Front Office

Front Office

The front office or reception is an area where visitors arrive and first encounter a staff at a place of business. Front office staff will deal with whatever question the visitor has, and put them in contact with a relevant person at the company. Broadly speaking, the front office includes roles that affect the revenues of the business. The term front office is in contrast to the term back office which refers to a company's operations, personnel, accounting, payroll and financial departments which do not interact directly with customers.

Front Office As A Career

To be a successful Front Office Manager, you must seek constant improvement and self-evaluation in order to stay focused and give of your best. Great Front Office Managers know how to make a customer feel special without having to do or say too much. Attention to detail always impresses guests - from a personal greeting and warm welcome to an upgrade or assistance with some photocopying. Great Front Office Managers motivate their teams and are results driven. They understand how the guest cycle works from the starting point of a guest reservation to check-in, payment and departure. They understand everyone’s role and encourage their teams to be transparent, uphold standards and offer exceptional service, no matter the task involved.

Skills required:

• Have excellent communication skills both on the phone, in writing and in person
• Have diplomacy to handle difficult situations with a level head
• Have the ability to multi-task and perform under pressure
• Must have the ability to make decisions without fear

This is a very rewarding career as it offers supervisors and managers a chance to learn how to face challenges and grow in their managerial skills on a daily basis. No two days are the same - it’s an action-packed adventure career that requires a level-headed, organised and service-orientated individual to head it all up.

Various front office jobs are available in resorts, hotels, game lodges, cruise ships, spas, golf clubs and many more venues.