Hotel Front Office Management, 3rd Edition

PHYSICAL STRUCTURE AND POSITIONING OF THE FRONT DESK 95Figure 4-1. The layout of computerized equipment centers on guest service and employeeefficiency.the tone for the hotel. Neatness, orderliness, attractiveness, quality, and professionalismare just a few of the impressions that the front desk should convey to a guest. The guestwants to feel important, safe, and in the hands of professionals. The impression the physicallayout of the desk creates will assist the front office in creating a positive image forthe operation. Providing hospitality to the guest and promoting in-house sales (coveredin more detail in Chapters 11 and 13) are of great importance to the continued financialsuccess of the operation. To provide an environment for these objectives to be met, awell-planned physical arrangement of the front desk is important.Creating a Balance between Guest Flow and Employee WorkEQUIPMENTThe front desk should be positioned so that it accommodates the guest while enablingemployees to work efficiently. Guests who wait in line for ten minutes only to be toldthey are in the wrong line will have a negative first impression. Likewise, a desk clerkwho has to wait to use a printer or share a computer terminal will not be as efficient aspossible. As you become familiar with the practice of processing guests at the front desk,you will see how easy it is to plan a layout of the physical equipment needed.GUEST SAFETYThe position of the front desk is usually determined by the main entrance of the buildingand the location of the elevator. The front desk clerk and the night auditor must beable to see anyone who enters the hotel, to ensure a safe environment for the guest.Positioning the front desk on the same side as the main entrance and the elevator is notrecommended. Figure 4-2 shows a few arrangements that allow entrances to be monitored.In all three settings, the front desk clerk has a view of who is coming into the hotelTLFeBOOK