided as common meeting point near the
front office. Its appearance can play a vital role in creating a favorable impression
on a new arrival or a conference planner/tour operator who is deciding on a venue
for the conference or a group of tourist. It is the duty of the Housekeeping staff
deputed for cleaning of the lobby to carry out all cleaning activities without
disturbing the guest or visitors.
Day Cleaning:
The following activities are carried out during the day cleaning operations:
 Cleaning/emptying of ash trays, sand urns and waste paper baskets.
 Removing of all debris from a lightweight basket.
 Cleaning of the entrance throughout the day
 Mopping, dusting of the entrance should be carried out at regular internal
throughout the day
 Straightening of furniture moved by guest as and when required.
 Placing of flower arrangement at appropriate locations at the front office/lobby.
Emptying of waste paper basket as and when required during the day.

Overnight Cleaning:

 Most of the cleaning activities in the lobby are carried out during the night time
when traffic is low. The might cleaning activities include the following:
 Dusting, vacuuming and cleaning of elevators/escalators after taking them out
of service.
 Vacuuming cleaning of all carpeted areas.
 Spot cleaning of carpets/shampooing of carpet.
 Dusting of all furniture and front office area.
 Emptying and cleaning of all ash trays
 Polishing of all guest elevators, cleaning of elevators floors and walls.
 Cleaning of all glass surfaces/mirrors.
 Removing of fine marks and spots from walls and woodwork.
 Polishing of metal handles, rails and door knobs.

CLEANING OF PUBLIC REST ROOMS

Public restrooms must be cleaned and sanitized throughout the day depending on
the traffic flow in the hotel. A gentleman clock room attendant and ladies powder
room attendant are deputed to take care of the public rest room throughout the
day. The following activities are carried out at the public rest rooms.
Cleaning of the rest rooms after placing a sign, tape or plastic come at the
entrance notifying that cleaning activity is under progress.
Replenishment of public rest room supplies i.e. toilet paper, tissue paper, soaps
towels etc.
 Emptying of hampers placed for collecting dirty towels.
Emptying and cleaning of ash trays at regular intervals during the day.
Mopping the floor dry at regular intervals, washing of tiles at regular intervals.
Damp dusting the door and floor fixtures, toilet roll holder.
 Cleaning the mirror/wiping dry of mirror at regular intervals.
 Cleaning and wipe drying of toilet seat, outside and inside.
Cleaning of Restaurants
The following cleaning activities are carried out by the house keeping staff:
 Moving out of chairs, tables, removing of all crumbs on the seat and back of the
chair using a whisk broom or a vacuum cleaner.
 Vacuum cleaning of carpets.
 Spot cleaning of any stains using suitable detergents.
 Damp dusting of all furniture, polishing of wooden furniture on regular
intervals.
 Wiping of all glass surfaces with a proprietary glass cleaner.
 Wiping of window ledges, tables legs, metal floor vents with a damp cloth.
 Wiping of side boards, hostess desk, cashier‘s desk with a micro fiber, cloth.
 Wiping and disinfecting of telephones.
 Dusting and polishing of metal chairs, removing of finger marks from chrome
fittings.

ROOM CLEANING PROCEDURE

1. Entering of the room: Before entering the room we must know the status of the
room. Following are the basic status of the room.
 Check out rooms: These are the rooms where guests are expected to check-
out. They may be known as „departing rooms‟, „going rooms‟ or „vacated
rooms‟. These rooms will take longer to clean than a room that continues to
be occupied because a full service is required.
  Occupied rooms: These are rooms where the guest will be staying for
another night. They may also be known as „stay rooms‟. Generally these
rooms won’t take as long to clean as a check-out room, and approximately
 Vacant rooms you will also be required to inspect and provide basic service
to vacant rooms. Vacant rooms are rooms that are not being used and which
have been prepared ready for sale by Reception. These rooms, even though
not being used, still require some attention such as:
o Inspection – to identify anything that might have happened or gone wrong with
or in the room.
o General dusting Flushing of the toilet.
o Checking that the refrigerator is working properly.
o Ensuring the room has not been occupied by a guest for whom no information
exists.
DND ROOMS:
When approaching a guest room for cleaning, first check if the guest had placed a Do
not Disturb ( DND ) sign. Rooms displaying the “DND” notice not to be disturbed. In all
cases room maids / room attendants should avoid disturbing the guest.
i. A DND - (Do not disturb) sign clearly indicates that the room attendant should
check later if service is required.
ii. If there is no response till evening then the housekeeping supervisor should ring
the guest and check if he / she require the room to be serviced.
iii. Ask the guest if he or she require fresh supplies ( e.g.: Towels
iv. When service is refused the evening boy has to clean the room during evening
service.
v. If service is not provided during evening also then a note to be slipped under the
door.
vi. When guest refuses service a floor supervisor / duty manager / lobby manager
should call the guest and arrange a convenient time for cleaning.
vii. If there is any suspicious or doubt about the room status or other incidents then a
Manager along with the security personal should knock and enter the room with
the master key card.
viii. In some case guest might be un-well or some accident occurred which require
urgent intervention,
ix. The room should not remain without service for more than two days, unless this
is specifically requested by the guest and approved by the general manager.
After entering the room: After entering the rooms following steps are taken
 Ventilate by opening windows , drawing curtain
 Switch on all the lights.
 Remove any soil room service trays ,
 Switched on electric appliance to make sure it is working.
 Empty waste paper, ashtrays and sanitary bins.

Cleaning of the room: There are some steps for cleaning the room.
 Bed making
 Bathroom cleaning
 Glass and window cleaning
 Dusting sweeping if carpeted then vacuuming if not then mopping.

Bed making process:

 Remove soiled bed linen from the bed.
 Look at the mattress pad / mattress protector to see if it is stained, torn or
damaged. If it is not straighten it and make sure the mattress and box spring are
even.
 The mattress pad is stained then removes it.
 Get a clean mattress pad and place it on the mattress:
 Lay the fresh pad on the bed.
 Make sure you have the correct size sheets.
 Do not use a stained or torn sheet. Place them immediately in your solid linen bag.
 Take fresh sheets and pillow cover as per the bed size.
 Pull the bed a little away from the headboard.
 Spread the 1st bed sheet and tuck the bottom side of the bed except for the four
corners.
 Take the loose end of the sheet, about a foot from the corner at the head of the
bed and pull it straight out, foaming a flap. Pull up the flap so it is flat.
 Tuck in the free part of the corner.
 Pull the flap out toward you and down over the side of the bed. Tuck the flap in.
 Move to the corner at the foot of the bed on the same side of the bed and repeat
the procedure.
 Spread the second sheet the wrong side up, from the edge of mattress.
  Put Quilt
 Tightly tuck the sheets under the mattress.
 Go towards the foot of the bed and tightly tuck the second sheet, quilt and third
sheet together.
 Maître the corners.
 Inset the pillows into the new pillowcase and tuck in the loose ends.
 Repeat this process for the other pillows.
 Place the pillow on the bed with the tucked edges facing the center and the tucked
flaps on the other side of the pillows.
 Position the bedspread on the bed with equal amounts hanging over both sides and
the foot of the bed.
 Report to the supervisor if you notice stains or tears in the bedspread.
 Smooth the bedspread over the pillows to the head of the bed.
 Tuck the remaining of the bedspread under the front edge of the pillows.
 Smooth the surface of the bed.
 Check the bedspread for evenness on both sides.
 Push back bed towards the side of headboard in the exact position.
 All the four corners of the bed is mitered properly. Bed linen is stain free and
properly pressed. Bed has to be firm.
 Distance of the pillow from Headboard to the fold of the bed is approximate
 Re - stock the bedroom supplies and places them as per hotel policies. Teas,
coffees, sugar, mineral water are re stocked and cups, glass are wiped.

Bathroom cleaning process

 Open bathroom ventilation.
 Sweep the bathroom floor.
 Scrub and finish the platform, bathtub, and basin.
 Scrub and finish the toilet bowl, rim, ring, and hinge.
 Wipe the mirror.
• Clean bathroom walls using wet mop or sponge.
 Replace amenities such as toilet roll, toilet block, shampoo, conditioners,
and moisturizers.
  Replace bathroom mat.
 Wipe down shower curtain working from top to bottom with a dry cloth.
 Replace bath towels and hand towels.
 Replace the dustbin liner.
 Close the bathroom ventilation.
 Clean the bathroom door.
 Keep the bathroom door open after cleaning.
 Check bathroom doormat. Replace if required.
 Report any damage spotted to the supervisor

Window and glass cleaning

 Remove dirt and dust first
 Pick the right cleaner — and sprits generously.
 Use a micro fiber cloth and window wiper.
When you're cleaning, wipe one side of the window horizontally and the other
vertically. If any streaks do form, you'll easily know whether they're on the outside or
the inside.

Polishing:Basically it resembles to rub something using a piece of cloth or brush to

clean it and make it shine.

Metal Polish – These remove the tarnishes resulting from the attack on the metal by
certain compounds in the air. They are fine abrasives which when rubbed on the surface
of the metal provide friction to remove the tarnish and produce a shine. In many
proprietary metal polishes such as Basso, the abrasive powder is mixed with a grease
solvent and in some cases, an acid, to help in removal of the tarnish.

Furniture and Floor Polishes – They are protective finishes that provide the surface of the
furniture or floor with a thin layer of wax or resin. It can protect against the absorption of
spillage and gives a smooth surface from which light may be reflected to give sheen.
Requirements of a good polish are:
1. Give a hard, dry finish to ensure maximum protection.
2. Gives an easily cleaned surface.
3. Not mark easily.
4. Reduce the cost of cleaning and maintenance.
5. No unpleasant smell.

TURN DOWN SERVICE/EVENING SERVICE:

Following are the steps for turndown service

Turndown service:
 The evening boy takes the status report of the floor from the desk.
 Takes the floor key/card and sign for it.
 Take a round of the floor corridor to maintain it clean and tidy. Take out trolley.
 By 9.Pm turn down service to be finished of all rooms.
 Departure rooms have to be cleared as per requirements.
Enter the guest room:
 Find out if the guest is in the room.
 Announce yourself before entering the guest room.
 In case the guest is wants you to come back later then, politely as the time
for Position the maids cart in front of the guest room.
Turndown the bed:
 Enter the room, empty dustbin and ashtrays.
 Remove the bedcover, fold it and place in the luggage rack drawer.
 Remove pillow from luggage rac
 Quilt and third sheet.
 Spread the foot mat on the side of the bed. [The side where the corner is made]
and put slipper on top of foot mat.
 Always give turndown from the telephone side or inner side of the bed.
 For double occupancy, both corner to be made.

Place turndown amenities:

 According to the hotel procedure place the turndown amenities on the bed. ( Eg:
Flower, Chocolate etc.)
  Place the Breakfast menu knob on the fold.
 Put on the bedside lamp.
Tidy the guest room:
 Look around the room and straighten or tidy anything that is out of order.
 If a room is messy it may require more extensive cleaning.
 Remove any room service tray, dishes and move them to the service pantry.
 Empty the trash cans and replace the wastebasket liners.
 Do a quick vacuum if required.
Tidy the bathroom:
 Neatly fold used towels.
 Wipe the vanity area if required.
 If required replace the bathing towel.
 Clear the dustbin if used.
Create a pleasant atmosphere:
 Turn on the bedside lamps.
 Close the drapes.
 Draw the curtains so that there is no light coming from the corners or centre.
 Set the A/C temperature to what was set by the guest.
 Double check everything, lock the room and leave the guest room.
 Update the status report.

SPRING CLEANING

What Is Spring Cleaning In Hotel?

Normally, spring cleaning occurs one year after moving the furniture and in cleaning the
guest rooms completely. By Deep Cleaning, a portion of the area has been clean for no
measurable period of time.
What’s The Purpose of Spring Cleaning?
Starting with Spring Cleaning, we were able to clean winter’s mess away from his desk.
This was the age of air conditioning, when people kept warm air in their homes by
sealing tightly behind doors during fires. During the colder months this resulted in soot
and grime accumulating.
What Do You Clean For Spring Cleaning?
 you’ll need to wash basesboards, doors, window sills, walls, and other items.
 Vents should be vacuumed and cleaned.
 Window treatments (drapes, etc.) should be cleaned.
 Blinds with dust stains.
 Whencleaning your windows let them do their job.
 replacing burnt light bulbs with dust and shine overhead lights is an efficient solution.
 Lamps, lights, and dust lamps are made of such materials.

How Do You Organize Spring Cleaning?

 Furniture can be moved from a specific space of your cleaning, so it is best if you have
as many items you can remove or move as possible.
 once this is done, it is time to clean the office.
 The function of every room or space should be considered.
 At the end of the process, create a separate home for every item of yours…
 Get started by breaking out warm weather equipment.

What Are The Tasks Involved In Spring Cleaning?

 Remove baseboards after they are brushed.
 Furniture that is made of dust/polish can be cleaned.
 Clothes that are no longer needed should be donated.
 Organize your closets.
 Make sure you have clean sheets, pillows, duvets, and bed skirts to get rid of stains.
 Deodorize with baking soda before scrubbing carpets.
 Sleep on a flip mattress.
 Blinds covered in dust.

What Is Included In Spring Cleaning?

 Fans that circulate dust and fluorescent lights.
 Make sure windows and windowsills are clean.
 Window blinds that are vacuumed, and curtains.
 Oversee baseboards and shoe molds to keep them away from cobwebs.
 Install batteries for all smoke detectors at home.
 Keep doorknobs, cabinet handles, and switches clean.

What Is Spring Cleaning In Housekeeping Department?

A spring cleaning practice is thorough cleaning at the end of the spring. In both cleaning
and organizing enterprises, spring cleaning refers to a spring cleaning process. If a
person whose affairs are not well before an audit or inspection is taking place, it may
reflect a spring cleaning phase.
What Does The Term Spring Cleaning Mean?
Spring cleaning can be described as the practice of thorough cleaning of an occupied
place.
What Is The Point Of Spring Cleaning?
As a result, when you are homeless for the winter, dust settles, air becomes stagnated,
and you suffer from respiratory issues. Your home will be better cared for if it is
regularly cleaned during spring. In an environment that is clean, your mood will improve
and you will become more open to receiving guests.
Where Does The Tradition Of Spring Cleaning Come From?
As a traditional practice of Jewish, Iranian and Chinese cultures, spring cleaning dates
back centuries. Passover traditions state that to prepare, the homeowners clean their
home and tain any bread that didn’t shed.
Is Spring Cleaning A Ritual?
A lot of people begin cleaning right away, including properly disposing of old and unused
medicines. We also want to remove litter from parks throughout the country. Spring
cleaning is a traditional method of spring cleaning practiced in the modern world
through the help of a collective movement.

UNIT 5
HOUSEKEEPING PROCEDURE

Briefing basically means giving information and is conducted at the beginning while
debriefing is popularly defined as questioning someone and is generally done at the
end.
Housekeeping briefing session

At the beginning of each shift, most housekeeping departments will hold a short staff
briefing session.

This session is an opportunity for the Head Housekeeper to:

  Verify the staff who have attended for work


Discuss up-coming information that is of relevance – such as future occupancy

levels for certain dates, special events, Very Important People (VIPs) who are
expected


Address room servicing problems – by discussing the results of room inspections

undertaken by Floor Housekeepers or Head Housekeepers that have identified
instances of sub-standard cleaning


The discussion will identify what the problem was, re-state what the standards are
and remind staff of what needs to be done to achieve the required standard


Address complaints received by guests in relation to the preparation of their rooms

– this can include complaints about poor cleaning, lack of supplies or
equipment that are not working properly


Identify up-coming training sessions and known staff absences



Allocate rooms to individual staff for the shift – this usually takes the form a print-
out of rooms that indicates (sometimes by name, sometimes by color-coded
highlighter) which staff is responsible for which rooms.

These print-outs are either generated by Reception as a Housekeeper’s Report, or

generated by the Head Housekeeper on the basis of information provided by Reception
that indicates the rooms where guests are leaving and the rooms where they are
staying.

 Every room attendant receives their own print-out



It is not standard practice to be verbally informed of the rooms they are required to
clean.

The briefing session is also an opportunity for housekeeping staff to raise any issues
they have relating to their role, problems they are encountering, things they have
identified that could impact on guest service delivery etc.

GATE PASS
Gate Pass: An employee is required to possess a gate pass, issued and authorized by the
head of the department whenever a hotel property is removed from the hotel.
Spot Check: Security personnel conduct spot checks, of employee's handbags at random
to ensure that unauthorized items are not being taken out of the hotel.
Benefits of using gate pass
There are a lot of advantages if gate pass system is implemented in an organization. The
first and foremost being the restriction of unauthorized movement in the organization’s
premises, and apart from this, the gate pass allows the organization to get a record of
the time of movement and to track the person responsible for the movement. In the
case of materials, gate pass prevents the theft or unauthorized carry. It also improves
the discipline inside the organization.

INDENTING FROM STORES

The housekeeping department generates the indents of non-stock items. Stock items
are the regular operating supplies such as soap, shampoo, stationeries, and cleaning
supplies. Non-stock items are non-consumable items such as crystal vases for flower
arrangement
INVENTORY OF HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS
Housekeeping inventories refer to the stocks of purchased operating supplies,
equipment’s and other items held for future use in housekeeping operations. Stock
control eliminates overstocking as well as under stocking of the material needed for
smooth operations. What Is Inventory List In Housekeeping? The inventory is a list of
items needed to be cleaned by, or in need of being cleaned by, an individual. It is a
document that indicates in detail how often cleaners and maintainer's their items to be
cleaned or maintained.

How Are Housekeeping Inventories Classified?

There are two types of housekeeping inventories: A housekeeping inventory, on the
other hand. In a recycled inventory, you can find items and equipment that are unused
but reused or that have a relatively short lifespan. When items that are no longer
needed for routine housekeeping operate are in inventory, they fall out of the recycled
category.
What Is Physical Inventory In Housekeeping?
Following are the main methods being used in the Housekeeping department for
controlling inventories. Physical inventory: Counting all operating supplies, equipment,
and other items stored at the storage facility in real time.
How Do You Manage Inventory In Housekeeping Department?
Maintaining the inventory system Establish centralized storage areas where cleaning
supplies, guestrooms supplies, laundry supplies, etc. can be easily stored, and give
access to authorized housekeeping personnel only. Make note of the items listed in the
order they are in storage.
What Is Recycled Inventory In Housekeeping?
1) Recycled supply: It includes linen equipment, iron and other spare items. There are a
standard number of items that are required for routine housekeeping every day, such as
wipes and bags. A single room in a hotel requires roughly the same amount of linens as
five single rooms.
What Is Inventory control In Housekeeping?
To maintain and check stocks in housekeeping departments, inventory control is a
valuable method. You may spend, receive, and keep items for various housekeeping
departments.
What Is The Linen Inventory?
In each case, there will be a linen closet of the various types that will be needed to outfit
the rooms serviced from. Each closet on each floor of the hotel should be stocked with a
linen par that must be established.
What Is Inventory List In Housekeeping?
An area inventory, also called a hygiene list, includes everything in a given space you
would clean by hand or look after. An item’s frequency is the number of times it should
be cleaned or maintained on a particular area.
What Are Non-recycled Inventories?
These are goods that may be utilized multiple times in your housekeeping business and
will have to be purchased in the beginning and then used in more than one way. NOT
RECYCLED INVENTORIES ARE I THAT ARE CONSUMED UP WHERE RECYCLING HAS
PRESERVED THEM A few examples can be: CLEANING, SMALL EQUIPMENT, CLEANING
SUPPLY, HOUSE ASSISTANCE, ACRES, etc.
How Often Should Physical Inventory Be Taken In The Housekeeping Store?
Analyzing reports detailing the level of losses and stock replacement needs monthly and
annually is the best method for determining your needs for replacement stock. It’s
generally recommended that new linens be replaced every other year as replacement
stock.
What Are The Main Benefits Of Conducting Physical Inventories In Housekeeping?
Should physical inventories be stored frequently are physical inventories be taken? In
terms of maintaining a careful budget, and also ensuring adequate supplies of linen
needed by the housekeeping department, physical inventories serve this function very
well.
What Is Inventory In Housekeeping Department?
Typically, housekeeping inventories consist of supplies, equipment, and other goods
that will be in use over a defined period of time. By limiting stock, operating operations
can be smooth with no restocks and no under stocking.
How Can A Hotel Manage Its Inventory?
1. Create a hotel inventory that matches your current hotel supply.
2. Compare Your Inventory’s Occupancy Rates with What You Have.
3. Determine the type of guest that is purchasing.
4. Find patterns and identify their significance.
 5. Data can be used to optimize hotel inventory management.

What Is Inventory Manager?

An inventory manager handles the purchase, storage, use, and sale of a company’s
inventory items. A good understanding of manufacturing raw materials, components,
and finished products, as well as warehouses, and other processing methods, is
essential.
What Are Recycled Inventories?
Items or pieces of equipment from one generation that can be used again and again are
known as recycled inventories. In this example, you have cleaning equipment, uniforms,
and guests’ loan items that need to be cleaned up. Supply stores, cleaners, equipment,
and some detergents are examples of cleaning supplies.
Is The Most Important Recycled Inventory Item under the Executive Housekeeper’s
Responsibility?
According to the estate’s executive housekeeper, linen remains the most important
item for recycled inventory. Costs related to linen are at their highest next to salary.
Hotel linen supplies can only be controlled by adhering to the appropriate policies and
procedures.

FLOOR PANTRY

Though not attached to the department physically, floor pantries are very much a
part of housekeeping department. These are located on each guest floor to keep
a stock of linen, guest supplies, and maid's cart and cleaning supplies for that
particular floor.

RULES ON GUEST FLOOR

GUEST FLOOR RULES

1. The staff should be calm and polite to the guest, greeting them according to
the time of the day
2. A GRA should not knock on the door or try to access a guestroom when the
DND card is displayed on the door knob. If the card has been displayed for a
long time, the matter should be referred to the supervisor.
3. GRA’s should follow the standard procedure for entering a guestroom. A GRA
should knock softly on the door with the knuckles and announce in a steady,
soft voice ‘housekeeping’. If there is no answer, the GRA should wait for a few
moments and knock again. He/she should announce housekeeping again. If
there is no answer, the door should be held slightly ajar and the announcement
 housekeeping repeated. If the guest does not respond, it can be assumed that
the room is empty and the GRA can enter and proceed to clean it.
4. In case the guest answers the knock, the GRA should introduce himself/herself
and ask if they would like their room serviced. If yes, the GRA should proceed
to clean the room. Alternatively the guest might not want service immediately.
In this case ask for their convenient time.
5. GRA should keep the door wide open when doing the cleaning
6. GRA should keep their trolley parked in such a way that the guest corridor is
free for movement. The room service tray should not be kept in the guest
corridor. The staff should not leave any kind of notes to the guest
7. The staff should not leave any kind of notes for the guest
8. If a guest acts in a strange manner or one that makes a GRA un comfortable,
the GRA should make an excuse to leave and contact the supervisor
9. GRA should not throw any paper or item found in check out rooms. All the
items found should be reported to the supervisor and handed over to the lost
and found section.
10. The staff should communicate with each other in low tones on the guest
floors, and only when necessary. Unnecessary speech, especially gossips, is to
be avoided
11. The staff should always remain calm in front of the guest- running about in
haste or due to panic must be avoided.
12. The staff should keep an eye open for any suspicious and untoward activity
being indulged in by a guest on the guest floor. They should remain alert at all
times and display presence of mind
13. Staff should readily offer assistance and relevant information to the guest.
However when they do not have the requisite knowledge, they should consult
their supervisor
14. The staff should not accept tips. When accepting gifts from guest, they
should also request a letter stating this gift and explaining the guest’s action
15. The staff should at no time argue with a guest, however unreasonable
he/she may be. They should refer the problem to a supervisor when such a
situation presents itself

GUEST FLOOR REPORTABLE

1. NB/ NL - No baggage or no luggage refers to a room in which the guest with no

luggage is registered. The GRA should note this down on the room assignment
sheet when servicing the room. This is important, as such a guest may ‘skip’
 easily without paying bill. Alternatively, the room may have such a status due
to unauthorized occupation.
2. SB – Scanty baggage refers to a room that has a guest with light luggage. Such a
guest, if he/she is a ‘premeditator’ can easily skips without settling his/her
account with the hotel. These guests who arrives with a small piece of luggage
and stay in a hotel with the prior intention of skipping without paying the bills.
3. DND – GRA also need to inform supervisors about DND rooms that have
displayed the same status for a long time
4. Change in number of persons (‘PAX’) –GRA can easily gauge the number of
people occupying the room by the number of beds that has been slept in and
the amount of bath linen used.
5. Damaged or missing hotel property – when a GRA enters the guestroom to
service it, he/she should cast a keen eye around to check whether there is any
damage to any guestroom fixtures or fittings or if any standard items are
missing
6. Pets – hotel do not allow pets to be kept in guestroom
7. Illegal items – some guest may take undue advantage of the privacy of the
hotel guest room and indulge in certain illegal activities
8. Sickness – GRA should inform the house keeper if they notice a guest is in ill
health as they may require medical aids

PREPARING TO CLEAN
1. Reports to work at the desk
2. Receives room assignments, room status reports and keys.
3. In the floor pantry, the room attendant assembles and organizes the trolley with
required linen, guest supplies and cleaning supplies.

UNIT 6: HOUSE KEEPING CONTROL DESK

ROLE OF HOUSEKEEPING CONTROL DESK

Housekeeping Desk is an area or place from where all the activities related to
rooms or Housekeeping department are controlled or monitored. Housekeeping
Control desk is also known as Nerve Centre of housekeeping department.
Importance of Housekeeping control desk can be observed as a single point of
contact for all the housekeeping staff. At the control desk, the new information is
fetched and it is distributed among the relevant staff.
The other sections that are part of Housekeeping department are as follows:

Housekeeping Control Desk

Housekeeping Stores
Floor Pantry
Linen Rooms
Laundry
Horticulturist
Public Area
Housekeeping department is one of the major departments of the hotel which
helps in providing Clean and Healthy environment to the guest. The
Housekeeping department is headed by Executive Housekeeper.

FUNCTIONS OF HOUSEKEEPING CONTROL DESK/ IMPORTANCE OF

HOUSEKEEPING CONTROL DESK

The hotel housekeeping performs the following functions −

1. Housekeeping Control Desk is responsible for ensuring the smooth

functioning or coordination between the housekeeping department and
other departments of the hotel.
2. Housekeeping Control desk updates the cleaning status on the computer
received from floor supervisors.
3. Housekeeping Control desk handles the or attends all the telephone calls
received from the front office or other departments
4. Collecting all requests made by the guests.
5. Brief the staff about the routine or special event preparation before the staff
turns up for their duties.
6. Housekeeping control desk assigns the duties and responsibilities to the
housekeeping staff (Room Attendants & Supervisors) before they move to
the floors.
7. Collecting the daily task or work reports from staff after their shifts are over.
8. Update the Floor Supervisors about the Check out room Status.
9. Looking after all the keys of all the floors and also the housekeeping store
keys
10. Maintenance of records, forms & various registers.

CO-ORDINATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENT

Housekeeping is like a center of circle in a wheel maintaining close contacts
directly or indirectly with all the major departments of hotel. There must be a
change of team work among all the employees to run the organization without
any hazard. This is influence by the management policy and the behavior of the
executive and supervisors towards the workers.

Housekeeping co-ordination with front-office

The co-operation between housekeeping and front office should be very intimate
or close. Housekeeping prepares the room and front-office sales that room after
preparing. Until and unless a close relationship is not maintained it will be a quite
tough for a front office to sell the room as it isthe housekeeping department
which cleans and shape the room after the guest departs and the front office
reports to the housekeeping department about the number of rooms vacated so
that the housekeeping department can do the cleaning and hand over the rooms.

Housekeeping co-ordination with F/B service

The restaurant, banquet and other F/B outlets constantly requires clean
tablecloths, napkins etc. The staffs who are also working in those outlets require
clean uniform on daily basis.The former because they are in guest contact and
the later to maintain the standard of hygiene . Housekeeping is also required in
all the F/Outlets to get the outlet clean before it opens for the guests.

Housekeeping co-ordination with Human Resource

Housekeeping co-ordinates with the personal department for recruitment of
staff, issuing of identity cards lockers, promotion, confirmation and other
facilities.

Housekeeping co-ordination with purchase

The purchase department helps the housekeeping in purchasing various items
used in housekeeping department such as guest supplies, room stationeries
various cleaning agents linens etc.

Housekeeping co-ordination with security

The guest room is a private place and hotels spent lots of money to ensure the
privacy and security. However the guest can take the advantage of this privacy by
gambling performing any illegal activities inside the room. The housekeeping
personal have to be alert to those going out and inform the security to take
action against them.

Housekeeping co-ordination with maintenance

 One of the most important functions of housekeeping department is to maintain
the hotel or the purpose of keeping the furniture in working order for the safe of
the guest. Hence a proper co-relation is necessary with the engineering
department which actually carries out the task of fixing out of order furniture,
replacement of the entire all the electrical goods repairing of all the plumbing
items etc.

Housekeeping co-ordination with laundry

It is the part of housekeeping that can either enhance the quality of
housekeeping services. The responsibility of laundry is to wash dirty clothes and
deliver clean and fresh linens to the guest as well as the other departments of
hotels. The laundry has to supply clean linens to the housekeeping department
time to time in order to run the operation smoothly. Housekeeping has to ensure
that the clean linen is issued to the guest room restaurant and health club.

Housekeeping co-ordination with store

Normally housekeeping department has a store that stocks housekeeping linens
supplies independently .Small hotels have only one store which is called general
store. The relation between housekeeping department and the store is important
as it ensures the day to day availability of items required by the housekeeping
department by the store.

Housekeeping co-ordination with kitchen

Housekeeping supplies day to day fresh uniform, dusters to the kitchen people
and ensure through pest control inside the kitchen

6.1.3 TYPES OF FILE AND REGISTER MAINTAINED BY THE HOUSE KEEPING

CONTROL DESK

Various Hotel files and register

1. Register for guest message- This register
keeps all the special messages of the entire
guest. Messages could be request for 2nd
service, laundry, guestroom cleaning etc.

2. Babysitting register- The housekeeping

normally provides baby sitter to the guest.
Request for this service is filled up in this and
appropriate service is giving.

3. Log book – it has the instructions given to the staffs of the next shift are write.
4. lost and found register- In housekeeping office records of all the lost and found are
registered in register where the article name , description where found name are
written in details.

5. Key control register- This is one of the most important at housekeeping control desk.
It is the part of key security system to be followed by the housekeeping department.
Each employee who has taken the key has to sign this before taking the key and also
sign the register after the handover of keys.

6. Memo book- This contains the records of all the pending maintenance work , which
the housekeeping department initiated work order.

7. Maintenance registers- are used for recording all the maintenance work required in a
room and public area. According to that control desk sends the slips to the
maintenance department.

TYPES OF FILES

1. Room checklist file- All room checklists are deposited in the control desk and fill for
the month. These entire checklists are filled up in a file known as room checklist
file.

2. Room occupancy report file- All room occupancy report are filled. The room
occupancy report are important to the executive house-keeper, to determine the
level of work load anticipated so as to provide, the necessary staff to meet the
requirement each and every day.

3. Duty roaster file- The duty roaster file is filled for information if required by anyone in
the department.

KEY, TYPES OF KEY, KEY CONTROLLING PROCEDURES

Types of Keys used in hotels for effective Key control

The hotel guest room key is normally issued to open only one room for which it
was intended, viz. individualized key for each lock. If the guest room lock is in
shut-out mode the guest room key can neither open it nor lock from outside of
the room.

Below are few types of key configurations used in hotels:

1) Guest Room Key’s

2) Master Keys
3) Grand Master
4) Emergency Keys
5) Floor Supervisor Key
6) Guest Room Key

Master Key:

A master key is designed to open a set of several locks. These locks also have keys
which are specific to each one (the change key) and cannot open any of the
others in the set. Locks which have master keys have a second set of the
mechanism used to open them which is identical to all of the others in the set of
locks.

For example, master keyed pin tumbler locks will have two shear points at each
pin position, one for the change key and one for the master key.

Grand Master:

Key operates all locks in the Hotel. Including laundry and linen rooms.

Emergency Key:

The emergency key opens all guestroom doors, even when they are double
locked. It can be used, for example, to enter a room when the guest needs help
and is unable to reach or open the door. The emergency key should be highly
protected and its use strictly controlled and recorded; it should never leave the
property.

One procedure for emergency keys is to have them locked in a safe or safe
deposit box and signed out by the individual needing one. The log should be
dated and signed by the individual taking the key.

Floor Supervisors Master Key :

Key operates all sections on the floor/ floors supervised by the particular
supervisor.

Housekeeping Staff Master Key:

Key operates all rooms serviced by particular room maid or housekeeping staff.
 IMPORTANT KEY CONTROL PROCEDURES:

Security of keys is essential from the moment they arrive on site.

Keys should be stored separately and securely.
No unauthorized person should be allowed access to any key, either to
examine or handle it, since a photograph or impression can be taken in few
seconds and duplicate subsequently made.
Keep a log book of all keys signed out.
Establish protocol for distribution of keys.
Use keys that do not identify the property’s name, address, logo, or room
number.
Perform an annual key audit
When keys are lost or stolen, the locks should be changed or rotated to
another part of the property.
Authorized employees should remind guests to return keys at check-out.
The loss or suspected compromise of a key should be reported immediately
and, after due investigation, a decision be made as to whether or not the lock
should be changed.
Place well-secured key return boxes in the lobby, at exit points of the
property, and in courtesy vehicles

COMPLAINT HANDLING
Top Ten ways of handling guest Complaints:
1. Listen with concern and empathy.
2. Isolate the guest if possible, so that other guests won't overhear.
3. Stay calm. Don't argue with the guest.
4. Be aware of the guest's self-esteem. Show a personal interest in the problem, Try to
use the guest name frequently.
5. Give the guest your undivided attention. Concentrate on the problem, no on placing
blame. Do NOT Insult the guest.
6. Take notes. Writing down the key facts saves time if someone else must get
involved. Also, Guest tends to slow down when they see the front desk agent trying
to write down the issue.
7. Tell the guest what can be the best done. Offer choices. Don't promise the
impossible, and don't exceed your authority.
 8. Set an approximate time for completion of corrective actions. Be specific, but do
not underestimate the amount of time it will take to resolve the problem.
9. Monitor the progress of the corrective action.
10. Follow up. Even if the complaint was resolved by someone else, contact the
guest to ensure that the problem was resolved satisfactorily.

LOST AND FOUND PROCEDURE

 An item left behind by guest either in the room or in public area identified by any
staff and brought under the notice of Housekeeping is termed as “Lost and Found”
item.
 There should be one dedicated location to receive lost and found items whether it
is found in guestrooms, meeting rooms, public area or restaurants.
 The lost items must be secured in a locked closet or area that has highly restricted
access.
 Employees are instructed to bring items to lost and found area, with
valuables receiving immediate attention.
 All items received to be recorded in a lost and found register.
 All items regardless whether it is valuable, non-valuable items and perishable items
must be recorded on the Lost and found register.
 Items should be put in a plastic bag noting the serial number from the register,
place found, date, name of the person found the item etc.
 Valuable items like Jewellery, mobile, wallets, laptops, ipads etc. must be stored in
a locker.
 If the Property management system has Auto trace functionality then put a trace on
the guest profile stating the there is a lost item held with the housekeeping
department.
 Send Email to the guest to notify the guest about the lost item ( as per
the hotel policy )
 When guest calls up the hotel to ask about the lost item, only the
person who maintains the lost and found register should revert to the call.
 Once the item is sent to the guest / collected by the guest authorized person an
appropriate entry to be made on the system.
Sample lost and found register:
  All items received to be recorded in a lost and found register.
 All items regardless whether it is valuable, non-valuable items and perishable items
must be recorded on the Lost and found register.
 Items should be put in a plastic bag noting the serial number from the register,
place found, date, name of the person found the item etc.
 Valuable items like Jewellery, mobile, wallets, laptops, ipads etc. must be stored in
a locker.
 If the Property management system has Auto trace functionality then put a trace on
the guest profile stating the there is a lost item held with the housekeeping
department.
 Send Email to the guest to notify the guest about the lost item ( as per
the hotel policy )
 When guest calls up the hotel to ask about the lost item, only the
person who maintains the lost and found register should revert to the call.
 Once the item is sent to the guest / collected by the guest authorized person an
appropriate entry to be made on the system.
Sample lost and found register:

The lost and found items are classified as follows:

1. Valuable items.
2. Non valuable items.
3. Perishable items.
Valuable items:

 One separate Register is maintained for Valuable lost and found items and the
items are kept in a safe Deposit Locker.
 Valuable items are kept for a period of six months ( as per the hotel policy),
 If there is no response from the guest, auction to be conducted.
Non valuable items:

These category items are kept for three months in safe custody after making necessary
entries.
If there is no response from the looser till the time, these items are to be disposed off.
Eg: To be distributed to the finder.
Perishable items:

 Perishable nature lost and found items are kept for three days.
 In case of any quarry and need to keep further is to be done accordingly.