Front Desk Agent- Fairfield Inn Birmingham

General Services Assistant

GSAs ensure appropriate checking in and checking out of guests and providing services to these guests in a courteous and professional manner. Experience in Front Office, PBX, and Concierge preferred. Candidates must be able to work a flexible schedule including but not limited to: evening, weekends, and holidays. Candidate must possess excellent customer service skills and effective written and oral communication skills, also a working knowledge of computers and facsimile machines. Candidate should have the ability to multi-task and the ability to handle stressful situations. Must be flexible to work in various capacities, which include PBX, Concierge, and Front Desk.

Professional Experience

• Preferably 1 year's experience in customer service, hotel, food and beverage restaurant administrative, human resources, legal, educational, training, financial, or business related field

Computer Experience

Proficiency in:

• Microsoft Word
• Excel
• Powerpoint
• Data entry
• Database management systems

Hotel Experience

• Uses proper telephone etiquette
• Be flexible and willing to perform other tasks as necessary or requested
• Wear hotel GSA uniform in compliance with hotel standards

Training Provided On The Following:

• Serve as concierge (may make restaurant reservations, provide directions, recommend area attractions, etc.)
• Determines a guest's reservation status and identifies how long the guest will stay
• Helps guests complete registration and then assigns rooms accommodating special requests whenever possible
• Verifies the guest's method of payment and follows established credit-checking procedures
• Posts guest and room information in the PMS, and communicates this information to the appropriate hotel personnel
• Works closely with the housekeeping department in keeping room status reports up to date and coordinates requests for maintenance and repair work
• Must be sales-minded; uses suggestive selling techniques to sell rooms and to promote other services of the hotel
• Presents options and alternatives to guests and offers assistance in making choices
• Knows the location and types of available rooms as well as the activities and services of the property
• Assists in pre-registration and blocking of rooms for reservations
• Thoroughly understands and adheres to proper credit, check-cashing, and cash-handling policies and procedures
• Knows room locations, types of rooms available, and room rates
• Understands room status and room status tracking
• Coordinates room status updates with the housekeeping department by notifying housekeeping of all check-outs, late check-outs, early check-ins, special requests, and part-day rooms
• Takes same day reservations and future reservations when necessary
• Knows cancellation procedures
• Generates secure room cards
• Knows how to use front office equipment
• Posts Suite Shop purchases to guest folios
• Posts and files all charges to guest, master, and city ledger accounts
• Follows procedures for issuing and closing safe deposit boxes
• Uses proper mail, package, and message handling procedures
• Reads and initials the pass-on log and bulletin board daily
• Is aware of daily activities and meetings taking place in the hotel
• Attends department meetings
• Coordinates guestroom maintenance work with the engineering and maintenance division
• Reports any unusual occurrences or request to the manager or assistant manager
• Knows all safety and emergency procedures
• Is aware of accident prevention policies
• Maintains the cleanliness and neatness of the front desk area
• Understands that business demands sometimes make it necessary to move employees from their accustomed shift to other shifts

Emotional Intelligence

• Emotionally competent; able to effectively manage disruptive emotions and impulses; able to stay composed, positive, and unflappable even in trying moments while thinking clearly and remaining focused under pressure
• Engage every guest in conversation and recognition
• Resolve any guest issue immediately
• Promote the hotel by demonstrating a high level of positive attitude and energy to serve our guests
• Ability to anticipate guests' needs
• Represents the hotel to the guest throughout all stages of the guest's stay
• Embraces and respects diversity and multicultural environment

Skills

• Excellent communication; orally and written
• Requires finger dexterity, grasping, writing, standing for long periods, sitting, walking, repetitive motions, hearing, visual acuity, and may on occasion have to lift and carry up to 40 pounds
• Able to stand, sit, and walk, for more than 4 hours

Education

• Background screening for previous criminal history
• Employment may be contingent upon at least 80% score on test on hotel's reservations system (PMS) after training
• At least a high school diploma or G.E.D.

Strengths

• Mathematical; statistical
• Social
• Speaks in guests' preferred language
• Hotel is a smoke-free property
• Creativity
• Organizational
• Administrative
• Sales
• Curious about the world and people