LUGGAGE HANDLING

Luggage handling of the guest is done at various occasions such as arrival, during stay (change of room) and at the time of departure. At the time of arrival when the luggage of the guest is moved from car/taxi to the lobby and further to the allotted room, the activity is called “up bell activity”. When the luggage of the guest is moved from room to lobby and further to the car/taxi at the time of departure the activity is called “down bell activity”. The Senior Bell captain is the overall supervisor of the bell desk and he usually takes care of the morning shift as most arrivals and departures are scheduled for 12 noon. One Bell Captain is present each shift and is responsible for the supervision of the shift. He looks after the guest luggage movement, left luggage and organises errands for guest and management. Bell Boys are also called Porters or Bell Hops. Their main job is to carry guest luggage, and do errands.

EQUIPMENTS & AIDS

The equipments and aids commonly used by bell desk are as follows:-

1. Luggage Trolley (4 -wheeled and 2- wheeled)
2. Luggage nets
3. Computer with PMS
4. Printer
5. First aid box
6. Wheel Chair
7. Oxygen cylinder
8. Stamp folder with stamps of different denominations
9. Paging board
10. Luggage tags and luggage stickers
11. Stationery and formats used for different procedures

GUEST ARRIVAL PROCEDURE

Step 1: When the guest arrives the door man buzzes and inform the bell captain‘s desk for the bell boy. The bell captain will gives the arrival errand card refer format in fig 2.49 to the bell boy and ask him to proceed

Step 2: The bell boy wishes the guest and unloads the baggage from the vehicle. He brings the baggage via entrance beside the main door. He places the baggage at the bell desk and awaits instructions from the receptionist to move the luggage to the guest room. Hotel may tag baggage ticket to identify baggage. The bell boy will inform the receptionist or lobby manager in case a guest is scanty baggage guest.

Step 3: The receptionist will confirm to the bell boy that the guest has been registered into the hotel by signing the arrival errand card and writes the name and room number of the guest. The receptionist will now handover the allotted room keys to the bell boy.

Step 4: Bell boy will escort the guest to his room. Some hotels have separate luggage elevator for the luggage.

Step 5: The bell boy will open the door and let the guest to enter first. He follows and place the baggage on the luggage rack provided in each room.

Step 6: The bell boy will now informs about the following features in the room: like how to operate AC & heating thermostat, the Television, in room safety locker etc and other facilities of the room.

Step 7: Offer any other help required by the guest

Step 8: Wish the guest the pleasant stay. Do not solicit for the tips

Step 9: Return to the bell desk and deposit the completely filled errand card to bell captain.

GUEST DEPARTURE PROCEDURE

Step 1: A guest calls either front desk or bell desk to inform about his intension to check out. The bell captain fills the departure errand card refer format in fig 2.50 specifying the room number and gives to bell boy and allow him to proceed towards the room

Step 2: Knock on the guest‘s door and announce yourself. Look around the room for any guest article left, any damaged hotel property and switch off the air conditioning/heating, light, etc. Collect the room keys and depart from the room letting the guest lead the way. Ensure that the guest room is locked.

Step 3: Place the baggage at the bell desk. Stick on any hotel sticker or publicity tags. Hand over the room key to the Information counter and errand card to the Front Office Cashier. Wait for the guest to pay the bill.

Step 4: The bell boy will receive an authorization to take the baggage out of the hotel after the Front Office Cashier has signed that the guest has paid his bills and the Receptionist that the room key has been received.

Step 5: Take the baggage to the car porch and load it to the transport.

Step 6: Report back to the bell desk and hand over the errand car with the authorization signatures.

ERRAND CARDS

These are the forms available at the bell desk in two different formats:-

1. Guest Arrival Errand Card: The information counter at the front office will indicate that the guest has been allotted a room by handling over the errand card. Which mention the room number. The room key is also handed over with the errand card.
2. Guest Departure Errand Card: Once the bills are settled by the guest the departure errand card are signed by cashier specifying that bills are paid and by front office or information desk that room keys are deposited at the front desk thereby authorizing the bell boy to carry the guest luggage outside and load it into guest vehicle.

TEMPORARY STORAGE OF LUGGAGE

The baggage is collected from room upon request. A left luggage register is maintained in this case and an entry is made in this book. A baggage ticket (which has two parts) is used. One part is attached to the luggage and the counterfoil is given to the guest. This portion details the hotel‘s liability exemption clause. When the guest comes to collect his luggage he has to produce his portion of baggage ticket. The luggage store room must be secure at all times.

LEFT LUGGAGE PROCEDURE

The term “Left luggage” is attributed to luggage left by a guest who checks out of the hotel but wishes to collect the luggage later. Guest who wants to visit other cities in a country on a short tour may find. It in convenient tour carries their entire package with them or may find it once economical to retain room in the hotel where they can keep their luggage. Hotel provided the left luggage facilities to guest that are likely to checking to the hotel after they return from the tour.  This is not strictly necessary. There might be guest’s who check out but ended to depend much later in the day the occupied they time sightseeing he would find inconvenient cart their luggage with them. Leave their luggage in the hotel premises under the guarantee by the management luggage would be safe. Some may be charge fees for the facilities. But most of the hotels don’t charge the facility. The procedure is as follows:

WHILE RECEIVING LEFT LUGGAGE BY THE HOTEL (Receipt Procedure)

1. Ascertain if the guest wishing to leave his luggage as paid his hotel bill.
2. Storing package ticket on each piece of luggage separately. The package ticket has the number which is also printed on counter foil of the ticket.
3. Enter details in the left luggage register.
4. Tear of the counter foil of the each ticket and hand it over to the guest.
5. Keep the luggage in the left luggage area.

DELIVERY PROCEDURE

1. Take the counter foil of the luggage ticket from the guest.
2. Tally the same with the ticket attach to the luggage in the luggage area.
3. Enter the data of delivery in luggage register.
4. Return the counter foil and tag of luggage.

LUGGAGE INVENTORY

It is a procedure to keep a track of all guests’ stored luggage either by the bell service. This report is made periodically by the bell captain along with the help of bellboys. While doing this exercise the bell captain checks the following:-

1. Checks that the entire stored luggage has individual storage ticket and the name, date of deposit and collection etc.
2. Written clearly on the ticket and are tallying with the record in the luggage storage register.
3. Also check that inventory details regarding each baggage viz. (luggage ticket number name of guest, room number, date of deposit/collection, description of baggage, location etc.) are written clearly and legibly on the “luggage inventory sheet”.
4. And make sure that the total of luggage pieces in store are tallying with the records on the register once the inventory is done, the same is checked by the assistant manager.

BUSINESS SERVICES

As we have noted elsewhere in this Study Guide, many hotels get a high proportion of their occupancy and revenue from corporate or business travellers – or would like to do so. Business travellers have particular needs when it comes to communication: being away from the facilities of their offices, they need to stay connected. They may need to access data from their offices, or send data back, update records or make reports. They may need to keep in touch with colleagues, staff members or clients. They may need to prepare and print reports; make or change arrangements for meetings; or have professional-looking spaces to hold meetings in. And so on. Hotels can, therefore, attract and retain corporate clients and business customers by the range and quality of communication and ‘office’ services they offer.

THE EXECUTIVE FLOOR OR EXECUTIVE LOUNGE

A hotel with a high proportion of corporate/business customers may offer a dedicated floor, block or area of the hotel specifically to suit their needs such as:-

1. The executive floor may include accommodation specially customised for business travellers, with extra space for work (e.g. desk areas), in-room internet access (for guests using their own laptop computers) and extra power points (for equipment).
2. Executive-grade rooms may also offer extra amenities for personal grooming (eg clothes pressing, hair dryers, extra coat hangers), and perhaps also after-work relaxation and ‘pampering’ (e.g. in-room movies, bathrobe and slippers, up-graded toiletries).
3. Client entertainment and business networking areas may be provided (e.g. in an executive lounge), for the exclusive use of guests of the executive floor. A lounge may offer clusters of chairs, all-day refreshments (e.g. tea and coffee) and snacks. The refreshments area may also offer continental breakfast for executive-floor guests in the morning, and evening bar service.
4. Executive facilities may also offer special services such as private check-in and check-out (at a separate reception desk or in the executive lounge) and dedicated concierge service, to facilitate service for corporate travellers.
5. The executive floor may also house the hotel’s business centre, with conference and meeting rooms, office equipment (phones, fax machine, photocopier, internet-linked computer terminals) and even secretarial services, where required.

THE GUEST BUSINESS CENTRE

Whether or not such extensive facilities are made available, on an exclusive basis, to designated executive travellers, the hotel may offer business centre facilities which are accessible to all guests on request. A hotel business centre might offer services and facilities including:-

1. Desks or workstations
2. Photocopying services or self-service photocopiers
3. Incoming and out-going fax services or self-service fax machines
4. Binders, laminators and other document preparation services/equipment
5. Hire of a data projector (for presentations)
6. Access to computer terminals with fast Internet access and peripherals such as scanners and printers
7. Courier booking service (for sending urgent and valuable documents and parcels)
8. Business stationery
9. Meeting rooms and meeting areas
10. Secretarial support services (eg dictation, typing, document preparation, copying and so on).

Equipment may be made available on a self-service basis, or with the assistance of business centre staff, or on a full-service basis (eg photocopying and faxing done for the guest by business centre staff). Whereas these amenities may be included in the tariff for an executive floor or executive lounge, in a guest business centre (open to all guests) charges may be incurred for use. In many hotels, the business centre would only be open during certain hours. Outside these hours, guests may request reception staff to send an urgent fax, or take a photocopy, on their behalf – and the staff member will have to follow the hotel’s rules and procedures about such requests.

GUEST INTERNET ACCESS AND E-MAIL FACILITIES

It is worth noting that, these days, it is not just business travellers who want access to the Internet and e-mail facilities. Many guests will want to use the Internet to stay in touch with friends and family; view and share digital holiday photographs; confirm flights; search for travel and local information; make travel and entertainment bookings; or simply supplement the in-room entertainment provided by the hotel. Many larger hotels, especially those with a high proportion of business trade, therefore, offer Internet access and e-mail facilities in one way or another, even if they do not have business centres as follows:-

• There may be Internet desks or ‘kiosks’ in the reception or lounge area of the hotel, allowing guests to use computer terminals at an advertised rate per block of time. This may be paid for with a credit card, inserted or swiped on logging on to the terminal, or may be logged and charged to the guest’s account, by arrangement with reception.
• There may be in-room Internet access, with telecommunications points into which guests can ‘plug’ their laptop computers. Use of this system may be automatically logged and charged to guests, in the same way as telephone calls using the hotel’s system, on an advertised cost per-minute basis.
• Nowadays, even these kinds of arrangements may not be required for some users, as they have mobile wireless modem devices which they can simply plug into their laptops, to give them fully independent, wireless Internet access in areas wherever their Internet provider has coverage.

NOTE: Many hotels currently charge for in-room Internet access for guests: the hotel may own the network, or use a contractor, but if they charge guests per minute or block of time, it represents a good revenue stream for the hotel. But my feeling is that it will become a free guest service within the next five years, as standard. Free, unlimited access is in such high demand by business travellers: hotels that don’t provide it will start losing corporate accounts.