Improving Hotel Operations Through Front Office Communication Report

This report analyzes the critical role of communication within a hotel, focusing specifically on the interactions between the front office and various other departments. The introduction highlights the importance of effective communication through verbal, non-verbal, and written channels. The report then delves into the specific benefits of communication between the front office and departments such as housekeeping, sales and marketing, laundry, human resources, engineering, and accounting. Each section details how effective communication facilitates smooth operations, from room allocation and guest services to financial transactions and maintenance requests. The report uses the Lime Wood Hotel in the UK as a case study, emphasizing how clear communication helps in the efficient execution of daily tasks, enhancing guest satisfaction, and improving overall hotel performance. The conclusion reinforces the significance of inter-departmental communication in avoiding conflicts, increasing productivity, and ensuring a positive guest experience. This report is contributed by a student to Desklib, a platform providing AI-based study tools and past papers for students.

REPORT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Communication between front office and other departments execute operation effectively......3
Importance of communication for hotel operations.....................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Effective communications through behaviours, words, symbols and language is
important to gain success of business. Verbal, non-verbal and written communication are the
categories of communication (Sucher and Cheung, 2015). The present report is based on
effectiveness of communication between front office and other sections in Lime wood Hotel, UK.
It explains the benefits of communication to execute operations successful.
Communication between front office and other departments execute operation effectively
Communication is act of conveyancing meaning from one group or person to another
through use of mutually understanding symbols, semiotic and signs rules. It is two procedure to
exchange data or essential information with one another, for perfect interaction it is important to
get response or feedback from other side. It will be done either with written, oral, physical or
facial gesture. In simple words, it is one of the best way of transmitting data, sharing ideas,
values, thoughts and opinions from person to another one.
It quite essential that front office department in hotel communicate with other
departments effectively in order to share information about consumers and business activities.
Front office department is accountable for satisfying consumers with the help of communication
in regard to provide information about hotel services or products. They are highly responsible for
answering all the enquiries of guests to correct department, handling administration duties and
front office reception, including handling enquiry of management, distributing and sorting mail
etc. Front desk management properly communicate with other departments in hotel in order to
execute each operation successfully without miscommunication. To get back as well as front
office jobs done, the staff of front desk will interact with subordinates and peers. Within section,
workers of this department communicate with each other to share and cater possible consumers
services such as handling people mails, booking accommodations, managing accounts of
guests and personalized services of customers.
Communication between front office and housekeeping section-
In order to keep rooms clean and maintain hygienic environment all around the place in
hotel, front office staff effectively communicate with other section that is housekeeping.
Interaction between these two department is very essential, because front desk staff control on
room allocation to maintain appropriate reservation following people departure and arrival
(Devrim Yilmaz, 2017). Front office workers make face to face communication with
housekeeping staff in order to give info about room status, after getting message cleaning
department clean the room three times a day in Lime wood Hotel, it is boutique nation house
hotel in England, UK. After receiving message from front office employees, housekeeping

members makes physical inspection of all rooms on every floor in hotel, clean each single
corner and give the correct status of room to front reception. When people check out room front
office quickly informs this department to clean place and make it ready for other guest, as it help
to get success in cleaning operation on time.
Interaction between front office and sales department-
Marketing & sales department in Hotel is accountable for increasing profitability and
revenues by creating as well as developing programmes in order to maximize occupancy and
make profitable use of their leisure and accommodation facilities. Good communication between
front desk and marketing department help to improve room sales on lean occupancy days. Front
office staff communicate with sales section inform personnel whenever the crucial guest who
influence hotel business checks in so that especial attention is given to them (Astini, 2018).
While planning promotional and advertisement plan, team of sales department interact with front
office in hotel because they have all the important data about guest that help to make marketing
plan more effective and work effectively in order to gain attention of consumers within
marketplace. Front office give all information about preferences of their guests, which allow
marketing team to make the best advertisement.
Connection between front desk and laundry section-
Laundry department is responsible to assure that all laundry services for hotel guests is
done as according to standards policies. Also accountable for laundry gathering from rooms,
Illustration 1: Communication between front office and other department
(Source: Coordination between hotel front office with other section, 2018)

washing, folding, dry cleaning, drying and pressing of guests laundry. Front office staff
communicate through telephones with laundry section to wash the clothes of guest, it is the first
purpose of their communication. They also communicate with laundry workers to clean the bed
sheets and other things after guest check out. Employees at reception well-informed to laundry
staff about guest departure and arrival, they send one copy of in and out house people list to
them that help to collect, wash and give laundry on time without delay. This communication is
very important to avoid incorrect room numbering and inappropriate delivery of laundry. When
front office inform laundry section on time in regard of washing and pressing laundry of guest,
other department will be able to collect it from rooms and make laundry done before arrival of
people.
Communication between front desk management and HR department-
Human resource department is one of the most essential section within hotel, as they
are accountable for managing work and performance of all workers. Front office also
communicate and coordinate with this section through face to face communication in order to
hire more applicants who are able to provide better and fast services to people (Taraporn, Torat
and Torat, 2014). They also communicate any type of cultural event that take place in hotel time
to time, where the requirement of extra labour is raised. After analysing the necessity of training
and development in existing workers, front office also interact with HR management in context
of this, because they help to enhance the efficiency of work among employees and boost their
morale rather than before that allow performing effectively and make them able to increase
productivity of business. With the help of effective coordination and good communication, Front
office get information about workers salary to human resource department.
Front office interact with engineering department-
Engineering department in hotel has great significance as much as it caters utility
services such as electricity, air conditioning, hot water and maintain services of different other
equipment within hotel (Robinson and et.al., 2016). Front office team member communicate
with engineering section because they want to solve issue in their computer system that bring
many difficulties for front desk workers to enter data about guest arrival and departure. After
considering the requirement of electronic equipment maintenance in hotel, front desk people
communicate with other section effectively that help to solve problem of guest on time. Front
office noticed requirement of maintenance and immediately communicate engineering
department in order to take essential steps to not hampered at all. In case of sudden fire or any
accident front desk will inform engineering at once for safety measures that help to save life of
guest. Technical issues that impact on work activities such as entering data and accounts detail

of guests in system will be solved by engineering department effectively when front office
communication with them on time.
Communicate with accounting department-
Accounting department within hotel caters accounting services, help to manage finance
of business, they are accountable for recording accounts, billing consumers, paying bills and
managing payroll. Front desk communicate with accounting department as well in order to get
information about dues and settlements of guests, any query about discount offers etc. that help
to provide proper info to its guest in regard of their accounts. With the help of good
communication between both sections, they can settle bill with all information in details that help
to satisfy people.
Importance of communication for hotel operations
Above analysis assured that communications and good interaction between front office
and other department are highly effective for hotel operation as it help to manage each and
every activity on time without miscommunication. By using different methods or source of
communication front desk interact with other section in hotels in order to run activities smoothly
and effectively (Vasadze, Mosashvili and Duruli, 2018). Efficient and accurate communication
between all department in hotel builds trust within in workplace, as it allow workers to cater
better services to its guest that help to retain consumers for longer. When all section
communicating with each other, and deliver appropriate information this can increase the
productivity as well as profitability. For example, when front office inform housekeeping section
by using simple language to communicate with them, it allows cleaning department to
understand the command and directions, they can complete work on defined timeline. Inter
department communicate effectively, which help to delivery quality services or products to
guest. With the help of above communication between accounting and front office department,
guests receive clear bill without any misunderstanding that impact on business performance
positively. Good communication between all department do not make consumer service suffer.
The risk of losing repeat in hotel is low because accounting department before preparing final
bill communicate with front office, it is the best way to retain people for longer and also help to
sustain hotel business for longer within hospitality sector.
CONCLUSION
From above analysis it has been concluded that communication between all
departments in hotel help to execute each activity appropriately, it makes them able to perform
systematically within effective manner. Communication avoid conflict and enhance productivity
rather than before in workplace.

REFERENCES
Book and Journals
Astini, K.T., 2018. Developing Computer-assisted Hotel Front Office English Listening Materials
for Students of Tourism School in Bali. Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Indonesia.
6(1).
Devrim Yilmaz, Ö., 2017. An undervalued department or a terra incognita? Hotel housekeeping
from the perspectives of executive housekeepers and room attendants. Turizam:
međunarodni znanstveno-stručni časopis. 65(4). pp.450-461.
Robinson, R.N and et.al., 2016. Attitudinal similarities and differences of hotel frontline
occupations. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. 28(5).
pp.1051-1072.
Sucher, W. and Cheung, C., 2015. The relationship between hotel employees’ cross-cultural
competency and team performance in multi-national hotel companies. International
journal of hospitality management. 49. pp.93-104.
Taraporn, T., Torat, S.N. and Torat, B., 2014. The Development of Hotel English Training
Program Focusing on Task-based Instruction to Enhance Communication
Skills. Veridian E-Journal, Silpakorn University (Humanities, Social Sciences and arts).
7(5). pp.205-221.
Vasadze, M., Mosashvili, I. and Duruli, T., 2018. Hotel Guest Service
Technology. Economics. 6(3). pp.185-190.
Online
Coordination between hotel front office with other section. 2018.[Online]. Available
through :<https://www.hospitality-school.com/coordination-hotel-front-office-other-
departments/>