LAYOUT AND SECTIONS OF FRONT OFFICE

Sections of Front Office

 Reservation
 Reception
 Information desk
 Cash and bill
 Travel desk
 Communication section
 Uniformed services
o Bell desk
o Concierge

RESERVATION

 Reservation
 Groups
 Crews
 Layout of the reservation section: the
location of reservation section depends
upon the size of hotel and the volume
of business of the hotel.
RECEPTION

 Front office receives and welcomes guests on their arrival in the hotel.
 Assist on Reg. Card
 Functions of reception: the following functions are performed by the reception section of a
hotel:
o Receiving and welcoming guests.
o Completing the registration formalities
o Assigning the room
o Sending arrival notification slips to the concerned departments

INFORMATION

 Maintaining resident guest rack

 Handling guest room keys
 Co-ordinating guest mails, telegrams, faxes, couriers, parcels, etc.
 Providing information to guests regarding hotel facilities and services, city information, etc
 Handling guests’ messages
 Paging

CASHIER

 Functions of the cash and bills section:

- Guest folio
- Posting room charges in guest folios
- Recording all credit charges in guest folios
- Updating cash received from guests
- Preparing bills @c/o
- Cash/TC/demand draft
- Handling credit/debit/charge cards
- Foreign exchanges
TRAVEL DESK

 Functions of travel desk

The travel desk performs the following tasks:
- Pick up and drop
- Providing vehicles on request
- Making travel arrangements like railway reservation/air-tickets
- Organizing half-day or full-day sightseeing
- Arranging for guides who can communicate in the guest’s language
TELEPHONE OPERATOR/COMMUNICATION SECTION

 Functions of communication desk: the duties of telephone operator include:

- Answering incoming calls
- Directing calls to guest rooms through the switchboard
- Providing information on guest services
- Processing guests wake up
 - Answering inquiries about hotel facilities and events
- Protecting guest’s privacy
- Coordinating emergency communication
UNIFORMED SERVICES

 The uniformed services in the hotel include:

- Bell desk
- Concierge
Bell Desk

 Carry luggage c/I and c/o

 Newspaper
 Paging
 Left luggage
 Postage and stamps
 Complaints
 Guest personal request

Concierge

 Making reservations for dining in famous restaurants

 Obtaining tickets for theatres, musicals, sporting events
 Arranging for transportation by limousine, car, coaches, buses airplanes, or trains
 Providing information on cultural and social, events like photo exhibitions, art shows etc.

DEPARTMENT THAT FO COORDINATES

FO LOBBY
Arrival: check in-process-bellboy
Departure: check-out process-bell boy
Room change: bellboy and FOM
Scanty baggage-bell boys
Message: bell boys
Paging: bell boys
Room clearance
Groups check in
VIP
Room status
Discrepancy
Flower arrangement
 FO HOUSEKEPING
Room Report: Room attendant will check the
physical count of the guest in room and prepares
the report and they will send to the FO and FO
will compare and makes a report in case
discrepancy.

DISCREPANCY REPORT FO HK
It is prepared by FO by room report and difference
rooms will be handed over to bell for physical check.

FO ACCOUNTS
ACCOUNTS: FO Cashier must had over entire to the accounts department with receipts and voucher
NIGHT AUDITORS: checks all correspondence with physical check
CITY LEDGER: hotel extends credit to the guest and follow up on guest for clearance of amount
crossing the credit limit
FO ROOM SERVICE
- VIP c/I and c/o: regular bill of guest
- Arrange fruit basket, alcohol, cake cookies, etc
FO TELEPHONES
- c/I and c/o: call to transferred
- IDD connection
- Local call charges
- Wake up calls
- Handling messages
FO – ENGINNERING, STORES, SALES DEPARTMENT
- FO engineering, stores, sales dept banquet booking.
FRONT OFFICE EQUIPMENT (MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC)
40 EQUIPMENTS USED IN FO
1. Front desk counter
2. Bell desk counter
3. Concierge counter
4. Lobby desk
5. Travel desk
6. Key and mail rack
7. Mail sorting rack
8. Mail forwarding file
9. Duplicate key rack
10. Guest history filing cabinet
11. Reservation filing cabinet
12. Page board
13. Safe deposit locker in room
14. Regular card holder
15. Typewriter
16. Bulletin board
17. Photocopy machine
18. Duplicating machine
19. Room rack
20. Reservation rack
21. Billing machine
22. Cashier bucket/draw
23. Date and time punching machine
24. Credit card imprinter
25. Telephone EPBAX
26. Rotary rack
27. Postal weighing scale
28. Luggage trolley and net
29. Telex machine
30. computer
31. Revolving machine
32. Reminder trimer
33. Franking machine
34. Perpetual year planner or status board
35. Information rack
36. Magnetic strip reader
37. Voucher rack
38. Account posting machine
39. Cash register
40. Stencil duplicator
ASSESSMENT:
1. List out manual equipment used in front office
2. List out mechanical equipment used in front office
3. What are front areas of FO
4. What are back areas of FO
5. What are the sections of FO
6. Draw the layout of FO
7. Explain in detail the layout of FO
8. Explain in detail front office co-ordination with other departments
9. Why FO-coordinates with HK, F&B, Telephone, store