Pearson New International Edition International pcl tp indd 1

Objective 2
CHAPTER ROADMAP
591

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FRONT OFFICE : HUB OF THE HOTEL
The front office is not the most important department in the hotel. Clearly, all
departments and all staff are important. Nevertheless, the front office is the hub that
coordinates the provision of guest services; centralizes the collection, assembly, and
distribution of information; and facilitates the work of the hotel staff.
The FOM In Action: The Challenge
The Hilotown Hotel is a 75-room, limited-service
property that generates a significant amount of
business from persons attending meetings at a
nearby convention hotel who do not want to pay its
high room rates. Bino is the assistant manager of
the Hilotown, and because of the hotel’s small size,
he is responsible for front office, housekeeping,
and engineering and maintenance activities.
The hotel has always enjoyed a good relation-
ship with its housekeepers, but now a bittersweet
situation is occurring. The hotel is booked solid for
every night during the next two weeks—that’s the
good news. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of
housekeepers to work many of the shifts for vari-
ous reasons: maternity leave, an auto accident, ill-
nesses, and some turnover.
The hotel has been aggressively recruiting
new employees, but the process has been slow.
Even when new staff members are hired, time will
be needed to train them. Shifts staffed with a
reduced crew are not the most appropriate occa-
sion for staff members or their supervisors to con-
duct training. What should Bino do?