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| Saturday, 18 December 2004 |
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Front of House... The Front Office of a hotel can speak volumes to a guest of the kind of holiday he is about to experience, says Wester Felthman in conversation with Prasad Abu Bakr.
As an opening line it is important to stress the need of these subjects to be familiarised in schools so that students will develop some kind of interest pertaining to these area when choosing a career for themselves while they are still students. It is basically required that students aspiring to serve as front office staff have passed at the Advanced Level Certificate with passes in English, Maths and Social science subjects. A knowledge of foreign languages can go a long way at impressing the guests on arrival and can put them at ease almost immediately. If one starts as a trainee receptionist he will have to serve under the Front Office Manager who becomes the one the trainee will be answerable to. There are various positions that a trainee receptionist can be promoted to during his tenure in the front office during which period he will be expected to perform at a peak level to impress his superiors. Bell Captain at the Bell Desk or at some hotels the Concierge too plays a major role in checking in guests, handling their luggage, seeing that it is all safely checked in to the correct rooms by the Bell Attendants handling the luggage of arriving guests as well as making sure that the luggage is safely checked out in to the correct vehicles in which the guests will travel in. Paging of guests if they are not found in their rooms on receiving telephone calls or while having visitors for them at the hotel also comes as a direct responsibility of the Bell Captain. A Receptionist needs to keep late hours during rush operations, check in the guests to the rooms reserved by them or if it is a walk-in guest he should accompany the guest to the room which is about to be allocated to him seeking the guest's preference. A smiling and warm attitude can cure a lot of problems that may crop up at crucial times, specially if guests want a change of room at a time when the hotel is running at a high occupancy rate. A thorough knowledge of Telex, Telefax and keeping a tab and having a current knowledge on all movements of the guests staying at the hotel serve as an important trait of a receptionist whenever he is questioned by his superiors. A receptionist should handle all reservations efficiently keeping an up to date register, if not he might create a situation where the hotel may lose business owing to his ignorance. A Guest Relations Officer is an enhanced position of an able receptionist, where a pleasant deportment is expected of one's person, So it is natural that this position is mostly held by females who have served at the reception before, but it is also common grounds for many males where they have proven themselves many times. All round communicative skills is a highlighting factor of a GROs duties at a hotel. He or she must liaise with all departments when he or she is approached by a guest for help. His or her ability to attend to complaints 'without further delay' can make him or her shine among their colleagues owing to the praises that will be openly showered up on them by the guests for his/her efficiency. An efficient Guest Relations Officer can rise up to the position of a Guest Relations Executive and get promoted as a Lobby Manager who takes the entire responsibilities of the lobby area under his wing. Then he can secure the next high slot which is the Assistant Front Office Manager's post who carries out his duties in collaboration with the Front Office Manager which is the highest position of the Front Office of a hotel. The entire staff of this department comes under the Front Office Manager including the Telephone Operators. He will also be the person that will recommend you for all the promotions within that department. He is also the person that will provide you with guidance and all the information that you will need to sharpen your career prospects which will eventually lead you to higher postings in other departments and areas in the hotel trade. |
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Wester Felthman is a diploma holder of the Claremont Hotel School
specialising in front office operations and catering services. He has been
in the industry since 1982 starting his career as a trainee receptionist
and is presently the General Manager of St. Andrew's Hotel Nuwara Eliya
which is a Jetwing property.
