The hotel guest uses the rooming slip for two purposes

FROM ARRIVAL TO ROOMING Chapter Eight PowerPoints developed by Bharath M. Josiam, Ph. D. Professor, Hospitality Management University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA And Edited by Gary K. Vallen, Ed. D. Professor, School of Hotel and Restaurant Management Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA 1

Objectives of Chapter 8 An understanding of the check-in process Working of a Self – Check-in terminal Understand the role of employees in the overall arrival and Check-in process Understand the Check-in process at full- service and limited-service hotels Understand terms used in the arrival process Understand the role of the registration card Gain an awareness of queuing/line management Understand the duties of the bell staff in the arrival and rooming process 2

Greeted On Arrival A Moment of Truth (Exhibit 8-1) On arrival, the guest sees the hotel for the first time First impressions do matter! The Valet Parking Attendant The first employee the guest often sees Greets the guest, parks the car, and gives key back to guest Brings the car from the parking lot whenever the guest needs it Seen in upscale hotels OR where parking is a problem May be contracted out to a specialized parking company Fees charged for this service provide revenues to the hotel to cover cost of parking lot and insurance Valet is compensated largely with tips The Doorperson Seen in luxury properties Opens the door, helps guest unload baggage from car, hails taxi for the guest, gives directions etc., 3

Registration Guest Registration Two types of guests With prior reservation Without prior reservation Handling guests with reservation Register the guest and assign a room if available Even if reservation is not found, assign room if available No need to tell the guest that we cannot find their reservation! If sold out, then “walk” the guest Handling guests without reservations Get details of room requirements – dates, room type etc., Assign room if available for duration of stay, decline if not 4

Registration Guest Registration Walk-in Guests Come to the hotel needing a room without a reservation Registered, Not Assigned (RNA) Arrivals for whom we have a vacated room, but that room is not ready yet (Room is known as “on change”) Happens when hotel is very busy with many conventions Guest is assigned a specific room and may be allowed to bill charges to that room May be assigned another room temporarily if guest insists Early check-In Policies Check-in time is 1.00 PM but guest arrives at 7.00 AM! Room is given, but guest is charged for “previous day” Not a good idea to charge – Hotel wins today, but…. Better to build goodwill by permitting early check-in Hotel wins by clearing the check-in rush early 5

Registration Waiting Lines (Exhibit 8-6) Long Lines Equal Poor Service People have less patience today in the “instant” society If made to wait, guests assume hotel is incompetent Principles of Waiting Unoccupied time goes slower than occupied time Give guests something to do/look at while waiting Disney has clowns and jugglers to entertain people in line Unknown wait goes slower than known wait Keep guests informed of approximate wait time Signs can be posted at the end of the line with wait-time When on hold, the message says: “Wait time is approximately 15 minutes, please call in the evening for faster service” Avoidable wait is more frustrating than unavoidable wait Tell guests how they can help to reduce waiting “Have your reservation slip and credit card ready” etc 6

Registration Creative Solutions to Long Lines Have a single long winding line (Snake) There is a constant forward movement Guest is not forced to guess which line will move faster Have separate lines for separate categories FGP member line, Convention Guest line etc Enables VIPs/CIPs to be processed quickly Allows dealing with complications separately Allow some (special) people to jump to head of line Airlines call out for passengers who are late to go ahead Use technology to speed up line Operators with special devices check-in people at the back of the line Give discounts to delayed guests Free drink if you wait for more than 10 minutes for check-in! 7

Registration Self-Check-in Kiosks (Exhibit 8-8) An ATM type machine that allows the guest to: register, assigns a room,verifies credit, issues a key, activates services, prints directions, issues coupons, permits check-out, prints out receipts etc., Saves labor costs May enable guest to use credit card as a key, saving key costs! Reduces wait time at front desk Permits very late arrivals when difficult to staff desk More hotels are using this Airlines are using this with e-check-in on a routine basis These machines are expected to get more sophisticated and perform a lot of functions 8

Registration The Registration Card (Exhibit 8-9) Card asking for details of the guest along with a signature to establish a contractual relationship In some countries a copy of card is provided to police department, so passport and other details are asked Details needed: Number in the party Name/s Address Room Number Date of Departure May be asked to initial to reduce overstay/understay problems Discounts or Corporate Affiliations 9

Registration The Registration Card (Continued) Clerk Identification The FO clerk who checked-in the guest has to initial the card to fix responsibility and trace errors Computer systems do this automatically as part of clerk sign-in Folio Numbering Each guest account is assigned a unique folio number for identification and control purposes Used to have sequentially numbered forms earlier Now computer generates unique number, so less of an issue Points of Agreement Guests may be asked to initial against the rate etc., to avoid disputes Disclaimer of Innkeeper Liability Registration card gives limits of liability to protect hotel 10

Assignment The Registration Card (Continued) No-smoking rooms Ask guest to initial the card for non-smoking room Alert guests to charges for smoking – upto $200!! Catering to Pets This is the choice of the hotel Good idea to require the pet to be registered in case of disputes Exhibit 8-14 Green Hotels The hotel’s environmental conservation programs are sometimes mentioned on the registration card Profitable in two ways: from a marketing standpoint as well as a cost-savings one 11

Room Assignment The Room Selection Process Blocking/Pre-assigning Rooms Not needed if all rooms are identical Rarely the case Ensures that special requests will be accommodated VIPs, Handicapped access, non-smoking etc., Enables faster check-in by avoiding confusion Clearly identifies tight or over-booked positions Pre-assignments need to be changed with changes, cancellations etc., 12

Room Assignment Assigning Rooms The Room Selection Process (Continued) Algorithms and Property Management System Computer program to match reservations with rooms on a priority basis. Management can change priority issues Examples – To rotate rooms, to fill a building, save energy Upgrading Giving the guest a better room at a lower price Ex: Giving the guest a luxury suite for the price of a single room Used to avoid “walking” the guest To please VIPs/CIPs, FGP members etc., Up selling Persuading a guest to take a better room at a higher rate Ex: “Sir, for $10 more, you can have a suite with a Jacuzzi!” Hotels may give incentives to FO staff for this Revenues can be increased substantially if up selling is routine 13

Room Assignment Establishing Guest Credit First priority is to establish identity Ask for photo ID for all-cash guests Credit Cards Credit verification less of an issue now with widespread use of credit cards “Run” card on arrival to verify validity Back-Office Records Need to record FGP information Travel agency information for commission purposes 14

Room Assignment Assigning Rooms (Continued) Did Not Stay (DNS) A guest who registers but does not stay Could be due to dissatisfaction or an incident in the hotel Could also be due to personal issues not related to hotel Maybe the guest wants to move to main convention hotel from overflow hotel! - Call the convention hotel and check first! Cash Only guests Guests pays room rent in cash, in advance, and is required to pay cash for all other transactions It is legal to collect cash in advance for the room However, less common these days with credit cards Problem of other departments extending credit anyway Need to collect the money on the same day VIP Guests/Star Guest/Distinguished Guests(DGs)/ SPATT Guest – Special Attention required 15

Rooming the Guest Uniformed Service Valet Parking, doorpersons, concierges, hotel security, and bell staff Have maximum guest contact Have first and last guest contact To many guests they are the “hotel” Have opportunity to sell hotel services Guest Communication Encourage staff to communicate with guest – eye-contact, greeting Many guests return to hotel because of relationships with staff Uniformed Services Training Bad employees or disgruntled ones can also spoil image of hotel! Difficult to supervise interaction as they are out-of-sight Mystery Shopper Service can be used to evaluate uniformed staff 16

Rooming the Guest The Bell Staff Reduced role of this department due to improved telecommunication technology and vending machines for ice, drinks etc Rotation of Fronts Bell staff make money through tips! They are rotated so each one has a chance to get a tip First in line is called “front”, becomes “last” after returning from tippable job. Bell Captain keeps written track of this and time out too for control and security purposes 17

Rooming the Guest Tips are fixed in advance per person for each group The Bell Staff Responsibilities of the Bell Staff Depends on the hotel – may be a “gofer” for all things! Luggage Duties – Gets luggage from car to FO desk, after registration takes luggage to room, may unpack for guest. Reverse process on check-out Final Inspection Duties – Checks room, shows how things work, suggests hotel services, leaves room Group Luggage Handling Groups are pre-registered using the rooming list Bell staff unload baggage from bus and take it to rooms from the rooming list, using pre-numbered stickers Process is reversed on check-out Tips are fixed in advance per person for each group 18

Rooming the Guest Rooming Slips (Exhibit 8-18, pg. 316) A slip given to the guest with information, as the Registration card is not given to the guest. Contents of the rooming slip – varies a lot! Identification – Card to show guest is registered, room number, arrival/departure dates etc Information about hotel services Marketing – Sells hotel services, other hotels in chain Regulations – Dress code, pets, gratuity rates etc Instructional – Safety, security, operation of in-room facilities etc 19

Green Hotels Green Hotels An attempt to reduce the environmental footprint of the hotel Designing hotel as LEED certified property LEED = Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Using renewable energy, such as solar or wind. Recycling waste water Recycling waste paper and organic wastes Using energy saving lights and appliances Sheets and towels changed only on request Bellboys should inform guests about these practices to educate and involve them to embrace environmental friendly policies. 20

Objectives of Chapter 8 An understanding of the check-in process Working of a Self – Check-in terminal Understand the role of employees in the overall arrival and Check-in process Understand the Check-in process at full- service and limited-service hotels Understand terms used in the arrival process Understand the role of the registration card Gain an awareness of queuing/line management Understand the duties of the bell staff in the arrival and rooming process 21