In the hotel where he or she works, a hotel front office manager has many responsibilities. He or she is in charge of ensuring that the front desk, where guests first interact with hotel staff, runs smoothly and efficiently. His or her main responsibility is to supervise the front desk and train the employees who work there. The front office manager must also serve as a conduit for information between the general manager and the rest of the staff. Finally, he or she is in charge of employee scheduling.
The hotel front office manager, also known as the front desk, is responsible for the front office, which is below the general manager and assistant general manager. Check-in and check-out take place in this area of the hotel. Concierge services are available in most hotels’ front offices to assist guests with a variety of issues. Because the front desk is where guests form their first and last impressions of the hotel, a hotel front desk manager must work hard to ensure that guests have a pleasant experience so that they will return.
One of the specific responsibilities of a hotel front office manager is to train front-desk employees. Concierges, guests service agents, night auditors, security officers, and bellmen are among the other hotel employees. While a senior guest service agent, for example, may teach a new employee some of the technical aspects of the job, the front office manager is in charge of teaching the skills required to provide excellent customer service. He or she must be available to resolve any disputes as well as train employees individually.
The front office manager serves as a link between the general manager and the front-line staff. He or she notifies front-desk staff of any changes to hotel policies. This person also reports to the general manager on a variety of issues, including employee performance and customer satisfaction.
A hotel’s front desk manager is also in charge of staffing. This includes considering requests for vacation or specific days off from employees. Although an experienced manager can usually work out a schedule that accommodates his or her employees’ requests, it is sometimes unavoidable to deny a request. Despite the fact that a manager’s schedule is created along with that of the other front-office employees, the importance of the job usually means that he or she is on call at all times in case of an emergency.