Hotel Front Office Management, 3rd Edition

318 CHAPTER 11: MANAGING HOSPITALITYFigure 11-6. This review of the cycle of services that the guest may encounter provides the basis for developinga service management program.Marketing• Customer surveys (before and after stay)• Advertising: billboards, direct mail, radio, television, print, Internet; incentive promotions, solo andwith other hospitality organizationsReservations• Toll-free numbers, fax, national reservation system (ease of access), Internet• Telephone manner of reservationists• Cancellation policy (reasonable restrictions)• Credit-card acceptance• Accommodation availability (value and cost considerations)• Complimentary services/products (value and cost considerations)• Information on hotel shuttle and public transportationRegistration• Hotel shuttle and public transportation• Greetings (doorman, bell staff, front desk personnel)• Assistance with luggage• Check-in procedure (length of time in line, ease of check-in with preprinted registration cards or selfregistrationmachine)• Room accommodations (value and cost considerations)• Credit-card acceptance• Complimentary services/products (value and cost considerations)• Room status/availability• Information on other hotel services• Cleanliness and interior design of lobby, elevators, room• Operation of air-conditioning, heat, television, radio, plumbing in room• Amenities availableworking tool for front office managers to use in analyzing the hotel services the guest willencounter. It is not intended as a complete listing. It is important to remember that theseservices are provided by the employees of the hotel. In developing a list for a specific hotelproperty, employee input will be very useful.Another benefit of analyzing the cycle of service is that it may highlight inefficienciesbuilt into the system. Rectifying these inefficiencies will assist in delivering first-rate hospitality,as the following example, reported by Nancy J. Allin and Kelly Halpine of the qualityassurance and training department at the WaldorfAstoria in New York, indicates:While there can be many reasons to combine the positions of registration clerk andcashier, and many aspects were considered at the WaldorfAstoria, the decisionwas driven by a desire to improve guest service where its impact is most obvious—atTLFeBOOK