7 CHECK OUT PROCEDURE

S. Thilagamani

epgp books

 

CHECK OUT PROCEDURE

 

Objectives

 

This module will enable the learners to

 

Understand the tasks performed by the staff at the front office department during the check out of guests

 

Introduction

 

One of the last contacts the guest has with the hotel is the check out procedure. It is also most probably the last chance for a guest to interact face to face with hotel staff. It is, therefore, of great importance that guests’ financial transactions with a hotel are properly settled out will also influence their final impression of a hotel. some dissatisfaction A bad meal can be resurrected a good dessert the same is true of a guests stay . if they had experienced some dissatisfaction with the hotel , the check out clerks can improve their option of it by being friendly , courteous and efficient.

 

After departure, a guest’s room will be available for resale to other guests. Consequently, room status information has to be updated immediately and the front office records must also be amended.

 

In summary, the process of check out usually performed by the front office cashier involves the settlement of guests accounts and the updating of front office records. The main duties of the front office at check out include:

 

Settlement of guest accounts

 

Updating front office records after guest departures Creating good, lasting impressions

 

THE CHECK OUT PROCEDURE

 

When checking out a departing guest, front office staff should follow certain basic procedure

Here is a list of guidelines which you should follow when checking out guests:

  1.  Great guest, always greet guest with a smile and say, good morning or good evening and always try to use their names.
  2. Confirm guest details (i.e name and room number) against the guests account.
  3. Check departure date. If the guest is leaving earlier than expected , other departments will need to be informed.
  4. Check whether late check out charges should be applied. If the guest is leaving after the 12 noon check out time , and is not a frequent guest , add the relevant late check out charge to the account.
  5. Check for late charges. examine current entries on a guests account , and in particular check out any mini bar , breakfast or telephone charges.
  6. Give the guest the master and or guest folios for checking . when the guest checked in , the receptionist will have determined whether one or two folios are to be produced , all queries must be handled without fuss and in pleasant , helpful manner , in order to give a good impression of the hotel.
  7. Guest settlement of accounts.
  8. Provide front office services upon guest departure such as receiving the guests key and checking if they have used a safe deposit box which now needs to be emptied.
  9. Offer the assistance of the bell staff to collect the luggage.
  10. See if guest would like to make a future reservation , or an onward reservation in another hotel within the chain.
  11. Update front office records . the most important records to update are the room status list and the residents list. It is important to do this , in order that departments can accurately know the room and guest status.

 

                  BASIC CHCKOUT PROCEDURE

Update front office records

 

LATE CHECK OUTS

 

When a request for check-out is received from a guest, the front office staff should first determine whether a late check-out charge is to be added to the guest account. Most hotels have a stated check-out time at added to the guest account. Most hotels have a stated check-out time at which departing guests must vacate their rooms. In general, check out time is between 10.00 am and noon. The information in regarding this should be written on the key card, as well as stated in the information in folder in the hotel guest room. If guests do not vacate their rooms by the check-out time, a late check-out charge may be imposed. To avoid misunderstandings between the guest and the hotel, guest are often asked about their expected departure time at check-in, and they should be informed of the extra charges which could be levied for late check-outs

 

Check-out time can sometimes be a problem for tour groups. Pleasure travelers want to enjoy every moment of their holiday, so if their coach does not leave the hotel until 4.pm for example, they dislike being asked to vacate their rooms at 12noon. In these situations hotels usually arrange to have the guests luggage stored with the concierge, and reserve one or more hospitality or complimentary rooms to be vacated for comfort of the tour group.

 

LATE CHARGES

 

A late charge for a service or facility which is sent to the cashier too late to be added to a guests account for settlement. For example, a laundry charge may arrive at the front office cashier after the guest has already settler the bill and possibly left the hotel. In such situations, it may be difficult for a hotel to collect payment from its guests.

 

METHODS OF ACCOUNT SETTLEMENT

 

As you will have noted, the settlement of guest accounts is a comprehensive process; we will now look at the methods used.

 

TYPE OF SETTLEMENT

 

There are two main types of account settlement: cash and credit.

 

CASH SETTLEMENT

 

A cash settlement is any form of settlement which can be paid into the bank on the same day as it is received .under this classification, cash settlements can include settlements:

 

In local currency In foreign currency In traveler’s cheques By personal cheques By bank credit cards – these are card which are issued by banks, and are considered as being equivalent to cash settlement s because their imprints can be taken to the bank each day , and the charge amount will be paid into a hotel’s account on the same day. The best-know examples are Visa and MasterCard.

 

CREDIT SETTLEMENTS

 

Credit settlements are settlements for which a hotel does not receive immediate payment on the day of departure. These include:

 

Settlements by charge card

 

Settlements of corporate accounts Travel agent vouchers

 

Charge cards are credit cards which are issued by private credit card organizations , e.g. American Express and Dinners Club. When a guest settles their accounts with a charge card , the hotel does not receive payment on the same day. Instead, at the end of each shift the cashier will transfer all of the bills settled by charge card to the accounts department for them to follows up.

 

At the end of the week or month, the accounts department will send out statements of the total amount charged to the private credit card organization, together with copies of all the imprints. On receiving the statement and imprints, the credit card company will pay the amount to the hotel less its commision.

 

In the cases of corporate accounts and travel agent vouchers, the bills will also be transferred to the accounts department. The acoounts department will then mail the account and invoice to the company are a agent , and later received a cheque in settlement. Once again the travel agencie will send its settlemenmt less their comissions.

ACCEPTING CREDIT CARD OR CHARGE CARD SETTLEMENT

 

On arrival when a guest proposes to settle their account by credit card the cashier must carry out various checks. The cashier should check that:

  • The card is accepted by the hote
  • The name and signature on the card are the same as those an the registration card The card has not passed its expiry date
  • The card number is not listed on the cancellation bulletin as stolen or invalid.

EXPRESS CHECK OUT

 

In most hotels guests tend to check out at approximately the same time, and consequently the cashier’s desk becomes very busy during that period. Hotels therefore offer and express check out service which allows guests to check out without having queueat the cashier’s desk. this also helps the cashiers bybreducing the pressure of workat busy time.in hotels with express check out services special forms are placed in guest – rooms as well as being available from the front office. By signing the expresss check out form, the guest aggre to have the account finalized bvy the front office cashier after they have left the hotel.

 

UPDATING FRONT OFFICE RECORDS

 

When a guest has checked out, the front office is responsible for updating all records as soon as possible

 

ROOM STATUS AND FRONT OFFICE RECORDS

 

After a has checkout, the rooms will become vacant and available for letting to other guest. Consiquently, the guest is no longer a resident of the hotel, therefore, the room status information and front office records must be changed immediately to keep them current.

 

In large hotel with com[puterised front office system , the updating process is automatically done by the computer . after the guest has been recorded as having check out , the sysstem will automatically change the room status from occupied to vacant or dirty. The name of the guest will be removed from the residence list and transferd to the checked out guest list and the guests account will be transferred into a past guest file in the computer , however , it must be rememberd that the registration card must be stored for the legal required 12 months.

 

GUEST HISTORY RECORDS

 

In some hotels a guest history record is kept. This is a recoerd of the guest’s room and rate charged, their likes and dislike if known as well as the amount which they spent in the hotel. One member of the front office staff will be given the duty of the daily updating of the guest history record.the records may be kept on the computer, on or hand written record cards.

 

When creating and updatind the guest history record , a hotel will neede to diside which the guests should be added to the guest hiostory records .in hotels with a computerised front office system , the computer will automatically open a new guest history record for guest who stayed in the hotel for the first time.

 

Apart from creating and updating guest history records are an annual review at all guest history record is needed. Some records may have to be discarded in smaller hotels, guest history cards may not be kept but this is very much upto the police of each property.

 

FRONT OFFICE STAFF RULES AND REGULATIONS

 

Punctuality is the utmost need. Be inspired and motivated at all times. Dress up simple and be highly groomed.

  • There is no mine, everything is ours.
  • Breaks are important but don’t take extensive ones.
  • Never leave the front desk unattended.
  • Always communicate your position with your team mates.
  • Keep your eyes open, observe and check the front office environment permanently. Report any irregularity
  • Keep the property clean and stylish. Every guest is a VIP.
  • Never say I don’t know or it’s not my job but always offer an alternative.

Keep the mobile on silent mode and do not speak on mobile in the guest areas

 

FRONT OFFICE ACCOUNTING CYCLE

 

The first important function of the front office accounting systems is to maintain an accurate and up-to-date record of all the financial transactions between hotel and a guest so that all outstanding accounts are settled without delay. From this, it can be seen that the front office accounting process can be divided into three main phases

 

1.  Creation of accounts

2.  Maintenance of accounts

3.  Settlement of accounts

 

1. CREATION OF ACCOUNTS

 

A guest account or folio is usually created immediately after the guest checks in. Part of check-in-procedure is to enter the guest details into the computer which automatically opens an account or to open a guest account manually. Credit limits or house limits are often set which means the guests may not go beyond a pre-set amount to their accounts.

 

2. MAINTENANCE OF ACCOUNTS

 

Once the guest account has been opened, all financial transactions between the hotel and the guest will be recorded on the account. The act of recording the transactions onto the guest account is called posting.

  1. SETTLEMENT OF ACCOUNTS

The accounts are settled by cash and credit settlements. Cash settlements include settlement by local currency, foreign currency, traveller’s cheques, personal cheques and bank cards. Credit settlements include corporate or travel agent settlements.

 

CONCLUSION

 

It is vital that all the employees of the hotel and especially front office departments are within the reach of the guests throughout their stay to create a memorable experience. Whether the employees are working behind the front desk, at the housekeeping department or in the restaurant or café, each employee should treat every hotel guest with the kind of hospitality and remember the rule that the customer is the king of the service industry. The process of guest handling at this last few minutes during checkout will keep the cherishing memories for the guest.

you can view video on CHECK OUT PROCEDURE
Web references

 

  • www.littlehotelier.com
  • www.capterra.com/reservations-software
  • www.softwareadvice.com › Hotel Management Software
  • www.xotels.com/en/hotel-reservation-system
  • www.codeproject.com

Book References

  1. Aggarwal, R. Hotel Front office – Systems and Procedure, Sublime Publicat
  2. ions, Jaipur, 2002.
  3. Bhatnagar, S.K. Front Office Management, Frank Bros, New Delhi, 2004.
  4. Andrew, S. Text book of Front Office Management and Operation, Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Company Ltd, New Delhi, 2008.
  5. Ismail, S.A. Front Office Operation and Management, Thomson Asia Pvt Ltd, 2004.