CHAPTER 5

Provide Room Service

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session, the students should be able to know: How to take and process room
service orders:

How to prepare for room service;

How to provide room service:
How to present room service accounts; and How to clear room service.

Room Service is a personalized service that is offered by hotels which gives the guests a
distinctive and unique chance to order and enjoy their food while staying inside their availed
room wherein convenience and privacy are guaranteed. A lot of hotel companies are making a
major amount of profit out of room service.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Room Service - The service of food and beverage items in Guests rooms by designated room
service waiter. Also called In room dining.

Menu - A range of food items offered for service usually written and including prices.

Complimentary Items - served without charge.

Amenities - Items supplied by the venue for the guest's consumption such as

pens, notepads, matches etc. Supplies - Items supplied by the venue for the guests use while
occupying the

room for example bathrobes, drinking glasses, cups and saucers

Mini Bar - Beverage and snack food items set up within a guest room for their use on a pay as
consumed basis.

Compendium - Handbook or folder hard copy or electronic which contains information about the
venue including the Room service Menu.
Concierge - Supervisor of guest services.in charge of porters and responsible for a wide range

5.for meetings,

Guest Folio or Account - A record of all financial transactions between the Guest and the venue
during the guests stay. Guest Profile- A record of the guests personal details including food
preferences

and allergies.

Honour System - A system of relying on the Guest to record consumption of chargeable items in
their room including Mini Bar, to be added to their room account.

Housekeeping - The department that is responsible for the cleanliness of a Guest room during
their stay.

Porter - Responsible for luggage management, Valet parking and Guest

services such as visitor information.

Package - Room rate plus several services at one price. E.g. bed and breakfast with car parking.

Public Areas - Those areas in a Hotel or resort where the general public have

access, such as Bars & Restaurants.

Passer by - A feature is primarily used to handle transactions for non-guests or

transactions a guest doesn't want on his room account.

Suite A-room with separate living and sleeping areas.

Suggestive Selling - The selling of products or services by suggesting alternatives in a way that
creates desire highlighting special features, benefits and value.

Point-Of-Sale - A cash register which records a financial transaction on a guest folio at the time of
consumption.

SPATT - Special attention Guests.

VIPS - Guests who are Very Important Persons.

Condiments - Items such as sauces, mustards and other seasonings or side

dishes which are served as an accompaniment to a dish. Hot Box - A small pre-heated insulated
box that fits under a trolley or at the base of a multi tray trolley to keep hot food hot.

LESSON 1: TAKE AND PROCESS ROOM SERVICE ORDERS

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session, the students should be able to: > Know the procedure in room service
orders;

Know how to use the suggestive selling; and

> Know the basic items needed in room service.

Identify the Range Of Room Service Products That Are

Available Within The Enterprise

Hotel room service delivers to customers food and beverage service in the privacy of their own
room. Room service is a feature in establishments that offer lodging and accommodation.

Different establishments including Resorts, Hotels, from 5 or 6 stars to 1 star, Motorist Hotels or
Villas and residential clubs offer different types of room service ranging from a full compendium
Menu with 24-hour service to Breakfast only served in the room and ordered by door knob
menu. Some enterprises will have a separate Room service kitchen and production area in others
it may be part of the Restaurant operation itself.

Types of Room Service

Breakfast is probably the most important and the busiest time for customers generally ordering
via a doorknob menu. Their orders may be collected by a variety of room service staff, Porters
escorting other Customers to their rooms, security staff doing their rounds or housekeeping
doing turn down services, or can be delivered to reception by the customer. Customers may also
choose to call over the telephone and order at any time of the day. Being in room service
requires that you have an exceptional or above basic knowledge of the property, individual room
layouts and room locations, the establishment room numbering sequence as well as a good
working relationship with the housekeeping and front office departments. Room service
responsibilities include rendering complimentary items, customer specials or freebies and other
features to rooms. These may be freebies from the hotel operations management to valued
customers - VIPs, regular or special customers, as part of a package deal or for such functions as
cocktail parties, meetings, dinners, etc. Room service also service "day use" or "courtesy" rooms
which are used for conference or meetings or even small gatherings or for people whose room is
not available due to the customer's early arrival. Room service provide food and beverage service
in the public areas of the hotel such as the poolside or lounge area and arrange packed lunches
or picnics for customers who are going out for the day. being

Mini-bars are maintained by either the room service or housekeeping departments, often as a
separate area within the establishment. A mini-bar is the self-service bar fridge in each room, it
contains bottles of spirits and liqueurs as well as wine, beer, soda and, increasingly, snacks and
food items such as chocolate bars, biscuits, chips, etc. Tall bars containing full-sized bottle of
different drinks may also be requested by customers. Many Hotels have changed their mini bars
to automated direct charge systems. Mini-bars can be monitored by an automatic system which
records items removed from the storage position adding the item cost to the customer account
automatically.

The Honour system, which asks customers to complete a purchase docket

mini-bars are checked daily to record consumption or removed items and stock quality and are
refreshed to normal level, with consumption charged daily to the customer account. At check-
out, customers are asked to declare any consumption since the last refill. There will sometimes
be situations where a customer is not honest or they forget their use of the mini-bar: this leaves
the room service manager with the choice of putting through a "late charge" or writing off the
loss. In most operations, ma nagement set a amount and any charges below that amount are
written off as it is deemed nominal too expensive to chase them up, and it may also lead to
negative customer relations.
Room Service prices may differ depending on the products ordered because of the labor intensity
of a room service operation. The room service department is a highly service orientated area and
not generally profitable compared to the general food and beverage operations itself. The
doorknob menu or menu for room service has distinctively high prices compared with the
establishments other food and beverage offers customer often believes they are actually over
charged in room service and may result to complaints. When you consider the time to deliver a
glass of juice from the bar to a in a restaurant and compare it with a standard room service
delivery, one waiter could take 10 min to deliver one glass of orange juice in room service tabl e
compared with 3 min in the restaurant situation. The glass of juice served as part of a full meal
order may be priced differently again. Room service may not be a consistently profitable service,
but to maintain quality standards and star rating levels room service has to provide a range of
food at all times to suit all customers meal needs.

Take Guest Order for Room Service

Customers may have a few options to place a room service order - Intranet within their room,
completing a door knob menu or using the telephone. The telephone is the most common
method. The precise telephone procedure used to take room service orders can vary from
establishment to establishment. This is because some enterprise may operate a room service
department staffed by room service attendants at all times. In establishments where the demand
for room service is not very high, a restaurant waiter may be required to take and process room
service orders.

In cases where there is a room service department, the room service orders may come via a
telephone or in house intranet order, which may or may not feature a room identification feature.
When answering this type of telephone the greeting could be similar to the following:
"Good morning, Room Service, Nica speaking, may I have your room number, please? Or

"Good afternoon, River Hotel Room Service, Nica speaking, how may I help You?

In cases where waiters may take and process room service orders, waiters may directly deliver
the order to the room. When answering a telephone that is connected to the main restaurant
operations, and not only used for doorknob menu orders, the waiter may use a type of greeting
that is similar to one of the following:

"Good evening, Spiral Restaurant, Jackie speaking." Or

"Good morning, Spiral Restaurant, how may I help you?" Whatever the greeting, it must be in
accordance with the following guidelines

Always answer the telephone immediately on the 2nd or 3rd ring. Introduce yourself and the
department you are in. Always be respectful and warm. Customers may be tired or hesitant of
the procedure. Always answer the telephone in accordance with standard policies. Your superior
will always be happy to help. Always use the standard greeting, being consistent with other
colleagues and in line with the establishment procedures. Make sure to smile when speaking, as
a smile can be heard in the voice. As soon as you have given the most proper and cheerful
telephone greeting, you should ask for the customer's name and his or her room number.

This information will be either written in the docket or punched in the cash register. From the
moment you receive the customer's name, you should use it as much as possible during the
conversation.

Examples:

"Yes, we do, Ms. Zita The chef makes a wonderful noodle soup."
"Please hold the line, Mr. Rojo. I'll just check with the chef to see if the Seafood dish can be
served without the sauce." "Can I just confirm your order, Mr. Lin? That will be three dozen
natural oysters, three serves of pork ribs and you will be calling back later with a dessert order, if
required."

By using the customer's name, you provide personalized service. Be guided by establishment
policy and procedure about the use of titles and first names of customers. Customers like to be
known, though not all on a first name basis so it's best to keep the conversation on a "Mr", "Ms"
or "Mrs" level, until the customer has become a regular and it would be deemed appropriate to
speak on a first name basis (or until they specifically requested). It is common in Four- and five-
star establishments to maintain a formal approach, always use a title and surname.

Use Selling Techniques to Optimize Room Service Sales

When talking with the customer, Room Service personnel may need to advise and to assist the
customer in making their order, taking by suggesting or upselling or explaining menu items. This
is called "suggestive selling" and is a practice that can be applied in bars, in the dining room, and
at the front office. Some examples of suggestive selling in room service include:

"Would you like a serve of potato chips with your steak, Mrs. Perez?" "Mrs.Perez, can I
recommend the seafood chowder. It's a delicious blend of flavors and is served with hot crispy
herb bread would you like to try it as a starter?"

"Would you like to select a wine to go with the meal?" "May I suggest a serving of fresh bread
and dips our Chef mixes his own selection of dips daily?" "All the desserts are delicious, especially
the lemon tart that was baked this afternoon and is served hot with a crystallized lemon slice."

Always remember that suggestive selling is only a technique used to inform the customer of the
various items on the menu that, the customer may have forgotten to select or is unaware of the
product availability or maybe is just unsure of ingredients or taste and even appearance.
Suggestive selling works well when the personnel have a complete information of menu
probabilities. This should include specific information such as which food would suit a diabetic or
vegan, and whether the hotel offers Halal or other variations to meet special needs.help

When suggestive selling is overused, it may make the customer feel uncomfortable because they
are turning down your suggestions constantly -so be sensitive when applying suggestive selling
techniques. Example of overusing suggestive selling can be seen in the following dialogue.

"Yes, Mr. Tan would you like a side of fried spinach with that?" she asked "No, thank you," he
answered "Then would you like an extra vegan special?" "No," he replied angrily "Garlic bread,
herb bread or rice cakes?"

"No! I just want the steak and salad!" he said loudly "OK but our devil's chocolate is great. What
about one of those?"
"No," he replied, his voice now very grumpy. "Well would you like to place your breakfast room
order now?" Mr. Tan Hung up at that instant. As you would agree, this personnel has taken
suggestive selling just a bit too far now, In fact, the customer is really annoyed, which is exactly
the opposite of what is intended. Finally, it is a dangerous practice to try suggestive selling
techniques when you don't have full and total product knowledge: you can easily get caught out
when the customer asks a question you can't answer.

Confirm Guest Order for Room Service and Advice of Expected

Service Time

Once the order has been taken from the customer, you must verify the details of the order. To do
this, repeat the order back to the customer to check for accuracy, and amend where necessary,
room service orders are frequently placed over the phone or by text and there is no actual face-
to- face interaction, which can lead to confusion, misunderstanding and conflicts. In some cases
the customer may be tired and emotional and this may affect their speech. In other cases the
customer may not be from an English speaking country and they may have basic language
problems. The delivery of meals/ beverages that are not ordered (or as intended to be ordered)
will cause delay: when the wrong thing is delivered to the customer room and has to be returned
and the order re-done. It will also cause negative PR. In addition, there is the loss of time and
profit caused by supplying the wrong dish and having to discard it.

When taking a room service order you must never be afraid to ask questions. These questions
will help to verify orders, special requests and delivery requirements. When verifying details
check the customers' name and spelling and the room number this may be visible on a screen
when you answer the request. As the customer who is registered in the room is responsible for
any charges, it's important to confirm the order has the consent of the registered Customer if the
name given is different.
Also Check:

The time the room service is required. The number of customers being served whether the room
service being requested is for service in the customer's room or elsewhere; poolside or lounge
area. The order may be required for takeaway such as a picnic basket, or packed sandwiches.

Check the Following Food Order Requirements:

Does the customer require fruits or vegetables? How would the lamb to be cooked? Crepe or
crème brule with the dessert? Annunciate clearly, some words may be unclear, mispronounced.

Ask the customer to repeat if words are indistinct for example:

"Was that Salad or Salsa?" "Do you want the steak rare or medium-rare?"
It is possible to ring a room back to verify information of the order taken, but doing so may
distract the customer and inconvenience them, or delay the production of the order. Be guided
by a superior or the standards and procedures of the establishment. Timing of the delivery is
affected by the cooking and assembly time of the order, the distance to the room or service area
and the time of day/night. Breakfasts are busy times with lifts and corridors shared with
Housekeeping staff and personnel. Most areas will have a guide for timing to check how long.
Timing may also affect a customer's option of food items. A customer may need to change
currency to allow the customer to compare value. As in a restaurant there may be daily specials
or weekly menu these too Room Service staff need good product knowledge and know what
changes can be made to a dish. Can it be served without a sauce? Can the customer have a
different selection of vegetables or salad?

Record Room Service Order

Room Service orders are usually recorded in conjunction with a discussion with the Customer.
The order may be taken down either by hand or recorded automatically. A room service order has
to record any additional needed such as table napkin or runners if there is a table or sweet sauce
to serve with the French fries. It will be a need to also record information to enable appropriate
assembly, extra crockery or silverware if a customer orders a' large platter to share. A Room
Service Order form needs to include:

Current Date and Docket Number, to allow this, it may be needed to add a date of delivery if it's
not the current date Name of the registered Customer and the name of the customer ordering if
they are different and Room number Time the order is taken and by whom Estimated time of
delivery to the customer location of delivery. Is the customer in his room in the poolside? Special
Requests including extra sauces or condiments requested what food items were ordered and
standard requirements any extra items such as cream and icecream with a fruit pie, whoever
took the order, there is a need to verify it.

Sometimes the order for room service will come via a door knob docket. These dockets are
generally used for breakfast menus and they are collected the night before from the rooms of
each floor. There is generally a cut off time for the evening collection of door knob dockets. Once
collected, the orders should be collated and transferred from the door knob docket and
processed as if the order had come via the telephone. The docket should then be transferred to
the appropriate location for preparation, which may take place the following morning if the
docket was checked and processed the evening before. Door knob dockets are stored in order of
delivery request time, from the earliest to the latest, and divided into groups, for example
Continental or fully cooked.

Action the Room Service Order According To Enterprise Procedures

Many hospitality businesses operate an electronic room service order- taking system where
information is fed into a cash register and a docket is then printed up: at the same time the order
is taken and automatically delivered to or printed out in the kitchen. Other establishments will
use a manual system. This generally includes of a docket being taken down by hand and then
transferred to the kitchen in the same way as a manual food order docket is processed from the
dining area or restaurant. Once taken, the orders should be immediately transferred to the
appropriate locations: this location may be the wine store or service bar, a server or food storage
area in room service, the kitchen, the Bistro or Café, the bar or beverage dispense or a retailed
outlet within the complex.

Room service orders will involve details to other departments. Newspapers requests with
breakfast may need to be forwarded to Concierge or the retail outlet who supplies them. Flowers
will be supplied and may be stored in a central area for bud vases placed on trays. Beverage
requests will be supplied by a Bar or liquor store. Some bars also dispense espresso coffee or milk
shakes and smoothies, these same areas may supply equipment for the customer to prepare
drinks for themselves such as a Nespresso or tea plunger.

Food orders will be divided between the various Kitchen areas, entrees and salads will come from
Cold larder section, Main courses and hot food from the Main Kitchen and the desserts and
snacks may come from a separate patisserie area. In some establishments there may be a
separate Room service Kitchen and Items cooked to order. Housekeeping and laundry will need to
appropriate linen for trays and trolleys, including extra serviettes for lining bread baskets etc.
Certain aspects of orders will go to specialist food areas, such as chocolates or dietary needs for
customers who are diabetic, Celiac or have allergies.

The sales and marketing area may also have promotional tray cards to be placed with Room
Service deliveries, this may include special deals fo corporate or club members. Finally Room
Service staff may need to coordinate a delivery with a Butler or Valet and may be required to
assist with service.

PREPARE FOR ROOM SERVICE

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Prepare Basic Food and Beverage Items for Room Service

For the room service area to function successfully, the area must be se up and equipped with the
necessary food and beverage items required of requested for all meal periods. Room Service
needs to serve a variety of food items to meet customer's needs some items will require room
Service staff to prepare such as cutting fruit, slicing meat for example ham or salmon. Room
Service staff will require knife skills and basic cooking and food arrangement skills.

Portion pack items are used to save wastage and costs. Portion packs or control packaged items
are foods or beverages pre-packaged in pre-set amounts considered to be a single portion.

Some of those items may include:

1. Jams and breakfast spreads. 2. Dairy products - butter, milk and cream.

3. Sauces and dressings.

4. Boxed breakfast cereals such as Coco pops or Cornflakes.

5. Cold stewed or cooked fruit compote. 6. Salt and pepper sachets, instant coffee, chocolate and
tea sachets.

7. Sliced bread, bread rolls or pastries, packaged sweet or dry biscuits.

8. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages - wine, beer, juices, mixed drinks, dairy products such as
long life milk.

In order to be effective in room service staff should spend some time familiarizing themselves
with the items that are available, and how they are packed and presented. Staff need to
understand the normal use. Are they breakfast items or are they served at other meal times or
with specific dishes?

Check with colleagues or management to find out where replacement stocks are kept, and who is
responsible for the re-order of stock. Room service staff needs to read the policies and
procedures for the order and supply of al Items Room service uses.

LESSON 2: SET UP TRAYS, TROLLEYS AND EQUIPMENT FOR

ROOM SERVICE
OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session, the students should be able to know.

Identify the room service equipment and supplies:

> Know how trays and trolleys are set up; and

> Learn how to collect the food and beverages items for room service delivery.

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Room Service Staff will have some trays or trolleys set up with basic settings in preparation for
service, just as a restaurant area will have places set up in preparation of customers and will
change the setting to suit the customer's order.

There are often drawings or photos of the various meal setups. The common meal setups are
breakfast, main course and snack. Room service staff will customize the setup to match the order.
Generally Room Service will duplicate the same crockery, cutlery, glassware and condiments as a
restaurant setting, depending on the order. The set up may also include a vase or floral
decoration and tray cards. Tray cards are used to give information to customers about pick up of
dirty dishes and to promote events or specials.

When selecting the equipment for setting room service trays and trolleys always check the
equipment is appropriate for the order, clean and not damaged.

For example do not use plates that are chipped, glasses with cracks, or items with loose handles
etc. Always check all items are clean and what needed polishing. If items appear unclean, they
should be changed. If the items are damaged, they should be sent for repair or disposed of as
unsafe. The next step to take will depend on the actual problem, and the policies and procedures
for example. If a piece of crockery is found to be chipped or cracked it should be wrapped up in
newspaper and disposed of. If a piece of glassware is found to be dirty, it should be returned to
the bar for cleaning. If a toaster is found to have a frayed cord, it should be immediately removed
from service and taken to the appropriate maintenance point. The toaster should also be labelled
that it is "Out of Order" and not to be used. There may be documentation to complete if items
have to be sent to a maintenance department or to an outside contractor.

Set up Trays and Trolleys for a Range of Various Meals

The exact procedure to take when setting up trays can vary according to the type and extent of
the order being prepared. Some equipment may be stored in suites or Butler's pantry for
example toaster, crockery etc. these items can be collected separately by service staff.

The equipment found on individual trays should, of course, exactly match the needs of the
particular order. If an order is delivered that is missing a certain item it is time consuming,
embarrassing and inconvenient, as room service staff have some distance to travel to replace the
missing item. Various pieces of equipment are used in the room service area and room service
staff may be required to clean and prepare equipment for service this equipment may include.

Trolleys and hot boxes, tray trolleys and refrigerated trolleys.

1. Food trays of different sizes and structure like trays with feet for breakfast

Use 2. Tray covers generally a linen cloth or paper cloth (non-slip type) table linen for trolleys,
and serviettes

3. Cutlery entrée and main knives and forks, soup and dessert spoons, teaspoons specialist items
such as steak knives or service tongs

4. Crockery - various plates, bowls and jugs, cups and saucers

5. Glassware - for juices, water, beer, wine and champagne

6. Tea and coffee pots, hot water pots, coffee and tea making equipment 7. Plate warmer/
cloches or plate covers

8. Salt and pepper shakers

9. Bud vases, toasters, bread baskets, ice buckets, newspaper holders 10. Pen and order forms
(always have two pens) also copies of menus and beverage listings and tray cards
. Other equipment including items of fixed equipment for example, wine coolers, espresso coffee
machines, multi slice toasters, microwave ovens, hot water urns, ice machine, refrigerators and
small portable equipment such as pizza ovens, coffee makers and toasters.

Ensure all Room Service equipment is not damaged, unclean or unsafe. There are several
different types of trolleys used.
A tray trolley will generally have three levels and will be able to accommodate up to six trays.
Multiple trolleys can carry up to 20 or 30 trays. Orders should be placed on the trolley so that the
last one off is positioned on the lowest level. The orders to be first off should be placed on the
top level. Some hotel procedures say that the room service meals should be distributed from the
highest floor down. This means that room 801's order would be placed on the top level of the
trolley, room 525"'s order would be in the middle level, and room 302's order would be placed on
the lowest level. However, other hotel procedures say that the room service meals should be
distributed from the lowest floor up. Standard lay-up photos are often used in the back-of-house
to ensure consistency in tray and trolley set up.

Example of a continental breakfast tray

Flower vase
Spreads
Butter

Trays can be set up for 1 to 4 people, depending on the order type and the safety and balance of
items.

It is generally safe to stack two plates on top of each other, as the top of most plate
warmers/covers have been designed for such purposes. However, it would be unwise to stack
meals three high and overload the tray, and risk over-balancing the stack. In addition this could
pose a health and safety risk and should therefore be avoided simply for this reason.

Excluding the food and beverage items, the following equipment could quite possibly be needed
to set up and prepare the following types of shift trays. Individual trolleys are used when there is
a full meal or multiple guests. It may be the guest will sit at the trolley as a table.

A Room Service Trolley will be collapsible to permit easy storage and will open up to replicate a
table situation in the Guests room. Trolleys have capacity for a heated box to ensure hot food
stays. Hot may require some assembly.

Collect Food and Beverage Items from Kitchen and Bars For
Room Service Delivery
Room service may have its own production kitchen or share with a Restaurant or other dining
area, there may be a chef solely allocated to room service orders or staff may have to take its turn
with Restaurant staff. When collecting an order check you have your order form to confirm the
order, it may be you who take the order and deliver the order or someone else. This can be
advisable as the person who serves the order is the one the guest spoke to: this can help where
there is confusion over the order or a dispute arises. In other instances, especially during high
load times, it can be another person who delivers the food, etc.

Room Service Staff may have to comply with a priority waiting for order collection this may
consider the status of the Guest and the complexity of the dish.

Verify Food and Beverage Items Prior To Delivery to Room

Regardless of who actually delivers the food and drinks, someone will have to pick up the order.
When they do this, they MUST check the items on the tray against the order that has been put in.
It is unlikely that a deliberate error has been made, but human error can occur, and it is too late
to realize this mistake when you are upstairs and in the customer's room. Much of the food
plated for room service will have a cover over it and it is part of your job to remove that cover
and visually check the dish to ensure it is what was ordered.

In addition, your check should ensure:

1. Special requests have been complied with - if "no chili" was part of the order, check to see it
has been done. Vegetables have been served where ordered, and not salted or sauced. Cold
items are separate from hot and dressings are in separate containers. Also check that the bread
rolls and the butter are there and that all the courses are present.

2. Visual check of the dishes do they look presentable? - no sauce/spatter marks on the plates, no
cracked crockery, hot dishes are hot, cold dishes are cold, and frozen dishes are frozen and
appropriate garnishes have be added or are accompanying the item to be added on delivery such
as lettuce served with San Choy Bau or the Vietnamese mint and coriander served with Pho.
3. Where there is any deviation from perfection - it must be quickly brought to the notice of
the chef (or other person responsible) and rectified. Remember that the hot food is cooling down
and the cold food heating up - so speed is critical given that it will take an additional couple of
minutes to get it to the guest's room. Room Service staff should respect the professionalism of
the preparation staff and verbalize their comments or complaints politely, but in establishments
where room service is common, the kitchen staff should be aware of the nature of room service
presentation problems and respond accordingly.

LESSON 3: PRESENT AND SERVE FOOD AND BEVERAGE TO

GUESTS

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session, the students should be able to:

Know how to transport the trolleys to guest rooms; Learn how to position the order in the rooms;
and

Familiar with the right way of serving beverage items according to enterprise standards.

Transport Room Service Trays and Trolleys To Guest Room

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Room service has the responsibility of creating a dining experience in guest bedroom; space may
limit the presentation style and the type and style of equipment used. Not only must trays and
trolleys be set up so that they contain all the equipment, items and utensils required, but. Trays
and trolleys must also be set up so that they are balanced, safe and attractive.

When staff has completed a room service tray with an order, someone will have to carry it; it
must be balanced to avoid the likelihood of dropping it, or of over-balancing individual items.
Ordering room service is a special service for most customers and there is an expectation that it
will be delivered professionally, and spilling the contents is not part of the guest expectations or
Room service standards. Safety all aspects of the job is a necessity and the provision of room
service is no exception, trays should be stacked and trolleys loaded so that no injury can be
sustained by staff or customers. Check for protruding items, and take special care with hot items -
especially hot liquids as well as sharp utensils and glassware. It is often said that "eye appeal is
buy appeal" and this definitely applies to room service. The tray presentation must be attractive,
ordered, uncluttered, clean and professional in appearance. When an order is received it may
have indicated only 1 [one] tray is required but staff may reassess and set up a second or transfer
the order to a trolley to avoid poor presentation or safety issues.

The actual arrangement of food on the plate may be the responsibility of the kitchen, but
everything else is the responsibility of Room service staff, remembering that customers are
paying a premium for room service so they expect a little bit extra for their money. Check the
little extra items are included that make room service special - they will be specified by your
establishment, but may include flowers/bud vase, doilies and napkins, a newspaper, and
complimentary after-dinner mints or petit fours.

And finally, trays should be able to be carried in accordance with the establishments policies and
procedures, it may be in one hand at shoulder height or at chest or waist height carried with one
hand firmly under the Centre of the tray the other able to steady the tray but still free to open
doors or press lift or elevator buttons. It is advisable to take the most direct and least cluttered
route to the location for delivery. Hotels and Resorts will have policies and procedures for
etiquette when meeting other customers in transit.

Request Entry to Guest Room In Accordance With Enterprise Standards

On arriving at the customer's room, a final visual check of the tray or trolley may be made, and
then staff should knock firmly on the door and announce "Room service!", "In room dining" or
"Room service, Mr. Lang" if you have the guest name. When knocking on the door, use the
knuckles not a key or any other implement or item as this will leave a permanent mark on the
door. Some customer rooms may have visitor bells or doorbells.

After announcing 'Room Service' wait 10 to 15 seconds before knocking again, and announce
again. When the customer opens the door, offer a greeting and, not asked in by the customer
(which is what will normally happen - either verbally or nonverbally), request their permission to
enter. The customer may not want you to enter the room they may be conducting a business
meeting, they could be entertaining, or they could have private papers, etc., spread out around
the room on tables, desks, the bed, etc. -

Therefore, requesting permission to enter has a practical underpinning reason, giving room
service Staff permission to enter and set up the order. A customer may prefer to take the tray or
trolley and other items from you at the door and serve themselves. Where the customer does
not answer the door after the second knock/call, staff should follow house procedures. This may
be to knock and call a third time. It may be room service staff needs to use a pass key to unlock
the door, open it slightly and re-announce hopefully the customer will hear this as staff will
actually be in the room.

There may be added instruction taken with the order and staff needs to act as instructed. If the
customer has not responded, house rules may be to leave the order especially if the customer is
well known, or a regular, while in some cases house policy may be to withdraw without leaving
the food and beverages that were ordered returning to the room service section. An alternative
course of action in some establishments if the customer does not answer to the call the customer
via the telephone, text or message either directly or through Reception or communications staff.

If the customer fails to answer the telephone, staff may be required to check the customer's
name against the room number. If it is correct, procedure will indicate whether to notify a
supervisor or manager of the situation, and they take further steps to ensure that the customer is
physically all right or if a mistake has been made.

Room Service staff should never enter a room fully unless they have been granted permission, or
until they are sure they will not be interrupting or disturbing anyone.

Enter Guest Room and Prepare For In-Room Service In Accordance With Guest Requirements or
Preferences, Where Applicable code

When Room Service staff enter a customer room the customer should be thanked, and greeted
politely, and engaged in conversation if appropriate,

it doesn't touch any of the walls and the trolley should be parked away from exits and out of
harm's way with the brake engaged while positioning the order to a table or other suitable
surface. Where a trolley is to be used for service, the customers should again be asked where
they would prefer it to be positioned and the trolley opened out or extended, with an
appropriate chair placed so the customers can sit at the trolley as at a table. In many instances,
the customer will reply along the lines. "Oh, just put it anywhere!" in which case you must be
prepared to determine quickly where it should go.

The room service department may have prepared plans in identifying a suitable place for trays
and trolleys to be positioned. If there is a balcony complete with table and chairs, set up the table
and place the order appropriately. Trays must be placed in a safe position where there is no
chance of their falling or being accidentally knocked over. A tray should not be dangerously
balanced on suitcases, the corner of a table, on the bed or on books and other papers. Trolleys
should be positioned out of the way, especially away from what are the obvious traffic routes in
the room.

In some establishment, room service staff will be required to position room furniture in
accordance with the customer's requirements. For example, a customer may require the four-
seater dining suite to be set for two which would require removing two of the chairs safely to one
side. On other occasions, furniture may have to be shifted to accommodate the trolley so that it
is closer to the service area. Vases may have to be moved so that they better compliment the
dining setting, and even drapes may be drawn if requested.

Identify Room Service Items That Have Been Supplied and Confirm Order with
Guest

A room service order, when delivered has to be checked in front of the customer and receipt of
service acknowledged, either by signing an account or an order receipt. With both trays and
trolleys, advise the customer of any potential hazards such as what is hot, what is sharp, what
may be heavy, where heating elements are, etc. If an electrical hot box has been used for the
room, plug it in to the electrical outlet to keep the food hot. If it is establishment policy, staff may
also respond to the customer's request to set out the order. Removing all the items from the tray
and positioning it neatly on the table in the same manner as if setting a cover on a restaurant
table, also remove the covers off the meals and position them appropriately, hot food should
remain covered and the customers shown how to remove the cover safely when the dish is
needed. If food has been stored in the hot box, explain to the customer how to safely remove it.
When requested, the room service attendant may also open and serve the wine or champagne to
the customer. As dishes are repositioned or have their covers removed, it is standard practice to
announce to them with some dishes, simply stating their name may be sufficient. With the
specials and the more uncommon dishes, it may be necessary to offer a brief description or
explanation of them. While this explanation of the dishes is all part of the service offered by
room service, staff must be alert to the signs that indicate such explanation is not necessary.
During the explanation, it is common for some customers to ask follow up questions, good
product knowledge will enable staff to answer them, but if staff cannot, they need to check if an
answer is required or if the question is part of polite conversation on behalf of the customer and
no answer is required but on other occasions an answer will have to reported back either by
message or in person. Where an order has had any variations to the menu it's important to make
the Customer aware that their request has been consented to.

Serve Food Items In Accordance With Enterprise Standards and Guest Requirements

Room service staff will require some basic cooking knowledge, when presenting the room service
order to the guest it may be necessary to assemble some dishes, add dressing to salad, garnishes
to hot food items such as fresh ginger and spring onion to steamed fish, or adding cold items to
hot for example cream with thick soup or ice-cream with pie. This may occur in front of the guest
or in a Butler's pantry or server area. Unless special arrangements have been made staff will
serve the first course, and then depart, leaving the guests to serve themselves the remainder of
the meal/courses and the beverages. It is uncommon for room service staff to stay in the room
and act as a personal waiter/butler for the entire meal. If the guest's room rate includes a butler
room service staff may have to assist with the service. If it's required to set a table for the meal, it
should be to the same standard as in the restaurant, The aim is to make a room service meal such
a pleasant occasion that the guests will want to repeat it and will tell their friends about in a
positive light.

All normal table setting items should be set, crockery, cutlery, salt and pepper, flowers, ice
bucket, glasses, and napkins. Care should be taken to ensure the cleanliness of all items, and a
final check given to the table to see that it is balance, and has an overall appeal. A suite of rooms
may have a separate dinning setting with a range of crockery and cutlery etc. for use in that suite.
When all has been set, seat the guests, including lapping the napkins and commence service.
When room service staff are ready to depart, explain the process for dirty dish collection, this
may be printed on a tray card or enquire of the guest whether they would like the trays/trolley
picked up that day/night and ask for a time or request the guest contacts room service or
whether they would prefer to leave the tray or trolley outside their door. After checking that
everything is to the guest's satisfaction, wish the guest "Good evening and Bon appetit" or some
other suitable phrase. Inquire if the lights or music should be lowered if this seems appropriate.

Serve Beverage Items In Accordance With Enterprise Standards and Guest Requirements
Room Service staff may be required to set up a long bar in a guest room. These are standard
bottles instead of the miniatures usually found in a mini bar. If the customers have invited
customers then they may request room service staff serve drinks to the customers. Room service
staff should be serving beverages with the same level of skill as beverage is served in the Bar or
restaurant. Mixed drinks may be pre poured and presented to the customer on a tray. Room
service staff need to be aware of the customer's physical position and make it easy for the
customer to take a glass from a tray.

The same sequencing should also apply to beverage service as in a restaurant, so if there is a pre-
dinner drink, then that should be served first followed by the first course. If requested, staff will
open and pour any bottles of wine. If customers are seated at the table then staff should serve in
sequence, clockwise or anticlockwise always ending with the host. Wine bottles should then be
placed in a wine bucket with ice if they are to be served cold or on a sideboard or table if served
at room temperature. When staff depart, they should check that the customers can reach the
bottles of wine easily to refill glasses. Room Service staff may need to serve hot beverages, such
as tea or coffee, if they are in a pot or dispenser. With new technology, espresso coffee may be
brewed in the customer's room or Butler's pantry. The service of hot beverages requires attention
to detail with appropriate milk, sugar or sugar substitutes.

LESSON 4: PRESENTS ROOM SERVICE ACCOUNTS

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session, the students should be able to

Learn how to position the order in the guest room;

> How to identify the information needed in the Account Docket; and ➤ Know how to process
payment of room service account.

Verify Room Service Documentation Prior to Presentation to Guest

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The method of payment is confirmed when order is taken. Room service deliveries will require
room service staff to obtain a signature from the guest for the items delivered and confirm if it's
to be charged to the room account. In some cases the guest may wish to pay on delivery, and if
they use cash then room service staff will need to issue a receipt.

Account Docket/bill should include:

1. Room Number

2. Registered Guest Name

3. Account type, Paid on delivery by credit card or cash or charged to the guests room account

4. Delivery time /date

5. A List of items and the cost of each

6. Total Cost

Including any surcharges such as delivery fee total cost. Before the account is presented to the
guest for signing, it is part of a room service waiter's job to make sure it is accurate. Always check
the details. Checking is usually done in the kitchen prior to delivering the tray/trolley and it
involves:

Checking to ensure that only what is delivered is charged for, there may be a shortage of an item
or it may be unavailable, always check items that are advertised as being "free of charge" are not
charged for, such as the wine that was part of the weekend package. Ensure that any special
deals that may apply via package deals have been factored in such as breakfast. Check that
correct and current prices have been used and make sure that all "extras" that can ethically be
charged for, have been included ensuring the accuracy of all extensions and additions It's
important to re-check the room number and guest name against the list of In House guests.

Present Room Service Account to Guest

When room service staff have delivered an order and completed explaining and presenting the
items, the customer will be presented with an account. offered a pen and asked to sign as
confirmation of delivery also confirming how the account is to be settled. Most commonly
customers will add room service charges to their room account, when presented with the
account they will sign and confirm the room number and charge to room account is confirmed.

In some cases guests will elect to pay for their room service separately by cash or credit card.

1. If the Room service account is to be charged to a credit card: Room service staff will need to
have the correct documentation, this may also apply if the guest is using a voucher or gift
certificate.
2. If a guest pays with cash: Thank the guest sincerely for their payment especially if the guest
says "Keep the change". Staff should check that the amount tendered covers the account total.

3. The other alternative is: Room service is paid for by a third party in the form of a gift card or
third party account. The process is the same as the guest charging to their room. The payment
needs to be recorded and a receipt issued.

Process Payment of Room Service Account

The account or bill is checked before leaving the Room service preparation area but once the
order has been delivered adjustments may have to be made, for example the customer may,
having seen the dish and decide they don't want it, or the beer you brought up as an alternative
to the one they ordered may not be to their liking so it has to be deducted from the account.
When all is confirmed correct the account is presented and the customer should be asked to
check the account and then sign in the appropriate place. Their signature verifies that the food
and beverage was received. You must not forget to ask the customer for their signature, as the
room service docket is the only record the cashier has to validate that the charged amount has
been paid. The docket could be considered invalid if it does not have a signature. When
presenting the account, the customer may like to pay cash. If the amount given requires change,
and you do not carry a cash float, you should inform the customer that you will return with the
change on the next delivery run. The majority of customers will be happy with this process.
Before leaving the customer's room, you should advise the customer on where to leave the used
tray for collection. Some establishments prefer customers to ring room service; some prefer to
have the tray/trolley left outside the room: In some cases room service will return and clear the
room the next day (in cases where there may be a party in a suite).

LESSON 5: CLEAR ROOM SERVICE

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session, the students should be able to know: ➤ How to take away the trays
and trolleys after being used;

➤ How to return the room service items in right locations; and

➤ How to identify the staff duties in clearing room service items.

Remove Room Service Trays, Trolleys and Service Items from Guest Rooms And Floors

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After room service has been delivered, used trays and trolleys which need to be collected. Room
service staff will have to do a floor check to collect trays and trolleys. This must be done regularly
as trolleys and trays that are left out in the corridors look untidy and present a risk to customers.
Checking for room service trays and trolleys is a task that needs to be included as standard
duties, so that sufficient time is allocated for it. Usual practice is to check floor-by-floor: if you are
on a floor you may as well check for and remove all the trays/trolleys while you're there. This
clearing can be undertaken at any time - day or night - but you must remember to be quiet when
clearing, because customers may be asleep: without sufficient care, clearing can be a very noisy
affair with cutlery, crockery and glassware knocking into each other. Where you clear a
tray/trolley and all the items that were delivered are not there when you clear, the accepted
practice is not to knock on the door and make enquiries. Housekeeping may well locate the item
tomorrow when they clean, or the customer may leave it out later on. It may also be the case
that someone walking past has stolen the item. It is common practice for housekeeping staff to
report when trays and trolleys are left in rooms or corridors. At other times the clearing of room
service trays and trolleys may be combined with other duties such as collecting breakfast menus
from door knobs, or distributing newspapers.

Return Room Service Trays, Trolleys and Service Items to Appropriate Location
Once the trays and trolleys have been collected from the rooms and floors, they need to be
returned to the room service area for dismantling, cleaning and resetting. Sometimes speed is
essential, especially where there is a heavy demand on limited resources - sometimes this is
caused by the weather, or it can be a special event on television or internet, a sports match or
concert that all the customers seem to want to stay in and watch or simply there are a number of
Customers who prefer to dine in their room. The general procedure would be to unload all trays
from the trolley.

Start by emptying the food rubbish into the appropriate bin or rubbish receptacle and any
recyclable items into their receptacles. When the trolley is empty check the operational condition
and safety of trolley wipe off visible dirt and clean and sanitize trolley, store the trolley, or reset
for immediate re-use. Some trolleys will fold or concertina for storage. Clean trolleys may be set
with basic settings in preparation for the next meal period. Dirty linen is placed in the dirty linen
basket or bag to be sent to the laundry. There may be a document to complete especially if the
linen process requires the return of dirty items for clean. All supplies such as salt and pepper are
refilled and stored in the Room service dry store. Items such as bud vases or bread baskets may
need separate washing or cleaning before reuse or storage.
Undertake Ancillary Duties in Conjunction with Clearing of Room Service Items

Room Service staff work in coordination with several other departments. In conjunction with
Housekeeping, or concierge or customer services room service staff will deliver special items of
food or beverage such as a fruit basket or a soft drink not found in the Mini bar such as root beer
or blood orange juice. This can also include complimentary items for VIP or special customers
such as fruit baskets or local produce baskets. When a Customer has identified a food allergy
such as peanuts or dietary requirement such as artificial sweetener for a diabetic, room service
may have to remove or change items in a customer room. Customers can access a wide range of
news media on the internet but still like a morning newspaper delivered with breakfast. Room
Service may need to coordinate with Porters in the delivery of mail or messages, Customers may
receive mail or packages which may be distributed by room service with a newspaper delivery.
Porters and housekeeping staff may assist in the collection of Breakfast doorknob Menus and in
notifying Room Service when customers have left trays and trolleys outside their rooms or
require them to be collected. Room service staff will need to cooperate with other departments
to meet customer requests. In some establishments during the summer period room service may
be required to staff a Poolside bar and food service area. Also serve at special dinner parties or
functions with the Functions staff. In some resorts room service may have to set up and serve a
meal in a remote location on the beach or by a lake. Customers may also request a picnic basket
or packed lunch through room service. With Groups or tours that are taking day tours, room
service staff may have to provide packed meals and travel with the group to serve. Remove
alcoholic beverages from the room to comply with religious requirents.