Front office

Front office is the first department of the hotel with which guests come in contact at the time of their arrival and is also the last department they interact with when they depart from the hotel. This department performs various functions like reservation, reception, registration, room assignment, and settlement of bills of a resident guest.

The guest remain in contact with the front desk throughout their stay for all kinds of information and help. The  activities of front office include: processing the reservation request of guest, which involves making room reservation, amendments and cancellation; reserving guest at the time of arrival; making arrangements for the traditional welcome of  guest; registration of guest and the assignment of rooms; handling guest luggage from the guest vehicle to the assigned room on arrival and from the guest room to the vehicle to the time of departure; accepting guest valuable and cash for keeping in safety deposit locker; delivering messages and mails of resident guest ; handling guests room key; guest paging; posting and verifying the room charges and other credit charges in the guest folio; providing information to guest about hotel product and service, and event or places of tourist interest; arranging postage and courier of mails and other documents; making travel arrangement like sightseeing tours or intercity travel for guest; managing the parking of guests’ own vehicles; preparing presenting, and selling guests’ bills at the time of departure; providing left luggage facility; changing rooms and upgrading if required, etc. As the front office is the contact point for guests, we can say that it is the never center of hotel operations.

It is an area where visitors arrive and first encounter a staff at a place of business. Front office receives information about the customers/Guests and will then pass this on to the relevant department within the company. Front office staff  also deal with simple tasks, such as printing and typing tasks and sorting emails and other related task of department. The staff of front office looks smart and attractive which impact good impression toward the guests. Working staff should also be knowledgeable about his/her department. Salesmanship is very important for the staff of this department because front office is the first visiting area of the hotel.