Holiday Inn's Front Office: Analyzing Roles and Operational Importance

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the front office operations at Holiday Inn, a well-known hotel brand. The report explores the significance of the front office as the initial point of contact for guests and the importance of arranging accommodations, handling complaints, managing check-in/check-out services, creating customer profiles, and managing bookings. It then delves into the operational roles of the front office manager, front office desk agents, and night auditor, detailing their responsibilities and contributions to the hotel's efficiency and customer satisfaction. The front office manager's role in maintaining a professional environment and supervising staff, the desk agents' role in managing reservations and assisting guests, and the night auditor's role in financial analysis and auditing are all examined. The report emphasizes the crucial role of these employees in ensuring smooth operations and positive guest experiences. The report concludes by highlighting the importance of high-quality services and effective employee training to meet customer requirements.

Hospitality

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Importance of front office operation in hotel.........................................................................1
Analysis the operational role of the front office manager, front office desk agents and night
auditor.....................................................................................................................................2
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERNCES...................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Hospitality is a very vast industry and it consist of various product and services which
consist of lodging, hotel services, restaurants, events, travelling and many more (Derrida, 2005).
It is one of the crucial business sector as it is providing various job opportunities to employees.
Company chosen for conducting this report is Holiday Inn. This is a well known brand in hotel
industry and this organisation was developed in 1952. this company was founded by Kemmons
Wilson and it is providing its services to different part of the world. This report consist of
importance of front office operation in hotel. Various important role in such as front office
manager, front office desk agents and night auditors are evaluated and analysed.
Importance of front office operation in hotel
Front office in hotel operations is a place where visitor first arrived and it is also known
as a reception area. This is very important part of the hotel as it provide first impression to the
guest and visitor. Importance of front of operation in Holiday Inn company is mention below. Arranging Accommodation: Front office is very important for arranging the
accommodations of customers and guest. This is the very first area of hotel in which
client visits in order to stay in hotel. It is essential that person who is responsible for
conducting activities of front desk should be well arranged and have capability to arrange
the accommodation of guest. Front office department will be responsible for managing
needs and wants of customers as well as fulfilling there requirements and expectations.
For example front office operator will handle the requirements of customer till the time
guest is in the Holiday Inn hotel and they also provide basic guidelines regarding the
Hotel rules and policies. Handling complaints: This job role is essential for analysing as well as handling the
issues and complaints of customers. Front office operational are of holiday inn hotel is a
area where customer can lodge their issues and problem and it is responsibility of front
officer to carefully handle and resolve the issues of customers (Kotler, 2003). For
example front office operator will try to developing strong relationship with customers by
solving their complaints. Check in and Check out services: This is an important part of Holiday Inn hotel as this
area provide fast check in as well as check out facilities. This job role helps company as
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well as customer to enter in the hotel without any problems. For example, customers can
check out easily through effective and efficient functioning of front desk office
operations. Creating profiles of customers: Front desk operational area of respective hotel is very
helpful for creating profits of customers as well as managing it properly for future use.
This is important part of Holiday Inn hotel as they have to take information from guest in
order to make their separate profile (Kotler and et.al., 2017). This is a very crucial
function of respective hotel as they have to take create profiles of customer by asking
necessary informations and documentation. This refers to proof that is essential as per
government laws and for the safety and security of company as other individuals. For
example front office operator will collect ID proof and other documents of guest as well
as enter their profiles of customers.
 Manage booking and order: This operational role of front desk play a crucial role in
effective and efficient functioning of company. This is responsible for managing as well
as editing the booking order of Holiday company. This is a well known hotel brand and
there are many customers who wants to visit as well as stay in this hotel. For example
front desk operation is important of managing online as well as offline booking order as
well as providing right and accurate information to customers.
Analysis the operational role of the front office manager, front office desk agents and night
auditor.
Holiday Inn hotel has various employees which is performing different rules and
regulations. All of the job role are equally important for this company as it helps in effective and
efficient functioning of organisation (Reid and Bojanic, 2009). Different operational job role of
this company includes front office manager, front office desk agent and night auditor. All of
these job role with their description is mention below.
Front office manager:
Front office manager is consider as a senior person of Holiday Inn hotel and they are
accountable for maintaining a professional environment in the organisation. There are various
job role and responsibility which is follow by front office manager and these responsibility and
duties are given below. For example Front office manager is responsible for all activities related
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to front desk and they will make sure these activities are conducted in effective and efficient
manner. Roles and responsibilities of front desk manager is mention below.
 The ensure that front desk is tidy as well as all necessary stationery materials are
available.
 Front office manager role is to train, support as well as supervise the office staff which
consist of receptionist, security guards and other staff member.
 There role is to schedule the shift of employees as well as communicate with them
regarding their working shifts.
 They are responsible for providing maintaining the quality of services provided by
employees as well as handling complaints.
Front office desk agent:
Front office desk manager is responsible for conducting various functions which consist
of managing reservation registering the guest detailed, as well as proving information to clients
regarding rooms, rates as well as various other information (Ottenbacher and Gnoth J., 2005).
For example, front office desk agent will welcome customers of holiday Inn as well as full fill
their needs and wants of customers. There role and responsibility in Holiday Inn hotel is mention
below.
 They are responsible for conducting check in and check out facilities.
 Front office desk agent will have to manage online as well as phone reservation.
 They will inform customers about the different payment methods as well as front office
desk agent needs to verify the data which is provided by customers.
 Front office desk agent role and responsibility includes the welcoming the guest when
they arrive as well as assign rooms to them.
Night auditor:
Auditing is controlling of financial analyses of an organisation. A night auditor basically
does front desk office duties along with accounting and mainly focus on reviewing all the
financials activities of the hotel that has been conducted throughout the day. As the name
suggests, this process generally carries out during night. For example Night auditor of Holiday
Inn company will perform different financial activities as well as control financial activities.
 All financial activities are calculated by conventional method either by paper, vouchers,
receipts, coupons and files.
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 Night auditor has given some general duties such as collection of accounts of currently
registered guests, to perform all type of paper work, to ensure that guests have checked
out at the correct time etc.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that hospitality is a very vast industry and
hotel sector includes various job role and responsibility which is essential part of the business.
Front desk office is a very important part of business as it help in warn welcoming of clients as
well as developing strong relationship with them. Front desk manager needs to effective train its
employees in order to develop their skills and capability. This will be very helpful in conducting
front desk operation in effective and efficient manner. It is essential that company meet with the
requirements of customer as well as provide high quality services to them.
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REFERNCES
Books and Journal
Derrida, J., 2005. The principle of hospitality.Parallax. 11(1). pp.6-9.
Kotler, P., 2003.Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism, 5/e. Pearson Education India.
Kotler, P., and et.al ., 2017. Marketing for hospitality and tourism.
Lewis, R.C. and Chambers, R.E., 1989.Marketing leadership in hospitality. Foundations and
practices. Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Olsen, M.D., and et.al., 1998.Strategic management in the hospitality industry(No. Ed. 2). John
Wiley and Sons.
Ottenbacher, M. and Gnoth, J., 2005. How to develop successful hospitality innovation.Cornell
Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly. 46(2). pp.205-222.
Reid, R.D. and Bojanic, D.C., 2009.Hospitality marketing management. John Wiley and Sons.
Walker, J.R. and Walker, J.T., 2004.Introduction to hospitality management(pp. 20-23). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
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