HRT 204

FRONT OFFICE MANAGEMENT

MASTER COURSE SYLLABUS

Prerequisite(s): None

Corequisite(s): None

Quarter(s) Offered: Winter

Class Hours:4
Lab Hours:1
Credit Hours: 4

Course Description: Offers students the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills
necessary to provide the front desk services of a lodging establishment. Emphasis is placed on
the interrelated elements of front desk operations. Topics include: communications and
human relations, front office operations, reservation systems and procedures, determining room
availability and rates, registration procedures, cashier and billing procedures, and night audit
procedures.


Student Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, the student should
be able to:
COMMUNICATIONS AND HUMAN RELATIONS
Communication skills
Define the terms paraphrasing, band-aiding, content level, feeling
level, and perception checking as they apply to hotel front office
communication skills.

Describe the basic communication skills front desk personnel exhibit
when serving guests.

Use appropriate telephone communication skills as they apply to
hotel operations.

Describe the duties performed by hotel front desk representatives to
handle guest complaints.

State the minimum information recorded concerning telephone
messages.
Assessing hiring needs Describe the process for assessing hotel personnel hiring needs.
Discuss the methods for recruiting hotel personnel.
Orientation of personnel
Describe the factors covered when conducting hotel personnel
orientations.
Personnel performance
Discuss managements human relations responsibilities concerning
training, motivation, performance assessment, discipline, and
termination of hotel personnel.
FRONT OFFICE OPERATIONS
Terminology
Define the terms front-of-the house, back-of-the-house, guest
services trilogy, concierge, chain-managed, franchise, MOD, and
MIS as they apply to front office operations.
Front-of-the-house
Give examples of hotel departments which are within the front office
area.

Describe hotel functions which are involved in the guest service
cycle.

List the job titles for hotel employees who are assigned to front-of-
the-house departments.
Back-of-the-house
Give examples of hotel departments within the back-of-the-house
area.

List the job titles for hotel employees who are assigned to back-of-
the-house departments.
Hotel organizational structure
Compare and contrast the job title organizational chart of a full-
service hotel with professional levels organizational chart for the
same or similar hotel.
General manager Describe the role of the general manager of a hotel.
Executive assistant Describe the role of the executive assistant of a hotel.

Name the functional managers who report to the executive assistant
of a hotel.
Rooms division manager
Describe the role of the rooms division manager and name the job
titles that report to this level.
Manager on duty
Compare and contrast the position of rooms division manager with
the manager on duty for typical hotel operations.
Front office manager
Describe the role of the front office manager and name the job titles
of employees that report to this level.
Guest service representative Describe the basic functions of a hotel desk clerk.
Discuss the responsibilities of a hotel desk clerk.
Concierge Describe the basic functions of a hotel concierge.
Discuss the responsibilities of a hotel concierge.
Bell attendant Describe the basic functions of a hotel bell attendant.
Discuss the responsibilities of a hotel bell attendant.
Classification of operations Give examples of various ways hotel operations may be classified.
Ranking
Describe the various methods of ranking hotel organizations and the
purpose each method serves.
RESERVATION SYSTEMS AND PROCEDURES
Manual reservations Describe manual reservations systems for hotel operations.

Discuss the types of hotel operations that use manual reservation
systems.
Automated reservations Describe automated reservation systems for hotel operations.

Discuss the types of hotel operations that use automated reservation
systems.

Compare and contrast the economic factors of manual and
automated reservations systems as used by various types of hotel
operations.
Central reservation office Describe the functions of a hotel central reservation office.

Discuss the various routes to reserving a room which are available
to potential guests.
Individual reservations
Discuss the classifications of individual guests identified by hotel
reservation systems.
Group reservations
Discuss the various types of group reservations handled by the hotel
front desk
Walk-ins
Discuss front desk procedures for informing walk-in guests of room
availability and room rates.
Reservation holder
Discuss front desk procedures for verifying reservations upon arrival
of guests holding reservations.
Room assignment
Give examples of questions guests typically ask desk clerks about
room accommodations and hotel services.

Demonstrate the procedures a desk clerk uses to match available
hotel accommodations to guests expectations.

Discuss the procedures used to inform a guest of a full-house
condition.

Give examples of various hotel policies concerning an obligation to
find alternative lodging when a potential guest arrives during a full-
house condition.
DETERMINING ROOM AVAILABILITY AND RATES
Terminology
Define the terms room revenue, corporate traveler, no-show, due-
out, turn-away, walk-in, group booking, stay-over, full-house
management, run of the house, occupancy rate, blocked rooms,
yield management, and guaranteed payment as they apply to room
availability and rates.
Full-house management State the formula used to find percent of occupancy.

Describe the factors which influence the percent of occupancy
for a hotel operation.

Name the forms and charts which aid front desk personnel in full-
house management.
Yield management
Discuss the philosophy of yield management as it relates to rooms
utilization.
Room availability
Describe the procedure used to determine the expected number of
no-shows, cancellations, and stay-overs, and discuss their impact on
the number of reservations which may be accepted.
Rates
Demonstrate the desk clerks techniques for informing guests of
types/classes of rooms available and applicable rates.
Discuss hotel policies concerning guest negotiating room rates.

Describe the factors that are considered when establishing the rack
rate for specific rooms within a hotel.

Give examples of special rates and discuss their application in hotel
operations.
REGISTRATION PROCEDURES
Registration card/form
Describe a typical guest registration card/form and discuss the legal
and managerial functions it serves.
Payment method
Demonstrate the techniques used by desk clerks to identify guest
payment methods.

Demonstrate processing of credit cards when guest is registering at
a hotel.
Rooming
Describe the procedures used by the hotel bell attendant when
rooming a guest.
Housekeeping report
Discuss the purpose and contents of the hotel housekeeping report
and its use by the desk clerk.
Special situation
Distinguish between terms did not stay (DNS), did not arrive (DNA),
and registered but not assigned (RNA) as they apply to registering
guest by front desk personnel.
Special guests
Discuss the guest designations very important person (VIP), special
attention guest (SPATT), and distinguished guest (DG) and when
they are used.
Reports
Describe the use of arrivals report, high-balance report, in-house
guest list, and due-out report.
Overbooking
Describe the procedure a desk clerk uses to determine the number
of overbookings.

Discuss the practice known as walking the guest and describe a
situation which called for its use.
CASHIER AND BILLING PROCEDURES
Terminology
Define the terms source documents, voucher, department journal,
folio, posting, city ledger, cash sheet, petty cash, float, and point-of-
sale as they apply to hotel billing procedures.
Billing functions State the functions of a hotel front-office accounting system.
Guest accounting cycle
Describe the typical hotel accounting cycle used to bill guest for
charges.
Charges Give examples of various charges which appear on a guest folio.
Late charges
Describe the procedure used by the desk clerk to assure that guest
late charges are billed.
Cashier's responsibilities
Describe the duties of the hotel cashier to complete the guest folio
and collect for charges.

Describe the cashiers responsibility to inform other departments
when the guest has departed.
Payment Demonstrate the preparation and processing of credit card voucher.
Demonstrate the procedure for processing a guests personal check.

Describe the duties of the hotel cashier when a guest presents an
invalid check or credit card.
NIGHT AUDIT PROCEDURES
Purpose State the purpose of a hotel night audit.
Elements Name the elements necessary for completing a night audit.
Manual/automatic posting
systems
Compare and contrast the manual and automatic posting of charges
and their impact on night audit procedures.
Process Perform a night audit for a hotel.



Grading Scale: The grading scale is detailed in the Catalog and Student Handbook and listed
below for reference. All faculty members follow this scale when assigning grades to reflect a
given student's performance in the classroom.

Grade Numerical Equivalent Grade Point
A/A* 90-100 4
B/B* 80-89 3
C/C* 70-79 2
D/D* 60-69 1
F/F* 0-59 0

Effective Summer Quarter 2006, Athens Technical College replaced the S/U grading system
used for learning support classes with an A*-F* grading system. The registrar uses an asterisk
(A*, B*, C*, D*, F*, W*, WF*, WP*) to designate learning support course grades on
transcripts and grade reports because these grades are not components of the quarterly grade
point average.

Required Textbook(s), including ISBN: Professional Front Office Management by Robert
Woods, Jack Ninemeier, David Hayes, & Michele Austin. 2007. Pearson/Prentice Hall. ISBN
0-13-170069-3

Supplementary Material(s): Calculator

Required Equipment/Tools/Resources: Textbook

Instructional Technologies Employed: Internet

Attendance: Regular class attendance is important and expected. The college considers both
tardiness and early departure from class as forms of absenteeism. Students absent from class
for any reason are still responsible for all work missed. Instructors have the right to determine
whether work missed can be made up and have the liberty to set reasonable expectations for
attendance based on frequency of class meetings and on the instructional delivery method,
subject, type, and level of the class. Class attendance policies will be clearly stated for students
by their respective instructors on separate documents (course outlines/schedules) or appendices
to the master syllabus.

Grading Policy and Criteria:
Hybrid Class:
Tests: 60% (Given weekly after the first week. No makeups)
Online: 30% (Online assignments and discussion boards)
Classroom: 10% (This grade includes class participation and preparedness)

Face-to-Face Class:
Tests: 60% (Given weekly after the first week. No makeups)
Classroom: 30% (This grade includes class presentations and assignments)
Participation: 10% (Participation and preparedness)
Work Ethics: To fulfill the responsibility to teach essential workplace ethics, the college
evaluates program students on attendance, character, teamwork, appearance, attitude,
productivity, organizational skills, communication, cooperation, and respect. Because students
are preparing for employment, it is essential that they become accustomed to standards of
behavior in the workplace. At the conclusion of the quarter, faculty members assign separate
numerical work ethics grades which appear beside the course letter grades on both transcripts
and grade reports. The work ethics grading scale is as follows: 3 (Exceeds Expectations),
2 (Meets Expectations), 1 (Needs Improvement), and 0 (Unacceptable).

Academic Honesty: Academic honesty is expected at all times. Any student found to have
engaged in academic misconduct such as cheating, plagiarism, or collusion is subject to
disciplinary sanctions as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct detailed in the ATC Catalog
and Student Handbook. The term plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use, by
paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without
full and clear acknowledgment. The term collusion includes, but is not limited to, the
unauthorized collaboration with any other person in preparing work offered for academic
credit. Students are advised that faculty routinely use turnitin.com both to prevent plagiarism
and to assist in verifying when/if it has occurred.

Course Withdrawal: Students may withdraw from a course without academic penalty until
the midpoint of the quarter (as stated in the Academic Calendar published in the ATC Catalog
and Student Handbook). By withdrawing before the midpoint of the quarter, the student is
automatically assigned a grade of W, which does not affect quarterly or cumulative grade point
average. Grades of W will affect satisfactory academic progress for financial aid purposes.
Students who stop attending class(es) without formally withdrawing risk earning a final
grade of F, which will appear on the academic transcript. Refer to the ATC Catalog and
Student Handbook for further details.

Academic Support Center: The Academic Support Centers of Athens Technical College
(ATC) provide free tutoring for enrolled students. Both instructors and peer tutors provide
tutoring in almost all subjects offered by the college. Information about the Center is accessible
via the ATC website at www.athenstech.edu. To find out the specific services available on the
Athens, Greene, and Walton Campuses, please call (706) 583-2839. To contact the Academic
Support Center on the Elbert County Campus, please call (706) 213-2129.

Americans with Disabilities Act: Any student who believes he/she is eligible for
accommodations in the classroom and/or during testing due to a documented disability is
encouraged to contact the Director of Student Support Services at (706) 355-5081, or the
Coordinator of Disability Services at (706) 355-5006, to apply for assistance. It is our goal at
Athens Technical College to provide equal access to education for all students.

Cell Phones and Electronic Devices: Students are strictly prohibited from using cell phones
and personal electronic devices within college-owned/operated facilities without the explicit
permission of a faculty or staff member.

Food/Drinks in Classroom: Food and beverages (other than water) are not allowed in
classrooms/labs.

Warranty of Graduates: The Department of Technical and Adult Education warranties every
graduate of technical programs in which students may earn technical certificates of credit,
diplomas, or associate degrees. The warranty guarantees that graduates demonstrate the
knowledge and skills and can perform each competency as identified in the industry-validated
standards established for every program of study. If one of our graduates educated under a
standard program or his/her employer finds that the graduate is deficient in one or more
competencies as defined in the course/program standards, Athens Technical College will
retrain the employee at no instructional cost to the employee or the employer. This guarantee is
in effect for two years after graduation.

TEACH Act: According to the TEACH Act of 2002, Athens Technical College is obligated to
advise you that instructional material included in this course may be subject to copyright
protection. As such, you must not share, duplicate, transmit, or store the material of this course
beyond the purpose and time frame explicitly stated in the syllabus of your course. If you are
not certain whether a particular piece of material is covered by copyright protection, you
should contact your instructor and obtain his/her written clarification. Failing to observe
copyright protection is a violation of law.