Methods of Receiving Hotel Reservation Requests

By Sumit Manwal, Founder, Hospitality Vacancy

Reservations arrive through many channels, and each needs to be handled accurately.

Here are the main methods.

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The information needed when receiving a request Use of international terms for rooms and bed types Packages offered by hotels and the range of terms used to describe them

Methods used to record bookings such as diaries, conventional charts, density charts, stop-go charts and computers Yield management and overbooking

Confirmation procedures, deposits and guarantees and cancellation procedures

Reservation status, release times, guaranteed arrivals

Group reservations

Check-in Procedures Registers, registration cards

Booking out / walking a guest

Chance arrivals.

Key cards and keys, both mechanical and electronic Room status records and room allocation. Bedroom book, room status boards, computers. Group check in

3 Electronic Booking Systems

Systems such as Fidelio, which provides hardware and software supporting point-of- sale systems. Notifications and Records Concerns the Arrivals list, Departures list, Room list, Function list, Wake up calls and papers and Guest history records Guest Accounting Payment procedures, cash / non cash payment, accepting different methods of payment, recording deposits, prepayment and refunds, processing visitors paid outs (VPO’s), disbursements, petty cash, establishing credit worthiness Banking procedures, reconciling / checking floats, completing banking documentation, security for cash / non-cash payments and transfer to bank Payment Methods Cash and foreign currency / exchange Cheque such as the travellers cheque Credit cards which include charge card and debit card Vouchers Ledger accounts Advance deposits and pre-payments, Refunds Statistics and Reports Occupancy rates including double, sleeper, average room rate, revenue achieved, REVPAR and GOPPAR Guest statistics including length of stay, origin, average expenditure, source of bookings Selling Methods used by Front Office Staff

Benefits to organisation, increased occupancy, repeat business, brand loyalty, customer loyalty, new business, increased market share, keeping within budget, resources and support, staff training Selling techniques, product knowledge, communication skills upselling, selling other services, using sales leads, repeat sales, referred sales, maximum occupancy and room revenue Procedures, enquires, reservation, status, cancellations, amendments, records and documentation, room allocation, overbooking, releasing rooms, deposits, paying commission. Front Office Operations DHM 122 4

Assessment: This module will be assessed via a 2 ½ hour examination, set and marked by CTHCM. The examination will cover the whole of the assessment criteria in this unit and will take the form of 10 x 2 mark questions and 5 x 4 mark questions in section A (40 marks), Section B will comprise of 5 x 20 mark questions of which candidates must select and answer three (60 marks). CTHCM is a London-based body and the syllabus content will in general reflect this. Any legislation and codes of practice will reflect the international nature of the industry and will not be country specific.

Local centers may find it advantageous to add local legislation or practice to their teaching but they should be aware that the CTHCM examination will not assess this local knowledge. Further Guidance Recommended contact hours: 45 Credits: 10 Delivery Strategies This module covers the theory of Front Office Operations but wherever possible this should be related to practical situations to reflect the nature of the commercial work environs. Visits to a range of hotels and businesses that operate a front office are essential to allow students to see the application of the theory into practice.

Visiting speakers would also be beneficial. Industry representatives such as Front Office Managers, Rooms Division Managers and employees of Front Office will all assist in contextualizing the classroom based learning.

Recommended Prior Learning

There is no required prior learning however students must have completed formal education to 18 years old or equivalent and an interest in Front Office

Operations and Customer Service is essential. Resources It is strongly recommended that visits to organisations within the hospitality industry are undertaken to experience Front Office Operations first hand. It is highly desirable to organise a programme of guest speakers to add currency and vocational relevance. There is also great value in including the software of a Front Office package such as Fidelio to give students training which reflects the work environment.

FAQ

What details are recorded in a reservation?

Guest name, dates, room type, rate, number of guests, contact details, guarantee and special requests.

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About the Author

Sumit Manwal is the founder of Hospitality Vacancy (since 2017) and has 20+ years of experience in hospitality. He received the "Excellence in Hospitality Sector of Uttarakhand" award, presented by Shri Dhan Singh Rawat ji (January 2023), and the Dainik Jagran inext Uttarakhand Ratan Samman for Excellence in Hospitality & Education, presented by Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari ji (2023). He helps hotels build reliable teams and professionals grow their careers.

📧 Contact: manwal@hospitalityvacancy.com | 🔗 LinkedIn