Front Office Management Syllabus - BHM (TU)

Course Objectives

This course aims to familize students with the operaional and managerial prospect of the front office department in the hotel industry.

Course Description

Introduction to property management system (PMS), front office accounting; planning and evaluating operations, front office budgeting, visitors tabular ledger (VTL), sales record and control of sale of room and food, settlement of bills, night audit, credit control, occupancy ratios and yield management.

Course Details

Unit 1: The property management system (PMS)                                                                                                                                                LH 4

Introduction to PMS, Different property management systems used in hotel.

Unit 2: Front office accounting                                                                                                                                              LH 6

Introduction to front office accounting, its types, objectives, operation modes and documents required. Folios and types of folios – guest, master, non-guest, employee; Ledger and types of ledger – guest ledger, city ledger; Vouchers and types of vouchers – cash, miscellaneous charge, transfer, allowance, paid out.

Unit 3: Planning and evaluating operation                                                                                                                                              LH 7

Management function – planning, organizing, coordinating, staffing, leading, controlling, evaluating; Establishing room rate, Factorsconsidered while establishing room rate, Ways ofestablishing room rate, Basis for charging room rates, Tasks; Forecasting room availability,its’ importance and basis of forecastingrooms.

Unit 4: Front office budgeting                                                                                                                                               LH 4

Introduction to budget, budgeting, preparing a budget, Budget planning.

Unit 5: Visitors tabular ledger (VTL)                                                                                                                                                  LH 4

Introduction to VTL, its importance, advantages, disadvantages, posting procedure; Tasks.

Unit 6: Sales record and control of revenue producing sections                                                                                                                                     LH 4

Flow chart showing sales record and control of sale of room and food, Forms and formats used for keeping sales records and control on sale of rooms and food.

Unit 7: Settlement of bills                                                                                                                                                  LH 6

Cash mode, Credit mode, Foreign exchange regulation and procedure; Tasks – Foreign Exchange Encashment Receipt (FEER), Guest bill (final), Guest weekly bill, Travel agency voucher.

Unit 8: Night Audit                                                                                                                                                  LH 4

Introduction to night audit, night auditor, Duties and responsibilities of night auditor; Night audit process.

Unit 9: Credit control                                                                                                                                                 LH 2

Introduction and importance of credit security measures.

Unit 10: Occupancy ratios                                                                                                                                                  LH 2

Occupancy ratios; Tasks.

Unit 11: Yield Management                                                                                                                                              LH 5

Defining yield, yield management, Benefits of yield management, Elements of yield management, Yield management strategies, Yield management software system, Measuring yield; Task.

Practical Tasks

Charging room rates; VTL postings; Preparing FEER, guest weekly bill, final guest bill and travel agency voucher; Occupancy Ratios; Computer software used in hotels.

References:

Andrews, S. Hotel Front Office, A Training Manual, New Delhi :McGraw Hill Bhakta, A. Professional Hotel Front Office Management, New Delhi: McGraw Hill Ismail, A. Front office Operations and Management, Banglore: Eastern Press

Kasavana,M. Front Office Management, New York: American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA)

Negi, J. HospitalityReception and Front Office Procedures and Systems, New Delhi: S. Chand&Company

Tewari, J. R. Hotel Front Office Operations and Management,New Delhi: Oxford UniversityPress