PROVIDE ACCOMMODATION

RECEPTION SERVICES
Module 5

Slide 1
1: Prepare reception area for guest
arrival

Slide 2
1.1 Prepare reception area for service
Reception is:
• Central location

• First point of contact

• Usually operates 24/7

• Preparation and organization is the key

3
 1.1 Prepare reception area for service
Handover:

All reception shifts overlap by brief period (15 minutes to ½

hour) – this briefing allows:
• Time to discuss any relevant details for the next shift – time to
review and resolve problems
• New staff prepare their area and check personal appearance

• For smooth transition from one

shift to another

Handover can be verbal, written or in

form of reports

Slide 4
 1.2 Check reception equipment
• Is everything working as intended?

• Are you familiar with how all the equipment works?

• Do you know how to fix “minor” faults and problems ?

• Do you have back up supplies?

 Paper/paper rolls

 Forms

 Vouchers

 Printer ribbons

 Pens, paper and relevant stationery

Slide 5
 1.3 Review expected daily guest
movement
Reasons for the review – to:
• Review and ensure bookings are correct

• Ensure right room is allocated to guest

• Facilitate coordination of work with other departments

• Make sure VIP guests are properly taken care of

• Confirm airport transfer and pick-up arrangements

• Inform Housekeeping to make up rooms if there are any early

departures
• Advise housekeeping or minibar staff to check the minibar in
certain rooms
Slide 6
 1.3 Review expected daily guest
movement
Arrivals:
• Arrivals list

 Alphabetical listing of expected arrivals

 Time of arrival

 Type of room

 Rate quoted

 Special requests

 Payment details

Slide 7
1.3 Review expected daily guest
movement
Group arrivals:
• Lots of people and lots of luggage

• Room allocation

• Check on arrival time

• Prepare room keys

• Meal vouchers and restaurant requirements

• Mail

• Prepare group rooming lists or registration cards

• Welcome brochure and group itinerary

Slide 8
1.3 Review expected daily guest
movement
Stay over rooms:
Guests who stay longer than their departure date
• Some guests request extensions
• Need to contact the guest
• Extend the stay if possible
• May have to find another hotel or room type
• May have to do room inspections
• Could only be a “late check-out”
• Affects occupancy levels – may lead to
being overbooked
Slide 9
1.3 Review expected daily guest
movement
Early Departures:

• When a guest leaves before their due date

• Departure changes are usually captured at check-in

time

• Housekeeping notice a “checked out” room

• PMS system will pick this up quickly

• Reduces our occupancy figure

Slide 10
1.3 Review expected daily guest
movement

Groups and individual guest movement:

• Changes in the group allocation

• Advance notice given by tour company

• Group may be charged for the room/guest

• Additions to the group

• Effects occupancy level

Slide 11
 1.4 Allocation of room in
accordance with special requests
Guests request certain rooms and expect them:

Reception need to ensure these requests are allocated:

• Simple requests such as

 Non Smoking rooms

 Specific views, ocean, pool, golf course

 Suites, family rooms, penthouse

 Specific requests, low floor, near the lifts, away from the lifts

 Business women’s floor

Cont’
Slide 12
1.4 Allocation of room in accordance
with special requests
• Challenging requests:

 Hotel hampers or gifts, fruit, flowers, chocolates

 Full bar set up

 Open connection room doors

 Change Duvet [Doona] to blankets

 Remove all alcohol from the room – for religious reasons

 Insert a board under the mattress for guest with bad back

Slide 13
 1.4 Allocation of room in accordance
with special requests
Room allocation
Rooms are allocated:
• As soon as the reservation is made for limited types
 Suites, the Penthouse suite, Family rooms
 Room number is blocked onto the reservation
• Morning of arrival
 Individual rooms
 Groups and tour guests
 Usually done by the reception supervisor
 Rooms numbers are manually recorded on the
registration card or assigned in the computer Slide 14
 1.4 Allocation of room in accordance
with special requests
Group room allocation:
• Discounted rate – don’t receive the best rooms in the
hotel
• Rooms should be close together and on the same floor
if possible
• Tour Leader – different floor – unless the groups have
language difficulties
• Check all the rooms are ready
when the groups arrives
• It is difficult to move group and tour guests
Slide 15
 1.4 Allocation of room in accordance
with special requests
Room Rates:
• Room rates reflect the type of room the guest has requested

 Standard, deluxe, king-size, poolside, ocean view

• Discounted rates usually reflect the type of business

 Corporate rate

 Convention rate

 Air crew rate

 Government rate

 Industry rate etc.

Slide 16
1.5 Follow-up on uncertain arrivals
and reservations
Mainly during full house occupancy:
• Non-guaranteed reservations
• Deposits
 Not yet received
 Only partially paid
• Reservations past the specified arrival time
 Contact the guest to see if they are still coming
 Wait list guests
 Potential room sales to other guests if you contact
them in time
Slide 17
 1.6 Compile arrivals lists
Arrivals List provides information such as :
• Alphabetical listing of guests arriving on that date
• Departure date
• ETA – estimated time of arrival
• Number of guests
• Room type and rate quoted
• Status of reservation - guaranteed or non-guaranteed
• Special requests
• VIP status (if any)
• Complimentary guests are also included

Slide 18
 1.7:Distribute arrivals list as required
Housekeeping:
• Staffing levels

• Planning daily tasks

• Determine the level of service

• Order of servicing rooms

• Guest count

• Special requests

Slide 19
 1.7:Distribute arrivals list as required

Concierge:

• Staffing levels

• Group arrivals

• Organizing luggage storage

Slide 20
 1.7:Distribute arrivals list as required

Porters:

• Planning daily tasks

• Arrival time

• Sorting luggage

Slide 21
 1.7:Distribute arrivals list as required
Security:
• VIPs – David Beckham arriving

 Requires additional security

• Escort a VIP to their room

Food and Beverage:

• Special requests

• Restaurant use

• Groups and tour arrangements

Cont’
Slide 22
1.7:Distribute arrivals list as required
Management:
• Notification of VIPs

• Recognize famous names and make a VIP

Laundry:
• Staffing

• Planning

Kitchen:
• Food orders and staffing

Slide 23
 1.8 Monitor guests arrival and take
appropriate action
• Inform colleagues

• Prepare for major guest movement

• Special requests

• Follow up with VIPs

• Meetings

Slide 24
2: Perform check-in functions

Slide 25
 2.1 Welcome guests on arrival

Professional welcome:
• Professional

• Welcoming

• Sincere

• Friendly

• Polite

• Body language

Slide 26
 2.2 Determine if the guest has a
reservation and confirm and explain
reservation details
Guests with Reservations:
• Confirm reservation details

 Name

 Length of stay

 Method of payment

 Special requests

 Rate

 Vouchers
Slide 27
2.3 Determine if guest is a walk-in and
identify if room is available
Guest without a reservation:
• Determine the guests needs

• Check availability

• Ask method of payment

 Mention the policy and procedures about payment

methods

Slide 28
 2.4 Decline a guest if appropriate

• Check the “black list”

• Review hotel policies

• Recommend another venue

• Full occupancy – no rooms

Slide 29
 2.5 Complete guest registration
process
Process a check- in:

• Proof of identity

• Complete the registration card

• Obtain the signature

Slide 30
 2.6 Issue keys and vouchers as
required
Key cards and keys:
• Energy saving

• Security

Vouchers:
• As a form of payment from travel agents

• Exchanged for services such as a “complimentary

drink”

Slide 31
 2.7 Follow internal accounting
protocols
• Credit cards and credit limits

• EFTPOS

• Cash

• Travel cards/traveller’s cheques

• Personal cheques

• Direct billing/charging

• Deposits

• Receipts

Slide 32
 Applying discounts to guests

Room Rates:
• Rack rate

• Corporate rate

• Conference/convention rate

• Industry rate

• Negotiated rate

• Groups and tours rate

• Package rate

Slide 33
 2.8 Explain room and house facilities
and services to guests
• Safe deposit boxes/in room safe

• Room facilities

• Hotel facilities

• Local attractions

Slide 34
 2.8 Explain room and house facilities
and services to guests
Selling techniques:

• Suggestive selling

• Describing

• Explaining

• Up-selling

• Cross-selling

Slide 35
 2.9 Arrange for porter services
Porters:
• Carry guest luggage

• Escort guests to room

• Discuss in room equipment

• Deliver messages

• Arrange taxis and parking

• Store guest luggage

Slide 36
 2.10 Implement standard house
protocols for problem situation
• Overbooking

• Room not ready

• Black listed guests

• No reservation to be found

37
 2.11 Monitor guests’ arrival and
take appropriate action as required
Monitor and check arrivals:

• Identify no shows

• Types of reservations

• Notify wait list guests

• Check for accuracy

• Follow standard procedures

38
Element 3: Perform ‘during stay’
functions

39
 3.1 Process room change requests

• Establish what is wrong with the room

• Check availability

• Advise guest

• Move the guest

• Change status of room

• Update folio – room number and/or room rate

40
 3.2 Process extensions to stays

• Extended stays

– Check availability

– Check in takes priority over extensions

– Regular guests

– Rate charged

– Re-room the guest

41
 3.3 Process variations to guest
numbers
• Guest numbers

– Check against housekeeping reports

– Evening “turn down” service

– Update records

– Update rates

42
 3.4 Process variations in room rate

• Different rates for different market of guests

• Hotels offer different rates at different times of the year

• Rates are used to attract business

• Discounts enable the hotels to compete

43
 3.5 Process upgrades

Putting a guest into a better room than they are paying for:
• Use suites during full house situations

• Compensation for a ‘bad’ experience

• Offering free accommodation
• Discounting rooms

44
 3.6 Process special requests
• Special requests – requested by guests

• Special requests – offered by the hotel

• Special request – paid for by guests

45
 3.7 Process guest charges
Point of sale charges:
• Guest identification

• Signature

Manual charging back to their room:

• Guest identification

• Room number

• Print name

• Signature

46
 3.8 Respond to guest queries
• Know all about your property

• Give good service

• What if you don’t know? Find out!

• Involve other departments

47
Element 4: Perform check-out functions

48
 4.1 Maintain and prepare guest
accounts
Seeking information on departing guests:
• Room number

• Breakfast

• Mini bar

Check for accuracy:

• Supporting documentation

• Signatures

49
4.2 Prepare and review departures lists

• Express check outs

• Group check outs

• Early departures

• Late check outs

50
 4.3 Present the accounts to guests
Generate the account:
• Check guest details

Explain the account:

• Other charges

Present the account:

• Print a new account

51
 4.4 Process payments and refunds
and issue receipts
Process payments:
• Acceptable methods of payments

• Foreign exchange

Issue Receipts:
• Process refunds

• Foreign exchange

Obtain the key:

• Actual keys - not key cards

52
 4.5 Process express check outs

• What is an express check out?

• Who uses it?

• How is it done?

53
 4.6 Process group check-outs

• Group master account

• Individual accounts

 Extra charges

• Group luggage collection

 Luggage storage

54
 4.7 Distribute departures list as
required
• Housekeeping

• Concierge and porters

• Security

• Management

• Maintenance

55
 4.8 Assist guest with on departure
requests
• Forwarding addresses

 Less and less today with email and texting

• Call a taxi or transport

• Provide lost and found services

• Organize a porter

• Make another booking

56
Element 5: Prepare front office records
and reports

57
 5.1 Prepare and update front office
records
• Update availability/charts

• Room allocation

• Bookings diary

• Changing rooms

• Alter rate

• Modify departure dates/times

• Guest history

58
 5.2 Generate internal reports as
required
• Information reports:

 Other departments

 Back up for operations

 managers

• Analytical/statistical reports:

 Managers

 Supervisors

59
 5.3 Facilitate night audit activities

• Features of night audit

• Purpose of night audit

• Daily reports and records

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Thank you

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