The Front Desk

Almost all of the employees who work at the front desk of a hotel have frequent contact with the public. The front desk is the term that designates the counter where guests register, pick up their keys and mail, request information, deposit their valuables and pay their bills. It is called the reception area. In a small hotel or a motel all these different functions may be handled by one or two people but a large hotel assigns several people to clearly defined jobs at the front desk.

The front desk is located in the lobby of the hotel. The lobby is the public entrance area that gives access to guest rooms, restaurants, bars, shops and other facilities in the hotel. In a commercial or resort hotel the lobby is often a large space that contains lounging, reading and writing areas. It is often used as a meeting place by the guests and the general public. The lobby of a motel that serves overnight transients, on the other hand, may be only about the same size as the waiting room in a doctor’s office.

For the convenience of guests, the front desk is almost always located near the hotel’s main entrance. In a large hotel it is divided into sections. One section is the registration desk where guests register or sign in. A second section is the area where guests pick up their keys, mail and messages. This part of the counter has a rack behind it with pigeonholes for each guest room in the hotel. The third section is an information desk where guests can ask for information or make local travel arrangements. This area often includes a mailbox. The forth section is the cashier’s desk. The cashiers not only receive payment from guests but also cash checks, make change and exchange foreign currency. Some hotels also offer a transportation desk where guests may get advice or help with their travel plans.

Connected with the front desk, but normally out of sight of the public, are other offices with support functions. One office, for example, is often set aside to handle reservations. The cashier’s counter is usually connected to the hotel’s accounting office, of which it is a public part. The hotel’s telephone switchboard is also usually located near the front desk. Many hotels have one or more assistant managers stationed either behind the front desk or at a desk in the lobby. Their jobs may include greeting important guests, straightening out problems with reservations or handling routine complaints.

The employee who checks in arriving guests and assigns them to their rooms is the room clerk. When the room clerk has confirmed the availability of the accommodation, the guest fills out a registration card with his name, home address and any other pertinent information. The room clerk fills in the room number and the rate the guest will pay. One section or a copy of the registration card is normally sent to the cashier’s office and another to the telephone switchboard. Another procedure that has come into common practice in recent years is establishing credit in advance by means of credit cards.

All of these steps, which take only a few moments in a smoothly functioning system, make up the check-in, or registration, procedure. When it is completed, the room clerk calls a bellman and gives him a slip with the room number.

In addition to the check-in procedures, the room clerks are customarily responsible for recording advance registrations. Requests for rooms may come from travel agents or transportation companies; they may be received directly from the public by telephone or e-mail. The latter is true especially when the hotel is a member of a chain or a referral system, in which a group of hotels and motels have joined together to interchange reservations.

The employee in charge of keys and information is often called the concierge, the French term for doorkeeper or custodian. He is also expected to provide information about local entertainment, events and sights of interest. He usually arranges for local transportation, including taxis, airport buses or sightseeing tours, if the last is not a separate operation. He may also perform small chores for guests such as mailing letters and packages.

The cashiers are the accounting office employees who have direct contact with guests. In addition to setting accounts, making change and exchanging foreign currencies, they also cash traveler’s checks or regular bank checks. Postings on the room accounts are kept up-to-date in order to expedite the check-out procedure. The cashiers usually ask departing guests if they have incurred any last-minute charges for the telephone or for food and beverage service. If the answer is affirmative, the cashier must verify the charge before presenting the final bill.

So, the primary job of the front desk personnel is to take care of the check-in and check-out procedures and to provide helpful information to the guests in order that their stay in the hotel is comfortable and convenient. Even in a small hotel where only one or two people work at the front desk, their jobs resemble those in a large hotel employing many more people. In the eyes of most customers, the front desk employees are the representatives of the hotel. Their ability to work smoothly is an important factor in the success of the hotel.