Pearson New International Edition International pcl tp indd 1

FRONT OFFICE ORGANIZATION
Now that we have reviewed the primary function and important activities and
responsibilities of the front office department, Roadmap 2 suggests that it is time 
to consider how the department is organized to effectively meet its obligations. Not 
surprisingly, the organizational structure depends, in great part, on the size of the 
property. Many, but not all, responsibilities must be performed regardless of the 
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OVERVIEW OF THE FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
hotel’s size (number of rooms). For example, the five front office responsibilities
noted in the previous section (managing the PMS, revenue and reservations, guest
services, guest accounting, and general data management) relate to effective manage-
ment of all types of hotels. Other considerations include the availability of specific
uniformed services staff such as door and parking attendants, bell services attendants,
and concierge personnel. Property size and the type of guests to which the property
is marketed influence whether these staff will be available.
How can a small property with fewer front office employees perform the same basic
activities as their larger counterparts with more employees? One basic tactic involves the
use of more generalist positions in small properties. For example, in a very small prop-
erty, the hotel’s general manager may function as the FOM and may frequently perform
the duties of a front desk agent. By contrast, in a large property, there may be four or more
levels of employees between the general manager and the front desk agent, including res-
ident manager, FOM, assistant FOM, and front desk manager. Individuals in these spe-
cialized positions may perform fewer different tasks than the generalists in smaller prop-
erties. Nevertheless, supervisors and managers in these larger properties probably will be
able to perform many of the tasks done by their subordinates, because they will likely
have had experience in subordinate positions during their career progression. Many
properties cross-train persons in several related positions so that they can gain experi-
ence and so that staff are available at all times to perform all necessary tasks.