When guests arrive at a hotel, they directly contact the Front Office Department first which is usually at the front desk. Whether they're contacting inquiries, room reservations, or any other hotel-related information, guests typically head straight to the front desk.
Therefore, the Front Office Department is one of the most crucial departments in a hotel, as it serves as the face and gateway of the hotel. It's a position that requires effective hotel management to ensure a good reception and service for guests, since it can reflect the marketing of the hotel itself.
Now, what positions are there in the Front Office Department?
1.Reservations Officer
2.Receptionist
3.Front Office Manager
4.Porter or Bell Boy
5.Telephone Operator
6.Cashier
Each position faces different challenges, but none as challenging and requiring as much expertise as the Reservations Officer position.
The primary responsibility of the Reservations Officer is to manage advance room bookings, whether through the hotel's website or other channels, controlling prices, and online sales volume. Some small hotels may not have a dedicated Reservations Manager and may outsource this role or delegate it to the Reception, leading to overlapping responsibilities.
One of the common problems arises from hotels using manual management systems, where data entry errors may occur, especially when dealing with online travel agents (OTAs). This can lead to confusion and mistakes.
Common problems that the Front Office encounters include overbooking due to busy front desk staff forgetting to update booking data, resulting in reservations exceeding the hotel's capacity.
Another common issue is when the Front Office cannot find reservations for guests who arrive for check-in, often because one agent sold rooms through one channel, while another agent sold rooms through another channel. This leads to inconsistency in booking information. If such an issue occurs, the Front Office must spend time checking all agents for booking information, causing delays.
This doesn't even include the challenge of arranging rooms to avoid conflicts. As you can see, just two examples alone can cause quite a headache.
To alleviate such problems and make Front Office operations smoother, hotels should consider implementing a Channel Manager system. This system can update room prices and availability in real-time across all channels. The choice of Channel Manager depends on each hotel's needs. Some systems may not integrate well with existing technology, requiring separate data entry into the Property Management System (PMS).
For hotels seeking outsourcing solutions, HOTELSUP specializes in managing room allocations for online sales, preventing overbookings. With HOTELSUP, hotels receive a free Channel Manager system that consolidates everything, making room management easier and data analysis faster and more efficient.
If you have further questions, please feel free to consult with HOTELSUP (Free of charge on the first time consultation 🥰 ).