Front Office Management in Hotels

This assignment delves into the crucial role of front office departments in hotels. It examines their responsibilities in providing exceptional customer service, managing reservations, handling guest requests, and ensuring smooth operations. The text highlights the importance of technology integration, effective staff training, and coordination with other hotel departments for optimal performance. Additionally, it discusses outsourcing strategies as a means to enhance efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Accommodation Management 0
Accommodation Management

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Introduction
Accommodation is the necessity of travellers. It is part of hospitality. Accommodation
features luxurious hotels and lavish resorts. Accommodation management ensures quality and
safety standards are met in the environment. It also deals with human resources, financial
plan and inventory. It is hotel accommodation which can bring customers back for the next
time (Merolla & Harman, 2016). Types of accommodation services are lodging, suites,
resorts and boutique hotels. Accommodation management includes Front office management,
Housekeeping management and Safety and security management. In this report, we have
taken Front office management to investigate. It is the most important part of accommodation
management. This department deals with guests. It is the link between hotel and customers.
Role of front office affects the revenue of business (Fowler, Lindahl & Sköld, 2015). It also
ensures that all the operations are run smoothly and contributes to employment and economic
growth.
Role, task and functions of Front office management
Whenever a customer visits a hotel, first interact at front office such as reception. It is
situated near the entrance of hotels and interacts directly with customers. It obtains the
information related to customers. Front office manages other departments such as
housekeeping, accounts and online reservation departments. It also manages the check in and
checks out of guests. It is also the prime duty of the department to forward important
information to other departments (Ahmad & Scott, 2014). Front office also arranges and fixes
meetings. Functions of front office management are:
 Register guests: It is the prime responsibility of front office to provide rooms to
guests, with or without reservations. The front staffs provide the detail of available
rooms and rates and handles cash payments. It ensures the smooth working of
accommodation facilities and safety of guests (Micelotta, 2014). Front office believes
in building and developing positive relationship with guests. It is also the duty of front
office to check out of guests.
 Book keeping duties: The department also performs book keeping duties by balancing
cash accounts. That’s why front office has usually close link and touch with accounts

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department. At the end of the day, staffs are supposed to checkout payments balance.
It includes creating a report as per the accounting standards.
 Handle complaints and requests: Front office management deal with customers and
handle their complaints. Problem can be anything related to their accommodation. It is
the responsibility of front office to handle the request and complain of guests or
contact to staff that can solve their problem.
 Scheduling of staff: Front office department includes scheduling the front office.
There are special personnel for this task. They recruit housekeeping staff, receptionist,
bellhop service and auditing staff. It also includes the training of front office team.
Front office management keeps the hotel operating and profitable.
 Co-ordinate with other departments: Front office management coordinate with other
departments such as sales and marketing team to ensure maximum sales of rooms of
hotel. It also motivates and guides staff to achieve organisational objectives.
Role of the customer and customer needs
In the Front office management, the main focus has always been on creating positive
customer experience and fulfilling their expectations. As their positive response can benefit a
hotel in large extend. Any failure in meeting customer expectations can result in poor
customer experience. Now a day hotels offers simplified procedure for check-ins. As
customers want quick service and nobody wants to wait. It not only understands the need of
new customers but also focuses on existing customers (Boella, 2017). Role of customer:
Delivering what was promised: It is always important to keep customers happy and engaged.
To ensure visit of customers again, it is important to deliver what was promised. Exceeding
expectations is always more beneficial to company.
Gaining customer loyalty: Certain travellers are loyal to brands. Improving customer
experience improves customer loyalty towards them. Happy customers are the loyal
customers, so the front office management needs to make extra efforts by providing

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additional items whenever possible. It can be made possible by contacting to other
departments of accommodation management.
Customer expectations: Travellers who visit for the first time expect staff members to be
knowledgeable to that area. Travellers also want them to be known to attractions and sites.
Visiting such places gives life time memories to travellers. The friendly attitude of front staff
helps to win customers loyalty (Ivanov, 2014).
Complaints are opportunities: Complaints are the best opportunity to know about short
comings and problem areas of front office management. Front office staff fixes the problem
which puts positive impact on customers.
Feedback is important: If a customer faces any bad experience, it should be made easy for
them to express to hotel staff. The customers can fill feedback form at the time of check out
at reception. The management communicate with customers and tries to fix the problem.
Getting problems solved makes a customer satisfied.
The need of customers can be understood from maintaining good relationship with them and
survey can also be conducted. It has become necessary for hotels to provide best service and
do something innovative to attract customers. Hotels give life time experience to customers
so that customers like to visit often. It helps to achieve their loyalty towards hotel
(Mohammed, Rashid & Tahir, 2014). Front office understands the customer needs and on-
line reservation and internet access are the technologies provided to them. So, that they do
not face inconvenience. The need of customers can be understood from these points:
Safety: A hotel is a home away from home. So, the hotels focus on providing safety. It is
shelter for travellers. Technology has a great role in providing safety. Still some people
believe more in human touch.
Cleanliness: The front office management need to hold the highest standard of cleanliness.
There should be high level of hygiene and clean public space, bedroom and bathrooms. If a
room is not found clean, it is not only the job of housekeeping to keep room clean; employees
should take an immediate action (Prayag & Hosany, 2015).
Authentic service: Good service is the top reason of satisfaction among guest of hotels. The
guests expect front office management to take care of them. Quality service meets
expectation of customers by fulfilling their needs.

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Good value: The price does not matter as long as the customer is getting worth. This is the
reason people like to book expensive room. As it offers more value than the cheap ones
(Ivanov & Ayas, 2017).
Check-in and check-out: The front desk check-in and check-out experience is continuously
developing. Mobile check-in and check-out stops standing in queue not more than fifteen
minutes. According to a report, more than 30% customers prefer mobile check-in option.
Now a day’s personalised i-pad check-in is also trending (McGill, 2015). It provides clear
direction, convenience and consistency.
Quality food: The quality of food also matters as well as stay. The quality of food varies from
hotel to hotel. Five star hotels will have more options of food than a three star hotel. Hot and
fresh breakfast is the basic thing which adds experience of guests. If any issue is found in
food, than front office staff conveys it to the food and beverage section.
Steps of Accommodation Manager
Accommodation manager makes all the possible efforts to meet the need of customers and is
responsible for the efficient working of hotel:
 Accommodation manager ensures that all departments comply with hotel policies.
 Checks list of guests their check-in and check-outs.
 Ensures to keep accommodation cleaned and well maintained.
 Keeps detail of room occupancy and special needs.
 Conduct meeting and training for staff.
 Monitors the work performance of staff.
Outsourcing a viable option
Outsourcing is an agreement in which a company provides service for another company.
Another business is hired to perform some work activities. It is used to reduce cost and
improve efficiency. Outsourcing can be domestic or foreign. Outsourcing is more feasible for
front office management. As they cater to the needs of numerous units and are expert at work.
Outsourced staff performs particular task so they are more efficient. There are so many
outsourcing companies in the market; the problem is to choose right one. Advantages of
outsourcing are:

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Quality manpower: The staffs of outsourcing are more groomed up and meet the expectation
of hotel. They are well trained already which saves the time and cost of hotel. Their
performance is more standardised.
Specialised services: Staff provided by outsourcing company usually has better understanding
of front office management and are specialised in performing their duties. It reduces the
repetition of instructions by higher authority, as they are already known to it (Torres, Fu&
Lehto, 2014).
Consistent and focussed: The outsourcing staffs are well trained and programs are developed
to groom them. The company also replaces the staff when required.
No investment for equipment: There is always availability of cash for other departments
because there is no need to invest capital for equipment.
Outsourcing includes signing of contract and includes the following disadvantages:
Loyalty and ethics: Employees are not loyal when it comes to third party. They use cheap
products and it may affect the cleaning environment. There work is also not ethical.
Absenteeism: Employees of outsourced companies are tending to more absent. They do not
feel their duty towards organisation directly and are bound to perform duties which lead to
absenteeism (Shamim, Cang & Yu, 2017).
Frequently changing staff: Outsourced staff usually kept on changing due to lack of loyalty.
They also do not have authority to get their problem solved by front office department so it
leads to drop their job.
Recommendations
A hotel can use outsource companies to perform it’s functions. Before hiring outsourcing
services, a person need to sure that the outsourcing company is reliable. Outsourcing saves
time, money and resources. It reduces the work load of front office and provides high quality
service. The services provided in hospitality are more varied and are better in services. A
hotel can also increase profitability without producing things. The front office management
can focus in better way and can get better opportunities in the market (Vangen & Winchester,
2014). The department can conduct it’s activities with less staff and operational risk. It can
increase the profitability of hotel as well as brand image.

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Conclusion
From this report it can be concluded that accommodation management provides the best
service to it’s customers from food to stay. The front office management takes charge of
customers from their check-in to check-out. They provide every kind of services and solves
problem of customers by resolving the situation. The front office departments also coordinate
with other department of hotels to ensure better working of organisation. Outsourcing is a
better method for the department to save time and reduce cost. It increases the efficiency of
department by reducing their burden (Melián-González & Bulchand-Gidumal, 2016).
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