Foundation Degree:Front Office Operations & Management

General:Learning Centre Induction, Academic Skills Sessions

Module specific:Module Handbook & Reading Pack, Module Pre-Reading task, welcome email with links to SOW and explanation of icons.

Discuss:Please ensure that you complete the directed reading for each week and post any queries on the message board.

1.Watch:Welcome & Module Introduction

2.Follow:Functions & Responsibilities

3.Discuss:Answer the following questions and post your thoughts on the message board.

• Do you think the Front Office Department should be called ‘Guest Service Department’? Why? Why not? (Woods et al. 2004:96)
• Do you think the Front Office can be considered to be more important than other hotel departments e.g. Housekeeping or Maintenance?
• Looking at the functions & responsibilities of the Front Office, do you think that some can be considered less or more important? If so, which ones and why?

1.Follow:Guest Reservations

2.Complete:Online Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

3.Discuss:Answer the following questions and post your thoughts on the message board.

• How do you manage reservations should technology fail – system crash?

1.Follow:Guest Services

2.Join:Please prepare the following questions and join the web-conference

• Do you think it is possible to rank the Uniformed Services by importance to the hotel guest? If so, which positions do you think to be the most or least important?
• If the General Manager of your hotel asked you in your role as Front Office Manager, to reduce staffing, which one of the Uniformed Services would you let go and why?
• What would you do if your General Manager felt that the concierge service was superfluous (not necessary) and old fashioned in this day and age. Even though you expressed your disapproval, you have been advised to let the concierges go. How would you re-organise, now faced with only the Front Desk and the Uniformed Services. Who will complete the tasks of the concierge?

3.Enjoy:Watch a couple of clips showing a ‘funny porter’ a ‘dancing doorman’ and a few more.

1.Follow:Guest Accounting

2.Complete:Online Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

3.Discuss:Answer the following questions and post your thoughts on the message board.

• To what extent is it important for a Front Office Manager to understand guest accounting?

1.Follow:The Night Audit

2.Complete:Online Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

3.Watch:This is a recording of a rather relaxed night audit. He talks quite a bit about food but does mention a number of non-audit related tasks, which he needs to complete, as he is the only one present during the night.

Turn the volume up as he mumbles a bit with an American accent – he works at La Quinta, somewhere in South Texas.

4.Discuss:Answer the following questions and post your thoughts on the message board.

• What are your thoughts on the night audit from La Quinta? Would you hire him?

1.Follow:Front Office Technology

2.Listen:Interview with Mr Payne, GM of the Threadneedles Hotel, London.

3.Discuss:Answer the following questions and post your thoughts on the message board.

• Which role should technology play in a hotel, in the GM's opinion? Do you agree? Why, why not?
• Cardkey v Real Key. Does technology really enhance guest satisfaction?

1.Listen:Interdepartmental Communications

2.Listen:Interview with Mr Payne, GM of the Threadneedles Hotel, London.

3.Read:Case Studies by Bardi J.(2002)

4.Discuss:Answer the following questions and post your thoughts on the message board.

• What is the GM's approach to managing interdepartmental communications?
• Do you agree with his approach? Why, why not?

1.Listen:Task Presentation

2.Join:Please have your research notes ready and join the web-conference.

1.Listen:Changes & Developments

2.Listen:Interview with Mr Payne, GM of the Threadneedles Hotel, London.

3.Discuss:Answer the following questions and post your thoughts on the message board.

• What is the GM's approach to managing interdepartmental communications?
• Do you agree with his approach? Why, why not?

4.Enjoy:Go online and check out the Innovation Hotel

1.Join:Prepare any questions you should have regarding the assessment e.g. content, structure, research questions etc and join the web-conference.

Contact: Individual e-tutorial / assessment support.

1.Watch:Closing Review

2.Read:“The Electrifying job of the Front Office Manager”

3.Read:“ A day in the life of the Front Office Manger”

4.Enjoy:Celebrity Apprentice USA at the Loews Regency: Joan Rivers as Concierge.

5.Discuss:Please feel free to post any closing comments about the case studies on the message board.

Please submit your assessment on time and make sure you receive an email confirming the recipe of your document.