Guest folio records each entry of guest transaction and the recording process is called posting. In the folio the posting is done consecutively in the order of transactions on a given date. The amount of money that is payable by the guest to hotel is recorded on the debit column and the amount of money that is collected from the guest through setting his/her bill as well as advance deposits is recorded in the credit column. The balance column of the guest folio shows a progressive balance between debit and credit column which is determined by subtracting the credit amount from the debit amount. It also includes previous balance.

hotel guest folio

Just after the guest entry the front desk clerk create a guest folio with the inclusion of:

  Guest name,
  Room number,
  Date of arrival,
  Date of departure,
  Room rate,
  Guest address &
  Billing instruction to the cashier.

In order to perform the audit process the folios need to be maintained chronologically. Thus each folio contains a serial reference number for maintaining the chronological order. Till the guest departs from the hotel the cashier is in charge for the guest folio. During a guest’s stay, his/her stay is on a credit. For example the goods or services that are provided to the guests are required to pay only upon his or her departure. However, for getting this credit facility, a guest has to provide proof of his credit worthiness (especially for the new guests) by showing credit card, credit deposit, MCO and so on. Before offering a line of credit to a guest there are two checks is required, one by reservation agent who receives a booking and the other by the receptionists who registers a guest into the hotel. If there is any doubt, both staff can refer the issue to the lobby manager or front office manager who makes final decision. The receptionist of any is generally fully responsible for reconciling the guest’s bills.

The hotel sets house credit limit in order to discourage the guests to overspend. If the guest bill reaches or exceed the house credit limit, then the guest must clear up his or her bills. If the guest is failure to pay, the hotel has the authority to seal the room for guest entry. The house credit limits are supervised closely by the front office cashier and later the night auditor who produces a daily statement of house guests exceeding the house credit limit.

Guests basically go after the following procedure to settle the bills:

  Cash payments, in which a guest receive a cash voucher from the cashier as an evidence of such payments.
  Guests sign their bills to be recovered by the city ledger by a prearrangement with their organization.
  Paid bills through an acceptable credit card.
  Debit cards.
  Guests sign their bills to be adjusted against advances and deposits.
  Traveler’s check which is considered as the check in the hotel.

The guest can settle his or her bill art any outlet of the hotel. If a guest wants to sign the bill in the guest folio at any of the Pos, the cashier will ask the guest for his/her room number. After verifying the room number the cashier will then make a charge voucher like the restaurant voucher in where the guest will sign and then the voucher will forwarded to front office cashier to post the amount into the guest folio.

If a guest wishes to buy anything from the hotel shopping arcades, the guests are required to settle their bill or accounts directly with them (each shop has independent account system) as the shopping arcades are leased by the hotel. Some hotels also provide arrangements to shopping arcade to sign the guest bill. After providing the authentic documentation of the guest bill, the hotel will repay the shop owner the amount.

Read rest of this article in hotel management training blog

It works as a central part from where all relevance information is conversed to the other section of housekeeping department. Therefore, the desk has to provide nonstop service to ensure well communicated and coordinated guest service. It is generally located nearby to the office of executive housekeeper. Housekeeping control desk also have to ensure proper synchronization between housekeeping and other departments for qualitative guest service such as maintenance, front office, food and beverages, security, sales and marketing and so on.

The main job of housekeeping control desk is to maintain smooth communication process in order to complete daily housekeeping operation. The general roles of housekeeping control desk are as follows at a glance:

  hotel housekeeping control desk Recording hotel room numbers specially of the groups
  Recording room numbers of crews staying in the hotel
  Maintaining night cleaning schedule
  keeping records of VIPs staying in the hotel
  Making weekly cleaning schedules & follow that
  Preparing daily roster of general housekeeping staffs and supervisors
  Any relevant information about in house hotel guest that may be necessary

Functions Performed By Housekeeping Control Desk

  A) The housekeeping attendant of control desk is assigned for collecting all the messages that are requested from the hotel guests including, requirement of spare blankets, baby-sitter services, refrigerator, flower arrangement or any other room service. After receiving request, the control desk attendant passes through to the floor supervisor for taking further action.
  B) The housekeeping control desk generally responsible for directing all housekeeping employees, such as assigning them at their prescribed duties such as cleaning, maintenance and servicing of guestrooms and other public areas, providing briefing, taking their beginning and ending work report, collecting keys and signing for them.
  C) When a guest check out then collection of departure room number from the front office and transition of that number to the floor supervisor are done by the control room attendants.
  D) Key cabinet is one of the main physical substances of housekeeping department which is located in the control desk containing all floor masters keys and store keys.
  E) The control desk maintains various important records, registers, forms and formats to make easy availability and accessible for managers and supervisors of the property.

Coordination with Front Office

  A) The housekeeping control desk always has to coordinate with front office to get the list of the status of the property such as occupied, vacant, on change, out of order (OOO), under repair in order to provide instant ready room to the guest. See Hotel Housekeeping Terminology.
  B) Once rooms are cleaned and ready for sale then the floor supervisor informs the desk attendant to transfer the status of room to the front office.
  C) The control desk must maintain effective contact with the front office department to communicate information on occupancy levels in order to forecast occupancy for the entire year, establish par stock levels and estimate required staff force.
  D) The control desk must have to be aware of the existing and expecting groups with the help of front office. Generally a group maintains a similar schedule for arrival, departure, sightseeing tours and meals. Thus their rooms have to prepared and cleaned together within strict time parameters.
  E) An effective communication between front office and control desk help the control desk to know about the daily room report and housekeeping inconsistency report. It also beneficial for preventing loss of revenue by renewing and spring cleaning in low occupancy periods. .
  F) Whenever any special or VIP guest arrive then the front office transfer this information the desk attendant that the housekeeping staff become able to properly arrange the room with extra facilities (ex-bathrobe, bath slippers, extra soaps, hangers, and glass tumblers etc) as per policy of the hotel.
  G) Night report is prepared daily which designate the rooms that are occupied that night and ones that are to become check-outs the following day. Based on the night report which is prepared by the front office, the executive assign employees for servicing rooms
  H) Crews in the house: in most hotels a set of room on floors are reserved particularly for the crews. A well coordinated relation with front office will help the desk attendant to be alert about the schedule of crews as they arrive and depart together. Sometimes, housekeeping staff have to provide ready room or arrange the room for new arriving crew within short period of time just after departure of current crew due to overlap of schedule.

Coordination with Engineering Department

The room attendants may find some deficiencies in the hotel properties, such as faulty electrical plugs, dripping faucets, leaking pipes or malfunctioning air-conditioning units etc during servicing and cleaning. All room attendants register such deficiencies with control desk attendants. To fulfill the maintenance request the housekeeping control desk have to coordinate with the engineering department.

Read rest of this article: http://www.hospitality-school.com/housekeeping-control-desk

Generally the following routes are accessible for hospitality students as well as general graduates for getting a job in the hotel industry:

  how hospitality students get jobs hotel restaurantJunior Level Jobs which are available after finishing a vocational-level course.
  Junior Level Jobs through trainee programs.
  Supervisory or Management Level Jobs after doing professional diploma, degree or honors course in hospitality management.
  Supervisory or Management Level Jobs through Management Training Programs of different hotels & restaurants.

Junior Level Hotel & Restaurant Jobs

There are several job titles comprise junior skilled job which are as follows:

  Chambermaids
  Front office personnel
  Room attendants
  Telephone operators
  Secretaries
  Doormen
  Bell boys
  Junior production staff
  Junior housekeeping staff

Anyone can seek for job in these posts if she/he owns a vocational level craft course or acquired apprenticeship training scheme.

  Vocational level craft courses: To qualify for junior skilled jobs or making entrance at the level of craft some vocational education of hotel management often required by the hotels. By completing diploma or certificate courses at vocational level you can easily apply for job in the hotel industry. There some specialized vocational training courses are available which usually take six month to one-and-a-half year held by hotel management as well as food craft institutes.
  Apprenticeship Training Scheme: Besides vocational courses, apprenticeship training also helps a person who wants to get a junior skilled job in the hotel industry. According to hotel laws, all hotels are required to give an opportunity to an apprentice for gathering work experience. If someone wants to work as apprentice in the hotel then he/she could directly apply in various hotels. In some areas there are also local apprentice offices which can be helpful for managing apprenticeship in the reputed hotels. Apprenticeship does not provide assurance that an apprentice will get a job in the same place where he/ she has completed apprenticeship. But apprenticeship makes an apprenticeship skilled and efficient due to work experience. Moreover an apprentice has to go through many examinations before getting into hotel which will be helpful for facing other examination or interview board.

Supervisory & Management Level Hotel & Restaurant Jobs

  Professional Courses in Hotel Management: After completing higher secondary level people chose their next path of study according to their choice of interest. So if anyone wishes to work in the hotel industry then he or she can complete 3 or 4 year professional level course in hotel management. Such course can work as a very effective requirement for a hospitality student to get a job in supervisory level or seek for job for the post of executive. For more information about Hotel School & Hospitality Management Courses click Here. Supervisory level entails number of job positions. Different people have different choice, so if you have any particular choice or interest for any specific job title then you should mention it in your application that you can work in interest area. Basically, before getting into supervisory level every hotelier may have to go for training (9 to 24 months).  Supervisory level also gives the opportunity to the hotelier to promote their position with the help of great effort and hard work.
  Management Training Programs: Almost all private and public sector hotel chains take on management trainees for managerial jobs. Though different hotel chains have different requirement and selection modes, For example some hotel chains choose campus interview as their selection mode whereas some other prefer to leave informative brochure and booklet in colleges. However, usually management jobs are preferable to those who are graduates and Post graduates. Some teenagers often go for a management trainee program (time span 12-24 months) after completing their college level which is conducted by the various hotels. In order to get higher level job in the hotels, someone who has completed a professional course also can take participate on management trainee program.

Direct Entry in Hotel & Restaurant

Without doing any hotel management course one can seek for job in the hotel industry. If you have strong desire to work in the hotel industry then you can directly apply for craft, supervisory or managerial job after completing your study. But it is very much important to have knowledge and clear idea about hotel industry that you do not let down your hotel authority due to non hotel management background.

Generally hotel advertise their job vacancies in websites, national and regional newspapers etc. Even some hotels exhibit their vacancies in the notice board of colleges and universities that they could able to get efficient hotel staffs for their hotel by creating job responsiveness.

Read rest of the part of this article here: How Hospitality Students Get Jobs in Hotel & Restaurant

New Trainings Posted for Sequence of Service include the following;
-Sequence of Service
-Serving Food
-Serving Drinks
-Room Service
Go to http://www.foodandbeveragetrainer.com/FREE-SOP-s.html

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.