GUEST CYCLE
The hotel guest stay cycle can be divided into four main stages. Within these four stages there are important task related to guest services and guest accounting.
Front office employees must be aware of guest services and guest accounting activities at all stages of the guest stay. Front office staff can effectively serve the guest if they have a clear understanding of the flow of business in hotel. Guest Cycle also represents a systematic approach to front office operations.
- Pre – Arrival
The Guest chooses a hotel during the pre- arrival stage of the guest cycle. Choice of the guest can be affected by many factors, including previous experiences with the hotel, advertisement, word of mouth referral by friends and colleagues, location, corporate, travel agent booking, hotel name, hotel loyalty program member etc.
The guest’s decision of making the reservation can also be effected by the ease of making the reservation and the way reservation agent interacted and described the facility of the hotel like room type, room rate, recreational facilities and other attractions near the hotels etc.
The details which is collected during the reservation also helps the hotel to complete pre-registration activities like assign room according to guest request, room rate to be charged to the guest folio during the course of stay etc.
- Arrival
The arrival stage of the guest cycle includes registration and room assignment process. After the guest arrives, he or she establishes a business relationship with the hotel through front office. It is the front office staff responsibility to clarify any query of the guest especially the details of room rate of packages he /she is booked on.
Front office staff should determine the guest’s reservation status before beginning the check-in / registration process. Guest with reservation and guest without reservation commonly known as Walk-in’s also provides a opportunity of business for front desk staff.
When the guest checks-in to the room the occupancy stage of the guest cycle begins.
- Occupancy
The manner in which the front office staff represents the hotel is important during the occupancy stage. As the main contact center for hotel activity, the front office is responsible for coordinating guest requests. Among those providing information and supplies to the guests.
Front desk should take extra care to respond to the guest on a timely and accurate manner. The main focus of the front desk staff is to provide anticipatory service and to meet or exceed the guests expectations. This will encourage the guest to repeat to the hotel.
A variety of charges restaurant charges, telephone, internet, travel desk etc. during the occupancy stage affect guest and hotel account which are posted by Front Office department. Other front office financial tasks during the occupancy stage is to verify the charges posted to the guest account and checking guest accounts against the credit limit.
- Departure
Guest services and guest accounting aspects of the guest cycle are completed during the cycle’s fourth and final phase ie departure.
At Departure the guest vacates the room, receives the accurate statement of the settled accounts, returns the room keys and leaves the hotel. Once the guest has checked out, front office updates the rooms availability status and notifies the housekeeping department. ( For hotels using Property management software the status of the room is updated automatically ).
At this stage front office also collect the feedback of the guest experience in the hotels by handing over the guest feedback form.