Front Office / Front Desk Interview Questions and Answers for freshers, hotel management students and experienced front desk candidates. Below 101 front office questions and answers covers common, important general, situational, behavioural and experience-based interview questions for front desk managers, front desk executives, front desk guest service agents, hotel receptionists and trainees/interns etc…
- Tell me about your self.
Tell about your professional experience, achievements, strengths, and last but most important why are you here for the interview today. - Why do you choose receptionist as your carrier out of many other?
I can overcome any problems they may have and I have good organization skills’.
I am a talented multitasker, able to manage multiple ongoing situations at the front desk. Even you can mention your all skills(acc.to job requirement)that can be your communication skills, computer skills, strengths, customer service skills etc. - How long will you work for our hotel if hired?
As long as I feel challenged professionally. - How will you convince an unsatisfied guest of our hotel?
By accepting full responsibility for resolving any open issues.
OR
Be gracious in accepting blame wherever it is justified.
OR
By assuring them that you will be providing them with a final resolution as soon as possible and then follow up as promised. - What is your typing speed when u using word processing software?
Typing comes naturally to you, you have always been good at multi-tasking. And forget to mention your typing speed which must be between 38-50 WPM(word per minute). - How would you organise your work scheduled?
You would manage databases and create reports, manage information by telephone, fax and email messages, guest arrangements and Organize paperwork and maintain electronic files such as presentations and spreadsheets. - Are you overqualified for this job?
According to me, None are over Qualified for any kind of Position, Instead, they can learn much more things and makes them move forward. - What do you think are the responsibility of the front desk/receptionist in a hotel?
The main functions of the reception or front desk are guest service, Check-in, Check-out, Telephone, Finance & Cashiering, Foreign Exchange, Room Assignment, Inquiry etc. - In what all language u can speak?
Mention the languages which you are able to speak or converse and also mention any new language you would like to learn. - Why do u want to work in our hotel?
You are one of the leading hotel and I want to work with the best. It will help you to utilize your skills, knowledge in an effective and efficient manner. - As the job is repetitive how would u encourage urself to work regularly?
Motivating others and promoting a positive atmosphere in the hotel. - What makes you a good receptionist or front desk agent?
There are many good quality of a receptionist below are some:
The ability to stay calm under pressure and look after several things at once
Strong customer service skills
The ability to adapt to different guests and team members.
- What is your strength in (work)?
I am a quick learner and a great team player. - Why should we hire you?
If you hire me, it will be a great platform to showcase my skills. Whatever goals I set, I ensure to complete them within the stipulated time. - Why did you take up a carrier in Hotel management?
Hospitality offers a job that changes all the time. It is a fast-paced environment where you are doing varied tasks each day. You are on your feet and moving around a lot which helps you think, feel, and react better.
Why did you choose to work in hotel Industry? [Survey] 558 - Who are our main competitors?
For answering this question effectively you need to research about the hotel as much as possible. And Make sure during your research, you also investigate the competitors of the company you are interviewing for, then only you will not face the issue for giving an answer. - Are you comfortable working in different shifts including night shifts?
I can work any shift you require; it’s my duty to be there when you need me. I would be happy to work night and also weekend shifts. - When you can join our hotel if hired?
The best response is to convey a willingness to start working as soon as possible. However, if you do have another job while you’re in the application process for a new one, you need to be tactful in how you answer. - How will you deal with a drunk guest?
Here is the SOP for handling drunk guest in the hotel. - What would you do if a guest complaint about your service?
Listen to the customer, and do not interrupt them. Thank the guest for bringing the problem to your attention. Sincerely convey to the guest your apology.
Take help of your seniors or immediate manger in case you are unable to provide a solution for the guest complaint. - Tell me about your computer skill?
I am proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. You are very comfortable using these programs and have a lot of experience doing so.
Additionally, you can mention about different Hotel Softwares which you have worked on like Opera, Fidelio, Protel etc.
- Which all hotel software you have worked on?
Mention different Hotel Softwares which you have worked on like Opera, Fidelio, Protel etc. Additionally, experience in other front desk related software or apps which you are familiar with. - What do you know about our hotel?
Before going for an interview you need to collect information about the hotel as much as possible, go through the hotel’s web site. Use search engines to research the hotel & individuals. - Did you check our hotel website or not?
Be honest if you have checked the hotel’s website or not. It is always good to go through the website of the hotel and also the fact sheet. - Are u willing to travel if required?
Be honest about your ability to travel. It’s important to answer this question honestly. There is no reason to say you’re willing to travel if you’re not. - Where do u see urself in next 5 years?
I see myself in a senior position managing an important portfolio of this company. - Name some foreign currency and their country?
Russia – Rumble, India – Rupee, United Kingdom – Pound, UAE – Dirham, Kuwait – Dinar, France – Euro etc. - What are the different types of rooms?
Type of Rooms in the hotel industry. 1) Single, 2) Double, 3) Suite, 4) Twin, 5) King, 6) Queen, 7) Double-Double, 8) Cabana etc. Read more about different types of rooms in the hotel 775 - What is the function of the front office department?
Front Office functions include reservation, registration, room and rate assignment, guest services, room status, maintenance and settlement of the guest account, and creation of guest history records. Read more about front office functions 451: - How many sub-department/sections are there in the front office?
Reception, Cashiering, Guest Service, Night Auditor, Telephone, Bell Desk, Uniformed Service 249. - What is an ARR or ADR?
ADR (Average Daily Rate) or ARR (Average Room Rate) is a measure of the average rate paid for the rooms sold, calculated by dividing total room revenue by rooms sold. - What is Forex?
Term ‘forex’ stands for a foreign currency exchange/currency conversion. This is a facility provided by the hotels to their resident guests or customer. - What is an allowance?
Reversal of charges on the guest folio which was posted before the current system / PMS date. - Give some Front office key terms and definition?
ARR – Average Rack Rate, ADR – Average Daily Rate, PAX – Number of guests, American Plan (AP),
European Plan (EP). Complete list of key terms used in hotel front office 1.2k. - What are Front Office Goals and Strategies?
Complete guest check-in or registration process under 10 Min.
Complete Guest Check-out under 5 Min.
Collect 100 % Guest feedback form from all guests. Etc.
Read more about front office Strategies and goals 312. - Why have you been unemployed for such a long time?
I enrolled myself for some advanced personality development course with some freelance work. - Tell me your ability to work under pressure?
I keep myself calm and focus on multi-tasking while being patient. - What are your expectations for this job?
Professionally advance and a good future. - Describe your management style?
I will be constantly keeping a tab of assigned work with my subordinates and seniors, finishing the assigned work before deadlines. - Are you a team player?
Yes, The team which I was a part of have successfully completed the projects or duties within the deadlines. - What position do you prefer on a team working on a project?
It doesn’t matter till I learn something new in every project. - What irritates you about co-workers/team members?
I believe in teamwork, Even if I find anything irritating, I try to avoid it unless it personally affects me. - Do you consider yourself successful?
Yes, apart from appraisals I think I have earned a bunch of good colleagues in my life. - What is your weakness?
I concentrate on one thing at a time. - Why are you interested in this opportunity?
Don’t make any overt or veiled comparisons to your current or past employers. Instead, do your research on the company and come ready to cite specific details about the organization that is of interest to you, as well as why you can bring value to the company in the role for which you’re interviewing. Showing that you understand the job. - Why did you choose the front office?
Example Answer: Because the front office is a dynamic department and the hotel’s main nerve centre covering a wide range of job roles. Plus, there’s a sure chance to meet and interact with different nation people. It is a win-win situation. I love everything if it is about Hospitality. - What is RevPAR?
RevPARStands for Revenue per available room.
The formula for RevPAR calculation:
RevPAR = Total Room Revenue / Total Number of Available Rooms for sale - What is an Occupancy Percentage?
The Occupancy percentage indicates the proportion of rooms either sold or occupied to the number of rooms available for the selected date or period.
The Formula for Occupancy Percentage= (Number of Rooms Occupied) / (Total Number of Rooms Available for sale) * 100 - What is a single room?
Single: A room assigned to one person. May have one or more beds. - What is a double room?
Double: A room assigned to two people. May have one or more beds. - What is a Quad room?
Quad: A room assigned to four people. May have two or more beds. - What is a Queen room?
Queen: A room with a queen-sized bed. May be occupied by one or more people. - What is a king room?
King: A room with a king-sized bed. May be occupied by one or more people. - What is a Hollywood Twin Room?
Hollywood Twin Room: A room that can accommodate two persons with two twin beds joined together by a common headboard. Most of the budget hotels tend to provide many of these room settings which cater both couples and parties in two. - What is a Double-double Room?
Double-double: A Room with two double ( or perhaps queen) beds. And can accommodate two to four persons with two twin, double or queen-size beds. - What is an American Plan?
American Plan ( AP) – A billing arrangement under which room charges include the guestroom and three meals, Also called as full board / full pension. - What is the European Plan?
European Plan (EP) – A billing arrangement under which meals are priced separately or room only plan. - What is a Modified American Plan?
Modified American Plan (MAP) – A billing arrangement under which the daily rate is including room and two meals, generally Breakfast and dinner. - What is a Modified Continental Plan?
Continental Plan ( CP ) – One of the most common/preferred billing arrangement which includes room and continental breakfast. - What is an All-Inclusive Plan?
All-Inclusive (AI) – AI normally stands for all-inclusive rates ie rates which are inclusive of all applicable taxes and service charge. Eg: CPAI, MAPAI, APAI etc. - What is a Rack Rate?
Rack Rate – The published tariff for each room type/category in a hotel. - What is a Log Book?
Log Book – Located at reception containing instructions/information/happenings/handover of the day to know of. - What is a Registration Card?
Registration Card – A printed form for a registration record, In most countries, the guest’s signature on a registration card is required by law. - What is a reservation status?
Reservation Status – An indicator of a room’s long-term availability for assignment. - What is a room rate?
Room Rate – The price of hotel charges for overnight accommodations. - What is called skippers?
Skipper – A guest who leaves with no intention of paying for the room. - Who are called scanty baggage?
Scanty Baggage – A guest who checks in to the hotel with very less or no luggage. - Who is a walk-in guest?
Walk-in – A guest who arrives at a hotel without a reservation. - Explain the term ‘Walking’ in front desk?
Walking – Turning away a guest who has a reservation because of a lack of room availability. - What are called due outs?
Due outs – Guests expected to check out on a given day who have not yet done so. - What is a Credit Limit or house limit?
Credit limit/house limit – A limit assigned by the hotel to guest or company accounts. - What is DBR?
DBR – Daily Business Report or DRR – Daily Revenue Report - What is Rev.Par?
Rev. Par – Revenue Per Available Rooms ( RevPAR = Total Room Revenue / Total Number of Available Rooms for sale) - What is TRevPOR?
TRevPOR Total Revenue per Occupied Room (TRevPOR = (Room + F&B + Other Revenue) / Total occupied rooms) - What is AF / RAF?
AF / RAF – Room Achivement Factor (Room Achievement Factor = Actual Average Rate / Potential Average Rate) - What is RRS?
RRS – Room Rate Spread (Room Rate Spread = Potential Average Double Rate – Potential Average Single Rate) - What is HotRevPAR?
HotRevPAR – Hotel Revenue Per Available Room (HotRevPAR= (Room + F&B + Other Revenue) / Total Available Rooms) - What is TRevPAR?
TRevPAR – Total Revenue Per Available Room (TrevPAR = (Room + F&B + Other Revenue) / Total Available Rooms) - What are Adjoining Rooms?
Guest rooms located side by side without a connecting door between them. - What is an Amenity?
Amenity: A service or item offered to guests or placed in guest rooms for convenience and comfort, at no extra cost. - What is Block?
An agreed-upon number of rooms set aside for members of a group planning to stay in a hotel. - What is the meaning/definition of B2B (Business to Business) in the hospitality industry?
Known as Business to Business, a term that refers to the sale of products or services from one business to another.
Examples of B2B are outsourcing hotel staff from a company, wholesale food purchasing, hotel maintenance performed by an outside company and company hotel bookings. Rather than B2C, B2B can refer to either the generation of a sale from a company or the hotel purchasing a service or product from another company.
- What is the meaning/definition of Best Available Rate in the hospitality industry?
BAR stands for Best Available Rate which is the lowest rate of the day that is available for guests to book. The BAR rates are available to the general public, does not require pre-payment and does not impose cancellation or change penalties and/or fees, other than those imposed as a result of a hotel property’s normal cancellation policy. - What is the meaning/definition of Beach Resort in the hospitality industry?
A Beach Resort is a full-service holiday lodging facility, located at the seaside, with access to a private beach. The beach is the primary focus for tourists. A Beach Resort offers a wide range of services and amenities and typically includes entertainment and recreational activities. - What is the meaning/definition of Denial in the hospitality industry?
Well, it is quite simple. When a hotel cannot accommodate more guests, because it is fully booked at that time, then their response to the potential customers’ request is called a Denial. - What is the meaning/definition of Dynamic Pricing in the hospitality industry?
Successful hotels around the world aim for optimum profitability at all times. There are lots of things a hotel can do towards achieving this. One is for the Revenue Management Team to make Dynamic Pricing part of their overall strategy. Consortia/negotiated rates are no longer fixed (in some cases). - What is the meaning/definition of IDS in the hospitality industry?
IDS stands for: Internet Distribution System.
This term is generally used to express the hotel’s distribution via the Internet, Intranets, Extranets and other online services. - What is the meaning/definition of Length of Stay in the hospitality industry?
LOS stands for Length of Stay. Figure derived by dividing the number of room nights by the number of bookings.
When it comes to revenue management, LOS is an important criterion. It can help enormously with the organising and optimisation of occupancy within a hotel.
- What is the meaning of Channel Management in the hospitality industry?
Channel Management (also Multi-Channel-Management) refers to the techniques and systems used by hotels in line with their distribution policy. This management method includes content management as well as data reconciliation in various distribution channels. It means the updating of the hotel information, of room rates and availabilities across all distribution channels, such as hotels website, third parties (OTAs, IDS, ADS) and the CRS/GDS. - What is the meaning/definition of Children Policy in the hospitality industry?
The term children’s policy refers to the terms that exist for children on the hotel’s premises. Every hotel or hotel chain generally has its own policy, depending on the facilities it offers and who its target market is, and it may vary greatly by continent and country. - What is the meaning/definition of Close Out in the hospitality industry?
Hotel rooms made unavailable from sales. Such a closed out could be for a variety of reasons and applied to individual market segments. - What is the meaning/definition of Complimentary in the hospitality industry?
Complimentary services or products are those given to an audience / a customer without charge. This term is often used in the tourism and hospitality industry. - What is the meaning/definition of Interface in the hospitality industry?
The interface is the crossing point or technical connection between different IT systems. In other words, it is the direct communication/ connection between two (or more) networks/ applications/ systems that can be interlinked together without any intermediary. - What is the meaning/definition of Inventory in the hospitality industry?
The number of rooms available for a hotel to sell or distribute across all channels is called an Inventory. - Why is a receptionist important to an organization?
The receptionist is most important because they know how to handle the guest they will easily attract the guest with the help of their polite behaviour and smile. - What are the qualities of a good receptionist?
The good receptionist should be polite n they have a pleasant smile during there job n they always talk with guest softly n don’t arguing to with guest. - How would you deal with the employees who are of very higher grade and non-friendly?
I would be very patient towards them and try to solve their query in case of failing to help them I would ask my manager’s help to deal and would learn the skill. - What do you like most about being a front desk executive?
You can talk about some results you see at the end of each guest checking out. - How important is anticipating the needs of a guest and taking an extra effort to meet them?
Anticipating the needs of a guest and meeting them even before they ask you for help goes a long way in making you and your hotel a success. - What is a Vacant and Ready room?
The room has been cleaned and inspected and is ready for an arriving guest. - What is a Master Key?
A Key which opens all guest room doors which are not double locked.