Front Desk Manager Training Guide

Front Desk Manager
Training Guide
Contents
INTRODUCTION iii Pre-shifts and Monthly Meetings 23 OPERA Technical Information 48

- Pre-shifts 25 - “Cancel Check-in” 48
WELCOME iv - Monthly Meetings 26 - Cleaning Up Departures 49
- Required Compliance Training 26
1. MANAGING YOUR SERVICE - Ongoing Training and Education 27 Kiosk Management 49
Front Desk Service and
Skills Standards 1 Motivating Your Team 28 Newspaper Delivery Program 52
- Front Desk 15 1
- Hourly Associate Training 2 3. MANAGING YOUR OPERATION Daily Reconciliation 53
- Operations Brand Standards 3 Introduction to the Front Office 29 - Cashier Shift Control
- Knowing Your Hotel 29 (also known as the Roll Out) 53
Supporting Service Expectations 4 - Room Types 30 - Managing Adjustments/ Allowances/
- Knowing Your Customer 5 - Housekeeping Codes 30 Corrections 54
- Front Desk Professionalism 6 - Guest Room Keys 31 - Tracking Adjustments & Corrections 56
- Importance of Observation 8 - Maximizing Efficiency 31 - Rate Check Report 57
- Front Desk Arrivals and Departures 10 - Front Desk Image 32
- Kiosks 10 - Internal Relationships 32 The “Day After” 58
- Web In / Web Out 11 - Daily Report 59
- Check In and Check Out via Kiosk or Managing Your Inventory 33
Video 11 - Competitive Set 33 Month End 60
- Checking In at the Front Desk 12 - STR Report 33 - P&L 60
- Service Recovery 12 - Introduction to EFLEX 34 - RAS 61
- Performance Summary Graph 37
Measuring Your Service Success 14 - 90-Day Forecast 38 Managing a “Sold Out” House 62
- Employee Engagement 14 - Preparing for a Sold Out Night 62
- Guest and Meeting Planner Surveys 14 Reservations 39 - Staffing Appropriately 62
- Brand Compliance and Gold Passport - Rate Structure 39 - Manager Responsibilities 63
Evaluations 18 - RESERVE 40 - Where to Relocate 64
- Consumer Affairs 19 - eStandby 41 - What a Relocated Guest Receives 64
- Comment Cards 20 - Guest History 42 - Relocation Supplies 65
- Opera Guest History 43
2. MANAGING YOUR STAFF Relocating a Guest 65
Hiring... Service First! 22 Preparation 44 - The Morning After 67
- 11-Day Forecast 44
Training 23 - Payroll Forecast 44 Emergency Procedures 68
- Hyatt Leadership Network 23 - Weekly Front Desk Schedule 45 - Hotel Emergency Codes 68
- Your Role in Training 23 - AM and PM Checklists 46 - Guest Incident Reports 69
- Reservations Reports 47 - Running a Manual Front Desk 70
- Room Plan 47
- Resumes 48
FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Introduction
The hotel industry is known for its many grand structures and exotic locations. It is also known for
offering a variety of amenities and special services to its guests. What brings guests back to Hyatt
Hotels time and time again is our ability to exceed their expectations. Hyatt’s intention is to be the
best service provider in the four-star hotel segment. To achieve this, each and every associate must
be committed to this objective. Your ability to deliver a high level of service will determine your
success as a Front Office Manager.
Managing the Front Office at Hyatt will be both challenging and rewarding. You will develop skills to
manage the operation, staff and service level. Satisfaction in your position will turn to pride when
the first guest stops you to say they had a perfect stay and cannot wait to come back, your Agents
check-in and check-out two large groups on the same day, or an Agent receives a comment card
noting their great guest service. Your time at the Front Office will be a valuable learning experience.
In order to achieve the expected service level at the Front Desk, each and every action you take
should be done considering the impact it has on our guests. From the way you schedule your daily
priorities to how well you organized your Front Desk and, even the professional manner in which you
dress, each and every aspect should be considered with the guest experience in mind.
Copyright © 2010 Hyatt Corporation iii

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
1. Managing Your Service
Front Desk 15 Front Desk Service and Skills Standards
There are tools in place at the Front Desk to ensure that the entire staff is focused on delivering
quality service. These tools and a brief description of each are provided below. Your role will
include personal knowledge, training, reinforcing and ensuring compliance with all standards.
> Project a warm and friendly attitude
> Be posted at your assigned station ready to assist
Front Desk 15
> Ensure your uniform is clean, crisp, and
properly tailored with your nametag visible By now you are familiar with the Service Essentials, the key service interactions required of all
> Properly greet each guest while Hyatt associates. In addition to the Service Essentials, 15 service standards have been identified
maintaining eye contact
that are unique to the Front Desk. Much like the Service Essentials, they need to be demonstrat-
> Visually acknowledge the waiting guest ed by all Front Desk Agents. The top 15 service standards for the Front Desk are:
> Present items to guests hand to hand
> Provide direction with an open palm As a continuous reminder of the Front Desk 15, a poster has been designed detailing these
> Welcome guests to the desk by asking standards and should be prominently displayed at all times in the front office work area.
“How may I assist you?” Additionally, a PowerPoint presentation has been developed to accompany the Front Desk 15
> Use the guest name to open and and should be used as part of new associate training.
close each encounter
> Offer your name when completing a Below is a visual of the PowerPoint you can locate on the Operations Website.
check-in
> Confirm the guest’s preferences
before assigning a room
> Be resourceful when assisting guests
with their requests
> Offer a wake-up call and breakfast
options to all check ins after 8pm
> Be knowledgeable of hotel information and
the local area
> Be proactive and ask the guest about their stay
Use the guest name to open and close each encounter

Welcome a guest with use of their last name as well as in your final statement.
“Welcome Mr. Harris” and “Enjoy your stay Mr. Harris” to establish a connection
with the guest.
You should also use this PowerPoint to help you review one service standard a day during your
pre-shift meetings as well as a basis for a service message during one of your department
meetings.
Copyright © 2010 Hyatt Corporation 1

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Hourly Associate Training

To properly train your Agents, key service activities for the Front Desk have been identified and
step-by-step breakdowns for each have been created. A copy of an Activity Breakdown is
provided for your review.
There is a training exercise in which every participant is given a flipchart that faces away from all
of the other participants. The leader of the exercise tells the participants that they will each draw
a person in seven easy steps. The participants are then given the instructions to draw a head,
body, arms, legs, eyes, nose, etc. The leader then asks the participants to turn the flipchart
around and ask questions about why each “person” looks different, when every participant
received the same instructions. The answer is that each participant brings their own personal
style to their drawing.
It is the same with the Activity Breakdowns. The Activity Breakdowns are not intended to script
each and every guest interaction. Instead, they have been created to ensure that Agents are
prepared with proper service etiquette and can use this knowledge when interacting with our
guests. Each agent should use their personality to provide warmth and conversation to each
guest interaction.
Consider that even the best actor or actress needs to rehearse their lines before arriving on set.
Role play and practice helps us prepare to provide the very best service possible to our guests.
Activity Breakdowns are used to train new Agents and ensure they understand the basic skills
and service required in their new position before they begin to work independently. The Activity
Breakdowns can also be used to retrain Agents who may not be demonstrating the standards
properly in their position.
Click on the video player to the right to see a Front Desk Manager using an Activity Breakdown
to train a new employee.
2 Copyright © 2010 Hyatt Corporation

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Operations Brand Standards

Operations Brand Standards have been established for each department in the
Rooms Division. Your Rooms Executive and General Manager use the standards for
the Front Office to measure your hotel’s compliance. While the Front Desk 15 and
Activity Breakdowns focus on service and skills standards, the Operations Brand
Standards focus on the physical operation of the Front Office. A sample of the
Operations Brand Standards for the front desk can be found on the left.
You will be provided a copy of the Operations Brand Standards for the Front Office
during your training period to assess the level of compliance as part of your training
plan. Semi-annually, you should complete a self-audit for the department to ensure
you maintain compliance with the Brand Standards for the Front Office.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Supporting Service Expectations
The typical Hyatt customer is an upscale, professional, experienced traveler who expects a high
standard of quality from Hyatt.
Every year, business and leisure individual travel accounts for about half of Hyatt Room nights,
and meetings the other half. Business travelers and meeting attendees are likely to use the same
brands for leisure travel as they do for business and we have a built-in opportunity to demon-
strate why they should choose Hyatt for all their travel needs.
Hyatt Gold Passport members are among our most loyal guests. Gold Passport members tend
to be more affluent than our typical guest and spend about 40 nights in hotels each year for
business and, on average, spend 25% more than non-Gold Passport members. Because Gold
Passport members are also members in the loyalty programs of many other upscale hotel chains,
Hyatt must always compete for the valuable business of this segment. We can capture a greater
share of their business and leisure nights by delivering the quality and service these discerning
travelers demand. You will learn more about the benefits the Gold Passport program provides to
its members by completing several online training modules. Now, let’s watch several examples
of service interactions with Gold Passport members. Click on the video player to the right to
start the video.
Hyatt employees must deliver authentic hospitality. We believe an important aspect of achieving
this level of service is by creating genuine connections and experiences with our guests. In doing
so, we will increase the loyalty of our guests, employees and owners.
Through continuous coaching and positive reinforcement of service behaviors you will be able to
guide your staff to deliver authentic service. Great service means something slightly different to
each member of our diverse guest population. The ability to recognize and effectively serve
guests with a variety of distinct personalities requires keen powers of observation, patience and
the ability to switch easily from one service style to another. This skill becomes almost instinctual
with experience, and can be developed by learning to recognize a few general personality types.
In order to provide each guest with a personalized experience it is important to determine three
factors. First, identify what type of traveler the guest is. Then, use the guest’s body language
cues to guide your interaction; finally, look at the individual guest to personalize the guest
interaction.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Knowing Your Customer

We can divide our guests into four different market segments: family travelers, leisure travelers,
business travelers, and group travelers. While each guest within these groups will expect
different things from their stay, we can use these broad groupings to help identify key items to
point out to the guest to enhance their stay experience.
»» Family Travelers – Generally, families will want information that pertains to their children’s
happiness. For example, when assisting a family, discuss things like the children’s meals
available in the restaurant or other features of the hotel that would appeal to children. Try to
place family guests in a room by the pool or offer them the opportunity to upgrade their
reservation to a suite to allow for more room to move around.
»» Leisure Travelers – Leisure guests will want information to enhance their trip. For example,
when checking in a leisure guest, mention a signature treatment that the hotel’s spa offers or
discounts that are available for local attractions. Offer the services of the concierge to assist
leisure guests in making dining reservations or for further information on local attractions.
»» Business Travelers – Usually, guests visiting the hotel for business travel are savvy travelers.
Discuss the features of the hotel (business center, Fastboard, etc.) that will make this guest’s
stay easier. It is a good idea to highlight room features such as a quiet room or offer the
opportunity to purchase an upgrade to the Regency Club/Grand Club level.
»» Group Travelers – Group travelers are focused on the meetings that have brought them to the
hotel. To assist these guests, place them into rooms close to the meeting space and have
information about their meeting schedules at the Front Desk at check in.
After you identify what type of guest you are interacting with, you need to look at the body
language the guest is displaying to help you personalize the guest’s experience. Look at the
guest’s facial expression, their hand gestures, the speed of their walk, and their posture to
determine the guest’s sense of urgency and how to respond accordingly. A guest that rushes up
to the Front Desk is likely in a hurry and will want a streamlined experience. Be careful to balance
being thorough with assisting the guest in a quick fashion. Use the cues from the guest to help
you identify whether the guest wants thorough but quick service or is open to a more conversa-
tional encounter where you are able to provide information about the hotel and the local area.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Finally, look at each guest individually to find information that will assist you in tailoring the
interaction to the guest. Using these steps to help you identify the type of experience each
guest is looking for will help you provide a personalized experience that will leave each guest
with a great impression of the service that we offer. Understanding the situation of each person
you interact with will become instinctual over time and lead you to expertly tailor your actions to
meet and ultimately exceed the guest’s expectations.
To learn more about the keys to knowing your customers and how to tailor your interactions with Knowing Your
them, access the Knowing Your Customer presentation on the Operations website.
Customer
Front Desk Professionalism
The Front Desk is much like a stage with you as the producer. It is generally one of the first and
last impressions that guests will receive of your hotel; therefore it is particularly important that a
professional environment be maintained at all times. Several key areas to focus on in order to
maintain a professional environment are:
HYATT HOTELS CORPORATION
»» Grooming. As the manager of the department, you set the example for the professional image
of your staff. Periodically assess your wardrobe. Are your business clothes clean and in good
condition? Are colors and patterns conservative? For men - are collars held in place with collar
stays? For ladies — are skirts an appropriate length for business interactions? Are shoes
polished and in good condition? The quantity or variety of clothing items in your business
wardrobe is less important than the fit and condition of the items. If your hotel requires
business attire, a suit jacket should be worn at all times unless seated in your work area (desk
space) behind the Front Desk. Suit jackets should be buttoned in public areas.
ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Discuss your
customer base with your manager and answer the following
Part of your role is to ensure that your associates are neatly groomed as well with their name
questions. Retain the completed activity worksheet with your
tag worn visibly on the left side of their uniforms. All aspects of their appearance should training materials.
comply with the hotel grooming policy, including hairstyle and color, jewelry, other accesso-
ries such as hosiery and footwear, makeup and hygiene. Pay careful attention to the condition What are your top three types of customers?
and fit of associate uniforms, as these may change over time. Remind associates of your hotel’s
schedule for uniform laundering, repair and reordering. Basic uniform repair may be done
What types of requests/demands do they typically have?
in-house — replacing a button, hemming sleeves or pants — however, it may be necessary to
send uniforms to an outside tailor for more extensive repairs — sizing, replacing lining, etc.
What types of additional services/amenities does your
hotel offer to these guests?

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
»» Demeanor. The Front Desk is a highly visible area, so professional posture and demeanor must
be maintained at all times. Because your associates spend so much time behind the desk, they
may become very comfortable, causing them to relax their behavior. Associates should stand
straight and be alert to everything that is going on in the lobby — particularly approaching
guests. Immediately correct an associate who leans against the desk or the wall behind them.
Professional Language- Set an example by always exhibiting a professional demeanor yourself.
Additional Examples »» Language. Professional language is tricky for some associates, particularly for those who have
limited experience in the business world. Again, this is an area where you must set the
•  Words to Avoid •  Words to Use example and observe associates closely. Frequent and often subconscious speech patterns
may include using “yeah” instead of “yes” or peppering speech with “like” or “um”.
–  “No problem” •  “It’s my pleasure”
–  “Uh-huh” Make a conscious effort to eliminate these and other more casual phrases or slang from your
•  “Certainly”
speech patterns while at work. Provide immediate feedback when you observe your associates
–  “Hey” •  “Hello” using slang verbiage in guest interactions.
–  “Like” •  “For example”
»» Communication. A very important element of professionalism is how you communicate with
guests. Some guests prefer a more relaxed interaction and it is perfectly acceptable to
engage with these guests in a more relaxed conversation. However, this can easily be over-
done. Help your associates strike an appropriate balance between friendliness and profession-
alism by observing their interactions with guests and giving positive and corrective feedback
when appropriate.
A frequent error is over-communication — particularly when a guest experiences a problem.

Associates may be tempted to explain why they believe the problem occurred when many
times the guest is simply seeking an apology, a resolution or someone to be accountable. To
our guests, perception is reality. If a pipe bursts in the street, they are not concerned with
whether the pipe is city or hotel property - they only know that there was no hot water for their
shower that morning.
Failure to listen can result in further confusion for our guests. The importance of listening to
guests and giving attention when they are speaking to you provides the opportunity to
address their questions or concerns directly.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
You cannot assume you know what a guest is asking or requesting — allow a guest to complete
their thoughts before you respond and take action.
Finally, be conscious of the use of hotel jargon when communicating with guests. Guests do not
know what “PBX” means, but they will understand an associate who tells them to dial “0” to
contact the Hotel Operator.
Importance of Observation
As a manager of the Front Office, every interaction your staff has with a guest is a reflection on
you and the hotel. This may seem overwhelming, but appropriate and professional standards of
behavior can be established and maintained through careful observation and feedback.
By developing a routine you can use for observation, you will be able to identify potential service
failures, and act quickly to prevent or remedy them. The front desk is an ever changing environ-
ment, so you may think it would be impossible to implement a routine to help your observation.
However, any veteran of the service business will tell you that you can develop an observation
routine and that it will help you reach a higher level of service for your guests. This routine
involves quickly scanning your front desk and/or lobby area to identify guests that are pleased
with the service they are receiving, guests that are receiving poor service and situations that may
lead to future business loss.
How can you do this? How do you observe the entire lobby in just a few seconds? While it will
take practice and focus, you can train yourself to take in your environment and quickly see what
is wrong or out of place.
Start from the same location every time

1. Track your eyes in the same direction
2. Compare what you see to what you should see
Your goal is to be able to observe the lobby area and assess the area in 30 seconds based on
your knowledge of the Front Desk 15 and the operational brand standards for the Front Desk.
Start by looking at each guest’s face and body language. Then look at the employees’ faces and
body language. Look then at the physical surroundings of the desk area. Compare what you see
to what should be happening, identify any service issues and then move to correct them. Click
on the video player to your right to see an example of this.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
As it is important to scan your entire front desk area to find potential service problems, it is
equally as important to focus specifically on your employees. Periodically observe your associ-
ates interacting with guests. This can be done as you are working side by side behind the desk,
but it is also a good idea to view them from the guest’s perspective by standing in the lobby. Be
candid with your associates about why you are doing this - they should know that you will share
your observations with them in order to help develop their skills, and not to “catch” them doing
something wrong.
When observing your associates, listen to ensure that their language is professional, their
speaking rate mirrors that of the guest, eye contact and body language is appropriate and the
use of jargon and slang words is limited. Note the hair, make-up, uniform and overall presenta-
tion of your associates. Is it up to Hyatt’s standard?
Pay attention to the Service Essentials. Is the associate smiling? Did they use the guest’s name? If
they could not pronounce the name, how did they handle it? Did they remember to thank the
guest and invite them back at the end of the interaction? Finally, observe their physical demean-
or. Do they appear alert and engaged?

When your associate and the guest conclude their interaction, discuss your observations as soon
as possible. This will ensure that the interaction is fresh in your mind and that of the associate.
When your associates understand your expectations clearly, receive frequent encouragement
and guidance, and know that you are paying attention, they will be motivated to sharpen their
skills.
Coaching, when done consistently and in a positive way, enhances the connection you have with
your staff. This can save you time and increase your productivity and service levels. Coaching
reinforces, supports, and enhances the abilities and morale of your staff and demonstrates your
commitment to their success. Even the best employees, if not coached and motivated will never
reach their full potential.
Observing includes you personally spending time interacting with guests. This allows you to stay
familiar with your guests and their expectations, understand the challenges your Agents face
and offer support and assistance as needed. Do not underestimate the value of setting the
example. Your staff is always learning through your observations and their observations of you.
Click on the video player to the left to watch the video

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Front Desk Arrivals and Departures

With advances in technology, we are able to present our guests with many options for checking
in to or out of the hotel. While we will always offer a fully staffed Front Desk for checking in and
out, we now offer the ability for guests to check in via a lobby kiosk or using a the Internet or a
mobile phone to access Web In. Guests are able to check out using Web-out, the kiosk or video
checkout via their in room TV. Offering all of these options allows our guests to choose the level
of interaction that meets their comfort level. Regardless of the method our guests use to check
in or out, each guest expects to receive the level of service synonymous with the Hyatt name.
Kiosks
Front Desk kiosks were introduced to assist those guests who wish to bypass a wait in line at the
Front Desk or a person to person interaction at check-in and/or check-out.
Currently, transactions offered by the kiosk are:
Check-in
»» A guest can complete a thorough and complete check-in, from selecting a guestroom to
having the option to select upgrades based upon availability. The kiosk prints a hotel passport
and provides a room key.
Check-out
»» A guest can check-out and receive an itemized receipt for their stay.
Additional Services
»» A guest can enroll in Hyatt Gold Passport.
»» A guest can obtain keys when using the web-in option.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Web In / Web Out

Guests that want an even more streamlined check in or check out experience can use our Web In
or Web Out features. This allows the guest to check in or out from their PC or mobile device and
skip the front desk all together. Guests who wish to use web check in can access their reserva-
tion from Hyatt.com, GP.com, HyattWebIn.com using their PC or Hyatt2go.com, HyattWebIn.
com on their mobile devices or from a daily email sent to the email address associated with the
reservation. After selecting their reservation, guests verify their information, view and verify
room types, options and terms and conditions. The guest completes the check-in, receives a
receipt and is able to pick up keys at the kiosk or the front desk. Guests receive an email on the
day of their departure that alerts them to the web check out option or they can access their
reservation from the websites above. The guest verifies their information, views their guest folio
and completes their check out. A PDF guest folio is sent to the guest via email.
Check In and Check Out via Kiosk or Video

Video check out is an option available to guests through the On Command system running on
the in-room television. Guests are able to view their folio and then check out. The guest can
leave their keys in the guest room or in a drop box at the front desk. The guest can pick up a
copy of their folio from the front desk or have a copy emailed to them.
While the guests using the kiosk or web to check in are looking for a streamlined experience,
they still may need a Front Desk agent to assist or guide them in using the kiosk. By having an
agent manning the kiosks, you are still able to provide each guest with a personalized check in or
check out experience. The agent will be able to assist with any problems that arise during the
check in or check out or offer assistance or information about their stay to the guest, providing
the guest with a positive first impression of the hotel. Let’s watch a video about providing guest
service at the kiosk. Click on the video player below.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Checking In at the Front Desk

It is equally important that the Front Desk agents checking guests in or out at the desk meet
Hyatt’s service expectations. Encourage your agents to provide authentic hospitality, tailoring
each guest interaction to the needs of that specific guest. For example, a family checking in will
want to know about the hours of the pool or a children’s meal promotion in the restaurant
where as a corporate rate guest checking out would be more likely to want information about
the airport shuttle. Personalizing each guest’s interaction at the Front Desk helps further Hyatt’s
reputation as a guest service leader. Want to see an example of the service level Hyatt expects
at every check in? Click on the video player to the right.
As you have guests using multiple methods to check in or out of the hotel, it is important to
observe the kiosk area as well as the Front Desk. The kiosk area should be neat and clean as it
may provide the guest’s first impression of the hotel. Additionally, it is important to remember
that guest’s who use the kiosk or web in feature may approach the Front Desk for other
questions or needs during their stay. This interaction could be the guest’s first interaction with
hotel staff, so your Front Desk agents should be mindful of creating a great first impression with
every guest, not just those checking in to the hotel.
Service Recovery
Although we strive to provide each guest with an excellent
stay experience, there will be times when guest service
issues will occur. When a guest reports a problem with his
or her stay, you and your staff must resolve the situation to
the guest’s satisfaction as well as noting the situation so
that it does not occur again. It is important to have a
standard process for reporting, recording and reconciling
guest issues before the guest leaves the hotel, so Hyatt has
created a companywide process for service recovery called
the WE CARE program. This program allows our employees
to be empowered to solve guest’s problems as well as
providing a record of guest problems for trending purposes
and guest follow up.
Each employee is empowered to take ownership of the

guest’s issue and respond according to the severity of the
issue. The employee then reports the problem and resolu-
tion using the I CARE hotline. The WE CARE team at the
hotel then records the guest’s issue and resolution in the
WE CARE Tracking Spreadsheet. An example of the WE
CARE Spreadsheet is to the right.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
At the time the guest issue is recorded, it is assigned a priority level for necessary follow up:
»» GREEN indicates that the employee has resolved the problem satisfactorily and no guest
follow-up is necessary. You should congratulate the employee on their effective display of
empowerment and guest service.
»» YELLOW indicates that you should contact the guest to ensure satisfaction (unless the
employee has noted otherwise). This guest should be noted as a V8 guest in PMS/Opera,
with details of the guest’s issue added to PMS/Opera and Reserve if needed.
»» RED indicates that this guest requires immediate follow-up. Like a guest with a yellow level
problem, you should mark the guest as V8 and note their issues in PMS/Opera and Reserve
if necessary.
As a manager, you should review the WE CARE tracking form daily and follow up with
ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Retain the employees and guests as needed. WE CARE Standard Operating Procedures are available
completed activity worksheet with your training materials.
on the Operations website. A portion of the SOP can be found below.
As a manager, you will need to understand how the We Care
program works at your hotel. Find the answers to the following
questions:
1. What is the number for the We Care Hotline?
2. Who checks the hotline messages? How often?
3. Who enters the information into the We Care tracking form?
Review one day from the We Care tracking log. Pay special attention
to the actions that were taken to delight the guests.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Measuring Your Service Success
Hyatt measures success from several points of view: employees, guests, and owners. Working with third party
vendors, we have identified several methods for obtaining feedback from our internal and external guests.
Q12
This data allows Hyatt to make informed decisions regarding our products and services.
Employee Engagement
We believe that our success begins with our employee’s point of view, because guest satisfaction is driven
directly by the employee with whom they interact. Hyatt measures employee engagement, not satisfaction.
An engaged employee is involved in the business, cares about their work, and is more likely to be fully
committed to provide guests with service that embodies authentic hospitality. An engaged employee is also
able to help ensure that we exceed our guests’ expectations. Hyatt measures engagement of employees
through a 12-question on-line survey. This global survey is anonymous and designed to be completed in less
than 5 minutes. Mouse over the Q12 icon to review the 12 questions on the survey.
The survey is completed annually, however, efforts to validate, share results, and create action plans to
improve employee engagement continue throughout the year. As a manager, you will be responsible for
participating in the development of an action plan and implementing this plan to help raise the level of
employee satisfaction.
Guest and Meeting Planner Surveys

Here are some of the current ways our guests provide feedback:
»» Transient Guest Surveys. Maritz Research emails various guests per month from each hotel and asks guests
to respond to a series of questions about their hotel experiences. The guests provide ratings on different
aspects of their stay (extremely satisfied to extremely dissatisfied). The questions include aspects such as
Overall Satisfaction with Hotel, The Staff was Quick and Efficient, Staff Cared and The Check-In Process.
Monthly and year to date data is readily available for each hotel location. Results are tabulated and
presented in a dashboard style for ease of use.
An action sheet is generated for each survey completed. The action sheet provides you with the responses
to all survey questions and any comments the surveyed guest may have reported. The action sheet is a
useful tool to help you identify individual guest problems, or, when compiled over time, large scale guest
satisfaction issues. You will notice at the top of each action sheet that each guest surveyed is asked if they
would like to receive further contact regarding their comments. When a guest indicates they would like to
be called or emailed regarding the issue they have reported, call or email the guest to resolve the issue
and ensure ongoing customer satisfaction. Action sheets can also serve as a great training tool. Use the
guest comments as a springboard for associate role-plays or brainstorming additional ways to satisfy
guests. An example of an action sheet is provided on page 15, review the highlighted areas to obtain more
information about the action sheet.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
The Action Sheet is a respondent level

report with the individual responses for
each question for each Guest.
> The top half of the Action Sheet

contains the Guest’s personal
information
> Individual responses are listed below.
> New Action Sheets are available on

the reporting site each day

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Group and Catering Surveys. Maritz Research emails and separately tracks feedback from hotel group and catering
contacts about their recent events. Maritz asks guests to respond to a series of questions providing feedback on their
experience on a scale of extremely satisfied to extremely dissatisfied. The questions include such things as from Overall
Satisfaction with Entire Experience to Showed Genuine Concern for Success. Additionally, there are questions more
specific to the Front Desk, such as Service for Your VIP’s, and check in process. Similarly to Guest Surveys, results are
reported in a dashboard style and action sheets are created for each survey. Examples of an action sheet summary and
meeting plan action sheet are provided below and on page 17.
Action Sheet Summary - Meeting Planner

Organization: Hyatt North America Total Completed Surveys: 753
Month: May 2011
Type: Total This page is an overview of the
Action Sheets that have been
Case ID Organization Name Overall Satisfaction Problem Date Posted posted to the site for your hotel.
1131006321 (REP)KANE BAR MITZVAH 4 16/May/2011 Report can be sorted by any column:
1131000622 *AUTOMOTIVE SALES COUNCIL 5 17/May/2011
date, problem, or overall satisfaction
1138005101 ^TEACH FOR AMERICA 5 19/May/2011
1117002131 100 BLACK MEN ATLANTA 5 14/May/2011
Indicators allow you to know if a
1131005181 2M2 INC. 5 18/May/2011
1131002862 3LOG SYSTEMS INC 5 12/May/2011 meeting planner experienced a
1124002971 4TH DISTRICT PTA 5 07/May/2011 problem
1138002312 ABBOTT LABORATORIES 4 19/May/2011
1131006161 ABINGTON HOSPITAL 5 17/May/2011
1131001482 ACA COUNCIL NUTRITION$$158 -0 5 18/May/2011
1124000242 ACT 5 12/May/2011
1124001022 ACTIVANT SOLUTIONS 4 06/May/2011
1131004162 ACTIVE STRATEGY 4 19/May/2011
1138000951 ADAMS - KASSEES 5 19/May/2011
1124000851 ADP 5 08/May/2011
1138006011 ADP 4 19/May/2011 If you click on the case ID with the
1131000702 ADT SECURITY SERVICES 5 18/May/2011 line under it, you will be taken
1124001402 ADVANCE TESTING DEVELOPMENT OF 5 14/May/2011 directly to the Action Sheet
1138005202 ADVANCED STERILIZATION 3% 5 19/May/2011
1131004971 ADVANCEU 5 13/May/2011
1117003912 AEGON USA 5 03/May/2011
1124001612 AEGON USA 5 11/May/2011
1131006422 AFGE LOCAL 834 5 13/May/2011
1124003642 AFRICAN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD FELL 5 05/May/2011
1131002432 AFTER SCHOOL ALL-STARS 5 19/May/2011
1131005462 AGA MEDICAL A ST JUDES COMPANY 5 17/May/2011
1124001881 AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES 5 06/May/2011
1117004312 AHP 5 04/May/2011
1124002842 AHRA 5 05/May/2011
1124002751 AID SUDAN 5 06/May/2011
1131001452 ALFRED STREET BAPTIST CHURCH 5 13/May/2011
16 1124000962 ALLERGAN 5 05/May/2011 Copyright © 2010 Hyatt Corporation
1138003042 ALLERGAN USA INC 5 19/May/2011
1138002902 ALTEGRIS INVESTMENTS 5 19/May/2011
FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Meeting Planner Action Sheet

Sales: (Sales, Planned, and On-Site)
Property Name: Hyatt Regency Vancouver
Organization Name: 3LOG SYSTEMS INC Booking #: 18807438
Meeting Name: USER CONFERENCE Peak Nights: 79
Planner Name: HASSAN FARZADEH Survey Date: May 11, 2011
Dates Of Meeting: Apr 25, 2011 - May 01, 2011 Email Address: hassan@3log.com
Case ID: 1131002862
The Action Sheet is a respondent level

Overall Satisfaction with Entire Experience 5 Overall Satisfaction with Sales Phase 5
report with the individual responses for
Likelihood to return — this hotel Not Overall Satisfaction with Planning Phase 5 each question for each Meeting Planner.
Answered
Overall Satisfaction with Event Phase 5
Likelihood to recommend — this hotel 5
> The top half of the Action Sheet
Satisfaction with CS and Catering Contact 5
contains the Planner’s personal
Overall Customer Service 4
information
> Individual responses are listed below.

Went out of way to offer assistance 5
Understood needs & helped plan 5
Showed genuine concern for success 5 > New Action Sheets are available on
Followed through on commitments 5 the reporting site each day
Adequate staff throughout hotel 5
Meeting room met needs 5
Helped make you feel welcome 5
Use AV Services No
Efficient check-in 4
Audio visual services met needs Not Answered
Service for your VIPs 4
Food and Beverage:
Group reservation process met needs 3
Overall food & beverage experience 5
Pleased with your guest room 5
Service from wait staff 5
Room setup according to specifications 5
Creativity of food & beverage 5
Acceptable temperature range 5
Quality of food & beverage 5
Responsive to your needs 5
Problems:
Experienced a problem? No
What did Hyatt do to make you extremely likely to recommend them
Staff was very helpful and there was no surprises
Went out of way to offer assistance
They provided their direct phone line and almost always they were available to assist
FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Brand Compliance and Gold Passport Evaluations.

LRA Worldwide conducts individual property visits posing as
guests of the hotel. LRA consultants utilize the full range of
services and amenities our hotels have to offer and evaluate the
level of service provided. While visiting the hotel, LRA evalua-
tors also complete Brand Compliance Evaluations, measuring
the hotel’s compliance with corporate brand standards. The
evaluators also conduct Gold Passport Evaluations to ensure the
hotel is upholding the standards of the Gold Passport Program.
The evaluators from LRA are trained in Hyatt standards and
observe the proper application of all Hyatt standards including
the Service Essentials. A sample of a LRA results report is shown
to the right.
A passing score on the LRA evaluation is 75% or higher. Should

a hotel score lower than 75%, the hotel’s General Manager and
management team will be required to complete a Management
Action Plan (MAP) within 15 days of receiving LRA’s evaluation.
MAPs are submitted to both the hotel’s SVP and the Corporate
Office. The MAP notes each area of deficiency from the LRA
evaluation and the plan the hotel will be implementing to
address the deficiency. The MAP assumes that actionable items
(such as missing directional cards at the front desk) are being
corrected. If the hotel has larger items that cannot be addressed
within 15 days, the hotel should note their plans to correct the
deficiency and include any backup for steps already taken, such
as a purchase order showing the hotel has ordered new
wastebaskets for every room. As a department head, you may
be involved in creating an action plan for deficiencies in your
department or by implementing the plans of the management
team.
Hotels that fail the LRA inspection will receive a follow-up

inspection from LRA at the hotel’s cost. Hotels are expected to
pass the re-inspection based on the implementation of the
details communicated in the MAP. If the hotel does not pass,
Corporate Operations will communicate further action that will
need to be taken.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Consumer Affairs.
Guests may contact Hyatt Consumer Affairs at any time to discuss their
experiences, both positive and negative, at a hotel. Hyatt Consumer Affairs representatives
assist guests in finding a resolution to their issue by contacting the hotel involved, and
directly responding to the concerns of the guest. We have provided several examples of
guest correspondence below. Click on each image below to enlarge and read our guests’
comments.
Your hotel’s General Manager will receive copies of all communications to Consumer Affairs.
He or she will then disseminate these to the appropriate executive team member. Your Rooms
Executive will then pass them on to you for follow-up. Remember to carefully research each issue
before acting – review the We Care log and/or Guest History before you discuss the situation
with the employee involved. When you are ready to meet with the employee, ask them to
recount their memory of the situations. Coach the employee appropriately based on the severity
of the guest’s issue; ask them what they could do differently next time, and if necessary,
document the situation for the employee’s file.
Do not assume that you must contact the guest as Consumer Affairs may have already resolved
the situation. Determine whether the guest requires further contact and act accordingly.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Comment Cards
Guests are able to make positive or negative comments using our Hyatt
comment cards. Comment cards should be available upon request in all
departments frequented by our guests.
When you receive a positive comment card, you should acknowledge the
employee’s ability to provide great customer service. Post the comment card
in your back of house areas so that all employees can learn from the
example. When you receive a negative comment card, you should take the
necessary steps to research the issue (viewing Guest History and/or the We
Care log) and then discuss the issue with the employee. Coach the employ-
ee to find different ways to address this type of situation and document if
necessary. Follow your hotel’s standards for reaching out to follow up with
the guest.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
All of these sources of guest feedback are, in effect, both a report card and a
teaching tool. You should view the feedback from guests as helpful information and
recognize that there is a history lesson available in feedback you receive. Use this
information to:
»» Determine how the guest experiences reported compare to Hyatt service

standards
»» Celebrate successes and praise those associates who exceed our guest’s
expectations
»» Start conversation about negative feedback in pre-shifts and monthly meetings
with your
staff to asking what could have been done differently
»» Take action so that similar problems do not occur
While there are many tools to provide an assessment of the service provided at the
Front Desk, the easiest and sometimes most important way to get feedback is to
talk directly to our guests. This provides an opportunity to learn firsthand what you
are doing well and where there is room for improvement. For example, use the
guest elevators while travelling throughout the hotel and ask the guests you
encounter how they are enjoying their stay. Make sure that you have your business
cards on you; when you make a connection with a guest, offer the business card for
further assistance.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
2. Managing Your Staff
Hiring…Service First
Finding and keeping quality associates is crucial to the level of service that your department and
Hyatt are able to provide. For this reason, it is important to devote time and attention to finding
the best candidates for your open positions. Associates with the right qualities — a warm,
service-oriented personality; a good work ethic — can be trained on our Hyatt systems and
policies. On the other hand, an associate who lacks these qualities will not be a good fit for our
organization no matter how much training they receive. ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Schedule a
meeting with the person responsible for employment in your Human
Resources Department. Discuss the following questions. Retain the
How are open positions posted?
How are open positions advertised?
How are qualified candidates selected for interviews?
How are interviews scheduled? Who conducts the interview?
In addition to discussing the questions above, review a sample

application and discuss the various steps needed to complete the
hiring process, i.e., background checks, reference checks, etc.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Training
Hyatt has developed a training strategy that enables our associates to provide great service to
our guests. Our associates receive training on required skills, guest service, compliance and
safety. At Hyatt, we believe that training is not a onetime activity, but a daily and ongoing event.
We expect you to support the hotel’s training efforts by making sure that you schedule and
prepare your associates to attend training classes, and discuss and reinforce what they have
learned.
Hyatt Leadership Network

(HLN) is the global learning management system where all training courses and available
resources are housed. This system is designed for self-driven learning, creating engagement
and dialogue between employees and managers centered on development opportunities.
Within Hyatt Leadership Network, learners have access to content tailored to their role in the
Activity: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Complete the organization. Access to the content requires a learner’s Global Hyatt ID and an HLN password,
activity detailed below, noting your answers in the space provided.
different than the password provided for Hyatt Connect. Learners will find content assigned
Retain the completed activity with your training materials
based on business unit, locations, and their function or role in the organization. Content is
Once you have received your log in and password continuously updated with new offerings in the system frequently.
log into HLN to test them
Several key items to consider when approaching Hyatt Leadership Network:
Look through the four schools and gain an understanding of the
»» There are distinct roles within Hyatt Leadership Network; the Learner role,
catalog offerings available. Note any specific observations
and the Manager role. Throughout your career, your role may change.
»» In Hyatt managed facilities, Managers have additional functionality to:
›› View learning for direct reports
›› Approve/Deny learning access for direct reports
›› Enroll direct reports in learning opportunities
›› Access additional tools and resources to support your use of HLN
(available for all learners in a supervisory role in the Hyatt Leadership
For Hyatt Managed facilities:
Print a copy of the HLN Manager Training Guide (located in Network under “Facilitator Resources”)
Facilitator Resources- NAFS HLN Administration Materials). Ensure
you have a clear understanding of both the system overview as
Your Role in Training
well as manager self service. Note any questions to review with
your HLN administrator. You will also play an active role in conducting training for your associates. You will be responsible
for assisting with new associate training, conducting pre-shift and monthly meetings, ensuring
required compliance training is completed and providing ongoing training opportunities for your
associates.
Each new associate will attend new hire orientation where they will learn about Hyatt’s history,
culture and the principles of guest service at Hyatt. At the end of orientation, each associate will
be introduced to his or her training plan. A standard training plan has been created for the Front
Desk Agent position. Each position has a standard training period and standard skills that your
associates must be able to demonstrate before their training period is considered complete.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
To the right is a copy of the Front Desk Agent training plan. Some important items to highlight
are the recap meetings that take place at the end of each day, the final skills test, each new hire
must complete, as well as the signature required upon completion of the training plan.
You will be responsible for providing your new associates with an orientation to your depart-
ment. While taking the time to introduce the new associate to the department, you must instill
the idea that great guest service is Hyatt’s focus and the key objective of their position. Once
you are certain that your new associate has a solid understanding of your department’s service
philosophy, standards and procedures, you will introduce him or her to the department trainer.
The department trainer will guide the new associate through the Activity Breakdowns required
for his or her position until the new associate is able to display both the service and the skill
levels that Hyatt expects. During this training period, it is your responsibility to observe both
the trainer and the associate to ensure that the trainer is providing a quality learning experi-
ence. You should also meet with the new associate at the beginning and end of every shift to
answer any questions he or she may have and ask them demonstrate the skills they have
learned. When your new associate has completed all activities on their Position Training Plan
and the departmental trainer has certified that the associate is able to work on his or her own,
you must schedule a final test. Front Desk Agents should complete a check-in with the General
Manager or other Managing Committee member.
If the associate is able to accomplish all activities proficiently, with the GM or Managing
Committee member he or she may now be scheduled to work shifts on his or her own. It is
important to continue to regularly observe the new associate, ensuring that they are following
the Steps of Service and are performing job activities to the Hyatt standard. On a regular basis,
you should also provide feedback to the associate on the activities they are doing correctly
and the areas they need to improve.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Pre-shifts and Monthly Meetings
In your new role, you will be responsible for conducting pre-shifts and monthly meetings for your
associates. We conduct these regular meetings to reinforce the core concepts of our service
philosophy and update the associates on what is occurring in the department and the hotel. We
have created guides and planners for both the pre-shifts and monthly meeting topics. The
guides provide a script for you to deliver a daily/monthly service message. The planners are
available on Hyatt Learning Network (HLN) under Facilitator Resources.
Pre-shifts
Pre-shifts are designed to reinforce the skills and knowledge required of your associates. Your
pre-shifts should be a combination of a service message, Front Office specific information,
current guest promotion review (i.e., Hyatt Gold Passport global promotions and/or marketing
promotions), and time permitting, a review of a portion of the Front Desk Activity Breakdowns.
A pre-shift should last no longer than five to ten minutes. Make certain that the Front Desk is
adequately covered during this time. To effectively facilitate your pre-shifts, consider the
following points:
»» Spend a few minutes going over the topics and preparing any supplemental materials you may
need. If you are not comfortable with the materials, the associates will not receive the full
benefit of your time together.
»» Ask your associates to respond to questions and demonstrate their service skills. Their
responses and actions will show their comprehension and skill level, and allow you the
opportunity to provide positive and/or corrective feedback.
»» Always confirm your message; you cannot assume that all associates will understand what you
have said. Ask your associates if they have questions, or have one associate summarize what
you said for the group.
»» Remember to focus on guest service. Use the pre-shift to remind each associate that great
guest service is their goal and that everyone has an impact on the experience a guest has
with us.
Click on the video player to the left to see a Hyatt manager conducting a pre-shift.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Monthly Meetings
Monthly meetings provide an expanded period of time to reinforce guest service and depart-
ment information. You can also use this time for skill practice, to discuss groups in house, global
and hotel promotional offers, or business updates. Each monthly meeting should include a
segment from the service-related monthly meeting topics provided in HLN.
As with your pre-shifts, you should confirm that your associates have received benefit from
your time together. Ask them to demonstrate a skill you have shown, such as how to properly
acknowledge the waiting guest. Monthly meetings are also a valuable time for associates to
provide feedback about the department’s operation. Having the opportunity to voice their
opinions allows associates to feel that they are contributing to a positive work environment.
Required Compliance Training

In order to ensure guest and associate safety meet our legal requirements, we have required
compliance training for each associate. In your department, you will be responsible for
ensuring that your associates meet their individual training requirements each year. Some
topics, like general compliance or security, will be coordinated on a hotel-wide basis and
Human Resources will inform you of your obligations. Other topics will need to be facilitated
within your department.
If you are called upon to facilitate any classes, make sure that you are prepared. Obtain the
materials from your department head or Human Resources well in advance of your class and
familiarize yourself with them.
For all training sessions, ensure that your associates are scheduled for and attend the appropri-
ate training classes. Training dates and times should appear on the associate schedule and the
department should be adequately covered. Prepare associates in advance for the topics that will
be discussed and ask them about their learning experience when they return, answering any
questions they may have.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Ongoing Training and Education

Your monthly meetings are a great venue to introduce new concepts to your associates. Be
creative in planning how to improve their customer service skills. Some ideas for interesting
topics include having your Agents log into HyattSat.com to review the guest verbatims’ the
answers the guests provide to follow up questions during their satisfaction surveys. By searching
for front desk specific verbatim, you and your staff can brainstorm ways they could handle similar
issues in the future. You could also work with Human Resources to assign a password to an
Agent to access Harvard ManageMentor courses on Hyatt Learning Network. These courses
cover various development topics such as time management, effective communication and
Printed resource
public speaking. After the Agents have completed the course, discuss what the Agent has
learned and any questions he/she might have. You could also subscribe to industry magazines
and provide copies of interesting articles to associates for discussion at a monthly meeting. Tie
all learning experiences back to our drive for great service and remind associates how the
experience will help them improve their service skills. Your Rooms Executive is a great source to
find additional topics or resources for supplemental training.
This is also a topic that you should keep in mind for yourself as you move forward in your career.
How can you improve your knowledge and service skills? You can expand your hotel knowledge
by volunteering for special projects or pre-opening activities, attending local industry related
association meetings or reading industry news and magazines. You can also enhance your
management skills by attending hotel sponsored training classes, utilizing optional Harvard
ManageMentor classes or by reading management books. You should make your personal
development an ongoing topic of conversation with your supervisor. Just as you need to provide
learning experiences for your employees, you should also seek them out for yourself.
Online resource

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Motivating Your Team
It is important to come up with creative ways to motivate your team. Some may be as simple as
posting guest comment cards behind the front desk or complimenting specific agents in your
monthly meeting on particularly creative ways of handling a guest issue. You may also want to
create a service incentive plan to help your team achieve top box scores on guest satisfaction
surveys.
An incentive plan should meet three key criteria:

»» It should be simple. Example: Pick a key front desk related question from the guest service
satisfaction survey reward each agent that receives a “5”.
»» It should be short. Example: Run the incentive for about three months and then change the
objective of the incentive plan.
»» It should be worthwhile. Example: Make the reward desirable to the front desk agents. Earning
$20 for each “5” received will motivate agents much more than receiving a dollar per “5”.
Before implementing any incentive plan, it is important to discuss the criteria and details of the
program with your Rooms Executive. He or she may have some additional ideas to help you
motivate your staff to achieve great service.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
3. Managing Your Operation
The Front Desk staff interacts with each and every guest in the hotel during their stay. And
as a result, the Front Desk is often referred to as the “hub” of the hotel. We know from guest
ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Complete the feedback that the Front Desk has the greatest ability to impact a guest’s stay. With this in mind,
activity detailed below, noting your answers in the space provided. a key to your success as a Front Office Manager is to have a thorough understanding of how the
Retain the completed activity worksheet with your training materials. Front Office operates.
Schedule a meeting with the person responsible for maintaining the

hotel’s page on Hyatt.com. This website details each property so our Knowing Your Hotel
guests can make informed decisions on their hotel choice. Go to
Your role in impacting each guest’s stay begins with learning as much as possible about your
www.Hyatt.com and locate your property-specific information. Print
your hotel’s PDF fact sheet and floor plans. Review these documents
hotel. This will not only make you more efficient in your job, but will also help you provide the
and discuss any questions with your supervisor. What type of level of service that Hyatt guests have come to expect. As part of your hotel training plan, you
information can be found on your hotel web page? will complete a thorough tour of your hotel and its facilities. Part of the tour includes viewing
guest rooms, food and beverage outlets and meeting room facilities, learning the hours of
Note your answers here:
operation, location, amenities, etc. You should become a quick study on this information as you
will use and refer to these details frequently in guest interactions.
Equally important is the need to

understand what information is
available about your hotel to our
guests. When they arrive at your
hotel you will find guests refer to
amenities / facilities they have
read about on-line or other
printed collateral. Take time to
review your hotel’s web site on
www.hyatt.com. Ask your manager
or Sales Department to view any
other printed materials on your
hotel that may be available.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Room Types
Each Hyatt hotel is specifically laid out to maximize available space. Within each layout, various
room configurations exist to allow us to meet specific guest needs. Room types are used to
describe the different kinds of rooms in the hotel. They take into considerations such factors as
bedding, room size, and location in the hotel.
ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Complete the

Retain the completed activity worksheet with your training materials.
Since each hotel uses different room types and features, you will
need to take a few moments to learn your hotel’s room designations.
Reference the cheat sheet or reference sheet found at your front
desk to complete the chart below.
Room Types Features
Housekeeping Codes
Another valuable piece of room information you will need to know is the housekeeping status of
each room. Different codes are used to show if a room is clean or dirty, vacant or occupied.
Being able to determine a room’s status helps you manage your daily inventory of available
rooms.
The standard Housekeeping codes are:
VD The room is vacant and dirty; this is the normal status when a guest checks out
of the room.
NPU This room as vacant and a discrepant; Housekeeping will need to check this room.
This usually occurs after a guest has moved rooms.
VC The room has been inspected and is clean and ready for a guest.
ND The room is occupied and dirty.
NC The room is occupied and clean.
While it is important that you become familiar with all housekeeping codes, keep in mind that you
should only check in guests to rooms that are VC.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Guest Room Keys

Hyatt uses different electronic locking systems in guestrooms to ensure guest safety. SAFLOCK
and VING are two of the most common systems.
Maximizing Efficiency
ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Complete the Many successful Rooms Managers will attest that managing the Front Office will test your ability
activity detailed below, noting your answers in the space provided. to efficiently organize yourself and your staff. With the number of guests that interact with the
Retain the completed activity worksheet with your training materials. Front Desk and multiple shifts of managers and associates, it can be difficult to keep everyone
You need to become familiar with your hotel’s electronic key system.
organized and informed. There are several ways to drive efficiency of the Front Desk staff by
Meet with an Engineering Manager to locate and review the increasing organization and communication in the department.
following:
Mouse over each picture to learn about resources available to keep you and your team
Locate the key system name, series number, and software version organized.
of your guestroom key system.
Who orders new keys?
Who do you contact if you are having key concerns?

If a guest is having key issues who should you call?
What are the service standards for a demagnetized

guest room key card?
Who is responsible for repair of the key system? Is there an Trace System Logbook Supplies
emergency contact number for the key system manufacturer?
You may want to consider these “extras” to enhance the professional image of your Front Desk:
»» Personalized business cards for your Front Desk Agents - This can assist in building a strong
In addition, you need to have the number to Micros in the event of
professional perception from both the associates and guests minds. With a focus on empow-
an interface problem with OPERA and the key system. Micros is
Hyatt’s 24-hour technical support for OPERA. erment this may also aid during guest interactions.
Note Micros’ contact number here:

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Front Desk Image

In addition to ensuring your associates have the necessary supplies, you should make certain
that the physical equipment at the Front Desk is in working order such as keyboards, phones,
and OPERA terminals. Routinely review the products at the front desk to ensure they are in good
condition. Items may include: Gold Passport application holders, lamps, leather desk pads, etc.
You should manage your space by bringing to the attention of Engineering any items in need of ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Complete the
repair. Guests will also pay careful attention to the materials, such as maps or brochures that we activity detailed below, noting your answers in the space provided.
offer. Make sure that all of these materials are professionally printed; copies of copies are not Retain the completed activity worksheet with your training materials.
acceptable to provide to our guests.
Schedule a meeting with person responsible for how the Front Desk
interacts with the accounting department.
A guest’s perception of a hotel is not formed solely on the grand entrance and lobby or the
general cleanliness of the facility. Perception is formed by the guest’s entire experience includ- Who is available for assistance with financial questions?
ing the crisp uniforms worn by the staff, the smiles on the Agents faces and even the cleanliness
and organization they see at the Front Desk. You have the ability to significantly impact the
guests’ first impression. Who maintains the house banks? Who provides change?
Internal Relationships Who processes expenses?

It is important to build a relationship with all of the departments within the hotel. In a short
period of time, you will learn that there are a few key departments with whom you will interact
Who is responsible for payroll?
with daily. These individuals will be able to help you manage the Front Desk more efficiently and
impact the service you provide to your guests. Use the interactive diagram below to learn more
about the Front Desk’s relationship with all departments in the hotel.
Restaurant
It is equally important to establish a good working relationship
with all departments in the hotel as you will work with all of them in
different ways. For example, the manager of the Restaurant will
Convention assist in ensuring breakfast charges are posted in a timely manner so
Housekeeping Services &
Catering upon check-out guests have a complete bill including their breakfast
charges.
Engineering YOU Sales
Human All of the managers in your hotel will have some form of interaction
Accounting
Resources
with the Front Desk at one time or another. It is good practice to
take time and introduce yourself to all members of the management
team. This will help you and the hotel provide great guest service
and meet the financial goals of the hotel while building a strong
In-Room Dining camaraderie in the hotel.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Managing Your Inventory
Building on the hotel and Front Office information in the previous section, we will now expand
your knowledge by learning about the hotel’s room and revenue maintenance information. You
will see that each of the six sections described are independent of each other but all play a part
in the “big picture” of room and revenue management.

activity detailed below, noting your answers in the space provided. Competitive Set
Your hotel has an established competitive set that consists of four or more properties in your
Identify your hotel’s competitive set from the STR Report geographic area. In addition to their proximity, your competitive set is determined by the level of
service provided, and the likelihood to attract the same type of guest you would at your hotel.
1. Your hotel compares its performance against these hotels on items such as occupancy, average
rate and revenue per available room (RevPAR).
2.
This information aids the Yield Team in your hotel (General Manager, Rooms Executive, Director
of Sales, Controller and Revenue Manager) to evaluate the hotel’s performance against like
3. hotels. It is important for you to understand your competitive set for comparative reasons. You
should also develop a working knowledge of all the hotels in your area should you need to refer
potential guests you are unable to accommodate at your hotel location or direct guests who may
4.
be attending meetings at your hotel but staying at another location in your area.
5. STR Report
The hotel receives comparison data about its competitive set via the STR report. The STR report
is produced both weekly and monthly and is e-mailed from Smith Travel Research to your hotel’s
Visit each of these hotels. Tour the public areas and observe the GM and Revenue Manager. The information is then forwarded to your Rooms Executive. The STR
amenities available to guests; sit in the lobby and note the level of report provides information on how your hotel performed the month prior in relation to your
service provided by the Front Desk associates. Compare these competition. Using this report, the Yield Team meets to discuss the report and strategies to sell
properties to you own hotel. Did you observe any best practices that
the hotel.
can be used in your hotel?
The STR reports produced monthly are three pages in length. The report provides performance
measurements (occupancy, average rate, revenue per available room and market share) for an
individual hotel and comparative cumulative averages for the property’s market area and
selected competitors. In addition, monthly, year-to-date, and rolling twelve-month variations are
provided for performance measurements. This data enables hotel management to more
accurately and reliably answer questions regarding hotel performance.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
As the manager of the Front Office, you will often hear the term STR report being referred to by
the Yield Team in the hotel. It is important to have general knowledge of the STR report and the
data it contains to increase your knowledge of revenue management.
You can learn more about the STR report on the Operations website.
Introduction to EFLEX
At the Front Desk, a variety of systems are in place to track guest data and to provide services to
our guests. The three systems you will use most frequently are OPERA, RESERVE and EFLEX.
Before beginning to focus on the EFLEX system as a function in managing your inventory, a brief
description of the three systems and how they work together follows:
OPERA 
The OPERA system is used to manage guest reservations once in the hotel as well as coordinat-
ing housekeeping services and certain functions of guest accounting.
RESERVE 
RESERVE is our reservations booking system. RESERVE is used to book, change or cancel guest
reservations and to manage room inventory.
EFLEX is our revenue management system. The EFLEX system takes reservation information
from RESERVE to aid the hotel in maximizing revenue by deploying rates and selling strategies,
EFLEX 
which includes opening and closing the hotels ability to accept reservations.
The above three systems work together to control how rooms are booked and checked into the
hotel. Each reservation booked passes through the systems in the following manner:
»» A caller speaks to a reservations agent in Omaha or at the hotel to book a reservation. The
process of booking a reservation occurs in RESERVE. When the person/system booking the
reservation attempts to sell a room, RESERVE sends the reservation date through EFLEX.
»» The requested rate and dates of stay information are communicated to EFLEX. EFLEX acts as
a filter to accept reservations or decline them based on the rate plan that is being requested,
the arrival date, and the length of stay.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
For example: You have a busy Monday in your hotel, but are not yet sold out. The EFLEX filters
have been set to decline lower rated business. A caller who requests Government rate ($129)
asking to arrive on Monday and stay for one night might be told there is no availability. However,
a caller trying to book either government rate ($129) for 3 nights or... RACK rate ($189) could still
be sold a room.
»» If availability is found for the requested rate and length of stay, then RESERVE can generate a
confirmation number and the reservation is communicated to OPERA.
»» OPERA is where the reservation is ultimately checked in and checked out by the Front Desk.
The EFLEX system is primarily used by the General Manager, Rooms Executive, Director of Sales
and the Revenue Manager to manage and maximize the hotel’s revenue. As a Front Office
Manager you will not use this system daily but should have a working knowledge of it should the
need arise.
The goal of revenue management is to maximize the revenue the hotel achieves. The combina-
tion of number of rooms sold and the rate charged for those rooms determines the amount of
revenue the hotel takes in (occupied rooms multiplied by rate equals revenue). There are a
variety of factors that can be used to determine how to sell our rooms in order to achieve the
highest revenue possible. By adding length of stay as a factor (i.e. selling a room for one night at
$259, or for three nights at $149) we can affect the amount of revenue we have the potential to
earn.
EFLEX was designed to use historical data from the same time period last year and current day
of week trends (i.e. the last eight Mondays) to estimate the TRANSIENT demand for the hotel for
the various rate plans sold. (An example of a rate plan might be RACK/RACK/Room or DISC/
GVDS/Room, or VOLM/AAAD/Club.) By using the demand history, we can estimate how many
transient guests will book each of the rate plans and their typical length of stay.
Group rooms are managed in EFLEX by your revenue manager telling EFLEX how many group
rooms will be in the hotel on any given day and then the system works to maximize revenue for
the remaining rooms for transient guests. For example, we have a 1000 room hotel that has
group rooms for a M-T-W of 600-700-750 that would leave 400-300-250 rooms to be sold to
transient guests each night. EFLEX would then use the demand history for transient to determine
how the remaining rooms can be sold to achieve the greatest revenues.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Demand for some periods will be lower than our total number of rooms. During those times, we
would want to book as much business as possible, so we would sell all of our transient rate plans.
As demand increases and we have more demand than we have rooms, we will start to restrict
some rate plans and length of stay combinations, leaving only rates that have high revenue
contribution according to EFLEX estimates to achieve the highest revenues.
EFLEX completes calculations each night to re-evaluate the selling strategies based on any
changes that have occurred during the day. The system then generates recommendations that
the Revenue Manager of the hotel reviews and accepts or modifies. The recommendations put in
place by the Revenue Manager in EFLEX will update the filters that accept or decline reserva-
tions.
EFLEX also will recommend a number of rooms to be booked, using our cancellation and no
show history, in order to reach 100% occupancy for the hotel, which is called a booking limit.
Booking limits will be higher for future periods then for the next few days, as the data for the
current time period is stronger.
If you have a login code, EFLEX can be accessed on your hotel PC by logging onto maxim.hyatt.
com. Login codes are established in the system support area in Omaha and you should contact
them through your Rooms Executive if you are in a position that needs access to the system.
Let’s look at how the Recommendations screens could be used to open or close your hotel for
selling on a given day. We will have to look at the recommendations for both product availability
and for booking limits:
»» After we log into EFLEX we would go to the Recommend menu across the top of the screen.
Select the Product Availability option from the drop down menu. In the Product Availability
menu, we will use an “0” or “X” to open or close a rate plan. By touching the Send Availability
icon, our changes will be put in place and the screen refreshed with the changes we have
made.
»» To update the booking limit for the hotel, go to the Recommend menu across the top of the
screen and select the Booking Limit option from the drop down menu. In this screen you will
see detailed information on how many rooms are on the books and what the current booking
limit is. By entering a number in the Update Limit field and clicking the Send Availability, the
changes will be put in place and the screen will be refreshed with the changes that have been
made. If you have a 1000 room hotel with 400 check ins, you may want to set the booking limit
to 1040 rooms. EFLEX will recommend a booking limit but the user can modify the EFLEX
recommendation or accept it as is.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Performance Summary Graph You can also select one of four performance periods for your comparison:
Each day you will want to review the prior day’s performance. An easy way to accomplish »» Finalized monthly forecast
this is to use the Performance Summary Graph created in EFLEX. This graph provides a »» Prior year actuals
comparison of room nights, room revenue, room rate and occupancy results for the »» Annual forecast
transient and group markets and the total hotel. »» Current year-end projection
You can compare your performance daily for any of the previous 28 days or you can Generally you will want to view how you performed daily and month-to-date using the
compare your performance monthly for any of the previous 12 months using the following finalized monthly forecast as your performance period.
options:
»» Daily Above is an example of how a hotel is performing daily as compared to the finalized
»» Month-to-Date monthly forecast. The red represents a deficit and the green represents an overage.
»» Whole Month
»» Year-to-Date There are many more features in EFLEX that are accessed by various positions in the hotel.
»» Full Year As you have questions or need more training in the features of EFLEX, you can see your
»» Next Year hotel Revenue Manager. You can also find Quick Reference Guides and Users Guides for
this system on the Operations web site or by the link: www.hyattrevhelp.com

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
90-Day Forecast
Forecasting revenue is an on-going process throughout the year. The 90-day forecast is generated in EFLEX and
contains a 30, 60 and 90 day look ahead at forecasted revenues. Forecasting for the year is done in the annual
budget process in the 4th quarter of the previous year. As a Front Office Manager, this report is valuable because
it will help you to identify strong and weaker months in the near future. You can use this information to assist you ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet.
in making decisions on staffing needs, scheduling and even purchasing supplies. To that end, the 90-day forecast
Obtain a copy of your hotel’s most current 90-day forecast. Discuss
is just that, a forecast. This report should be one of many tools to make your regular planning decisions. any questions you may have regarding the 90-day forecast with
your Rooms Executive. Retain the completed activity worksheet
For each month, the updated forecast will be compared to the annual budget. Part of the forecasting process is to with your training materials
manage our expenses and to keep them in line with the annual budget. Here is an example:
Note any questions here:
We did an annual budget for February that had rooms occupancy at 76%. As February got closer, we saw that a
big group had not picked up as expected. Our revised February forecast was 72% (we dropped 4% in occupancy
of a 76% total, this represents a 5.3% drop from annual budget (4% divided by 76%)). With the drop in occupancy,
the expenses of the hotel will need to be adjusted as well to keep profit in line with the annual budget. We would
want to adjust spending down by 5.3% if possible. This might mean putting off purchasing something in February
if it can wait until March. It might mean being able to approve a manager’s vacation in the month or offering if any
manager would like to take their vacation to save
payroll, and because occupancy is down it should be
fine, etc.
Another example is the other direction - your

revenues grow. This might allow for additional
expenses depending on the needs of the hotel.
Managing the hotel’s payroll and expenses is

ultimately the responsibility of the person writing the
departmental schedule, or completing a Purchase
Order (PO). Think about writing a schedule. When
you post that schedule on the wall, it is like you have
just written a check for all those hours. Your respon-
sibility as a manager is to know the status of the
“balance in the account” before you write that
check.
To the right is what one section of the 90-day

forecast can look like. Your Rooms Executive has
access to this report. It will be shared with you to
view upcoming business and to plan accordingly.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Reservations
From managing your inventory, we now move into the reservations portion of the guest experi-
ence. This section will cover room rates, booking a reservation and the RESERVE system which is
used to book, change or cancel guest reservations and manage room inventory.
ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Retain the completed
activity worksheet with your training materials.
Rate Structure
Each hotel has different rack rates that change yearly. Identify what the rate is
Your hotel can deploy up to twenty different Rack or Best Available Rates (BAR) transient rates.
for each of the Daily Pricing Strategies at your hotel. Review market and rate
code structures with your revenue/reservations manager. Discuss how the rate These are referred to as Daily Pricing Strategies (DPS). The DPS code translates the BAR you are
codes from E-Flex translate into OPERA. List your hotel market codes: selling in RESERVE. Each hotel has different DPS and usually updates their pricing yearly or as
needed. Your hotel may also update your DPS during the year to accommodate fluctuations in
business such as summer and winter demand. Each DPS has dependant rates attached to the
BAR of the day. When the DPS is changed all dependant rates change as well.
Example: DPS-A1 is a BAR of $249. We have set the Family Plan (FAMPLN) rate to be 50% off so
it is $124.50. If a hotel then changes their DF’S to DPS-B1, the BAR is $219 the FAMPLN auto-
matically changes to $109.50. This is the reason that many more rates will show up on the Rate
Check Report in OPERA. Each hotel has dependant rates set at a % or $ off of the BAR.
The rate code you see in OPERA reflects the rate the reservation was booked at. When you walk
in a guest at the best available rate (BAR) the rate will fall into one of the rate codes loaded in
OPERA.
In addition to transient rates, your Hotel will have rates set for the Individual Traveler called
Volume Accounts. Volume Accounts
are established for companies that
have negotiated special/discounted
Identify your Top 5 Volume Accounts. Who are they? How much revenue and rates with Hyatt or a specific hotel.
occupancy do they bring to the table? Note the answers below: The lower rate is based on the
company being able to produce a
1.
certain number of room nights per
year.
2. This number is a hotel by hotel, or
company-wide determination.
3. Your BTSM (Business Travel Sales
Manager) that works out of sales will
4. be able to provide you with a list of
accounts including rates, amenities
5. and policies. In addition, your hotel
also books group conferences that have group rates contracted. These group rates are a
contracted value that takes into account occupancy, other business booked in the hotel, history
of the group, etc. These rates will vary and are set by your Sales Team.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
RESERVE
The primary users of the RESERVE system in the hotel are Reservation Agents, Front Desk staff,
the Revenue Manager, and the Rooms Executive. Hyatt offers an online training tool to learn the
basics of RESERVE. You can access this course on hyattlearning.com. You will need to build a
working knowledge of RESERVE as you may need to perform certain functions during your time
at the Front Desk.
As a Front Office Manager, there are several management functions in RESERVE that you will use
frequently and should become familiar with. Mouse over the functions below to learn more:
To override a rate
To force sell a room
To duplicate a reservation
To unmask credit cards
To cancel a reservation
To reinstate reservations
When the Revenue Manager is not available to make changes to the hotel’s inventory, you can
use the options detailed on the following page to assist in managing your operations and to
maximize your revenue. You will need to know how to change the rate of the day, so if, for
example, the local airport closes and your demand suddenly increases, you can capture a better
rate. To assist you in filling the hotel you will need to know how to open and close the availability.
If you change any rates or open/close inventory, you will have to inform your Revenue Manager
and Rooms Executive.

To change either the rate of the day or to open and close inventory, you will need to access
RESERVE. Below are steps you can take to accomplish these tasks via the RESERVE Quick Menu.
You can find a step-by-step guide to these and more functions on the Operations website on the
link: www.hyattrevhelp.com.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
»» Changing rate of the day

›› To access the Quick Menu, select Option 2 from the RESERVE menu.
›› Then select tab 1: Quick DPS. You can change rate of the day or tomorrow’s rate via this
screen.
»» Opening and Closing Inventory

›› To access the Quick Menu, select Option 2 from the RESERVE menu.
›› Then select tab ‘2: Quick Inventory. You can close or open a day’s inventory.
›› When a reservation is booked through RESERVE, it is processed via the interface between
RESERVE and OPERA. When a key piece of information is not found, such as Room Type,
Rack Rate, Market and Rate, Request Code, or Property Code, there is an error in the
Translation Table between OPERA and RESERVE. You will need to fix the problem and
process the reservation.
›› For example: A reservation is booked as a KING room in RESERVE. One of your Front Desk
Agents blocks the reservation into a room with two beds. The guest calls Reservations to
update the credit card number to hold the reservation. After the change is made, the
reservation will become unaccepted because of the room type mismatch. You will need to
remove the room assignment from the reservation, process it, and then re-block the room.
›› There are several circumstances why a reservation would become discrepant. Review this
process of fixing reservation discrepancies with your Reservation Manager.
eStandby
eStandby allows guests who book on hyatt.com the option to upgrade at a discounted price,
based on the upgraded room being available at time of check-in. When making a reservation on
hyatt.com, if the hotel participates and an upgrade is available, guests will have the option for a
“Unique Upgrade Opportunity” which advises them that there may be times when premium
rooms are still available and can be offered at check-in for an additional reduced fee per night.
If eStandby is not selected at the time of reservation, E-concierge (Cendyn) email confirmations
will contain another opportunity for the guest to request eStandby. eStandby upgrades are
substantial savings and are determined at time of check-in and not guaranteed. If the upgrade is
not available at time of check-in, the guest will keep their originally confirmed room, paying
nothing extra. This service allows the guest to feel as though they are receiving a great deal on
an upgraded room and allows the hotel to increase revenue when they would otherwise be
unable to see or use the upgraded rooms.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Guest History
Guest History is a key component of RESERVE. It houses profiles on past guests and information
on guest incidents during previous stays. All hotels have access to view and record information
in Guest History, so we are able to access a picture of every request or event that has happened
during a guest’s stay at any Hyatt hotel. We know that our guests have varied wants and needs,
as well as “hot buttons”. When history is used correctly, it gives us an advantage to eliminate any
guest concerns before they arise and provide service beyond the guest’s expectations.
You will use Guest History on a frequent basis to enter information on guest experiences at your
property as well as to review profiles of our repeat guests.
If an issue of guest satisfaction arises, all details of the problem must be entered into the
RESERVE Guest History system.
There are six segments in the Guest History area. As you read left to right, each segment of
Guest History is a tab and is numbered one through six. Mouse over the Guest History Box to
the right to learn more.
Guest History makes it easy to anticipate guests’ needs. Each day, your Rooms Executive will
receive an e-mail from Report Services in Omaha with Arrival Stay Comments for all reservations
checking in on that day. You will be forwarded this report. This information can prepare your
hotel to respond to the needs of a guest. It is important that you review the information daily
and take action. Taking action includes flagging the guests’ needs for appropriate staff, ensuring
that the same concern or similar issues are checked prior to the guest’s arrival so they do not
happen again, and most importantly, ensuring the guest has a great stay once they are on
property.
You will find a detailed reference guide for Guest History by visiting www.hyattrevhelp.com.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Opera Guest History

For any guest who has a Gold Passport or Guest History (H #) linked to the RESERVE reservation
and a previous stay recorded in Guest History, RESERVE will send the guest history information
to Opera once, three days prior to the arrival date (e.g. Feb. 1 for Feb. 3 arrivals).
The program runs automatically after the RESERVE night audit in Chicago around 2am US time.
The “rules” of the guest history download are as follows:

»» For reservations made for arrival within the next 3 days, RESERVE will send the Guest
»» History download after the current day’s night audit
»» For reservations previously made but arrival was changed to the next 3 days, RESERVE will
send the Guest History download after the current day’s night audit
»» For reservations made for today’s arrival, RESERVE will send the guest history information
right after the reservation is saved.
»» Guest History information is only sent down if guest has “stay records” in RESERVE Guest
History. In other words, if there is no information in Tab1 (Stay History), even if the Gold
Passport or Guest History is linked to the reservation, it will not be sent to Opera. The data
 
from RESERVE is sent to Opera through user-defined fields (UDFs), which are shown below,
with the corresponding Opera screen field name. RESERVE guest history information is
downloaded to Opera PMS. However, each of the fields is limited to 200 characters. Any
information above that will not be reflected in Opera.
Example:
On the stay and history fields, the information sent is broken down as detailed to the left.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Preparation
Now that the guest reservations have been made, you begin the process of
preparing for guest arrivals and departures. In this section you will learn
about the many different tools that provide information to assist you in
properly planning and scheduling your associates.
11-Day Forecast
The 11-day forecast is generated by the Revenue Manager in EFLEX and
distributed weekly to assist you in preparing your department schedule and
to plan for department expenditures. The 11-day forecast is an estimate of
future levels of business. It is based on hotel history, business currently on the
books and trends from the recent past.
This report provides information on arrivals and departures, total occupied

rooms, guest occupancy and guest count for the next 11 days. Please note, if
a group cancels or there is a significant event, i.e. snow blizzard, the numbers
on the 11-day forecast could change quickly requiring that you review your
schedule and expenditures and adjust accordingly.
To review the activity for a given day, start at the date on the left side of the activity detailed below, noting your answers in the space provided.
page, and follow the information from left to right. Rollover the 11-Day Retain the completed activity worksheet with your training
materials.
Forecast on the right to learn more.
It is important to quickly become familiar with the payroll
Payroll Forecast forecasting method used at your property and the payroll forecast
that has been created. Arrange for a meeting with your Controller
Your Controller or Rooms Executive will provide you with a monthly payroll to obtain a copy of forecasting documents and to review any
forecast (actual dollar amounts versus number of agents). questions you have on how to use them for scheduling. Questions
to consider for your Controller:
The payroll forecast should provide you with a Cost Per Occupied Room
How is the CPOR generated?
(CPOR), which is used as a guideline for scheduling your Front Desk Agents.
When you are completing the schedule, you should compare the CPOR from
your payroll forecast and the CPOR calculated on the schedule.
The CPOR is only a guideline. Your primary consideration in creating your

schedule should be guest satisfaction. If you need to exceed your forecast, What challenges have you seen previous Front Office Managers
you should discuss your proposed staffing level with your Rooms Executive. experience using these tools?
You should maintain records to document additional requested and ap-
proved payroll.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
SCHEDULE FORM
Weekly Front Desk Schedule
HYATT HOTEL NAME DEPARTMENT NAME Your Front Desk schedule should balance the occupancy of the hotel and the needs of your
DATE
guests with financial responsibility. You will use the payroll forecast and schedule costing form to
DAY
determine your schedule, also considering the variables in the upcoming week’s business levels.
Overtime is Calculated
You should review your proposed schedule with your Rooms Executive before posting the
Are the breaks paid?
SELECT NUMBER OF ASSOCIATES IN INCREMENTS OF 25 information for your Agents.

Occupancy
Rooms Occupied
Your schedule is a live document and as such, you should continue to watch changes in occu-
Arrivals
Departures
11 pancy to adjust the schedule throughout the scheduled week. If you find the need to increase
DAY
Guests your staffing levels after the schedule is posted, you will want to discuss potential changes with
Covers - Breakfast your Rooms Executive before moving forward.
Covers - Lunch
11
Covers - Dinner
Covers- Total
DAY
Ensure the schedule is approved and posted by the posting date/time stated in the Employee
Revenue Handbook and/or Union Contract. To maintain a high level of employee satisfaction, you want to
Payroll Prelim or honor employee requests whenever possible and limit split days off and back-to-back shifts. You
Update
Total Hours
should have a procedure in place for employees that need to request time off, like a request
Mgmt Payroll
Mgmy Total Hours Schedule

time off logbook or request slips. Keep in mind, while weekends can be busy due to the mix of
Mgmt Overtime Hrs family and/or convention business, this is when staff generally requests time off. You will need to
Others $ Earnings Schedule keep the customer in mind and staff according to the guests’ needs and customer experience.
Payroll
Schedule
You may want to consider Part-Time Agents to fill in where you frequently have high requested
Total Hours
Overtime Hours
Total
days off to meet both employee requests and to ultimately satisfy the customer.
Show
Row-Pg Rate of
Last
Name Job
Start End Start End Start End Start End Start End Start End Start End Throughout the week, review the facility forecast report for the remainder of the week or in
Week
Pay OPERA view the control panel (shift F2). This will assist in ensuring that the weekly schedule
Note Note Note Note Note Note Note
1-1 reflects accurate information, as you get closer to arrivals, departures and occupancy for the
2-1 week. After the schedule has been posted, if it is necessary to make changes to reflect an
3-1
increase or decrease in staffing, contact the affected Agents immediately to discuss the
4-1
5-1
necessary changes. This is also important when overtime is necessary to accommodate business
6-1 needs. You cannot assume your associates can work more hours or shifts than posted on the
7-1 weekly schedule. You should speak with each associate directly and request their additional
8-1
assistance.
9-1
10-1
11-1
12-1
13-1
14-1
15-1
16-1
17-1
18-1
19-1

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
AM and PM Checklists
Part of your responsibility in managing the Front Desk is ensuring that all operational tasks are
completed and standards are met on a daily basis. An AM and PM checklist has been developed
which includes tasks that must be performed daily. Review the checklist images right.
As part of your training plan, you will review these checklists in greater detail with your supervisor.
You can also find copies of the checklists on Hyatt Connect.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Reservations Reports
The Detailed Arrivals Report is run for scheduled arrivals both
day-of and for future arrivals. The Detailed Arrivals Report
provides information on arriving guests (to block rooms as
necessary), address any specific guest needs (connecting
rooms), and preview any Guest History comments.
In OPERA, the Reservations Reports Menu will allow you to print

a variety of items to facilitate the check-in process.
Room Plan
The Room Plan Option will be helpful when your hotel is
anticipating high occupancy or you find yourself short of certain
room types. During periods of high occupancy, it is important to
block future rooms behind current reservations in order to
maximize the rooms you have available at present. For example,
you may be short on room types due to a convention needing a
majority of one bed type or a weekend of family arrivals that will
need double beds. If your future rooms are not blocked
correctly, your pool of available rooms for three nights may look
small because of other rooms arriving that are blocked midway
through the three night stay. This report is also useful in placing
multiple rooms in Out of Service (00S) status for renovation or a
special project, to ensure you have not missed any rooms. In this
case, you will see “OS Reno” instead of a guest name in the date
field. You can view the room plan screen by several different
search options (room type, room class, floor, specific rooms,
features, smoking).
You will be able to view this option by room type. Again, if you
are short on a specific room type for the day, you would view
this screen and see where you have opportunities to back up
future reservations behind either current reservations or
occupied rooms making a seamless arrival and departure
pattern.
Use your mouse to rollover the room plan to see examples and
learn more. With this example, you could move the reservation
for room 210 (Jung, David) to room 215 and you would free 210
for a reservation with a longer length of stay.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Resumes
During the sales process, a Sales Manager and a group business contact will determine various
contractual items, such as room rate, number of room nights to be booked and meeting room
space needed. After the business is booked, the group will be assigned to a Convention
Services Manager who will detail all contractual information in a group resume. This will be sent
to all departments to provide them with the information needed to meet the requirements of the
group.
The resume will provide important information such as:

»» Name of group
»» Group profile
»» Billing
»» Contractual agreements
»» Arrivals/Departures/Pick-Up
»» VIP’s
»» Departmental group details
»» Planned food functions
Use your mouse to rollover the resumes to the right.
OPERA Technical Information
“Cancel Check In”

A reservation may need to be recovered for one of the following reasons:
»» The wrong reservation was checked in
»» The hotel is relocating guests and the wrong reservation was relocated, or you decide to
check-in the guest after relocating the reservation
To recover a reservation, refer to the option “Cancel Check In”, by going into the front desk
mode/ in house guests, when selecting the guest that was checked in incorrectly, you will have
the option to “cancel c/i.”
At any time, for any system malfunctions or concerns, contact micros for assistance.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Cleaning Up Departures
Housekeeping is responsible for checking rooms that have not departed as of check-out time. It
Due Outs 1:48pm is important to investigate these departures in order to be able to accommodate arriving guests,
manage your room inventory effectively and positively impact guest service in case there has
Line Room No. Last Name First Name Departure Time
been a miscommunication of departure dates between the guest and the Front Desk.
Number
1 2013 Andreini Alan 00:00
Shortly after your hotel’s scheduled check-out time the Housekeeping team will deliver a list of
2 2029 Kim Donald 00:00
any remaining departures to the Front Desk with a housekeeping status next to each room
3 2031 Kelley Kristine 00:00 number. You will use this list to check-out any rooms that are listed as vacant and follow up with
4 2034 Hutchinson Tom 00:00 any guests that have not requested a late check-out to inquire about their departure. Consider
5 3001 Styck Bill 15:00 arranging a formal time, usually 1pm, with the Housekeeping Manager for the daily delivery of
6 4033 Nader Fadi 00:00 updated guestroom departures if a time has not yet been established. A time should also be
7 4036 Hanney Kevin 00:00
arranged later in the day, usually 3pm, for an update on rooms still occupied. This generally
includes a packed or not packed comment for each room still on the departure list giving you
8 4040 Kahara Linda & Ben 00:00
insight as to intended departure.
9 4044 Kimmel Donald 00:00
10 4060 Fellerer Todd 00:00 In this example, it is 1:48pm, and there are several guests left to depart. One of these guests has
been granted a 4pm late check-out. Housekeeping will check these rooms after the departure
check-out time indicated if the guests have not already checked out at the Front Desk. After
checking the room, Housekeeping will inform the Front Desk of the status of the rooms.
Kiosk Management
As the Front Desk Manager, your responsibility is to properly train your staff on the usage of the
kiosk, educate guests on the benefits of its use, and ensure the kiosk(s) is fully stocked with
paper and keys. Just like any other piece of machinery, regular maintenance is required. Follow-
ing is a list of Daily, Weekly and Monthly tasks that should be performed to ensure optimal
performance:
Daily:
»» Check key cards and paper levels. Ensure that the keys are facing the correct way, and are
stacked to the recommended level. (There is a mark on the key hopper to designate this level.)
Improperly loaded keys and papers will occasionally cause issues with your kiosks that will
require a maintenance call.
»» Clean the Touch Screen. Touch screens should be cleaned throughout the day and during
heavy periods of usage. This is a matter of health for your guests as well as an attempt to keep
the screens working properly.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
»» Clean out the rejected key tray. It is important to check this daily to avoid a build up of keys.
A common cause of service tickets to the NCR help desk is an ignored build up of keys in the
tray.
»» Do not store the paper within the cabinet. If the new thermal rolls of kiosk paper are stored
within the cabinet, the heat generated from the kiosk will cause the paper to be ineffective
before it is even used. ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Discuss the
»» Ensure your amenity and guest services printers are connected and working properly. Printers following questions. Retain the completed activity worksheet with
being offline can cause kiosks to run slowly and ultimately be out of order, creating the need your training materials.
for a service request.
It is important that you understand the guest experience when using
a Kiosk to check-in and check-out. Ask you supervisor to make a
Weekly reservation for you and utilize the Kiosk to check yourself in and out.
»» Calibrate your touch screens. On the kiosk’s diagnostic screen, choose calibrate touch screen,
and follow the prompts to complete the calibration. If you have trouble, open a ticket with the Note your answers to the following questions below:
NCR help desk and a technician will complete the calibration for you.
What did you like about using the Kiosk?
Monthly
»» Clean the encoder and key dispenser. A specially designed “cleaning card” should be utilized Did you experience any issues?
to clean both the encoder and dispenser.
What questions might a guest have about the process?
Meet with your Rooms Executive to discuss the Kiosks at your hotel.
Note your answers to the following questions below:
How are supplies ordered and stocked?
When would I need to contact NCR? How do I reach them?
What is the current Kiosk usage and how is it checked?
Note any additional questions you have here:

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Kiosks should be easily accessible in the Lobby and your hotel should have a process in place to
ensure it is being fully utilized. It is recommended that you utilize a Lobby Ambassador for
directional assistance, especially on heavy arrival and departure days. All Bell Attendants should
know how to use the kiosk and should be comfortable escorting guests to expedite the check- in
and check-out process. If the proper systems are in place at your hotel, you can expect usage of
30% or better for check-in and check-out transactions and a success rate of 90% or better.
Currently, transactions offered by the kiosk are:

›› Check-in
›› Check-out
›› Gold Passport Enrollment
Although kiosk’s provide a self serve option to our travelers, there are still opportunities to
provide great guest service. In the video clips you are about to see take note of how the agent
interacts with the guest to offer assistance and expedite the guests arrival. In addition, should
the kiosk not be able to complete a guests transaction it is important that an associate is
available to offer the guests further assistance at the desk rapidly. Included as well, is a clip on
how to deliver the benefits of the Gold Passport Program as well as assisting multiple guests at
one time. Now, let’s watch several examples of service interactions. Click on the video player
below to start the video.
Your Rooms Executive is the main contact for the kiosk(s) if you have any questions or experience
issues with the machines. For additional questions, program update or concerns, contact Hyatt’s
Kiosk Project Manager with NCR.
You will find additional kiosk information on the Operations website.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Newspaper Delivery Program
As part of Hyatt’s brand identity to deliver daily newspapers to Hyatt Gold Passport members,
VIP guests, Regency and Grand Club guests and to all guests staying in the hotel’s suites, you
will be responsible for compiling the expected number of newspapers needed and placing the
order via fax, phone or Internet.
ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Retain the
Papers should be placed neatly in front of the guest room doors. If you run short of newspapers completed activity worksheet with your training materials.
to deliver, you should purchase additional newspapers from the gift shop so that no guest room
delivery is omitted. Meet with your manager to discuss Hyatt’s newspaper program
using the following questions as a basis for your discussion. Note
your answers below.
Additionally you should keep copies of popular and/or local papers at the Bell Desk. Ensure
these newspapers are professionally displayed and in good condition. What papers do we deliver to our guests?
What papers do we keep at the Bell Desk?
How do we order the newspapers?
What time do orders need to be placed?
What time are the newspapers delivered?
Who is the newspaper delivery contact?
Where do we purchase newspapers should we run short?

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Daily Reconciliation
Cashier Shift Close (also known as the Roll Out)

At the end of their shift, each Front Desk Agent will print the Cashier Balance Report to show
their accounting activity (ie. adjustments, cash payments, checkouts) during their shift. The
Agent uses this report to balance their bank and prepare their drop (cash, checks, certificates)
for the day.
As a manager, it is your responsibility to view and sign off on each Agent’s roll out. You will need
The roll out contains a variety of information. In order to process this to ensure that their Shift Drop Report balances with their cash drop and corresponding back up
information correctly, you should review the Shift Drop Report with for any adjustments made during the shift, with their journal report.
your Controller. What are the common problems at the Front Desk
with balancing to the Shift Drop Report? If the Cashier Shift Drop Report and cash drop do not balance, you and the agent will need to
research why the amounts are different. If the issue cannot be resolved, conduct a thorough
List your findings below:
investigation before the Agent drops over/short. This will be addressed according to the Cash
1 Handling policy. Additionally, you will need to complete a roll out at the end of each shift.
2 An example of the Cashier Closure Display follows:

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Managing Adjustments/ Allowances/ Corrections

As hard as we try to provide excellent guest service to each and every guest, there will be times
when our guests may be dissatisfied with our service. In this case, we may need to provide some
form of compensation to the guest in order to maintain their loyalty in which we would make an
adjustment or allowance that refers to a reduction in revenue due to a service problem, and not ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Retain the
an error in posting. Errors in posting, such as posting incorrect rate, are treated as an adjustment completed activity worksheet with your training materials.
or correction to revenue, regardless of the accounting period in which the error occurred.
Adjustment types correspond to a numeric adjustment code. You
need to know your hotel’s adjustment codes and the types of
As a manager of the Front Desk you are responsible for managing adjustments/ corrections, adjustments that typically occur.
being knowledgeable of why they occur, and working towards correcting the issue in order to
minimize them. You will review all adjustments by your staff daily and view the reason they have Locate your hotel’s “cheat sheet” or reference guide and review.
written on the folio. The manager that signs the staff’s roll out must ensure that the adjustments
reasons are done correctly and question the staff if necessary.
Now that you have reviewed adjustments at the Front Desk, there are specific adjustments that
require additional information in order to control and manage them. Mouse over each picture to
learn more about each type of adjustment.
Guest Room Telephone Movie ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Retain the
Understand the process the guest goes through in order to view a

movie.
With all adjustments you must remember that adjusting equates to removing revenue from the
hotel’s bottom line. You and your team will work toward achieving the goal of satisfying the Check in a house use room, go to the guest room and order a movie.
guest, creating an opportunity to regain the guest’s loyalty, and still meet the hotel’s financial View the charge for the movie in OPERA. Meet with an Engineering
goals. You will need to research the hotels top guest problems and concerns to review them with Manager to review the On Command system.
your employees. As well, role play each situation with your employees to ensure they are
From the On Command system, pull up the room and review movie
comfortable handling each type of complaint. We should not set any limitations to your employ-
charges. Ensure that you adjust off the movie charge in OPERA when
ees’ empowerment technique, as the overall goal is to have every guest leave satisfied, though this activity is complete.
there may be times you will need to coach an employee on some additional options of compen-
sation for particular guest complaints.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
In addition, when training your agents, you will want to emphasize that they provide a response
appropriate to the level of the guest’s problem. Most guests are very reasonable and are looking
for an apology and assurance that a similar problem will not occur again. Click and listen to the
following voice overs.
Guest: “Hi, this is Mrs. Smith, the Housekeeper forgot to replace my coffee.”
Front Office Agent: “Mrs. Smith, my apologies and allow me to adjust your room rate for last
evening, give you a complimentary night at any Hyatt of your choice, and buy you dinner this
evening. I will also have a package of coffee sent to your room immediately.”
In the example above, the compensation offered to the guest far exceeds the gravity of the
problem.
Now let’s see how you would appropriately address this issue.
Guest: “Hi, this is Mrs. Smith, the Housekeeper forgot to replace my coffee.”
Front Office Agent: “Mrs. Smith, I am so sorry that your coffee was not replaced. May I have In
Room Dining deliver coffee to your room right now as well as deliver additional coffee packets?”
Guest: “Yes, I would really appreciate that.”
You will want your staff to assess the level of concern and then follow through with compensa-
tion. New agents may find it difficult to assess what and how much compensation to give for
each different issue. The best way to achieve a comfort level with your associates is through your
feedback and support. As you review adjustments, ensure to meet with staff members to review
what happened and compensation given either to commend them or to counsel on alternative
options. Keep in mind, you want to be creative when trying to resolve guest issues; consider
offering breakfast vouchers, upgrades for future stays or Gold Passport points. If there is an
instance that would justify removing an entire night’s stay, consider offering a complimentary
evening for the guest to return to your hotel with a hotel specific voucher before crediting the
stay. This option focuses on regaining the guest’s faith in your hotel’s service and product.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Tracking Adjustments & Corrections CORRECTIONS ADJUSTMENTS
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Overall, tracking of adjustments and corrections on a daily, monthly, and annual basis will give
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parking, phone, and any other areas of opportunity for your hotel.
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1 Dec $10.00 $84.00
You may want to track your adjustments daily if you have a concern with a certain adjustment 2 Dec $21.00
code and you want to look further into why the adjustments are being given. In the example 3 Dec $21.00 $21.00 $21.00
4 Dec $21.00 $84.00
provided to the right you can see each reason given for the specific adjustment and the amount
5 Dec $21.00
adjusted per day. Over time, you will be able to see which reason is most prevalent, and make
6 Dec $42.00 $21.00 $10.50 $21.00
the necessary corrections to minimize the number of adjustments/corrections. 7 Dec $42.00
8 Dec $42.00 $10.50 $21.00
You will want to track your adjustments monthly to be able to easily identify trends. For example, 9 Dec $63.00 $42.00 $42.00
you may find that each April and December your phone adjustments increase significantly. Upon 10 Dec $42.00 $42.00
11 Dec $42.00 $42.00
researching the group and transient guest mix, you find that guests during these two months are
12 Dec $5.00 $21.00
mostly transient. You may then instruct your Front Desk staff to remind the guests of phone
13 Dec $42.00
billing at check-in to try to eliminate adjustments. 14 Dec $21.00
15 Dec $21.00 $105.00 $21.00
Mouse over the Adjustment Tracker below for further details. You can get the monthly total of 16 Dec $21.00 $21.00
each adjustment code from the Financial Payments and Revenue Report. Another good report 17 Dec $21.00
18 Dec $42.00
to review corrections and adjustments is the Negative Postings Report, which is located in the
19 Dec $42.00
End of Day reports option. This report is updated each day, and records the negative postings
20 Dec $42.00 $21.00
for the current day. Both reports should be left for you by your Night Auditor each morning with 21 Dec $15.00
the day prior’s activity. 22 Dec $42.00
23 Dec
24 Dec
25 Dec $42.00
26 Dec $25.00
27 Dec
28 Dec
29 Dec
30 Dec
31 Dec
Total $210.00 $202.00 $231.00 $210.00 $42.00 $84.00 $63.00 $42.00 $147.00 $168.00
% 15% 14% 17% 15% 3% 6% 5% 3% 11% 12%
Grand Total $1,399.00

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Rate Check Report

The PM Manager runs the Rate Check Report nightly to ensure all rates are correct and eliminate
unnecessary adjustments prior to the rate posting during the night audit process. You access the
Rate Check Report in the OPERA system under Reports.
You have the option to print this report by room class, room type, rate code, block code and
reservation status. In addition to running the Rate Check Report for transient guests, you will
ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Retain the want to print a group rate variance when you have a conference in-house that has shared rooms
completed activity worksheet with your training materials. or rate changes to ensure the rates are running correctly. In this case, it is much easier and more
efficient to run by rate code (i.e., IBMM).
Hyatt offers wireless Internet as an amenity to our guests. Each hotel
offers wireless Internet in its own way. To assist guests with
questions on the wireless system your hotel offers, you will need to Proper comments should be placed on the reservation (under comments) for any complimentary
become familiar and comfortable with using it. rate so that you will be able to view these details on your Rate Check Report.
Use an available laptop in the hotel to access wireless Internet in the

When reviewing the Rate Check Reports, there should be only minimal variances in the variance
hotel lobby and guest room. Note your answers to the following
questions below: column. If you find any inaccuracies when reviewing the report, you should research the reason
for the rate variance. If the variance affects a group rate, you should reference the group resume,
How do you log on to the wireless Internet? RESERVE or OPERA for more information. If you show a variance in a transient rate, you will want
to look through OPERA comments and/or RESERVE to see if there are explanations for rates. You
will also want to update any transient rates that reflect a variance because the Rate Code does
Who is the hotel’s Internet provider?
not reflect the rate shown (for example, a room rate of $189 shows under the grouping code as
RACK D1, when it should be coded RACK B1).
Is there a fee for Internet service? How is the guest charged?
A review of room rate variances must be completed by the PM Manager each evening before the
night audit process begins. Also, for groups in house that have routing set up for their guests, it
If a guest is not receiving a strong wireless signal, is there a way you is helpful to review the routing details report to ensure billing is accurate.
can provide assistance?
If there is a problem, whom do you and/or the guest contact?

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
The “Day After”
The guests have arrived and your daily reconciliation is complete.
The following day, you need to begin the process of identifying discrepancies from the prior
day’s arrivals and review hotel data based on the previous night’s occupancy. The four key
reports that will provide this information are detailed below. Mouse over each category to
learn about each in more depth.
Describe your hotel’s cancellation policy. How much time does a

guest have to cancel the reservation before being charged a fee?
What is the fee charged?
Note your answers below:
Cancelled 
No‐Show  Rate Class  “Flash” 
Reservations 
Billing  Report  Report 
Billing 

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Daily Report
 The Daily Report provides a listing of the hotel’s revenue and

 expenses for the previous day and month to date. The purpose

of the report is to provide managers data on the exact financial
       position of their department. The report also provides pertinent
 













 


information on arrivals, departures and occupancy from the day




















prior.
          






























The Accounting Department distributes the report to managers






























daily during the week, with Saturday and Sunday reports

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delivered on Monday. The Front Desk Management Team
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should review the Daily Report regularly to ensure they are
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managing expenses appropriately.
              
              

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Use your mouse to rollover the image to your left to learn more

about the areas on the report you will need to review on a daily
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
         basis.
              
              
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         
         
         
              
         
         
         
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              
              
              
              
              
          

              
              
              
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 

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Retain the completed activity
Month End worksheet with your training materials.
The Profit and Loss statement (P&L) summarizes all revenues and expenses by specific
Obtain a copy of your P&L and review the following areas with your Rooms Executive
line items. It is produced and distributed monthly by the Accounting Department. The P&L to learn more about what these line items mean to your hotel.
provides you with a current picture of revenues and expenses in three categories: Actual,
Budget and Last Year • Rooms Revenue (Transient Rooms, Group Rooms, Contract Rooms)
• Other Rooms Revenue (Early Departure Fees,
Late Check Out Fees, No Show Fees)
P&L • Allowances
»» This number was put together in the 3rd quarter of the prior year. The budget is the basis • Guest Relocation Expenses
for all financial decisions and financial performance is based on how well you did compared
Note any feedback and comments here:
to the budget. Updates are generally given monthly due to the rise and fall of anticipated
business.
»» Your Rooms Executive will review the P&L with you monthly. Mouse over the P&L below to
learn more about each section of the report.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
RAS
RAS (Report Automation System) is generally used by the Accounting Department in the hotel.
There are some functions that you will need to learn in order to assist guests with service
requests as well as to process and research front desk activity, for any requests prior to OPERA
installation. If your hotel has only used OPERA as your property management system/then RAS
is not necessary, and all listed functions are available in OPERA.
ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print these activity worksheets. Retain the
completed activity worksheet with your training materials. Functions you may use frequently in the RAS system include:
»» Folio retrieval
Ask you manager the following: Do we use RAS to access guest activ- »» Front desk changes
ity? If yes, retrieve the Front Desk RAS training guide on the
»» Cashier transaction report
Operations website and review with your manager.
»» Reservation changes report
Ask the following: How do I retrieve a folio? How do I access front »» Booked report
desk changes? How do I view the cashier transaction report? »» Revenue by transaction code
»» Flash report
Note your answers below:
You will find the full Front Desk RAS Training Guide on the Operations web site.


FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Managing a “Sold Out” House
A sold out situation can occur for a number of reasons. Hotels will generally book more reserva-
tions than there are rooms available to maximize revenue, assuming that some reservations will
cancel or change and that some guests will no-show. Both EFLEX and RESERVE have an edu-
cated process that reviews and determines what anticipated no-show and cancellations will be
for any given date. In addition, the Yield Team (consisting of the General Manager, Director of
Sales, Rooms Executive, Revenue Manager and Controller) will determine from history or other
means where groups will actualize the number of rooms they occupy. When one, or all, of these
factors do not materialize as anticipated, you can find yourself oversold and you may need to
relocate guests. How you prepare for and manage a sold out night is critical to ensuring a
positive guest experience and to retaining the loyalty of our guests.
Preparing for a Sold Out Night

To properly handle a sold out night, you will need to ensure that you have proper staffing and
complete an AM and PM Sold Out Checklist to minimize the need to relocate as much as
possible. Should you be in the position to relocate, you will need to know what the relocated
guest will receive and how to empathetically and efficiently communicate the situation to the
guest. You will also need to ensure that guests are welcomed back to the hotel after being
relocated so that we can restore the guest’s opinion of Hyatt and retain their future business.
Staffing Appropriately
It is strongly suggested that you have two managers scheduled for the busiest nights in your
hotel, should a sold out situation arise quickly. Depending on your hotel size, you might consider
looking toward your peers for assistance such as the Housekeeping Manager or Guest Services
Manager if staffing does not allow for a second Front Office Manager. With two managers/
supervisors on, one person will control the room assignments, check availability at alternate
hotels, coordinate transportation back and forth and ultimately conduct the actual walk should
you be relocating. The second person will facilitate everyday PM activities such as completing
the PM Manager Checklist, covering breaks for employees at the desk as needed and ultimately
setting the night up for the next day. In the best-case scenario, a manager will be available to
relocate each guest. You must consider the tenure and maturity of your associates if you will not
be able to staff two managers. Will your Front Desk Agents be able to provide an appropriate
and sincere explanation of the situation? Will they be able to cope with a guest that becomes
irate? It is imperative to have the management staff available to provide a proper guest experi-
ence and support your associates in what is often a difficult interaction. Bottom line, a successful
sold out and/or relocation evening is dependent upon having all managers work together as a
team.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Manager
Responsibilities AM PM
We have created sold out
Knowing the business mix for the day (group versus transient arrivals and Reviewing the system to ensure all departures and discrepant rooms are cleared,
night checklists to be departures) non-guaranteed reservations are cancelled per the hotel’s policy, OOS rooms are
completed by the AM and ready and removed appropriately, pre-registered guests have been checked in
and all duplicate reservations are investigated and resolved appropriately
PM managers. You can find
these checklists on the
Checking that all rooms will be in order, to maximize the number of rooms Managing the room inventory by setting aside some rooms for irate guests, review-
Operations website. available to be rented ing room types to know when alternate rooms should be given, and if necessary,
Completing the tasks on giving out the order in which rooms should be checked in
this checklist will enable you Blocking guests appropriately to ensure room requests are met Communicating and offering support to associates
to best prepare your hotel
Assessing parlor availability and filling parlors early in the day Serving as the guest contact for concerns or complaints
by ensuring that all oppor-
tunities for avoiding Informing the associates of the selling strategy for the day so there is Updating OPERA and RESERVE to reflect if you are open or closed for room
consistency in accepting walk in guests or granting late check-outs or availability
relocation have been taken. stayovers
Here are key examples of
Communicating and offering support to your team Communicating the relocation status to appropriate hotel management staff
responsibilities by shift.
Having Sales and CS review the arrivals list to determine if any reserva- Updating the call around sheet for area hotel availability
tions need to be protected from relocation
Reviewing room plan in OPERA and unblocking reservations

as applicable for current and future arrivals to free rooms for check-in
hecking area hotel availability for guest relocations as well as referrals

C
for walk-ins or reservation extensions you cannot grant always begin with
other Hyatt hotels if possible
In addition, look at the guest profile for arriving guests and protect those If you are unable to get enough guests to voluntarily relocate in the morning or
that are not to be relocated due to contractual agreements, i.e.. group early afternoon, you will need to involuntarily relocate guests during your evening
arrivals or guests with specific Volume Accounts. Use your best judgment shift. Involuntary relocations occur when the guest is informed that the hotel is
to protect arriving reservations for guests staying in the hotel for special sold out and that accommodations have been made elsewhere; in this situation,
occasions or that have specific needs, i.e.. wedding day or honeymoon, the guest does not have an opportunity to decline the offer. You will need to
senior citizen rates, etc. that may be arriving late in the evening. ensure you have planned where to relocate guests, compiled the necessary
relocation forms and supplies and decided about the transportation for relocation.
You may decide early in the day that you will offer voluntary relocations for
certain guests to avoid forcing relocation later. A voluntary relocation In the event of an extreme sold out situation where several days out you know you
occurs when the hotel offers to relocate the guest for compensation and will be in a relocation situation, you may have the option to contact guests prior to
the guest accepts, allowing the hotel one less forced relocation and their arrival to explain the situation and make arrangements for their accommoda-
inconvenienced guest. tions elsewhere. This should be discussed with your Rooms Executive, Director of
Sales and Revenue Manager.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Where to Relocate
When selecting the hotel to relocate guests to, you should always try another Hyatt hotel if Remember that guests traveling on business are generally reimbursed for
possible. If you do not have another Hyatt locally or they are sold out, you should pick a hotel their travel expenses and compensation to pay for their room at another
from within your competitive set. These hotels are a good choice because they typically offer the hotel has no perceived personal value to them. Consider offering other
same amenities and levels of service. If your competitive set is sold out, choose another local options to assist in providing personal value to these guests. Give the
hotel that offers amenities and services that closely resemble those of your hotel. There may be guest the option to select from one of the three below:
times when your entire city is sold out due to a special event or large conference. If this occurs,
ask your supervisor or Rooms Executive what his/her suggestions would be. In a proactive
situation, you would want to check hotel and area availability a day out. Room and tax complimentary
for the night at the alternate hotel.
What a Relocated Guest Receives
At a minimum, we provide relocated guests with: OR
* mouse over each icon for further details “The guest pays room and tax at the relocated hotel and you
offer one complimentary night at your hotel upon return or a
complimentary night voucher for a future stay at your hotel.
OR
Comp Room Phone Transportation Upgrade Amenity Personal Hyatt Gold

and Tax Call Welcome from Passport Points The guest pays room and tax at the relocated hotel and you offer
Manager
18,000 Gold Passport points to be credited to the guests account
equivalent to a one night stay. The guest can then apply these
points toward a stay at any Hyatt of their choice. If the guest is not
a GP member, you would enroll the guest and again use this as a
tool in maintaining loyalty within the Hyatt Brand.
Depending on the situation in which the guest was relocated or the

guest’s feelings about the relocation, you can offer additional compensa-
tion. You will want to be creative and cater your options to the guests
appropriately. Consider offering a complimentary breakfast or lunch,
Gold Passport points, etc.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Relocation Supplies
Keep in mind that all vouchers, documents and communication given to the guest should be
professional and appropriate. For example, maps or direction cards should be originals, not
copies of copies. By giving the guest professionally prepared documents, he or she will know
you have a well thought out plan and will feel more confident with the movement to the new
hotel.
Relocating a Guest
Relocating a guest requires care to appease the upset guest and maintain their loyalty.
First and foremost, it is our mismanagement of the inventory that results in any relocation
situation. The customer that has to be relocated made a reservation in good faith and has every
reason to assume that it would be honored and available. The offer of a free room has no value
to many guests. They want and should be entitled to the room they reserved at your hotel. The
guest is entitled to be angry and difficult. Understanding this, it is important to know how to
handle this delicate situation.
The key to relocating a guest properly is to maintain the relationship with the guest while
executing the relocation. Before you begin speaking to the guest, you should be prepared with
information regarding the hotel you are relocating the guest to, including directions and/or
transportation. If the guest is driving, they should be given professionally printed directions. If
the guest does not have their own transportation, the guest should be transported via town car
service. A town car offers an elevated level of service and is more cost effective than a taxi. In
either case, provide the guest with a professionally printed card with the hotel name, address
and phone number, and vouchers for the trip there and back that you have filled out (for taxis
only; the town car service should bill the hotel). Consider escorting the guest to the taxi. If the
guest will be taking hotel transportation, arrange for a pick up time for the next morning to
return the guest to the hotel and escort the guest to the shuttle.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
It is important to maintain a confident attitude and express empathy when communicating with
the guest. You should look at each guest situation individually and treat each as a potential loss
of business. Although the guest may become upset, you need to assure them that they will be
taken care of and that you are sincere in your apology and intentions. You should take full
responsibility for the situation and not make excuses. Taking full responsibility means telling the
guest that we over extended ourselves and booked an excess of reservations. Never try to shift
blame to a group in-house staying over or by giving fabricated excuses.
This video scenario (on the right) shows a confident and empathetic response to the guest. Click
on the video player to start the video. You have not provided the guest with information they do
not need or tried to blame someone for the oversold state. This type of response can often
diffuse a difficult situation and leave the guest with a positive impression of our service.
However, guests may become upset and refuse to relocate. A guest may state, “I know you have
rooms available and I am not leaving.” While the guest has every right to be upset, you should
again view this as a potential loss of business. In this type of situation, you should come out from
behind the front desk and speak with the guest in the lobby away from other activity. You need
to take responsibility and offer an appropriate apology. Although the guest will need to move to
an alternate hotel, the personal touches you offer to an upset guest will assist in maintaining
their image of Hyatt. If the guest is not pleased with the standard compensation, be creative in
your offering. Remember that your goal is to provide excellent guest service at all times.

Another uncomfortable situation may arise if two guests arrive at the same time, where only one
guest will need to be relocated. This could occur when one guest is a group VIP or a Diamond
Gold Passport member. Both guests will approach the Front Desk at the same time, but their
check-in experience will be very different. Upon learning the guest’s status, you may want to
take the guest who will be relocated away from the desk to discuss the situation in another area
of the lobby. It is your responsibility to handle this interaction as delicately as possible, remem-
bering not to shift blame or offer excuses. If the situation is escalating, get your Rooms Executive
or in his or her absence, your GM involved if possible. It is better to have the guest speak with
your Manager versus the guest informing you that they will be calling the GM in the morning.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
After the guest is on their way to the alternate hotel, you will need to update his/her reservation
in OPERA. You will want to create a “locator” which will maintain a log of relocated guests as
well as communicate to the Front Desk and PBX that the guest has been relocated with the name
and phone number of the new hotel. If the guest is returning the following day, create an “add
on” in OPERA, for the 1st night and change the reservation in reserve to the new arrival date.
ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Discuss the
following questions. Retain the completed activity worksheet with
your training materials.
The Morning After…
What it is like to relocate to another hotel? Visit two of the hotels
where you normally relocate guests. Note how long it takes to get to
the hotel and the directions you need to get there. Walk into the The AM Manager is responsible for:
hotel entrance and notice where the front desk is located and what
Blocking all returning relocated guests
facilities and amenities are offered.
Facilitating amenities and welcome letters
Record the notes from your visits here: Greeting the returning guest personally and rebuilding customer loyalty
Adding information to Guest History
Hotel 1:
When you are called to greet a relocated guest, you should go around to the front of the desk to
introduce yourself. You will need to take ownership of the situation and again offer a sincere
Hotel 2: apology. Provide the guest with their new accommodation and always offer the guest your
business card.
Let’s continue the scenario from the previous evening:

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Emergency Procedures
If a manager or associate finds that an emergency has arisen, they will call your hotel’s emergency
extension, which routes directly to the PBX department. PBX will dispatch the call to your pager,
Nextel, Blackberry or radio giving you a code for the type of emergency and location.
Hotel Emergency Codes

following questions. Retain the completed activity worksheet with
Below are emergency codes:
your training materials.
Your hotel may have other emergency codes.
List any others here:
Fire Medical Security/ Bomb Threat Engineering Severe

Weather You must become aware of the hotel’s plans for emergencies and
CODE 1 CODE 2 CODE 3 CODE 4 CODE 5 evacuations. Obtain a copy of your hotel’s Emergency Evacuation
Plan. Review the plan and arrange to meet with the Director of
Engineering to walk the evacuation route. Describe the Front Desk’s
If you are the acting Manager on Duty (MOD), you must respond immediately. As the responder, role in an evacuation and your evacuation route here:
you will need to take notes to fill out a record of what has occurred.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Guest Incident Reports

When an emergency code is called, as MOD (Manager On Duty), you will need to fill out the
incident report to document the who, what, when and where of each situation. Mouse over the
Guest Incident Report to your left to review guidelines to completing the form.
Processing the Form:

»» Keep only one original of the form. Do not retain multiple drafts. Do not retain a handwritten
draft for a computerized form. It is understood there must be multiple copies, i.e. one for
adjuster, files, Risk Management, etc. If you must make revisions, ensure the drafts are
destroyed and only one version is maintained.
»» Keep an organized filing system that allows quick access to past incident reports, should you
need to pull one out in case of litigation, subpoenas, etc. Usually, it is beneficial to keep
reports organized chronologically by date or alphabetically by guest’s name.
Internal Items:
»» The Guest Incident Report needs to be copied same day to your GM, Rooms Executive and
Director of Security where applicable. Your Rooms Executive will be the contact for your hotels
Insurance Liability Adjuster. He or she will review and follow up as necessary with the Insur-
ance Company unless otherwise delegated.
»» If you are witness to an incident, always provide the guest with your business card as a
reference of contact. It is important that the guest knows you are concerned and that he or
she understands that you will follow up with them either as an inquiry to their condition or as a
status update on their allegation.
»» Incident reports are hotel property. Do not give guests a copy of the Guest Incident Reports.
If pressed, for homeowner’s insurance purposes, Risk Management at the Corporate Office
can write a brief letter stating a report was made.
»» The general rule is to keep completed Guest Incident Reports for six years. The specific rule is
to keep them one year past the statute of limitations for the state you are in. After that, they
should be shredded.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Reminders:
»» The Guest Incident Report is not for reporting employee injuries. For employee injuries, use
the form provided by your state Workers’ Compensation Commission. To help you with your
investigation you can use the Hyatt Corporation Investigation of Employee Accident Form,
found in the Employee Safety & Loss Control Guide. Please contact your Human Resources
Department if you are unable to locate your hotel’s Employee Safety & Loss Control Guide.
To the left is an example of the Associate Injury form.
»» The Guest Incident Report is not for reporting hotel vehicle incidents. If a hotel vehicle is
involved in an accident, complete the Statement of Auto Accident Form found in the Risk
Management manual. Follow the procedures outlined in the Risk Management Manual. If,
however, a guest has been struck by or in a vehicle, complete the Guest Incident Report
form. If ever there is any question about which form needs to be filled out, contact Risk
Management.
Running a Manual Front Desk

In the event that your Front Desk system goes down due to electrical failure or for system
repairs, you will need to run your front desk manually. Your Rooms Executive needs to be
notified if the system is down so they can communicate this appropriately to the managers of the
hotel or delegate appropriately. It is rare that you may have to run a manual front desk, but you
should take the time to ensure you have the necessary supplies and understand the process.
You will need to have a bin with the following supplies:

»» Manual credit card imprinter and corresponding credit card slips so you can take an imprint of
arriving guests credit card number and use this receipt for signature for authorization of
charges
»» Log sheets for check-out room numbers and check-in room numbers so you are able to log
rooms that have departed or checked in
»» Receipts for guests posting cash transactions to provide a guest paying with cash with a
receipt as well as for yourself as a reminder to post when the system is back up
When you are manually running the Front Desk, it is imperative that you are the key contact for
your staff. You will use the Emergency Report that you print daily to facilitate arrivals and
departures as well as to keep in-house activity running smoothly.
Your Emergency Report will include a listing of in-house guests by alpha and by room number
for your Front Desk Team and/or PBX to use to connect calls.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
When the system is down, you will be able to view account balances for check-outs. You can review
the total balance with the guest at the desk as well as verify the room number, name and address.
Inform the guest that your computer system is temporarily down, offer an appropriate apology and
inquire if the guest would prefer the folio be e-mailed, mailed or faxed to them. If e-mailed,
request the guest’s email address and log appropriately. If faxed, ensure to get the fax number
from the guest and log appropriately.
If guests are arriving to check-in while your system is down, you will be able to do this as well. Via
your Emergency Report you will have an arrival reservation listing, a Room Plan Report and a room
by room Housekeeping Status Report. You will need to contact Housekeeping with a list of vacant
and clean rooms from your housekeeping report. Housekeeping will need to walk and check the
rooms and contact you to confirm they are in fact still vacant and clean. This will be your pool of
rooms to use as guests arrive. You can also reference your clean rooms to your Room Plan Report
to ensure rooms are available for the length of stay for each guest. Again, explain the situation to following questions. Retain the completed activity worksheet with
the guest and offer an appropriate apology. your training materials.
After taking an imprint for credit card paying guests and having the guest sign the manual receipt, Did you know?
you will need to call for authorization. This can be done after the guest is given keys to their room
The legal age for check-in is generally 18, but some cities have
in efforts to not cause further delay. Call for authorization in a timely manner after a guest leaves different regulations. For example, Hyatt Regency Woodfield,
the desk so you can communicate the need for an alternate method of payment if necessary. For located in Schaumburg, IL, cannot check-in guests younger than 21.
guests wishing to pay by check, you should follow procedures using your check authorization See your Rooms Executive or Director of Security to find out the
vendor, either using your check reader or physically calling for approval. legal age for your hotel.
Note your answer here:

You will be able to provide the guest with a failsafe room key so they can gain access to their guest
room. Failsafe or Power Up keys are backup keycards for guest rooms. In the event of a power
outage or system failure that temporarily prevents the making of new keys, the failsafe keycards
can be issued to guests who are checking in. These keycards are made in advance and stored in a
safe location, most often in Security or your Rooms Executive’s office. In the event of a power or
system failure, failsafe keycards should be issued to new guests. The Sequence #1 failsafe keycards
should be issued first for a room. If there are no keycards in the Sequence #1 binder for that room,
issue the keycards from the Sequence #2 binder. If necessary, issue keycards from the Sequence #3
binder. The keys must be issued in order as the next set of keys overrides the prior set.
After your system comes back up, you will need to ensure all activity is now recorded in OPERA to
reflect activity while the system was down. All rooms you checked in and checked out manually will
need to be checked in and checked out in OPERA. This reconciliation is key so that no errors derive
from checking in a guest into a room that was occupied while the system was down and also to
facilitate folios to guests that have departed. In addition, you will need to notify Engineering that
the system is up so they can now work on replenishing failsafe keys.

Guest Services Manager
Training Supplement
Contents
INTRODUCTION iii 3. T he Role of the Guest

Services Manager 16
WELCOME iv Staffing and Payroll 18
- Staffing Guides 18
1. MANAGING YOUR SERVICE 1 - Payroll Forecast 19
Introduction to Guest Services 1 - Weekly Guest Services Schedules 20
Service and Skills Standards 2

Kiosk Use and Management 22
- Door Attendant Top 10 2
- Kiosk Management and the
- Bell Attendant Top 10 2
Role of the Guest Services Manager 22
- Transportation Top 10 3
- Valet Parking Top 10 3
Group Business 23
Hourly Associate Training 4

Luggage Procedures 26
- Lost Luggage 28
Operations Brand Standards 5
- Handling a Claim 28
- Luggage Security and Elevated Levels
The Image of Guest Services 6
of Alert 30
- Internal Hotel Jargon 7
2. M ANAGING THE ARRIVAL EXPERIENCE 8

- The Role of the Door Attendant 8
- The Role of the Bell Attendant 10
- The Role of the Valet Attendant 11
- The Role of the Transportation Driver 12
- ADA Rooms 15

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Introduction
The information contained within this section of the guide is specific to the Guest
Services departments. This supplement does not replace the information contained in
previous sections of the guide. Rooms Managers who oversee Guest Services should
review the contents of the entire guide to learn the information necessary to succeed in
their position.
Copyright © 2010 Hyatt Corporation iii

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
1. Managing Your Service
Introduction to Guest Services
Guest Services encompasses several departments; Door Attendant, Bell Attendant, Valet
Attendant, Transportation Driver, Concierge and Regency/Grand Club Attendant. As the Guest
Services Manager, you have a unique role in the hotel. You do not manage a process or system in
the hotel like Front Desk, or a service such as the Restaurant or Convention Services. In Guest
Services, your key role in the hotel is to ensure each guest receives the level of service they
desire.
As the Guest Services Manager, you will supervise many different service responsibilities, which
may include: the Front Door, Bell, Concierge, Valet and the Regency/Grand Club.
The purpose of this portion of the guide is the proper management of the Guest Services areas
including Door, Bell, Transportation and Valet Parking. If you are also responsible for maintaining
other areas, you should meet with your direct supervisor to discuss their expectations for those
departments.
Use your mouse to look and listen to what each of the Guest Services areas provide our guests:

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Service and Skills Standards
There are tools in place to ensure that the entire staff is focused
on delivering quality service. These tools and a brief description
of each are provided. Your role with these tools will include Door Bell
Attendant
personal knowledge, training, reinforcing and ensuring compli-
ance with all standards. By now you are familiar with the Service
Essentials, the key service interactions required of all Hyatt Attendant
Top 10 Top 10
associates. In addition to the Service Essentials, 10 service
standards have been identified that are unique to each Guest
Services positions. Much like the Service Essentials, these
standards need to be demonstrated by all staff members. The
top 10 service standards for each position are: > Project a warm and friendly attitude > Be properly posted with a warm and
friendly attitude
> Be assertive in providing assistance
to all guests > Engage the customer in public areas
as a Lobby Ambassador
> Be courteous and open doors for
guests > Be courteous and open doors for
guests
> Interactions are efficient and specific
to the guest’s needs > Interactions are efficient and specific
to the guest’s needs
> Provide proper welcome and direction
to arriving guests > Offer your name when completing a
check-in
> Identify the guest’s name through
their luggage tag > Ensure your uniform is clean, crisp,
and properly tailored with your
> Be attentive in your work surroundings nametag visible
> Be knowledgeable of the local area > Provide direction with an open palm
> Ensure your uniform is clean, crisp and > Be resourceful with options when
properly tailored with your nametag visible assisting guests with their requests
> Ask guests leaving the hotel if they need > Be knowledgeable of hotel information and
directions the local area
> Visually acknowledge “fronts” and “lasts” and
take action

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Transportation Valet Parking

As a continuous reminder of the Top Standards, posters have
been designed detailing these standards and should be
prominently displayed at all times in the Guest Services work
Top 10 Top 10
area. Additionally, a PowerPoint presentation has been devel-
oped to accompany the Top Standards posters and should be
prominently displayed near the poster in your preshift area. Also
consider using the PowerPoint periodically in your department
> Remain posted when awaiting guests > Ensure the safety and security of the vehicle meetings as a continuous reminder to your associates of our
while in your possession
> Ensure your uniform is clean, crisp and service standards.
properly tailored with your nametag visible > Ensure your uniform is clean, crisp and
> Ensure the comfort of your guest properly tailored with your nametag
visible
> Offer a proper greeting to approaching
guests > Be properly posted; project a warm
and friendly attitude
> Prior to departure, offer your name
to guests > Properly greet each guest, maintain
eye contact, and provide proper
> Provide information on transport direction to arriving guests
with a warm and friendly attitude
> Identify and use the guest’s name in
> Provide directions to the Front Desk the greeting process
or other destinations with an open
palm > Open the driver’s door first, then
assist in opening any additional doors
> Assist guests with luggage while
boarding and departing > Visually acknowledge the waiting guest
> Provide a sincere farewell to departing > Maintain order and flow of traffic in the
guests Front Drive; provide a clear driveway
> Be knowledgeable of hotel information > Be knowledgeable of hotel information and
and the local area the local area
> Thank guests for staying/visiting the hotel and
ask if they need directions

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Hourly Associate Training
To properly train your Guest Service associates, we have identified and developed key service
activities for the Front Door, Bell desk, Transportation and Valet accompanied by step-by-step
instructions for each. These Activity Breakdowns will be used to train new Attendants, ensuring
that they understand the basic skills and service required in their new position before they begin
to work independently. The Activity Breakdowns can also be used to retrain Attendants who do
not demonstrate the standards in their position. The Activity Breakdowns are not intended to
“script” each and every guest interaction. They have been created to ensure that our Attendants
are prepared with proper service etiquette and can use this knowledge when interacting with
our guests. An example of an Activity Breakdown is provided below for your review.
Click on the video player to the right to see a manager using an Activity Breakdown to train a
new employee.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Operations Brand Standards
Operations Brand Standards have been established for each department in the Rooms division.
Your Rooms Executive and General Manager use the standards to measure your hotel’s compli-
ance. While the Top 10 and Activity Breakdowns focus on service and skill standards, the
Operations Brand Standards focus on the physical operation of the departments.
Examples of Operations Brand Standards for Guest Services are:
»» Polish and maintain carts – keep in designated “parking” areas

»» Keep meeting information readily available – all staff advised to carry pocket copies
»» All luggage storage areas are secured
You will receive a copy of the Operations Brand Standards for Guest Services during your
training period to assess the level of compliance as part of your training plan. Semi-annually,
you should complete a self-audit for your departments to ensure you maintain compliance with
the Brand Standards for Guest Services. A sample of the Guest Services Operations Brand
Standards is to the left.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
The Image of Guest Services
Guests will expect high levels of service and professionalism from all Guest Services areas. Your
associates should be highly trained professionals who know how to meet and exceed guest
expectations.
Having an adequate inventory of office supplies on hand allows associates to focus their
attention first and foremost on the guest. We prepare for the guest’s needs not only by uphold-
ing professional standards, but also by having the physical tools in place that will expedite and
create smooth interactions amongst associates and with guests.
You should routinely review products/supplies in each area to ensure there is an adequate
quantity and that they are in good condition. The following list represents the minimum supplies
that should be available to your associates:
»» Shipping airbills
»» Packing tape
»» Markers
»» Scotch tape
»» Brasso (cleaner for bell carts) and latex gloves for cleaning
»» Luggage tags
»» Miscellaneous charge slips
»» Black shoe polish
»» Weekly/monthly city concierge guides
»» Guest Services Manager business cards (or Front Office Managers)
»» Generic or personalized business cards for Bell Attendants
»» Log book
Additionally, you should maintain general office supplies, including paper clips, rubber bands,
note pads, pens, staples, staplers, staple removers, and highlighters.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Internal Hotel Jargon

An internal working language has developed that Guest Services associates use throughout the
course of the day. You will want to become familiar with these terms to better communicate with
your associates. To acquaint yourself with some of the new terms, we will use them in this guide.
Use your mouse to navigate over the below terms to ensure you have a good working
knowledge of these terms.
At all times, ensure that when you and your associates are communicating with guests that your
language does not include hotel jargon. For example, you should never say, “We have you set up
for a dead move” to a guest.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
2. Managing The Arrival Experience
The Role of the Door Attendant

You only have one chance to a make a great first impression. This is especially true with our
guests. You are responsible for managing many areas that help create a guest’s first impression.
Details of the key aspects of managing the arrival experience for both the Door and Bell areas
follow.
The arrival experience begins when the guest first approaches the hotel. The guest’s perception
starts with their view of the front drive area. Areas to pay special attention to include:
Front Drive Cleanliness

Front drive cleanliness is your responsibility. Walk the drive frequently to determine areas in
need of attention. Door Attendants should keep the area tidy and pick up visible trash like
cigarette butts. Contact Housekeeping or Engineering for items that require follow up. Although
it may be necessary to contact Housekeeping for assistance, ultimately it is the responsibility of
you and your team to maintain a clean environment.
Guest and Vehicle Flow

At all times, there must be a clear and visible approach for guest and vehicle flow. Guests should
see the drive as an area that is under control and not frantic.
It is the Door Attendant’s responsibility to ensure that the front drive is clear and that the flow of
traffic is efficient. Your responsibility as a manager is to work with your associates to keep the
front drive clear whenever possible.
A clear front drive includes:

»» No cars being held without a 15 minute valet tag (or your hotel’s policy)
»» No keys left in cars (car keys should be secured in a locked key box)
Adequate Staffing
A guest will be the first person to notice if the front drive is not staffed adequately. The associ-
ates in this area are usually the first people a guest comes in contact with and in the eyes of the
guest, can set the stage for their entire stay.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Professionalism of Associates
The associates should be attentive to guests and provide a welcoming environment. The Door
Attendant Top 10 should be followed to ensure Hyatt’s level of service expectations. Look to
make sure your associates are NOT:
»» Leaning on the wall or podium / desk

»» Congregating while guests are waiting
»» Improperly posting and standing
»» Counting gratuities in the open
Foliage
While you have a vendor or department responsible for caring for the foliage at the front drive,
you and your associates are ultimately responsible for maintaining the front drive at all times.
Areas in need of immediate attention should be communicated appropriately. Contact your
Housekeeping management team to report areas in need of attention.
Working Order
As noted in other areas above, you and your associates are first to notice if a door, luggage cart
or other item is not in working order. You and your associates must take the initiative to report
items not in working order to Engineering. When reporting these items, make sure to indicate
the level of urgency.
Click on the video player to the left to review the importance of managing the arrival
experience.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
The Role of the Bell Attendant
Posting, Availability of Assistance

Bell Attendants should be attentive and ready to assist guests at all times. They should be
proactive to provide assistance and seek opportunities to help. Associates should maintain eye
contact with the Front Desk for fronts and lasts. A key to providing assistance is displaying a
sense of urgency.
Posting positions should be used to help your associates find opportunities to assist guests.
Posting positions generally are stationed near front entrance, Bell Closet and/or near the Front
Desk. At resorts, Bell Attendants may be posted near the front door. At times, posting positions
may change based upon arrivals and departures. Most importantly, the only associate behind
the Bell desk should be the individual dispatching details and answering the phone. Keep in
mind that your associates act as Lobby Ambassadors when not performing a front or last.
Professionalism of Associates
The associates should be attentive to guests and provide a welcoming environment. The Bell
Attendant Top 10 should be followed to ensure Hyatt’s level of service expectations. Look to
make sure your associates are NOT:
»» Leaning on the wall or Bell desk
»» Congregating while guests are waiting
»» Improperly posting and standing
»» “Hanging out”, chatting with other associates
»» Counting gratuities in the open

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
The Role of the Valet Attendant
Valet Attendants work closely with Door Attendants to maintain the order and flow of traffic in
the front drive. Valet Attendants are responsible for opening the guests vehicle door, providing
an appropriate greeting and offering parking options and providing direction. The front drive
should be a well-orchestrated experience, and when done so, the experience offered by both
attendants is seamless.
Contracted Efforts
Valet Parking may be a contracted effort or staffed by hotel personnel. Your relationship with a
contracted effort should remain hands on to ensure Hyatt brand standards of service is being
upheld. While a contracted manager is responsible for training associates on Hyatt’s Impact
standards, you will want to frequently observe service interactions and provide feedback to the
manager on areas for improvement. As training materials and standards are updated, keep the
Valet Manager informed.
Contracted employee Valet !mpact training materials are available. As a Hyatt Manager, your
responsibility is to train the Valet manager and provide the Contracted training materials. The
Valet manager in turn should train all associates to meet the service and brand expectations.
Keep in mind that valet often impacts the guests first impression of the hotel, thus consider
including the Valet manager in Rooms Meeting and Staff Meeting.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
The Role of the Transportation Driver
Hotel Shuttle
Guests may arrive at your hotel on the hotel’s airport shuttle. In these instances, the shuttle and
the driver are the guest’s first impression. Transporting guests safely to and from the hotel or
destination is of the highest importance. As the Manager of Guest Services you should routinely
ride along with each driver to evaluate service levels and safety. Using the Transportation Top 10
as your guide, observe your associates as they interact with guests both on and off the shuttle
and provide timely feedback. There are many ways a driver can offer personalized service,
including asking guests if the temperature in the shuttle is to their liking and offering their name ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Retain the
for future service opportunities.
Hotel Vehicles
Drivers are responsible for ensuring the shuttle is clean, both inside and out as well as working Meet with your Rooms Executive and ask the following questions:
properly at all times. Become familiar with the schedule for shuttle maintenance, such as oil
changes and tag-renewal as well as the provider available for frequent exterior washing. The
How many hotel vehicles are available?
brand standards checklist on the Operations website will help you to become acquainted with
the operational expectations of Transportation.
What is the make and model of each?
How are keys assigned?
Who is responsible for the maintenance of the vehicles?
Who is responsible for providing gas for the vehicles and washing
them?
What are some situations that I may need to use a hotel vehicle?
Hotel Cars
Each Hyatt hotel typically has vehicles available for transportation needs. These vehicles can be
used for VIP arrivals and departures, driving guests to dining destinations, and possibly during
relocation situations. The management of these vehicles can fall under Guest Service Manage-
ment or Transportation Management.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
As the manager of Guest Services, you will want to consider each of the following:
> Monitor staffing levels in your departments and maintaining sufficient coverage to meet the
guest’s needs.
> Conduct a pre-shift at the start of every shift.

Ensure associates are aware of pertinent information including arrivals, groups in-house,
site inspections, VIP arrivals, new procedures, etc. Consider conducting post shift reviews to
discuss with your associates what went well and what should be done differently the
following day.
> Conduct routine checks of the areas with outside spotters or internal managers to ensure that
standards are met.
> Visit hotels in your competitive set.

See what the arrival experience is like at similar hotels. Does the competitor’s operation give
you a sense of welcome? What is done well and what is not done well? Bring these experi-
ences back to your property and share with your associates what things they do well and areas
they can improve upon.
> Be knowledgeable of pertinent hotel information.

You should know the floor layouts and locations of guestrooms on each floor. Each associate
should be able to provide clear directions to guests to any locations in the hotel. From time to
time, ask your associates the following questions to ensure that they have the knowledge
necessary to meet the expectations of guests.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Guest Floor Questions

»» Where are the ice machines? Vending machines?
»» Where are the emergency exits? Are they alarmed? Where do they exit?
»» Where are house phones located on the guest floors?
Guest Room Questions

»» How many suites are in the hotel? ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Retain the
»» What views are available? completed activity worksheet with your training materials.
»» Which rooms, if any, have balconies?

Importance of Knowing the History of Your Hotel
»» Do the guest room windows open? As a representative of Hyatt in Guest Services, you need to become
»» Which rooms have Regency Club access? familiar with the history of your property. The history of Hyatt can be
»» Where, if any, are the smoking rooms in your hotel? a selling point.
»» What line of amenities are found in the guest room? Which products are provided?
Meet with your Rooms Executive and ask the following:
»» Where is the guest room thermostat located?
When was this Hyatt built?
Guest Request Questions
»» Name items available through Housekeeping/Guest Request and the gift shop.
»» What is available in the hallway linen closets? Are there any historical attributes or “claims to fame” that make
this property unique?
»» Where are rollaways and refrigerators stored?
»» Does the hotel have any additional guest request items stored in other departments?
Food and Beverage Questions

»» What are the names of the restaurants in the hotel?
»» What are the hours of operation of our F&B outlets?
»» What type of cuisine is offered in each of these outlets?
»» Do you have a menu to give to guests or are menus easily accessible?
Direction Questions
»» How do you get to the airport?
»» Where is the closest gas station?

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
ADA Rooms
Every Hyatt property is equipped with features that provide guests with special needs with a
comfortable stay.
In addition to easily accessible entrances and hotel common areas, designated guestrooms in
the hotel are deemed ADA accessible, meaning the guestrooms and bathrooms are modified to
accommodate guests with special needs. If you have guests with needs for specific accommoda-
tions (i.e., visual or audible alarm, roll-in shower, etc.), work with the Front Desk to arrange for the
Knowledge of ADA Rooms necessary room requirements.
Meet with the Front Office Manager and ask the following:
The following activity will help you and your associates become familiar with the features and
services we offer our special needs guests.
How many ADA rooms are there in the hotel?
What devices are available for:
Hearing impaired guests?
Sight impaired guests?
Mobility impaired guests?
Have a Housekeeping Manager show you ADA rooms and ask:
How do the devices work?
Which rooms have grab rails and which have roll in showers?
Who adds devices to guest rooms when a guest requests them?

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
3. The Role Of The Guest Services Manager
This portion of the guide provides a review of your key responsibilities as a Guest Services
Manager. Additionally, you will have general tasks to be completed each day in your position.
As a starting point, the following items are required daily, at the beginning of your shift:
Review the Flash report, VIP arrivals and We Care Log report
A successful manager will review hotel reports at the beginning of their day as well as periodi-
cally throughout the day. Consider carrying this information with you in a binder or folder.
Organize the reports by having tabs for each of the key reports listed above. A suggested order
might be STAR Report, Daily Summary Report, 10-day catering events listing, daily and weekly
calendar, the most recent Maritz survey, and other reports that you may find useful.
Complete payroll duties for all Guest Services areas

You will receive training in your Hotel’s payroll system. A TimeSaver User guide is available on
the Operations web site. The opening manager in Guest Services will have daily duties that
include reviewing payroll from the previous day and making adjustments as necessary. Payroll
edits must be done daily, and you may want to take an additional step to review the edits again
at the end of the week to make sure that no errors were made. Ensuring payroll information is
correct goes a long way in establishing your credibility as a manager in the eyes of your associ-
ates.
Distribute and post the daily event sheets for your associates
As the Guest Services Manager, it is extremely important that you distribute nightly the Group
Detail Report (GDR ) to prepare your staff for the following day. At the beginning of every shift,
you should make certain that your associates at the Bell desk, Front Door, and Valet Parking have
a copy of this on their person so it can be pulled out at any time for information.
Utilize an AM and PM checklist for the Door and Bell areas

To ensure that daily tasks are accomplished each and every day, an AM and PM checklist have
been developed for the Door and Bell areas. You will find the checklist on the Operations web
site. Examples of items on the checklist include reviewing the log book and preparing the detail
log for the day. Keep in mind that the checklist represents the minimum required tasks for each
day and that you should add additional items as appropriate for your hotel.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Complete a Detail Sheet for each day

Tracking of services performed by your team, such as check-ins, check-outs and room moves is
essential for luggage management and customer service. Each luggage interaction will need to
be logged. A sample of a tracking log is available on the Operations web site. Ensure that a log
is completed daily and that your associates are logging services accurately and clearly. This log is
used as a general resource for gauging the details of daily activities at the hotel, as well as a
tracking resource should there be missing luggage and/or other guest items.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Staffing & Payroll Bell Attendant Staffing Guide

Bell Attendant Staffing Guides are broken down by:
Staffing Guides
Staffing Guides have been created to assist you in scheduling Position
each of your areas. The Staffing Guides are reviewed annually » Rate
by your Controller and Rooms Executive and updated as » Hours worked
needed. You should review your Staffing Guides periodically to » Number of associates
ensure they are appropriate for the necessary level of staffing
and reflect the correct and most up to date hourly rates. Arrival and Departures - The number of associates needed is
calculated by a staffing standard, which may vary by hotel
brand (i.e. Grand) or hotel type (i.e. Resort). In this example,
you will see the hotel is using two Bell Attendants daily as a
staffing minimum. Additional Bell Attendants are added as
arrivals and departures increase by increments of two hundred.
To use the Staffing Guide:
» Look at the arrivals, departures, and rooms

occupied on the 11-Day forecast for any given day.
Read the Staffing Guide left to right to locate the
number of arrivals.
Number of associates
» Consider any special group arrivals and departures
and pay particular attention to their arrival /
departure pattern.
Rooms occupied
» Determine across the page how many Bell Atten-
dants and Door Attendants you are able to staff.
» D
o the same for arrivals, departures, and rooms
occupied to determine your staffing level.
Departures » This will be your starting point for the number of

associates needed on a given day.
Number of associates

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Payroll Forecast
Your Controller or Rooms Executive will provide you with a monthly payroll forecast that is
generated from your Staffing Guide and the forecasted levels of arrivals, departures and rooms
occupied.
An example of a Bell Attendant payroll forecast is located below. The payroll forecast provides
you with a Cost Per Occupied Room (CPOR), which is used as a guideline for scheduling your
Guest Services Attendants. Once you complete the schedule, you should compare the CPOR
from your payroll forecast with the CPOR calculated on the schedule.
The CPOR is only a guideline. Your primary consideration in creating your schedule should be
guest satisfaction. If you need to exceed your forecast or the Staffing Guide, discuss the pro-
posed staffing level with your Rooms Executive. You should maintain records to document
additional requested and approved payroll items.
An example of a Bell Attendant payroll forecast:

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Weekly Guest Services Schedules
Your schedules should balance the arrivals, departures and occupancy of the hotel and the
needs of your guests with financial responsibility. You will use the staffing guideline and payroll
forecast to determine your schedule, but you will also need to consider the variables in the
upcoming week’s business levels. If you find variances in the current level of business that will
affect your schedule, discuss them with your Rooms Executive.
Ensure the schedule is approved and posted by the posting date/time stated in the associate
handbook and/or union contract. To maintain a high-level of associate satisfaction, you will want
to honor associate requests whenever possible and limit split days off and back-to-back shifts. It is important to quickly become familiar with the Staffing Guide
Keep in mind, while weekends can be busy due to mix of family and/or convention business, this used at your property and the payroll forecast that has been created.
is when associates generally request time off. Keep the guest in mind and staff according to the Arrange for a meeting with your Controller to obtain a copy of both
documents and to review any questions you have on how to use
guests needs and customer experience. You may want to consider Part Time associates to fill in
them for scheduling. Questions to consider for your Controller:
where you have frequently requested days off to meet both the associate requests and ultimate-
ly satisfy the guest. What is the function of the manual adjustment column?
Lastly, your Excel-based schedule will calculate your payroll costs and give you a cost per
occupied room number, CPOR. Compare this with your payroll forecast to ensure you are in line How is the CPOR generated?
with your predicted staffing expense.
On the next page is an example of a Guest Services schedule. An electronic copy is available on
the Operations web site.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
GUEST SERVICES TEAM SCHEDULE

SUN MON TUES WED THU FRI SAT
11.Dec 12.Dec 13.Dec 14.Dec 15.Dec 16.Dec 17.Dec
Arrivals 151 247 244 298 254 309 144
Departures 248 172 319 344 274 266 190
Rooms Occupied 320 395 399 392 571 503 230
Occupancy 29% 36% 36% 30% 34% 30% 19%
Hyatt Service Specialists
Bell Attendant #1 12.10.01 OFF OFF 7am 7am 7am 7am 7am
Bell Attendant #2 02.05.04 7am 7am OFF OFF 3pm 3pm 3pm
Bell Attendant #3 06.18.04 5pm 4pm 3pm R/OFF OFF 11am R/OFF
Bell Attendant #4 11.01.04 11pm 11pm 11pm 11pm 11pm OFF OFF
Part-Time Bell Attendants
Bell Attendant P/T #1 08.21.01 R/OFF 11am CALL 3pm CALL 11pm 11pm
Bell Attendant P/T #2 06.23.03 9am R/OFF CALL CALL CALL CALL 11am
Door Attendants
Door Attendant #1 02.24.00 OFF 6am 6am 6am 6am 6am OFF
Door Attendant #2 04.14.00 10am 2pm 2pm 2pm OFF OFF 10am
Door Attendant #3 08.18.02 6am OFF OFF 10pm 10pm 10pm 10pm
Door Attendant #4 05.27.03 10pm 10pm OFF OFF 2pm 2pm 6am
Door Attendant #5 10.15.05 3pm 3pm 10pm CALL CALL CALL 2am
Valets
Valet #1 06.18.99 3pm OFF OFF 11am 3pm 3pm 3pm
Valet #2 12.11.00 OFF 7am 7am 7am 7am VAC OFF
Valet #3 05.15.01 7am 11am VAC OFF OFF 11pm 11pm
Valet #4 09.12.02 11pm 11pm 11pm 11pm 11pm OFF OFF
Valet #5 07.04.04 OFF 3pm 3pm 3pm OFF 7am 7am
Managers
Manager #1 9am 2pm OFF OFF 7am 7am 9am
| | | | | | |
Supervisors
01.05.04 4pm OFF 7am 7am OFF 3pm 3pm
TOTAL GST SVCS ASSOCIATES (W/ SUP) 12 12 10 12 10 11 12
WEEKLY CPOR $1.42

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Kiosk Use and Management
Kiosk Management and the Role of the Guest Services Manager

The role of a Guest Services Manager in the day-to-day operations of the kiosk has the potential
to have an extraordinary impact. Because you are out from behind a desk, you have many more
opportunities for guest interaction than the Front Office Managers/Assistants. Additionally, Bell
Attendants have a tremendous impact on kiosk usage and service.
As the Guest Services Manager, you need to focus the attention of the Bell Attendants on the
kiosk. When a Door/Bell/Valet escorts a guest into the hotel, that associate should direct them to
the kiosk. At check-out, when assisting a guest, the Bell Attendant should direct the guest to the
kiosk for check-out, assist them as needed, and then escort the guest and their bags to their
vehicle/taxi.
A successful kiosk program must be a multifaceted one. A balanced combination of an assertive

nature, friendly personality, technical aptitude, and the desire to lead will set the foundation for
success.
Click on the video to the right to see expected service delivery at the kiosk.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Group Business
Act as Hotel Liaison for Big Group arrivals and departures

When your hotel has a large check-in or check-out, everyone is busy. Many people are congre-
ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Discuss the gating in your lobby; phones are ringing constantly. People need help with luggage, directions,
following questions. Retain the completed activity worksheet with and other assistance. Because you are mobile, you should jump in and assist where you can. You
your training materials. are the hotel liaison on these busy days, as all departments need your services. Act the part —
see who needs help and react!
It is important that you understand the guest experience when using
a Kiosk to check-in and check-out. Ask you supervisor to make a
reservation for you and utilize the Kiosk to check yourself in and out. Read group resumes and be aware of all group details
Pay special attention to the areas that fall under your direct supervision. For your Bell and Door
Note your answers to the following questions below: Attendants, see if there are needs for transportation, or early breakouts where people will be
congregating in the public areas, and know when the functions end for transportation purposes.
What did you like about using the Kiosk?
For your Concierges, see when dining is not being provided by the hotel as the group attendees
will need their services. You will need to look at all group VIPs to ensure their reservations are
Did you experience any issues? properly prepared, following the resume requests. If you find discrepancies, you will need to
notify your Convention Services Manager.
What questions might a guest have about the process?

As the Guest Services Manager, you will need to review group resumes in advance to prepare for
future scheduling. Look for items such as:
Meet with your Rooms Executive to discuss the Kiosks at your hotel. »» Room drops
»» Large dinner functions for local clientele
Note your answers to the following questions below: »» Late group check-out where luggage storage is necessary
How are supplies ordered and stocked?
Paying attention to details such as these will allow you to be prepared and staffed appropriately.
It is important that your associates are familiar with groups in-house. You should communicate
When would I need to contact NCR? How do I reach them? information about the group by posting the group resume for associates to review in their areas,
go over details in pre-shift meetings, and when possible, review resume details for large groups
in monthly meetings prior to the group’s arrival. This will allow you the opportunity to acknowl-
What is the current Kiosk usage and how is it checked?
edge a guest who is with a specific group at check-in and provide information on meeting
locations.
Note any additional questions you have here: Room drops / deliveries
As mentioned, room drops are the delivery of amenities to rooms such as gift bags, promotional
materials for a conference, etc. Room drops are most frequently performed for groups and
special events in-house such as weddings. The delivery will be arranged between the client and
the Catering or Convention Services Manager. You will receive directions regarding delivery
specifics via a group resume or from the Catering or Convention Services Manager.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Items that will be arranged may include, but are not limited to the following:
»» Date of delivery
You will be informed of the date the room drop needs to occur on. Many groups may arrange for
multiple room drops with specific items being delivered on certain days. If multiple deliveries are
scheduled, reconfirm the items and dates.
»» Time of delivery
The client will provide a time by which all room drops have to be completed. It is up to you to
staff accordingly to make this happen. Deliveries are commonly performed prior to arrival or
when guests are out of their guestroom in a function.
»» Location of amenity
Location can be either inside the guestroom or outside of the guestroom. If the delivery is
outside of the guestroom, it may be placed on the carpet in front of the door or hanging in a
bag on the door handle.
»» Setup and placement of amenity

Discuss the desired placement of each amenity with the client or Catering/CS manager, as the
client may want the item(s) to be arranged in a certain way. This is where details are important!
Review the set up and placement as directed with your associates.
To the right is an excerpt from the guest services section of a resume.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Clients are generally billed at a per piece fee arranged between the client and the Catering/CS
Manager. A standard in room and outside of room delivery fee generally exists at each hotel and
can vary based on each hotels geographical location. You will need to keep records of your room
drops to verify the number of rooms delivered. The delivery lists will also serve as a resource
should a room state that an amenity was not received. You should reference the delivery log and
ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Complete the discuss it with the Bell Attendant who performed the delivery. At times, when multiple room
drops are occurring you may find that a delivery was made to the wrong room. It is recommend-
ed that you check the rooms next to the correct room as well as a floor above and below (i.e., if
Room Drop Knowledge the correct room is 602, check 604, 600, 502, etc).
Meet with your Director of Catering and Convention Services and Since room drops involve Bell Attendants being removed from the front/last rotation, gratuity is
ask the following:
often predetermined based upon the negotiated or standard delivery compensation rate.
What are the most common deliveries we do?
Accuracy is important when calculating room drop gratuities, as this is included in the associate’s
paycheck.
What is the frequency?
What billing arrangement options are available to the guest?
Meet with your Controller and ask the following:
How are room drop gratuities posted?
How can I assist in ensuring accuracy?

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Luggage Procedures
Luggage Storage
The Bell Closet is the general location for storage of luggage and must be locked at all times.
Bell Closets must have a system in place to assist in easy and timely retrieval of luggage. All bags
need to be placed in a neat and orderly fashion. Your closet may be set up and arranged by any
of the following methods:
»» Alphabetical
»» Numerical
»» Color
In addition, each bag must receive a luggage tag. The luggage tag corresponds to the letter,
number or color as noted on your shelves. Keep in mind:
»» Luggage tags must be secured at all times in a locked drawer. Acceptable locations include: a
sealed box in storage, on your person, in a drawer of the Bell desk.
»» A luggage tag must be assigned for EACH piece of luggage. (i.e. two pieces of luggage
strapped together would receive two luggage tags)
»» Each portion of the tag needs to be labeled with the storage location.
Upon retrieval of luggage, the luggage tag is to be removed from the luggage and discarded in a
trash receptacle. Utilize care when checking ticket numbers before handing luggage back to
guests.
During heavy arrivals and departures, additional space may be needed to accommodate more
luggage than space available. You should use a different color ticket or numbering system to
denote the location of the luggage so your associates are able to locate the luggage efficiently in
the appropriate storage space. Ensure the additional space is stanchioned off with dividers (or
your hotel’s procedure) and that Bell Attendants are present at all times securing the area. Most
guests will understand the need to store their luggage in a public space as long as they are
ensured it is a secured location.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Groups may decide to have group luggage storage in a meeting room as an option for their
departing guests. The space may or may not need to be attended by your associates. Options
include:
1. A Bell Attendant is available in the room to assist, tag and arrange luggage as well as
facilitate retrieval.
2. The meeting planner has a key for the meeting space, and attendees place and retrieve
luggage on own. The Meeting Planner is responsible for locking the room when it is not in use.
ACTIVITY: Click HERE to print this activity worksheet. Complete the In general, a hotel representative must always be present at any group luggage storage arrange-
activity detailed below, noting your answers in the space provided. ment. At times a group contact may prefer to take responsibility for the self storage and in these
Retain the completed activity worksheet with your training materials. circumstances, the group contact must assume all liability which should be communicated to the
meeting planner by the Catering/CS Manager responsible for the group.
Long Term Luggage Storage Knowledge
Meet with your manager to discuss current luggage tag and storage Valuables
arrangement. View/discuss the following: Items such as laptops will need to be stored securely. Safety deposit boxes or a secured/locked
area of your Bell closet is often the chosen place.
Luggage tag options:
Proper procedure to fill out luggage tags Long Term Storage
Long term storage may be available for those guests who find they need to leave items at the
hotel either overnight or longer. Generally, these items are to be secured in a locked area.
Closet storage arrangement: You will want to tag these items with the following:
Arrangement method
»» Drop off date
»» Pick up date
»» Number of items total being stored for the guest
Alternative area for luggage storage: »» Guest name and phone number
Do we offer long term luggage storage? »» Initials of supervisor who will be storing the item
Always keep a log of what you have stored as a quick inventory. If you have items not picked up
after your hotel’s policy, you should attempt to contact the guest. After your hotel’s policy, any
unclaimed items should be turned over to Lost and Found.
Stored items should be inventoried frequently to discover any unclaimed items.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Lost Luggage
There are two types of lost luggage claims:
Although you and your team log luggage whereabouts and ensure each piece is tagged and
stored appropriately, there are times when a piece of luggage may come up missing. In these
* mouse over the images below for further details
situations it is important that you thoroughly investigate each instance. Each situation is dynamic
and should be approached with caution and professionalism in order to ensure the guest is
satisfied with your course of action.
Handling a Claim
When a guest reports a missing bag to a Bell Attendant, the Bell Attendant should immediately
inform their supervisor/manager of the situation. All claims of missing luggage must be handled
with urgency and empathy. A manager will need to speak with the guest and get an exact
description of the bag, its last location and begin to personally search for the bag. If the
manager is unable to locate the bag, the manager should obtain the guest’s address and
shipping information to ship the bag once it is recovered. If at any time the guest alleges theft,
you should immediately notify security. If the guest wishes to file a formal incident report, notify Approaches to different claims:
security as well.
»» Check-out complaints
Note: The hotel assumes shipping charges for lost luggage if an associate is at fault. Shipping If the bag(s) cannot be found when luggage tags are presented, follow
charges should be assumed by the guest if the guest is at fault for the missing bag. Ask the guest the above procedures. If the guest calls after their departure upon
where they would like to have the luggage sent; obtain the method of shipping and ask if the discovering a missing bag, an investigation must be conducted. The
guest would like to purchase insurance for the shipped luggage. purpose of the investigation is to locate the bag if possible and make
sure a repeat incidents does not occur. Investigating mistakes and
training can minimize future lost luggage situations.
»» Bags not placed in vehicle

If a guest’s bags are not placed in their vehicle and the guest calls after
their departure, an investigation should be conducted. Should the bags
be found, it is incumbent on the hotel to determine if the associate or
the guest is at fault.
»» Check-in claims
Most check-in claims are easily resolved. If a guest checks in and their
bags are not delivered to the room, first verify if the guest checked
their luggage by asking if they have claim checks. If they do not have
claim checks, check with valet. Their luggage may still be in their
vehicle.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
If bags are not located, you will need to further investigate:
a. S
peak with the guest regarding their bag. If possible get the name or a description of the
associate that assisted the guest with their luggage. Obtain a thorough description of the
guest’s luggage, including:
›› color
›› size
›› quantity
›› if there is identification on the bag (ie. luggage tag)
›› contents and value of items in the bag
›› contact phone number(s) and address
b. S
peak with the associate(s) that assisted the guest. Find out any information possible,
including how many items were check/handled, where the items were transported to/from,
if the guest was missing any claim checks, etc. It is extremely important to gather as much
information as possible, as often the guest and the associate’s recounting of events are
somewhat divergent.
c. A
t the conclusion of the investigation, if the bags are recovered after the guest has left the
hotel, ship the bags to the guest.
Any luggage left unattended on a Bell cart in the lobby should be examined for the guest’s
name. If found, use the guest’s name as a reference point to find their room number to deliver
the bags.

FRONT DESK MANAGER
TRAINING GUIDE
Luggage Security and Elevated Levels of Alert
Elevated Level of Alert

Should the US Level of Alert increase from blue to yellow and above, Corporate Risk has defined
specific measures that need to be taken. Below are some of the changes in levels of service that
relate to your role as Guest Services Manager.
LEVEL OF ALERT
Low Guarded Elevated High Severe
Secure all storage areas in hotel x x x x x
Accept & store luggage at the x x x

bellstand for registered guests only.
Reduce site Ingress and Egress

x x x
to minimum
Prohibit parking at front entrance x x
Control parking access: registered x x

guests, confirmed visitors
Limit under hotel parking to

x
passenger vehicle’s only-NO VANS
Cease Use of “Check-In” Kiosks x
A full grid is provided on the Operations web site.

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Front Desk Manager

INTRODUCTION iii Pre-shifts and Monthly Meetings 23 OPERA Technical Information 48

Copyright © 2010 Hyatt Corporation iii

1. Managing Your Service

Front Desk 15 Front Desk Service and Skills Standards

Use the guest name to open and close each encounter

Copyright © 2010 Hyatt Corporation 1

Hourly Associate Training

2 Copyright © 2010 Hyatt Corporation

Operations Brand Standards

Copyright © 2010 Hyatt Corporation 3

Supporting Service Expectations

4 Copyright © 2010 Hyatt Corporation

Knowing Your Customer

Copyright © 2010 Hyatt Corporation 5

6 Copyright © 2010 Hyatt Corporation

A frequent error is over-communication — particularly when a guest experiences a problem.

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Start from the same location every time

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Front Desk Arrivals and Departures

Currently, transactions offered by the kiosk are:

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Web In / Web Out

Check In and Check Out via Kiosk or Video

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Checking In at the Front Desk

Each employee is empowered to take ownership of the

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1. What is the number for the We Care Hotline?

2. Who checks the hotline messages? How often?

3. Who enters the information into the We Care tracking form?

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Measuring Your Service Success

Guest and Meeting Planner Surveys

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The Action Sheet is a respondent level

> The top half of the Action Sheet

> Individual responses are listed below.

> New Action Sheets are available on

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Action Sheet Summary - Meeting Planner

Meeting Planner Action Sheet

Property Name: Hyatt Regency Vancouver

Organization Name: 3LOG SYSTEMS INC Booking #: 18807438

Meeting Name: USER CONFERENCE Peak Nights: 79

Planner Name: HASSAN FARZADEH Survey Date: May 11, 2011

Case ID: 1131002862

The Action Sheet is a respondent level

> Individual responses are listed below.

What did Hyatt do to make you extremely likely to recommend them

Staff was very helpful and there was no surprises

Went out of way to offer assistance

Brand Compliance and Gold Passport Evaluations.

A passing score on the LRA evaluation is 75% or higher. Should

Hotels that fail the LRA inspection will receive a follow-up

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> The top half of the Action Sheet

> New Action Sheets are available on

»» Changing rate of the day