U nit XIII. Hotel reservation, check in and out procedures

1. R ead and learn the following words and word combinations:

check in procedure [prəˈsiːdʒə(r)] процедура реєстрації

checking out – виписка та від’їзд гостей

to keep a count of - вести підрахунок

to assign rooms [əˈsaɪn] надавати номери

room clerk [klɑːk] черговий (клерк), який надає номери, веде книгу реєстрацій тощо

t o acknowledge guests [əkˈnɒlɪdʒ ɡests] ідентифікувати відвідувачів, підтвердити їх особу

in a sincere manner [sɪnˈsɪə(r)] щиро

walk in (chance) visitor - клієнт, що прибув без попереднього бронювання

to establish the guest’s name – встановити ім’я відвідувача

to retrieve guest profile [rɪˈtriːv] знайти / відслідкувати профіль клієнта

to complete the registration card – заповнити реєстраційну картку

to obtain from the guest [əbˈteɪn] отримати від гостей

to provide a brief explanation of the hotel facilities – надати короткий опис комплексу послуг, які надаються в готелі

the cashier’s office [kæˈʃɪə(r)s] каса

request for rooms [rɪˈkwest] заявка на номери, замовлення номерів

to verify the payment method [ˈverɪfaɪ] перевірити метод оплати

to establish guest profile from the system [ɪˈstæblɪʃ] встановити профіль клієнта в системі

to ask for the latest mini bar consumption [kənˈsʌmpʃn] запитати щодо нещодавнього споживання напоїв з міні-бару

to total the amount [ˈtəʊtl əˈmaʊnt] підрахувати загальну суму

to reconfirm on total consumption [ˌrɪːkənˈfɜːm] підтвердити загальну суму

to post all charges [tʃɑːdʒiz] внести всі витрати

to present to the guest for settlement – надавати клієнту для сплати

the account is settled – рахунок сплачено

2. Read and translate the following text: hotel reservation, check in and out procedures

S ome of the most important procedures at any hotel are taking reservations, checking the guests in and out. These procedures help to keep an accurate count of available and booked rooms, accommodate hotel visitors by registering them, and ensure collecting payments when the visitors depart. That is why they must be given special attention and care if the operation wants to be successful.

The employee who checks in arriving guests and assigns them to their rooms is the receptionist or the room clerk. It is his/ her responsibility to greet and acknowledge guests upon approaching the counter. S/he must welcome the guests with a smile and in a sincere manner, maintain eye contact and try to ensure that guests are greeted first before being greeted. Standard phrases for doing this are: “Good morning / afternoon / evening, Sir / Madam. Welcome to ­­­­­­­_________. Optional phrases for this situation can be: “How may I help?” or “Would you be checking in with us today?”

After that the receptionist must specify if a reservation has been made or this is a walk in (chance) visitor. If there is a previous reservation, the receptionist establishes the guest’s name saying “May I have your surname / last name, Sir / Madam?”. Then the receptionist retrieves guest profile from the system. If the guest is requested to wait, he must be informed accordingly, e.g. “One moment please” or “I am sorry to keep you waiting”. Next the receptionist takes out the registration card and confirms the guest’s name, departure date and other given details.

I f no previous registration has been made and there are available rooms, he usually gives the pre-printed registration card to the guest to complete. There are major details that are needed to obtain from the guest, such as: guest name, company, address, email, passport number, nationality, date of birth, guest signature and payment method. The room clerk fills in the room number and the rate the guest will pay, hands out his keys and shows him to his room. If time permits and guest is not in a hurry, the receptionist can provide a brief explanation of the hotel facilities. Next he must check the room in into the system and send one section or a copy of the registration card to the cashier’s office and another to the telephone switchboard.

All of these steps, which take only a few moments in a smoothly functioning system, make up the check-in or registration procedure. In addition to this, the room clerk is responsible for recording advance registrations. In a large property this may be the responsibility of a specially trained hotel reservationist. Requests for rooms may come from travel agents or the transportation companies or they may be received directly from the public by telephone or letter. It is the reservationist's job to quickly and accurately search for an available room for the length of stay the guest desires. He must specify the type of accommodation needed, arrival and departure dates, record the guest’s name and required info, as well as verify the method that the guest will use to pay for his room. Some hotels require a deposit, and a credit card will be needed to secure the room. The reservationist must run the credit card to make sure that the transaction is approved before ending the conversation. When the guest arrives at the hotel, he must present the credit card to the reservationist to verify his identity.

I f the guest asks to check out, the receptionist obtains the room number from him/her, saying “May I have your room number, please?” Then he establishes guest folio from the system, and asks him/ her for the latest mini bar consumption if any. Should the guest answer “yes’, the receptionist takes a copy of the mini bar bill and marks the items consumed according to the quantity, totals the amount and posts it on the system. If mini bar charges have already been posted, he reconfirms with the guest on total consumption. The receptionist may offer guest assistance with luggage collection or transport arrangements, reserve the car and post charges if any. He also reminds the guest to clear the in-room safety box, or the hotel safety box. When all these procedures are over, the receptionist posts all charges, prints out the bill and presents it to the guest for settlement. As soon as the account is settled, keys are handed in and the guests are escorted to the taxi with thank you words and an invitation “please, come again”.