15 Ways to Become the Best Front Office Manager | Ep. #169

Summary

This 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

00:00

😀 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.

05:03

🔍 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.

10:04

📈 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.

Keywords

💡Front Office Manager

A Front Office Manager is a key role in the hospitality industry, responsible for overseeing the front desk operations, guest services, and staff management. In the video, it is emphasized that this position requires a blend of hospitality, organizational skills, and leadership. The script mentions that the Front Office Manager is the first point of contact for guests, setting the tone for their entire experience, and must lead by example, ensuring high standards of service.

💡Hospitality

Hospitality refers to the act of receiving or entertaining guests with warmth and friendliness. The video underscores the importance of hospitality in creating a welcoming atmosphere for guests. It is mentioned that a successful Front Office Manager must have a personality that reflects skillful hospitality, implying a genuine care for guests' comfort and satisfaction.

💡Organizational Skills

Organizational skills are the ability to plan, prioritize, and manage time and resources effectively. The script highlights that a Front Office Manager must have 'tight organizational skills' to handle various tasks such as assigning work schedules, managing finances, and overseeing guest interactions. These skills are crucial for ensuring the smooth operation of the front desk and contributing to the property's overall efficiency.

💡Customer Service

Customer service involves providing assistance and support to customers, ensuring their needs are met. The video script stresses that customer service is 'supreme' in the hospitality industry. It mentions that the Front Office Manager must ensure that every guest is treated professionally and courteously, and that they are responsive to both positive and negative feedback to anticipate and fulfill guest needs.

💡Property

In the context of the video, 'property' refers to the hospitality establishment, such as a hotel or bed and breakfast, where the Front Office Manager operates. The script mentions that the Front Office Manager should know everything about the property and its services, including personally inspecting accommodations and being aware of changes or potential issues, which is essential for providing accurate information and a high level of service to guests.

💡Training

Training in the video refers to the process of teaching and developing the skills and knowledge of employees. It is mentioned that a successful Front Office Manager is responsible for ensuring that new employees are trained properly and that ongoing training is maintained. The script also suggests that training should not be neglected, even during busy periods, as it is crucial for maintaining high service standards.

💡Revenue Management

Revenue management is the practice of optimizing revenue generation by managing the availability and pricing of a company's products or services. The video script mentions that the Front Office Manager should plan, coordinate, and implement revenue management strategies. This involves understanding market trends and demand patterns to maximize occupancy and revenue, which is a critical aspect of the role in ensuring the financial success of the property.

💡Team Player

A team player is someone who works cooperatively and collaboratively with others to achieve a common goal. The script encourages the Front Office Manager to be a team player, capable of working with subordinates and other department heads without ego interference. This is important for fostering a collaborative environment where the team can take ownership of their work and excel, reflecting positively on the manager's leadership abilities.

💡Proactive

Being proactive means taking initiative and anticipating future needs or problems to act in advance. The video script suggests that a Front Office Manager should be proactive, not waiting for instructions from top management but instead having the insight to initiate improvements. This approach is essential for enhancing the department's performance and contributing to the overall success of the property.

💡Market Analysis

Market analysis involves studying and evaluating a company's competitive environment to identify market trends, customer needs, and potential opportunities. The video script mentions that the Front Office Manager should review market analysis monthly, understanding guest needs, and sharing observations on changing preferences. This is crucial for staying competitive and adapting services to meet the evolving demands of the market.

💡Accountability

Accountability refers to the responsibility one has for one's actions and their consequences. The video script emphasizes that the Front Office Manager is accountable for guest satisfaction and well-being. It suggests that if issues arise, the manager should take responsibility, analyze the problem, and find solutions to prevent recurrence. This demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and a focus on guest experience.

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

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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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