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What does a front desk agent do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
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.

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Front desk agent responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real front desk agent resumes:

  • 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.
  • Help members with POS transactions, questions with specific workout equipment, membership start-ups, and customer relate issues.
  • Enter incoming reservations into PMS and process deposits
  • Facilitate reservation procedures, including individual and group reservations, room assignments, and cancellations.
  • Develop and maintain sales skills to optimize sales opportunities to maximize reservations and customer satisfaction.
  • Receive outstanding weekly performance evaluations in the areas of job knowledge, dependability, resourcefulness and overall professionalism.
  • Register new patients and updates existing patient demographics by collecting patient detail patient information including personal and financial information.
  • Maintain and balance a cash drawer of $300 dollars daily.PBX operatordirect all incoming and outgoing phone calls to appropriate destinations.
  • Help in developing step by step instructions for night auditors to enable quick and smooth navigation through PMS and Marsha systems.
  • Support all managers and team leaders in terms of PowerPoint presentation report and perform clerical duties as assigned.

Front desk agent skills and personality traits

We calculated that 23% of Front Desk Agents are proficient in Reservations, Team Work, and Guest Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Integrity, and Interpersonal skills.

We break down the percentage of Front Desk Agents that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Reservations, 23%

    Facilitated reservation procedures, including individual and group reservations, room assignments, and cancellations.

  • Team Work, 8%

    Promoted team work and quality services through daily communications and coordination within other departments.

  • Guest Service, 6%

    Verified accuracy, completeness and legibility of accounting, reservations and guest service records.

  • Customer Service, 5%

    Helped company attain high customer service ratings and officially commended for enthusiasm, intense customer focus and dependability in performance evaluations.

  • Computer System, 4%

    Designed a detailed tutorial presentation for front desk agents to enter Busch Gardens Reservations into the computer system accurately and efficiently.

  • Guest Satisfaction, 4%

    Delivered superior customer service to ensure total guest satisfaction while also providing administrative support to the management team.

"reservations," "team work," and "guest service" are among the most common skills that front desk agents use at work. You can find even more front desk agent responsibilities below, including:

Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a front desk agent to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "information clerks must be able to explain policies and procedures clearly to customers and the public." Additionally, a front desk agent resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "process daily guest arrivals and departures focusing on quality guest experience communication between all departments to ensure highest guest satisfaction"

Integrity. Many front desk agent duties rely on integrity. "information clerks, particularly human resources assistants, have access to confidential information," so a front desk agent will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways front desk agent responsibilities rely on integrity: "entrusted to inspect all 450 guest rooms to make sure there was a presence of wyndham standard items. "

Interpersonal skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of front desk agents is interpersonal skills. This skill is critical to many everyday front desk agent duties, as "information clerks who work with the public and customers must understand and communicate information effectively to establish positive relationships." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "developed excellent interpersonal skills while assisting guests monitored phone system and ensured reservations for clients handled and completed paperwork for audits"

Organizational skills. For certain front desk agent responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "organizational skills." The day-to-day duties of a front desk agent rely on this skill, as "information clerks must be able to retrieve files and other important information quickly and efficiently." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what front desk agents do: "maintained successful coordination between hotel guest demands and organizational offerings. "

See the full list of front desk agent skills

The three companies that hire the most front desk agents are:

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Compare different front desk agents

Front desk agent vs. Night auditor

A Night Auditor is responsible for handling late-night front-desk operations, mostly at hotels or other lodging establishments. Among the primary duties involve greeting guests and handling check-in and check-outs, responding to reservations, process and collect payments, preparing reports and necessary documentation, and attending to the guests' inquiries, requests, and concerns. Furthermore, Night Auditors must also coordinate with day-shift workers to be aware of the daily reports, and as well as oversee the entire establishment's operation to ensure the guest's welfare.

The annual salary of night auditors is $490 higher than the average salary of front desk agents.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between front desk agents and night auditors are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like reservations, team work, and guest service.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, front desk agent responsibilities require skills like "local attractions," "basic math," "brand marketing," and "registration process." Meanwhile a typical night auditor has skills in areas such as "check-in," "keep management," "check guests," and "hotel operations." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Night auditors tend to make the most money working in the real estate industry, where they earn an average salary of $31,410. In contrast, front desk agents make the biggest average salary, $30,854, in the hospitality industry.The education levels that night auditors earn slightly differ from front desk agents. In particular, night auditors are 1.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a front desk agent. Additionally, they're 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Front desk agent vs. Guest service representative

A guest service representative is responsible for supporting the front desk operations, assisting guests with their needs, and handling guests' inquiries. Guest service representatives duties' include processing payments, leading the guests to their respective rooms, responding to the guests' requests, escalating high-level complaints, maintaining the cleanliness and orderliness of the common areas, performing administrative duties, and suggesting recommendations for improving the guests' experience. A guest service representative should have excellent customer service and communication skills to increase the business's positive feedback.

On average, guest service representatives earn a $4,161 lower salary than front desk agents a year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Front desk agents and guest service representatives both require similar skills like "reservations," "team work," and "guest service" to carry out their responsibilities.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that front desk agent responsibilities requires skills like "english communication," "basic math," "brand marketing," and "registration process." But a guest service representative might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "cleanliness," "good judgment," "pos," and "property management system."

On average, guest service representatives earn a lower salary than front desk agents. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, guest service representatives earn the most pay in the retail industry with an average salary of $29,331. Whereas front desk agents have higher pay in the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $30,854.In general, guest service representatives achieve similar levels of education than front desk agents. They're 0.3% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Front desk agent vs. Desk clerk

The desk clerk or general office clerk is an employee who works with little supervision from the manager. The duties and responsibilities of desk clerks vary depending on the industry they belong to. These may include but are not limited to answering phone calls, electronic correspondence, filing paperwork, taking and maintaining inventory levels, and setting calendars and schedules. They are expected to always offer excellent customer service. In hotels, they check-in and check-out their guests.

An average desk clerk eans a lower salary compared to the average salary of front desk agents. The difference in salaries amounts to desk clerks earning a $1,912 lower average salary than front desk agents.Using the responsibilities included on front desk agents and desk clerks resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "reservations," "customer service," and "computer system.rdquo;

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a front desk agent is likely to be skilled in "team work," "guest service," "guest satisfaction," and "local attractions," while a typical desk clerk is skilled in "front desk," "direct calls," "telephone calls," and "incident reports."

Desk clerks earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $31,643. Front desk agents earn the highest pay from the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $30,854.Most desk clerks achieve a similar degree level compared to front desk agents. For example, they're 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Front desk agent vs. Agent

Agents are individuals who are employed by their clients to represent them in various dealings. Agents are usually employed by people in the show business industry, such as actors, writers, or directors. They meet people who are interested in dealing with their clients. They listen to the plans and vision for the project and assess if the project fits their clients' interests or public image. In the case of agents whose clients are actors, they send their clients to auditions upon review of the project details. Agents are also responsible for negotiating terms on behalf of their clients, such as salary, royalties, and set benefits, among others. They also inform the project leaders of their clients' demands on set. Agents are expected to be business-savvy and good negotiators.

Agents average a higher salary than the annual salary of front desk agents. The difference is about $6,856 per year.According to resumes from front desk agents and agents, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "customer service," "computer system," and "customer complaints. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A front desk agent uses "reservations," "team work," "guest service," and "guest satisfaction." Agents are more likely to have duties that require skills in "insurance products," "life insurance," "hr," and "inbound calls. "In general, agents hold similar degree levels compared to front desk agents. Agents are 2.6% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of front desk agent

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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