Front Office Operation
Front Office Operations Adam Fikis Week #6
Reservations * Definition: An agreement reached between a supplier and a traveler or travel agent or a clerical or electronic process whereby a seat, a room, a berth or other accommodation is withdrawn from sale and set aside for the use of a specific person, often on payment of a deposit.
Reservations Outcomes * Guest Perspective * Having a guestroom ready and waiting when they arrive * Should not be just any room, but the room that best meets the guest 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 identify 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 agents were responsible for maximizing 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 immediately acknowledged and quickly confirmed as a part of the reservations process. * Agent create an image of the hotel to the callers * Reservations agents are 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 * Group Sales Managers or Representatives create group reservations * Corporations, trade associations or SMERF(Sports, Military, Educational, Religious, Fraternal) * Actual
Reservations * Definition: An agreement reached between a supplier and a traveler or travel agent or a clerical or electronic process whereby a seat, a room, a berth or other accommodation is withdrawn from sale and set aside for the use of a specific person, often on payment of a deposit.
Reservations Outcomes * Guest Perspective * Having a guestroom ready and waiting when they arrive * Should not be just any room, but the room that best meets the guest 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 identify 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 agents were responsible for maximizing 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 immediately acknowledged and quickly confirmed as a part of the reservations process. * Agent create an image of the hotel to the callers * Reservations agents are 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 * Group Sales Managers or Representatives create group reservations * Corporations, trade associations or SMERF(Sports, Military, Educational, Religious, Fraternal) * Actual