Table of Contents

1. Engage with Guests
2. Adhere to Company Policies
3. A Committed Team Member
4. Aesthetics are Everything
5. Emotional Maturity
6. Tech Proficiency

High-quality front desk operations are entirely dependent on the caliber of the staff working behind the desk. Executing the myriad responsibilities that they’re charged with in a professional and efficient manner is key to their future success as is ensuring that guests enjoy a positive experience, even when that means resolving issues that may arise swiftly and hospitably. Front desk agents who excel at their jobs often find themselves on a fulfilling career path in the hospitality industry. But demonstrating to your supervisors that you’ve got what it takes to advance first requires these six skills.

Engage with Guests

It’s not enough to simply greet guests and expediently carry out their check-in or other requests. It’s imperative that today’s front desk agents connect with guests on a more interpersonal level and to do that, they are often trained to ask select questions during their various guest interactions. For example, during check-in, front desk agents will often ask guests “how was the weather at home before you left?” or “are you staying with us for business or leisure?” These questions allow staff to continue the conversation without getting too personal by sharing details of the upcoming local weather forecast or mentioning some aspect of the hotel that might be relevant to their leisure or business trip.

Adhere to Company Policies

Whether in the employee handbook that you’ll likely receive upon starting a new front desk position or during your training period, you will be asked to follow a number of strict guidelines, such as how guests should be greeted, maintaining the confidentiality of proprietary information, processing various payment types and running and reading daily reports. Take note to quickly learn these rules and follow them. It’s the first step to making a good impression on the bosses.

A Committed Team Member

Your ability to both get along with your coworkers and roll up your sleeves and pitch in will be very apparent from the get-go. It is also essential to your success. You may find yourself assisting lobby porters by lifting and carrying anywhere from 30 to 50 pounds, as a guest may need assistance with a heavy bag or package. You may also need to be quick to answer the phones while your colleagues are busy checking in a large group. As a front desk staffer, you are part of a greater entity that keeps things running smoothly and you must be ready, willing, and able to jump in at all times.  

Aesthetics are Everything

In the hotel industry, physical presentation matters, which is why hotels invest in their décor as well as daily housekeeping services. The same also goes for the staff’s appearance and while most front desk job postings specify that candidates “should be neat and clean,” this also extends to their uniforms. Of course, you should always come to work looking well-groomed, but your uniform should also be clean and wrinkle-free –every day.

Emotional Maturity

Working at a hotel front desk will put you in regular contact with a variety of different personality types and any number of factors can cause other people’s moods to alter, not the least of which is a dissatisfied guest. But you’ll need to maintain a calm and professional demeanor at all times and to do that, you’ll need to understand that your job is to service other people and to understand that others’ momentary discontentment isn’t necessarily directed at you personally.

Tech Proficiency

Because specific reservations and property management systems can vary from hotel to hotel, all front desk employees will likely receive training on how to use the property’s specific software. However, prior experience is always appreciated and should be highlighted on your resume as should proficiency in Microsoft Suite as well as any other previous experience with other software programs or even Information Technology (IT) that you may have.