The hospitality industry is a vast sector with multiple job profiles, each just as important and interesting. The front office plays an important role here as it is the face of the hotel establishment and the first point of contact for any visitor. This department creates the first impression for a guest concerning hotel services and facilities. If they encounter a courteous staff that has all the knowledge, answers their queries and directs them to the right person then their perception of the establishment will be remarkably good.
Those employed in this position need to be groomed in all the skills that are vital to the entire hospitality industry. This includes being approachable, patient, courteous, confident and have excellent communication skills. Hence, front office courses are very important for anyone who plans to be successful in this sector. It provides them valuable insight into the industry and how they are supposed to handle hotel operations and customer enquiries. Front office management course you need to know for this purpose are varied, some are full time and others are part-time programs.
Here are some of the skills that are pertinent to this job role that is just as necessary for any other position in the hospitality landscape:
Professionalism– The front office executive or manager must appear warm and approachable to guests while at the same time exude professionalism. Their behaviour reflects upon the hotel and its entire management and hence they have to be mindful, formal and courteous all the time.
Phone etiquettes– Another very important thing is how you converse over the phone as many guests tend to make telephonic enquires. You have to introduce yourself, address all enquires, actively listen and be polite.
Composure– Being at front office can be a taxing job and you need to be calm under pressure. You should be able to juggle multiple tasks and stay composed especially while talking to guests.
Communication– To be able to speak well is a vital pre-requisite for any job in the hospitality industry and front office is no different. Since you are the first point of contact, you should be able to listen, understand and reply well to the customers. A clear, crisp and positive tone is necessary while communicating, both over call and in person.
Computer literacy– Being acquainted with computer software for the purpose of keeping records, processing payment, updating spreadsheets is another important part of a front-office job role. For this, you have to be computer literate and get easily comfortable with the hotel system software.
Teamwork– Working as a collective unit and in integration is very important for the hospitality staff. You will often have to communicate with other departments and ensure that guests are getting all the necessary services.
By enrolling in a part-time front office course, you will equip yourself with the necessary knowledge that will give you a good understanding of this industry and will be advantageous in your job role.