Introduce:
CHAPTER 4:
COMMUNICATION IN ACCOMMODATION BUSINESS
This chapter addresses the following issues:
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- Communication in reception operations;
- Communication in housekeeping operations;
- Communication in restaurant operations;
- Communication in hotel security operations.
Target:
After completing this chapter, learners are able to:
- Present an overview of receptionist operations, housekeeping operations, restaurant operations and hotel security operations;
- Be aware of the importance of communication activities in the accommodation business to have the right attitude in practicing communication skills;
- List communication requirements when performing receptionist operations, housekeeping operations, restaurant operations and hotel security operations;
- Apply communication skills in receptionist operations, housekeeping operations, restaurant operations and hotel security operations;
- Solve communication situations that arise.
Main content:
4.1. Communication in reception operations
4.1.1. Overview of receptionist operations
The reception department is a department that plays an important and key role in the accommodation business of hotels and other accommodation businesses. This department acts as a "nerve center" to coordinate and direct guest service activities, connecting hotel products and activities with guest needs to best serve guests. Therefore, the activities of this department are always basic tasks in the accommodation business. According to the VTOS standard system, the job list of a receptionist includes the following 10 basic tasks:
Task 1: Prepare to work
Good preparation before work is an important factor to help receptionists perform their work effectively. To fully and properly perform their functions, the receptionist must be present at least 15 minutes before business hours to receive duties according to hotel rules.
Before starting work, employees need to comply with hotel regulations on clothing, uniforms, wearing name tags as well as meeting appearance standards such as hair, jewelry, perfume, and personal hygiene. personal birth.
Receive work handover from the previous shift, remember important issues related to your shift. Capture information about groups staying at the hotel, incoming groups, departing groups and information related to seminars, conferences and parties.
In addition to the above tasks, receptionists need to arrange the working area in a reasonable and scientific manner to facilitate work. Check equipment and working tools to serve a highly effective work shift.
Task 2: Understanding the product
Receptionists may have to answer questions related to the hotel's address, so understanding the hotel where they work is very important. Information such as: the hotel's official name, street name, house number, city, phone number, fax number, country phone code, email address, website address will help customers easily find the right place they need to go. Staff need to know multiple routes to the hotel from different areas; Knowledge of the names and locations of conference rooms and banquet rooms in the hotel; Capture information about services to be able to guide and introduce to customers.
In addition, receptionists need to know the main local tourist attractions to be able to provide information to meet different needs of customers. Not only that, explaining local customs and traditions is also part of the receptionist's job.
To facilitate sales, staff need to know the unique features of the hotel and the specific features of the room types so they can introduce and advise on sales to guests.
Task 3: Use the phone
Telephone skills are one of the basic skills of a receptionist. Most customers will contact the hotel directly, but the receptionist will also have many phone contacts.
To use the phone professionally and effectively, employees need to know the instructions for using the phone and switchboard; Before working, you need to check the equipment to see if it meets standards or not. In addition, employees must also firmly grasp the international phonetic alphabet, internal phone numbers, understand the tasks of the departments, and proficiently use the hotel management system.
Before answering and making phone calls, the receptionist needs to prepare everything to be able to receive information accurately and completely. Answer and make phone calls in accordance with hotel standards and manners. Understand how to transfer calls to other departments, transfer calls to the guest room, and put calls on hold.
Task 4: Receiving room reservations
The job of receiving room reservations requires staff to understand the regulations on canceling room reservations and the regulations on handling no-show guests. From there, requests to change room reservations and requests to cancel room reservations can be resolved.
Task 5: Perform procedures for guests to receive rooms
The procedure for checking in guests is one of the most important jobs of a receptionist. This is the first place guests come into contact with the hotel. To make a good impression, staff need to check in quickly and effectively; Pay due attention to the needs and desires of each guest.
For quick and effective room check-in procedures, staff need to know: common names of countries, types of rooms in hotels, loyalty programs, hotel diagrams; Foreign currencies, traveler's checks, credit cards, vouchers are accepted by the hotel and know how to use a credit card scanner.
After mastering the above tasks, staff carry out room check-in procedures for individual guests, group guests, VIP guests, and temporary guests according to the hotel's procedures.
Task 6: Resolve customer requests
While staying at a hotel, guests will view the front desk as their point of contact with the hotel. Customers often call the reception department for any questions or requests to request resolution. Therefore, employees need to clearly know the responsibilities of each department in the hotel and must know clearly who to contact in case of questions from guests.
To receive and resolve requests for information and services in the hotel quickly and effectively, staff need to know the phone book, understand tourist information and commercial information to Can help customers when they need it.
Task 7: Perform work during shift
Shift work is the general name for all professional work of receptionists. This job does not involve direct communication with guests, so may be performed during free time during the shift. Employees need to firmly grasp the list of tasks to be done during the shift to ensure accuracy and high professionalism.
During the operations of this task, updating costs is performed by staff following a process to ensure the accuracy of documents. In addition, handling information discrepancies, handling room changes, making alarms, checking high outstanding balance accounts, handling guests extending their stay, receiving assets and luggage sent by guests, resolving Resolving customer complaints, exchanging foreign currency, handling mail
Mail - parcel - fax, receiving and transferring messages will help customers get perfect services when staying at the hotel.
Task 8: Carry out check-out procedures
Checking out is the guest's final communication with the hotel. This is the last chance for the front desk staff to correct any errors that may have occurred during the guest's stay at the hotel, and also the last chance to ensure the guest will return to the hotel in the future.
In order for the check-out procedure to be quick and smooth, staff need to check detailed information about the number of guests, departure dates and profiles of individuals and groups of guests preparing to check out.
Next, staff carry out procedures for returning rooms to individual guests and groups; Resolve payment methods, incurred costs, and disputed costs in accordance with hotel regulations.
After completing check-out procedures for guests, staff gather and arrange all documents related to transactions for checking and comparison.
Task 9: Night audit
The night shift is the third job in the front desk's 24-hour operating cycle. Normally, the night shift starts at 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. the next day. Depending on the hotel's system and organization, night shift employees can undertake two jobs: receptionist work (similar to day shift) and accounting work (balancing financial transactions). and revenue of the entire hotel during the day).
Reading the notebook and checking the information from the previous shift will help employees prepare well for their shift. Before performing the closing process, staff need to cancel unsecured room types, balance payments, enter revenue, review price discrepancies reports, and run the "enter room price and rental" function. ". Then, report to the competent person and various departments, check the file folders containing the information.
Task 10: Safety and security
Receptionists not only do the professional work of their department but also must fully understand safety and security risks. Correctly following procedures and instructions will protect yourself, your colleagues, guests and visitors to the hotel.
The work area must be neatly arranged by employees to increase aesthetics and professionalism, while also limiting the possibility of fires and explosions occurring in the workplace. Check emergency exits and electrical equipment to limit risks. Understand safety and security rules in the hotel; quickly handle lost keys and bomb threats; know how to provide first aid and know about the hotel's fire prevention procedures; Detect unusual cases to ensure safety and security for guests.
From the description of the job content of the basic tasks in the receptionist profession, we see that communication activities have the following basic characteristics:
Form of communication: Face-to-face communication, telephone communication and electronic communication (email, fax). Due to the characteristics of the receptionist profession, during the work process, these forms of communication are used with high frequency, requiring hotel receptionists to clearly understand and use all three effectively. this form of communication.
Communication object:
- Domestic and international tourists.
- Partner customers: Domestic and foreign travel agents.
- Customer support service providers: Carriers, airports,...
- State administrative agencies: Customs, police,...
- Colleagues: Staff of housekeeping, restaurant, hotel security, marketing and sales departments...
Areas where basic communication activities arise:
- Receiving room reservations.
- Carry out procedures for booking and returning guest rooms.
- Resolve customer requests, questions and complaints.
4.1.2. Communication conversation in receptionist profession
4.1.2.1. Communicate when answering the phone
The reception department plays an important role in managing the hotel's switchboard, so all calls to the hotel go through the reception department. Answering the phone is a regular job of the reception department. The steps of this job are as follows:
Prepare: Prepare everything to receive calls such as pen and paper to take notes, minimize background noise before answering the phone.
Smile: Smile before picking up the receiver to ensure voice quality, mood and volume.
Pick up the receiver: Answer the phone within 3 rings.
Greet in a friendly manner: Note, follow the hotel's style.
Self-introduction: Introduce about the hotel, department and yourself, offer suggestions for help.
Speak clearly: Place the mouthpiece correctly in front of your mouth, speak at a moderate speed, smile when speaking.
Listen carefully: Pay attention, do not interrupt the speaker, write down things that need attention, repeat information, inform the caller of what you want to do.
End the call: Greet the caller, thank you for calling.
Hang up: Disconnect after the caller has hung up, always hang up after the caller.
Sample conversation
A: Receptionist
B: Guest
Guests call the hotel to request to meet guests staying in the hotel. Current guests have left the hotel.
A : (Picks up the receiver within 3 rings) Hello! Bao Son Hotel, Reception Department, Hoang is listening. How can I help you?
B : Hello! Could you please let me see Mrs. Hoa in room 2010?
A : Please tell me your name.
B : My name is Tu.
A : Dear Mr. Tu. Mrs. Hoa is out now. Did you text anything back?
B : Then I'll call you back later.
A : Yes. Thank you for calling. Have a nice day.
4.1.2.2. Communicate when transferring phones to guest rooms and other departments
When a caller requests to transfer the phone to a guest staying in the hotel or other departments in the hotel, the receptionist needs to perform the task of transferring the phone. The order of work execution is as follows:
Answer the phone: Greet customers, identify themselves, offer suggestions for help.
Receive information: Ask for the caller's name. Ask for the guest's name, room number or the name of the call receiving department.
Notify the call will be transferred and ask the customer to wait: Notify the customer will immediately transfer the call and ask the customer to wait. Switch the phone to standby mode.
Call the guest room number or call reception. Notify the caller and request a transfer.
Phone connection: If the customer or the call receiving department agrees to receive the call, make the phone connection.
Refuse to answer/no answer/phone busy: In this case, it is necessary to disconnect the standby mode and reconnect with the caller and notify the caller. Ask callers to leave a message if necessary.
Hang up: After successfully connecting, the staff hangs up the phone.
Sample conversation
A: Receptionist B: Guest
Guests call the hotel to request to meet guests staying in the hotel. The guest is currently in the room and agrees to answer the phone.
A : (Picks up the receiver within 3 rings) Hello! Bao Son Hotel, Reception Department, Hoang is listening. How can I help you?
B : Hello! Could you please let me see Mrs. Le in room 2301?
A : Could you please tell me your name?
B : My name is Minh.
A : Dear Mr. Minh. I will transfer your call to Mrs. Le's room immediately. Please wait a moment.
B : Yes. Thank you!
A : (Put the phone back to standby mode, call room extension 2301) Hello Mrs. Le! I'm Hoang in the Reception department. Madam! She got a call from Mr. Minh. Shall I transfer the call to you?
B: Yes. He helped me transfer the call. A: Connect the call and hang up.
4. 1.2.3. Communicate when making calls
In some cases where guests have difficulty making calls or there is an emergency where they cannot directly make calls, ask the receptionist to help guests make calls. At this time, the receptionist performs the work in the following order:
Receive call request: Ask the name and room number of the requesting guest. Ask for the name and phone number of the person being called. Be sure to record and repeat to customers the information you have received.
Dial the number the customer needs to call: Identify and request to meet the called person.
Notify the called person: Notify about the request to make a call.
Please transfer the phone to the customer who requested it.
Make a call connection and hang up.
Sample conversation
A: Receptionist B: Guest
Guests staying in the hotel call the Reception department to ask for help calling outside the hotel.
A : (Picks up the receiver) Hello! This is the Reception department. Hong is listening. How can I help you?
B : Hello sister! Please help me make the call. A : Could you please tell me your name and room number? B : My name is Minh in room 1223.
A : Dear Mr. Minh! Who do you want to call and what phone number?
B : Please help me dial 0903245678 to meet Ms. Thuy.
A : Yes. Dear Mr. Minh! You're in room 1223. You want to dial the phone number 0903245678 to see Ms. Thuy, right?
B : That's right.
A : Then please hang up and wait a moment.
B : Yes.
A : (Dial 0903245678) Hello! Could you please tell me if this is Ms. Thuy's phone number?
B : Yes. Right.
A : Dear Ms. Thuy! I called from Bao Son hotel. Mr. Minh asked me to call her. I will transfer your call to Mr. Minh.
B : OK. Thank you.
A : Connect the call and hang up.
4.1.2.4. Communicate when offering rooms and services in the hotel
To sell rooms and services in the hotel, the receptionist must have a thorough understanding of the hotel and hotel services.
Firstly, the bedroom service needs to know the number of rooms, types of rooms, number of rooms of each type of room, area of each type of room, amenities in each type of room, unique characteristics of each type of room, level of accommodation. Price of each room type, pricing policy for guests, current and future room status,...
Second, it is necessary to understand the services in the hotel, the characteristics of each type of service, the price of each type of service, and the responsiveness of each type of service.
To sell rooms and services, the receptionist can sell from high to low, from low to high or introduce a series of room types and services at the same time.