Where it works |
| The receptionist is included in the front desk team of a hotel, specifically, in the Department of Front Office that deal with supporting and advising guests about the products/services at the hotel.
Any hotel must have at least one receptionist at the reception desk in the hotel lobby. The larger the hotel is, the more receptionists are required. He/she works under the directives and supervision of the Owner and the most experienced receptionist. |
The activities |
| A hotel receptionist welcomes guests warmly, politely and professionally in the hotel lobby, supports and advises guests about the products/services at the hotel through receiving and answering phones, responding to inquiries and complaints from customers, perform check-in and check-out procedures as required. The front desk team of a hotel represents the hotel to welcome customers, therefore, the attitude of the receptionist may determine whether the customers will return to continue using the services of the hotel or not.
In general, a hotel receptionist takes care of guests from their arrival to departure. First, he/she assists guests to check-in. After warmly welcoming guests, the hotel receptionist will confirm booking information (in case the guest has booked a room in advance). In case guests have not booked a room, the hotel receptionist will check the list of available rooms and directly advise on the room class, room rate, payment method, utilities, etc. Through the reservation list, the hotel receptionist can control the number of rooms, ensuring perfect service quality to customers. The receptionist should provide information about services available at the hotel such as dining, spa, fitness, laundry, etc., along with transportation services such as car rental, souvenir shopping, etc. and guides the basic procedures of the stay. Second, the hotel receptionist will support and serve customers during their staying. For example, he/she should introduce guests to local festival events that are happening, some attractions, convenience stores, fine dining, and more. If possible, the receptionist should do what guests require, including keeping room keys, taking care of their assets when arriving or leaving, handling incoming and outgoing calls from guests. Besides, the receptionist also coordinates with related departments to make room transfer requests for guests, handle requests and complaints from customers. Third, the hotel receptionist conducts check-out process for guests. When a guest ends the stay, the task of the hotel receptionist is to contact other departments to record the guest’s service consumption and prepare payment information. In particular, the receptionist gets back the room card/key from customers, contacts guest room inspection and check if the guest forgets something to return it if any, checks and reconfirms with guests the services they used during their stays, notifies guests of the amount to be paid, performs payment procedures and prints invoices for guests, returns guests with documents such as identity cards or passports, asks guests about their satisfaction with the hotel, thanks and says goodbye to the guest. |
Qualifications |
| Based on the size of the hotel, the manager will make the appropriate recruitment requirements for hotel receptionists. Often employers will require candidates to graduate from a college or university majoring in hotel management, hotel tourism management or related professions. |
Technical skills |
| No particular technical skills are required for a hotel receptionist but the following soft skills are very important. First, communication skills are in high demand in service industries including hospitality, because receptionists need to exchange, interact and convince customers quite a lot. Second, problem solving skills are important. During the service providing process, there will be many situations that occur between staff and customers. Therefore, the skill of handling situations for hotel receptionists is an indispensable skill. Third, a receptionist should be able to withstand high work pressure because the job has many links with related departments and the receptionist must be flexible to solve problems with guests. The amount of work is dense and sometimes meeting difficult guests also puts the receptionist under a lot of pressure. Fourth, a hotel receptionist is also required for time management and organization skills. He/she needs to control the number of rooms and customers booking appointments directly or through the hotline. Therefore, the receptionist must have general management skills and arrange appropriate time, ensure service quality, avoid causing troubles for guests. |
Computer and linguistic knowledge |
| Foreign languages: know and use fluently at least 1 foreign language (usually English), can communicate naturally and fluently with foreign guests.
Computer knowlegde: know how to use and proficiently use office computers (word, excel,…); proficiently use the Internet to look up information when necessary; Proficient in the use of hotel management software and hotel sales software |
Personality and availability |
A professional receptionist should ensure to equip some of the most core qualities as follows:
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