Index

Advance booking, 19–32, 147–148

Advertising, 116–117

Airlines, 118–120

American plan tariff, 166

Analysis of bookings, 180

Analysis of business by region, 180

Analysis of guests by nationality, 180

Arrivals list, 33–34

Automated guest check-in, 37–38

Average daily spend per guest, 179–180

Average rate figures, 176

Average stay per guest, 179

Bad debts, 74

Bed and breakfast tariff, 167

Bed sheet, 38

Bedroom book, 25–26

Behaviour, 88–89

Billing machines, 51–54

Black list, 23

Bomb threat form, 68

Booking horizons, 131–134

Bookings diary, 23–25

Bookings forecasts, 177–179

Business turned away, see Denials

Call sheet, analysed, 45

Cash, 55–56

Cash frauds, 73

Check-in procedures, 138–150

Cheques, 56

Communications, 85–87

Computer systems, choosing, 202–205

Computerized advance reservations 29–32

Computerized billing, see Computerized guest accounting

Computerized check-in (groups) 150

Computerized check-in (individual) 36–38

Computerized control systems, 174–175

Computerized guest accounting, 54–55, 73

Computerized guest name search, 40

Computerized room status, 39–40

Computers, advantages, 197–199

Computers, front office applications 201–202

Computers, implications, 205–206

Computers, limitations, 199–201

Conferences, 150–151

Confidence tricksters, 69

Contracts for accommodation, 65

Contribution pricing, see Marginal pricing

Control, 170–183

‘Control pyramid’, 176–177

Conventional chart, 25–27

Copyright (software), 205

Credit cards, 58–59, 73

Credit status checks, 73

Criminal activities (by guest), 75

Criminal Law Act, 1967, 66–67

Daily occupancy report, 176–179

Data protection legislation, 205

Death (of guest), 75–76

Demi pension tariff, 166

Denials, 180–181

Density chart, 28–29

Departure (guest's), 45–46

Departure notifications, 46

Diary, see Bookings diary

Differential rates, 131, 137–138, 158–164

Direct mail, 125–126

Direct sales, 125

Direct selling, 118, 125–129

‘Discounting’, see Rate cutting

Discounts, 60–61

Displacements (yield management), 139–141

Disputed bills, 60–61

Duties, staff, see Staff responsibilities

Early morning calls, 45

Electronic conferencing, 206

‘En Pension’ Tariff, 166

Enquiries, handling of, 104

Equipment, 196–206

Equipment, manual systems, 196

Eurocheques, 56–57

European plan tariff, 166

‘Extras’ bills, 150

Filing (guest particulars), 47

Forecasts (guest occupancies), 134–135, 177–179

Foreign currency, 57–58, 73

Front office organization, 184–187

Full board tariff, 166

Gap analysis, 83–84

Group bookings, assessing value of, 146–147

Group check-in, 148–150

Group reservation form, 154

Group reservation systems, 118, 120–122

Group tour operators, 118–119

Groups, 144–152

Guaranteed reservations, 32, 73

Guest accounting, 48–61

Guest history records, 46–47

Guest index, 40

Guest needs, 77–82

Guest questionnaire, 181–183

Half board tariff, 166

Hard selling, 112–113

Health and Safety legislation, 205

‘Hospitality’, 77–87

Hotel booking agencies, 118, 120

Hotel grading systems, 6

Hotel keeper's liability, see Hotel Proprietor's Act, 1956

‘Hotel package’, the, 77–79

Hotel Proprietor's Act, 1956, 44–45, 65–66, 71, 79

Hotel representatives, 118, 120

Hotel types, 61

Hours (staff), 185–187

Housekeeper's report, 171–173

Hubbart Formula, the, 158–159

Immigration Order, the, 34–35

Immorality, problems caused by, 74–75

Inclusive/non-inclusive rates, 166–167

Income occupancy percentage, see Yield

Increasing occupancies, 103–110

Increasing room rate, 110–113

Information for guests, 45–46

Information technology plan, 203–205

Innkeepers’ Act, 1878, 66

Intangible needs (guests’), 79

Interim payments (guests’), 73

Intermediate agencies (bookings), 117–123

‘Internal audit triangle’, the, 171

Internet, the, 118, 123–124

Job descriptions, 188

‘Juggling’ bookings, 103–104

Keys and key control, 42, 70

Ledger accounts, 60

Legal aspects, 65–67

Licensing Act, 1964, 74

Lien, right of, 73

Lost room revenue, 180

Luggage passes, 73

Mail handling, 42–43

Marginal pricing, 164–165

Marketing aspects, 116–129

Methods of payment, 55–61

Modified American plan tariff, 166

Muggings, 69

Multiple rates, see Differential rates

Negotiating, 127–129, 144–146

Night audit, 173–174

‘No shows’, see Overbooking

Occupancy forecasts, 177–179

Occupancy percentages, 175

‘One to a thousand’ pricing rule, 157–158

Organization chart: front office, 184–185

Organization chart: hotel, 3

Overbooking, 105–110

Pancontinental Hotel (description), 11–15

Payment in advance, 66, 73

Peak and shoulder occupancies, 145

Personal calls, see Direct selling

Personnel specification, 191

Pre-arrival procedure diagram, 20

Pre-registration, 36

Prestige product pricing, 165–166

Price taking, 165

Privacy, threats to guest's, 69

Prostitutes, problems with, 69, 74–75

Quality (of hotel package), 83

Race Relations Act, 1976, 66

Rate cutting, 165

Reception board, see Room rack

Refunds, 60–61

Register or Registration book, 35–36

Registration, 33–40

Registration card or form, 36

Relationship marketing, 117

Repeat business, 104–105

Reservation form, 21–22

Role playing, 95–100

Roles, 84–85

Room allocation, 40–41

Room availability records, 25

Room changes, 41–42

Room or rate change, 41–42

Room rack card, 39

Room rack or reception board, 39

Room rates, differential, see Differential room rates

Room record cards, 47

Room status records, 38

‘Runners’, see Walkouts

Safe custody obligation, 44–45

Safe custody routines, 44–45

Sales, 103–113, 117–118

Seasonal rates, 161–163

Security, 65–76

Selling techniques, 125–129

‘Service’, 82–85

Sex Discrimination Act, 1975, 66

Shift patterns, see Staff hours

‘Skippers’, see Walkouts

‘Smart’ cards, see Switch cards

Social skills, 88–95

Staff appraisal, 194

Staff discipline and dismissals, 195

Staff induction, 191–192

Staff responsibilities, 187

Staff selection, 187–191

Staff training, 192–194

Staffing, 4, 184–195

Stop/go chart, 29

Switch cards, 59

Tabular ledger, 49–51

Tangible needs (guests’), 78–79

Tariffs, 157–168

Telephone calls (guests’), 43–44

Telephone selling, 126–127

Terrorist threats, 67–68

Theft Acts, 1968 & 1978, 66

Thieves, 69

Threshold curves, 136

Timeshare operations, 151–152

Top down’ pricing, 165

Tour operators, 119

Tourist Information Centres, 118, 122–123

Transactional analysis, 194

Travel agents, 118–119

Travel agents’ vouchers, 59–60

Travellers’ cheques, 58

Trespass, 66

Tudor Hotel, the (description), 7–10

Verification of records, 171–173

‘Walk-outs’, 72–73

Weekday/weekend rates, 163–164

Whitney advance bookings rack, 24–25

Whitney room status rack, 39

Yield, 176

Yield management, 130–142