CREDIT CARD

Credit card is a small plastic card that holds a certain monetary value. It authorizes the owner to charge goods or services to his/ her account. It is issued by bank to its customers. It is used to purchase goods, accommodation, or to pay for services. In hotels and other service establishments, large bills are often settled by credit cards. It usually allows higher limits than personal cheques.

Most hotels accepts major credit cards for deposit and payment. The front desk representative should know the credit cards that the hotel accepts, as well as the procedures for accepting and authorizing their use. Visa card, Master card, American express etc. are the most widely honored and accepted credit cards. Others such as Diner's Club, City bank card, Euro card etc may be honored by many but not by all properties.

PROCEDURES WHILE ACCEPTING CREDIT CARDS:

1. With the use of credit card imprinter machine(manual/ electronic), imprint/ swipe the credit card and obtain the details in the credit card charge slip.
2. Enter the date and the amount that is to be charged, but without totaling the amount.
3. present the charge slip to the guest and obtain the signature in the specified area.
4. tally the signature on the charge slip against the credit card and total the amount now.
5. Give the customer's copy of the charge slip to the guest along with the credit card.
6. retain the other two copies of the charge slip and send the appropriate copy to the accounts along with the cashier's summary report.
7. Determine the answers to the following questions before accepting any credit card:

• Is the card acceptable by the hotel?
• Is the card valid?
• Are the card holder and the card owner the same person?
• Is the available credit sufficient to cover the charges?
  

CASH

Cash is one of the most common and swift payment modes to handle. this type of payment, either in local or foreign currency, is one of the most popular methods used in hotel as cash is instantly available for use. However, while handling cash the cashier needs to be careful in distinguishing and ascertaining the currencies and their denominations acceptable. The cashier should be well aware of the current day's exchange rate and also possess the extra skills to evaluate the genuine currency notes.

MODE OF PAYMENT

It refers to the various methods of payment by which the guests can settle their bills/ checks in the hotel. Mode pf payment varies with the type of establishment , e.g. A cinema would normally take the payment before the customer uses the service, whereas the hotel usually takes the payment after the services have been rendered. from a moment guest registers himself into a hotel, s/he uses the other credit facilities. Realizations of such bills have to be handled very cautiously by the hotel. Usually, hotels undertake the following steps to ensure payment:

1. Maintain a specific credit limit.
2. Accept officially recognized credit cards only.
3. personal cheques are accepted under certain conditions.

A guest settles his/ her bills by the following modes of payment in a hotel:

1. CASH
2. CREDIT CARDS
3. TRAVELLERS' CHEQUES
4. VOUCHERS
5. COMPANY ACCOUNT

RESERVATION REGISTER

It is a format used by front office department for keeping the record of the requested rooms. this format is widely referred to as room reservation from. the reservation assistant is responsible to fill in this format stating the information about guests, type, quantity of rooms and special service requested. This format is mainly used to record the reservation request coming through a telephone and personal visit. The reservation data is directly recorded into the computer where the reservation system is computerized. This format will contain the following information:

1. Name of the client, nationality, and address
2. Date of arrival
3. Company's name and address
4. Type of room, rate and number desired
5. Contact address, eg telephone, fax, e- mail etc
6. Credit card number(if any)
7. Name of the person/ sources seeking reservation
8. Reservation received by
9. Total number of nights.
10. Special services required(if any).

RESERVATION REGSTER

DENSITY BOOKING CHART

This is the development of the conventional booking chart to overcome its weakness. It is mostly used in large and commercial establishments with standardized rooms because its basic principle is that the rooms of the particular type is grouped together. In this chart, room types are listed in sequence whereas the room numbers are random. each chart may cover a period of one month and is available in the printed form of loose- leaf of paper. The chart indicates the reservation status od the particular type of rooms in a given month at a glance

Here, room types and room numbers are listed on two vertical columns on the left hand side. the date and days of the month are listed in horizontal column on top. The reservation assistant updates the chart by putting a cross indicate reservation as and when they occur.

CONVENTIONAL BOOKING CHART

It is used in recording the room reservation for a particular month of a given year. It can show a room status of one whole month at a glance. The room numbers are put in sequence whereas the room numbers are random. This chart may be maintained in a loose-leaf file, but appropriately should be mounted on the wall of the reservation section. this chart is focused mainly on the room numbers rather than the room type.

Here, room numbers and types are listed vertically on the two lines of the left side of the chart and the date is listed in horizontal columns of two lines on the top. The remaining lines of this chart shows the rooms blocked on the given dates. Rooms assigned at the time of reservation are indicated with the help of an arrow drawn horizontally. The guests name is marked against the room numbers with with arrows extending from the arrival date to the departure date. One -way of working with this chart is to mark the reservation chart in pencil where the booking is made and linked after the booking is confirmed. However, the arrow and names has to be erased if the booking is canceled/ revised. The chart should reflect an accurate and up-to-date situation regarding room reservation and room available for sale at all times.