11 GUEST CYCLE

S. Thilagamani

OBJECTIVES:

The guest cycle is the complete experience that a guest goes through in a hotel: from reservations to departure from the hotel. This module will enable the learners to

1. understand the different activities of the hotel staff to the guests at different phases of the cycle from pre arrival to departure of the guests
2. Co ordinate the various services to be done at the hotel by various departments

INTRODUCTION:

The main function of the Front Office Department is to support and facilitate guest transactions and services. Therefore, the operation of the front office department by the type and number of guest transactions which take place during the different stages of the guest’s stay.

A typical hotel stay can be divided into 4 distinct phases, namely

• Pre-arrival
• Arrival
• Occupancy
• Departure

These four phases constitute the guest cycle. In each phase of the cycle there are certain standard transactions which occurs between guest and the hotel

Pre Arrival Phase:

Reservations are the vital process that takes place during the pre arrival phase. The customer calls the hotel for a booking. The operator transfers the call to the reservation staff. . The way the reservations assistant handles the caller is very crucial. First, we need to ascertain whether a room is available or not. If the room is available, we can make the booking. It is a practice that all necessary details are recorded in the reservation form: Name of the guest, date of arrival, date of departure, Mode of travel, whether transfers from the airport are required, type of room, type of meal plan, (Selling Skills), Contact Number, E- mail / Fax and payment details (cash / credit card). Any other requirements like a banquet or conference requirements could also be discussed. Immediately, a written confirmation is sent with all details discussed.

If we do not have the room, we may have to refuse the guest a room, but we can still retain the customer. “do not have a room for you at the moment, but should we have some cancellations”.

At this stage this is essential to notice that the following stages of the guest cycle under the three different systems do not conflict with each other.

Arrival Phase:

The services that are offered and facilitated by the front office staff at the arrival phase comprises:

Suppose the guests arrive at the airport. The Airport Representative receives them with a placard, guides to the vehicle, makes them comfortable and sends them to the hotel.

The Doorman, a smartly dressed person opens the door. The Bell Boys assist with the luggage.

The Receptionist welcomes the guests with a smile. Once the guests identify themselves (usually with their passport / credit card),

Their registration card with all details, which have been taken well in advance by the Reservations Assistant, are presented for their signature.

The facilities of the hotel are explained in brief and the Bell Boy escorts to the room.

There, the bell boy explains the features of the room to the guests.

Once in the hotel, most of the guest interactions will take place with the Guest Relations. The GR people are one of the most crucial people in the hotel. It is, in fact, a great place to start a career in hospitality.

Requirements for a GR person:

• Well Groomed
• Good Communication Skills
• Willing to help
• Good sales person
• Good knowledge of the product
• Knowledge about the surroundings
• Knowledge about the Local Culture, Festivals, Traditions
• Guests will ask the most ridiculous questions, one should be prepared as far as possible.

While in the hotel, the guests will experience the various facilitie s in the hotel – Food and Beverage, Conference and Banquets, Laundry, Fitness Centre, Business Centre, Entertainment facilities; and knowingly / unknowingly form various impressions about the hotel which will lead to their decision to come back. This is the time to win the customer for repeat business.

DEPARTURE PHASE

At the time of departure, the guest returns to the Reception and returns the key. The bill is presented; the guest checks the bill, clarifies any doubts he / she may have and makes the payment. The check-out process should be completed as soon as possible.

Once the cashier gives the go-ahead to say the check-out is complete, the Bell boy assists with the luggage of the guest, the guest is driven to the airport.

After the guest leaves the hotel, a guest history is created with the likes and dislikes of the guest, the basic information about the guest, so that when the guest comes back, we know how to serve him / her best. (Do we need to offer the same room, should the room be close to the lift or far away, city facing or away from the city, higher floor / lower floor, meal requirements, any specific amenities in the room, food and beverage requirements, birthdays / anniversaries).

The process of the guest cycle occurs in three systems

• Non Automated systems
• Semi Automated systems
• Automated systems

NON AUTOMATED SYSTEMS OR MANUAL OPERATED SYSTEMS

This type of system is usually a traditional one followed using the records and registers and is a conventional system followed in small hotels which is not yet computerized and follow a manual recording procedure. Following are the activities in the four phases of the guest cycle at a non automated food service system.

Pre- arrival Phase

At the pre-arrival stage, reservation request should be introduced in a loose- leaf notebook or index card. In this type , the hotels usually accept the reservations up to 6 months horizon shall be honored. Lastly, it is not practical, under this very system, to issue reservation confirmation numbers, initiate pre-registration activities and prepare occupancy forecast. The reason is, time and money loss along with insufficient labour force to manually conduct all the above mentioned activities.

Arrival Phase

At the arrival phase, the guest signs a page in the registration book or fills manually a registration record. Under this very system, the most widely used front office equipment is the Room rack, in which the Registration records are inserted to serve as rack slips. Moreover registration books and records shall be time stamped as an internal control proving when the guest exactly came, who registered lastly, guest folios shall be open for each registered guest.

Occupancy Phase

Under the occupancy phase, registration records shall be prepared with multi copies. In fact , 1 copy shall be distributed to room rack, another stamp to the guest folio, another given to switch board operators, and final copy handed to the uniform service personnel. Lastly , guests with charge privileges charges and payments shall be posted to respective guest folios

Departure Phase

During this phase, Cashiers should settle each guest accounts outstanding balance and get room keys back from the guest. Moreover, cashiers shall notify the house keeping department that is the room is no more occupied (i.e. Room status Change) to let this very department clean the room and prepare it for new arrivals. In addition, cashiers shall remove room rack slips from room racks to indicate departure. Lastly , these very rack slips of departed guest shall be filled in cardboard box to serve as a guest history record.

SEMI – AUTOMATED SYSTEMS

This very system is less common in small and medium size hotels. For, these very hotels, financially- wise, might not afford the huge investments associated with the installation of different hardware and software.

The main advantage of this very system over manual system is that various reports can automatically be generated. However, the major disadvantages associated with this system are various complexities of operating and controlling devices due to the fact that this equipment are not integrated with other systems and are subject to frequent maintena nce problems.

Pre- arrival Phase

At this very stage, guests can either call a national reservation network or directly contact the hotel. Moreover, reservation clerks can prepare pre-registration records, guest folios and information rack slips.

At this very stage already reserved guest shall verify their pre-registration forms and have only to sign it. On the other hand, walk- inns shall complete a multiple copy registration record from the beginning.

Occupancy Phase

At the occupancy stage, in order to track the different guest charge expenditures and all other possible guest transactions, hotels get an intensive use of various kinds of vouchers. Moreover, the most widely used equipment, under this very stage is the mechanical cash registers and front office Posting machines. Lastly, under this very stage, Night Auditors continuously resolve any discrepancies and efficiently reconcile guest folios.

Departure Phase

At this very stage , cashiers shall relay room status information to the ho use keeping department. Moreover, they should place registration records of departed guest in properties Guest history files.

FULLY AUTOMMATED SYSTEMS

This type of fully automated system of the guest cycle is adopted at luxury hotels, business hotels where the hotel is fully computerized with updated versions.

Pre- arrival Phase

Under this stage, the reservation department is equipped with the software package which is interfaced and connected with one or more central reservation office. Moreover , the reservation department can automatically generate letters of confirmation, produce requests for guest deposits and handle pre-registration activities for all types of guest and generate daily expected arrival list, occupancy and revenue forecast list…

Arrival Phase

At this stage various reservation records can be transferred to front office department. Moreover, hotels might be equipped with an online credit authorizations terminals for timely credit card approval, self check- in /check-out terminals. Lastly , all guest charges and payments are saved in electronic guest folios.

As far as walk-inns are concerned, all the registration activities should be initiated from the very beginning

Occupancy Phase

Under this very stage, guest purchases at different revenue outlets are electronically transferred and posted to appropriate guest accounts. Moreover, the front office department can run and process continuous trial balances and therefore eliminate the tedious work for the night auditors.

Departure Phase

At this very stage Cashiers can automatically produce bills to be send to various guest with direct billing privileges and create electronic guest history records and is updated

GUEST CYCLE IN HOTEL HERITAGE INN, COIMBATORE

The process of guest cycle followed in a hotel is given as an example.

Pre- arrival activities

Before the arrival of the guest, the basic reservation activities with the well equipped software(WINAMP) is installed for reservation process. They get the registration through mails, online directly by the guest as well as through agencies and websites (makemytrip, Oyo, booking.com), fax, telephone etc. The front desk assistant makes the reservations, checks the mails and updates the room status and place the reservation. There are 3 systems, one for reservation, one for billing and other for checking mails and other sources of reservation. They check the room availability and inform the guest. After the reservation is done, the guest gets an SMS containing a reservation code/number. It will be noted by the front office assistant to confirm the reservation.

Arrival activities

The services at the arrival of the guest include

• Welcome the guest by the security and the door man.
• Complete the check- in formalities from the reception.
• Assign the room to the guest by checking the room status (V/C)
• Keys are being issued to the guest. (Normal key- no electronic key is available)
• Luggage are handled in the reception. The heavy luggage are put in the storeroom with the bag being tagged with the name of the guest and then sent to the guest. If they wants to carry the luggage to the room, they are being taken by the front office assistant to the room side and escort the guest to the room

Occupancy activities

The activities in the stay phase or the occupancy phase include all the services offered to the guest during stay phase by the guests

• Provides all the requirements of the guest during the stay.
• Gets the information from the guest and convey the information to each department to make the work done by them
• Solve the complaints and issues made by the guest during their stay.
• Maintains the guest accounts from different departments and tally the amount.
• Ask for safe deposit lockers
• Provide facility  for foreign currency exchange, they have an agent who changes the

currency and give within 2 hours.

Departure activities

The activities in the departure phase that is the check out of the guests includes

• Do a quick and efficient check-out formalities
•  Settles the bill and tally the amount and collect the money from the guest
• Enquires about the stay in the hotel
•  Also asks for their future stay
• Asks for the suggestions and the feedback from the guest
• Escorts the guests from the room to the reception and then from the reception to the parking area.
• Carries luggage and transport it to their vehicle
• Depart the guest with thanks giving and receive the feed back
• Request if there are any future reservations

It is a very interesting process since every guest cycle is different based on guest perceptions and expectations. The front office is the nerve centre of any hotel and and is the centre for all guest transactions. Front office staff plays multiple roles as a sales person, reference point, quick decision maker, problem solver, information provider and many other roles to create the good impression for the hotel starts right from the pre arrival phase that is even before the arrival of the guests and continues at each and every service offered to guest at arrival, during stay and till the check out process.

Therefore, It is the duty of all the staff and especially the front desk staff in customizing guest requests, demands and maximize the guest occupancy and in turn earn a higher revenue to the hotel.