BUCKET CHECKS

Askar DG KAMIS
Dec 14, 2025
4 min read

Goal : The Front Desk will perform a "bucket check" daily at 8:00 P.M

SCOPE:

To ensure that room rack information agrees with that contained in the account

bucket/PMS.

PROCEDURE:

At approximately 8:00 P.M., a "bucket check" should be completed to reveal any discrepancies between the room rack and the account bucket/PMS.

Discrepancies will be caused by the following:

1. "Sleeper" - This situation occurs when the guest has checked out from his/her room but the folio and room rack slip have not been removed from the active file or the guest has not been checked out in PMS. Failure to note a sleeper during the bucket check or while checking the Housekeeper's Report will result in loss of sales to the hotel through failure to rent an unoccupied room.
Incomplete Room Change - This can occur when the guest has been moved from one room to another. The old slip has been covered by the new change slip and inserted into the proper rack slot but the information has not been recorded on the folio, nor has the folio been transferred to its new location; or the guest's registration card has been changed but the room number has not been corrected in PMS.
Zero Balance Accounts - All zero balance accounts should be re-checked after the P.M. Housekeeper's Report, and action taken at that time. However, it is still possible that a zero balance folio may be found during a bucket check.

If this occurs, the folio should be reviewed for previous action taken. If necessary, the Desk Supervisor should call the room and remind the guest of the need to bring his/her account up-to-date.

If there is no answer to this call, the room should be checked by Housekeeping to determine the status.

If the room is vacant follow normal check-out procedures

If the room is apparently occupied, the Shift Manager may "pin-out" the room to get the attention of the guest, depending on the time of day. It should be noted that this is intended only to gain the attention of the guest--nothing more.

4. Folio in Bucket with No Slip in Rack - Occasionally the rack slip will be accidentally pulled from the rack while the guest is still registered in the house. When the folio is present but there is no slip in the rack, the Desk Clerk should first check for an incomplete room change, and then have the room checked to verify continued occupancy. A new room change rack slip should then be made up, inserted in the proper slot, and the PBX information rack checked for the presence of the slip in that location.

MANUAL BUCKET CHECK PROCEDURE

One person at the bucket reads the following information:

Room Number
Name
Number of People
Number of Folios
Rate(s)
Check-out Date(s)

The name of the group or market segment which should correspond with the plastic rack slipcover color assigned to that group. A second person at the room rack verifies that all information is correct.

If there is any discrepancy, the rack slip should be turned on end for reconciliation at the end of the check.

When the bucket check has been concluded, all discrepancies should be investigated and rectified as follows:

"Sleepers" - Locate the folio for that room number in the day's check-outs. Verify that the room is in fact vacant by looking at the Housekeeper's Report. Pull the rooming slip from the rack and follow normal check-out procedure.
Room Change - Locate the cashier's copy of the change slip and complete the change procedure.
Zero Balance - When questions arise on zero or small balance accounts, have the Bellman or room clerk make a physical check of the room. If the room is empty, follow regular check-out procedure.

PMS BUCKET CHECK PROCEDURE

The P.M. Shift Manager should run the "Bucket Check Report" to verify the room rate assigned to each room, noting the market codes, and ensuring that the correct information is in the system. This report should then be used to verify that registration cards are located in the proper room location and that the information in the computer is updated accordingly.

During the physical inspecting of the registration bucket, the following items should be verified for accuracy:

Registration card in correct room number
Check out date correct
Guest signature
Clerks initials
Credit card approval
Credit card imprinted on registration card
Expiration date on credit card current
Name on credit card same as reservation

1. "Sleepers" - Locate the folio for that room number in the day's check-outs. Verify that the room is in fact vacant by looking at the Housekeeper's Report. Pull the rooming slip from the rack and follow normal check-out procedure.
Room Change - Locate the cashier's copy of the change slip and complete the change procedure.
Zero Balance - When questions arise on zero or small balance accounts, have the Bellman or room clerk make a physical check of the room. If the room is empty, follow regular check-out procedure.