Department of Education

Region VIII
Schools Division of Borongan City
EASTERN SAMAR NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE HIGHSCHOOL
Alang-alang, Borongan City 6800

LEARNER’S ACTIVITY SHEET

TOURISM 11 – FRONT OFFICE SERVICES
Q1 – Week 7

LESSON 3. PROVIDE ACCOMODATION

RECEPTION SERVICES (PR)

LESSON 3.3 GENERATE AND CHECK GUEST ACCOUNTS FOR

ACCURACY
Guest accounting is the term used to track debits and credits within the front office.
The guest ledger tracks accounting activity within the hotel before and during a guest or
group stay.
OBJECTIVES:
After completing this activity sheet, you are expected to:
1. Explain and process guest accounts clearly, courteously, and accurately to the guest.
2. Recover and process keys/electronic cards from guests.
3. Act upon the guest’s requests for assistance courteously or refer to the appropriate
department for follow-up.
4. Process express checkouts.
5. Follow group checkout procedures.

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EXPLAIN AND PROCESS GUEST ACCOUNTS CLEARLY, COURTEOUSLY,
AND ACCURATELY

The Guest Accounts

In hotel business, accounting is managing expenses

and revenue. It provides a clear information to the guests
thereby avoiding any unpleasant surprises to the guest. There
is a standard accounting and systematic process with which
the hotel front office services staff, identifies, records,
classifies, verifies, summarizes, and communicate it to the
guest.
This is a way of handling transactions between the
guests and the hotel accurately, in order not to give some confusions and unpleasant
surprises to the guest.
The Front Office Staff must explain to the guest what a guest account mean. A guest
account is the record of financial transactions between the guests and the hotel. It is
created at the time of reservation or registration. It should be well maintained by the front
office completely and confidentially for it records all financial transactions from check-in till
check-out. It is compiled on a daily basis.
Some hotels allow the managers to entertain the guests queries or complains, or
comments as well as a good conversation that will possibly lead to a business deal.

Guest account is the master bill in the hotel which is also known as Guest Account Card.

TECHNICAL TERMS

 Day rate – rate usually less than the rack rate that is charged for guests who
wants to use the hotel room on the standard time.
 Hotel – establishment providing accommodation, meals and other services for
guests.
 Minibar – small refrigerator in a hotel guest room that has snacks and beverages
inside that guest may avail with a corresponding charge or fee.
 Room amenities – hotel items that are offered for free for the guest while using
the room.

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 ACTIVITY 3.3.1

Direction: Classify the following Guest account details according to their usage. Tell
whether a guest account of hotel account. Write your answers on your paper.
____________1. Accept reservations
____________2. Prepare guest statement
____________3. Document guest’s transactions
____________4. Record guest’s personal data of future references
____________5. Supervise credit levels

RECOVER AND PROCESS KEYS/ELECTRONIC CARDS FROM GUESTS

Recover the Room Key

It is the sole responsibility and duty of the front office
staff to ensure the right guest is given the key/electric card to
his/her room and his safety and security pertaining to issuance
of key. Front office staff should not give keys, room numbers,
messages, parcels or mails to any other person without first
requiring proper identification.
The purpose for this is for the guest to be protected from any
unpleasant events that may happen. The front office obtains three kinds of keys for one
room, these are, room key, spare/emergency key, and master key.
Whenever the guest request for the room key, ask first the guest’s last name and
room number, then cross check the information given against the system records/property
management system. In the event that there is mismatch of the details given, ask the guest
for any valid identification proof like passport, driver’s license, and or any government
issued ID cards.
Front office staff is cautioned to never give any room keys without proper
verification and authentication of the guest’s identity.
Keys must never be issued to person’s claiming to have the guest’s permission to
enter the room unless the guest has personally given his/her verbal or written authorization
to the front office team.

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Handling Guest Room Keys
There are certain instances that guests will not leave their guestroom key at the
front office whenever they go out to the city while staying. The front office must see to it
that whenever there are guest going out they should leave the key at the front desk.
When the keys are given to guest the room number should not be spoken aloud, or
vice versa if the guest will give the room key/number to the front desk officer. The guest
should be explained about his safety during his/her stay at the hotel while he/she has the
hold of the guestroom key.
During the check-out, the guest should be asked for their room keys to be returned
at the front desk before leaving the hotel premise.

ACTIVITY 3.3.2

Direction: Assuming you are the front desk staff; how will you recover the room key
from a guest who doesn’t leave the key at the front desk whenever he goes out of the hotel
premise? How will you ask the guest? (Please write your answer on your paper)
Your answer:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

ACT UPON THE GUEST’S REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE COURTEOUSLY

OR REFER TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT FOR FOLLOW-UP

Guest Assistance
“People will forget what you said, forget what you did, but people will never forget
how you made them feel” – Jack Trager
Most of the time the guest contacts the front office
or the other department of the hotel like Housekeeping
department, or the Food and Beverage department for any
assistance that they would need during their stay.

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 All guest requests then get forwarded to the concerned department who is in charge
to cater to the need of the guest. There are types of guest requests and queries.
Types of Guest Requests and Queries:
Guest requests that are received at the Front desk can be broadly categorized as
follows:
 Request for other departments – the front desk makes a note of the same and
forwards the request to the concerned department, like, housekeeping for the
laundry and pressing, food and beverage for food/room service.

 Requests for front office – all request whether received directly at the front desk or
directed from other departments are directly from the order in the front desk. So
there is certain communication procedure as to the contacts of these departments
and the front desk.
The requests from guests may be to front office or other departments. In order to
make the guest stay comfortable and enjoyable, all request that are made by the guest
should be handled to their satisfaction. This not only makes the guests stay pleasant but
also ensures that the guests come back to stay with you at the hotel again for a repeat
business.

ACTIVITY 3.3.3

Directions: Tell whether what department (Housekeeping, Food and Beverages,

Front Office, Maintenance, Restaurant) you are going to ask assistance if the guest is
requesting this particular assistance.
________________1. Pressing of clothes
________________2. Breakfast to be delivered in room
________________3. Follow-up the check-out confirmation
________________4. Payment of bills
________________5. The guest will surprise his company for a birthday

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 ACTIVITY 3.3.4

Directions: Give your personal understanding with the quote:

“People will forget what you said, forget what you did, but people will never forget how you
made them feel” – Jack Trager
Criteria in ESSAY WRITING

Answers of the learners will be rated based on the following criteria:

Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
Excellent Very Satisfactory Moderately Good
satisfactory Satisfactory
Content/Thought
Organization
Grammar and
spelling
Originality

PROCESS EXPRESS CHECK-OUTS

Express Check-out
An Express Checkout means that when
departing the guest doesn’t need to wait at reception
but instead they just simply hand over the express
check-out form at reception and the business will
charge immediately to their credit card or send the
statement of account to the company for payment.
This is usually because the hotel and the client had a
memorandum of agreement as their
corporate/company account accreditation.
Most hotels are now using the Express Checkout service that allows customers to
check out of their rooms and return the keys, without having to wait for their final bill to be
acquired at the front desk. This is convenient to both parties, the guest and the hotel staff at
all times because it will lessen the waiting time especially when the front desk staff are so
pressed with guests checking in and out of the hotels at the same time.
Express Checkout is an incredibly consumer-friendly program and you should take
advantage of it to help make your guests’ stay at your hotel as pleasant as it can be because
the service offers convenience to hotel employees as well, as it allows them to choose the
best time to finalize the bill.
There are some advantages of processing express checkouts:

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  Saves your guests time when there are long queues at the front desk.
 If the guest is in a hurry to catch a plane it will help to avoid delay.
 If there is no one available at the front desk, your guests can simply drop in their
keys and leave.

HOW TO PROCESS THE EXPRESS CHECKOUT

 At check-in, ask your guest if they would like you to use the Express Checkout Service
or include the form in your welcome package because not everyone will agree to use
the express checkout.
 Let the guest agree first before filling out and sign the form.
 Explain to the guest the content and spell out the authorization form that the final
bill will be charged.
 Request a pre-authorization approval for the expected amount of the bill, if it is
declined ask your customer for alternative form of payment.
 Once you already obtained an authorization approval from the guest, print it out, let
the guest sign it, then write in bold letters the “EXPRESS CHECKOUT” “PRIORITY
CHECKOUT”, and once again explain that the bill will be charged on the account of
the guest after the customer checks out.
 Keep copies of the bill, and the authorization form for at least 18 months to be used
in the event of any dispute.

ACTIVITY 3.3.5

Directions: Enumerate and explain in your own words the process of handling
express checkout guests. Please write your answers on your paper.

Answers of the learners will be rated based on the following criteria:

Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
Excellent Very Satisfactory Moderately Good
satisfactory Satisfactory
Content/Thought
Organization
Grammar and
spelling
Originality

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 FOLLOW GROUP CHECK OUT PROCEDURES
In checking out group guest, a front desk staff should make sure that there is a team
leader in the certain group that will take charge of the group. It is common for a security
deposit of a group guest for the reason that the hotel will not count off one by one the
person of the entire group. However, there must be a leader that will oversee that overall
group as one.
Here are some steps to process group check-outs:
 Prepare and process the master account. The
Master Account (or Master Folio as it is also
known) is a list of the group’s identical charges
to be settled by the tour leader on check-out.
Identical charges can include accommodation,
breakfast and any other charges that were
standard across the entire group.
 Most groups will have a direct billing arrangement established, and the property may
have even required a large group booking to pre-pay (or at least forward a significant
deposit to secure) their booking.
 Where member of the groups has incurred additional charges (that is, they have
bought items that were not covered as part of their “package” such as laundry or bar
charges, an individual account would be created called extra account. The individual
guest will pay the extra charges.
 The group leader will collect the keys/cards and present them to the reception.
 Handle the group’s luggage, the porter will count all the pieces of the luggage and
make note on the group record, and deliver the luggage to the transport vehicle
following the instructions of the tour group coordinator.
 If group baggage is to be stored for any length of time netting or roping bags
together to avoid confusion with other groups’ bags is a security precaution that may
be used. This ensures all baggage is together to help avoid loss or theft.

ACTIVITY 3.3.6

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 Directions: Enumerate and explain in your own words the process of handling group
checkout procedures. Write your answers in your paper.

Answers of the learners will be rated based on the following criteria:

Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
Excellent Very Satisfactory Moderately Good
satisfactory Satisfactory
Content/Thought
Organization
Grammar and
spelling
Originality

LESSON 3.4 PREPARE FRONT OFFICE RECORDS AND REPORTS

OBJECTIVES:
After completing this activity sheet, you are expected to:
1. Prepare and update front office records within designated timelines.
2. Follow establishment policies with regard to room changes, no-shows, extension, and
early departure
3. Distribute reports and records to the appropriate departments within designated
timelines.

FRONT OFFICE RECORDS AND REPORTS

Guest account is an important part of the guest stay/guest cycle. The right time and
accuracy are the two most important points in relations to the guest account.
It is the responsibility of the front desk to
prepare and update front office records within the
designated timelines. The timelines will vary on the
levels of trade and the type of record. Accuracy and
timelines are the best aspect of this job. Some front
office records may be required to be updated at
specific times each day, while other records will need
to be updated as you become aware of the
information.
If the guest has made a booking to arrive on a certain day but later calls to change
the booked date to another day, the hotel will have to change and update all the records to
reflect the changes in order for the availability of the rooms and revised dates will be
checked before the alteration was accepted.

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 Changes of the records may include:

 Updating the room availability

 Updating room allocation sheets
 Updating the bookings diary
All house policies and procedures must be followed to accurately reflect the revised
position of guests in the hotel. This may mean adjusting of forms of records such as, altering
the room numbers, updating the room rate, amending room type, modifying departure
dates, updating room availability, update the legitimate charges.

FOLLOW ESTABLISHMENT POLICIES WITH REGARDS TO ROOM CHARGES, NO-

SHOWS, EXTENSIONS, AND EARLY DEPARTURE
Hospitality industry strives to provide guests with an exceptionally clean, safe,
friendly and satisfying experience. There are certain policies or house rules that have been
already established by the hotels, resorts, etc. which is based on their standards and
management operational procedures.
Guaranteed reservations. Credit cards will be best guarantee to this kind of
reservation.
Early check-in/pre-registration is offered based on availability. Usually hotels have
the check-in time at 2:00 in the afternoon and have the check-out time the following day at
12:00 noon, but there are times that the check in can be made earlier for the reason that
there are available rooms to be offered and vacant ready for occupancy for the early check
in guests.

DISTRIBUTE REPORTS AND RECORDS TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS

WITHIN DESIGNATED TIMELINES
Front office communication is best used in the distribution of reports and records to
the appropriate departments within designated timelines. The front office staff needs to
communicate with other appropriate departments as soon as the transactions has been
made. This is the process of internal communication that should always be practiced by the
hotel staff to have a uniform and accurate business goal at all times.
Whenever the front office communicated with the potential customers outside the
hotel, corporate offices and other ancillary service providers, then it is an external
communication.
A guest account should be timely reported to the accounting department for the
reason that this department also have their own report reproduction. Front office
department is always responsible for communicating with all other departments in the hotel
as well as different sections within the department. This is to get the front office and back

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office jobs done successfully, the front office staff member need a constant communication
with each other or their colleagues as well as to their rank and files.
In the other departments, the staff of front office communicates with the other
office to provide the best possible services of their guest cycle. The interdepartmental
communication should be strictly followed and should interact with each other every now
and then. Various departments are also essential when the guest inquire about guest cycle.
Here are some of the departments that the front office needs to communicate with:

 Human resource department

 Accounting department
 Food and beverage department
 Sales and marketing department
 Housekeeping department
 Banquet restaurant department
 Maintenance department
 Amusement park department
Reception staff should ensure every guest receives a welcoming and professional greeting
when arriving at the establishment. Remember that reception can be the first face-to-face
contact with the guest and this meeting can therefore have a lasting effect on the guest.

 Once you have greeted the guest, you must next confirm the details of their
reservation if they have one. Not every guest who wishes to check-in to an
establishment has previously made are reservation.
 A ‘walk-in’ is a guest who walks in through the door seeking accommodation for the
night without having made a reservation.
 In some cases, even if you have rooms available, you might have to decline a guest’s
request for accommodation because they are unfit to be in your hotel or they don’t
agree with the establishment’s policies and procedures.
 All guests in an accommodation property are required by law to register. This
usually takes the form of completing a ‘registration card’, a document that must be
filled in and signed by the guest to obtain a room.
 Once a guest has registered and you have given them information about your
property, they will need to know their room number and obtain key access for their
room. Some properties use keys, while some have electronic key card.
 Once the details about the guest’s reservation have been checked and confirmed
with the guest and the registration form has been completed, reception staff
confirm the accounting process before they arrange for the guest to be escorted to
their room.
 All international hotels will have porters stationed at the Concierge or Bell Desk in
the hotel lobby. Once the guest has checked into the hotel a porter makes him or
herself available to assist the guest to their room.
 There may be times when the reception staff experience a problem while checking
in a guest. It is important when dealing with problem situations that all possible

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 action is taken to maintain service standards even where rooms may not be
available.
 Throughout all shifts, reception staff must monitor guest movement through
reception. The key is to monitor actual arrivals and check actual arrivals against
expected arrivals. This is important to gain an appreciation of when action needs to
be taken to optimize room sales. Always remember that whatever other functions
reception has, it is still necessary to sell all your rooms.

ACTIVITY 3.4.1

Directions: Below are the different departments in the hotel, write down in your own
words, what sample reports that a front office may usually encounter and will submit to
these departments.
1. Human resource department _____________________________________________
2. Accounting department _________________________________________________
3. Food and beverage department ___________________________________________
4. Sales and marketing department __________________________________________
5. Housekeeping department _______________________________________________
6. Banquet restaurant department
___________________________________________
7. Maintenance department ________________________________________________
8. Amusement park department
_____________________________________________

Answers of the learners will be rated based on the following criteria:

Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
Excellent Very Satisfactory Moderately Good
satisfactory Satisfactory
Content/Thought
Organization
Grammar and
spelling
Originality

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