HANDLING OF GUEST CHARGES AT FRONT DESK

GOAL: All guest charges (vouchers, guest checks, etc.) from all hotel operating departments will be processed through the Front Desk.

SCOPE:

To ensure the proper posting and billing of all guest charges.

PROCEDURE:

GENERAL

1. Copies of each day's charges for all departments must remain at the Front Office for at least seven days from the date of posting in case a question should arise concerning the charge.

2. Supporting documents or validation are required for every charge voucher posted at the Front Office.

   
   

LAUNDRY AND VALET CHARGES

1. The laundry/dry cleaning service will provide a "Master List" of all guest laundry/dry cleaning done for that day.

2. "Guest Laundry and Dry Cleaning"). A copy of this Master List is to be sent to the Front Office for the purpose of posting guest charges.

3. The Front Desk Cashier should use the Master List as a basis for generating individual laundry charge vouchers to be posted and validated. When possible, arrangements should be made with the laundry/dry cleaning service to make up these individual vouchers.

4. After posting all laundry/dry cleaning charges, the machine total must be balanced against the total on the Master List.

   
   

MISCELLANEOUS CHARGES

1. Miscellaneous charge vouchers are used to charge the guest for all charges posted to the guest's account that do not have a separate account or key (including charges for guest property damage).

2. All miscellaneous charges should be signed by the guest and must be referenced on the room account.

   
   

BANQUET CHARGES

1. All banquet charges for events serviced by the Catering/Banquet Department will be communicated to the Front Desk via a banquet check. No other format will be used.

2. All banquet checks must be signed by the guest, group leader, convention director, or by the Banquet Manager when the guest is not available (this last option should be rarely used).

3. All banquet checks must also contain the following:

   • Complete name of the individual in charge of the function.

   • Complete name of the individual to whom the billing is to be sent to if different from (A) above.

   • Billing address of the group or function.

   • Date of the function.

   • Total amount of the check.

   • A complete breakdown or explanation of the charge(s).

4. All banquet checks must be completed and forwarded to the Front Desk as soon as possible on the day the charge is incurred.

5. All banquet charges (checks) are to be posted to a master account or on a master folio (which will remain at the Front Desk until the end of the convention, meeting or function(s)), or directly to a city ledger transfer folio for accumulation and later billed directly from the Accounting Department.

   
   

No Banquet charges should be posted for any type of direct bill without proper credit information on hand. (See Our Front Office SOP # 's FO-9, "Direct Billing" and FO-1, "Front Office Credit Policy").

FOOD AND BEVERAGE OUTLET CHARGES

1. In most properties, there is direct interface between the Food and Beverage Point of Sale System and the front property management system. When this is the case, all charges are posted automatically to the guest’s account when the check is closed in the outlet.

2. When the POS System is not interfaced with the PMS, the actual guest check is hand delivered to the front office and is posted directly to the guest folio, using the check as validation for the change.

3. In this "manual" environment, outlet service personnel must make every effort to ensure that those charges reach the front Office (for posting) as soon as possible.

4. The Total amount to be posted on the guest folio, including tax and/or gratuity, must be circled in red on the back of check. Front Desk Cashiers should be trained to post only the figure that is circled in red on the check.

5. Any charges (checks) that are not within policy or for cash in advance guests should be returned immediately to the Restaurant Manager Disposition.