Guest Registration Procedures & Activities PDF

TH2402 GUEST REGISTRATION The first opportunity for face-to-face contact between guests and a hotel is when they register. This moment is critical as it sets the tone for the guests’ entire stay and significantly influences perceptions of the hotel. Guest Re...

TH2402 GUEST REGISTRATION The first opportunity for face-to-face contact between guests and a hotel is when they register. This moment is critical as it sets the tone for the guests’ entire stay and significantly influences perceptions of the hotel. Guest Registration Procedures and Activities (3G E-Learning, 2024) Registration is when a guest enters certain identifying details in a book, on a form, or on a card, fulfilling certain legal and administrative requirements. The hotel registration begins once the guest has reached the front desk. It is done by recording the details of the guests, such as name, contact number, purpose of stay at the hotel, and passport and visa (in case of a foreign guest), at the time of their arrival (Easy Hotel Management, 2020). The registration phase is crucial since the guest will have one of the first opportunities for face-to-face contact with a hotel employee during this period. A favorable first impression usually results in a guest having positive feedback for their stay with the establishment. It is expected from the front office employee on duty to empathize with the guest's feelings, such as considering that they might be tired from travel, unfamiliarity with the surroundings, and having frustrations from delayed schedules. Effective guest registration and check-in procedures set the stage for a successful and enjoyable stay for guests, reflecting positively on the hotel's overall reputation. Below are the different activities and processes linked to hotel guest registration. Pre-registration Activities (Central Board of Secondary Education, 2022) Pre-registration activities are carried out before the arrival of guests in a hotel to speed up the check-in process. These activities apply to guests with confirmed reservations and aim to enhance operational efficiency and guest satisfaction. The pre-registration activities are as follows: Preparing the arrival list. The expected arrival list is prepared daily. It details the number and names of expected guests to arrive, as well as the guest’s arrival time, departure date, rooms requested, reservation status, special requests, and instructions. Calculating room availability. Room availability for the day is calculated. It is based on expected arrivals, departures, and stayovers, including overstays, understays, no-shows, and out-of-order rooms. It helps the front office decide on the number of walk-ins or last-minute reservations that can be accepted for the day. Room blocking and amenity setup. Room blocking is done for guests with guaranteed reservations so that the rooms allocated to them will no longer be given to walk-in and non-guaranteed guests. Amenity setup refers to informing the housekeeping of the usual amenities in the room of the guests with special instructions (e.g., welcome basket, extra pillows, blankets, birthday or anniversary decorations, etc.) based on their reservations. For groups, their rooms should be booked near each other (usually on one (1) floor). This makes it easier to manage and coordinate their stay and minimizes disruptions to other guests by keeping group activities confined to a single area of the hotel. Communicating with the housekeeping department. The front office coordinates with the housekeeping department to know the status of rooms in a hotel so all employees will be guided in making room allocations. The room status provides information on the state of occupancy and cleanliness of the guestrooms daily. It is generated through the communication between the front 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI Page 1 of 5  TH2402 office and the housekeeping department. (Further details about the room status are covered in the Fundamentals in Lodging Operations course.) Preparing registration documents. The key card is prepared and programmed to their respective rooms, and the guest registration card (GRC) is pre-printed with available details and kept aside, ready for guest arrival. The GRC is a document that provides the hotel with the guest’s billing information and provides the guest with information on checkout time and room rates. It is generated from the reservation system a hotel uses. The GRC may be a physical form or card if a property employs manual reservation. Preparing meal coupons. Meal coupons for guests on a plan where meals are included in the room tariff are prepared in advance and handed over to guests at check-in. Registration Activities (Central Board of Secondary Education, 2022) The signed GRC becomes a formal legal contract whereby the hotel agrees to provide the guest with safe and secure accommodation with related services. In contrast, the guest agrees to pay for them and adheres to their rules and regulations. During the registration process, the front office employee should be able to provide personalized and accommodating service, verify the accuracy of guest information, and create a positive impression to enhance the guest’s overall experience at the hotel. For city hotels, the standard time for checking in a guest is between three (3) to five (5) minutes and between 10-15 minutes for resort hotels. However, this standard time is only applicable when a guest does not have any additional needs or special instructions for their bookings. The faster the guest is checked in, the quicker they can be roomed, which is a big factor in guest satisfaction. Stages of Guest Registration The steps of guest registration are applicable for FIT and group travelers. However, to ensure seamless processes, check-in counters for free individual travelers (FIT) and groups are usually separated. This is done to avoid unnecessary guest traffic and lines at the lobby and reception area. For groups, it is important to allot enough bellmen to assist with guest luggage and room them. 1. Greet the guest according to the time of day. The front office employee should smile naturally, make eye contact with the guest, and speak clearly and in an appropriate tone. This ensures that the service is sincere and makes the guest feel at home and welcomed right from the start. Welcome to The STI Hotel. My name is Sandy. How may I help you? Note: It is important that the front office employee does not assume the guest’s reasons for approaching the front desk (knowing that they are already due for check-in or check-out) since there will be instances that they might extend their stay or have other concerns they need help with, hence the spiel “How may/can I help you?”. 2. Inquire and identify the guest’s reservation status. The front desk officer must ask the guest for their passport or any government identification (ID) for verification and then check their reservation. For guests with guaranteed reservations. The guests should be asked for their reservation code or booking number for verification. Their reservation will then be retrieved from the Property Management System (PMS) or the logbook (for those employing manual reservations). For guests whose reservations are made via a travel agency or online travel agency (OTA), the hotel voucher must be asked. 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI Page 2 of 5  TH2402 For guests with non-guaranteed/unconfirmed reservations. The guests will be asked for their information (e.g., full name) to determine their reservation. The guest will then be asked for an initial deposit. Walk-in guests will be accommodated based on room availability at the time of arrival. They will be offered a room only if it is available. Below are the considerations when registering walk-in guests: If there is an available room based on the guest's preference, the same information captured through reservation will be collected, and the GRC will be generated. The guest will be given an alternative if a preferred room is unavailable. If the guest accepts, the activities discussed in the previous bullet will be performed. If not, the request is politely refused, or a partner property will be suggested. Ma’am/Sir, May I please have your complete name? I can see here, ma’am/sir, that you booked a double room under Agoda (state the booking source) overlooking the bay (state the special request) with two (2) queen beds (state the bed type). Mr./Mrs./Ms. (name of guest), may I please have your passport and hotel voucher (if booked from a travel agency or an online travel agency)? 3. Ask the guest to complete or verify and sign the GRC. The front desk officer must fill out their details in a form/card for properties using a manual reservation system. The GRC is electronically generated and can be printed directly for properties using a PMS. This GRC is pre-filled for a reserved guest, which only needs verification. The front desk employee only needs to update and input information in the system if required. Some hotels have adopted a fully automated registration system wherein, for walk-in guests, the front desk employee feeds in their details. Online credit card authorization terminals enable the timely receipt of credit card approval. Self-service terminals have also enabled guests to have self-check-in and check-out. Ma’am/Sir, here is your registration card. Please fill it out completely (if manual) or verify (if automated) that the details are correct. Could you also provide us with your contact details (e-mail and cellphone number)? This will help us keep in touch and update you during your stay. If everything is correct, please sign here (signature). 4. Inquire about the mode of payment to be used by the guest. For guests with confirmed reservations, the mode of payment they will use upon checkout is determined or verified if the same mode used during the reservations will be used upon checkout. For walk-ins and non-guaranteed reservations, this is when the initial payment for the room is processed. Incidental deposits (payment required from guests at check-in to cover potential incidents that may arise during their stay) are also collected during this stage. They may be paid through cash or with a credit card and are refundable upon checkout. When processing cash payments, state the amount received, count them in front of the guest, and provide an acknowledgment receipt. For foreign currency, ensure that the money provided is not counterfeit and inform the guest that the refund will be in the country’s main form of currency (e.g., Philippine Hotel: Philippine Peso [PHP]). 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI Page 3 of 5  TH2402 When processing credit card payments, ensure the cardholder's name matches the name on the guest’s ID, that it is a credit, not a debit card, and have them sign the credit card authorization slip. Refusal to provide an incidental deposit. When a guest refuses to pay for an incidental deposit, it is a standard that they must fully pay for the room accommodation and that any form of incidentals will be on a cash basis. If a reservation is charged to a company, a letter of authorization/guarantee (LOA/LOG, a letter that allows the guest to check in and assures the hotel that the company will pay for the accommodations or charges the guest will consume during their stay) must be secured from the guest. If no letter is provided, the guest should be asked for at least one (1) night of payment while waiting for the LOA/LOG. Ma’am/Sir, will you be using the same mode of payment you used during your reservation? We also require an incidental deposit before check-in to cover any untoward incidents during your stay. Will you still be using the same payment method, or would you prefer to use a different one? The deposit will be refunded upon checkout. 5. Review the completeness of the registration card. While reviewing the GRC, the front desk officer must restate the stay dates or number of nights, the room category, the bed type, and the reservation inclusions (breakfast or packages availed). You have booked a deluxe (room category) room with a king-size (bed type) bed for five (number of nights) nights. Your reservation also includes free breakfast for two (2) at the restaurant. 6. Select and assign a room to the guest. This step is usually performed for walk-in guests and those with unconfirmed reservations. Rooms for guests with confirmed reservations are usually pre-blocked, so this stage is generally skipped. 7. Issue the room key to the guest. Once the above processes are complete, the front desk officer issues the room key to the guest. Here is your key card. Your room number is 303 (state the room number). For groups, the following tasks must be done during this stage: If a group has a tour coordinator or group leader, hand over the room keys/keycards for distribution. If there are any last-minute changes in the room assignment, ensure that the names are updated in the logbook (manual) or in the PMS (automated). Note and endorse any instructions from the tour coordinator/group leader. Requests like wake-up calls and packed breakfast from the tour coordinator must be noted and relayed to the proper departments. Obtain the signed rooming list. For corporate group arrivals, there is a rooming list that contains the members’ room assignments. This is signed by the guests and collected by the front desk officer to check for no-shows or exchanges of rooms by the guests. The sales handlers are then informed of the changes. 8. Request a bellhop to room the guest. The front desk officer uses a rooming slip to communicate with a bellhop. The bellhop then uses the slip to obtain the guest’s name and the room assigned to them. 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI Page 4 of 5  TH2402 Rooming slips also include check-out instructions and safety alerts, and recreational features are also highlighted. The bellhop escorts the guests to the room, carrying their luggage, and performs the rooming process. During the rooming process, the bellhop opens the guestroom door (ensuring the room key/key card works), presents the room facilities and features (such as television, air conditioning, and lighting), answers guest inquiries, and then hands over the room key/key card to the guest. To assist you with your luggage and guide you to your room, our bellhop (name) will be accompanying you. They will ensure everything is taken care of and help you familiarize the room amenities. 9. Wish the guests an enjoyable stay. Thank you for choosing to stay with us. Have a pleasant stay. If there is anything you need during your stay, dial 0. (Note: The default number to dial when requesting for assistance varies per establishment.) Hotels may have varying procedures for registering guests. The above steps are the basic processes performed. After the rooming process, the occupancy stage of the guest cycle begins. It is also the time when guests consume or experience a hotel's different products and services. Post-Registration Activities (Central Board of Secondary Education, 2022) After check-in, the front desk agent updates the room status report and the guest account (contact details, guest’s sharer or accompany [if applicable], payment method, special instructions, and charging the virtual credit card if booked via an online travel agency). Part of updating the guest account is creating the guest folio. However, in some automated systems, the guest folio is automatically created. The guest folio is a detailed record of expenses incurred by a guest during their stay at a hotel. By updating the guest account, the front desk agent enables other departments to know about a guest's check-in. All hotel departments are notified of a guest’s arrival. In a manual system, arrival notification slips are sent to different hotel departments. In automated systems, the guest is automatically tagged as checked-in or in-house. References: 3G E-Learning. (2024). Front office operations (2nd Ed.). 3G E-learning. Central Board of Secondary Education. (2022). Front office operations (753). Retrieved February 12, 2024, from http://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/Curriculum/Vocational/2018/FRONT%20OFFICE%20OPER ATIONS%20XII%20(753-754)/FRONT%20OFFICE%20OPERATIONS%20(753).pdf Easy Hotel Management. (2020). Registration. Retrieved February 12, 2024, from https://www.easyhotelmanagement.com/2020/06/registration-importance-process.html Mandke, A. (2020). Front office management. Knowledge Management and Research Organization. Tutorials Point (2023). Front office management [PDF]. Retrieved February 7, 2024, from https://www.tutorialspoint.com/front_office_management/front_office_management_tutorial.pdf 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI Page 5 of 5