Front office management I

Emergency situations (Accident, illness, theft, fire, bomb)

Accident & Illness: As soon as you know that the guest is ill make sure the CRE and Lobby Manager is rushed to the guest room to check is health. Check with the guest whether he requires a doctor. Call for him. If the situation demands then don’t hesitate to rush the guest to the hospital.

If there is a report of theft from the guest room, then call for your chief security officer. He is competent enough to handle this case, at extreme cases even they may be required to call for the local police.

If there is a report of fire in the hotel then inform the Chief Engineer of the hotel ASAP. The concierge is trained to take the print out of In house guest list room wise as well as name wise. He then carries the master key in his hand and wait for the instructions from the chief engineer, whether the hotel needs to be evacuated or not.

The other concierges are trained to go to the floor and trace the fire and report the conditions to the Chief engineer. Try to strictly follow the fire handling procedures to extinguish the fire.

In case of detection of bomb – the security officials are trained for that. Inform the local police and bomb squad as soon as possible.

Make a Project/ assignment

FRONT OFFICE TERMINOLOGIES
A LA CARTE: Individual dishes on the menu individual ly priced.
ARS: Affiliated reservation system in which all hotel in the same group participate. ALLOW ANCE: Maintenance of expenses.
ARRIVAL: Time that a guest registers into the hotel ACCOMMODATION: Rooms
AMENDMENT: Change from the original ARR: Average Room Rate
BOOKING: Reservation BLOCK: Reserve
BABY SITTER: One who is hired to take care of a baby in the absence of parents. BELL -BOY: One who delivers guest’s baggage and passes messages.
BELL DESK: A desk in the lobby where bell boys could be contacted.
BACK OF THE HOUSE: Service areas in which the staffs have little or no direct guest contact e.g: personnel, accounts stores etc.
BACK TO BACK: Heavy Check -in & Check -out on the same day, relating to tours and groups.
BLACK LIST: A list authorized by the h otel management of the names of all persons not to be welcomed in the hotel.
BLOCK BOOKING: Term used for a reservation for several people at the same time, normally at the same rate.
CANCELLATION: A term meaning that, a guest with a booking, cancels the r oom booking in time for the room to be re -let in a hotel.
CASH -SALE: When rooms are sold for cash which are not booked in advance also known as Chance or Walk -in.
CIP: Commercially Important Persons.
CITY LEDGERS: Records of financial transactions between the hotel and the non resident guests, to be maintained by the accounts deptt.
CLOSED DATES: Particular dates on which the hotel is fully booked.
COMMISSION: Payment or discount made to an individual or to a travel agent or company for the introduction of the business.
CONTRACT: A legal binding agreement between two parties.
CORPORATE RATES: An agreed rate charged for executive personnels from business houses and corporations, normally for regular guests.
CREDIT CARD: A card issued to person(s) by a credit card company or a bank which allows the card holder to charge amounts and pay at a later date.
CLEARANCE: When housekeeping has prepared a room for sale.
DEADLINE: The final date by which a provisional booking must be confirmed to the hotel
DEPOSIT: Paymen t received in advance to guarantee a booking. It does not constitute a contract.
DEPARTURE: Time when a resident guest leaves the hotel. DISCREPAN CY: Not Tallying
DISCOUNT: Benefit given on price
EARLY DEPARTURE: Means when a guest leaves prior to the original departure date or time, also known as curtailment or understay.
EXECUTIVE FLOOR: Rooms provided, especially to business people, on a particular floor.
FIT: Free independent traveller
FOLIO: Guest Check on which all charges are recorded, also known as guest account. FORECAST: Expectations based on past and present data
FFC: (Flowers, Fruits & Cookies): Complimentary gesture by the hotel management to guests of special value to the hotel.
GIT: Group Inclusive Tour (a package tour)
GROUP RATE: Specifi c room rate for group, agreed by Hotel and group in advance mostly negotiated with travel agencies.
GUEST HISTORY: Data of guests who have stayed before also in the hotel.
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY: A collective term for business providing services e.g. accommodation and/or food beverages to people who are away from homes.
HOUSE COUNT: Numb er of guest occupying the hotel on a particular day and time
IMPRINTER: Machine used to imprint details from a credit card on to the sales voucher.
INCIDENTAL ACCOUNT: Charges which are the guest’s own responsibility and are not paid by the company or travel agent.
INSPECTED: Room has been thoroughly checked by a supervisor or housekeeper.

INDUCTION: An organizational process to familiarize a new employee to the organization a nd workplace.

KEY CARD: Card issued to the guest on registration. It displays room nos, name, rate and other relevant details used when the guest requests the key.
LEAD TIME: Time period from when a booking was made to the time a guest checks into the hotel.
LOG BOOK: Book kept at front desk to keep record of happenings.
LEFT LUGGAGE: Guest luggage kept in custody of the hotel after the guest has checked out which may later be collected by the guest.
MASTER BILL: The main account on which charges have been recorded of a guest
MATERIALISATION: Those reservations where a guest actually arrives. MINUS: When guests expected exceed rooms available.
NO-SHOW: Person who do not arrive despite of having confirmed reservation.
ON REQUEST: Status of a room wherein a p ersonal reservation is made subject to confirmation at a later date.
OPEN: Term meaning rooms are available for sale.
OVER BOOKING: Term meaning to accept more rooms than available. This is done to ensure 100% occupancy, allowing for cancellation, no -shows and early departures.
PAYEE: Person to whom a cheque is made payable.
PRE -PAYMENT: An amount paid in advance against services rendered.
PRE -REGISTRATION: Registration details provided in advance of a guest’s stay e.g a tour or group.
PAX: Persons approximate.
PAGING: It is a system of displaying the name or room no. of a guest on a small board with a long handle and with small bells.
PLAN: Package of room and meal(s)
PLUS -POSITION: When rooms available exceed guest arrivals.
RACK RATE: Current rate charged for each room as per established policy by the hotel management.


RELEASE -TIME: Booking held for a guest for a particular time, if he does not arrive, room can be re-let to another guest.
ROOM STATUS: Indicates whether the room is occupied, vacant or reserved at a given time.
RESIDENT: One who stays in a hotel room. REGISTRATION: Formality at arrival of a guest in a hotel. REMITTANCE: Issue
ROOMING LIST: List allocating rooms, especially to groups and airline crews. SHOULDER – PERIOD: The price of room offered between high and low season.
SKIPPER: A person who leaves the hotel without paying his/her bill, also known as walk-out.
SPATT: Guest who need special attention.
STANDARD ROOM RACK RATE: Standard rate for the room, normally without meals, discounts or reductions
STAY-ON: A guest, who makes a booking for more than one night, also refers to the second and subsequent nights of the guest’s stay.
STAY OVER: A guest who was expected to check out and now wishes to stay an extra night.
SCANTY BAGGAGE: Term used for any guest with light baggage. SOLD -OUT: All rooms sold on a given day.
TRAVEL AGENT: An agent who reserves accommodation and other activities at the hotel on behalf of the guest, and who normally charges the commission.
VPO (Visitors Paid Out ): When the hotel cashier will pay out on behalf of the guest.
E.g. for flowers, taxi bill etc.
VALET: Laundry attendant, who receives and delivers guest’s laundry. VIP: Very important person
VIP Amenities: Any gesture given complimentary to a guest by the hotel management. WALK -IN: Guest who checks -into a hotel without a prior reservation.
WAKE -UP CALL: An information given to the front desk to call on phone to wake up a guest.