THE FRONT DESK
TEXT1 Regardless of the numbers of workers, hotel employment itself falls into two broad categories that are traditionally referred to as front of the house and back of the house. Jobs in the front of the house include management, the various jobs at the check-in desk (the front desk), accounting, sales and promotion, baggage handling, car attendants, and special services. It should be noted that some front-of-the-house employees — those in accounting or sales and promotion, have little or no contact with the public. Jobs in the back of the house include food and beverage preparation and service, housekeeping, laundry and valet service,engineering, and maintenance. Some of the employees in this group -— restaurant or room-service waiters and chambermaids,: for example — have frequent, although rather limited, contact with guests. The front desk is the term that designates the counter where the guests register, pick up their keys and mail, request information; deposit their valuables, and pay their bills. It is also called the reception area. In a small hotel or motel, all of 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 the 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. 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 the 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 the guests can ask for information or make local travel arrangements. The fourth section is the cashier's desk. The cashiers not only receive payment from the guests, but also cash checks, make change, and exchange foreign currency. Some hotels also offer a transportation desk, where the 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 the 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, sorting 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 guest arrives, the room clerk checks his reservations or the availability of the accommodation, the guest fills in a registration card with his name, home address and any other required information. The room clerk fills in the room number and the rate the guest will pay. 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. Other terms used for this employee are bellboy and bellhop. The head of this service is the bell captain,who usually has a station near the front desk. In addition to taking guests to their rooms, the bellman also shows them where to locate light switches and other equipment. He also shows guests how to operate air conditioners, television sets and other appliances in the room. Bellmen are also expected to run errands for the guests, and they should be able to answer questions about other services offered by the hotel, such as laundry, dry cleaning, restaurants and room-service hours. Some hotels have separate functions of the bellman and the porter. In such cases, the baggage is turned over to a porter at the entrance and brought to the room by him rather than the bellman. This procedure is customary in luxury hotels. The employee in charge of keys and information is often called the concierge, the French term for doorkeeper or custodian. Like the bellman, he must be able to answer questions about the hotel's services. 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. He may also perform small chores for the guests, such as mailing letters and packages. In addition to the employees we have discussed, the hotel doormen are usually considered front-desk employees. They are stationed at the entrances to the hotel and help guests or other visitors in and out of cars and taxis. They also summon taxis or other types of transportation and in many hotels they carry baggage from the street into the lobby. They may give instructions and directions to guests for reaching local places. Doormen often wear elaborate uniforms that are meant to give the hotel an elegant image. The primary job of 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 may be comfortable and convenient. 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.
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