Unit Two

Exercises

Word study

I.                    Match the word or phrase on the left with the statement on the right.

Structures

I. Fill in the spaces in the following sentences with the appropriate word or phrase from the texts.

1.         Front Desk employees in a hotel have much contact with the guests.

2.         In general, the accommodations industry is labor-intensive; that is, it employs a large number of people to perform its services.

3.         The assistant managers frequently have a desk in the lobby near the reception area, since they deal with routine problems such as unsatisfactory room assignments or overbookings.

4.         A hotel that prides itself on its quality of service also maintains high standards of performance.

5.         What’s the procedure for extending my stay at the hotel?

6.         All club members are requested to attend the annual meeting.

7.         We are getting a lot of inquiries from travel company about our new services.

8.         When the guest arrives, the room clerk checks his reservation or the availability of rooms if the guest does not have a confirmed reservation.

II. Cloze:

For the convenience of the guests, the Front Office is almost always located near the hotel’s main entrance. In a large hotel, it is divided into sections. One section is the reception desk, where the guests register or check in. the second section is the area where the guests pick up their keys, mail and messages.  This part of the counter has a rack behind it with pigeonholes for each guest room in the hotel. The key to each room is kept in the appropriate pigeonhole. The third section is an information desk, where the guests can ask for information or make local travel arrangements. This area often includes a mail-box. The fourth section is the cashier’s desk. The cashiers not only receive payment from the guests, but also cash checks, make change, and exchange foreign currency. Some hotels also offer a transportation desk, where the guests may get advice or help with their travel plans. This service, however, is often located in another part of the lobby so that it may not interfere with the efficient operation of the Front Office.

Guided Writing and Translation

I. Rewrite each following sentence in several simple sentences:

1.         The Front Office is accountable for a particular day’s occupancy. It is more important than other hotel departments.

2.         They also cooperate with other departments of the hotels. They work together to create a home away from home for all guests. They also contribute to the financial success of the hotel itself.

3.         There is an increase in the use of computers in both independent and chain hotels. The use of computers is making the reservation process simpler for the guest and more efficient for the hotel.

4.         The reservation record can be recorded on paper. The record can also be recorded in a computer file for storage and retrieval.

5.         There must be continuous communication between the Sales and Reservations Department. The communication is about the records of both in respect to future group business. Their records must be in agreement.

6.         Throughout the reservation process, information about the guest and his stay is gathered. The information should be recorded if a room is available.

7.         The forecast is extremely important. It provides other departments with continuous information on anticipated occupancies. It permits the heads of these departments to plan their staff requirements and control their payroll costs.

II.                 Translate the following into Chinese:

前台不只是大堂里的某一个特定的区域，而是意味着一系列的工作职责和对客服务。前台工作的某一部分（如预订）可能不在大堂里而在别处，但员工仍属于前台。这样安排不会影响到前台的其他工作。前台的工作范围受其人员多寡的影响比受其所在位置的影响更大。在小酒店里，前台的工作可能只有一个人来完成。

III.               Translate the following into English:

1.         The primary task of the FO is to offer services to guests.

2.         As guests usually reserve rooms before their arrivals, the reservation department is the first contact the guests may have with the hotel.

3.         In the reservation process, the information about the guest should be recorded in the guest file for storage.

4.         FO clerks should get to know guests by their methods of payments, purpose of visit request so as to offer better service to them than otherwise.

5.         All the tasks performed by the reservation staff are closely related to and in coordination with other departments.