Role Overview

As Assistant Front Office Manager, you will support the Front Office Manager and help ensure the smooth day-to-day running of Reception, Reservations and Telephone operations. You will work closely with the team to maintain high service standards, control costs, and ensure guests enjoy a seamless arrival, stay and departure experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Deputise for the Front Office Manager in their absence.
• Manage daily Reception, Reservations and Telephone operations within budgeted guidelines, coordinating resources so issues are resolved efficiently.
• Monitor staffing levels and ensure rotas align with revenue and business levels, staff needs, starters/leavers and labour standards, controlling labour costs appropriately.
• Supervise the team day-to-day, ensuring working times, grooming, clothing, conduct, duties, opening and closing tasks, set-ups, cleaning and all preparations are completed according to established procedures.
• Support the setting of targets, KPIs, schedules, policies and procedures, ensuring the team meets departmental objectives and completes essential tasks.
• Maintain excellent internal and external customer service by engaging with guests, anticipating needs, responding quickly, learning from feedback, maintaining guest preference files, and escalating issues when a guest is not satisfied.
• Support team leadership by attracting, recruiting, training, appraising, developing and succession planning; encourage an environment focused on motivation and teamwork.
• Maintain a full understanding of department operations, the hotel layout, and the location and functioning of operational equipment.
• Implement and ensure training so team members demonstrate knowledge and ability in service standards, daily duties, guest etiquette, facilities and services, events, room and floor layouts, packages and prices, limited items, and product preparation, presentation, delivery, cleanliness and service; monitor performance and drive continuous improvement.
• Ensure strong cooperation with tour operators, travel agents, tourism office representatives, and other organisations/companies, business people or VIPs connected with the hotel business, to promote positive feedback about the hotel and its activities.
• Ensure team members confidently communicate, merchandise, recommend and advise on products, upgrades, facilities and services, using sales techniques to maximise revenues.
• Oversee daily operational duties, including: checking arrivals and departures; ensuring the computerised system and telephone switchboard are accurate and in good working order; supporting the reservations team with operations and sales; supervising room readiness for arrivals; ensuring smooth arrival, welcome and departure processes; ensuring guest accounts are settled on departure; providing the Accounts Department with information and documents for fast and accurate invoicing of tour operators and other business accounts; supporting hotel promotion and advertising; helping develop systems and procedures; responding efficiently to complaints; and making continuous improvements in line with procedures.
• Monitor departmental activities through active participation in operations and inspections, with close attention to detail, quality and standards.
• Keep the workstation organised and neat, and report issues to superiors.
• Assist with stock counts and ensure the department has adequate supplies, equipment, resources and provisions.
• Ensure new orders align with costs and business levels, and that cost-control measures are followed for deliveries, handling, storage and stock rotation.
• Assist with management reporting on financial results and productivity.
• Help ensure costs and revenues meet hotel targets by identifying trends and reasons, monitoring price fluctuations, liaising with superiors, suggesting improvements and taking appropriate action.
• Communicate cost issues and financial status to the team to increase involvement and commitment.
• Inspect areas daily to ensure cleanliness, good physical condition and functioning equipment.
• Assist with market and competitor analysis, market needs and trends.
• Implement the hotel’s sales, promotions and entertainment plan, contributing new ideas.