Front desk agent vs reservation sales agent

The differences between front desk agents and reservation sales agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a reservation sales agent has an average salary of $35,459, which is higher than the $31,008 average annual salary of a front desk agent.

The top three skills for a front desk agent include reservations, team work and guest service. The most important skills for a reservation sales agent are reservations, customer service, and booking.

Front desk agent vs reservation sales agent overview

	Front Desk Agent	Reservation Sales Agent
Yearly salary	$31,008	$35,459
Hourly rate	$14.91	$17.05
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	96,392	200,677
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	37	45
Years of experience	-	-

What does a front desk agent do?

Front desk agents are usually the first hotel employees that the guest encounters upon entering the hotel. They greet and welcome guests. They are in charge of checking and validating the guests' reservations and issuing their room keys. Front desk agents are responsible for collecting any applicable fees from the guests and ensuring that only the registered guests stay. Front desk agents also coordinate with the housekeeping team and any other team to ensure that the guests' stay is the best.

What does a reservation sales agent do?

A reservation sales agent informs customers of products and services offered in hotels, car rentals, airlines, and resorts. They also inform customers of the attraction sites available, directions, and any information they might need through their trip. They are the go-between for the customers and the facilities they are looking for.

Front desk agent vs reservation sales agent salary

Front desk agents and reservation sales agents have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Front Desk Agent	Reservation Sales Agent
Average salary	$31,008	$35,459
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $37,000	Between $31,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Albuquerque, NM
Highest paying state	Washington	New Mexico
Best paying company	Brookhaven National Laboratory	Aspen Snowmass
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Media

Differences between front desk agent and reservation sales agent education

There are a few differences between a front desk agent and a reservation sales agent in terms of educational background:

	Front Desk Agent	Reservation Sales Agent
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Front desk agent vs reservation sales agent demographics

Here are the differences between front desk agents' and reservation sales agents' demographics:

	Front Desk Agent	Reservation Sales Agent
Average age	37	45
Gender ratio	Male, 31.2% Female, 68.8%	Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 22.1% Asian, 9.9% White, 50.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 23.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	13%	12%

Differences between front desk agent and reservation sales agent duties and responsibilities

Front desk agent example responsibilities.

Train new associates to Hyatt standards and the most efficient way to accomplish the day's tasks.
Work as front desk, PBX, and make error free reservations for a full size hotel consisting of 123 rooms.
Welcome guests into the 2nd largest Hyatt in the world.
Receive recognition for dependability and a``can-do"attitude.
Inform members and guests of current sales and promotions while accounting for an accurate POS drawer
Coordinate request for dry cleaning pickup/drop off, pet walking, housekeeping, grocery, delivery, etc.

Reservation sales agent example responsibilities.

Provide customer service and achieve sales quotas by efficiently answering and completing incoming reservations calls quickly.
Receive and handle high volume of inbound customer calls booking domestic and international airline reservations.
Communicate information regarding designate VIP reservations.
Assist customers in booking reservations to international/domestic destinations, while identifying opportunities to sell beneficial options and services.
Assist guests and travel representatives with reservations, itineraries and transportation arrangements using a GDS program.
Attend agency clients personally and by telephone, to sell tickets for the Amadeus system of the airline.

Front desk agent vs reservation sales agent skills

Common front desk agent skills

Reservations, 23%
Team Work, 8%
Guest Service, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Computer System, 4%
Guest Satisfaction, 4%

Common reservation sales agent skills

Reservations, 51%
Customer Service, 8%
Booking, 7%
Inbound Calls, 3%
Front Desk, 3%
Resorts, 3%

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Front Desk Agent
Front Desk Agent vs Reservation Sales Agent

Updated January 8, 2025

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