Chapter 2: Advising Guests on Room and Housekeeping Equipment

Different Types of Front Office and Housekeeping Forms

Lesson Technical Terms:

1.2.1  Clerical Task – task that will require processing of documents and keeping a
standard filing system for ready reference
 Correspondence – communication, letters, and memos used by hotels whether
for internal or external purposes

Front Office Forms

1. Front Office Diary. Also known as log book, contains all important events that transpired in the hotel
front desk during the day. Unlike an ordinary diary that has lengthy entries, the front office diary is
concise and brief. However, it has necessary details like the time and phrase that reflects actual
account of incidents in the hotel for each day.
31 Sunday, July
7:00 AM Mr. Marciano reserved a special room for two for himself and his wife and will arrive between
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
7:30 AM
8:00 AM
8:30 AM Ms. Chloe requested room transfer from RM 201 to RM 207. – Jus
9:00 AM A new room rate was applied effective today, see Memorandum No. 0078 posted at the bulletin
for details.
9:30 AM
10:00 AM Lost room cards at RM 307 were found and surrendered. – Lara

2. Daily Running Sheet contains all the tasks that need to be accomplished at the front desk. The
purpose of this form is for the front desk clerk to remember all the tasks for the day. This can also serve
as the checklist.
JB Suites
Phoenix Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines
DAILY RUNNING SHEET : FIRST SHIFT
Completed Task
Read diary
All requests were granted
Vacated rooms are clean

3. Guest Request Sheet has the consolidated guests’ requests that were jotted down as the requests
are made. Oftentimes, the front desk is the one who advises requests. The important details in this
sheet include the guest’s name, room number, request, the time the request was made, and the
person who received the request.

4. Wake-up Call Sheet simply has the time, room numbers, and names of the guests.
Housekeeping Forms

1. House Status Report (HSR) basically contains all the details about the rooms that are vacant and
available, occupied, to be vacated, and out of order.
The HSR is prepared by the housekeeping department and handed down to the front desk
to give them an update on the status of each hotel room. The front desk then assigns rooms to
arriving guests based on the occupancy report. These reports shall be cross-checked and compared
to check discrepancies and to correct them as soon as possible to maximize room revenue.

Specific Parts of HSR:

 Room Summary has the total number of rooms in the hotel, total number of rooms to sell, rooms
that are to be vacated, and the out of order or out of service rooms. This report is a relevant
input for the housekeeping executive to determine which rooms need cleaning.
 Movement has the record of departures and arrivals of guests in rooms. Rooms that will be
occupied during the day due to departures or early departures are also reflected in this report.
The housekeeping department uses this report to ensure that all hotel rooms for selling are clean.
JB Suites
Phoenix Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines
Housekeeping Report
Room Status Occupied Vacant
 Clean Rooms 7 10
 Dirty Rooms 70 25
 Out of Order 0 0

 End of Day Projection has all the number of rooms in the hotel less the number of rooms
occupied.
 Housekeeping Request Form contains all the guests’ requests.

2. Daily Cleaning Record is similar to the daily running sheet that is used in the front desk. It has the list
of tasks that need to be completed during the day. This record determines a housekeeping
attendant’s activities during the duration of his/her shift.

3. Task Cards are given in every shift to the housekeeping attendant. These tell all the housekeeping
works that need to be done during the day.

The purpose of the housekeeping report is to see which rooms need cleaning, whether
occupied or vacant, to maintain the cleanliness of the hotel and maximize its room-selling capacity.

Other Hotel Forms

1. Housekeeping Attendant’s Daily Assignment Sheet is a form used by housekeepers or room

attendants to record task done during their shift. After each room is serviced, the room attendant
 must list down the time they have entered the room for the room service and log in their time out
after completion. The housekeepers will receive this form after their briefing in the morning before
they can start their daily task.

2. Maintenance Request Form is used whenever there are problems reported by the guest to the
housekeeping department. Common problems for maintenance are faulty equipment (such as TV
set that is not working properly) electrical issues, and broken furniture.

Maintenance Request Form

Date: _____________________
Time
Room Nature of Received Time of
Complaint Lodged by: Signature
Number Complaint by: Completion
Lodged

Maintenance Slip
Room Number:
Date: Time:
Control Desk Supervisor Signature:
Nature of Complaint:

Work Order Form

Room Number:
Date: Time:
 Carpenter / Mason
 Mechanic
 Plumber
 Electrician
 A/C Heating Technician
 AV/Audio Technician
 IT
 Others:
Nature of Complaint:
 Name of Technician Assigned:
Date of Completion:
Time of Completion:
Housekeeping Supervisor Signature:
Technician’s Signature:

3. Housekeeping Work Order Form is used when there are requests for work to be performed.
Work Order Details
Requested by: Department:
Contact Name: Contact Extension:
Custodial Department Requests
Work Needed: Check all that apply:
 Shampoo
 Vacuum
 Sweep
 Mop
 Dust
 Setup for event
 Equipment discard
 Others
Date Needed:
Building:
Room No.:

4. Guest Room Cleaning Checklist is used by the housekeeping supervisor to check, on a daily basis,
how the cleaning service for every guest room was performed. The use of this form is to establish a
set of procedures that would ensure that there will be no defects and missing amenities for the guest.
Guest Room Cleaning Checklist
Date:
Room No.:
Housekeeper:
Inspected by:
Guest Room Checklist
Items Yes No Items Yes No
Door locks work properly.  Mattress firm
 Turned regularly
Door opens easily and quietly. Bedspreads free of rips and stains.
Light switches work properly. Upholstery clean and in good condition.
Windows open and close properly. Furniture not scratched or stained.
Window glass clean. Luggage rack in good condition.
Window glass free of cracks. Walls clean and free of cobwebs.
Drapes straight and working properly. Walls not scratched.
Controls of air-conditioning works properly. Luggage racks in good condition.
Air-conditioning filter clean. Wall pictures and mirrors straight.
Lamps work. Furniture drawer slides easily.
Wall lights work. Telephone working.
Lamp shades clean and straight. Clean ashtrays.
Beds correctly made. Mattress pad clean and free of stains.
Bedspreads straight. Minimum of 6 hangers.
Fluted/even pillows. Drapes partially closed.
Rate cards posted.
Items Yes No Items Yes No Items Yes No
Desk tops Mirrors Lamps and shades
Dresser tops Rim of baseboard Light bulbs
Table tops All drawers Window cornice
Headboard Closet shelves Window frame
Chairs Closet rod Corners
Picture frames Telephone Window sills
Items Yes No Items Yes No Items Yes No
Clean toilet seats (both sides) Shower curtain clean Faucets leaking
Underside of lavatory clean Pop-up stopper clean Broken tile
Shower rod in good condition Water spots on tile Toilet seat firm
Commode underside clean Tub grouting missing Fixtures firm
Commode flushes properly Tub grouting clean Chrome sparkling
Bathroom free of odor Supply of towels
5. Lost and Found Slip is an important document to keep track of records for lost-and-found items.
Lost and Found Slip
Finder’s Name: Description of Article
Location:
Time:
Name of Guest:
Address of Guest:
Action Taken
Article Claimed in Person
Telephone No.:
Name of Guest:
Signature of Guest:
Date:

Article Mailed
Postal Address:
Dispatch No.:
Dispatcher’s Signature:
Date:

Article Surrendered to Finder

Name of Finder:
Employee ID No.:
Gate Pass No.:
Employee’s Signature:
Date:
 Guest Orientation on house rules and use of hotel amenities

Lesson
Technical Terms:
1.2.2  Percolator – a coffeemaker machine
 Potpourri – a mixture of dried flowers, petals, leaves and spices that is used to
make a room to smell pleasant

Bathroom Amenities Bedroom Amenities

- Towel and hand towel - Iron and ironing board
- Soap - Telephone
- Shampoo and conditioner - Writing pad and pen
- Shower cap - Compendium
- Gargle glass - Bedside lamp
- Tissue and toilet paper - Hotel directory
- Toothbrush - Cupboard (complimentary drinks – water,
- Hair dryer coffee, and tea; percolator, cups and
saucer)
- Wardrobe (hangers, laundry bag, laundry
list, extra linen and pillows, safety deposit
box, potpourri, slippers)
- DND sign and Make Up sign

Other Amenities
1. Fire Extinguishers. These are fire-fighting equipment in a high pressure gas canister containing dry
chemical carbon dioxide or water.
2. Electronic Key Card. Most hotels use electronic key cards to enable guests to enter hotel rooms and
even access elevators for security and control.
3. Smoke Detector. This is a device placed at the ceiling to detect the presence of smoke.
4. Lights and Air Conditioning. Most hotels use lights and air conditioning facility that is automatically
activated when the key card is inserted.
5. Heating Equipment. Hotels that have centralized heating facility are found in countries with cold
weather.
6. Cable Television. This is usually provided in most hotel rooms.
7. Doors, windows, and locks. Most hotels use standard to premium fixtures depending on the rate.
8. Minibar. This is a small snack and beverage bar or a refrigerator inside the wooden cable. This
contains food and drinks that will be charged to the guest when consumed.

The housekeeping department should work towards the safety of hotel guests by following these tips:
1. Make sure that incoming housekeeping attendant is provided with the necessary training that covers
safety practices when cleaning.
2. Ensure that safety rules are visible in conspicuous places.
3. See to it that the chemicals used in housekeeping are properly stored and empty receptacles are
properly disposed.
4. Observe proper occupational safety and health procedures.
 Proper Handling of guests’ Queries

Lesson
1.2.3 Technical Terms:
 Fax machine – a device that can receive text or images via telephone by
digitizing the material through an optical scanner

Before answering phone calls, a housekeeping attendant needs to know how to operate it. S/he
must know how to put the caller on hold, answer, make a call, and transfer calls. S/he needs to memorize at
least the most requested departments in the hotel or otherwise refer to the directory.

Telephone Etiquette
1. Smile. This will reflect on your voice and the caller will be able to sense it.
2. Keep the voice friendly. The caller may recognize the personality of a housekeeping attendant on
the other line with the way s/he projects his/her voice.
3. Speak loud enough to be surely heard by the other party.
4. Do not assume. Ask for more details when necessary but do not annoy the caller.
5. Project a good image of the hotel by being professional in dealing with telephone callers.

Answering Telephone Calls

1. Have a ready pen and paper.
2. Keep the directory of extension numbers close to the telephone.
3. Make sure that you know the functions of the different departments in the hotel so that you can
properly refer calls.
4. Pick up the phone promptly within three rings.
5. Greet the caller. Say the name of the establishment. Say your name. Offer assistance.
6. Always ask for the name of the caller and if possible, ask the affiliation too.
7. Concentrate on what the caller is saying. When necessary, write important things.
8. End the conversation on a friendly note.

Oftentimes, a housekeeping attendant would receive calls from guests who want to:
- Inquire about the rates, facilities and amenities, and hotel packages
- Make a reservation
- Make requests for items, assistance, etc.
- Make orders, or special arrangements
- Give special instructions on certain things

A housekeeping attendant must remember that when answering incoming calls, s/he must not
disclose their personal details and even their hotel rooms without proper screening. If the caller wants to
speak with a hotel guest, s/he needs to check it first with the guest. If the guest gives you the go signal then
that is the only time a housekeeping attendant may connect the caller to the guest room extension number.

When making internal calls:

Making a Call
1. Do not hang up if the phone is not answered within three rings. Give a chance to the other party to
reach the phone.
2. Answer by greeting politely.
3. Identify yourself then request to speak to the person you are calling.

Transferring a Call
1. Make sure that you inform the caller about what you are going to do.
 Telephone Operator: Good morning! JDG Hotel. This is Laura. How may I help you?
Caller: Hi, I would like to make a reservation for a double room please.
Telephone Operator: Certainly Ma’am. Let me transfer you to our reservation.

2. Refer to the directory instead of relying on your memory to avoid dialing the wrong number.

Putting Calls on Hold

When the extension line requested is busy:
1. Inform the caller that the person sought is busy.
2. Ask whether the caller would like to wait, leave a message, or make a call later.
3. Wait for the caller’s decision.

Using E-mail
According to mindtool.com, the following are the rules to be followed to make an effective e-mail:
1. Do not over communicate by e-mail. Only include the necessary details such as the answer to the
query.
2. Make good use of subject heading. Do not leave the subject line empty to avoid being overlooked
or rejected as a spam.
3. Keep messages clear and brief. The body of the message must be clear and concise. It should
contain all pertinent information. Add attachment if needed, do not forget to thank the guest for
inquiring and express that you are glad to answer their queries. Include the contact details and
address of your establishment too.
4. Be polite. E-mails are reflection of professionalism too. Avoid slang, informal language or jargons.
Close your message with phrases such as “Regards,” “All the best,” etc.
5. Check the tone. Choice of words, sentence length, and capitalization, among others reflect the
emotions conveyed by your message. Find an equivocal way to express your message. Declining a
reservation and cancelling a request must be gracefully communicated to avoid being
misunderstood.
6. Proofread. Before sending an answer to the query, make sure to check the grammar, spelling and
punctuation mistakes.

Using Fax Machines

There are printers nowadays that can perform printing, scanning, and faxing documents. Depending
on the features of the fax machine, oftentimes a fax tone is asked for incoming calls. For most fax machines,
start button is pressed when giving a fax tone and a beep or similar sound will be heard as an indicator that
the fax tone has been provided. This will allow the message to get in. On the other hand, when faxing a
document, dial the fax number and then request for a fax tone from the other end. When a fax tone has
been given, the document will be scanned and sent to the number you dialed.
 Problems in Housekeeping Services

Lesson Technical Terms:

1.2.4  Dispute Settlement – resolving conflict between aggrieved and offending parties
– between hotel guests and hotel staff or hotel management
 Mediator – third party between persons in conflict; maintains his/her neutrality
throughout the whole settlement process

To resolve a conflict, a housekeeping attendant may apply the win-win solution through the following:
 Compromising. This is a technique that tries to find a common ground between conflicting parties.
The parties must come to an agreement that will be beneficial to both.
 Accommodating. This simply means focusing on the similarities or agreements rather than the
differences.
 Collaborating. This is said to be the most effective approach because both parties admit that there
is something wrong which needs to be resolved.

Conflicts at the Workplace

1. Personality or individual differences
2. Miscommunication
3. Different expectations
4. Overlapping or redundancy of duties
5. Safety and security

Tips to Prevent Conflicts at Work

1. Meet the expectations of guests and your co-employees by doing your job well and approaching
every task or assignment with a positive attitude.
2. Be aware of your body language.
3. Speak with respect and clarify what the other person meant when necessary.

Basic Structure of Negotiation

According to mediate.com, here are the stages of dispute settlement:
1. Convening Stage
At this stage, it is important to determine whether it is best to talk to the parties separately or
jointly. In most cases, the mediator talks to the parties separately and then another time for a joint
meeting. Having a time alone with each party may surface issues that could not be settles when
parties are in a joint meeting.
2. Opening Stage
This is the stage where the parties can talk face-to-face with the mediator. Prior to this joint
meeting, it is the responsibility of the mediator to set a safe and conducive environment. During this
time, each party will be given the chance to air their respective grievances without the interruption
of the mediator as much as possible. The purpose of this stage is to allow the parties to express their
feelings about the conflict.
3. Communication Stage
The parties at this stage are given the freedom to express whatever legal or personal issues
might affect the negotiation.
4. Negotiation Stage
This stage is the heart and soul of the mediation. At this time, the mediator may surface the
chances of each party in winning the case. This is also the best time to inform the parties about their
disadvantages. Of course, the purpose of this stage is to get the parties in agreeing to come to a
negotiation. The mediator at this stage can be flexible and innovative depending on what the
situation calls for.
5. Closure Stage
 This is the stage where parties will have to agree how the grievance might be settles, what
each should do to avoid similar situation to confront them. The agreement should be beneficial for
both parties.

Resolving Guest Complaints

1. Stay calm. When a guest is complaining, do not panic. This will help keep your presence of mind.
Look pleasant but also appear serious.
2. Listen. Do not interrupt the guest while s/he is complaining, but listen attentively. Take down notes if
necessary.
3. Thank the guest for bringing up the complaint. Take the situation to improve service. If such
complaint is not raised, necessary actions to solve it may not have been done.
4. Focus on the issue. Do not take things personally; rather ponder on ways to resolve the problem to
get the job done.
5. Ask the guest how he or she would like you to resolve the problem. It is best to seek the approval of
the guests on how s/he would like the staff to fix the problem.
6. Take note of the correct procedure and establishment policy on dealing with guest complaints. Rules
and guidelines on how to handle complaints from the guests vary from one hotel to another. Make
sure to abide to those respective policies without having to compromise the satisfaction of the
guests.
7. Apologize for any inconvenience. When a service provided caused any trouble among guests,
apologize. This indicates the desire to satisfy the needs of the guests.
8. Assure immediate possible assistance. A problem must be solved as soon as possible to regain the
reliance of the guest on your service.
9. Advise and get feedback from your supervisor. Ask suggestions and comments from your supervisor
to help you improve your problem-solving and communication skills.