Hotel Rooms Division and Operation - Chapter 5 PDF

Chapter 5 Hotel and Room Division Operations After today’s class, you should be able to:  Explain on the function of Room division and its departments  Describe role and responsibilities of the General Manager, Front Office Manager, Guest Service Agent,...

Chapter 5 Hotel and Room Division Operations After today’s class, you should be able to:  Explain on the function of Room division and its departments  Describe role and responsibilities of the General Manager, Front Office Manager, Guest Service Agent, Executive Housekeeper, Reservation Manager  Discuss the trends in the hotel industry Front and Back of the house department Front of house Back of house team keeps departments are guest- things running smoothly behind facing. the scenes. They work directly with They have minimal guest guests and handle contact Front office Housekeeping operational tasks Kitchen  Front office Steward  Account and Finance Restaurants Human Resource  Bars Engineering Reservation Sales and Marketing  Organizational Chart  It is a chart representation of job positions set out in the pattern of how work is accomplished and how authority and responsibility are assigned and delegated.  It should clearly show who reports to whom throughout the line of work in a business as well as the flow of authority.  It is essential that an organization chart indicates the breakdown of management levels, such as top management, middle, operational and rank and file.  Who is a General Manager?  The General manager is responsible for all aspects of operations at the hotel, to day- to-day staff management and guests.  They should be an ambassador for the brand and your hotel. Provide leadership and strategic planning to all departments in support of our service culture, maximized operations and guest satisfaction.  Work very closely with the hotel owners and other stake holders.  Role of a General Manager  Oversee the operations functions of the hotel, as per the Organizational chart.  Hold regular briefings and meetings with all head of departments.  Ensure full compliance to Hotel operating controls, SOP’s, policies, procedures and service standards.  Lead all key property issues including capital projects, customer service and refurbishment.  Handling complaints and oversee the service recovery procedures.  Responsible for the preparation, presentation and subsequent achievement of the hotel's annual Operating Budget, Marketing and Sales Plan and  And more…  Qualities of Successful GM:  Leadership.  Ability to delegate effectively  Attention to detail.  Patience  Follow-through-  People skills. getting the job done.  Executive Committee Makes all the major decisions affecting the hotel. Made up of key associates who head major departments: General Manager Director of Human Resources Director of Food and Beverage Director of Rooms Division Director of Marketing and Sales Director of Engineering Director of Finance  The Room Division  Includes all areas of the hotel operation related to providing overnight accommodations to guests.  This includes: Guest Services Department : Guest Service Agent, Bell Captain, Concierge, night audit, Butler Reservation Department : Room and dining booking Housekeeping Department : Guest room services, public area cleaning, turndown service, laundry operations, Florist Room Division Organizational Chart  The Guest Cycle Guest cycle is a sequence of events that take place the moment a guest Calls to make a reservation until he or she checks out.  Front Office  Is described as hub or nerve centre of hotel.  Department that makes first impression on guest.  Guest relies on front office for information and service during stay.  Guests expect to be met by one with warm smile and greeting.  Responsibilities of the Front Office  Review on occupancy  Advise housekeeping and room  Review arrivals/departures/VIP service of flowers/fruits for rooms VIPs.  Handle check-ins and check-  Check issuing and control of outs key cards/keys.  Review the VIP list/ group and prepare pre-registration.  Note any important notes in the  Attend to guests queries, log book. complaints, requests etc.  Arrange pre-registration for all arrivals. 3 main functions of front office: 1. To sell rooms 2. To maintain balanced guest Sales or reservations staff take accounts room sales before the guest’s To ensure that guests pay on arrival. check-out. When the reservation office closes, all the expected arrivals 3. Provide local and hotel and available rooms are handed over to FO. information To be able to handle guests FO will try to sell off the rooms- 100% occupancy-perishability. questions. Upselling. Foreign currency exchange Who is a Front Office Manager? The front office manager of a hotel is responsible for the smooth running of the front desk and for all the receptionists working on the front desk. Who is a Front Office Manager? Main Duties:  Trains, cross –trains, and retrains all front office personnel.  Participates in the selection of front office personnel.  Schedules the front office staff.  Supervises workload during shifts.  Evaluates the job performance if each front office employee.  Maintains working relationships and communicates with all departments.  Resolves guest problems quickly, efficiently, and courteously. Who is a Guest Service Agent? (GSA) Guest Services Agent works at the reception desk and handles all guest reservations, room allocations, welcoming guests, directing them to hotel services and to their rooms, making out guest accounts and organising payments of guest accounts”. Main Duties:  7:00 am - 3:00 pm shift  Check-outs  Guest inquiries  Room changes  Work with housekeeping  3:00 pm - 11:00 pm shift  Check-ins  Reservations  Who is a Night Auditor? “Is a hotel employee who typically handles both the duties of the front desk agent and some of the duties of the accounting department. This is necessitated by the fact that most shifts close at or around midnight, and the normal workday of the employees in the accounting department does not extend to cover this time of day”. Main Duties:  Waits until hotel quiets down and begins ‘balancing the books’  Posts charges  Closes the books on a daily basis  Balances guest accounts  Completes daily report Who is Bell captain ? ◦ Assists in opening/closing door, clear the traffic, giving guests basic information, removing luggage from the trunk. ◦ Escort guests and transport luggage to their rooms. Explain the services of the hotels and point out the features of the room.  Who is Concierge? Typically in a luxury hotel.  Make dining and other reservations for patrons, and obtain tickets for events or shows.  Provide information about local features such as shopping, dining, nightlife, and recreational destinations.  Make travel arrangements and booking for sightseeing, taxi and other arrangement  Receive, store, and deliver luggage and mail.  Pick up and deliver items, or run errands for guests.  Should have knowledge of the city. Who is Butler ? Mostly in luxury hotel/resorts  A butler performs a wide range of functions like greeting guests, and making dining and entertainment arrangement.  They provide some sort of personalized services to guests.  They make tables ready for guest and ensure they are at the beck and call of the guests if they need anything.  They are always around to attend to the needs of the guests, ensure that guests are giving a good experience during their stay. Who is Butler ? Mostly in luxury hotel/resorts The specific duties of a butler may vary depending on the hotel's policies and the guest's preferences, but some common duties of a butler in a five- star hotel include: (Pranay Nakrani) 1. Welcoming guests: The butler is usually the first person to welcome guests upon arrival, providing a warm welcome and helping them settle in. 2. Assisting with luggage: The butler assists guests with their luggage, carrying it to their room and arranging it as per the guest's preferences. 3. Room preparation: The butler ensures that the guest's room is clean, well-stocked, and personalized to their liking. 4. Personalized service: The butler is responsible for providing personalized service to guests, catering to their specific needs and preferences. Who is Butler ? Mostly in luxury hotel/resorts The specific duties of a butler may vary depending on the hotel's policies and the guest's preferences, but some common duties of a butler in a five-star hotel include: (Pranay Nakrani) 5. Turndown service: In the evening, the butler may provide a turndown service, which involves preparing the room for the guest's sleep, including closing curtains, preparing the bed. 6. Concierge services: The butler may also provide concierge services, such as arranging tours or booking tickets to local events. 7. Departure assistance: On the day of departure, the butler assists guests with packing and ensures that their luggage is collected and transported safely. 8. The butler in a five-star hotel plays a crucial role in ensuring that guests have an unforgettable experience and that their needs are catered to at every step of their stay Reservation Department  Making reservations for customers based on their various requirements  Checking the availability of accommodation / FandB outlet  Confirm guests booking by sending e- mail confirmation  Providing support to customers who may need to amend or cancel a reservation.  Processing payments and sending confirmation details to customers.  Housekeeping Department Lead by Executive Housekeeper Maintaining the cleanliness of the hotel property and to ensure that guestrooms are stocked with appropriate guest supplies. Daily cleaning of guest rooms with the support from the housemen Public area attendants maintain the cleanliness of the public area of the hotel, including lobby, meeting room, foyer, gym, swimming pool, public restrooms, Housekeepin g Department Lead by Executive Housekeeper Many upscale and luxury hotels may offer evening turndown service which the bed linens are turned down, the curtain are drawn, used bathroom linens are replaced, and guest room lights are dimmed. Oversees the laundry operations for staffs uniform, food and beverage linen, guest room linens and towels and guest laundry service. Keeping record of the supply of chemical and guest amenities supply. Some hotels has in house florist for public area, meeting room, banquet, guest room that supply flower arrangement and decoration.  Executive Housekeeper Asst. Ex Asst. Ex Order Laundry Housekeeper Housekeeper taker/Clerk Manager PA ROOMS Floor Laundry Linen Supervisor Staff/guest Housekee Room Attendants ping Housemen Personnel Who is Executive Housekeep er ? hires and train Supervises all housekeeping employees, new employees as needed  Plans the work for the housekeeping department and distributes assignments. Assigns regular and special duties for housekeeping staff.  Manage finances of housekeeping and laundry operations including budget and inventory controls.  Ensure proper usage of chemicals and cleaning supplies by monitoring usage, providing complete training for staffs and ensuring proper labeling of hazardous supplies. Who is Room Attendant ?  Reviews daily inventory of rooms, arrivals and departures.  Provides turn-down service as  Reviews daily inventory of supplies required. needed to complete the assignments  Deliver and retrieve items on loan for the day to guests e.g. iron and ironing  Cleaning of hotel rooms/condos boards including: dusting, vacuuming,  Pick up and delivered guest changing bed linens, cleaning laundry bathrooms.  Maintains the cleanliness, neatness and organization of the  Replenishes all supplies and housekeeping lounge and office amenities in guestrooms according to as well as housekeeping carts, the operational standards. buckets and trays. Trends in the Hotel Industry VOICE- ACTIVATED VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS voice activation can be used within hotel rooms, for example, in order to control everything from the room temperature to the channel on the television. It also improves guests experience with the convenience factor. Trends in the Hotel Industry CHATBOT ASSISTANCE 24*7 Chatbot is especially useful when the staff may be absent with other hotel operations and activities or during the closed hotel office hours. Benefits: Increase direct bookings Provide automated support through the booking journey Interact with customers swiftly, in multiple different languages. Assist with upselling, cross-selling, and follow-up efforts too  Trends in the Hotel Industry SMART HOTEL Hotels that incorporate the Internet of Things TECHNOLOGY (IoT) into their operation, using smart devices and systems to streamline the day- to-day running of the hotel, make things more efficient and improve guests’ experience. For example, using internet-enabled Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems to fine-tune the temperature and ventilation in each room for maximum comfort and minimum energy waste. Other example is phone apps or voice control to operate heating and cooling, lighting and entertainment systems Trends in the Hotel Industry INSTANT MESSAGES FOR DIRECT COMMUNICATION Using instant messages as a business tool to enhance the customer experience with having human touch to online presence (mobile). For example; a reminder related to their visit, offering discounts, or promoting your property to increase conversion and customer satisfaction. Guesttouch.com Trends in the Hotel Industry SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ROBOT PROMOTION STAFF Hoteliers can use social Robots are used to media to convince the replace staff in certain social media audience on areas:  such as in concierge area its product/services by: where they welcome highlighting experiences guests and provide or important information. guest stories online to  Helps to provide room attract customers from service, carry luggage, social media platforms. or delivering food. featuring hotel staff on  to reduce customer-to- its social media staff contact, this save channels, to be more costs. connected to the audience Trends in the Hotel Industry MOBILE APP using the hotel mobile app for check -in guest allows guests to have a key- less entry method, and no more waiting. Users to receive a unique entry code for the hotel room access. SELF-CHECK- No more the issue of lost keys. IN to minimize guests’ waiting time, Mobile app not only provide service self-check-in service through kiosks at finger tips but is good in delivering and mobile guest self-service important customer information or portals are getting popular. even promotional messages, allowing the guests can easily find hotel to easily up-sell or cross-sell. whether their room is ready RECAP. After today’s class, you should be able to:  Explain on the function of Room division and its departments  Describe role and responsibilities of the General Manager, Front Office Manager, Guest Service Agent, Executive Housekeeper, Reservation Manager  Discuss the trends in the hotel industry