Front Office Operations and Management Hospitality

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Tourism & Hospitality

Front Office Operations and Management

Telecommunications

Principal Investigator Prof. S. P. Bansal Vice chancellor

Indira Gandhi University, Meerpur, Rewari, Haryana

Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Prashant K. Gautam Director, UIHMT

Panjab University, Chandigarh

Paper Coordinator Dr. Ankush Ambardar Assistant Professor

Department of Tourism & Hotel Management

Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra

Content Writer Mr. Sumit Kumar CT Institute of Hotel Management,

Shahpur, Jalandhar, Punjab

Tel

Content Reviewer Prof. Manjula Chaudhary Professor

Department of Tourism & Hotel Management

Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra

Module: 19 Tele communications

Paper: 07, Front Office Operation and Management

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Items Description of Module

Subject Name Tourism and Hospitality

Paper Name Front Office Operations and Management

Module Title Telecommunication

Module Id Module no-19

Pre- Requisites Knowledge of telephone etiquettes

Objectives To study the telephone communication in hotel

Keywords EPABX, Telephone Exchange, Telephone Operator

QUADRANT-I

Module 19 TELECOMMUNICATION

1. Learning Outcome

2. Introduction

3. Types of equipment’s used in Telephone Communication in Hotel

4. Organization Structure of Telephone Exchange/Desk

5. Functions of Telephone Exchange

6. Duties & responsibilities of a telephone operator

7. Qualities of a Telephone Operator

8. Basic Etiquettes & Manners for Telephone Handling

9. Phrases used during Telecommunication in Hotel

10. Situation Handling in Telephone communication

11. Do’s & Don’ts of Telephone Handling

12. Globally used common telephony spelling codes

13. Summary

1. Learning Outcome

After completing this module students will be able to:

i. Understand the functions of telephone section in hotels

ii. Basic etiquettes and manners.

iii. Do’s and Don’ts of telephones

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iv. Globally used common telephony spelling codes

Source: http://www.hindihistory.com/inventions/telephone/

2. Introduction:

Telephone communication is a verbal mode of communication which allows two or more users

to communicate with each other. Telephone was the first device which facilitated people to talk

directly when they are far away to be heard directly. Telecommunication is one of the widely

used forms of communication for the exchange of information in day to day life & in different

sectors such as agriculture, science, culture, public health, personal service, hospitality industry

etc. It is a simple & fast method of communication. Telephone Exchange/Desk is a necessity in

hotel to handle incoming & outgoing calls of a hotel. Operations of Telephone Exchange &

telephone operators depend on the size of the hotel. A small hotel may satisfy its need by

placing a telephone switchboard at reception counter. A larger hotel will have a dedicated room

with telephone switchboards and telephone operators for handling telephone calls. This section

of Hotel maintains the communication network of the hotel which is usually situated near

reception area to coordinate for providing better guest services. Telephone exchange maintains

http://www.hindihistory.com/inventions/telephone/

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temperature for the room through air conditioning to keep the equipment of telecommunication

in working condition for smooth operations. Telephone Exchange works on 24*7 hours basis.

Now days, the use of mobile phones have reduced the work of telephone exchange in hotels.

3. Types of equipment’s used in Telephone Communication in a Hotel:

3.1 EPABX (Electronic Private Automatic Branch Exchange):

Electronic Private Automatic Branch Exchange may be defined as a switching system which

enables internal & external calls of an organization. It works as virtual telephone operators &

responds to all the needs of a guest. The EPABX is based on satellite connections. EPABX

enables call transferring, forwarding, auto conferencing, automatic redialling, direct dialling

of internal extensions, call waiting facility, speed dialling, hold button, call blocking, caller

identification, charge monitoring facility, wake-up call facility, Do-not-disturb service, voice

message service, hands free speaker etc.

3.2 Information Board: Information Board is used in telephone exchange to keep important

information such as Room number and name of the guest, group detail, Events & functions of

the hotel, Emergency Telephone Numbers etc.

3.3 Others:

Walkie-talkies: Hotels use two way walkie-talkies preferably used by security staff of

hotel to communicate with each other in big functions for better coordination.

Mobile Phones: Mobile phones which are purchased and maintained by telephone

communication section in hotel. Mobile phone can be given to senior executives, &

chauffeurs for better coordination in providing better guest services.

4. Organization Structure of Telephone Exchange/Desk:

General Manager

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Front Office Manager

Telecommunication Supervisor

Telephone Operators

Trainees

Source: http://www.techpl.us/benefits-of-voip-for-hospitality-industry/

4.1 Job Description of Telephone Operator

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Job Title: Telephone Operator

Reports To: Telecommunication Supervisor/Front Office Manager

Position Summary:

Job Summary: To speak clear with a friendly & pleasant tone of voice. Use listening skills and

provide prompt telephone services to guests & hotel employees as per hotel standards.

Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Maintain telephone exchange & telephone equipment’s

2. Direct calls to guest rooms, staff, departments etc. as per request

3. Answer incoming calls

4. Receive guest messages & deliver to the concerned guest

5. Organise wake-up call service & perform wake-up call services

6. Provide information about hotel services to guests

7. Provide paging service for hotel guests & employees

8. Maintain information about the room numbers and name of VIPs & Groups

9. Use telephone etiquettes during telephone handling

10. Maintain caller privacy at all times

11. Know what action to be taken when an emergency call is required

12. Train new telephone operator in performance of duties

13. Take over shift log book & special instructions for the shift

Minimum Educational Qualification: High School with certificate of telephone operation or

Graduate or equivalent. Must speak, read & write & understand the language used in workplace & by

the guest in hotel.

Experience: Six months training or knowledge of centralized telephone system

5. Functions of Telephone Exchange:

To answer calls regarding the enquiries about hotel services, facilities & events.

To coordinate emergency situation through telecommunication

To protect guest privacy

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To process guest wake-up calls as per guest request

To direct calls through the switchboard as requested by the guest

To handle incoming & outgoing calls of the hotel

To handle computerized call accounting system

To give wake-up calls as per guest instruction.

To monitor call accounting system.

To provide guest paging services over the public address system

6. Duties & responsibilities of a telephone operator:

o Log Book: Telephone operator maintains log book during their shift in hotel which keeps

important information about happenings, instructions etc. which may include duty roaster, VIP

list, wake up calls, new procedures, group detail, charges posting etc.

o Complaint Register: Telephone operator maintains complaint register which includes

complaints of guests to be resolved which may be of different types related to technical fault,

wake-up call, rude behaviour of staff etc.

o Wake-Up Calls: Telephone operator also keeps the record of wake up calls on wakeup call

sheet with the detail of the guest such as Guest Name, Room No, Time of Wake-Up Call &

give wakeup call as per scheduled time.

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Source: http://slideplayer.com/5/1484986/big_thumb.jpg

7. Qualities of a Telephone Operator:

Telephone Etiquettes: A telephone operator should know dos and don’ts of telephone

handling. He should use telephone etiquettes and manners while handling a telephone call.

Good Memory: Telephone operator should have a good memory which will help him/her to

remember guest names, hotel extensions & important phone numbers to take quick action &

provide personalized services to the guests.

Good Communicator: Telephone Exchange works as a first contact of a guest with a hotel.

So, it is very important for telephone operator to attend calls of guests with a clear & friendly

voice with a pleasant tone of voice.

Team Player: He must coordinate & help others departments for better communication. He

should communicate with other departments as per guest requirements and requests. It is

mandatory to coordinate with other on time for providing services on time.

Secrecy: Telephone operator should be aware about the rule & regulations of the hotel about

keeping privacy of the guest. It is an offence to disclose the private conversation of the guest.

He is also not allowed to listen guest conversation. So, it is mandatory to maintain the secrecy

of the guest.

Pleasant Tone of Voice: It is very important for Telephone operator to have a pleasant tone of

voice as guest can’t see face expressions. It is only voice which creates first impression on the

guest.

Good Listener: Telephone operator should be a good listener as this is the first quality of a

good communicator. He should listen first and then provide information as asked by the guest.

Clear Speech: Telephone operator communicates verbally. So, it is very important to have a

very clear speech for accuracy in message.

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Accuracy: Telephone operator must be accurate the information which is provided by him.

Because, Guest expect accurate information of the hotel facilities & services. He should also

maintain accuracy in connecting extensions, responding to guest queries & questions & also

maintain charges of the guest calls.

Take Notes: Repeat your message & instructions so that the caller understands the message and also note if it is needed. Have a pen, pencil & a notepad.

Source: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JCQHV_YHSEI/hqdefault.jpg

Confidence: Have correct information prior to call handling which will enable to speak with

confidence about your property and other information.

Intelligence: Because every caller is an individual who has different backgrounds and level of

understanding. Meet the caller’s level of understanding & language intelligently.

Positive Attitude: Find out the positive points about your property and services and Provide

information with positive attitude.

Integrity: Be Honest, admit & apologize if you don’t know about anything and come up with a

solution. Don’t mislead the caller.

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Tactfulness: Be tactful and convince the guest without hurting his/her feelings without

promising the services which you can’t fulfil.

Source: http://zycoo.com/html/By_Industry.html

8. Basic Etiquettes & Manners for Telephone Handling

o Greetings: Telephone Operator must greet the caller according to the time of the day as it

creates good first impression.

o Answer Call Promptly: Telephone operator should pick up the phone before three rings and

answer promptly. Identify: Telephone Operator identify his organization and himself quickly

i.e. “Good morning sir/madam, Hotel name....., Your Name .....Speaking, how may I assist

you?” and don’t use “Hello”.

o Speak Clearly: Practice smile you speak which will make your voice pleasant & cheerful.

Don’t be loud & don’t whisper during conversation.

o Listen with alertness: Listen attentively & patiently to hear actual words and meaning for

better understanding the request or instruction of the guest.

o Sense the mood: Have a sense to detect the mood of the caller and handle accordingly.

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o Be tactful & diplomatic: avoid irrelevant conversation and don’t promise which can’t be

fulfilled.

o Personalize the Call: By remembering guest name and calling guest name with courtesy and

correctly makes the caller happy.

o Apologize for hold ups, delays & mistakes: Keep your caller informed and after returning on

call after holding, apologize for hold ups. Don’t let the caller leave without correct information.

If you make mistake in giving information, then apologize immediately & correct the error.

o End all calls with Thank You: End a call after ensuring the satisfaction of the caller with the

given information and say “Thank you for calling”.

o Take Notes: Repeat your message & instructions so that the caller understands the message

and also note if it is needed. Have a pen, pencil & a notepad.

o Use Magic Words: Always use magical words such as please /sorry /thank you in conversation

with the guest.

o Ready with Telephone Directory: Telephone operator should have handy information about

important phone numbers and directory for quick response & handling calls.

o Answer before three Rings: answer calls before three rings of the call as it represents the

alertness, attentiveness about calls in hotel which give positive impression on the caller’s mind.

o Use Friendly Language: During the call, observe the caller’s comfort ability in language.

Speak the language in which guest is comfortable which will make better understanding of

message.

o Don’t use Telephone personally: Don’t use hotel phone for personal call.

o Be accurate in what you say: The caller wants accurate information. So don’t ‘Think’ or

‘Suppose’ if you don’t know the answer; find out and call back.

o Be courteous in explaining the hotel rules: Never argue with the caller, the guest is always

right. Do not use the phrase” you have to” and be courteous in explaining the hotel policies.

o Take the correct name & contact number of the caller: By taking correct detail of the caller,

telephone operator will be able to get back to the caller whenever it is required.

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o Avoid the Five Forbidden Phrases: Avoid saying “I don’t know”, “I/we can’t do that”,

“You’ll have to”, “Just a second” and “No”. Use “LEAPS” with emotional caller: L- Listen, E-

Empathize, A-Apologize, P-Positive and S-Solve the problem.

o Never Eat during Call: Never eat, drink or chew gum while on the phone. At the end

Telephone Operator should not forget that he/she is representing the hotel or the organization so

he/she should be knowledgeable, informative & confident about the call handing and the hotel

property facilities & services.

9. Phrases used during Telecommunication in Hotel

o Phrases used in Internal Communication: During handling of internal call

phrases can be used such as “Good Morning (or the appropriate time of the day),

operator speaking, how I may help/assist you?”

o Phrases used in External Communication: During handling external calls phrases

can be used such as “Good Morning (or the appropriate time of the day), Hotel

XYZ, how may I help/assist you?”

o Putting the Call on Hold: If the caller asks for something for which you have no

answer: “Let me check on that sir/madam, would you please allow me to put on hold

for a moment?”

o Getting back to the hold call: after putting the caller on hold and getting back to

the call, apologize for the same: “sorry to have kept you waiting sir/madam...”

o Calling the guest back: If you call the guest back, make sure you introduce

yourself: “(Greeting as per the time of the Day) Good Morning, Mr. Kumar (Guest

Name), this is (You name)....you had asked for information regarding.....”

10. Situation Handling in Telecommunication:

o Fire Emergency: In the case of Fire Emergency, Telephone Operator plays an important role

by identifying the origin of fire through display panel and immediately notifications to The

Chief Security Officer, Chief Engineer, The City Fire Brigade, The General Manager, The

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Lobby Manager & The Guests in their rooms. He is supposed to evacuate at last as being hub of

communication in emergency situation.

o Bomb Threat: As bomb threats are often received by phone, the telephone operator should be

well prepared for this kind of emergency. Telephone Operator must follow the instructions and

procedure for the Bomb threat call & will keep the record of the call such as:

The time of call & the extension on which it was received

The exact conversation between the caller and telephone operator.

Caller telephone number (through the display of switchboard).

Listen to the background noises such as music, traffic, railway station, loud speaker etc.

Note down the gender of the caller & the approximate age.

Accent & language of the caller.

Telephone operator will try to keep the call long as long as possible.

During the call, Telephone operator will try to ask the location of the bomb in hotel, when it

is going to explode, what type of bomb, what is the motivate behind this, What is the name

of the caller.

After the disconnection of the call, Telephone operator will follow the hotel Standard

Operating Procedure to handle the situation & to take appropriate action.

o Complaint Handling:

Empathize with the caller means try to understand how the person is feeling.

Apologize & acknowledge the problem means you don’t have to agree with the caller, but

express regret that there is a problem.

Accept responsibility means make sure something is done. Take it upon yourself to so

something.

11. Do’s & Don’ts of Telephone Handling:

Have a clear message which you want to convey by ensuring proper use of language with

clarity in pronunciation of words.

Identify your organization, department & yourself to the caller.

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Use the other person’s name often. People like to hear they name.

Be prepared with the pen, pencil, paper etc. before connecting or receiving a call.

Repeat the message to confirm understanding of the message.

Do speak in a friendly, pleasant tone of voice with medium voice during conversation on

telephone.

Have a smiling face while you are talking on telephone which will improve your tone of voice

automatically.

Do use polite and professional language & don’t ask about the caller’s personal issues.

Always follow up....if you need to call someone then don’t forget to call back.

Do apologize for the interruption during call and ask permission before placing the caller on

hold.

Pick up the phone before three rings.

Answer the phone call with a greeting as per the time of the day.

Put the telephone two fingers away from the mouth for clear communication.

Listen carefully without interrupting the caller when the caller is speaking.

Do follow the “Golden Rule” – treat the caller the way you would like to be treated when you

call.

Sit straight during answering the phone call.

Speak with confidence which comes after knowing your property well.

Don’t multitask during the phone call which may be cause of disturbance in communication.

Don’t give more importance to the telephone than the caller & don’t play with the telephone

and listen carefully to the caller.

Don’t use hotel terms a lot during conversation with the caller & use simple language to make

the message clear.

Don’t get emotional or panic during the telephone call handling, because it will not help you to

think properly & will also not help to provide a solution to the caller about the situation.

Don’t answer the phone call when eating, chewing, or drinking something.

Don’t say the words, “I don’t know” when talking with someone on the phone.

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Never argue with a caller.

Don’t use slang words or short words during phone conversation which is considered as

unprofessional.

Don’t say “Hello” after picking up the phone call.

Don’t use a speakerphone during the conversation on telephone.

Don’t guess about anything, if you don’t know. Accept, apologize and get back with a solution.

Don’t end the call without a positive note (i.e., “Thank You for calling”).

Don’t say, “No problem”, say “You’re welcome”.

Don’t use Hotel Telephone for personal calling.

12. Globally used common telephony spelling codes: This table indicates the International Spelling

Codes for letters of the alphabets which are used during telephonic or radio communication.

Letter Code Letter Code

A Alpha N November

B Bravo O Oscar

C Charlie P Papa

D Delta Q Quebec

E Echo R Romeo

F Foxtrot S Sierra

G Golf T Tango

H Hotel U Uniform

I India V Victor

J Juliet W Whisky

K Kilo X X-ray

L Lima Y Yankee

M Mike Z Zulu

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13. Summary:

Telephone section is one of the important departments in hotel that manages and places various

incoming and outgoing calls of the guests and other people of the hotel property. The telephone

exchange is aslo called as Switchboard or the private branch exchange. A telephone operator should

have pleasant personality and well versed with the equipment used. The operator having requisite

etiquettes and manners will be successful and beneficial for hotels looking at the nature of the industry.

Documents

Front Office Operations and Management Hospitality