15 Ways to Become the Best Front Office Manager | Ep. #169
Summary
TLDRThis video provides a detailed guide on how to become a successful front office manager in the hospitality industry. It emphasizes the importance of leadership, excellent communication, and organizational skills, while encouraging constant self-improvement and guest satisfaction. The video outlines 15 key steps, including improving listening skills, knowing your property and competition, being proactive, and maintaining a positive attitude. It highlights the critical role of a front office manager in shaping the guest experience and driving overall property success, urging viewers to stay adaptable and open to feedback for continuous growth.
Takeaways
- 😀 A successful front office manager must embody a blend of hospitality, organizational skills, and leadership.
- 🌟 First impressions are crucial in hospitality; the front desk's greeting sets the tone for guest experiences.
- 👥 Excellent listening skills are vital for effective communication and coaching staff at the front desk.
- 🔍 A deep understanding of the property's services and products is necessary to address guest inquiries accurately.
- 💼 Attention to detail is paramount in the hospitality industry, where small details can significantly impact guest satisfaction.
- 🗓️ Regular property inspections and updates on service quality are essential for maintaining high standards.
- 🤝 Extroverted personalities thrive in front office management, facilitating better guest and staff interactions.
- 🤔 Proactive management involves initiating improvements and strategies without waiting for direction from higher-ups.
- 📈 Revenue management strategies should be planned, coordinated, and implemented regularly to maximize profitability.
- 📊 Market analysis is not only the sales team's responsibility; front office managers should also stay informed about market trends.
Q & A
What are the essential skills required for a successful front office manager?
-A successful front office manager needs a perfect mixture of skillful hospitality, tight organizational skills, and a positive attitude. They should lead by example, constantly strive for improvement, and never settle for less than excellence.
Why are first impressions important in hospitality properties?
-First impressions are crucial because the way front desk staff greets and attends to guests can significantly influence the image of the property. A positive first impression can enhance guest satisfaction and loyalty.
What role does a front office manager play in guest and staff interactions?
-A front office manager oversees both guest and staff interactions to ensure proper guest service and adherence to procedures. They coach staff, guide those who need it, and foster a positive two-way communication cycle to work towards customer delight.
How can a front office manager ensure that they and their staff are knowledgeable about the property?
-A front office manager should personally inspect every type of accommodation and service offered by the property, ideally on a monthly or weekly basis. This helps them stay aware of changes, potential problems, and maintain a high level of service knowledge.
What is the importance of knowing about competitors in the hospitality industry?
-Understanding competitors is essential because it helps front office managers identify their strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge allows them to strategize effectively to increase market share and improve their property’s offerings.
Why is attention to detail important for a front office manager?
-Attention to detail is critical in hospitality as small things can have a large impact on guest experiences. A front office manager must constantly assess their time management and ensure that they and their staff are doing the right things correctly to improve service.
What personality traits are beneficial for a front office manager?
-Extroverted personalities often flourish in this role because the job requires constant interaction with both staff and guests. A positive, upbeat, and approachable attitude is essential to make guests feel comfortable and well cared for.
How can front office managers effectively engage with their staff and guests?
-Effective front office managers make time to speak with staff and guests regularly. This engagement helps them understand issues, provide solutions, and build strong relationships, ultimately leading to better service and guest satisfaction.
Why is continuous training important for front desk staff?
-Continuous training is vital to maintain high standards of service, especially during high occupancy periods. Proper training reduces errors, enhances guest satisfaction, and retains good staff, which in turn reduces turnover and improves property reputation.
What steps should a front office manager take to manage revenue effectively?
-Front office managers should plan, coordinate, and implement revenue management strategies regularly. This includes reviewing market analysis monthly, understanding guest needs, and adjusting strategies accordingly to maximize revenue and meet changing demands.
Outlines
😀 Essential Qualities of a Front Office Manager
This paragraph introduces the role of a front office manager in the hospitality industry, emphasizing the need for a blend of hospitality, organizational skills, and leadership. It highlights the importance of first impressions and the manager's responsibility in setting the tone for guest interactions. The paragraph also outlines the wide range of duties, from training new employees to handling finances, and stresses the need for constant improvement and self-evaluation. The key message is that a successful front office manager leads by example and is always striving for excellence.
🔍 Focus on Details and Priorities in Hospitality
Paragraph 2 discusses the significance of attention to detail and effective time management for front office managers. It mentions the 80/20 rule, suggesting that a majority of profits and issues often stem from a smaller subset of clients or tasks. The paragraph encourages managers to focus on doing the right things correctly and to be organized to handle multiple responsibilities. It also touches on the importance of having an extroverted personality to thrive in guest and staff interactions, and the value of circulating among employees and guests to understand and address their concerns. The paragraph concludes with the necessity of regular one-on-one sessions with employees to reinforce positive actions and correct any potential issues.
📈 Proactive Management and Revenue Strategies
The final paragraph emphasizes the proactive nature required of a front office manager, including planning and implementing revenue management strategies. It suggests that understanding market trends and guest needs is crucial, not just for the sales team but for front office managers as well. The paragraph also stresses the importance of being open to feedback and taking responsibility for issues that arise. It concludes by stating that a good front office manager is accountable for guest satisfaction and should be open to learning and improving to enhance their management skills and the property's performance.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Front Office Manager
💡Hospitality
💡Organizational Skills
💡Customer Service
💡Property
💡Training
💡Revenue Management
💡Team Player
💡Proactive
💡Market Analysis
💡Accountability
Highlights
A successful front office manager requires a blend of skillful hospitality and organizational skills.
First impressions are critical in hospitality, as they can shape the guest's perception of the property.
A front office manager should lead by example and never settle for less than an A-plus performance.
The front desk is the communication and financial center of a hospitality property.
Listening skills are crucial for front office managers to coach staff and improve guest service.
Customer service is paramount; every guest should be treated professionally and courteously.
Front office managers must know every detail about their property's products and services.
Regular inspections of property accommodations are necessary to stay aware of changes and potential issues.
Understanding the competition is vital for a front office manager to increase market share.
Attention to detail is key in the hospitality industry, as small things can significantly impact guest experience.
Extroverted personalities often excel as front office managers due to the constant interaction required.
Circulating among employees and guests helps managers understand issues and improve service.
Regular one-on-one sessions with employees are essential for reinforcing positive actions and correcting issues.
Ongoing training is crucial for maintaining a high standard of service at the front desk.
When hiring, front office managers should focus on the human resource role and select staff wisely.
Being a team player is important for a front office manager to create a cohesive and effective team.
Proactivity is essential; front office managers should initiate improvements without waiting for direction.
Revenue management strategies should be planned, coordinated, and implemented regularly.
Monthly market analysis is necessary to understand guest needs and preferences.
Being open to feedback and taking responsibility for issues is crucial for continuous improvement.
The ultimate goal is to ensure guests leave with positive thoughts, which reflects the success of the front office manager.
Transcripts
a successful front office manager
requires a perfect mixture of skillful
hospitality and tight organizational
skills never settling for less than an
a-plus I'm going to show you what you
have to do to be a successful front
office manager welcome to another
edition of hospitality property school I
am your instructor Jerry McPherson in
any hospitality property first
impressions are everything the way your
front desk staff greets and a tenth of
the guests can make or break the image
of your property and just to make things
clearer if you operate a small B&B or in
and you're a one-person operation you
are the front office manager like the
best leaders a front office manager with
the right knowledge training and
attitude leads by example and from the
front if your personality is a perfect
mixture of skillful hospitality and
tight organizational skills then working
as a front office manager at a
hospitality property might be an
invigorating in fulfilling career path
success as a hospitality property front
office manager as with many other
careers requires constant improvement
and self-evaluation a successful front
office manager at any property should
never settle for less than an eighth
plus now the duties of a hospitality
property front office manager can be
wide and ranging not only our managers
in charge of seeing the new employees
get trained properly they are also in
charge of everything from assigning work
schedules to handling finances no two
days of working as a front office
manager are exactly the same
now here are 15 steps that can help make
a successful front desk manager 1
improve listening skills and then coach
others to do the same we all need not
only to hear but to listen with better
intensity the front desk is the
communication
center of every hospitality property it
is the financial center for reservations
and much of the cash activity and many
properties a front office manager must
be able to oversee both guests and staff
interactions to ensure proper guest
service and procedures guide those staff
that need it
coach appropriately and increase the
two-way communication cycle to work
towards customer delight in any
hospitality property customer service is
supreme the only method that will ensure
your guests are satisfied with the
service provided by the front desk is if
you value your guests each guest has to
be treated professionally and
courteously be sure you have the time to
hear the tiniest problem and resolve it
when you make commitments to customers
meet them and train your employees to
check and guess quickly and also to
accelerate the checkout as fast as
possible when you are more focused on
the requirements of your guests and are
ready to accept both the positive and
negative feedback you'll be able to
better anticipate their needs and to
fulfill them 3 make sure you and your
staff know everything about the property
and services the most obvious
requirement for any successful front
office manager is to know all the
details about the hospitality properties
products and services personally
inspecting every type of accommodations
in your property learn the differences
and the potential benefits of each type
and how they can be of value to
different customers this tour should be
monthly or even weekly to keep you aware
of changes in the property and can also
help management be better aware of
potential problems maintain your
awareness of the property on the whole
this includes parking areas public areas
access points to the property and the
all-important curb appeal if you work
with an adjacent restaurant or another
external service that is part of your
offerings regularly assess their quality
and see how it affects your guests
satisfaction an effective front office
manager takes pride in their property
and often offers to assist senior
management in room inspections or in the
sales effort as appropriate for make
sure you know everything about the
services and products of those
properties that you are competing with
as in the proceeding strategy the
effective front office managers know who
their competition is and everything
about them they learn their strengths
and their weaknesses and plan
accordingly as they try to increase
market share at the expense of their
competitors it is not the sole
responsibility of the sales team or
general manager to be part of the
upselling effort successful front office
managers embrace the mantra everyone
sells five focus on details in the
hospitality property industry small
things can have a large impact if you
want to be the best front office manager
your guests have ever seen pay close
attention to the details constantly
assess your time management the 80/20
rule of priorities and value remains
true much of the time 80% of our profits
come from 20% of the client base the
same holds true for problem areas or
staff that need attention the question
needs to be not are we doing things
right but are we doing the right things
correctly if you have to juggle many
things simultaneously and are not
organized you won't be able to pry or
work if you're able to organize yourself
at work you'll be able to focus on each
facet of your responsibilities
effectively and this will assist you to
identify areas of improvement then you
can develop strategies to improve
service thereby becoming a better front
office manager 6 show off your
extroverted side people with extroverted
personalities often flourish in the
hospitality front office manager
positions these jobs require constant
interaction not only with the staff but
also with guests an upbeat and pleasant
attitude is a must for people in this
position if you're a front office
manager you want to make your guests
feel at ease and comfortable when in
your presence you want them to make them
feel like you're there for them that you
can answer their questions and take care
of any concerns they might have
introverts
who prefer working alone are often
better suited for other fields 7
circulate with employees and guests an
exceptional front office manager makes
time to speak with his staff and also
guests anytime you talk with your
personnel you will find out the issues
they're facing in providing good service
to guests and may come up with solutions
to a system you should also mix and talk
to your guests to help them feel
comfortable in your presence to speak
about their concerns and to ask
questions if you have direct contact
with your employees and guests you'll be
able to assess situations handle
questions and concerns that staff and
guests might have the legendary managers
are those who know their clients and
interact with them regularly effective
front office managers professionally
interact with guests as often as
possible 8 hold regular one-on-one
sessions with all direct employees in
the department including the Night
Auditor while the night shift is hugely
quieter it still represents 30% of the
day and needs to be included in
discussions and communication these
sessions should not be formal reviews
but guideposts to reinforce positive
actions or to correct a potentially
dangerous course of action when it
becomes apparent that these are honest
dialogues the sessions will actually be
anticipated as an opportunity to clear
the air 9 training must be maintained
and increased there is no excuse today
for a poorly or untrained front desk
staff when running high occupancy many
managers claim they are too busy to
train when the occupancy is flat or
declining cutting ongoing training is to
save money but it'll really cost you
more and a little Drive good staff to
consider leaving and loyal customers to
the competition because it will appear
you do not care 10 when hiring people
pay attention to the human resource role
recruit and select people wisely
encourage your general manager to pay
competitively or better
and lead in incentives as a front office
manager recognize your team regularly
would thank yous and expressions of
appreciation retain champions by
whatever it takes to keep them are these
making sense let me know by leaving a
comment 11 be a team player even as a
front office manager you should be
capable of being a team player and be
able to work with your subordinates and
other department heads without letting
your ego get in the way this will help
create a team that can take ownership
and excel in its work if your team works
successfully it reflects on your
management abilities and skills 12 be
proactive don't wait for top management
to tell you the way to enhance your
department you're the front office
manager and you ought to have the
ability and the insight to initiate
improvement to get the desired results
remember prosperity of the property
depends on you as well as your staffs
ability to handle guests and address
their concerns if you're able to make
your guests happy without having to be
told you have turned into an exceptional
front office manager 13 plan coordinate
and implement revenue management
strategies regularly this is another
example of blended learning some
hospitality properties are fortunate to
have the full-time revenue manager
working on their property while other
companies sometimes have someone at the
owners or a management company office
regularly watching inventories and
demand patterns the blended learning
must come from the people who recognize
the trends and the cycles and anticipate
the necessary steps 14 review your
Market Analysis monthly it should not
just be the sales team or general
manager that has an interest in trends
or shifts in market understanding your
guests needs is essential and sharing
observations on changing guests
preferences needs or demands should be a
critical part of the front office
monthly management practices and 15 be
open to an
movement when things are running
smoothly you'll get a pat in the back
but if things are not running smoothly
you should be able to stand up and take
responsibility you need to be able to
sit back analyze the problem and come up
with an answer to ensure it doesn't
happen again do not blame your employees
or others if things go wrong instead
used problems to enhance yourself and
your department when you are the front
office manager you are accountable for
your guests satisfaction and well-being
if your guests are content with your
service still return as well as get the
word out about your property to their
friends and family so creating a good
impression and ensuring your guests
leave your property with positive
thoughts needs to be your ultimate goal
if you achieve this goal you have become
an outstanding front office manager in
conclusion when your the front office
manager of a hospitality property a lot
of responsibility is in your hands if
things go right you can probably pat
yourself on the back if things go wrong
however there's a chance you might have
been able to prevent it the answer to
being a good property front office
manager is having the honesty and
confidence to be able to admit to
yourself that you could have approached
something in a little more effective
manner if you're capable of analyzing
your actions and figuring out how you
could proceed differently than you open
yourself up to improvement in the future
if you stubbornly stick to the same
routine over and over you block out
improvement which negatively affects
your output as a manager along with the
rest of the property if someone has
helpful advice on how to be a more
effective and productive manager you
should almost be open to hearing it now
if you liked this video let me know in
the comment section below
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until next time have a fun day we will
see you next time right here in Hospital
departments
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