Assistant Front Office Manager - Sable Hotel at Navy Pier - UnitedService Companies

GENERAL PURPOSE

Supervise the daily operations of the Guest Services personnel; promoting a safe environment and quality services to achieve maximum guest satisfaction and financial success. Ensure the guests are greeted with excellent service upon their arrival at the hotel Front Desk, efficiently check them in to the hotel and offer any assistance possible.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Assist with the development and training sessions for hotel front office personnel on all aspects of the operation including guest service and maintaining service standards.

Communicate with the Front Office Manager on all guest and employee concerns & challenges.

Assist and make recommendations to the Director of Operations and Front Office Manager in the areas of conducting performance evaluations, discipline and terminations as appropriate.

Coordinate guest service efforts to include group arrivals and departures, and guest transportation, while maximizing the guest experience through top quality customer service.

Ensures the entire front desk team regularly calculates and/or posts monies, receipts, guest accounts and other forms of credit using accurate, proper cash handling methods and established procedures in order to present the customer with timely and precise hotel charges upon check-out and maintain accurate hotel records.

Courteously answers inquiries and accepts reservations, both in person and by telephone, by accurately communicating hotel rates and information and by using suggestive selling techniques to sell room nights, increase occupancy and revenue.

Greets and completes established check-in procedures for arriving guests on a daily basis, using both manual and computerized methods, in order to ensure guests are satisfied and in rooms as requested.

Facilitates guest departure (check-out) on a daily basis by following established manual and computer procedures in order to close guest accounts and open the room for the next sell.

Coordinate and supervise the activities and foster good relations with our valet service, taxi services, and the Airport Connection to provide the maximum level of quality service.

Provide information and assist staff in recommending area restaurants, theatres, community events, activities, etc., to ensure optimum guest satisfaction.

Maintains good customer relations by keeping abreast of all in-house and area functions in order to answer questions and concerns with timely and knowledgeable responses in person and on telephone.

Handle all incoming reservation requests. (Obtaining the sale as well as selling the hotel at all times)

Maximizing revenue in each phone/desk transaction. (Sell from the top down and offer specials last.)

Operates the PBX equipment by accepting incoming calls, assisting outgoing calls, scheduling and setting wake-up calls and paging guests to provide guests with timely and efficient service.

Controls cash transactions at the front desk and maintains complete responsibility for personal bank as specified by hotel bank agreement policy.

Follow-up on any complaints or problems a guest may experience in a timely and professional fashion to ensure a quality guest experience.

Implement emergency training and procedures to ensure appropriate protection of the hotel's guests, staff and company assets.

Maintains a friendly, cheerful and courteous demeanour at all times.

Performs other duties as assigned, requested or deemed necessary by management.

OTHER DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Is well groomed and in professional business attire or uniform with name tag at all times. Has a friendly and personable attitude with each encounter.

Contributes and maintains established information and communication sources such as department and front desk log books in order to enhance department communications and operations.

Processes all guest mail, messages and faxes by receiving, sorting, notifying and distributing to mailboxes and to guests in order to ensure the information is received by the guests in the most timely and accurate method possible.

SUPERVISORY DUTIES

Oversees all day-to-day operations of Front Office staff, ensuring that all established front office and hotel policies are followed. Represent the hotel as MOD during scheduled shifts in absence of senior leadership.

• Reviews and maintains the logbook at the desk for communication purposes.
• Maintains and controls the keys at the front desk, including weekly key count.
• Assist with schedules and training of all new staff.
• Has complete knowledge of emergency procedures of the hotel.
• Maintains a clean, organized and presentable work environment at all times.
• Take inventory of monthly supplies.
• Ensures that all of the proper supplies are at the desk to complete each day.
• Implementation of new procedures and or policies.
• Ensures that the AM shift, and PM shift checklist is completed each day.
• When working overnight shift, assist in closing of the day.
• Ensures that the house is set up daily before leaving.
• Prepares for the flow of the day including set up for walks.
• Responsible for advance deposit postings.
• Research and handle all no-show inquiries.
• Reviews reservations taken on the previous day.
• Maintains absenteeism/tardy policy.
• Administers front desk incentive program.
• Takes responsibility in the absence of the Front Office Manager.
• Ensures that the correct rates are running nightly.
• Provides assistance to other employees and departments to contribute to the best overall performance of the department and the hotel.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS:Knowledge & Skills

Must have total understanding of all hotel's front office procedures.

Must have high school graduate level mathematical aptitude, know standard cash handling procedures and knowledge of Opera systems.

Must have past experience in dealing directly with the public and acquired general knowledge of basic customer service skills.

Must be fluent in oral and written English.

Must have vision ability to read written communiques and monochrome computer screen.

Must have hand and finger dexterity to operate computer, calculator and telephone keyboards, for cash handling and paperwork processing.

Excellent communication skills both in person as well as on the telephone. Team leader and innovator relating to others. Computer skills, excellent verbal and written skills. Required to act as a sales representative.

Skilled in Opera preferred but not required. Computer savvy, ability to operate 10-key adding machine.

Education/Formal Training:

Requires 3-5 years' experience in a hotel Front Office position. Previous experience as a supervisor preferably in a service or hospitality business. Training experience strongly preferred.

Experience:

Minimum two years previous experience as a front office supervisor/manager role or minimum of four years front office experience in hotel work.

Physical Demands

The physical demands and environmental factors described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to continuously stand for extended periods of time.
• Use of hands, fingers, and forearms to operate computer is repetitive.
• Occasional sitting for completion of paperwork.
• Ability to push/pull cart as needed.
• Ability to lift or move objects up to 20 lbs.
• Standing and walking is continuous for 4-5 hours at a time.
• Standing, walking, bending, kneeling, and ascending and descending stairs are repetitive movements.