Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks perform a variety of services for guests of hotels, motels, and other lodging establishments. Regardless of the type of accommodation, most desk clerks have similar responsibilities. Primarily, they register arriving guests, assign rooms, and check out guests at the end of their stay. They also keep records of room assignments and other registration-related information on computers. When guests check out, desk clerks prepare and explain the charges, as well as process payments.
Front-desk clerks always are in the public eye and, through their attitude and behavior, greatly influence the public’s impressions of the establishment. When answering questions about services, checkout times, the local community, or other matters of public interest, clerks must be courteous and helpful. Should guests report problems with their rooms, clerks contact members of the housekeeping or maintenance staff to correct the problems.
In some smaller hotels and motels, clerks may have a variety of additional responsibilities that usually are performed by specialized employees in larger establishments. In the smaller places, desk clerks often are responsible for all front-office operations, information, and services. For example, they may perform the work of a bookkeeper, advance reservation agent, cashier, laundry attendant, and telephone switchboard operator.
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Employment of hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012, as more hotels, motels, and other lodging establishments are built and occupancy rates rise. Job opportunities for hotel and motel desk clerks also will result from a need to replace workers, because many of these clerks either transfer to other occupations that offer better pay and advancement opportunities or simply leave the workforce altogether. Opportunities for part-time work should continue to be plentiful, with front desks often staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Employment of hotel and motel desk clerks should benefit from an increase in business and leisure travel. Shifts in preferences away from long vacations and toward long weekends and other, more frequent, shorter trips also should boost demand for these workers, because such stays increase the number of nights spent in hotels. The expansion of budget and extended-stay hotels relative to larger, luxury establishments reflects a change in the composition of the hotel and motel industry. As employment shifts from luxury hotels to those extended-stay establishments offering larger rooms with kitchenettes and laundry services, the proportion of hotel desk clerks should increase in relation to staff such as waiters and waitresses and recreation workers. Desk clerks are able to handle more of the guest’s needs in these establishments, answering the main switchboard, providing business services, and coordinating services such as dry cleaning or grocery shopping.
New technologies automating check-in and checkout procedures now allow some guests to bypass the front desk in many larger establishments, reducing staffing needs. As some of the more traditional duties are automated, however, many desk clerks are assuming a wider range of responsibilities.
Employment of desk clerks is sensitive to cyclical swings in the economy. During recessions, vacation and business travel declines, and hotels and motels need fewer clerks. Similarly, employment is affected by seasonal fluctuations in tourism and travel.
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Information on careers in the lodging industry, as well as information about professional development and training programs, may be obtained from:
(See the introductory statement on information and record clerks for information on working conditions, training requirements, and earnings.)
Do you want to find Job Satisfaction. Our Career Test will show you how. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
Summary of: http://www.careerplanner.com/Job-Descriptions/Hotel,-Motel,-and-Resort-Desk-Clerks.cfm
They are responsible for making guests feel comfortable and welcome. They check guests in, assign their rooms, and issue room keys. In small hotels, clerks give guests directions to their rooms and tell them where to park. Work ActivitiesThe following list of occupational tasks is specific to this career. They like to work in a friendly, non-competitive environment.
Summary of: http://www.iseek.org/sv/13000.jsp?id=100103
This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. For example, a drywall installer might benefit from experience installing drywall, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be an installer with little difficulty. Job Training Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. Job Zone Examples These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others.
Summary of: http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/43-4081.00
They register arriving guests and assign them rooms, and check guests out at the end of their stay. In assigning rooms, clerks consider their guests' preferences while trying to maximize the establishment's revenues. Desk clerks are always in the public eye and, through their attitude and behavior, greatly influence the public's impressions of the establishment. Should guests report problems with their rooms, clerks contact members of the housekeeping or maintenance staff to correct them. Employment Hotel and motel desk clerks held about 136,000 jobs in 1994.
Summary of: http://www2.jobtrak.com/help_manuals/outlook/ocos132.html
Verify customers' credit, and establish how the customer will pay for the accommodation. Keep records of room availability and guests' accounts, manually or using computers. Compute bills, collect payments, and make change for guests. Post charges, such those for rooms, food, liquor, or telephone calls, to ledgers manually, or by using computers. Answer inquiries pertaining to hotel services, registration of guests, and shopping, dining, entertainment, and travel directions.
Summary of: http://www.lunch-money.com/Careers/Overview/43-4081.00.aspx
Regardless of the type of accommodation, most desk clerks have similar responsibilities. Primarily, they register arriving guests, assign rooms, and check guests out at the end of their stay. In some smaller hotels and motels, clerks may have a variety of additional responsibilities usually performed by specialized employees in larger establishments. These clerks, for example, may perform the work of a bookkeeper, advance reservation agent, cashier, laundry attendant, and telephone switchboard operator. Employment of hotel and motel desk clerks should be favorably affected by an increase in business and leisure travel.
Summary of: http://www.jobbankusa.com/ohb/ohb132.html
Regardless of the type of accommodation, most desk clerks have similar responsibilities. Primarily, they register arriving guests, assign rooms, and check out guests at the end of their stay. Front-desk clerks always are in the public eye and, through their attitude and behavior, greatly influence the public’s impressions of the establishment. In some smaller hotels and motels, clerks may have a variety of additional responsibilities that usually are performed by specialized employees in larger establishments. For example, they may perform the work of a bookkeeper, advance reservation agent, cashier, laundry attendant, and telephone switchboard operator.
Summary of: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos132.htm
When giving out rooms, desk clerks have to make sure that the hotel makes as much money as possible while seeing to it that the hotel guests are happy. They answer questions about the price of rooms and hotel services, hand out keys, arrange for guests to switch rooms, and they tell the manager when important guests arrive. Large hotels usually have several front office clerks who may specialize as key, reservation or information clerks. The work of Hotel Desk Clerks is different depending on the size of the hotel. Desk Clerks must know the hotel floor plan, fire escape routes, and the location of and sometimes the operation of the hotel's mechanical systems.
Summary of: http://www.calmis.ca.gov/file/occguide/CLERKHOT.HTM
Regardless of the type of accommodation, most desk clerks have similar responsibilities. Primarily, they register arriving guests, assign rooms, and check out guests at the end of their stay. Front desk clerks always are in the public eye and, through their attitude and behavior, greatly influence the public’s impressions of the establishment. In some smaller hotels and motels, clerks may have a variety of additional responsibilities usually performed by specialized employees in larger establishments. These clerks, for example, may perform the work of a bookkeeper, advance reservation agent, cashier, laundry attendant, and telephone switchboard operator.
Summary of: http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/ooh20022003/ocos132.htm