UNIT-5

DURING THE STAY

This is the third stage of guest cycle

ACTIVITIES DURING GUEST STAY

RECEPTION:

• Guest handling
• Complaint handling
• Key control
• Message handling
• Room change
• Lost & found

CASHIER:

• Opening  folio
• Posting charges

BELL DESK:

• Mail handling
• Left luggage handling
• Wake up calls
• Scanty baggage

CONCIERGE DESK:

• Answering queries
• Hospitality services

CONCIERGE/INFORMATION SERVICES:

Successful handling of enquiries & information makes the guest stay enjoyable & memorable, at the same time give job satisfaction to the staff.

Common queries by guest:

• Travel methods
•  Flight timings
• Sight seeing places
•  Transport facilities
• Hotel & its facilities
• Activities going on in the hotel like food festivals, functions etc.
• Activities going on around the hotel
• Advise on shopping
• Information on city
• Leisure pursuits and holiday arrangements
• Worship places, art galleries, cultural centers
• Any miscellaneous question

Helpful tips!!

• Front office should have close relationship with tourist information bureau
• Following documents should be available at desk for reference:
  • Yellow pages (It is a book that contains advertisements and phone numbers for businesses and organizations in a particular area, grouped according to the type of business they do)
  • City maps, time tables, city guide, hotel guide
  • Book of house rules
  • Hotel brochures, tariff cards , picture cards etc.
• Information rack should be updated frequently

MESSAGE HANDLING:

PROCEDURE FOR A VISITOR

• Visitor for the resident guest enquires about the guest
• Front office desk informs the visitor that the guest is in the room or not
• If the guest is in the room, he/ she is informed about the visitor. The visitor is sent in the room or seated in lobby as per the instructions of the guest
• If the guest is not in the room, message slip is filled

PAGING- Paging is the process of locating the guest in the public areas of the hotel. For this location form is used

Paging can be done through: –

PAGING BOARD

• Put the guest name on both sides of paging board
• Carry the board in specific areas
• Bell rings as the board moves
• Time taking process

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

• Announcement is made by front desk through channeled music system
• Announcement is done three times
• Less time taking

MAIL HANDLING:

PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING INCOMING MAILS

MAILS ARE RECEIVED AT FRONT OFFICE BY BELL DESK / INFORMATION DESK

MAILS ARE STAMPED WITH DATE AND TIME OF RECEIVING

MAILS ARE SORTED

GUEST MAILS                                                                     HOTEL MAILS

RESIDENT GUEST                                                             MAILS FOR STAFF

DEPARTED GUEST                                                          MAILS FOR MGMT 

FUTURE GUEST

MAILS FOR RESIDENT GUEST

• If the keys are in the key rack i.e. the guest is not in the room, mail is kept in mail and key rack and handed over along with key.
• If the guest is in the room he is informed through telephone and bell boy delivers the mail in the room.
• If the guest is gone out of the hotel without information a MAIL ADVICE SLIP is handed on the door knob.

MAILS FOR DEPARTED GUEST

• The mails for checked out guest are forwarded to forwarding address given by the guest at the time of departure.

MAILS FOR FUTURE GUEST

• Mails of future guest are marked with date and time of arrival of the guest and kept in the HOLD MAIL RACK
• Information is marked on the reservation slip and computer.
• When the guest arrives mail is handed over to the guest
• In case of no-show, the mail is kept in hotel for one month and sent back to sender.

MAILS FOR STAFF

• Mails of staff are send to TIME OFFICE and placed in the mail and key rack, where the staff can collect their mail

MAILS FOR MANAGEMENT AND SENIOR STAFF

• MAILS OF MANAGEMENT AND SENIOR STAFF ARE SENT TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICES/ DEPARTMENTS THROUGH BELL DESK

PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING OUTGOING MAILS

OUTGOING MAILS

            GUEST                                                                    HOTEL

                                                                   EMPLOYEES            DEPARTMENT

GUEST OUTGOING MAILS

• These are taken care by bell captain.
• Bell captain is responsible for weighing and stamping.
• Visitor’s paid out voucher / miscellaneous voucher is made.
• Franking machine can be used for stamping.

HOTEL OUTGOING MAILS

• EMPLOYEES: Employees are not allowed to send personal mails through hotel.
• DEPARTMENT: Departmental mails are sent through individual department, at their own expense. Front office is not responsible for the same.

KEY HANDLING

Methods of controlling movement of keys

Steps to key control

• Resident card
• Key control sheet
• Computerized key system

RESIDENT CARD

The first check on the room key is done by the use of resident cards, which are given to the guest at the time of arrival and is used by the guest to collect the keys from the front desk

Key Control Sheet

• The second check is the KEY CONTROL SHEET made by the night receptionist with the help of night report that show vacant, occupied, double locked etc. Rooms
• As per the check :
  •  Vacant rooms should have keys at the front desk
  • Occupied rooms should not have keys in mail and key rack

COMPUTERIZED KEY SYSTEM

• Computer based electronic key system is used in many hotels instead of traditional system
• It operates through a master control console at the front desk which is wired to all guest rooms
• A front desk assistant inserts a plastic card in the appropriate slot in console, the keys get randomly coded and the same code is transmitted to the guest room door lock
• When the new guest checks in in the same room no., the key is reprogrammed
• In case the guest loses the room key, a new plastic card is reprogrammed
• The system also monitors how many times the guest exits and re-enters the room
• It also monitors the number of times the room is opened by a pass key
• This gives an additional dimension to the security of the guest room

GUEST ROOM CHANGE: Guest room make a large component of the guests’ overall experience at a hotel. In case a room does not match the guest’s expectation, the guest may want to change the room. If the change is done in the presence of the guest, it is called a live move, and if it is carried out in the  absence of the guest, it is known as a dead move.

A guest may want to change his/her room in following circumstances-

• If the room assigned is not as per choice.

• If one or more equipment are not working.

• If number of occupants in the room changes

The hotel may wish to change the guest’s room for the following reason –

• If the guest was upgraded due to non-availability of requested category of room.

• If the guest wishes overstays and the hotel does not have a room of same category.

• if room requires maintenance work

It is important for the hotel and the guest to mutually agree on the change of rooms to avoid any unpleasantness.

Procedure for changing the guest room-

• The front desk informs the guest about the room change in advance with reason (when

hotel changes the room) so that guest can keep his/her luggage packed.

• Front office agent prepares six copies of ‘guest room change slip’- for reception, bell

captain, front desk cashier, telephone exchange, housekeeping and room service.

• A bellboy is called and given the keys of new room assigned.

• In case of dead move, the bellboy asks the GRA to open the guest room. If it’s a live

move then bellboy with permission of guest shifts the luggage.

• The bellboy removes all the guest’s belonging from the room and locks the room.

After shifting all guest belonging the keys are handed over to the guest.

• He collects the keys of the room being vacated from the guest and deposits the same at the front desk

COMPLAINT HANDLING:

• Various types of complaints
• Guidelines for handling complaints

TYPES OF COMPLAINTS

• MECHANICAL –These are related to malfunctioning or non-functioning of systems and equipment installed in guest rooms e.g. Geyser, television
• ATTITUDINAL – When a guest feels insulted by the rude or tactless hotel staff and lodges a complaint. A guest may also make attitudinal complaints when the hotel staff bothers him/her with their problems.
• SERVICE RELATED – These are complaints concerned with the problem related to services provided by the hotel, such as delay in the room service for lunch.
• UNUSUAL COMPLAINTS – The complaints in which the hotel does not have any control. E.g. a guest may complain about the lack of facilities such as a golf course or central heating facility in the hotel.

GUIDELINES FOR HANDLING GUEST COMPLAINTS:

• Listen with concern and empathy
• Isolate the guest if possible
• Stay calm and avoid defensiveness
• Be aware of guest self esteem
• Give undivided attention
• Do not insult the guest
• Take notes
• Tell the guest what can be done , offer choices
• Take action and monitor progress
• Set an appropriate time for completion of work
• Follow up
• Ensure guest is satisfied

LEFT LUGGAGE HANDLING

Left luggage is a service provided by the hotel where in, if the guest wants his baggage to be kept in the custody of hotel while he is travelling / making trips to other places and do not want the entire luggage to be carried along.

CAUSES FOR LEAVING THE LUGGAGE

• Guest making trips to nearby places
• Guest not needing the bag in room
• Bill not settled at the time of departure

LEFT LUGGAGE PROCEDURE

• Bell captain checks bill in case of a departure guest
• Bell captain inspects baggage for any damage
• Luggage is stored in left luggage room
• Left luggage slip is prepared by bell captain in two copies:
  • One is attached to the luggage
  • Second is given to the guest
• On return/ collection of baggage, the bell captain ask the guest to produce his/her left luggage slip copy and cross checks it with the hotel copy attached to the luggage
• If the copy matches , left luggage register is updated. The guest sign the left luggage register as a mark of receiving the luggage
• Luggage is handed over to the guest
• Note: hotel is not responsible for luggage left over 30 days or in case of a natural calamity or fire

GUEST HANDLING

IN HOTELS YOU COME ACROSS ALL TYPES OF GUESTS

PRIME OBJECTIVE: TO SATISFY GUEST NEEDS

CATEGORIES OF GUEST

• Normal guest- those who understand logic
• Awkward guest- those who doesn’t understand logic; diplomacy is needed to deal with them

HANDLING AWKWARD GUEST

• ANGRY GUEST
• SNOB GUEST
• “BREAK THE RULE FOR ME” TYPE GUEST
• FUSSY GUEST
• CHATTERBOX
• TIMID GUEST
• DRUNKEN GUEST

ANGRY GUEST

• Apologize immediately for specific inconvenience caused
• Do not give explanations and reasons
• Act immediately
• Full fill needs
• Do not argue

SNOB GUEST

(Guest who shows off)

• Ignore the show off in such a way that the guest does not feel ignored

FUSSY GUEST

Guests who go on complaining without telling the specific demands

• Apologize
• Ask close ended questions
• Do not argue
• Try to pick what they want

“BREAK THE RULE FOR ME” TYPE GUEST

• Guest who ask for favors which are not allowed to be done
• Be brief , do not argue
• Only say” I cant do this sir” or “ sorry  we are not allowed to do this

TIMID GUEST

• Guest who never complaints
• If unsatisfied they will not come back to the hotel
• Ask questions related to their stay, comfort and services
• Speak to them , try to draw out their feelings

CHATTERBOX

Guest who takes lot of your time in conversation

• Be polite , considerate and courteous
• Do not be rude
• Listen or appear to be listening
• Look for a short break

DRUNKEN GUESTS

• Stage one: handle him like a chatterbox
• Stage two: (take away, control on emotions , becomes sad ,depressed , angry easily)
• Stage three: highly under influence of alcohol, movements affected) send tactfully to room or call taxi and escort him

HOSPITALITY DESK

• Helps the guest with any information he/she wants
• Provide any help during the stay
• Serves as a provide information centre
• Provide information with the help of brochures, yellow pages and maps for guest to have self guided experience

GUEST HISTORY

• This is a record made for all the VIP guest and regular guest, regarding the details of the guest who stayed in the hotel.
• Purpose of maintaining guest history to know- likes/dislikes, anniversary, guest birthday, guest needs, and guest information.
• This is updated after every guest visit.
• This is maintained for –
• Giving discounts and incentives
• Place basic amenities before hand like- cakes, notes etc. signed by GM.
• Personal attention
• Recognition
• Special experience

Complaint Handling App

A complaint handling app is a software program that helps businesses manage customer complaints efficiently. It provides a central platform to:

• Record and track complaints: Customers can easily register their complaints through the app, and all details are stored in a centralized system.
• Categorize and prioritize complaints: Complaints can be categorized based on nature, urgency, or product/service area. This allows staff to prioritize and address critical issues effectively.
• Assign and track resolution: Complaints can be assigned to specific staff members for resolution. The app tracks the progress of each complaint and ensures timely resolution.
• Improve communication: The app facilitates communication between the customer and the front office staff. Customers can receive updates on the status of their complaint, and staff can clarify any information needed.

Escalation Matrix

An escalation matrix is a flowchart that defines the steps to be taken when a complaint cannot be resolved at the initial level. It outlines the hierarchy of staff involvement based on the severity or complexity of the complaint. A typical escalation matrix might involve:

• Level 1: Front office staff attempts to resolve the complaint directly with the customer.
• Level 2: If unresolved at level 1, the complaint is escalated to a supervisor or team lead.
• Level 3: For complex or unresolved issues, the complaint may be directed to the department manager or designated point person.
• Level 4: In rare cases, senior management may need to intervene.

Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

Root cause analysis is a process of identifying the underlying cause of a problem, not just the symptoms. In a front office setting, RCA helps to:

• Prevent recurring complaints: By understanding the root cause, businesses can take steps to prevent similar issues from happening again.
• Improve processes: Identifying root causes can help improve front office processes to better serve customers.
• Develop training: Root cause analysis can help identify areas where staff training is needed to better handle customer complaints.

How it works together:

• A customer registers a complaint through the complaint handling app.
• The front office staff member attempts to resolve the complaint using their knowledge and available resources.
• If the complaint cannot be resolved at level 1, the staff member would consult the escalation matrix to determine the next step. This might involve escalating the complaint to a supervisor or providing the customer with the contact details for the relevant department.
• Once the complaint is resolved, the root cause is identified using RCA techniques. This might involve reviewing CCTV footage, interviewing staff, or analyzing customer feedback.
• By understanding the root cause, the business can take steps to prevent similar issues from arising in the future. This might involve improving staff training, implementing new procedures, or modifying existing processes.

Benefits of using complaint handling app/escalation matrix and RCA in front office

• Improved customer satisfaction: By efficiently resolving complaints and addressing root causes, businesses can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Increased efficiency: Complaint handling apps and escalation matrices can streamline the complaint resolution process, saving time and resources.
• Proactive problem solving: By identifying and addressing root causes, businesses can prevent recurring problems and improve overall quality of service.