Hotel Front Office Management, 3rd Edition

DEVELOPING A SERVICE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM 319Guest StayOther hotel departments:• Food service department (menu offerings, hours of operation, prices, service level, ambience)• Gift shop (selection, souvenirs, value/price)• Lounge (prices, entertainment, hours, service level)• Room service (menu offerings, prices, hours of availability, promptness in delivery and pickup of trays)• Valet service (pickup and delivery times, prices, quality of service)• Housekeeping services (daily room cleaning, replenishment of amenities, cleanliness of public areas, requestsfor directions in hotel)• Security (24-hour availability, fire safety devices, anonymous key blank and distribution, key and lock repairservice, requests for directions in hotel)Front office:• Requests for information and assistance (wake-up calls, hours of operation of other departments, transmittalof requests to other departments)• Telephone system (assistance from staff)• Update of guest folio• Extension of stayCheckout• Reasonable and flexible checkout time deadlines• Assistance with luggage• Elevator availability and promptness• In-room video checkout• Length of time in line• Immediate availability of guest folio printout; accuracy of charges• Additional reservationsthe front desk. Cross-trained employees speed the check-in and checkout processby performing both functions, as the traffic at the desk dictates. Registration clerkscan cash checks and cashiers can issue duplicate room keys, in many cases eliminatingthe necessity of having the guest wait in two lines. 11Moments of Truth in Hotel Service ManagementCentral to the development of a guest service program is the management of whatAlbrecht and Zemke call moments of truth: “episode[s] in which a customer comes intocontact with any aspect of the company, however remote, and thereby has an opportunityto form an impression.” 12 Every time the hotel guest comes in contact with some aspectof the hotel, he or she judges its hospitality. Guests who are told by a reservationist thatTLFeBOOK