CHECK OUT PROCEDURE

INTRODUCTION

Front office is the department which is responsible to do registration of the arrival guests and to provide the best suitable package according to the guest’s preference. Once the guest has been utilized the hotel’s facilities such as Room, Food & Beverages, Spa and Gym facilities and many more in various forms. Then it’s time to depart as per his schedule, the check out procedure is followed and maintained.

DEPARTURE PROCEDURE/CHECK OUT PROCEDURE

  • Guest arrives at F/O for C/O Cashier updates guest folios.
  • A Check out request is received at the Front Desk Departure Notification Slip
  • Bell Desk is informed Cashier presents the bill Guest settles the account
  • Bell Boy collects the luggage Bell Boy deposits the key at front desk Bell Boy loads the luggage in the car.
  • Front desk updates the F.O. records
  • Check out information sent to all
  • Front Desk makes luggage pass out

CHECK OUT REQUEST

  • Check Out request is received from the guest either at the front desk or bell desk.
  • The information is communicated to all the concerned departments and points of sale.
  • The employee must ask details like guest name, room number etc. and check the departure date. In case of early departures other departments should be informed.

LUGGAGE HANDLING

The front desk requests the bell captain to send a bell boy to bring the guest luggage to the lobby. The bell boy fills the departure errand card and the bell captain makes the entry in the control sheet.

Housekeeping attendant is responsible to look around the room for signs of any damage to the hotel property. Draw the curtains and lock the balcony and windows. Check for any guest belongings left behind by mistake Collect the room keys from the guest Lock the room and hang “Clean my room” tag on the door knob.

 ACCOUNTING ALL TRANSACTIONS

The front desk informs housekeeping and all points of sale to rush the latest credit transactions to the front desk, so that the cashier may add them to the guest account. As the guest may refuse to pay any charges after she/he has checked out, the hotel should ensure that all the transactions have been billed to the guest at the time of account settlement

UPDATING GUEST FOLIO

Front Desk cashier updates the guest folio: Adding the latest credit transactions received from the points of sale. Checking if any late check-out charges are applicable and to examine the current entries in guest account

PRESENT THE BILLS ALONG WITH SUPPORTING VOUCHERS

  • Enter the method of payment
  • Take out the guest folio
  • Check the room number
  • Prepare bills in duplicate
  • Bills are prepared on the basis of guest folios.

DETERMINATION OF MODE OF PAYMENT

  • The methods of payment of bills may be cash – in local and foreign currency; cash equivalents like demand draft, traveler’s cheque and debit card or through credit modes like credit card, travel agent voucher and corporate billing
  • Receiving Payment
  • The guest reviews the bill and makes the payment in the pre decided mode.

MARKETING ACTIVITY

During the check out the cashier should: Ask guest about their experience at the hotel and ask them to fill a feedback form if guests have any complaints, the cashier should note the same and apologize. The cashier must inform the guest about the upcoming offers. The cashier may suggest future reservation for the guest’s return trip

UPDATING FRONT OFFICE RECORDS

  • Current Room Status
  • Guest History Card
  • Arrival / Departure Register

MODE OF SETTLEMENT OF BILLS

  • FOREIGN EXCHANGE
  • All the entire foreign visitor’s in a hotel can settle their accounts in the currency of their country – dollar, euro, pound etc. Hotels have to take a valid license from RBI to deal with foreign currency. Hotels can buy and sell foreign currency after obtaining the purchase license.
  • Currency Exchange Procedure Guest contacts the F.O. cashier for currency exchange The cashier requests the guest for passport to verify his identity The cashier asks the guest the amount to be exchanged The cashier checks the exchange rate from RBI The cashier prepares the currency exchange certificate The cashier requests the guest to sign the certificate.
  • The guest gives the foreign currency to the cashier The cashier calculates the total amount to be paid in local currency The cashier gives the amount to the guest along with the original currency certificate. The 2nd copy is attached with the currency The cashier fills the details of the currency exchange in the control sheet.
  • CASH SETTLEMENT
  • The cash payment is one of the most preferred modes of settlement of guest accounts. At the time of settlement, the cashier zeroes the balance in the guest account.
  • If there is a credit balance in the guest folio, the cashier requests the guest to sign the certificate. If there is a debit balance, the hotel requests the guest to pay the balance.
  • TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE
  • A Traveler’s cheque is an internationally accepted cheque for a sum in a specific currency that can be exchanged for local currency.
  • It is issued by a financial institution and can be protected against loss or theft. It is useful especially in the case of overseas travel where all credit and debit cards are not accepted.
  • Procedure for settling the bill through TC: Ensure that the 2nd signature is put in front of the cashier on the TC.
  • Check the guest’s passport to establish identity Note down the passport number behind the TC Calculate the value as per the daily rate Return the balance to the guest in local currency.
  • DEBIT CARD
  • It is a card that allows customers to access their funds immediately, electronically. It enables the holder to withdraw money or to have the cost of purchases charged directly to the bank account without paying by cash or writing a cheque.
  • In case of insufficient funds, the bank does not authorize the transaction and the guest is requested for an alternate mode of payment.
  • CREDIT SETTLEMENT
  • Credit Card
  • Travel Agent Voucher
  • Bill to Company

CREDIT CARD

It is a payment card that allows the owner to obtain goods and services on credit terms.

PROCEDURE:

  • Check the card holder’s name on the card Check the expiry date of the card
  • Swipe the card through the machine for verification and authorization from the issuer of the card,
  • Ask the guest to sign on the transaction slip,
  • Verify the guest signature with the signature on the backside of the card,
  • Return the credit card and carbon copy of the transaction slip to the guest.

TRAVEL AGENT VOUCHER

  • The tour operators receive advance payment from traveler’s at the time of selling the tour package. The TA sends a voucher to the hotel with the details of the billing procedure and the services to be provided to the guest. While Check Out the cashier must:

Check the billing instructions:

  • Collect payment for the services not covered
  • Check the expenses covered by the voucher
  • Read the voucher carefully.
  • Send the guest bill and vouchers to the accounts department for the collection of the amount from the TA.
  • Do not give the copies of the signed bill to the guest as they need to be given to the TA
  • Attach all the vouchers signed by the guest with the master bill and ask the guest to sign the bill. ¨

BILL TO COMPANY

  • The executives carry a letter from their company, which is called a bill to company letter, as a proof of their identity.
  • The reservations are made by the company on behalf of the travelling executives.
  • Some companies, whose executives, travel at the expense of the company, make a deal with hotels, whereby they determine the rates for different types of rooms and meal plans to be offered to their executives.

PROCEDURE: Ask the guest to show his identity card and BTC letter Verify that the company is listed in the CVGR (Company volume guarantee rate) list of the hotel Check the billing instructions Prepare the guest bill and ask the guest to sign Send the bill to the accounts department for collecting payment from the company

POTENTIAL CHECK-OUT PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

  • LATE CHECK – OUTS
  • If a guest vacates his room after the check out time, it is considered late check out. This may create a problem especially during high peak time.

A hotel may take the following preventive measures:

  • Inform the guest about the late C/O charges Print the C/O timings on the key card cover Add the late C/O charges in the guest bill Offer to keep the luggage in the “left luggage room”

LONG QUEUES AT THE CASHIER

Check out may take time; therefore hotels have come up with various solutions:

  • EXPRESS CHECK – OUT
  • SELF CHECK – OUT

EXPRESS CHECK OUT

  • The guest leaves the hotel without having to go through the standard C/O procedure. The guest signs the ECO form and authorizes the hotel to charge the outstanding balance to his credit card. The guest is given the Express C/O form on the morning of his date of departure.
  • The hotel sends the signed ECO form and the credit card imprint to the credit card company towards payment of the bill The cashier prepares the guest’s final bill and mails a copy to the guest

SELF CHECK – OUT

  • Only fully automated hotels are equipped with self service terminals, which allow guests to C/I and C/O promptly. Self C/I and C/O kiosks identify guests by their room number, credit card number. Guests can access and review their folios and settle their accounts using the credit card.

IMPROPER POSTING OF CHARGES:

  • There are occasions when a guest’s financial transactions are not properly posted in the guest folio and the final bill is inadequate. This might be due to human/system error. This could lead to a dispute with the guest and delay other guests in queue. To avoid this, hotels should install guest accounting systems, which are accurate and faster, leading to guest satisfaction

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