Front Office
Name three (3) jobs are commonly found in the Front Office.
What are:
Front Desk Associate / Switchboard Operator
Door Person / Bell Person / Valet Attendant
Concierge / Night Audit / Reservations
True or False:
Guest contact information is required to make a reservation, which includes the guest's home and/or business address.
What is FALSE.
The home/business address is not required to make a reservation. However, the guest's phone number and/or email address is required to make a reservation.
Two-word term used to define all the methods or avenues available to sell hotel rooms to the consumer.
What are:
"distribution channels"
True or False:
Productivity in housekeeping is measured by the person-hours per available room.
What is:
FALSE!
Productivity is measured by the person-hours per occupied room
According to the Pearson Education homework reading, the three main actions hotels can take to continually improve their sustainability include:
(1) reducing energy; (2) reducing waste; and
(3) ???
What is:
conserving water
OPERA and OnQ are two examples of this.
What is:
Property Management System (PMS)
This is the time that a guaranteed reservation is cancelled by the hotel if the guest does not show up.
What is midnight.
A guaranteed reservation is not cancelled by the hotel. It will become a 'no show' and the hotel will charge for the night's room and tax charge.
According to the homework reading, maximizing revenue through inventory control/inventory management is called this.
What is:
'Yield Management'
Maintenance activities that are designed to minimize maintenance costs and prolong the life of equipment is called ...
What is:
'preventative maintenance'
Provide two examples of how hotels currently reduce energy.
What is:
LED lighting & motion-sensored lighting.
HVAC systems that turn on once rooms are occupied.
Energy saving equipment/appliances.
This job works out of the Front Office but it is also accountable to the Finance/Accounting department.
What is:
Night Audit
Success in using the 'Magic Formula' ultimately means that the reservations department was able to do this.
What is:
"Close the Sale!"
Explain 'dynamic' room pricing strategies. What does this mean?
What is:
Adjusting room rates/prices as often as necessary based on market dynamics (using historical data and future market intelligence).
In housekeeping, these types of standards outline what must be done, and describe in detail how the job must be done.
What are:
'performance standards'
Provide three examples of how hotels currently reduce waste (this could also include hazardous waste).
What are:
Strong recycling and composting programs.
Buying supplies in bulk.
Using refillable soap/shampoo containers.
Using environmentally friendly cleaning products.
The success of this job involves the ability to develop a vast network of connections throughout the hospitality community to essentially serve the guests' every wish.
What is:
Concierge
If the reservations department has sold more guest rooms than are available on a given night, a hotel can lose revenue by having to do this.
What is:
'Walk' the guest to another hotel and pay for their 1 night accommodation, tax and transportation to the other hotel.
Revenue management is used to maximize room revenues at a hotel based on the economics of 'supply and demand'. Explain how this works when it comes to room pricing.
What is:
"Prices rise when demand is strong and drop when demand is weak".
Describe two PROs and two CONs of operating on-site laundry in a hotel.
What are:
PROS: more control over quality; more time efficient; less pars of linens required to maintain.
CONS: takes up a lot of space; equipment is costly to purchase and maintain; laundry is costly to staff.
What does the 3P approach to sustainability mean?
What is:
Ensuring that PEOPLE, PLANET & PROFITS are considered in every hotel operating decision.
According to the Pearson Education homework reading, the three main functions of the Front Office include:
(1) to provide services to guests
(2) to maintain balanced guest accounts
(3) ?
What is:
To sell and upsell guest rooms
Name five (5) ways that a guest is able to make a hotel reservation in a hotel.
What is:
1) by 'walk-in' - the guest can 'walk-in' to the hotel and request a room at the front desk.
2) by phone - call the reservations dept in a hotel or call the brand's central reservations office (CRO).
3) on the internet - book a reservation through the hotel web-site or the brand web-site.
4) TA/OTA - book a reservation through a travel agent or online travel agent.
5) Travel wholesaler - book through a travel wholesaler, such as expedia or booking.com.
The revenue and sales departments work together to determine this clause in group contracts. This clause is important so that the hotel can lower their risk of losing room sales when groups do not pick up the original number of rooms stated in their contract.
What is:
"attrition clause"
In addition to ensuring the hotel property (interior and exterior) is well-maintained, name three other major areas of responsibility that usually belong to the Maintenance Manager/Chief Engineer.
What are:
Emergency & Risk Management (fire, emergency, security)
Major renovations management (restoration, expansion)
Utilities management (water, sewage, gas, electricity)
Waste management & recycling programs
Eco-efficiency, also generally termed 'green' is based on this concept.
What is:
"Doing more with less!"
(In other words: the concept of creating more goods and services, while using fewer resources, and creating less waste and pollution).