GUEST REGISTRATION

GUEST HISTORY

One of the main activities of the front office department is to get the guest
registration process. As soon as the guest arrives into the hotel for check-in, the
front desk clerk should hand him over the registration card and get it filled up by
the guest and check its accuracy. The guest is also required to provide the complete
information as per the hotel standard and. I welcome you to this episode on the
Registration process at the Front Desk. For better understanding of the subject, this
episode is divided into five parts, namely;

  IMPORTANCE OF THE FIRST GUEST CONTACT

  GUEST REGISTRATION PROCEDURE
 STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR GUEST
 REGISTRATION AND CHECK IN PROCESS
  GUEST HISTORY
 FUTURE RESERVATIONS

IMPORTANCE OF FIRST GUEST CONTACT

One of the first opportunities to come face-to-face contact with a hotel occurs
when the guest registers. At this time, all the marketing efforts and computerized
reservation systems should come together. Will the guest receive what has been
advertised and promised? The front office desk clerk who is well trained in the
registration process must be able to portray the hotel in a positive manner. This
good first impression will help ensure an enjoyable and repeated visit.

The first step in the guest registration process begins with capturing guest data
such as name, full address, length of stay, and company affiliation, which are
needed during his or her stay and after departure. Various departments in the hotel
require this information to provide service to the guest. The registration process
continues with the extension of credit, room selection, room rate application, the
opportunity to sell hotel services, etc.

The first impression a guest receives of a hotel facility during registration is

extremely important in setting the tone for hospitality and establishing a continuing
business relationship. The guest who is warmly welcomed with a sincere greeting
will respond positively to the hotel and will expect similar hospitality from other
hotel employees. If the guest receives a half-hearted welcome, he or she will not be
enthusiastic about the hotel facility and will be more likely to find fault with the
hotel during his or her visit. Today’s guest expects to be treated with respect and
concern, and many hotels make the effort to meet those expectations.

A warm welcome to the guest begins with the employee’s empathizing with the
feelings of the traveler, someone who has been away from familiar surroundings
for many hours or many days. He or she may be stressed by the frustrations of long
travel, delayed flight schedules, lost luggage, jet lag, missed meals, unfamiliar
surroundings, unclear directions, or poor public transportation. The hotel employee
who is considerate of the traveler under these circumstances will be more likely to
recognize anxiety, restlessness, and hostility and respond to them in a positive,
understanding manner. Once, the front desk clerk gains confidence of the guest, he
can proceed with upselling.

GUEST REGISTRATION PROCEDURE

The guest registration procedure involves several steps that, if followed accurately,
will allow management to ensure a pleasant, efficient, and safe visit. The guest
registration process is almost similar to all types of hotel organizations irrespective
of their size. The procedure facilitate in the effective front office management. Let
us know about the steps in guest registration procedure;

1. Check in request by the Guest,

2. Projecting of hospitality by front desk clerk towards the guest,
3. Completion of the registration card by the guest,
4. Reviewing of completeness of registration card by the front desk clerk,
5. Verifying Proof of identification,
6. The credit allowance by front desk clerk,
7. Room selection by the guest offered by the front desk clerk,
8. Assignment of room to the guest,
9. Discussing the sales opportunities for hotel products and services with guest,
and
10. Handing over the room key to the guest.
Guest requests to check into the hotel

This is the first step and the registration process begins when a guest requests to
check into the hotel. The guest may arrive alone or with a group. The front desk
clerk begins the check-in process with a display of hospitality toward the guest;
important elements include eye contact, a warm smile, an inquiry regarding travel
experience, an offer to assist the guest in a dilemma, and so on. As mentioned
earlier, the importance of a warm welcome to a guest’s positive impressions of the
hotel and its staff cannot be overemphasized. More travelers expect common
courtesy along with a quality product and a well-developed delivery system.

Inquiry about Reservation

After the front desk clerk has welcomed the guest, he or she asks if a reservation
has been placed. If the guest had already reserved his room, the same is retrieved
from the computer. If the guest is a walk-in, the front desk clerk must check the
availability of accommodations. If accommodations are available, the next step is
to complete the registration card.

Completion of Registration Card

The registration card provides the hotel with guest’s billing information and provides
the guest with information on checkout time and room rates. A reservation card
provides all the necessary information about the guest to the hotel. Even if the guest
has a reservation, the completion of the registration card is important, as it verifies the
spelling of names, addresses, phone numbers, anticipated date of departure, number of
people in the party, room rate, and method of payment.

Review Completeness of Registration Card

The front desk clerk should quickly review the completeness of the registration
card. For example, handwriting should be legible. If the card needs a corrected
printed revision, it should be done at this time. The guest may forget to fill in a pin
code, which is often used by the marketing and sales department to analyze market
demographics as well as by the controller’s office to process invoices. If any areas
on the registration card that remain blank should be called to the guest’s attention.
Such omissions may be oversights, or they may be an effort by the guest to commit
fraud. The guest who does not supply a credit card and gives weak excuses, may be
planning for a fraud.

Verifying Proof of Identification

Some hotels require proof of identification when a credit card is presented,

whereas others demand none. When the hotel policy does require the guest to
produce identification, a valid driver’s license with a photo is usually acceptable.
Alteration of the non-photo identification is also more common, making it less
reliable. Hotel security departments must work with the front office in training
desk clerks and cashiers to be alert to fraudulent identifications.

Extension of Guest Credit

Front desk clerks must perform a few basic procedures to extend credit to guests.
These include accepting the designated credit card from the guest, using credit-
card processing equipment, interpreting information from the credit-card validation
machine, and verifying the cardholder’s identification. Credit cards are grouped
according to the issuing agency. The major groupings are bank cards, commercial
cards, etc. As their name indicates, bank cards are issued by banks like the Visa,
MasterCard, Commercial cards are issued by corporations. Each of these issuing
agencies has verified the credit rating of the person to whom the card was issued.
This enables the hotel to extend credit to the person who offers the credit card for
future payment; this is a very important option for hotels.

Room Selection

Part of the registration process includes the front desk clerk’s selection of a guest
room, which can be confusing for the front desk clerk and frustrating for the guest.
This selection involves blocking guest rooms prior to a guest’s arrival, meeting the
guest’s needs, and maintaining a room inventory system. If the guest is assigned a
room that does not meet his or her personal requirements, the guest then requests a
different room. The front desk clerk responds with a list of available options that
seem to satisfy the guest’s request.

Blocking Procedure
The blocking procedure is very important in ensuring an even flow of processing
guests who want to check in. Blocked rooms allow the front desk clerk to
immediately assign a room to a guest without searching through confirmed and
guaranteed reservations as well as available room inventory. Otherwise, desk
clerks would have to review reservations and available rooms at the guest’s arrival.
The blocking procedure begins with a review of confirmed and guaranteed
reservations as well as expected checkouts for a particular day.

Meeting Guest Requests

Guests’ needs usually include bed requirements, room location, floor plan
arrangements, ancillary equipment, rooms designed and equipped for special needs,
immediate availability, and price. If the guest has a reservation, the room selection
will be blocked prior to the guest’s arrival. The walk-in guest presents opportunities to
the front desk clerk to optimize a sale and meet the needs of the guest.

Assignment of room to the guest:

After mutual consent between the front desk clerk and the guest, the front desk
clerk assigns room to the guest. The front desk clerk after careful scrutiny of the
guest request, registration procedure, his or her credit extensions, allocates a
suitable room to the guest.

Discussing the sales opportunities for hotel products and services with guest

The front desk clerk also discusses about the other facilities that the hotel provides
to the guest along with the ones which are mentioned in the inclusions of the tariff
cards. This will enable the hotel to generate additional revenue.

Handing over the room key to the guest

This is the last step in the registration process where the front desk clerk hands
over the room key to the guest. The front desk clerk should make sure that the key
which is being handed over to the guest has the number which is being recorded in
the guest register.
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR GUEST REGISTRATION
AND CHECK IN PROCESS

Following is the illustration depicting the standard operating procedure for

registration of guests and the process of check-in:

When Guest arrives at the reception to check in:

  Great the guest.
  Enquire the Last name / First name of the guest.

Search for the
reservation record and print registration card (if the same is not
pre- printed)

Present the Registration Card to the guest for verifying / reconfirming preprinted
details like:
  First Name, Last Name.
  Arrival Date. Time.
  Departure Date, Expected time of departure.
  Room Rate.
  Room Number.
  Room Type.
  Method of payment.
  Billing instructions.
  Meal Plan and

Requesting for ID Proof for local guest and Passport and Visa details for
foreigners.

Other details to be completed:

  Guest’s professional Designation.
  Company Name.
  Address Home / Business
  City, Country
  Postal Code
  Telephone / Fax / Mobile numbers.
  Email address.
 
Contact Number of a person in case of emergency and
  
Purpose of Visit.

Passport details:
  Passport Number.
  Nationality and country of residence.
  Date of Birth
  Passport Issue date and Expiry Date
 
Place of Issue of Passport.

Visa Details:
  Visa Number
  Visa issue date and Expiry date.
  Visa Place of issue.
  Type of Visa.
  Proposed duration of Stay in the country.
  Arrived from and
 
Proceeding to.

Explain to the guest regarding late checkout policy if any.

  Request the guest to sign on the Registration Card.
  Scan / Photocopy of Passport and Visa copy and attach to the registration card.

 Front office assistant to also cross sign the registration card on the provided
field.
  Update the guest details collected on regard to the Profile of the guest.
 
File Registration card.

GUEST HISTORY

Guest history is a record maintained for each guest who has stayed at the hotel with
a separate entry for each visit and details of pertinent preferences. This is a
valuable reference tool for reservations, marketing and credit departments. Today,
guest histories are readily available through computers and technology.

BENEFITS OF MAINTAINING GUEST HISTORY:

There are several benefits of maintaining guest history either in the form of a
register or through computer. They are;

1. Facilitating quick new Reservations for past guests: When new

reservations are made, the front desk clerk searches the guest history either
from the register or from the computer database to determine if the guest has
stayed at the property before. With the help of computers, it is easy to search
the guest history by using name, e-mail address, etc. as the input. For new
guests, the system automatically adds the guest to the guest history database.
2. Personalized Service in Reservation: Many sophisticated systems provide a
complete list of guest preferences for repeat guests like, the type of room
preferred, special requests for extra services, etc. this allows the reservation
clerk to personalize the reservation process.
3. Warning of Problem Guests: The guest history also provides information on
the problematic guests. For example, if the guest damaged the property of
the hotel in his last visit or did not pay bill or misbehaved with the hotel staff
or other guests with no reason, then, that guest history record can be marked
as ‘Do Not Rent’, Blacklisted and so on and thereby problem guests can be
quickly stopped prior to confirming a new reservation.
4. Reprint Folios Forever: Guest folios can be reprinted and stored forever. If
a guest calls several months or years after his stay, it is easy to retrieve his
information at an instance.
5. Information-only Inquiries: Sometimes, interested persons may seek
information about the hotel property and its services. It is called as the
information-only inquiries. The names of such persons can be added to the
guest history and they can be used as marketing the property to increase
occupancy in the future dates.
6.

FUTURE RESERVATIONS:

The front office manager should consider developing procedures for front desk clerks
to follow that encourage a guest to book additional reservations during the check-in
process. Suggesting additional reservations during registration may remind the
businessperson of the need for room accommodations the following week, when he or
she will visit a city with a hotel that is affiliated with the same chain. It may
inspire the traveler who has not made reservations for the rest of his or her trip and
finds your rates very attractive to stay in a chain member property. This promotion
of member properties can be a very profitable marketing concept. Front office
managers in independent hotels will also find this concept profitable. Independent
hotels have the advantage of offering unique lodging experiences. Guests who are
frequent visitors to a city may want to secure reservations for their next trip. Unless
the request for a future reservation is made, it probably will not be received.

TO SUM UP,

Guest registration is one of the most important aspects for both the hotel property
and the guest. Guest registration process involves several steps and by following
these steps, the hotel property will be able to obtain all the needed information
from the guest and can be kept as a permanent record for future smooth reservation
procedure.

Guest history is a record which contains all the information of a guest who stayed
in the hotel. There are several benefits of maintaining guest history which includes
facilitating quick new reservations, personalized services in reservation process,
getting information on problem guests, to follow-up the inquiries made by the
potential guests, etc.

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