Front Office Operations & Management

by Ismail, Ahmed

• ISBN13: 9780766823433
• ISBN10: 0766823431
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-12-20
• Publisher: Cengage Learning

Summary

For Hotel Management training in both large chains and smaller organizations, as well as meeting professionals, this book introduces concepts of organization, communication, ethics and policy within a hotel. The primary focus is the front office, housekeeping, reservations and night audit departments. Other departments are discussed to provide and understanding of how these departments relate to the front office and how they operate to enhance the guest experience. An introduction of basic analyses, techniques and trends both in policy and technology are reviewed as they relate to management and the guest. The book gives readers a ?real world? understanding of the hotel industry balancing its past, present and future. This book portrays the nature and operation of hotels as they exist today. It reveals the inner workings of a hotel, preparing readers for what to expect in the current and future hotel market. The Property Management System has dramatically changed hotel operations, therefore extensive time has been devoted to covering this technology. Additional chapters feature analysis of the physical makeup of hotels, yield management, and operational techniques. Performance measurements and analysis of what makes a truly successful hotel are discussed in detail. Finally, because hotel management is and will always be about people, chapters are devoted to both the hotel guest and hotel employee. The arrival chronology is discussed from arrival to departure.

Table of Contents

Preface	xv
Acknowledgments	xvii
About the Author	xix
Hotels-Past and Present	1	(29)
Historical Perspective	2	(5)
Marketplace Consistency	6	(1)
Lodging Management Association	7	(4)
Revenue Sources	11	(10)
Sleeping Rooms	12	(1)
Meeting/Function Space	12	(1)
Outlets/Ancillary Revenue Sources	13	(2)
Profit Margin	15	(1)
Room Cost	15	(1)
Food Cost	16	(2)
Opportunity Cost	18	(1)
Captive Audience Quotient	19	(2)
Industry Perspective: Usage of Function Space	21	(2)
Chapter Review	23	(1)
Case Study: Food Cost	24	(1)
Case Study: Chain Histories	25	(1)
Internet Resources: Hotel Web Site Home Pages	26	(4)
Hotel Classifications	30	(17)
Hotel Sizes	31	(1)
Hotel Location Classifications	31	(5)
Downtown	32	(1)
Resort	32	(2)
Airport	34	(1)
Suburban	35	(1)
Hotel Product Types	36	(6)
Service Level	36	(3)
Target Market	39	(3)
Independent Hotel Ratings	42	(2)
Chapter Review	44	(1)
Case Study: Hotel Types	45	(2)
The Hotel Guest	47	(15)
Room Sales Differentiation	48	(4)
Group Rooms	48	(1)
Transient Rooms	48	(2)
Transient Reservation Avenues	50	(2)
Market Segmentation	52	(3)
Group Market Segments	52	(1)
Corporate Segment	52	(1)
Association Segment	52	(1)
Other Segment	52	(1)
Transient Market Segments	53	(1)
Business Segment	53	(1)
Pleasure Segment	54	(1)
Chapter Review	55	(2)
Case Study: Market Segmentation	57	(2)
Case Study: Theoretical Buying Decision	59	(2)
Internet Resources: World Wide Web Travel Sites	61	(1)
The Guest Room	62	(33)
Categorizing the Guest Room	63	(16)
Room Types	63	(1)
Room Configurations	64	(9)
Room Designations	73	(1)
Room Numbering	74	(3)
Room Status Reconciliation	77	(2)
Guest Room Makeup	79	(3)
Key Control Systems	82	(2)
Industry Perspective: The Role of Architecture in Hospitality	84	(5)
Chapter Review	89	(1)
Special Feature: New Hotel Construction	90	(4)
Internet Resources: Hotel Design Web Sites	94	(1)
Hotel Organization	95	(39)
Hotel Organization	96	(1)
Functional Departments	96	(9)
Rooms Division	97	(1)
Front Office	98	(1)
Housekeeping	99	(1)
Reservations	99	(1)
The Unique Role of Reservations	99	(1)
Night Audit	100	(1)
Loss Prevention/Security	100	(1)
Food and Beverage	101	(1)
Accounting	101	(1)
Human Resources	102	(1)
Engineering	103	(1)
Sales/Marketing and Catering	104	(1)
Group Resumes	104	(1)
Practical Areas	105	(1)
Organizational Deployment Example	106	(15)
Top Level Management	106	(1)
About My Job: General Manager	107	(2)
The Executive/Leadership Team	109	(1)
Rooms Division Manager/Resident Manager	109	(1)
Director of Food and Beverage	110	(1)
Director of Marketing	110	(1)
Industry Perspective: Engineering	111	(1)
Director of Human Resources	112	(1)
Director of Engineering	112	(1)
Controller	112	(1)
Director of Grounds	112	(1)
Director of Recreation	113	(1)
Department Heads	113	(1)
Rooms Division Department Heads	114	(1)
Food and Beverage Department Heads	115	(3)
Sales Department Heads	118	(1)
Engineering and Human Resources Department Heads	119	(1)
Accounting Department Heads	120	(1)
Resort Deployment Example	121	(1)
Traditional versus Revenue-based Deployment	122	(1)
Functional Department Management Teams	123	(3)
Special Feature: Hotel Career Management	126	(4)
Chapter Review	130	(3)
Internet Resources: Hotel Career Web Sites	133	(1)
Front Office Overview	134	(35)
The Arrival Chronology	135	(19)
Stage One-Greeting	135	(1)
Stage Two-Transition	136	(1)
About My Job: Doorman	137	(2)
The Hotel Shuttle	139	(1)
Stage Three-Registration	140	(1)
Check-in	141	(1)
Determine Method of Payment	142	(3)
About My Job: Front Desk Clerk	145	(1)
Stage Four-Completion	145	(1)
Concierge	146	(1)
PBX (Private Branch Exchange)	146	(1)
About My Job: Head Concierge	147	(3)
About My Job: PBX Operator	150	(1)
Guest Service Attendant-The Front Office Hybrid	150	(1)
Group Arrivals	151	(3)
Departures	154	(2)
Front Desk Checkout	154	(1)
Guest-directed Computer Checkout	155	(1)
Automated Checkout	155	(1)
Front Office Operations	156	(8)
Communications	156	(1)
Staffing	157	(1)
Value-added Services	158	(1)
Safe-deposit Boxes	158	(1)
Mail and Document Handling	159	(1)
Operations Administration	159	(2)
About My Job: Assistant Front Office Manager	161	(1)
Shift Checklists	162	(2)
Chapter Review	164	(2)
Case Study: Pass On Log	166	(2)
Internet Resources: Trade Journals/Online Resources	168	(1)
Room Rate Structure	169	(18)
Rate Structure	170	(5)
The Hubbart Formula	170	(4)
Cost Rate Formula	174	(1)
Market Tolerance	174	(1)
Room Rate Designations	175	(6)
Rate Measurement Averages	181	(2)
Chapter Review	183	(2)
Case Study: Room Rate Structure #1	185	(1)
Case Study: Room Rate Structure #2	186	(1)
The Property Management System	187	(24)
Selecting the PMS	188	(2)
Guest Account	190	(4)
Guest Registration Menu	191	(1)
Guest Accounting Menu	192	(2)
The Check-in	194	(8)
Before PMS	200	(2)
PMS Hierarchy	202	(1)
PMS Systems Interface	202	(3)
The Evolution of PMS	204	(1)
Industry Perspective: Technology in Hospitality	205	(3)
Chapter Review	208	(2)
Internet Resources: Property Management Systems	210	(1)
Guest Accounting	211	(17)
Accounting Basics	212	(1)
Guest Accounting	213	(3)
Guest Ledger	214	(1)
House Account	214	(1)
Guest Account	214	(1)
Master Account	214	(1)
Guest History Account	215	(1)
City Ledger	215	(1)
Accounting Entries	216	(4)
Uncollected Receivables	217	(3)
Accounting Documentation	220	(1)
Guest Accounting and the Front Desk	221	(3)
Foreign Exchange	223	(1)
Shift Closing	223	(1)
Chapter Review	224	(3)
Internet Resources: Accounting Resources	227	(1)
Night Audit	228	(16)
Night Audit Overview	229	(1)
Night Audit Deployment	229	(1)
Night Audit Reporting	230	(7)
Trial Balance	236	(1)
Night Audit Checklist	237	(1)
Ancillary Night Audit Duties	238	(3)
Guest Security and Incident/Accident Reporting	238	(2)
About My Job: Night Audit Manager	240	(1)
Chapter Review	241	(3)
Housekeeping	244	(20)
Room Assignment	245	(3)
Housekeeping PMS Reports	245	(1)
Housekeeper Allocation	246	(1)
When Guests Overstay	247	(1)
Housekeeping Operations	248	(1)
Housekeeping Guest Room Standards	249	(2)
Housekeeping Management	251	(6)
Turndown Service	251	(2)
Staffing	253	(1)
Lost and Found	254	(1)
Supply and Inventory Management	255	(2)
Industry Perspective: e-Procurement in Hospitality	257	(4)
Chapter Review	261	(2)
Internet Resources: Web-based Purchasing	263	(1)
Reservations and Forecasting	264	(44)
Determining Occupancy and Availability	265	(3)
Availability Factors	265	(1)
Current Number of Reservations	265	(1)
Historical Factors	265	(3)
House Count	268	(1)
Overselling	268	(2)
Yield Management	270	(7)
Rate Availability Restrictions	273	(1)
Length of Stay Restrictions	274	(1)
Closed to Arrival Restrictions	275	(1)
Minimum Length Stay Restrictions	275	(1)
Modified Length Stay Restrictions	275	(1)
Rate Averaging	276	(1)
Yield Management for Groups	276	(1)
Reservations Management	277	(13)
Forecasting	278	(2)
Forecasting Factors	280	(8)
Completing Forecasts	288	(1)
Forecasting Frequency	289	(1)
Forecasting Importance	290	(1)
Reservation Sales Management	290	(11)
Staffing	290	(2)
Training	292	(1)
Reservation Evaluations	293	(1)
Call Management	294	(1)
Motivation	295	(4)
Sales Strategy	299	(2)
Industry Perspective: Yield Management in Practice	301	(2)
Chapter Review	303	(1)
Case Study: Rooms Inventory and Forecasting #1	304	(2)
Case Study: Rooms Inventory and Forecasting #2	306	(1)
Case Study: Rooms Inventory and Forecasting #3	307	(1)
Case Study: Rooms Inventory and Forecasting #4	307	(1)
Measuring Hotel Performance	308	(11)
Quantifiable Analyses	309	(5)
Rev-par	309	(2)
Market Share	311	(3)
Qualifiable Analyses	314	(1)
Industry Perspective: Economic Impact of Hotels	315	(1)
Chapter Review	316	(2)
Case Study: Rev-par	318	(1)
Internet Resources: Measuring Hotel Performance	318	(1)
Guest Service	319	(18)
Service Standards	320	(3)
Verbal Means	320	(2)
Visual Means	322	(1)
Guest Conflict Resolution	323	(2)
Empowerment	325	(1)
Diversity Awareness	325	(1)
International Guests	326	(1)
Management's Role in Guest Service	327	(1)
Guest Service Training	328	(3)
Service Mission Statement	328	(1)
Motivating for Guest Service	329	(2)
Industry Perspective: Six Sigma and Customer Loyalty	331	(2)
Chapter Review	333	(3)
Internet Resources: Hotel Training Web Sites and International Resources	336	(1)
Glossary	337	(12)
Index	349