Front Office Indiviual Essay 
Full name: Leung Ngai Yiu
Student ID: 14087108D
Seminar number: SEM003
A front office is a department that is significant and unique in a hotel. According to the characteristics and functions of the front office, I would like to use highly variable, organized, technical, essential, layer of intermediate to describe a front office.
H stands for highly variable. It is clear that the functions of the front office and the responsibilities of the front office staff are highly variable. The staff includes desk clerk, cashier, reservations manager, concierge, night auditor, telephone operator, bell staff, room key clerk and elevator operator. Take desk clerk as an example. It is responsible for ‘’verifying guest reservations, registering guests, assigning rooms, distributing keys, communicating with the house-keeping, answering telephones, providing information ‘’. (James, 2006) This shows that the front office has to provide variable service and functions. Ann Chavarria, the front office manager in The Times Hotel, recalled that she faced the immense pressure when she was the front office staff. The personnel manager, the executive housekeeper and the executive engineer always cooperated with her for dealing different tasks, ranging from authorizing payroll forms, scheduling to solving the technical problems. This proves that the front office has to function variably and their job is highly related to other departments.
O stands for organized
Each front office consists of eight to nine departments, which perform different functions. Therefore, an organized system and structure is significant for the operation of the front office. In the guest cycle, every department has specific responsibilities. When considering the pre-arrival stage, the reservation office will be responsible for the guest’s reservation. In arrival stage, desk agents are responsible for registration, room assignment and the issue of keys. As for the occupancy stage, the switchboard focuses on
Student ID: 14087108D
Seminar number: SEM003
A front office is a department that is significant and unique in a hotel. According to the characteristics and functions of the front office, I would like to use highly variable, organized, technical, essential, layer of intermediate to describe a front office.
H stands for highly variable. It is clear that the functions of the front office and the responsibilities of the front office staff are highly variable. The staff includes desk clerk, cashier, reservations manager, concierge, night auditor, telephone operator, bell staff, room key clerk and elevator operator. Take desk clerk as an example. It is responsible for ‘’verifying guest reservations, registering guests, assigning rooms, distributing keys, communicating with the house-keeping, answering telephones, providing information ‘’. (James, 2006) This shows that the front office has to provide variable service and functions. Ann Chavarria, the front office manager in The Times Hotel, recalled that she faced the immense pressure when she was the front office staff. The personnel manager, the executive housekeeper and the executive engineer always cooperated with her for dealing different tasks, ranging from authorizing payroll forms, scheduling to solving the technical problems. This proves that the front office has to function variably and their job is highly related to other departments.
O stands for organized
Each front office consists of eight to nine departments, which perform different functions. Therefore, an organized system and structure is significant for the operation of the front office. In the guest cycle, every department has specific responsibilities. When considering the pre-arrival stage, the reservation office will be responsible for the guest’s reservation. In arrival stage, desk agents are responsible for registration, room assignment and the issue of keys. As for the occupancy stage, the switchboard focuses on