By this, we mean that the front desk is the first point of contact between the guests and the hotel, so you can see this desk as being at the absolute hub of everything that goes on in the hotel. This is an important job, as mistakes here can move throughout the entire hotel.
First, we have to stress that as you will be dealing with the guests as they arrive, check in, check out and questions, then you must be adept at customer service. You need to be able to appear to be professional at all times, to be polite, and to always appear to be friendly even when you are having a terrible day.
There will also eventually be a need to be able to cope with complaints from guests, and this has to be done in a professional manner in order to then diffuse the situation and to make sure that the guest feels that their complaint has been handled in the correctly.
When it comes to the management of the front desk, it is also your job to make sure that the rest of the staff that work in this area have received the correct training to then allow them to do the job to the best of their ability. Once again, we have to stress that you are the face of the hotel, so there is a real need for you to not slip up due to the difficulties that could cause.
There are a number of roles that are directly linked to this particular job within a hotel. However, as management, you need to be prepared to set an example for other staff members who will also be required to deal with the guests and general public throughout the course of their shift.
So, in short the role of front desk management includes the following:
- Being a good manager and respected by the other staff.
- Being a friendly face to guests and the public.
- Being able to deal with issues in a professional and timely manner.
- Being able to delegate roles to other members of staff.
- Being able to coordinate with staff.
- To be able to train others.
Front desk management is a stressful position to work in, but it is also the most rewarding especially when you discover that a guest has a wonderful time at the hotel.
Christos Pashiardis –Managing Partner & Consultant.
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