Front Desk Manager Duties And Responsibilities

The front desk manager responsibilities include the duties that comprise attending the clients, guests, incoming visitors, etc., and managing the overall administrative functions that are related with the front desk. He/she is generally employed in hotels, hospitals, government offices, private organizations, etc. Depending on the kind of industry he/she is employed in, the duties may vary slightly.

The front desk managers generally start with the entry level position and after gaining sufficient experience are generally promoted to this position. Thus, if you love to interact with people and have the knack of striking a chord instantly with them, then this is definitely one of the best options to make a career in the industry of your choice.

Key Responsibilities of Front Desk Manager

The front desk manager is essentially responsible for managing and monitoring the overall functions related to its staff members, allocating them with sufficient work, scheduling their duties, understanding their problems and solving them, conducting meetings and updating them with the policies of the organization, etc.

He/she is equally responsible for granting leaves and making sure that adequate staff is available to carry on with the rest of the duties. In addition, he/she makes sure that every employee in the organization abides by the rules and regulations of the organization and takes strict disciplinary action if some employee fails to follow it even after giving warning.

Here is a detailed description of the key responsibilities that need to be handled by a front desk manager in a hotel industry.

1. He/she generally reports to the Director of the hotel in all the matters related with the daily functioning of the front desk.
2. He/she is primarily responsible for developing, maintaining and establishing professional relationship with the guests and patrons of the hotel.
3. To greet the incoming guests, listen to their requests, and assist the reception staff whenever they are busy
4. To review the status of vacant and occupied rooms and to make reservations as per special requests made by the potential or VIP clients by working in close association with the reservations manager
5. To review the open as well as close status daily to ensure that maximum revenue has been earned and to develop policies that will assist in yielding better profits
6. To make sure that the policies of the organization and its related procedures are integrated to assure that the highest standard of services are offered to the guests and that they are completely satisfied with it
7. To review the complaints of the guest and handle them effectively and to monitor all the activities by reviewing the front desk log book
8. To supervise the front desk staff members and to train them in way so as to offer best guest services.

Apart from the above responsibilities, the front desk manager makes sure that the staff is familiar with the organization's standards and are familiar with its rules and regulations. He/she schedules meetings with the front office and solves their professional issues and tackles their personal problems, as they may affect their work performance in the hotel. He/she is responsible for interviewing and recruiting new employees whenever there is a requirement. He/she should be well aware of the special promotional activities of the hotel and should be well informed about the competitor hotel's strategies, rates and other relevant schemes that they are offering. He/she is involved in maintaining all the statistical data and records and helps in designing the budget. He/she makes sure that all the cost expenditures are within the limits of the assigned budget and may perform other related duties as well.

Essential Skills

• The front desk manager in a hotel industry should be totally customer centric with exceptional communication skills.
• He/she should be friendly, able to convey goals clearly to the staff members, good supervisory, leadership and management skills along with a willingness to learn and flexibile to work at any given point of time.
• Good selling skills and ability to convince the guests to upgrade to higher priced rooms and sign in for more frequent stays at the hotel would be definitely preferred by the employer, as it will help in earning more revenue.
• He/she should have good business acumen and should create innovative ideas to expand the business further.

Educational Requirements

Most of the employers prefer to hire individuals who have completed high school education or have some degree from an accredited college or university in the field related to hospitality industry, business management, administration, etc. Though formal education is not compulsory, it will be of great advantage when an individual is being considered for further promotion.

Work Hours

This professional is required to work for eight to nine hours daily, but must be flexible to work extra depending on the situation in the organization. Meetings and trainings may require him/her to work beyond the normal business hours.

Salary Details

The salary normally ranges in between $26,000 to $40,000. The average salary offered for the individual working in this profession is $31,000, and it may change according to his/her experience, location of the organization, and the type of the industry he/she will be functioning in and its size.

Career Prospects

There are many prospective opportunities available for this post in several industries like hotel, casinos, medical field, airlines, etc. Those who have handled these responsibilities well and are eager to learn and adapt themselves will surely find a higher place for themselves in the organization.

Thus, if you are customer oriented with good communication and problem solving skills and enjoy working with a diverse range of people, then you can definitely shoulder the front desk manager responsibilities successfully.

See Also

Front Desk Agent Responsibilities