Hospitality can be a great career.

Not every new staff member will set their sites on becoming a general manager. But it is important for the continuing growth and success of the hotel industry that employees realize from Day One that a career in hospitality is theirs for the making.

Nick Rizakis, СНА, executive assistant area manager of the Astir Palace Resort in Vouliagmeni, Greece, says, "I want new employees to understand travel and tourism make up the Number One industry worldwide."

There is room in the hotel industry, Rizakis suggests, for everyone who is willing to work and grow. "Hospitality can be a lifelong career, not just a job," he says.

An organization requires a formal structure to carry out its mission and goals. A common way to represent that structure is the organization chart. An organization chart is a schematic representation of the relationships between positions within an organization. It shows where each position fits in the overall organization, as well as where divisions of responsibility and lines of authority lie. Solid lines on the chart indicate direct-line accountability. Dotted lines indicate relationships that involve a high degree of cooperation and communication, but not a direct reporting relationship.

UNIT Y

RESERVATIONS

More than half of all hotel guests make reservations. These individuals arrange for hotel accommodations through such means as toll‑free telephone numbers; direct telephone lines; hotel sales representatives; travel agencies; property‑to‑property networks; postal delivery; telex and fax; e‑mail; Internet; and other communications services.

Every lodging property has its own way of monitoring and managing its reservations function. The reservations department is responsible for receiving and processing reservation requests for future overnight accommodations. Although procedures may differ from hotel to hotel with regard to reservations handling, maintenance, processing, and confirmation, the purpose is still the same: to accommodate guest requests in a manner that maximizes hotel occupancy and room revenue.

In the past, the reservations department basically captured reservations data. Potential guests contacted the hotel, and reservations were accepted or denied based upon room availability.

Reservation systems can be programmed to provide reservations agents with information on the types of rooms available (including room rate, view, furnishings, amenities, and bed size) for a given day. Some computer systems can even provide agents with the exact room number if necessary. Such technology shifts responsibility for room sales from the front desk to the reservations department. More recent technology even alerts the reservation agent automatically when the caller is a returning guest. Reservation systems provide agents with a great deal of information on the hotel, some of which should be provided to the guest on request.

Advanced technology has helped transform reservations agents into salespeople. Reservations agents should convey the desirability, features, and benefits of staying at the hotel, rather than simply processing an accommodation request. It is no longer satisfactory for a reservations agent to defer to the front desk to determine a room's rate at registration. This shift in responsibility away from the front desk to the reservations department is important because it allows management to accurately forecast not only occupancy but revenue as well. Whenever possible, reservations agents should confirm the rate at the time the guest makes the reservation. In fact, most guests requesting a reservation will not book a room without receiving a confirmed rate. The reservation system should reinforce the guest's decision to stay at the property and provide sufficient information to satisfy guest inquiries.

It is essential for reservations department personnel to work closely with the hotel's sales and marketing division when group reservations are being solicited or processed. In fact, some hotel companies now place the reservations functions in the sales department instead of the front office. In any case, sales department representatives must be kept informed of room availability to ensure they know how many rooms are available in the reservation system on any given day. On a day‑today basis, reservation managers must review reservation system reports and room availabilities in order to avoid overbooking. Overbooking can create bad feelings and contribute to lost business in the future. The management of reservations is further complicated by the fact that several states have enacted legislation prohibiting overbooking.

The Reservation department in the rooms division often has the first contact with the guest. To maintain profitability and guest satisfaction, the hotel must have effective procedures and systems in place to handle guest reservations efficiently.

Every property has its own method of processing reservations—taking reservations, filing them, placing them in the racks, assigning rooms, and completing folios. Although the procedures may differ, the purpose is still the same—to satisfy guests, so that the hotel maintains a good reputation and achieves maximum occupancy.

There are different types of reservations:

Guaranteed Reservations. The hotel assures the guest that a room will be held until the guest's arrival or until check-out time the next day—whichever occurs first. In return, the guest guarantees payment for the room, even if it is not used, unless the guest cancels the reservation in accordance with the hotel's required cancellation procedures. A person with a reservation who does not use a room or cancel the reservation is called a no-show. Some of the types of guaranteed reservations are:

• Credit card—Major credit card companies have developed systems by which
participating properties can be guaranteed payment for reserved rooms that
were left empty by no-shows.

• Advance deposit—An advance deposit guarantee (or partial prepayment) requires the guest to remit to
the property a specified amount prior to the guest's stay. The prepayment may be for one night's
lodging, plus taxes, or for the entire stay.

• Travel agent—It is now used less frequently by smaller travel agencies because they prefer to use the credit card or advance deposit guarantee whenever possible.

Larger or international travel agencies, on the other hand, often make reservation agreements with chains or very large properties located in major cities,

• Corporate—Under a corporate guarantee, a corporation or business agrees to accept financial responsibility for any no-shows. This procedure is often set up in advance when the corporation signs a contract with the hotel.

• In-house voucher—This method can best be described as a special in-house promotion designed to attract return guests or new business.

Non-Guaranteed Reservations. The hotel agrees to hold a room for the guest until a stated cutoff time. If the guest does not arrive by that time, the hotel may sell the room to a walk-in guest (a guest arriving without a reservation) if additional space is not available. Of course, if the guest arrives after the cutoff hour and rooms are still available, the hotel will accommodate the guest.

Confirmed Reservations. The confirmed reservation details the intent of both parties and includes the material points of the agreement—i.e., dates, rate, type of accommodations, number of guests. If it is made early enough, the property may mail the guest a written confirmation, which the guest is expected to produce at registration. An oral confirmation that includes the material points is also a binding agreement between both parties. Confirmed reservations may be either guaranteed or non-guaranteed.

Hotel-Specific Reservations. Hotels may also establish other types of reservations for their own use, based on criteria such as type of guest or source of reservation. Examples include VIP reservations, convention delegate reservations, travel agent reservations, and paid-in-advance reservations.

The Front Office Department

The importance of the front office cannot be overemphasized. This department represents the single largest profit center for the hotel, which is room sales. During the guest’s stay, the front office is the focus of requests for information and services. Check-in and check-out activities are usually the guest’s first and last impressions of the property, its staff, and its philosophy of guest service.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16