Front Office

Contents I. The Hospitality and Lodging Industry 1. Hospitality industry. 2. The history and development of the lodging industry. 3. The classification of the organized hotel industry. 4. Supplementary and intermediate accommodation. II. Hotel Organization and the Rooms Division 5. The hotel organization. 6. The divisions of a hotel. 7. An introduction to the rooms division of a hotel. 8. The rooms division manager. III. Front Office and Its Sections 9. An introduction to the front office. 10. The functions performed by front office. 11. Components of front office. 12. Management team of front office. 13. Attributes of a front office personnel. 14. Equipments used in front office operations. 15. Knowledge about accommodation product. IV. The Reservations Section 16. An introduction to the reservation section. 17. Modes of reservation. 18. Channels or sources of reservation. 19. Types of reservation. 20. Systems of reservation. 21. Tools of room availability. 22. Processing individual and group conservation. 23. Amendments cancellations and overbooking. 24. Job description of reservation personnel. V. The Registration and Information Section 25. An introduction to the registration section. 26. The tools of registration. 27. The essential steps of registration. 28. The pre registration performed at front desk. 29. Processing VVIP foreigner and group registration. 30. The information section. 31. Job description of registration and information staff. VI. The Front Office Cash Section 32. An introduction to the cash section. 33. The main functions of cash section. 34. Night audit in cash section. 35. Job description of cash section personnel. VII. The Bell Desk 36. An introduction to the bell desk. 37. The important functions performed by the bell desk. 38. Formats and records to be maintained in the bell desk. 39. Left luggage procedure at the bell desk. 40. Job description of bell desk personnel. VIII. The Business Center and Telephone Exchange 41. An introduction to the telephone exchange. 42. Functions of the telephone exchange. 43. Job description of the telephone exchange personnel. 44. The business centre of the hotel. IX. General Knowledge about the Hospitality Industry and Front Office 45. Eminent personalities of the hospitality industry. 46. Important hotels of the world. 47. Important hotel chains of India. 48. Important international airlines and their codes. 49. List of countries with their capitals and currencies. 50. Jargons used in front office operations and management. 51. Abbreviations of hospitality industry. Bibliography. Index. Hotel Front Office Training Manual is a well structured and compiled textbook that has been developed primarily according to the education requirements of the students of hospitality in the country. The book has succeeded in creating a balance between the theoretical inputs and

practical inputs required by the students to pursue a successful career in front office department in the hotel industry. The book also has an informative general knowledge section that will impart a sound knowledge to the students regarding the eminent personalities of the hotel industry the important hotels of the world the leading hotel chains in India international airlines and countries and their currencies. The book also targets the hospitality academicians and suggests them proper teaching plans in order to complete each of the mentioned unit. The book also has a collection of more than 400 technical terms used in front office as well as 100 abbreviations that are important from the view of front office. Above all the book has a strong USP of self learning philosophy that has been promoted through the lucid literature and creative illustrations specially designed for the students. The book is the outcome of the sincere efforts put for the last three years that went into its development and publication.