Traditional Guest Cycle in Hotel Management Front Office Operations - Book Report/Review Example

Chapter 3: Review questions What activities are involved in the four stages of the traditional guest cycle? Why have some properties replaced the traditional cycle with a three-stage sequence? Pre-arrival is the first stage of the traditional guest cycle and it involves guests choosing the hotel and the front office function of reservation. The second stage is the arrival of the guest, which concerns the responsibility of the front office staff in explaining the nature of the guest-hotel relationship and overseeing the guest’s financial transactions in the hotel. The third stage is occupancy where the front office staff coordinates guest services. This is an important stage because the staff aims to produce a repeat visit through quality services offered during this time and through showing effectiveness and efficiency in handling complaints. The last stage is departure that concerns processing the guest on the day he/she leaves the hotel, creating a guest history file, and settling the account. Some properties have replaced the traditional cycle with a three-stage sequence because activities and functions tend to overlap. 2) How does the departure stage of the guest cycle conclude both guest services and guest accounting activities? How can the front office use data about the guest stay? The departure stage concludes both guest services and guest accounting activities by helping guests process their departure, by ensuring their satisfaction until this stage, and by settling their accounts. The front office can use data about the guest stay by using information on expenses and services/products that are used/consumed or requested in creating guest history files that can guide the management’s understanding of and predictions regarding the target market segment. 3) How have front office recordkeeping systems evolved over the years? Front office recordkeeping systems have evolved over the years from having nonexistent technology before the 1970s, the semi-automation of 1970s providing the groundwork for automation during the 1980s, up to the comprehensive automated applications in the 1990s and afterwards. The early twenty-first century produced analytical metrics, revenue management, and various other customer service management and online management systems. 4) What are some of the organizational concerns of front desk design? What criteria determine the appropriateness of a design? Some of the organizational concerns of front desk design are its functional efficiency and design that allows the front desk staff to access and offer information that guests need. The criteria that determine the appropriateness of a design include flexibility, efficiency, accessibility, point-of-sale system, and support devices. 5) What are some common telecommunication equipment items used in hotels? How do they work? Some common telecommunication equipment items used in hotels are telephone switchboards, call accounting system (CAS), guestroom phones, pagers and cellphones and related technologies. Telephone switchboards or PBX routes inbound calls to hotel telephone operators. A CAS is a hotel-based technology that allows the hotel to place, price, and post hotel phone calls to guest folios electronically without help from the phone company staff or front desk staff. Guestroom phones are those available inside the guest’s rooms for making hotel or personal calls. Pagers and cellphones may also be offered to guests who need them. Related technologies are automated call dispensing systems and the like that provide additional hotel services to guests. 6) What are the four most common front office software modules? How do they streamline front office recordkeeping? How does a general management module depend on the other three modules? The four most common front office software modules are reservation management, rooms management, guest accounting management, and general management. They streamline front office recordkeeping by offering timely and updated information and services for front office staff. A general management module depends on the other three modules by relying on data or information from the latter. 7) How are newer technologies helping hotels offer more services? Newer technologies help hotels offer more services by collecting information about guests that determine their needs and preferences in hotels, including the facilities, services, and products they use or want to use. Chapter 4: Review questions 1) What role does a reservation manager or supervisor play in the sales department? What role does the reservation manager or supervisor play in forecasting occupancy and revenue? A reservation manager or supervisor plays the role of achieving high occupancy rates and revenues in the sales department. Furthermore, a reservation manager or supervisor plays the role of attracting different kinds of guests and coordinating with the front office, sales department, and reservations in forecasting occupancy and revenue. 2) What are the major types of reservations? What are the responsibilities of the guest and the hotel in each case? The major types of reservations are guaranteed and non-guaranteed reservations. In guaranteed reservations, the hotel holds a room for the guests and guests guarantee to pay the room even if it is not used. For non-guaranteed reservations, the hotel guarantees to hold a room until the stated reservation cancellation hour, while the guest should arrive during this hour or else the reservation will be cancelled and offered to other guests. 3) What information does a reservation agent need to create a reservation record? A reservation agent needs the following information to create a reservation record: guest’s name, address, e-mail address, telephone number, company or travel agency name if applicable, date of arrival and departure, and type and number of rooms requested. 4) How do non-affiliate reservation networks differ from affiliate reservation networks? How do central reservation systems differ from intersell agencies? Affiliate reservation networks differ from affiliate reservation networks because the former is a hotel chain reservation system where all participating properties are contractually related, while in the latter, a subscription system connects independent or non-chain properties. Central reservation systems differ from intersell agencies because the latter is an alternative to a global distribution system (GDS), while the former is responsible for maintaining room availability inventory for all involved properties. 5) What methods can be used to guarantee a reservation? What is the difference between them? The methods that can be used to guarantee a reservation are prepayment, payment card, advanced deposit, voucher or miscellaneous charge order (MCO), and corporate guaranteed reservation. Prepayment refers to payment in full, a payment card relies on debit or credit cards used to make the reservation, an advance deposit means that the client pays some amount prior to arrival in the hotel, a voucher or MCO is a prepaid amount to the travel agency, and a corporate guaranteed reservation means that the guest’s company guarantees paying for the hotel reservation, including no-show travelers. 6) What are the common reservation control devices used by hotels? How is each used to monitor room availabilities? The common reservation control devices used by hotels are reservation systems and reservation records. Reservation systems monitor the number of reservations to avoid overbooking, while reservation records identify guests and their occupancy needs before their arrival. 7) What guest information is necessary for a reservations agent to guarantee a reservation? Guest information that is necessary for a reservations agent to guarantee a reservation refers to the following: guest’s name, address, e-mail address, telephone number, company or travel agency name if applicable, date of arrival and departure, reservation type, special requirements, additional information needed, and type and number of rooms requested. 8) What is the main purpose of a confirmation letter or telephone call? The main purpose of a confirmation letter or telephone call is to verify and acknowledge a guest’s room request and personal information and to acknowledge that the room is held for the latter. 9) How does a proper cancellation of a reservation benefit a hotel? How can hotels make cancellations as easy as possible for guests? A proper cancellation of a reservation benefits a hotel through having proof that cancellation was requested and allowing it to offer the room to other guests. Hotels can make cancellations as easy as possible for guests by having procedures for generating cancellation numbers and being clear on cancellation guidelines. 10) What is the purpose of a cancellation number? How might a cancellation number be generated? The purpose of a cancellation number is to prove that a cancellation occurred. A cancellation number might be generated through the reservation system. 11) What management reports can be generated from reservations data? What are the uses of expected arrival lists and reservations histories? Management reports that can be generated from reservations data are reservation transactions report, commission agent report, regrets and denials report, and revenue forecast report. The uses of expected arrival lists are efficient facilitation of the guest registration process and anticipation of guest settlement and check out, while the uses for reservations histories are identification of trends, review of products and services, and assessment of marketing strategies. 12) How can reservations procedures for conferences, conventions, and tour groups be made more efficient? What precautions should a reservations manager take before creating a group block? Reservations procedures for conferences, conventions, and tour groups can be made more efficient by having enough information about the group, including guest history, and having tools and systems that easily monitor the availability and use of rooms, facilities, and services. The precautions that a reservations manager should take before creating a group block are having a clear contract that both parties understand and acknowledge, ensuring room availability and verifying the group’s ability to pay, and informing reservations agents of these happenings. Read More