Pearson New International Edition International pcl tp indd 1

FRONT OFFICE AND THE GUESTS: PLANNING FOR QUALITY SERVICE
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they may have had contact with representatives of the property if reservations were
made directly with hotel personnel. They may have been assisted by members of the
hotel’s staff as they were transported by the hotel’s van, and they may have observed
employees unload luggage, park cars, and assist guests into the hotel’s lobby.
Nevertheless, first impressions about guest service are formed during the actual registra-
tion process with front desk agents.
What would you want to occur when you checked in to a hotel? Your responses
probably include the following:
•
No (or a short) wait time at the front desk
•
Correct reservation information (e.g., dates of room occupancy and room rate)
•
A friendly welcome that includes eye contact, a smile, and acknowledgment of your
name (e.g., “Welcome to our hotel, Ms. Gonzalez.”)
•
The proper room available (e.g., queen-size bed, mountain view, nonsmoking)
•
Correct answers to your questions (e.g., “What time does the restaurant open for
breakfast?” “How late is room service available this evening?”)
•
Accurate directions to your room
•
An invitation for assistance by the bell services attendant (if applicable)
•
Suggestions about where to park your car (if applicable; e.g., closest to room access)
Not surprisingly, these and related questions are common to first-time guests. The FOM’s
own service desires can, at their most basic level, help to anticipate guest registration
expectations and can drive the development of procedures to respond to them. The
FOM’s experience can also help identify the training that front desk agents need to
properly register guests and suggest how registration service levels should be evaluated
(e.g., the extent to which front desk staff meet service standards as part of the guest reg-
istration process).
How can the FOM determine the expectations of the guests? Once discovered,
how can service delivery processes be designed to more consistently deliver what the
guests want? These questions will be addressed in the next section.