Expert Insights: Hiring the Right Front Desk Employees for Your Hotel's Success | Ep. #339

A hotel's front desk or reception plays a critical role, as it’s often the first point of contact for guests.

I’m going to explore the qualifications to look for when hiring the right front desk employees.

The importance of front desk employees cannot be overstated, as they play a critical role in creating a positive first impression and setting the tone for the guest's entire stay. They are also responsible for a wide range of tasks that require exceptional customer service skills, attention to detail, and the ability to think on their feet.

Hiring the right front desk employees is essential for any hospitality property owner or manager, and if you are looking to hire the best talent, I’ll provide valuable insights and practical tips to help you succeed.

Continue listening, and I’ll share the qualifications to look for when hiring the right front desk employees…

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
A hotel's front desk or reception playsa critical role as it is often the
first point of contact for guests.I'm going to explore the qualifications to look
for when hiring the right front deskemployees. Welcome to another edition of Hospitality

(00:24):
Property School. I'm your instructor,Jerry McPherson. The importance of a front
desk employee cannot be overstated, asthey play a critical role in creating a
positive first impression and setting the tonefor the guests entire stay. They are
also responsible for a wide range oftasks that require exceptional customer service skills,

(00:48):
attention to detail, and the abilityto think on their feet. Hiring the
right front desk employee is essential forany hospitality property owner or manager, and
if you are looking to hire thebest talented, I'll provide valuable insights and
practical tips to help you succeed.Continue reading, watching, or listening,

(01:10):
and I'll share the qualifications to lookfor when hiring the right front desk employees
right after a word from our sponsor. How do I open a hotel resort
in bed and breakfast or vacation rental? Or how do I grow my hotel
resort? In bed and breakfast orvacation rental business? Or what changes do

(01:34):
I have to make at my propertypost COVID nineteen? If you have ever
asked yourself any of these questions,I'll be happy to answer, But before
I do, let me ask youa couple of questions. Does the idea
of being your own boss in thehospitality property industry sound appealing? Is the
thought of sharing your corner of theworld with guests intriguing? Have you ever

(01:57):
thought of opening or growing a hotel, resort, in bed and breakfast or
vocation rental but are not sure whereto start? Are you worried about whether
guests will return and keep returning toyour property after COVID? If you've answered
yes to any of these questions,this course is for you. This course

(02:19):
is designed to get you started andgrow your business as a hospitality property owner
or manager with more than just quickfixed tactics, but instead help you develop
successful long term operation methods. Iwill cover Series one Hospitality Property Organizational Structure,
Series number two, Steps to hiringexceptional hospitality property staff, Series three,

(02:45):
Marketing Strategy four, Hospitality Properties Seriesfour Guest expectations in the hospitality property
industry. Do you want to takeyour hospitality property to the next level?
Don't hesitate sign up now. Beforethe break, I said I would share

(03:05):
the qualifications to look for when hiringthe right front desk employees. Hiring the
right front desk employees Qualifications, educationand training. Typically, a high school
diploma or equivalent is the minimum educationrequirement for a front desk position. However,
some hotels may prefer candidates with abachelor's degree in hospitality, business administration

(03:32):
or a related field. Additionally,training in customer service, communications and problem
solving skills is essential for this role. Customer service skills. A front desk
employee must possess excellent customer service skillsto interact with guests, make them feel

(03:53):
more welcome, and address their needspromptly and professionally. This includes being friendly,
politely, and empathetic to guests needsand concerns, whether in person or
over the phone. Communication skills.Clear and effective communication skills are vital for
a frontesk employee. They must beable to communicate information accurately and effective,

(04:16):
listen actively, and ask questions toclarify guests needs. Moreover, they must
be able to communicate with guests fromdiverse backgrounds and adapt their communication style accordingly.
Multitasking and time management skills. Afront desk employee often has to juggle

(04:38):
multiple tasks simultaneously, such as answeringphone calls, responding to emails, checking
in and checking out guests, andhandling guests requests. Therefore, they must
have excellent multitasking and time engine skillsto prioritize tasks and manage their time effectively.
Computer and technology skills. Most hotelsuse computerized reservation and guest management systems,

(05:03):
and a front desk employee must beprolific in using them. Additionally,
they must be comfortable using office equipmentsuch as printers, scanners, and fax
machines. Are these making sense sofar? Let me know all the comments.
Problem solving skills. A front deskemployee must have strong problem solving skills

(05:29):
to address customer complaints, handle difficultsituations, and find solutions quickly and effectively.
They must remain calm and composed underpressure, thinking critically, and exercise
sound judgment when dealing with the guestsneeds and concern. Attention to detail.
Attention to detail is essential for afront desk employee. They must ensure that

(05:55):
guest information is accurate and up todate. Keep track of reservations, room
assignments, special requests, and processpayments accurately. Language skills. Language skills
are particularly important for front desk employeesin hotels catering to international desks. Fluency
in multiple languages, particularly the languagesof a hotel's primary customer base, can

(06:20):
be an asset in this role.If you are a member of the Hospitality
Property School Group. As a bonus, I'm going to share the qualifications to
look for in a hotel front deskmanager. In conclusion, your front desk
employee plays a critical role in ahotel success. To succeed in this position,

(06:43):
the employee must have a combination ofeducation, skills, qualifications, and
personal qualities that enable them to provideexceptional customer service, communicate effectively, manage
time and tasks efficiently, and solveproblems quickly and effectively. By ensuring that
your front desk employees have the rightqualifications, hotels can enhance their guests experience

(07:09):
and maintain a competitive advantage in theindustry. Do you have guidelines for hiring
the right front desk employees? Letme know in the comments. We cover
more in all aspects of operating ahospitality property in the Guide to Owning and
Operating a Hospitality Property Successfully course TakeAdvantage. You can find more information at

(07:34):
Keystone HPD dot com slash course.You're going to have access to this episode
for as long as you'd like,but if you'd like to see all the
bonuses you would have access to asa member of the Hospitality Property School group,
check out the short video in thisepisode post show notes. If you

(07:55):
haven't done so yet, make sureyou sign up for Insider Tips, say
hi to us and social and joinone of our groups, and make sure
you get your free copy of theHow to Improve your Hospitality Property Success.
All of the links are in theshow notes. Now. If you like
this, let me know in thecomment section below and if you're going to
implement any of these procedures. Youcan support this free podcast by leaving us

(08:18):
a review and giving us a fivestar rating wherever you happen to be listening
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free to share it. Be sureto subscribe. Thank you so much for
your attention, and let's continue towork together to put heads in your beds.

(08:41):
Until next time, have a funday stsssssssts