IDENTIFYING FRONT OFFICE TOOLS, EQUIPMENT, AND PARAPHERNALIA

• Equipment


  Large tools that are powered by either electricity or by a motor of some sort
• Hotel


  Establishment providing accommodation, meals, and other services for travelers and tourists
• Paraphernalia


  Equipment or tools needed to perform a particular operation or service
• Tool


  Small, multipurpose, and manual handy object used when working in a particular task
• Front Office Tools

  • Credit card voucher holder
  • Currency detector
  • Sundry stationary items
  • Credit card imprinter
  • Calculator
• Credit card voucher holder


  • Used to hold the credit card during business transactions to make it easier and organized
• Currency detector


  • Used to determine whether bills or coins are genuine or counterfeit
• Sundry stationary items


  • Used to process and manage documents during clerical functions, including staplers, hole punches, clips, disks, folder papers, pens, pencils, among others
• Credit card imprinter


  • Used to process credit card payment transactions of hotel guests in lieu of cash payment, can also be used manually in the event of power loss
• Calculator


  • Used in financial computations for amounts of expenses, charges, commissions, etc.
• Front Office Equipment

  • Computer set
  • Printer
  • Cash register
  • Surveillance camera
  • Telephone
  • Fax machine
• Computer set


  • Used for the digital monitoring of accounts and profiling of the guests, used to produce, save, and store a range of internal and external use documents
• Printer


  • Prints the hardcopies of documents on dot matrix, inkjet, laser print, or combined printer
• Cash register


  • Used for calculating and recording sales transaction, has an attached drawer for storing cash, and prints a receipt for the customer
• Surveillance camera


  • Used to record all the actions, movements, sounds, and all other daily incidence of the business for safety and security purposes
• Telephone


  • Used for front and inter-office communications like inquiries and reservations of guests
• Fax machine


  • Used to reproduce a printed document by electronically scanning and transmitting it via telephone line to another fax machine
• Front Office Paraphernalia

  • Key rack
  • Safety deposit box
  • Lapel microphone
  • Filing cabinet
  • Two-way walkie-talkies
• Key rack


  • Used to hold the room keys of the hotel for safekeeping and proper organization
• Safety deposit box


  • Used to store valuable possessions like money and other important documents of guests
• Lapel microphone


  • Used for public speaking applications to allow hands free of operation
• Filing cabinet


  • Used to store, maintain, and protect hard copies of both internal and external use documents
• Two-way walkie-talkies


  • Used by the security personnel to communicate with each other during their rounds in and around hotel premises
• Other Materials and Forms

  • Logbook
  • Room key/card
  • Corkboard
  • Guest folio rack
  • Room rack
  • Empty envelopes
  • Luggage tag
  • Complaints register form
  • Guest folio form
  • Daily running sheet
  • Errand card
• Logbook


  • Used to record information about daily activities in front office, also used to record inter-office communication
• Room key/card


  • Used to provide access to hotel rooms to avoid potential theft activity
• Corkboard


  • Used to display public information such as guidelines, notices, and promotions about related hotel services to guests
• Guest folio rack


  • Used to manually maintain the hotel folios of the front office
• Room rack

  • Used to assist the front desk officer in accessing registration forms containing all guest names and room numbers
• Empty envelopes


  • Used to hold hotel written documents for staff or guests' use
• Luggage tag


  • Used to identify guest' bags and their other personal belongings
• Complaints register form


  • Used to note all guests' complaints while staying in the hotel
• Guest folio form


  • Used to record guests' cash and credit transactions in the hotel
• Daily running sheet


  • Used as a checklist of duties to be completed on a particular shift in the front office, also used to record events that have happened throughout the day, similar to diary entries
• Errand card


  • Used to track guests' luggage movements in the hotel for check-in and checkout stay