Hotel Front Office Management, 3rd Edition

C H A P T E R 9Guest CheckoutOPENINGDILEMMACHAPTER FOCUS POINTSThe general manager of the hotel indicated at the staff meeting today that thebudget allows for the purchase of an additional module in the property managementsystem. She suggests that the guest history module might be just whatthe hotel needs to increase room sales. The general manager has scheduled avisit from the PMS vendor tomorrow and wants you (the front office manager)and the director of marketing and sales to prepare a list of questions for thevendor that will help you determine whether the purchase of the guest historymodule for the hotel is justified.• Organization of latecharges to produce anaccurate guest folio• Procedures necessary toperform the guest checkout• Transfer of guestaccounts to the backoffice• Checkout reports availablewith a property managementsystem• Guest historiesGuest checkout can indeed be a time of confusion, short tempers, and long lines, a testof the patience of both the guest and the cashier. Think of the last time you checked outof a hotel. How did it go? Was the cashier courteous and hospitable? If not, were youangry because of his or her indifference? Always remember what it is like to be a guest.It will serve you well throughout your career in the hospitality industry.This chapter will assist you in developing a thorough understanding of the guestcheckout process. It is not a difficult procedure to understand and implement; however,it does require planning in order to organize the details of this part of the guest’sstay.TLFeBOOK