1. Registration/Check in Procedures

2. Topics for Registration
1. Explain the function of pre-registration and identify pre-registration activities.
2. Describe the function of registration records and registration cards.
3. Identify factors that affect room and rate assignments during the registration process.

3. Topics for Registration
4. Outline procedures for establishing the guest’s method of payment at registration.
5.  Describe the front desk agent’s role in addressing special requests from guests during registration.
6.  Describe techniques used to upsell guests during registration and explain how to handle situations in which guests cannot be accommodated by the hotel.

4. The receptionist’s functions
· Pre-registration activity
· Create the registration record
· Assign room and rate
· Establish method of payment
· Issue room key
· Fulfill special requests

5. Pre-registration Accelerates registration process
Through the reservations process, a guest provides nearly all the information needed to complete registration.
Guests with reservations experience (i.e. expected arrivals) experience a more rapid check-in due to the information.
Preregistration helps plan fro the special requirements of guest as well as of the hotel.
For example, frequent guest may have special room they enjoy at the hotel and guests with disabilities may need rooms outfitted to their special needs.

6. Pre-registration (cont)
· Guests verify reservation record data
· Activities may include:
Room and rate assignment
Creation of guest folio
For instance, a hotel courtesy van picks up a guest arriving at the airport who has a hotel reservation. The driver with appropriate information and form can request a guest’s signature and this allows FO to get ready credit approval, room key and print a waiting message.

7. Registration Card Data
The registration record is a collection of important personal and financial guest information. A typical registration record includes
Name
Address
· Telephone number
· Company affiliation
· Payment method

8. Registration Card Data (continued)
Expected arrival date
Planned departure date or length of stay
Required room rate
Required room type
Room number
Method of payment
Special requests
Signature
Guest registration information items flow to different areas and functions of the hotel:

9. Room and Rate Assignment:
Room assignment is an important part of the registration process.
Room assignment involves identifying and allocation an available room in a specific room category to a guest.
Room assignments are finalised during the registration process.

10. Room status continued
At registration, receptionist contacts the housekeeping department to be informed about the last status of hotel rooms so that they can assign only clean and available for sale rooms to their guests.
That's why, the Front office, Housekeeping maintain a high degree of collaboration between them.
The front office and housekeeping department continuously update the status of each single room. Below is the typical housekeeping room status flow of any single room:
Occupied  On-change  Clean and Available for Sale

11. Room status continued
The front office and housekeeping department shall frequently reconcile and compare their updated reports (especially under the manual system) for any possible room status Discrepancy.
The aim is to detect these very discrepancies before it's financially and timely too late, and correct them.

12. Room Rates
Front office department shall finalize room rates with guests during the registration process. Moreover, rack rates shall only be applicable for walk-ins especially during the high season.
The room rates might be affected by:
Seasonality
Variations in the number of guests assigned to rooms
Service level
Room location
Type of Guest and / or usage (ex. commercial, corporate, complementary, group, family, day, and package-plan …)

13. Room Rate Categories · Rack rate · Room rate and meals (package rate)
· Special room rates
· Commercial/corporate

14. Room Rate Categories · Complimentary · Group · Family Day use rates
Frequent traveler

15. Method of payment
The registration process plays an important role because FO receptionists gather information on the intended method of payment.
Cash
· No-post status
· Cash equivalents:
Cashier’s checks
Traveler’s checks
Money orders

16. Cash
Guests intending to settle their accounts by cash have no in-house charge privileges and, hence, all their purchases should be paid in advance (i.e. PIA status), which means that as guests purchase any kind of service or product, they must pay for it immediately.
In accordance to cash payment, FO Receptionists prepare lists of PIA guests and communicate them to all Point of Sales outlets.
On the other hand, paying immediately might not suit some guests (even though intending to settle their accounts by cash), that's why hotels might give guest charge privileges, at the condition they provide an imprint of a valid card or an approved direct billing privilege at registration

17. Personal Cheques
Nowadays, very few hotels still accept personal checks as a method of payment due to the high probability of fraud associated with this method.
In fact, in order to accept personal checks, most hotels necessitates that these very checks be supported by a credit card with a check-cashing guarantee, that the amount to be cashed against checks shall be within the hotel’s established limit, and preferably accept personal checks only during standard business hours where banks are open.
If personal checks are to be accepted, front office personnel shall imprint the credit card on the backside of the guest personal check and record the Guest ID card or driving license certificate along with the guest’s address and telephone number on the face of the check.

18. Payment by Personal Check
· Identification required on face of check:
Driver’s license number
Address
Telephone number
· Hotels normally do not cash second-and third-party checks
· Personal check guarantee services

19. Credit Cards
Credit cards, nowadays, become a preferable method of payment for guests and hotels. In accordance to this very method of payment, front office receptionist should check the following items before accepting the credit card as a method of payment:
Expiration Date
Invalid Credit Card: This can be checked either by on-line authorization systems, or comparing the card across some cancellation bulletins
Credit card floor limit

20. Payment by Credit Card · Expiration date · On-line authorization
· Invalid cards
· Cancellation bulletins
· Imprinting the voucher
· Floor limits
· Reserving credit

21. Direct billing:
Some guests (especially VIP) do not prefer to wait at checkout queues like other guests before departure.
They, rather, prefer, only to sign their guest folios, go to their homes, later receive a certain invoice detailing their charges while they were staying at the hotel to be settled by payment to hotel bank accounts.
In order to satisfy the needs of this category of guests, hotels created the direct billing process.

22. Direct billing (continued):
To be eligible for a direct billing privilege, guests at pre-arrival stage or maximum at the arrival stage fill a hotel credit application form along with the provision of an imprint of a valid credit card.
This very form is sent to the Front Office manager, or Rooms Division manager or Account receivable for approval. If not approved, guests are requested to pay with any of the other methods of payments.

23. Issuing Room Keys:
With the issuing of room keys, the rooming process gets to an end. However, concerning room keys, front office clerks shall respect hotel's written policies governing guestroom key control.
As an illustration, front desk agents shall only handle the room key to the guest without announcing and/or spelling out the room number. This is a vital requirement to protect and ensure guest safety and privacy.
After guest is handed his/her room key, front office receptionists offer bellboy assistance

24. Fulfilling Special Requests:
The Front Office department shall watch for any guest special requests and try promptly to satisfy them. This way creates a good and professional relationship with the guests and increases the probability that the hotel will receive these guests for another time in the future (i.e. repeat guests)
Guests' requests are usually grouped under the following categories:
Room type
Bed type
Location
View
Amenities

25. Up-selling
The receptionist/reservation staff offer guests to buy rooms in categories above standard rate accommodation..
The receptionist must be trained to be professional salespeople.
Up-selling involves knowing how and when to ask for a sale in a non-pressuring way and how to direct the sale from the guest’s perspective.

26. Suggestion for up-selling guestroom
Always greet each guest with a smile in your voice as well as on your face.
Establish and maintain eye contact with the guest.
Always use courteous titles such as “Mr or Ms”. Do not call a guest by his or her first name.
Attempt to identify the needs of the guest ( amenities, furnishing) Honeymoon or special vacation guest may be willing to pay for a suite.
Up-sell the rooms when possible. (show the room, features etc.)
Complete the registration process.
Thank the guest and wish him/her a pleasant stay.

27. When guests cannot be accommodated
Walk-in guest ( A guest who arrive without a prior reservation)
Hotels have no obligation to accommodate when no rooms are available for the night..
Suggest and direct to alternative hotels nearby to assist the guest.. This gesture create and can reap some significant benefits and good will.

28. When guests cannot be accommodated
Guest with Non-Guaranteed Reservations
A guest who has the reservation but which is not guaranteed.
The hotels have no obligation to accommodate if the guest arrive after cancelling hour. (6 PM of arrival date)
FO must be extremely tactful when informing the guest.
Blame should not be placed on either party since the lack of accommodations is neighter the guest’s nor the hotel’s fault.

29. Check In & Check Out Procedures
Registration
Check In & Check Out Procedures

30. Welcome to the hotel
It is important to acknowledge all guest in the lobby at all times with a friendly greeting.
Most of hotels’ standard greeting is:
Good morning Welcome to E hotel
Good afternoon Welcome to E hotel
Good evening Welcome to E hotel
How can I help you? How can I assist you?

31. Detailed steps to register a guest
Guest arrives with reservation
Step (one) = Greet the guest. Make guest feel welcome and listen carefully.
Step (Two) = Ask guest name, retrieve reservation and give Registration card and pen.
Ask guest to complete details required on registration card and explain.

32. steps Step (Three) : Confirm details ( length of stay, departure date
Step (four) : Allocate room ( Ask guest if they have a preference (smoking, non smoking/ specific floor)
Step (five) : Check registration card to ensure all details are complete/has been signed/ method of payment stipulated

33. steps
Step (Six) : Act according to Methods of payments and sell the hotel.
Step (seven) : Issue key ( sell hotel facilities and services/ offer assistance with wake up calls, and others.)
Step (eight) Give guest directions using open handed gestures Final welcome and introduce to porter
Complete paperwork, Registration card

34. Eye Contact
All staff must ensure that they make eye contact with guest upon arrival at the hotel, and continue this throughout any further dealings with the guests.
All staff must also make a conscious effort to address guests clearly and directly whilst serving them at the front desk.
Staff must make every effort not to spend entire interaction with guest facing down at the computer screen.

35. Preferences
During the process of check in, staff must ensure they confirm the guest’s reservation preferences such as king size bed or twin and Smoking/Nonsmoking.
Whilst every effort should be made on the staff’s part to ensure preferences are met over and above those reserved, a simple explanation should suffice in the instance that you cannot accommodate an additional request.

36. Details of Stay
Ensue the following items are confirmed with the guest on check in…
Room rate (non verbally) *when guest is POA only
Payment method and inclusions
Departure Date
Departure Time

37. Room Number Advisement
During the check in process staff is to advise the guest of their room number and location non verbally.

38. Pleasantries
At the completion of the check in process before the guest leaves the reception area Staff is to make eye contact with the guest and wish them a pleasant stay.
Every effort is to be made on the Staff’s part to ensure the pleasantry is sincere and warm.

39. Departure Assistance
During the check in process please ask if guest requires help with their departure such as arranging a wake up call and luggage collection time, or transport to the airport.
If a guest does require onward transport arrangements please ensure all detail are collected from guest (date, time, pax, destination etc) and advise the guest that you will organize for the concierge department to make these arrangements and have them call the guests direct to confirm.

40. Frequent Flyer Program
Staff are to ask guests if they are a member of any frequent flyer program during check in if they are eligible.
Eligibility requirements
Staff is to input data into guest profile at point of check in.
Eligibility requirements may be explained to non eligible guests if they enquire. Eligibility for frequent flyer Swissotel: Members of the following Membership clubs who are settling their own accounts on any rate higher than $195 AUD are eligible.
If guest guest is eligible for program GSA is to input data into guest profile at point of check in.

41. Express Check Out
Express check out: It eliminates the need for the guest to physically present at reception to settle their account.
Staff should ask all guests who will be settling their own account if they wish for an express check out.
If the guest would like one please set a trace the day before departure for the Night audit team.

42. Package Details
Accommodation/package such as room only, or room and breakfast.
Executive club benefits if they are entitled to them including operational hours.
Amenities
During the check In process the GSA’s is to advise guest of all inclusions in their accommodation/package such as room only, or room and breakfast. GSA’s are to ensure guests are advised of executive club benefits if they are entitled to them including operational hours. If a package includes amenities such as fruit or champagne the GSA should advise the guest of the inclusion stating that it has either been placed in the room/or will be delivered at a time convenient to he guest.*it is most important that the GSA takes responsibility and follows up on delivery of above amenities.