SITHACS001B Provide accommodation reception services

Revision Number: 1

SITHACS001B Provide accommodation reception services

Modification History

Not applicable.

Unit Descriptor

Unit descriptor	This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to provide arrival and departure services to guests in commercial accommodation establishments. It requires the ability to check daily arrivals, allocate rooms, check guests in and out of their accommodation and complete invoicing of guest charges. It does not include receiving and processing reservations, which are addressed in SITTTSL007B Receive and process reservations and SITTTSL010B Control reservations or operations using a computerised system. No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.

Application of the Unit

Application of the unit	This unit has application to all types of commercial hospitality venues where accommodation is provided. It applies to such venues as hotels, pubs, motels, caravan parks, hostels, bed and breakfast providers, lodges and farm stays of any style, grade or size and to enterprises operating seasonal temporary accommodation. Frontline operations and customer service personnel who operate with some level of autonomy or under limited supervision and guidance from others are responsible for providing accommodation reception services. They would require considerable product knowledge of all aspects of the accommodation venue and could apply discretion and judgement within predefined organisational reception service procedures. Common job roles would include front office receptionist, hotel receptionist and owner-operators of small tourism operations, e.g. bed and breakfast accommodation and farm stays.

Licensing/Regulatory Information

Not applicable.

Pre-Requisites

Prerequisite units	This unit must be assessed after the following prerequisite units: SITXADM001A Perform office procedures SITXFIN001A Process financial transactions.

Employability Skills Information

Employability skills	The required outcomes described in this unit of competency contain applicable facets of employability skills. The Employability Skills Summary of the qualification in which this unit is packaged will assist in identifying employability skills requirements.

Elements and Performance Criteria Pre-Content

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.	Performance criteria describe the required performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge and/or the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENT	PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
1	Prepare for guest arrival.	1.1	Prepare reception area for service and check all necessary equipment prior to use.
1.2	Check and review daily arrival details prior to guest arrival.
1.3	Allocate rooms according to guest requirements and enterprise policy.
1.4	Follow up uncertain arrivals or reservations according to enterprise procedures.
1.5	Compile and distribute accurate arrivals lists to relevant people or departments.
1.6	Inform colleagues and other departments about special situations or requests in a timely manner.
2	Welcome and register guests.	2.1	Welcome guests warmly and courteously.
2.2	Confirm details of reservation with guests.
2.3	Follow enterprise procedures for guests registering with or without reservations, and complete registration within acceptable timeframes and according to enterprise security requirements.
2.4	Follow correct accounting procedures according to enterprise practices.
2.5	Explain relevant details clearly to guests, such as room key or electronic card, guest mail, messages and safety deposit facility arrangements.
2.6	Follow correct enterprise procedures where rooms are not immediately available or overbooking has occurred in order to minimise guest inconvenience.
2.7	Monitor arrivals and check actual arrivals against expected arrivals, reporting deviations according to enterprise procedures.
3	Organise guest departure.	3.1	Review departure lists, checking for accuracy.
3.2	Seek information on departing guests from other departments in a timely manner to facilitate preparation of account.
3.3	Generate guest accounts and check for accuracy.
3.4	Explain account clearly and courteously to guests, process accounts, and receive and process payments.
3.5	Recover keys or electronic cards from guests and process correctly.
3.6	Action guest requests for assistance with departure courteously, or refer requests to the appropriate department for follow up.
3.7	Process express checkouts according to enterprise procedures where appropriate.
3.8	Follow correct procedures for group checkout and process accounts according to enterprise procedures.
4	Prepare front office records and reports.	4.1	Prepare and update front office records within designated timelines.
4.2	Follow correct enterprise policy in regard to room changes, no shows, extensions and early departures.
4.3	Distribute reports and records to the appropriate departments within designated timelines.
5	Minimise waste of printed materials.	5.1	Minimise use of printed materials and maximise electronic transmission and filing of all documents to reduce waste and negative environmental impacts.

Required Skills and Knowledge

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit.
The following skills must be assessed as part of this unit: verbal and written use of reservations jargon and system and product codes high-level interpersonal communication skills to provide quality customer service to a diverse customer base literacy skills to read and interpret reservation information, such as customer files, customer requests and accommodation type and costing information writing skills to create customer files and to document succinctly complex customer requests and any conditions specifically applicable to the guest stay numeracy skills to prepare, present and explain guest accounts and occupancy reports and statistics.
The following knowledge must be assessed as part of this unit: in-depth product knowledge of the accommodation venue reservations and bookings terminology check-in and check-out procedures for groups and individuals documentation received and issued in an accommodation reception desk context types of reports handled or generated by the front desk, including arrival and departure lists, occupancy rates, guest feedback summaries and accounting reports front desk security systems, including issuing of keys or electronic cards and safety deposit arrangements range of needs and expectations of different types of guests relationships between the front desk and other areas of operation, including housekeeping, food and beverage service and maintenance relationships between accommodation establishments and other sectors of the tourism industry in relation to their impact on front office operations, including: different sources of reservations (e.g. direct, travel agents, booking centres, inbound tour operators and online) local tourism operators promoted by reception.

Evidence Guide

EVIDENCE GUIDE
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency	Evidence of the following is essential: ability to check daily arrivals accurately, allocate rooms, check guests in and out of their accommodation and complete invoicing of guest charges within typical workplace time constraints ability to complete guest registration and departure and reporting documentation accurately and on multiple occasions ability to provide accommodation reception services for different customer types with various reservation requirements, in a range of accommodation types.
Context of and specific resources for assessment	Assessment must ensure: demonstration of skills within a fully equipped industry-realistic accommodation front office environment, as defined in the Assessment Guidelines, using appropriate telephones, computers and printers access to a computerised or manual front office reception system currently used by hospitality industry operators to control guest registration and accounting function use of industry-current front office reservations, accounting and reporting documentation interaction with others to demonstrate the interpersonal communication aspects of this unit.
Methods of assessment	A range of assessment methods should be used to assess the practical skills and knowledge required to provide front office reception services. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: direct observation of the candidate providing arrival and departure services, including financial transactions role-play to assess ability to deal with differing customer queries, requests or complaints case studies to complete arrival or departure processes and documentation for different customer scenarios written and oral questioning or interview to test knowledge of the accommodation product and the relationships between different sectors of the tourism industry review of front office records, reports and computer data completed by the candidate review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate. Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example: SITTTSL007B Receive and process reservations SITTTSL010B Control reservations or operations using a computerised system SITXCCS001B Provide visitor information SITXFIN002A Maintain financial records.
Assessing employability skills	Employability skills are integral to effective performance in the workplace and are broadly consistent across industry sectors. How these skills are applied varies between occupations and qualifications due to the different work functions and contexts. Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification and in the context of the job role.

Range Statement

RANGE STATEMENT
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the performance criteria is detailed below.
Guests may be:	individuals groups international tourists domestic tourists business travellers attendees at events, conferences, meetings and functions.
Reservation details may include:	name contact details arrival and departure times length of stay type of accommodation required and bed configuration payment details special requests rates and discounts.
Accounting procedures may relate to:	credit card payments prepayments deposits vouchers and discount rates group rates refunds checking final guest accounts payments for additional services such as telephone calls, meals and mini-bar issuing receipts.
Assistance with departure may include:	organising transport making forward bookings luggage assistance.
Front office records may include:	paper-based or electronically transmitted materials occupancy reports arrival and departure lists lost and found information.

Unit Sector(s)

Sector	Hospitality

Competency field

Competency field	Front Office