Hotel Front Office Management, 3rd Edition

COMPONENTS OF THE REGISTRATION PROCESS 185Guest HospitalityThe registration process begins when a guest requests to check into the hotel. Theguest may arrive alone or with a group. The front desk clerk begins the check-in processwith a display of hospitality toward the guest; important elements include eye contact, awarm smile, an inquiry regarding travel experience, an offer to assist the guest in a dilemma,and the like. As mentioned earlier, the importance of a warm welcome to a guest’spositive impressions of the hotel and its staff cannot be overemphasized. Most travelersexpect common courtesy along with a quality product and a well-developed deliverysystem.Inquiry about ReservationAfter the front desk clerk has welcomed the guest, he or she asks if a reservation hasbeen placed. If the guest responds affirmatively, the reservation is retrieved (called up onthe computer). If the guest is a walk-in, the front desk clerk must check the availabilityof accommodations. If accommodations are available, the next step is to complete theregistration card.Completion of Registration CardThe registration card provides the hotel with guest’s billing information and providesthe guest with information on checkout time and room rates (Figure 7-1). Even if theguest has a reservation, the completion of the registration card is important, as it verifiesthe spelling of names, addresses, phone numbers, anticipated date of departure, numberof people in the party, room rate, and method of payment.The top portion of the registration card supplies information about the guest so thehotel has an accurate listing of registered guests. With this information, phone calls,messages, and the like can be relayed as they are received. This record is also used forbilling purposes. If the hotel has parking facilities, the garage manager will want informationon the guest’s car for security and control purposes. Obtaining complete andaccurate information is very important in hotels that use a PMS, this form is preprinted.Review Completeness of Registration CardThe front desk clerk should quickly review the completeness of the registration card.For example, handwriting should be legible. If the card needs a corrected printed revision,it should be done at this time. The guest may forget to fill in a zip code, which is oftenused by the marketing and sales department to analyze market demographics as well asby the controller’s office to process invoices. If a guest does not know a license platenumber or other auto information, the desk clerk should indicate to the guest that thisTLFeBOOK