Hotel Front Office Management, 3rd Edition

78 CHAPTER 3: EFFECTIVE INTERDEPARTMENTAL COMMUNICATIONSHOSPITALITY PROFILE?Heale is the controller at know the results of audits when they occur and makingthem aware of their individual performance.Jamesthe Sheraton Reading Hotel,located in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.He processes money that office manager. They work together to forecast roomMr. Heale has a good relationship with the frontcomes in and expenses and taxes that are paid out. sales and do the auditing of daily cash banks. TheHe prepares daily audits, is responsible for payroll front office manager monitors the payroll and maypreparation, and produces quarterly and annual financialstatements. He also prepares financial foreageris also involved in cash management problems;ask for Mr. Heale’s assistance. The front office mancastsand subsequent budgets.he and Mr. Heale alert each other to any problemsMr. Heale says his relationships with desk clerks, and work together to solve them. The front officecashiers, and night auditors are important; however, manager monitors accounts receivable and is requiredto let Mr. Heale know when a guest has ex-his relationship with their respective managers ismore important. He audits the work of the desk ceeded his or her credit limit.clerks, cashiers, and night auditors but does not directlysupervise them. If they make mistakes, Mr. Selling is a big part of his job through fostering aHe adds that everyone in a hotel is a salesperson.Heale tries to show them why. He makes sure they good relationship with local vendors. His efforts mayreceive proper training, which includes letting them encourage vendors to become customers of the hotel.Maintenance or Engineering DepartmentThe maintenance or engineering department and front office communicate on roomstatus and requests for maintenance service. Maintenance employees must know the occupancystatus of a room before attending to plumbing, heating, or air-conditioning problems.If the room is reserved, the two departments will work out a time frame so the guestwill be able to enter the room or be assigned to another room. Cooperative efforts producethe best solutions to sometimes seemingly impossible situations. Figure 3-3 depicts theessential communication and planning by departmental managers to provide guest servicesat a time that will not interfere with delivering hospitality.Likewise, the requests from guests for the repair of heating, ventilating, and airconditioningunits; plumbing; televisions; and other room furnishings are directed to thefront desk. These requests are then communicated to the maintenance department. Thefront desk clerk must keep track of the repair schedule, as guests want to be informed ofwhen the repair will be made.Security DepartmentCommunications between the security department and the front office are very importantin providing hospitality to the guest. These departments work together veryclosely in maintaining guest security. Fire safety measures and emergency communicationTLFeBOOK