Pearson New International Edition International pcl tp indd 1

FRONT OFFICE SEMANTICS
Variable labor position:
Position that must be staffed according to the volume of business. Examples
are front desk agents and staff members working in uniformed services positions.
Fixed labor position:
Position that involves work tasks not directly tied to the level of business volume.
Examples are management positions such as FOM and uniformed services manager.
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OVERVIEW OF THE FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
As FOMs determine the number of front office staff members needed for a spe-
cific work shift, they consider many factors:
•
Number of guest arrivals and departures. The experience of front office
schedule planners will suggest the number of front desk agents needed to
register and check out guests. Perhaps, for example, they schedule on the
basis of one front desk agent for every 75 guests per shift. If 150 guests are
scheduled to register or check out, two staff members (150 guests ÷ 75
guests per shift) are scheduled. If travelers on a tour bus or sports fans on a
chartered plane are scheduled to arrive at the same time, additional front desk
personnel and bell services attendants will be needed for the times of peak
arrival and check-out.
Managers in large properties that have several workstations behind the
front desk may be able to schedule four, five, or even more agents to work at
key times. In contrast, the FOM in a small property with relatively few front
desk workstations can (1) schedule front desk agents according to the number
of workstations and (2) schedule others to assist with supportive tasks (e.g.,
making room keys, answering the telephone, and providing directions) to min-
imize the time that agents are away from their workstations. Entry-level posi-
tions are also affected by the estimated number of guest arrivals and departures:
front desk cashiers, bell services attendants, door and parking attendants, van
drivers, and PBX operators.
FOMs likely know from experience at the specific property when the
peaks and valleys of guest registration and departure occur. These times are
influenced by factors such as airline schedules, posted check-in times, room
availability, and posted start and end times for in-house group events.
Consider, for example, a large group that has scheduled an opening recep-
tion and dinner on the evening preceding a conference. Most of the atten-
dees will probably arrive in the afternoon rather than in the early evening.
FOMs are usually aware of arrival and departure trends that help with
staffing plans. For example, business travelers may typically arrive in the
evening and depart in the early morning. Transient guests may arrive earlier
and depart later in the day.
•
Occupancy rate. The number of guests occupying rooms also affects front
office staffing and scheduling patterns. When occupancy rate increases, there
are likely to be more guest requests for PBX, bell, door, and parking atten-
dants; and concierge services. As well, guest service requests that require
action by front desk staff will be greater. For example, in many smaller prop-
erties front office staff deliver requested towels and extra bedding to guest-
rooms. Additional staff may be needed for these and related tasks as occu-
pancy increases.
•
Number of available workstations and availability of equipment. Consider, for
example, the front office that only has two workstations for front desk agents
or equipment to accommodate only two telephone operators. In these cases,
the FOM must schedule with these limitations in mind. Now consider a hotel
that offers an amenity of van service to the airport every half hour. The hotel
has one van, so only one van driver is scheduled. Experience will suggest a cor-
relation between the number of guests departing and those needing airport
transportation. If there is only one van and the number of departing guests is
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