Front Office Operation

cause Office operations Adam Fikis Week 6 engagements * Definition An agreement reached between a supplier and a traveller or travel agent or a clerical or electronic process whereby a seat, a board, a berth or other accommodation is withdrawn from sale and set forth for the use of a detail person, often on payment of a deposit. backlogs Outcomes * knob Perspective * Having a knob live ready and waiting when they arrive * Should non be just any room, but the room that stovepipe meets the lymph node needs expressed during the reservations process. * Hotel Perspective The reservations process should provide the highest occupancy and the room revenue possible. Reservation and Sales * Before Automation * Agents focused on room availability information. * Not able to locate room type. * Agents would note special request on the reservation. * Certain bedding type, smoking, non-smoking, scenic view * Front desk fulfill such request at the time of check-in. * At the same time ag ents were responsible for increase occupancy & revenue * Incentives were provided to sell higher priced rooms during check-in. After Automation * Agents can review room and rate information for specific dates * Request for specific room types, location, and special features can be straightway acknowledged and quickly confirmed as a go of the reservations process. * Agent create an image of the hotel to the pressers * Reservations agents be not order takers and are trained in sales techniques. * Reservation now is viewed as part of sales department. Role of the Sales Department in Reservations * Primary Source of Reservations free radical Sales charabancs or Representatives create group reservations * Corporations, trade associations or SMERF(Sports, Military, Educational, Religious, Fraternal) * Actual reservations may go the reservations department by phone, fax, website and so on * Sales office originated the sale * Sales Department also generate sales from other markets * Transient, Corporate, leisure etc. * A major function of the Sales department is to familiarise local businesses and travel agencies rough the benefits and features of the station. * Depending on the type of hotel Sales Managers maybe assigned to work with travel agencies, Internet websites, and other reservations dispersion outlets * Distribution channels should be familiar with the hotels characteristics and surrounding areas * To create a positive tactile sensation of the property and the travel destination * Sales Managers are often provided with financial or other incentives for showdown or exceeding their sales goals. * Sales objectives and incentives (including promotions) are now related to revenue rather than room sales as previously done in the past.Types of Reservations * Guaranteed Reservations (A ensured reservation assures the guest that the hotel volition hold a room until a specific time of the day following the guests scheduled arrival date. ) * Prepayment * A room reservation in which guests, prior to their arrival, provide payment for their rooms. Sometimes referred to as an mature deposit reservation. * Credit beaks * Reservations are secured by a credit card reckon. In transpose for your card number, the hotel promises to have a room for you no matter when you show up on the day. occur Deposits * Requires that the guest pays the hotel a specified aggregate prior to arrival, usually large enough to cover 1 nights room and taxes. * Travel Agent * Travelers pay the agency in advance for conveyance of title and room charges and the agency in turn guarantees the reservation. * Corporate * A corporation entering into an agreement with an hotel, which states that they will accept financial responsibility for any no-shows travelers the corporation is sponsoring. * Voucher / Miscellaneous Charge Order (MCO) * Guest prepays an amount to the agency.The agency forwards the Voucher/MCO to the hotel as proof of payment and guarantee tha t the prepaid amount will be sent to the property when the voucher is returned to the travel agency. * Non-Guaranteed * Hotel agrees to hold a room for the guest until a stated reservations cancellation hour * Usually 400 p. m. or 600 p. m. * Does not guarantee the property will receive payment for no-show * The room is released back into the generally inventory if guest does not arrive by stated time. Reservation Inquiry / Sources Property Direct * Telephone * Mail * handed-down / Electronic * Property Web Site * Property to Property * Faxes * TDD (telecommunications device for the deaf) * Through a aboriginal reservation system * Affiliate System * A hotel reservations system in which all participating properties are contractually related * Non-Affiliate System * Subscription system designed to connect independent and non-chain properties * Usually assumes responsibility for publicizing * Only accepts certain quality or limited number of hotels in an rea to keep price of their emolument high * Examples Hazelton Toronto & Chateau Bonne Entente (Leading Hotels of the World) * Preferred Hotels & Resorts (Soho Metropolitan -Toronto) * Distinguished Hotels & Resorts (Le Grand Lodge Mont-Tremblant) * Cluster Reservations Office * fetter that have several properties in a geographic area may opt to establish a single reservations or cluster office * Similar to hotel chain reservations system, but serves only a specific location instead of the entire company. All reservation enquiries are channeled through cluster office * get on rates and availability can be coordinated * Cross selling of other cluster properties * orbicular Distribution Systems (GDS) * Support the distribution of airline tickets, car rentals, hotel inventories with service providers, suppliers & intermediaries. * SABRE, GALILEO, WORLDSPAN, AMADEUS * Inter-sell Agencies * A reservations systems contracted to handle bookings for more than than one product line. It is like a One Stop Shop or One call does it all. Handles booking for * Airline companies * Car agencies & lodging properties * Internet Distribution Systems (IDS) * A process by which Hospitality, Travel & Tourism companies offer on-line reservations services via the internet. Group Reservations & Terms * Usually involve(s) a smorgasbord of contacts * In some instances (guests, meeting planners, CVB(Convention & Visitors Bureau), travel agents, tour operator, hotel sales staff etc. ) * Block An hold number of rooms is set aside If sufficient rooms are available * A Group Block must be monitored by reservation manager * Special identification code / Reservations Card * Given to prospective guests to reserve rooms within the groups assigned block * inhabit reserved for specific guests are referred to as booked * If the group take away rooms from transient(non-group) Res. Manager must advise G. Manager. This is called NON-GROUP DISPLACEMENT. * Wash Down reducing Block based on the groups history * Cut-off da te A pre-determined date when the hotel stops accepting reservations for the group * Group Resume * stocky of group activities, billing instructions, arrival / departure patterns * Key attendees and recreational / entertainment activities * Usually stored at the crusade desk * Group Contract * states the number of rooms and quoted rate * states arrival, departure, and special consideration such as laudatory room Reservation Records Identify guests and their occupancy needs before their arrival * Allows the hotel to personalize / customize guest services * Guest name (group name if applicable) * Guests home or billing address, squall and email details * Guests company name and address, if any * Number of people and children * manner rate & type * Arrival date and time * Expected departure date * Method of guarantee (if any) * Corporate / Travel Agency Account Information * Special requests (Cribs, Smoking / Non-Smoking rooms, children, disabled etc. Reservation Confirmation / C ancellation * When the hotel acknowledges and verifies a guest room request and personal information by phone, fax, (e)mailing a earn of confirmation. They generally include the following * Name & address of guest * Date and arrival time * means type and rate * Length of stay * Number of person(s) in party * Reservations classification (guarantee/non-guarantee) * Reservations cancellation / confirmation number * Special requests, if any