The Professional

Receptionist

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Accor Asia Pacific Rooms Division Workbook 2013 – ‘The Professional Receptionist’
 An Introduction
The Reception team is the most recognised department and point of contact for a guest; it
therefore often has the largest impact on the guest’s opinion of the Hotel and level of customer
service.

Check in is the first opportunity for our Guests to feel valued and that they have made
the right decision to stay at our hotel.

As first impressions can only be made once, it is imperative that YOU are attentive,
knowledgeable, friendly and efficient when helping guests when they first arrive (and
of course throughout their stay).

As a Receptionist you will work with all other Hotel Departments to engage with a wide variety
of guests from around the world.

You will:

Welcome and check in Guests

Be the first point of Contact for Guest Enquiries

Complete a wide range of administrative tasks

Communicate information to other departments

Answer General Telephone Enquiries

Provide solutions

Check out Guests at the end of their stay completing all financial transactions required

The role will require you to have the following:

Exceptional Grooming Standards

Fantastic organisational skills with attention to detail

Initiative, enthusiasm and a positive attitude

Excellent communication skills and an ability to develop rapport with guests.

In addition, an ability to express empathy with guests and provide solutions to any problems,
are also important traits of a professional Receptionist.

This workbook will help you develop the skills and knowledge needed to ensure you can provide
outstanding customer service for every guest, every time whilst effectively managing all of your
position requirements.

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Accor Asia Pacific Rooms Division Workbook 2013 – ‘The Professional Receptionist’
The fundamental responsibilities of being a professional Receptionist are detailed in this
workbook and include:

• First Impressions – Check In

• Loyal Guests
• Handling Guest Requests
• Group Bookings
• Last Impressions – Check Out
• Administrative Responsibilities

Of course, we can’t cover

everything, and most of
your training will be “on
the job”.

The content of this workbook is based on our Accor Asia Pacific Rooms Division Standards,
which are known as ‘Policies and Procedures’. If you haven’t already been shown these
documents, please ask your supervisor to show you where they are kept and make yourself
familiar with them.

Ensure you have already completed ‘The Professional Hospitality Employee’ workbook before
starting this one, as it provides an overview of topics relevant to all Rooms Division departments
and employees.

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Accor Asia Pacific Rooms Division Workbook 2013 – ‘The Professional Receptionist’
 I AM A FRONT DESK CLERK
- I DO ALL THINGS…..

I am a front desk clerk, I am

quite capable of checking
three people in, two people Of course Of course, I have the
out, taking five I can "fit reservation that you booked
reservations, answering you in" six years ago though you
fifteen incoming calls and don't have the confirmation
plunging the toilet in room number and you think that it
221…all at the same time. was made under a name
that starts with "X".

I have advanced It is not a problem for

degrees in me to give you seven
accounting, public connecting, non-
relations, smoking poolside suites
marketing, with two king beds in
business, each, four rollaways, all
computer science, with kitchen facilities
civil engineering I smile, empathize,
and a spa bath. Was
and Swahili. sympathize, console, there anthing else?
cajole, upsell, downsell
(and know when to do
which), perform, sing,
dance and fix the
printer.

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Accor Asia Pacific Rooms Division Workbook 2013 – ‘The Professional Receptionist’
 First Impressions – Check In
The most repetitive and important task you will perform on a daily basis will be greeting guests
and checking them in to the Hotel. This is the core responsibility of a Receptionist – if guests
receive a sub-standard welcome and check in at the Hotel, this will severely taint their opinion of
their stay. It is very difficult to turn a negative first impression into a positive lasting impression
so it is imperative that all guests receive the best level of service you can offer.

Here are a few key points to remember:

• Eye contact with a smile is to made with all guests as soon as they start to approach the
Reception Desk.

• If you are dealing with a guest and another guest is waiting, ensure you make eye contact
and acknowledge the waiting guest.

• Every guest must be provided with professional service and given clear information.

• Address the customer by name at least twice during the check in process.

• Your professionalism is reflected in the questions you ask the guest, but more importantly,
the way in which you ask. Remember the effect body language has on conveying your
message!

• Be aware of cultural differences and deal with each guest appropriately and as an individual.
Apply this same principle to guests who are travelling for different reasons; for example
corporate guests and leisure guests will likely have different requirements and priorities.

• Reward loyal customers – ensure Le Club, Advantage Plus members and return guests are
warmly acknowledged and recognised for their loyalty.

• The check in process involves many steps – some are for the guest’s benefit (such as
where our outlets are located / newspaper options) whilst others are very important to the
Hotel (signed registration card, guarantee of payment). It is therefore imperative that you
follow the correct check in process for all guests.

It is equally important to tailor your delivery to each guest and do not become
‘robotic’. You may check in hundreds of guests a week, but for each guest, that one
conversation with you might be their very first introduction to your Hotel (or indeed
their very first experience of any Hotel) and it is essential that they feel comfortable
and clear on all details provided.

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Accor Asia Pacific Rooms Division Workbook 2013 – ‘The Professional Receptionist’
The Basics of the “Check-In” Process

•Make eye contact as soon as possible and greet guests with a warm
smile
Warm
•Address them by their name as soon as possible
Welcome

•Ask if they are a member of Accor Le Club

•If they are - ask for their membership details
Loyalty •If not - ask if they would like to join and offer to assist them in the
Program process

•Print out the guests registration card and ask them to complete all
details (re-check email address for correctness)
Data
•Remember to check that the card is correctly filled out and SIGNED
Collection

•Ascertain how the guest is settling their account and ensure compliance
with the Hotels Credit Policy & Guarantee of Payment
Guarantee of
•Advise the guest of all conditions in relation to their payment method
Payment

•Issue the guest with their room keys in the Approved Hotel Key Wallet
•Advise guests of directions to their room and all additional Hotel
Room Key information such as Resturants, Gym, Wifi etc

•Ask the guest if you can be of any further assistance

Value Add •Farewell them using their name and with a smile
Information

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Accor Asia Pacific Rooms Division Workbook 2013 – ‘The Professional Receptionist’
Fundamentals of Check In

All details must be covered with every guest, but here is a summary of the six most fundamental
and important points:

1. Ascertain the guest’s ‘Preferred Name’ and use it at least twice during the check in process.

2. Ask if the guest is a Le Club Accorhotel Loyalty Member or Advantage Plus Member; if yes,
process the check-in into both the PMS and Hotelink / ePay and upgrade to the next room
type if available. If not a member, offer membership to Le Club Accorhotels.

3. Confirm with the guest all the reservation details, including check out date and departure
time.

4. Determine the ‘Guarantee of Payment’ method and collect any credit cards / vouchers /
cash required.

5. Ensure the Registration card is properly completed and signed. Take time to check that the
guest email address is correct as this is how future correspondence will be sent.

6. Advise the guest of the Hotel facilities.

Early Arrivals

A large percentage of your guests will arrive earlier than expected or prior to the standard check
in time. Following is a suggested procedure:

• If their room is not available politely inform the guest and let them know what time it will be
ready.

• You might like to offer to take the guest’s mobile phone number so that you can contact
them if the room becomes available earlier than expected.

• Inform the guest about the Hotel facilities and where they can freshen up if required.

• Arrange for their luggage to be stored and then delivered to the room when the room
becomes available. Use the PMS ‘Queue’ feature – ask your supervisor to show you how
this works. If not use your Hotel a manual system for informing Housekeeping of any waiting
guests.

• If a room is not available at the time you specified to the guest (don’t wait until the last
minute to check as the guest might already be on their way back) it is important that you
advise your Assistant Manager who can pro-actively deal with the situation before it
becomes a problem.

Handy Hint
When queuing rooms consider each individual guests
requirements. A family waiting to put a young baby down
for a sleep might take precedence over a couple who have
left to go on a tour for the day.
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Accor Asia Pacific Rooms Division Workbook 2013 – ‘The Professional Receptionist’
Check in – Loyal Guests

As discussed in the Workbook ‘The Professional Hospitality Employee’, there are

a number of Accor Cards which are available to our guests entitling them to
receive special benefits on accommodation and in our food and beverage outlets.
You need to be familiar with all of the programs available and acknowledge the loyalty, status
and privileges of any of these guests – they are to be treated as VIPs at all times.
As these programs are constantly evolving we will just touch on the basics in this handbook as
offers and conditions may change.

Le Club Accorhotels
‘Le Club Accorhotels’ (Le Club) is Accor’s free worldwide reward program and either recognition
or offer of membership must be proposed to all guests.
The purpose of the program is to provide Accor guests full recognition, rewards for their loyalty
and benefits which cater to their individual preferences in order to provide a more personalised
service. The program goal is also to increase market share, in particular by creating preference
for Accor's brands. Accor expects that a cardholder will spend an average of 10% to 20% more
than a non-program member.
As an Accor Receptionist, it is expected that you are fully aware of all details regarding ‘Le Club’
and sign up as many new members as you can.

Le Club Accor – Classic / Silver / Gold / Platinum

All you must know about Le Club Accorhotels is on Accornet
LE CLUB & YOU!
http://intraccor.accor.net:8080/C4/Loyalty/default.aspx

Accor Favorite Guest Business / la carte ibis

Accor Favorite Guest Business and la carte ibis are loyalty cards
for business travellers. The membership program offers
year-round discounts and benefits, especially tailored to the
business guest requirements. Both are subscription cards
which are purchased/renewed anually.

Accor Advantage Plus

‘Advantage Plus’ is another Accor loyalty program that you need to
be familiar with. Unlike ‘Le Club’, this program is subscription based
- this means that guests pay to be a member - and is only available
in Asia Pacific. Advantage Plus members are entitled to one free
night stay per year together with other room rate and Food and
Beverage discounts.

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Accor Asia Pacific Rooms Division Workbook 2013 – ‘The Professional Receptionist’
Partner Privilege Accor Advantage Plus
Partner Privilege Accor Advantage Plus Program is the new
invitation only Owners Program exclusive for top tier owners. It
entitles the holder to preferential discounts on room rates, food and
beverage and laundry services and exclusive welcome and
rewards at certain properties.

Partner Accor Advantage Plus

The Accor Partner’s Privilege card is a loyalty card extended to all
Hotel owners and close business associates in the Asia Pacific
region. It entitles the holder to preferential discounts on room rates,
food and beverage and laundry services and exclusive welcome
and rewards at certain properties.

Carte Bienvenue
Carte Bienvenue is Accor’s ‘staff card’ – providing discounts to loyal
employees who have been with the company for more than six
months and are travelling for Leisure purposes.
More information for Carte Bienvenue is available on Accornet – your
Manager can provide details for how you log in to this site.

CHECK IN – Share Reservations

‘Share Reservations’ is the term we use to refer to two or more guests who wish to share the
same room and possibly to maintain separate billing folios. Sometimes their stay dates coincide
exactly and sometimes only part of their stay overlaps. This situation is called a "share." Both
guests need to check in as per the normal process and it should be determined as soon as
possible if they require all or any charges to be split between accounts (subject the PMS
capabilities).

If the first person who registers advises that the other sharer will be paying for all costs, credit
card details or cash deposit must still be taken (as per usual check in process) from the first
guest. When the second sharer checks in and confirms payment arrangements, the first
sharer’s pre-authorisation / payment can be cancelled.

An accompanying guest is a guest who occupies a room for a certain period with another
guest, however they do not stay overnight in the room or require a separate billing folio. By
registering their name they can receive telephone calls, faxes and deliveries but do not have the
authorisation to charge to the primary guests account.
All visitors should be registered in order to comply with the government and/or Hotel’s Health
and Safety rules, particularly in the case of emergencies.

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Accor Asia Pacific Rooms Division Workbook 2013 – ‘The Professional Receptionist’
Check in - Special Access Guests

Special Access guests refer to those guests who have special needs or requirements due to
being either physically or mentally impaired.

All employees must provide extra attention to guests with special needs who are staying in
house or coming to the Hotel. As with all guests, Special Access guests are to feel welcomed
and respected and should be addressed them by their preferred name.

Guests with special access needs will usually have highlighted their requirements when making
the reservation, however if a guests checks in and advises they have special needs, it is
imperative that suitable facilities, amenities and services are made available.

As with all guests, Special Access guests are to feel valued and be treated with respect and
professionalism. In dealing with guests with special needs, here are some points to consider:

• Special Access guests have different needs – a physically handicapped person may need
assistance with their bags or ensuring items are not in their path; a guest with a hearing
impairment may need for you to look directly at them when speaking so that they can lip
read, a blind person may need to be physically shown where things are located etc. Each
person is an individual and needs to be treated as such.

• Offer assistance but don’t expect that it is required or will be accepted. Some guests may
prefer to do things independent of help. If assistance is accepted, then listen to what is
needed or ask for instructions on how to help. If you are unsure of what to do, ask questions
of the person you are assisting. It is much better to clarify with the guest, then to do
something that he / she is not comfortable with.

• Room allocation should take into account guest needs and be as close as possible to the
ground floor (in case of emergency evacuations) and an elevator.

• Guests may travel with an assistant, carer or friend – if such a person is with the guest, it is
important that rooms are allocated as requested.

• Listen attentively when you are talking with a person who has difficulty speaking. Be patient
and wait for the person to finish; ask questions that require short answers; repeat what you
have understood and allow the person to respond accordingly. Be patient and let them
complete their idea or request without interruption.

• When communicating with guests with a hearing impairment, get their attention before
speaking. Guests may lip-read, so be sensitive to this by facing the light source and keeping
your hands away from your mouth when speaking.

• Guests may have medical assistance dogs – these animals are to be allowed in all areas of
our Hotels.

Once the guest has checked in and been escorted to their room, ensure all details are added to
the guest profile and all relevant departments of the Hotel are informed of the guest and their
requirements. Make a note in the diary of the guests name, room number and requirements.

IMPORTANT: A special access guest may require additional assistance during an

emergency. For this reason it is very important that Security and Concierge are aware
of guests registered as special access and their particular needs.

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Accor Asia Pacific Rooms Division Workbook 2013 – ‘The Professional Receptionist’
 Handy Hint

Remember that not all Special Access guests have physical

impairments; guests may have other special needs, such as
being diabetic and requiring special meals, that cannot be
seen. They may not require a special room but access to
other services or amenities.

Check In - Walk in Guests

A ‘Walk In’ is a guest who arrives at the Hotel without making an advance reservation. Think of
‘Walk In’ guests as a bonus – their unexpected booking is an opportunity for additional revenue
and occupancy for the Hotel. As such, ‘Walk In’ guests are to be treated in a professional and
welcoming manner.

After welcoming the guest, it is important to check the Hotel availability to ensure a room is
available (for the whole period the guest has requested) and also to find out the best available
rate (‘BAR’) for the night. Remember to check different room types – you may not have a
‘standard’ room available but perhaps the next level of room type is.

Once the guest has confirmed they are happy with the room and rate offered, proceed with the
check in as normal. As with all check-ins, it is imperative that you ensure the payment mode
and pre-authorisation / deposit payment is in line with your Hotel payment guarantee policy.

Research Task
A) How many Special Access rooms does your Hotel have?
B) What aspects of these rooms make them suitable for Special Access guests?
C) Does the Hotel supply additional aids such as shower chairs, wheel chairs, hearing impaired
telephones etc. Is there any additional charge for such items?

A)

B)

C)

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 Find the Answer
Sit down with your Supervisor and find the answers to these common issues at check-in.

A walk-in guest has a special request for corner suite that cannot be honoured at the time of
check-in? The guest is persistent with their request…what should I do?

____________________________________________________________________________

An Advantage Plus guest arrives to stay using their Complimentary Night voucher. When trying
to process it through EPay the complimentary night is advised as not available?
____________________________________________________________________________

An Accor LeClub Member has booked his accommodation through Expedia on a discounted
prepaid rate. Will he get awarded points for this stay?
____________________________________________________________________________

A guest has booked a standard room on a prepaid rate. On arrival he advises he would like a
higher standard of room than he has booked and paid for. How would I handle this?
____________________________________________________________________________

A Partners Privilege Card Holder arrives unexpectedly at the Hotel. The Hotel is fully booked.
What should I do?
____________________________________________________________________________

A ‘Walk In’ guest requests a room for two nights. You check availability and have plenty of
rooms available tonight but are fully booked for the second night. What do you do?
____________________________________________________________________________

A Special Request made at the time of reservation for a room with a Harbour View has not been
able to be honoured. The guest is very unhappy at check in. Is there anything I can do to
placate the guest?
____________________________________________________________________________

A friend is coming to stay and has asked me if I can upgrade them. What should I do?
___________________________________________________________________

A regular corporate guest who stays at least a couple of times a month is checking in for a
weekend away with his family. He has asked if I can offer him the same corporate rate and VIP
status he receives for his business stays? Can I do this?
____________________________________________________________________________

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Accor Asia Pacific Rooms Division Workbook 2013 – ‘The Professional Receptionist’
Over-bookings (Relocations)
.
• Every Hotels aim is to maximise room revenue by filling every room every night. To achieve
this it is necessary in some situations to over book (sell 2 – 10 rooms more than we actually
have) in anticipation that a number of guests will not turn up for their bookings or last minute
cancellations.

• However sometimes everyone does show up and when this happens you will need to find
alternate accommodation for the guests. Normally you would find accommodation for them
at a Hotel nearby. Your preference would be as follows:
- A nearby Accor property
- Another Hotel brand of a similar standard

• You would normally ask the new Hotel honour the rate that was confirmed for the room
(most Hotels are familiar with over bookings and relocations and will offer reciprocal deals).

• Hotels should only over book if there are suitable alternative accommodation options close.
You would never overbook during a special event, especially one that requires all bookings
to be fully prepaid (such as New Year’s Eve).

• Over bookings can cost a Hotel in reputation as well as money if done badly so when you
need to move / bump a guest firstly look at your guest list and follow a few simple rules?

Never bump VIP’s or guests who do large business with the Hotel or company.

Choose a guest with a moderate rate to ensure the Hotel you are relocating the guest to
is happy to reciprocate the offer.

Never bump early in the day unless you absolutely have to. Some rooms may cancel
during the day meaning relocation will not be necessary.

Try to bump single bookings and not people who are of a group.

Do not relocate return guests or loyal corporate accounts, where practicable.

Here are a few key points to remember:

• You may have irate guests on your hands so you need to make the process as smooth as
possible. In most instances the Assistant Manager will deal with the guest; however there
could be instances when you may need to handle this situation yourself.

• If you are certain you will be overbooked you may choose to call the guest to advise them
that their booking has been moved so they can go straight to their new Hotel.

• Be prepared for the guest:

− Apologise for the inconvenience
− Advise the name & address of the Hotel they have been moved
to and details of the room reserved
− Advise a contact name of the person at the new Hotel
− Explain that the rate will be the same
− Have a method of transfer pre-arranged if possible

This can be a delicate situation and requires some experience and confidence to handle. It is
important that you know what to do when your establishment is overbooked. Whatever the
procedures are, the situation must be handled with minimum inconvenience and maximum
courtesy to the guest.

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Accor Asia Pacific Rooms Division Workbook 2013 – ‘The Professional Receptionist’
 Handling Guest Inquires & Requests
One of the many skills of a Front Office person is to do more than one thing at a time. There is
definitely an art in being able to think clearly on your feet and prioritise situations, while ensuring
that the lower priorities are still accomplished in good time.

Techniques for answering the phone are covered in “The Professional Hospitality Employee”
Handbook that you would have completed first. Remember to always follow correct procedures
whenever you are using the telephone.

•It is a good idea to record all requests from guests, including the name and
room number of the guest and what is required to be done. Get into the
habit of doing this as you never know when you are going to be distracted
Write or inundated with requests and you can’t remember every one.

•Learn to prioritise, e.g. a guest who is about to have a shower and needs
shampoo sent to the room would have a higher priority than the request for
a taxi to be booked going to the airport later that day. However, both
Priorotise requests need to be attended to promptly.

•Front Office staff can be faced with stressful situations at times. It is

essential to remain calm and level headed.

Stay Calm

Be Helpful and Attentive:

As a Front Office staff member you will probably have more contact with an individual guest
than any other staff member. As such you will need to know about all areas of the
establishment, from food and beverage to housekeeping and business centre services It is your
responsibility to maintain a good relationship with guests throughout their stay. The importance
of staff attitude and presentation cannot be stressed enough, particularly in Front Office where
the opportunity to maintain a positive impression is always there.

Remember the 5 basic Rules:

 Courtesy

 Efficiency

 Friendliness

 Attentiveness

 React promptly to requests.

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 Guest
makes a
Request

Guests may contact the Reception team for a variety of reasons:

* A guest amenity (extra pillows, newspaper, another robe etc);
* Asking for information on how to use something in the room (eg turn TV on)
* General information (what time is the restaurant open)
* To advise of something they are not completely happy with.

You must do whatever you can to provide the requested information or

if need be, rectify the situation for the guest as soon as possible
AND
You will need to inform the guest of what you will do and when you will
do it. Communication is the key - and informed guest is a happy guest.

I need to transfer you to

Yes I can assist another department
For simple requests (e.g. more pillows /
If another department is more equipped to
wakeup call required / light bulb broken),
handle the guest request - for example a
simply action the request. Thank the guest
room service order - advise the guest that
for the call and let them know when they can
you will transfer them to the relevant
expect the situation to be resolved.
department who can help them.

You may not physically ‘do’ the task yourself, Once you have the appropriate person on
but you must ensure you pass on the request the line, advise them why the guest is
to the appropriate person immediately – any calling & from what room so the guest does
delay in your communication with another not need to repeat themselves.
department will result in a further delay for Do not put a call through to another
the guest department without checking that the line
is answered and providing whatever
information you can to your colleague.

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 Handling Guest Complaints

Reception, as the most visible

and well recognised department
of a hotel to a guest, is usually
the first place a guest will contact
when they have a problem

Of course, there will be times When a guest has a problem or

when you need your Supervisor or complaint, it is imperative that
the Assistant Manager to deal with the guest feels that you
a guest – regardless of your efforts understand their request/issue
the guest is not happy and wants and know that you are doing
to speak with someone who is something about it. If a guest
more senior telephones it is likely that their
issue is something that can be
easily rectified. If the guest
comes to the Reception desk in
person it might be because the
issue has not been rectified or
is perhaps more serious
Handling guest complaints is a
necessary skill that all hospitality
professionals need to be
comfortable and confident in
dealing with – it is not acceptable Take responsibility – from the
to simply ‘pass the guest off’ to guest’s perspective, you represent
someone more senior every time the hotel. If the guest asks
there is a problem something of you or lets you know
of a problem, they expect you do
something about it. Don’t pass
them on to someone else unless
you really cannot help.

If a request or issue has escalated into the guest being unhappy or making a complaint, it is
imperative that you deal with them in a respectful and empathic manner.

The complaint may be about something that needs to be fixed or it may just be the guest
wanting to express themselves / ‘blow off steam’.

YOU have the power to turn the guests’ experience around by how you deal with them

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 Here are some simple steps to deal with an unhappy guest

Step 1: Listen

• Allow the guest to vent their frustration and acknowledge their feelings.

• Ask questions to clarify but ensure you let the guest fully explain their concern without
interruption. Do not speak over them or assume that you know what their problem is.

• Get specific details - name, dates, times. Make notes if it is a detailed issue.

• Once the customer has told you their concern - restate their issue back to them in your own
words to ensure you fully understand. Do not do this in accusatory or sarcastic tone or be
off-handed about their concerns. The guest may not always be right, but they are still our
guest.

• Face to face: If speaking with the guest in person offer them a seat away from the public
area if possible. Ensure your body language is appropriate and conveys your attention and
concern (lean forward, use eye contact, nod to show your understanding).

Step 2: Apologise / Empathise

• Apologise for the specific complaint or inconvenience if appropriate in naturally sincere tone:
− “I can see how that must have been inconvenienced, perhaps we could…”
− “I can understand why you would feel upset, may I suggest….”
− “I am really sorry there was a problem with your room, here is what I can do…”
− ‘I am sorry that we have disappointed you, that is not indicative of our regular standard
of service”

Step 3: Solve: Find a mutually acceptable solution

• Sometimes there is nothing further that needs to be done. The guest may feel better simply
from airing his/her complaint. If so, thank the guest for letting you know about their
experience and pass their comments on to management.

OR

• If you can solve the problem, then do so immediately.

OR

• If the issue is more complex, you may need to discuss

the problem with other employees or Management before
you make a decision on the outcome. If so advise the guest that you need to speak with
your Manager (or the appropriate person) and set a mutually agreeable time to provide
feedback to the guest. If the guest has come to the desk and wishes to remain to meet that
person face to face seat them comfortably in a private area.

• Find your Manager immediately and pass on all details of the complaint. Telephone/advise
the guest of your actions. Your Manager will now contact the guest to assist them further.

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To finish

• Thank the guest:

- For bringing the issue to your attention.
- For their patience while the issue was being rectified.
- For helping you solve the problem.

Follow Up: Personally phone the guest at an appropriate time (once the issue has been
rectified) to ensure that everything is now okay and they are happy with the outcome.

When handling guest requests or complaints it is most important to:

 Never make a promise that you can’t keep – don’t offer the guest something just to
please them (or get rid of them). You must to be able to deliver on your promise.

 If you say you are going to do it – DO IT.

 Keep the guest informed – not all requests or situations can be fixed immediately
and you may need a bit of time to find a suitable solution. If so, let the guest know
when they first speak with you and ensure they are happy with the agreed time
frame. If no time limit is specified, the guest will likely get more and more frustrated
when they don’t hear from you. An informed guest is a happy guest.

Research Task
A) A guest telephones the Reception desk and asks you if they can order two different pillows
from the in-room Pillow Menu. What do you do?

B) A guest, who has recently checked in, comes to the Reception desk and tells you that they
have been on the internet looking at the prices available for your Hotel. They have found a
room available at online for the same price they have paid, except it also includes breakfast.
They feel that they did not get a ‘good deal’. What do you do?

A)

B)

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Accor Asia Pacific Rooms Division Workbook 2013 – ‘The Professional Receptionist’
 Group Bookings
A group booking is a block of rooms that has been arranged for a number of inter-related
guests, often because the guests are travelling together for either leisure or business purposes.

Corporate Groups may be staying at your Hotel to attend a meeting or conference at your
property or elsewhere (e.g. offsite conventions / exhibitions). Alternatively they may simply be a
group of business people requiring accommodation only, not related to any event.

Leisure Groups are another popular type of group; they are people travelling together for leisure
purposes (i.e. holiday) and are often part of an organised tour group.

A Group can be comprised of eight or more rooms; of course, the larger the group the more
logistical challenges the Hotel needs to be prepared for.

Group Arrivals

AIM: To ensure group requests for room assignment and check-in are managed
effectively to provide quick and efficient service on arrival.

To prepare for Group Arrivals, the Reservations team provide relevant departments with ‘Group
Reservation Sheets’ and ‘Group Arrival Reports’ which are usually distributed a week prior to
the group arrival date.

The purpose of both reports is to ensure that all relevant departments are aware of and familiar
with the needs of all forthcoming groups. The Arrival report is a snapshot / overview of all
groups arriving within a set timeframe (usually the following week), whilst an individual Group
Reservation Sheet is generated for each group and provides more specific information.

Depending on the type of group, all guests might arrive at once or for smaller groups some
guests may arrive on an individual basis

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Prior to Group Arrival

• Working with Housekeeping; ensure all rooms allocated are ready at the designated arrival
time.
• Key wallets are completed including pre-cut keys and any other special instructions as per
the tour organiser.

Once Group Arrives:

• Ascertain the group name and how many rooms. Note - often groups from an individual tour
company will have very similar names so it is important to check the name when multiple
groups are arriving for that day. E.g. Tour 12-334 / Tour 12-335
• Collect the correct group folder which will contain all the labeled key wallets with the keys
already pre-cut.

• Check payment method for the group and update as required. Ensure the payment is
validated with an organiser or tour guide.

• Hand the wallets over to the tour guide or organiser to distribute.

• The tour guide will then advise you of any special instructions:
− The time they would like for wake up calls
− Schedule request for dinner or other agreement.

• Write the wakeup call times on this sheet, as well as the breakfast times and ensure the
information is passed to the department concerned.

Handy Hint

Remember to advise Concierge of any room amendments to ensure luggage is delivered to
the correct rooms.

Organise key wallets in alphabetic order to make it easier for the Tour Organiser to
distribute

• An Assistant Manager or the Designated Tour Manager may like to speak to the group as a
whole prior to check-in to advise relevant Hotel Policy and/or the Conditions for their stay
(E.g. mini-bar closed, telephone closed, no smoking policy). This can be done on the bus
prior to

Group Check Out

• A designated person (usually a Senior Receptionist or Supervisor) will check all group
departures for the day to ensure the group master account can be finalised.

• This check will include:

- The rates are correct for all the rooms as per contract signed contract
- All updates are completed: complimentary rooms, change of rate during stay etc.?
- All extra charges have posted correctly (e.g. porterage, meals)
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- If there any extra charges to be settled by individuals?

• Once the charges have been validated, the group master can be checked out according to
procedure.

• The individual rooms can be checked out upon their individual departure or at once when
the group is due to depart. A report detailing any outstanding individual accounts is to be
brought to the tour leader’s attention before departure to ensure all individual accounts are
settled.

Find the answer?

A group member comes to the desk after check in and advised they are unhappy with their
room and would like an upgrade? What should I do?

____________________________________________________________________________

A Tour Manager has telephoned to advise they will be arriving much earlier than expected. This
could result in pre-allocated rooms not being ready by the new arrival time. What should I do?

____________________________________________________________________________

An inbound tour is due to arrive that afternoon but we have not received the required pre-
payment or credit card guarantee? What is the procedure in this instance?

____________________________________________________________________________

Last Impressions – Check Out

When a guest departs it is your last chance to make a good impression. The last impression is
sure to be an enduring one! For this reason great attention must be paid to the guest as the
account is being finalised.

The following are basic steps which will assist you in farewelling guests:

• Thank the guests for their patronage.

• Give the guests time to collect their receipts and belongings without feeling that you are
hurrying them.

• Remember to use their name in the farewell greeting.

• Offer guests a smile as they leave.

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Presenting the account

When a guest arrives at Reception, confirm their room number.

Retrieve the manual guest folio (in the case of billing machines) or bring up the guest folio in
your PMS.

Retrieve the registration card and say aloud the guest’s name to confirm the guest’s details.

Take particular note of the method of payment and ask the guest if that particular method is
still the preferred method of payment. For example: guest folio – a guest is paying directly
for all charges incurred; master folio – predetermined/prepaid charges.

Check with the guest for any further charges which need to be added to the account, such
as breakfast, mini bar and/or newspapers.

Finalise the account and hand a copy of the invoice to the guest for checking before
processing the payment, or part payment.

If a guest does not have any items of dispute, the account can be settled. Process the
method of payment and hand the original of the account to the guest.

The guest may query charges to the account, particularly

if codes (that only the establishment knows!) are used. Be
prepared to explain the account to the guest, courteously
and clearly, ensuring that an impression of being ‘hurried’
is not given.

Guests may dispute items or amounts that have been

posted to the account, such as food and/or beverage
charges. Reference to the charge voucher may be
necessary to resolve the dispute.

In cases where a guest disputes the room rate, a

supervisor or manager will need to be called to resolve the
dispute.

In cases where there are disputes, the cashier must be

able to resolve the dispute courteously and tactfully, and
as quickly as possible.

Handy Hint

Late check-outs: These can affect the Housekeeping Department, as well as Reception. You
may need to determine whether a late check-out fee is to be charged to the guest. Check with
your Supervisor on your late check-out fees.

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 Research Task
A guest is disputing a Food & Beverage charge on their account. How would you find out the
details of the charge? Where would the docket from the outlet be filed as you would like to be
able to check it and show the guest?

Admin Duties
As well has handling guest queries, checking guests in and out and co-ordinating the
distribution of a host of other information a receptionist also has a number of administration
duties which must be performed daily.

In particular, your role as cashier requires expert attention to detail when posting transactions
for guarantee of payment at check in, during settlement of guest accounts at checkout, when
exchanging foreign currency and when posting general transactions for other departments.

Start of Shift

When you first start your shift, no matter what time of day it is, it essential you obtain all the
information you need for your day. Each properties checklist will vary however generally you will
need to:

• Ensure your work space is free from clutter and ready

for work
• Do a quick check on all equipment making sure it is in
working order
• Check your arrivals and departures list and ensure you
are fully briefed on all requirements.
• Together with a witness count your cash float and
document according to procedure.

During your Shift

Traces

• Normally one receptionist will be asked to action any traces for the day. A trace report is
printed and the receptionist works methodically through each trace and actions according to
its instructions. Sometimes a trace might also be referred to as a “flag”. A trace or flag is
simply an instruction left on a guest profile to action on a particular day. This might include
mail being held that needs to be placed in their room prior to arrival, or a reminder that the
guest will require a high chair in their room. Whenever a trace is actioned in any way the
PMS must be updated to reflect this.
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Bucket Check

• Is a daily task where the evening Receptionist checks all in-house guests registration cards.
Registration cards and the accompanying paperwork are checked against the guest profiles
on the PMS to ensure information provided by the guests is accurately entered into the
system.
• An in-house guest report is printed and each name is ticked off as the Registration Card is
checked. Once ticked off the guest profile is looked up on the PMS and any incorrect
information corrected. Any information or paperwork missing is to be followed up
immediately. You may need to set a trace for further follow up.

City Ledger Accounts

• You must ensure that any invoices that are to be billed to an AR account have all the correct
supporting documentation: an authorization letter on official letterhead or fax header (or
email from a Travel Agent or Company the Hotels has authorized to confirm charge backs
via email). The documentation should state exactly what charges the company or agent is
to be invoiced for and be attached to a copy of the invoice that has been signed by the
guest at checkout.

Foreign Currency

• Some Hotels offer a Foreign Currency Exchange Service where a

guest can “swap” the currency they have for the local currency (i.e.
exchange their US dollars for the equivalent amount in Thai Baht).
Reception is responsible for all Foreign Exchange transactions. A fee
is usually charged for this service and as such is a good revenue
raiser for the Hotel. The actual process for this is detailed Policy Rec-
05-02-006 including shift end procedures.

Posting Revenue Charges

• Simply put, this is when a charge is posted onto an account. The account could be for an
individual guest, a meeting being held at the Hotel, a group account etc. Checkout is of
course the main time you will post charges to an account (e.g. minibar, breakfast etc.).
However you will also be asked to post other charges during your shift.

• A transaction code is used to uniquely identify the kinds of transactions posted to account.
The code will identify the charges on the guest folio, but they are important to Hotel
accounting and reporting systems. For this reason you must use the correct transaction
code on all postings.

Handy Hint
If you can’t find a registration card when completing a Bucket Check try looking
through the mornings departed registration cards. It might have accidently filed
with them

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 Research Task
Find out what the transaction codes are for these regular postings?

1. Minibar

2. Room Service Breakfast

3. Restaurant Breakfast – A) Full B) Continental

4. Local telephone Calls

At the end of your shift

Upon the completion of your shift all payment methods and all transaction codes must balance
to the relevant paperwork and your cash float returned at par-level.

Cashier Closure and Remittance

At the end of your shift you will need to “cash up”. This process involves balancing the cash,
credit cards and cheques with the totals posted as transactions in the PMS.

This will include:

• Balance Credit Cards against report - your Dockets to what is posted in the PMS and to
your credit card machine (where applicable). PMS credit card codes must equal the Credit
Card Batch “SALE” closing report and the total Credit card charge slips.
• Balance Paid outs against report – your vouchers to the PMS. The combined total of all
paid-out vouchers must equal the PMS’s “Paid-out” transaction code
• Balance City Ledgers Accounts against report – your signed or vouchered
accounts being charged back against the report. All City Ledger folios
must tally with the city ledger report from the PMS and have all required
paperwork attached.
• Balancing float – your excess cash after the float is taken back to par
level has to balance to the PMS cash takings report. The amount of
cash collected within the cashier shift must equal the PMS validated
cash total. Any shortages or excesses in the floats must be rectified
according to Hotel procedure.
• Complete a final cash float count which must be properly documented
and countersigned by a witness.

The cashier deposits all cash collected in a drop-safe per Hotel Policy and Procedure. Any
deposit into the drop safe should be witnessed and reported into a daily “cashier drop-safe
report” sheet and signed by both the cashier and the witness.

All other documentation is filed / passed on to other departments according to Hotel Policy &
Procedure.

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Shift Handover

Additional duties that go hand-in-hand with cashing up at the end of the day are Shift Handover.

It is vital to handover all issues to the next person on shift, so they know what has happened
earlier in the day.

A checklist to follow should include the following:

Authorisation faxes (company charge back) that need to be followed-up on

Pending Room moves

Out Of Order rooms (OOO)

VIP arrivals for the shift

Group arrivals / departures

Guests in house who have special needs in case of fire or emergencies

Complaints (issues) that may be ongoing

Relocation of guest arrangements in progress

Any undesirables in house that we need to keep an eye on

Guests who are extending their stay. We need to seek payment and recut their room key

Emails that may require follow-up

Traces for the day – resolution, issues that require attention

F & B information – Any events happening in the Hotel

Handy Hint

Keep the copy of the list you made for guest requests and refer to it when doing shift hand-over.
It might help you remember things you need to pass on to the next shift.

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 Find the answer?
I have done my balance and my till is a lot over? What does that normally mean I have done
and where would I start to look for the solution?

____________________________________________________________________________

A guest comes to checkout and claims that his account should be charged back to his
Company. His profile in the PMS indicates this is correct and that we have received the
appropriate paperwork but it is not on the Registration Card. What should I do?

____________________________________________________________________________

I can’t seem to balance my credit card PMS totals against my credit card receipts. I think I
might have posted a transaction incorrectly and instead of using the Visa Transaction Code I
used the MasterCard. What should I do?
____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

It is nearly the end of my shift and it’s been a really busy day. I haven’t had time to start my
balance. Should I approach my Manager to see if I can go somewhere quiet to do this?

____________________________________________________________________________

We hope you have enjoyed completing this workbook and you have
found it helpful and instructive. Good luck in your position as
“A Professional Receptionist”

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