Pearson New International Edition International pcl tp indd 1

FRONT OFFICE SEMANTICS
Shift:
Eight-hour period of time. In the hotel business, the most common shifts are 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.,
3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., and 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. (sometimes referred to as 
night audit or graveyard shift).
Sales history:
Record of past sales activity for a specific period of time.
A review of sales histories helps FOMs make accurate predictions of future sales.
Figure 7 lists some of the advantages FOMs gain as they accurately estimate the
number of rooms they will sell in a future time period.
• Accurate revenue estimates
• Better guest service because of improved staffing decisions
• Lowered labor costs because employees can be scheduled more accurately according to
productivity standards
• Improved budgeting abilities
• Increased operational efficiencies
• Improved profit margins (revenues minus costs)
• Maximized owner (shareholder) profits
FIGURE 7
Advantages of precise guestroom sales forecasts.
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