Essential Qualities or Skills for Hotel Front Desk
First & Foremost – Communication & People Skills
Communication plays an important role in the hotel industry. A key to success is effective communication which can either make or break a deal. This is specially true in the hospitality sector. In the era of electronic communication, one should not forget the efficient verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
All employees working in a hotel need to have good communication, but the front desk people are in most need of it. This is because the front office oversees selling hotel stays to guests, so the front desk is a key income generator. The front desk position requires many skills and the details can vary depending on the hotel organization and the kind of guest it serves.
Importance of Excellent Communication Skills:
Front- Desk is responsible for speaking with other departments and responding to guest requests. Hotel front desk employees are responsible for making sure each guest has an enjoyable experience. They have to greet the guests, talk with them, answer their queries, assist them as well as calm them when they are upset. All these tasks cannot be effectively done unless the staff members have excellent communication and social skills. Their main tasks include assisting guests during checks-ins and check-outs, taking an advance booking, writing emails and answering any inquiries guests may have.
Important Soft Skills Needed by Front Desk:
- Front desk staff needs to maintain a pleasant and cheerful disposition at all times. They should not forget to smile while greeting the guests. They need to make the guests feel comfortable. They also need to speak clearly and convey the message needed so that guests can know the rules, regulations and protocols they are expected to follow.
- They should know how to work calmly under pressure. They might need to handle many tasks simultaneously, specially during peak business hours. They might have to multi-tasks and juggle a variety of tasks, and still maintain a presence of mind in order to perform the tasks appropriately and without mistakes.
- Maintaining calmness and composure is essential for the front desk employees. They may have to deal with angry or upset guests. They need to maintain their cool and not lose temper even if the guest is behaving in irrational way or complaining unjustly. They need to try and pacify the guest in a calm, professional manner. At the same time they need to have a boundary beyond which they cannot entertain a guest and may need to call for help.
- They need to display a positive and cheerful attitude while attending to the guests. Understanding guests’ feeling can be important in improving the overall experience. A smile can also do lot of wonders while dealing the guests.
- Front desk staff should also be able to respond to guest’s requests in a proper manner. They should be knowledgeable about local tourist sites, famous shops and other tourist hot spots etc. as guests may ask them about for guidance. Sometimes guests may make unusual requests, so the employees have to be resourceful to find creative solutions to different situations.
Other Essential Qualities of a Good Front Office Employee:
- Pleasing, robust, and agile personality
- Confidence
- Quick in problem-solving and decision making
- Salesmanship
- Reliability
- Punctuality
- Good etiquette and manners
- Fluency in language
- Quick thinking and presence of mind while handling crisis.
- Honesty while working
- Positive work attitude
- Alertness, hard work and integrity