Front Desk Agent

Home2 Suites; Carbondale (IL); On-site; USD 21,000 - 23,000; Full time

Job summary

Home2 Suites is seeking a front desk associate in Carbondale, IL to greet guests, verify reservations, process check-ins/check-outs, and handle payments with a focus on accuracy and guest satisfaction.

The role requires high school education and prior customer service experience, with responsibilities spanning guest assistance, program promotion, and efficient daily reporting.

Qualifications

• High School or equivalent education required.
• Prior experience in a customer service position.

Responsibilities

• Greet and register guests, verify reservations and payment details.
• Operate the front desk including check-ins and check-outs.
• Promote the guest program and provide recognition and benefits to members.
• Handle guest payments, cashing checks and managing the cash bank.
• Respond promptly to guest complaints and resolve issues.
• Answer calls promptly, politely and professionally.
• Assist guests with luggage and local area information.
• Maintain safety and security of guest information and rooms.

Skills

Customer service

Communication skills

Education

High School or equivalent education required

Job description

Job Details: Job Location: CARBONDALE, IL 62901, Salary Range: $15.50 - $17.00 Hourly, Essential Functions of Position

Greet and welcome guests upon arrival. Register guests into the computer, verifying reservation, address, and credit information. Promote “preferred” guest program and provide recognition and benefits to all current members.

• Accept payment for guests’ accounts both at the time of registration and at checkout. Maintain a house bank and make a deposit and accurate report of receipts daily. Cash checks and exchange currency for guests
• Issue key to and control entrance of safety deposit boxes. Post miscellaneous charges as requested.
• Promptly respond to and resolve guest complaints
• Answer telephone promptly and properly being polite, courteous, and friendly
• Be friendly, thorough, accurate and efficient in taking reservations
• Be friendly, thorough, accurate and efficient in performing Check-ins
• Be friendly, thorough, accurate and efficient in performing Check-outs
• (If applicable) Operate or assist with shuttle or transportation Service in a timely and courteous manner
• Assist guests with luggage upon their arrival to and departure from the hotel
• Use the guests’ names
• Be knowledgeable and helpful about the local area, the hotel and hotel services
• Handle messages, wake-up calls, mail, and faxes properly
• Assist guests with laundry/dry cleaning needs
• Know of incoming VIPs
• Follow all applicable Company Standard Operating Procedures.
• Perform other assignments as directed by the General MangerQualifications: Supportive Functions

Teamwork Skills

• Be an enthusiastic, helpful and positive member of the team
• Be professional, responsible and mature in conduct and behavior
• Be understanding of, encouraging to and friendly with all co-workers
• Be self-motivated and use time wisely
• Maintain open line of communications with each department
• Communicate pertinent information
• Respond positively to new ideas
• Openly accept critical/developmental feedback
• Maintain effective communication through the use of meetings, logbooks and bulletins
• Be available to help other departments in emergency situations
• Adhere to all work rules, procedures and policies established by the company including, but not limited to those contained in the associate handbook.

Safety and Security Skills

• Properly handle and account for keys
• Be knowledgeable of policies regarding emergency procedures and security concerns
• Ensure protection of guests’ room numbers

Revenue Generation Skills

• Demonstrates proper selling techniques during the reservation and walk-in process
• Aggressively seek and react to opportunities to sell rooms, including re-rents, and last rooms available
• Have complete knowledge of hotel rooms, function space, restaurant (if applicable), other outlets, and services; have in depth knowledge of and regularly re-stock and sell pantry items
• Increases revenues by offering customers upgraded rooms and promoting hotel amenities and outlets
• Have full understanding of franchise honors program
• Ensure all customers establish credit upon check-in. Improves timeliness of cash flow by adhering to all established credit and inventory control procedures:
• Verifies all information on reservations check-in; name, address, method of payment, etc.
• Retrieves proper name and address verification and proper approval codes for cash and credit card paying customers
• Identifies and records special billing instructions and notifies accounting
• Completes shift closing accurately by getting appropriate approval signatures and authorization codes
• Adheres to hotel policies regarding the use of cash banks
• Stays current with developments in the hotel by reviewing the communication logbook for each shift and updates logbook for next shift.
• Report potential sales contacts to the sales department

Education and Experience

• High School or equivalent education required
• Prior experience in a customer service position

Specific Job Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• The individual must possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities and be able to explain and demonstrate that he or she can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities:
• Must be able to speak, read, write and understand the primary language(s) used in the workplace.
• Must be able to read and write to facilitate the communication process.
• Requires good communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Must possess basic computational ability.
• Must possess basic computer skills.
• Extensive knowledge of the hotel, its services and facilities; General knowledge of the city where hotel is located and its attractions.

Physical Requirements

• Most work tasks are performed indoors. Temperature is moderate and controlled by hotel environmental systems.
• Must be able to stand and exert well-paced mobility for up to 4 hours in length. Length of time of these tasks may vary from day to day and task to task.
• Must be able to exert well-paced ability to reach other departments of the hotel on a timely basis.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 lbs occasionally.
• Requires grasping, writing, standing, sitting, walking, repetitive motions, bending, climbing, listening and hearing ability and visual acuity.
• Talking and hearing occur continuously in the process of communicating with guests, supervisors and subordinates
• Vision occurs continuously with the most common visual functions being those of near vision and depth perception.
• Ability to spend extended lengths of time viewing a computer screen.
• Requires manual dexterity to use and operate all necessary equipment.
• Must have finger dexterity to be able to operate office equipment.

Other Job Requirements

• Driver’s license with clean MVR
• All associates must maintain a neat, clean and well-groomed appearance per Company Standards
• Regular attendance in conformance with the standards, which may be established from time to time, is essential to the successful performance of this position.
• Due to the cyclical nature of the hospitality industry, associates may be required to work varying schedules to reflect the business needs of the hotel. In addition, attendance at all scheduled training sessions and meetings are required.
• Upon employment, all associates are required to fully comply with the Company’s rules and regulations for the safe and effective operation of the hotel facilities.