AN IN-DEPTH RESEARCH ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FRONT DESK AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF THE HOTEL…
By: Rosemary Eberechi Obi
Tags: Hospitality, Enugu Hotels, Tourism, Hotels, Golden Villa Hotels

AN IN-DEPTH RESEARCH ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FRONT DESK AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF THE HOTEL; A CASE OF GOLDEN VILLA HOTEL, ENUGU, NIGERIA.

HOTEL’S ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

The hotel as at time of research was made up of few units such as;

Reception Department, The Restaurant Department, The Kitchen Department, The Bar Department, House Keeping Department, The Business centre Department, The Security Department and The Laundry Department.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF GOLDEN VILLA HOTEL

STAFF QUALIFICATIONS:

POSITIONS

FIELD OF STUDY

MINIMUM

QUALIFICATION

MANAGER

MANAGEMENT SCIENCE

BS.C AND ABOVE

ACCOUNTANT

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANCY

BS.C AND ABOVE

HEAD OF UNITS

MANAGEMENT SCIENCE

HND, BS.C AND ABOVE

RECEPTIONISTS

/PORTERS

SECRETARY STUDIES

ND, HND AND BS.C

WAITER

/WAITRESSES

ANY FIELD OF STUDY IS REQUIRED

O’ LEVEL AND ABOVE

CHEFS

/CATERERS

HOME SCIENCE, NUTRITION & DIETETICS

ND, HND AND BS.C

SECURITY PERSONNELS

CRIMINOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIAL WORK

O’ LEVEL AND ABOVE

CLEANERS

ANY FIELD OF STUDY IS REQUIRED

O’ LEVEL AND ABOVE

DRY CLEANERS

CLOTHING AND TEXTILE

O’ LEVEL AND ABOVE

PAY ROLL:

MANAGER

CLASSIFIED

ACCOUNTANT

CLASSIFIED

HEAD OF UNITS

60- 65, 000 NGN

RECEPTIONISTS

/PORTERS

35, 000 NGN

WAITER/WAITRESSES

20, 000 NGN

CHEFS/ CATERERS

40, 000 NGN

SECURITY PERSONNELS

25, 000 NGN

CLEANERS

15, 000 NGN

DRY CLEANERS

20, 000 NGN

WORK SCHEDULE FOR EACH POST, POSITION AND OFFICE HOURS

MANAGER

8:00-5:00PM

ACCOUNTANT

8:00-5:00PM

HEAD OF UNIT

8:00-5:00PM

RECEPTIONISTS/ PORTERS

8AM-2PM, 2PM-8PM, 8PM-2AM & 2AM-8AM

WAITER/WAITRESSES

8AM-2PM, 2PM-8PM, 8PM-2AM & 2AM-8AM

CHEF/CATERERS

8:00AM-2:00PM & 2:00PM-8:00PM

SECURITY PERSONNELS

8AM-2PM, 2PM-8PM, 8PM-2AM & 2AM-8AM

CLEANERS

8:00-5:00PM

DRY CLEANERS

8:00-5:00PM

BUSINESS UNIT

8:00-5:00PM

BARMAN

8AM-2PM, 2PM-8PM, 8PM-2AM & 2AM-8AM

GATEMAN

8AM-2PM, 2PM-8PM, 8PM-2AM & 2AM-8AM

LIFE GUARD

10:00AM-8:00PM

DEPARTMENTS IN GOLDEN VILLA HOTEL

1. THE RECEPTION DEPARTMENT: the reception department, also known as the front desk is charged with the duties of welcoming the visitors/guests and then lodging them into the room of their choice. After the security, they’re the second people the visitors come in contact with. This department also serve as the medium through which information can reach everywhere in the hotel. For instance, if a guest needs something from either the kitchen or the laundry or the bar, he/she calls the front desk to make his/her order, the front desk then contact either of the unit their services is needed. They also serve as customer care to the visitors. Most times, when some things go wrong, the complaints go to the front desk department, they then contact the manager or the house keeping department to address the issue. They are also charged with the duty of recording the number of visitors per month or week, depending on the hotel policy. They are also in charge of signing in and out of customers.

2. THE RESTAURANT: The unit is charged with the duty of serving the customers with any food of their choice, but in the case of Golden Villa Hotels and Suites, they only prepare local dishes. They are to record every order placed by a customer, so as not to lose track of anything.

3. THE KITCHEN: This department is charged with the duty of getting prepared all forms of food indigenous to Nigeria. They also are charged with making freshly squeezed juice. In doing this, they’re advice to maintain neatness, so as not to allow background dirt to attack the meal. They also take care of both indoor and outdoor catering service. They also bake cakes and other snack. Anything edible that requires making use of heating, boiling, cooking and frying is of interest to the Kitchen. For the time been, they make only south eastern Nigerian dishes.

4. THE BAR DEPARTMENT: The bar is charged with the responsibility of making sure that all type of drinks is available, both continental and intercontinental. They are also charged with the duty of making sure that the drinks are chilled to a reasonable temperature. This unit also takes care of using and cleaning of the swimming pool.

5. THE HOUSE KEEPING DEPARTMENT: Housekeeping is a department that is otherwise known as the cleaners’ unit. They see to it that the hotel is sparkling clean at all time.

6. THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT: In Golden Villa, this department takes care of all electrical and mechanical appliances. They do mostly repairs of any broken or spoilt equipment, or facility such as electrical cables, fan, television, air conditioners, refrigerators, plumbing pipes and equipment, toilet, bath tub etc.

7. THE MARKETING AND SALES DEPARTMENT: This department oversees everything that has to do with network, wireless internet, telephone services, typing, photocopying and every other services business Centre render. In Golden Villa Hotels, they also include selling of recharge cards to their sales. They are in charge of taking care of the Convention room, Meeting Room, Ballroom, Gymnasium hall and volleyball court.

8. THE SECURITY: The Security takes care of making sure that orderliness is maintained around the hotel premises. Also, they are to make that the guest feel relaxed and never to feel security alarm at any time. They are also charged with the responsibilities of turning off and on the generator, patrol at night and inspect visitor’s luggage.

9. THE LAUNDRY: The Laundry department takes care of washing, rinsing, drying and ironing of clothing of any kind.

In order for there to be orderliness in the hotel, the security department mapped out some policies guiding the hotel against any threat coming from either the guests or the staff and management of the hotel. Below are some of them:

Guests are not allowed to smoke or make use of drugs such as cocaine, marijuana etc. in the rooms.

Destruction of hotel property by any guest will warrant the guest to pay fully or half percent of what was spoilt, depending on the gravity of what was destroyed.

In case of armed robbery, yahoo dealings and drug dealings, they notify the security personnel immediately.

Improper serving of guests and mistreatment by the hotel staff is an offence against the hotel policy; such an offence is usually sanctioned by the hotel management.

Coming to work late also has its own consequences as a staff of the hotel.

Destruction of hotel property by a staff attracts its own consequences.

Disobedience of any sort is also punishable by the management.

The degree to which each of the aforementioned offences is committed determines the kind of punishment that follows.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN A HOTEL

The front office staff interact with all departments of the hotel, including marketing and sales, housekeeping, food and beverage, banquet, controller, maintenance, security and human resources. These departments view the front office as a communication liaison in providing guest services. Each of the departments has a unique communication link with the front office. However, Nwankwo (2007: 23) described the front office department as the centre of activities and operations of any hotel.

1. MARKETING AND SALES DEPARTMENT: The marketing and sales department in Golden Villa Hotel relies on the front office to provide data on guest histories, details concerning each guest’s visit. Some of the information gathered are based on zip codes, frequency of visits, corporate affiliations, special needs, and reservations for rooms. It is also the front office’s jobs to make a good first impression on the public, to relay messages, and to meet the requests of guests who are using the hotel for meetings, seminars and banquets.

The guests history is a valuable resource for marketing and sales, which uses the guest registration information to target marketing campaigns, carry out promotions, prepare mailing labels, and select appropriate advertising media. The front office staff must make every effort to keep this database current and accurate. The process of completing the booking of a special function (such as a wedding reception, convention, or seminar) depends on the availability of sleeping rooms for guests. The marketing and sales executives may have to check the lists of available rooms three, six, or even twelve months in the future to be sure the hotel can accommodate the expected number of guests. A database of available rooms is maintained in the property management system by the front office. The first guest contact in Golden Villa Hotel, with the marketing and sales department is usually through the hotel’s switchboard. A competent and switchboard operator who is friendly and knowledgeable about the hotel operations and personnel will make a good first impression, conveying to the prospective client that this hotel is competent. When the guest finally arrives for the function, the first contact with the hotel is usually through the front office staff. The front office manager who makes the effort to determine which banquet supervisor is in charge and communicates that information to the desk clerk on duty demonstrates to the public that this hotel is dedicated to providing hospitality. Messages for marketing and sales department must be relayed completely, accurately and quickly. Managers should show new employees pictures of the department directors and supervisors. Requests for service at meetings, seminars, banquets, and the like are often made at the front office. The banquet manager, a person who is responsible for fulfilling the details of service for a banquet or special event, or sales associate, a person who books the guest’s requirements for banquets and other special events, might be busy with another function. If a guest needs an extension cord or an electrical outlet malfunctions, the front desk staff must be ready to meet the guest’s needs. The front office manager establishes standard operating procedures for the front office employees to contact maintenance, house-keeping, marketing and sales, or the food and beverage department to meet other common requests. Knowing how to find a small tool kit, adapters, adhesive materials, extra table covers, or window cleaner will help the quest and save the time involved in tracking down salespersons in charge.

2. HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT: In Golden Villa Hotel, the housekeeping department and the front office communicate with each other about housekeeping room status, the report on the availability of the rooms for immediate guest occupancy. Housekeeping rooms status can be described in the following communication terms:

Available Clean, or Ready – Room is ready to be occupied.

Occupied – Guest or Guests are already occupying a room.

Stayover – Guest will not be checking out of a room on the current day.

Dirty or Unchanged – Guest has checked out of the room, but the housekeeping staff has not released the room for occupancy.

Out of order – Room is not available for occupancy because of a mechanical malfunction.

Housekeeping and the front office also communicate on the details of potential house count (a report of the number of guests registered in the hotel), security concerns, and requests for amenities (personal toiletry items such as shampoo, toothpaste, mouthwash, and electrical equipment). These issues are of immediate concern to the guest, as well as to supervisors in the hotel. Reporting of room status is handled on a face to face basis in a hotel that does not use a property management system (PMS). The bi-hourly or hourly visits of the housekeeper to the front desk clerk are a familiar scene in such a hotel. The official reporting of room status at the end of the day is accomplished with a housekeeper that lists the guest room occupancy status as vacant, occupied, or out of order. Sometimes, even regular reporting of room status is not adequate, as guests may be anxiously awaiting the opportunity to occupy a room. On these occasions, the front desk clerk will have to telephone the floor supervisor to determine when the servicing of a room will be completed.

3. THE KITCHEN, RESTAURANT AND BAR DEPARTMENT: These three departments have similar relationship with the front desk. If and when a guest needs pertaining to food and drink, he/she calls up the front desk, and the desk in-turn, calls up the Restaurant and Bar department (or Food and Beverage department in some hotels) to go to the said room and deliver or render any edible services required. Also, if a customer or guest wants to complain about food or drink, either the degree or hotness of the food or the manner in which the food was presented, he goes straight to the front desk to complain, and sometimes, become physical, depending on the kind of guest one is dealing with, the front desk then calls the restaurant to relay their complaints. After a guest finishes with his/her meal, the front desk sometimes, call the restaurant and bar unit to come pick up or clean up any mess there is, and the plates and cups or bottles. These departments also provide the front desk with the menu of food items and drinks they have for either morning, afternoon and night, because most times when guests or passersby come in, they do not go to the restaurant and bar for questions about food and drink (because they do not even know where it is located), they come straight to the front desk to ask and enquire about them.

The communication between restaurant/bar and the front desk is very constant. This is because the status of a particular food or drink in the menu may vary according to time requested. Some foods are not meant to be consumed in the morning, or afternoon or at night, when a customer goes to the front desk to request, he/she should possess the knowledge of what’s onboard, so as to maintain quick accessibility and delivering.

4. THE LAUNDRY DEPARTMENT: The laundry department also works with the front department, especially when a guest calls the front desk and asks for the laundry services, the front desk calls the laundry department to go to that room and pick the clothes, and when the clothes are ready, the front desk calls the guest to inform them that their clothes are ready. Also, when there is unsatisfactory complaints/comments about the services of the laundry department, the guest goes straight to the front desk to lay his complaints, and then the front desk calls the laundry department to relay the customers concerns to them.

5. SECURITY DEPARTMENT: In situations where there are guests owing the hotel, and he/she has still not signed out, the front desk, calls the security department to inform them of the situation on ground, the security takes proper and required action to settle the entire issues between the hotel management and the guest. The security department employs soft approach on the guest at first, but if he persists with ill behavior, the security may be pushed to take drastic measures, or better still, involve the law enforcement agencies.

6. MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT: Whenever guests complain about an equipment in the room that has issues, to the front desk, the front desk calls the maintenance to come and fix it.

PROBLEMS/PROSPECT

The hotel will be running into a lot of troubles with their customers from other parts of Nigeria because the structure of their kitchen is currently designed to suit only people from southeastern Nigeria. While I was still there conducting my research, I ran into a dissatisfied customer, pouring out her dissatisfaction on the receptionist because the room she booked online was not ready at the time she got there. As usual, the porter pleaded with the customer to exercise patience with the management. After a while, the problem was resolved.

Another customer also complained bitterly, on the hotel’s power supply policy. He stressed that their power supply should be 24/7, so as to make customers comfortable.

It is strongly advised to hire someone with good customer service to serve as the Porter or the Front Desk Officer. This is largely because they are responsible for calming dissatisfied guests. Also, the hotel is fast in fixing all problems complained by the guests.

Thus, the future of Golden Villa Hotel and Suites will be determined by how fast they solve the problems the guests complain of, the manner of approach of their staff, especially their receptionist and finally, adding to their food menu, intercontinental dishes, since most of their customers are gotten from the airport.