REGISTRATION

REGISTRATION

Introduction

Reception is the first section of the Front Office Department; guests come in contact with, on their arrival in a hotel. It deals with the activities involved in the second stage of Guest cycle: - Pre-registration, Registration and post-registration. .

The word reception is derived from receiving. Therefore this is the section where guest is received, greeted and his requirement of the room along with his reservation status is ascertained. Reception is located in the lobby at a place which is easily accessible and is in view from the main entrance of the lobby. This section is manned by a Receptionist.

The primary activities of Reception are: -

• Welcoming guests
• Identifying his reservation status
• To establish creditability of the guest
• Registration
• Room allotment
• Issuing room key
• Source of information

IMPORTANCE OF REGISTRATION

Registration is an integral part of the guest cycle. It is mandatory by law that each guest should be registered before a room is given to him. Registration is a process in which guest fills the required details in a form or register and signs the document. It is kind of contractual agreement between the guest and the hotel about the terms and conditions of his stay including the rate and billing agreement.

The registration is important as it fulfils the following requirements: 

• Legal requirement: First and foremost registration is a legal requirement. It is binding by law that no accommodation can be allotted to a guest without registering him. Hotel is bound to retain the record of registration for a minimum period of three years.
• Information and data: Registration process generates documents, information and data about a guest which is useful in providing services, maintaining good relationship with the guest and also as a tool for sales and marketing department.
• Room rate agreement: It protects both the guest and the hotel in case of any dispute regarding room rate or billing instructions. Chances of miscommunication are minimized by the registration process.
• Empowerment: Guest is empowered to avail services of the hotel after the registration. In many cases guest can also avail credit facility in different points of sale of the hotel.
• Adherence to hotel rules: Through the registration agreement hotel can ensure that the guest follows the rules and regulations as laid down by the hotel. Registration process is an undertaking by the guest to this affect.
• Keep a track of Foreign Travellers: As the passport, visa details are taken during the registration process and a form (C- form) is send to concerned government authorities for all foreigner guests, it ensures that movement of foreigners is tacked within the country which is essential from an internal security view point.

  

2.3 PRE-REGISTRATION ACTIVITIES

To speed up the Check-in process, pre-registration activities are carried out in advance, that is, before the arrival of the guests in hotel. By guests, here, it is meant a guest with confirmed reservation. These are done by front desk personnel. The pre-registration activities are as follows:-

• The expected arrival list is prepared daily. This list has the details of the number and names of expected guests to arrive. This list also has the guest’s time of arrival, date of departure, rooms requested, reservation status, special requests and instructions.
• Room availability status for the day is calculated. This is done based on the expected arrivals, departures and stay-over including factors like overstay under stay, no-shows and out-of-order rooms. It helps the front desk in deciding the number of walk-ins or last minute reservations to be accepted for the day
• Amenity vouchers are prepared for arriving guests. These vouchers carry instructions to provide various items in the guest rooms like- cookies, fruits, flowers, etc. They are sent to housekeeping and food & beverage department as the amenities must be placed prior to guest’s arrival.
• It is the task of the front office to co-ordinate with housekeeping department to know the status of vacant rooms so that they may be allotted to the arrivals.
• Guest registration card (GRC) is pre-printed with available details and kept aside to be presented to the guest at the time of arrival. The required information can be taken from reservation form and guest history card. This helps in taking a quick check-in as the guest just needs to verify the information on GRC and sign to check-in.
• At times rooms may also be assigned during pre-registration according to the availability, agreed upon rate during reservation and guest preferences.
• Meal coupons for those guests who are on a plan where meals are included in the room tariff are prepared in advance and handed over to the guest at the time of check in.

 REGISTRATION PROCESS

According to the foreigner’s act, 1946 and the registration of foreigner’s rules, 1992, the innkeeper should keep the record of the guests staying in his premises in form- F (of the registration of foreigner’s rules, 1992).

Registration is a formal legal contract whereby the hotel agrees to provide the guest safe and secure accommodation with related services while the guest accepts to pay for the same.

In this process, the front office personnel gather all pertinent information from the guest on GRC at reception desk. It takes less time for a guest with confirmed reservation to complete registration, provided the GRC is already filled as a pre-registration activity. The guest just needs to verify the details and sign. For a walk-in guest, it is a longer procedure, as the guest needs to fill in all details.

Registration process may be manual, semi-automated and fully automated.

MANUAL

It involves all paper work. Reservations are entered into loose leaf notebook or index cards. Reservation information is placed on advance letting chart (ALC) or density control chart (DCC) to know room availability. On arrival, guests fill in registration card or book. Room is assigned using manual card replacement in room rack, which also has colour coded flags indicating housekeeping status of rooms.

SEMI-AUTOMATED

Here, the hotel uses property management system (PMS) as well as paper documentation as a double check. The PMS downloads and transfers reservations from reservation software and shows the arrival list. All departments of the hotel can access this PMS. All point of sale (POS) are connected with it to fill in guest folios. Housekeeping updates the room status from its end to show lettability. It is a lot easier for front desk personnel to retrieve information regarding both guests and rooms.  GRC are pre-filled for reserved guests which only needs verification. Electronic room keys are made as soon as the check-in is showed in PMS and the room status gets updated automatically from the front office end. The front desk personnel need only to update new or amend information in the system if required. In case, hotel is not using the computers than use of machines like type-writer, NCR machine for billing, credit card imprinter, etc may also put the hotel system under the category of semi-automated. 

FULLY AUTOMATED

In fully automated registration system the entire recordkeeping is computer based. PMS itself retrieves the guest reservation from reservation software through interface and automatically quotes rates and allots room according to a pre-determined pattern. Its only for a walk-in guest that front desk personnel feeds in the details. On-line credit card authorization terminals are installed to enable front desk personnel receive timely credit card approval. Registration data are stored in computer memory and can be retrieved as and when necessary. Guest folios are maintained and accessed through computer’s memory as well. Self-service terminals have enabled guests to have self check-in and check-out.

STAGES IN REGISTRATION PROCESS

Identify the reservation status of guest

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Get the registration records filled by guest or verification of pre-filled GRC along with guest’s signature to legalise the record

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Room is assigned as per availability and guest preference along with the agreed upon rate after deducting discounts if applicable

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Mode of payment is noted for the settlement of bills, that is, cash/credit card/ travel agent voucher, etc

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Check-in process is completed and room key is issued

 Identification of guest: - It is important, as the hotel is liable to provide room to guests with confirmed reservation first. A walk-in guest will be offered a room only if it is available.

Registration records: - Signature of guest on registration record after filling it or verifying it legalises and completes it. Other hotel records like guest folio, arrival notification slip, etc., are made on the basis of registration record. This record is stored for minimum 3 years or as prescribed by the law of the state, so that authorities can check it as and when required.

Room & rate assignment: - As a pre-registration activity, the front desk is ready with a record of the rooms available with their detailed features and rate. A guest with confirmed reservation is allotted room according to his/her preference based on availability on the agreed upon rate, whereas, for a walk-in guest, up selling may be done.

Mode of payment: - It helps in assessing the credibility of a guest. Hotel prefers to be on the safe side by charging an advance amount which includes total room nights and a substantial amount for incidental charges. This allows the guest to avail credit facility in various Points of Sale. It may be cash/credit card/ travel agent voucher/ bill to company. In case of credit card, front desk personnel block an amount on the card as authorisation from the credit card company by swiping it. On check-out, the required amount can be deducted as a sale from the authorised amount.

Check-in process and issuing room key:- Once all the above mentioned stages are complete, the front desk personnel issues the room key to the guest. GRE is asked to escort the guest to room and complete the rooming process, while the bell boy is asked to carry the guest’s luggage to room. In case Guest Relation Executive (GRE) is not available, bell boy does the entire job. It must be noted that the guest must always be escorted.

Flow Chart – I

Check-in of a guest with confirmed reservation

Greet the guest according to the time of the day

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Ask for the reservation code or confirmation number

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Retrieve guest reservation and verify status

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Ask guest to verify pre-filled GRC and sign

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Check GRC to ascertain if it is complete

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Allot room as per guest preference and availability

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Confirm whether the mode of payment for the settlement of bills remains the same as mentioned during reservation and also check the advance paid

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Assign room key

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Ask GRE/bell boy to escort the guest and luggage to room

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Wish the guest an enjoyable stay

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Update front office records

Flow Chart – II

Check-in of a walk-in guest

Greet the guest according to the time of the day

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Ask for the reservation status

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Check for room availability

↙↘

If available             if not available

                                                                     ↓                             ↓

             Ask for MOP and request for advance                          suggest alternatives

↓                                                              ↙↘

Ask to fill up GRC and check                                         if accepts         if does not accept

to ascertain if it is complete                                                 ↓                                ↓

                                       ↓                                 register the guest          refuse politely

                    ↓ 

                                           Allot room as per guest

                                        preference and availability

                                                      ↓

                                          Assign room key

                                                      ↓

            Ask GRE/bell boy to escort the guest and luggage to room

                                                      ↓

                                Wish the guest an enjoyable stay

                                                      ↓

                                  Update front office records

Flow Chart – III

Check-in of VIP guest

Arrange for pick-up from point of entry

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Welcome traditionally on arrival in the hotel lobby. The FOM or GM should receive the guest personally

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Room is pre-allotted and In-room check-in is done

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Bell boy takes the luggage to room

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Update front office records

Flow Chart – IV

Check-in procedure in fully automated system

A guest with confirmed reservation goes to the self check-in terminal

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Inputs the necessary information

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Depending on the room availability, the terminal allots the room as per guest preference or suggests alternatives

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The guest accepts the allotment and swipes credit card

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The terminal dispenses a receipt and issues the room key

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The terminal updates the front office records and sends notifications to all concerned departments

Flow Chart – V

Check-in of foreigner guest

Greet the guest according to the time of the day

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Ask for the reservation code or confirmation number

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Retrieve guest reservation and verify status

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Ask guest to verify pre-filled GRC and sign

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Check GRC to ascertain if it is complete

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Allot room as per guest preference and availability

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Take passport of the guest and fill up form- C and check validity of passport and visa.

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Confirm whether the mode of payment for the settlement of bills remains the same as mentioned during reservation and also check the advance paid

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Assign room key

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Ask GRE/bell boy to escort the guest and luggage to room

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Wish the guest an enjoyable stay

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Update front office records

FORMATS AND DOCUMENTS USED IN THE REGISTRATION PROCESS

• HARD-BOUND REGISTER:- Normally used in small hotels. All the pages are bound into a thick book. It is used for a long time.

 The advantages are-

§  All the records for the duration are available in a single book.

§  Wastage of paper is minimal.

§  No filing is required.

The disadvantages are-

§  Once misplaced, all the records for that entire duration are lost.

§  Only one guest can register at a time.

§  Queues are formed during peak season.

§  Guest information is accessible to all.

§  Pre-registration is not possible.

§  Very bulky and shabby.

  REGISTRATION BOOK

NAME	ADDRESS	PURPOSE OF VISIT	NATIONALITY	PP NO.	DATE OF ISSUE	PLACE OF ISSUE	ROOM NO.	DATE OF ARR	DATE OF DEP	ROOM RATE	GUEST SIGN

• LOOSE-LEAF REGISTER: - In this the pages are not bound. One new page is used every day.

 The advantages are-

§  Privacy of guest information can be maintained to an extent.

§  In case a sheet is lost, only one day’s records are lost.

§  Convenient to hand over to guests to fill their details.

               The disadvantages are-

§  The pages may be lost easily.

§  The space in the sheet goes waste if there is not enough number of check-ins in a day.

§  Only one guest can register at a time.

§  Pre-registration is not possible.

§  Filing is required.

• GUEST REGISTRATION CARD:- These are individual registration cards used by most hotels to overcome the problems of Hard-bound and Loose-leaf register. These may be made in duplicate or triplicate. It is filled in by guests on arrival to complete the legalisation of the process. T

The advantages are-

§  Many guests can register at the same time.

§  Privacy of guest’s information can be maintained.

§  Pre-registration is possible.

§  Presentable and aesthetic

              The disadvantages are-

§  Relatively expensive.

§  Can get lost or misplaced, if not stored properly.

GUEST REGISTRATION CARD

NAME:
OCCUPATION:	PAYMENT MODE:
NAME OF ORGANISATION & ADDRESS:	PASSPORT NO.:
DESIGNATION:	DATE OF ISSUE:
RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS:	PLACE OF ISSUE:
NATIONALITY:	DATE OF BIRTH:
DATE OF ARRIVAL:          TIME:	DATE OF ARRIVAL IN COUNTRY (FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS):
EXPECTED DATE OF DEPARTURE:	PORT OF DISEMBARKATION (FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS):
PURPOSE OF VISIT:	NO. OF PERSONS:
ARRIVED FROM:               MODE OF TRAVEL:	ROOM NO.:
NEXT DESTINATION:	ROOM RATE:
THE MANAGEMENT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOSS OF GUEST VALUABLES. LOCKERS ARE AVAILABLE WITH THE CASHIER.	I HAVE GONE THROUGH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF MY STAY IN THE HOTEL AND I AGREE TO ABIDE BY THE SAME
RECEPTIONIST’S SIGNATURE	GUEST SIGNATURE

• PASSPORT: - During the registration of a foreign national, passport is checked as a proof of identity. A passport is a document issued by a government to allow its citizens to travel abroad, requesting other governments to facilitate their passage and protection. No person can move within a foreign territory without a valid passport.

• VISA: - It is an endorsement on the passport, allowing the holder to enter the territory of the issuing country for specific purposes and for a specific length of time.
• ROOMING LIST: - A list prepared for groups and crews, containing the names of the group members and other relevant details.
• FORM F: - A document that has all required information to be maintained by the innkeeper for all visitors arriving in the hotel.
• EXPECTED ARRIVAL LIST: - A list generated by the reservation section of front office department, enlisting data of the guests expected to arrive on a particular day.

EXPECTED ARRIVAL LIST

HOTEL ABC                                                                                                       DATE.......................
NAME	NO. OF GUESTS		TYPE OF ROOM	NO. OF ROOM NIGHTS	ARRIVAL TIME	REMARKS
	ADULTS	CHILD

POST REGISTRATION ACTIVITIES

After checking in the guest, the front desk personnel updates room status report, prepares arrival notification slips for all concerned departments, creates guest folio and fills C-form (for foreigners) to send to concerned authorities. The post-registration activities which are carried out after the guest has proceeded to his room are as follows:

(a)  Check-in of the guest in the PMS or computer system. This enables al other departments to know about the check-in of a guest, his credit status and also to activate all guest services for his benefit. In a manual system this objective is achieved by sending arrival notification slips to different departments of the hotel. The departments where arrival is notified are housekeeping, Laundry, Food and Beverage service, Telephone operator, Cashier, Information and Bell desk.

(b)  Opening of guest folio: The guest folio is opened by the front office cashier. Any advance received from the guest is considered as the opening balance of the folio.

(c)  Preparing the arrival errand card : Bell desk prepares an arrival errand card which has the details of luggage sent to the guest room.

(d)  Updating the guest profile: The guest profile in the computer is updated on the basis of any information given by the guest in the registration card. The update may include guest address, passport details, credit card number, and date of birth etc. for future usage.

(e)  Updating the A & D register: Arrival and Departure register is updated for every arrival and departure in a hotel Therefore, as part of post-registration activity the arrival side of A&D register is updated by the receptionist.

(f)   Preparing ‘C’ form: The C- form is a mandatory document which is prepared for all foreigner guests and sent to FRRO (Foreigners regional registration office) or Police commissioner’s office within 24 hours of a guest’s check-in.

FORM C: - It is mandatory for the hotel owner to send information about all foreign guests in the format of form C to the nearest Foreigner’s Regional Registration Office (FRRO) or to the Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) within 24 hours of the foreigner’s arrival. All foreign nationals except people holding passport of Nepal and Bhutan are termed as foreigner in India. In case of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Chinese nationals, information should reach within 12 hours to the nearest FRRO or LIU and local police station. This form is prepared in duplicate and serial numbered. The duplicate copy is kept for permanent records as specified by law.

C FORM

HOTEL ABC FORM C (RULE 14) HOTEL ARRIVAL REPORT (TO BE COMPLETED IN DUPLICATE) SR. NO.:........................ DATE:......................... NAME OF THE HOTEL:................................................. NAME OF THE FOREIGN VISITOR:.................................. (IN FULL IN BLOCK CAPITALS, SURNAME FIRST) NATIONALITY:............................................................... PASSPORT NO.:................................................ DATE OF ISSUE:................................................. PLACE OF ISSUE:............................................... ADDRESS IN INDIA:...........................................................                                  ............................................................ DATE OF ARRIVAL IN INDIA:........................................ ARRIVED FROM:....................................................... WHETHER EMPLOYED IN INDIA: YES/NO PROPOSED DURATION OF STAY IN INDIA:............................ PROPOSED DURATION OF STAY AT HOTEL:........................... PROCEEDING TO:.............................................. REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE NO.:............................................. DATE OF ISSUE:................................................ PLACE OF ISSUE:................................................. MANAGER’S SIGNATURE

 ROOM SELLING TECHNIQUES

Front office staff must be good sales persons. Selling of guest rooms require the front office personnel to convince the guest of the value of renting a hotel room. He needs to create guest acceptance of the hotel’s rooms, facilities and services. He must make efforts to convince the guest to rent rooms of higher category than standard rate accommodation which is known as UPSELLING. The front office personnel must know how and when to sale from the guest’s perspective. Offering guestroom options is the key to this and it requires much thought and planning. Front desk staff gets up selling opportunity with walk-in guests. This can be done by describing the hotel’s facilities in a positive manner. Listen carefully to all guest’s requirements for a comfortable stay and then offer packages which include higher category room and several services. Such package may be priced substantially higher than what the guest was looking to pay for, but all services together described positively generally changes the mind of the guest as he/she would anyway had to avail them separately. Moreover, the fact that the guest will not have to search for these facilities on his/her own becomes a matter of great relief. Offering discounts during off-season and on bulk bookings are also effective room selling techniques.