Front_Office_Operations

Chapter 6– Yield management, statistics and reports

Front office reports

4.3 Departmental notifications continued…

Groups list (or function list)

Because groups and functions require more preparation, a separate list of expected groups, tours or functions will be prepared weekly, to cover the following week or ten-day period. (This is sometimes also called a 'ten-day forecast': remember, it refers only to anticipated arrivals, on the basis of bookings -not actual occupancy).

This list aids management in planning staffing levels and allocations (e.g.. if special staff have to be brought in for a large conference), and helps all staff to be aware of projected levels of occupancy and special requirements to be planned for the week head.

VIP/SPATT and service lists

The hotel may make special arrangements for VIPs, CIPs and Special Attention

guests, and the list of in-coming guests of these types will be separately notified to all front office and operational departments, stating any special measures to be taken.

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Chapter 6– Yield management, statistics and reports

Front office reports

4.3 Departmental notifications continued…

VIP/SPATT and service lists

The hotel may also offer a range of additional services to all guests on check-in, and if guests choose to take advantage of these services, their requests must be notified to the departments concerned.

●A list/timetable of early morning call requests will be provided to switchboard (if not programmed into an automated system) the evening before.

●A list of newspaper requests (by room number) will be provided to whoever is responsible for their distribution.

●If guests have made requests or reservations though reception for additional services (e.g.. the delivery of flowers to a guest's room, or an appointment with the tours/entertainment desk), a schedule of these requests will have to be provided to the relevant departments.

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Chapter 6– Yield management, statistics and reports

Front office reports

Departures list

A departure list will be complied, usually in room order, to indicate guests due to depart on the following day. This will again be circulated to all departments (perhaps together with the guest/house list), so that they know not to provide further services or credit. It will be particularly relevant to:

●Billing: to anticipate the preparation of the guest's final account

●Switchboard/concierge: in the event of messages or enquiries for departed guests

●Housekeeping: to prepare task lists and allocate work, on the basis of which rooms will need to be made ready for re-Ietting, which rooms are likely to be readily accessible (vacated by standard checkout time) and so on.

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Chapter 6– Yield management, statistics and reports

Operational reports

5.Operational reports

5.1Operational reports

5.2Financial reports

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Chapter 6– Yield management, statistics and reports

Operational reports

5.1 Operational reports

Housekeeper's report

The housekeeping department should compile a report on the status (and status) of each room in the hotel, as it checks, services and inspects them during the morning.

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Chapter 6– Yield management, statistics and reports

Operational reports

5.1 Operational reports continued…

The night auditor should check the housekeeper's report against the front office room status records, to identify any discrepancies that may need investigation or correction.

●There may be more people staying in the room than notified to front office, in which case the hotel may be losing per person revenue.

●If a room is reported as 'vacant, when front office has it listed as occupied, the guest may have changed rooms without the records being properly adjusted - or the guest may have 'skipped out.

●If a room is reported as 'occupied', when front office has it noted as vacant, the guest may have taken the room, or changed rooms, without the front office records being adjusted accordingly or the room may have been occupied by an unregistered and perhaps unpaying guest (with or without the cooperation of a member of staff).

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Chapter 6– Yield management, statistics and reports

Operational reports

5.1 Operational reports continued…

Standard room/maintenance report

Housekeeping staff may only have 20 minutes allocated per room to clean, service, re-supply and inspect the room, in the course of their daily work. A more thorough and systematic inspection may therefore be required, in order to identify maintenance and redecoration needs which have not otherwise been reported by housekeeping - or by guests.

Rooms may be periodically inspected by the duty manager, together with housekeeping and maintenance supervisors, to ensure that their standard of maintenance and decoration is adequate: that the room is clean; that all appliances are working; that upholstery, curtains, fixtures, fittings and paintwork are in good repair and look fresh; and so on. This report will be used as the basis for:

●Maintenance requests

●Scheduling re-decorating

●Reporting back on the performance of housekeeping

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Chapter 6– Yield management, statistics and reports

Operational reports

5.1 Operational reports continued…

Incident book, handover report or department diary

The shift leader of each department should record information about actions that have been taken; actions or enquiries that are still in progress; guest requests that have been met (or not yet met); and any 'incidents' that have happened during the shift in the log book.

It is useful especially if there are guest queries or actions still in progress when the shift ends. And is important that someone knows what has happened, where the issue is 'up to' and what has to be done.

It may also contain useful guest information for the next shift to bear in mind (e.g.. if there has been a complaint, or a guest has been moved, or a staff member has suspicions about a guest).

It may also contain useful information about what has been done or decided during a shift, in the event of subsequent queries or enquiries. And it may also be useful for formulating or adjusting policies and procedures, so that future problems can be avoided; successful actions can be repeated; and incidents can be used as case studies for staff coaching and training.

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Chapter 6– Yield management, statistics and reports

Operational reports

5.2 Financial reports

●A daily business, trading or sales report setting the daily sales/income totals of each revenueearning department, plus summaries of their activity (e.g.. the occupancy percentage of the rooms division). This is one way of measuring the contribution and performance of each department.

●Method of payment summary, setting out the number and value of transactions made by cash, credit card, foreign currency, traveller's cheque etc. This can be used to help forecast cash float requirements, the cost of transactions etc.

●Debtor analysis, setting out payment amounts overdue by various periods (an aged debtor analysis) and/or stating bad debts as a percentage of turnover.

●Budgets showing target and actual revenue, and target and actual costs, for each department. These are usually prepared by the central accounts department, based on reports from the various departments. They are to monitor and control spending; to measure profitability and performance; and to act as a motivational tool (since departments may have set revenue, cost reduction or profit targets which they will strive to achieve).

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Chapter 6– Yield management, statistics and reports

Guest history information

6.Guest history information

6.1 What information should be kept in guest history records?

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