Front desk associate vs guest service representative

The differences between front desk associates and guest service representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a front desk associate has an average salary of $27,236, which is higher than the $26,847 average annual salary of a guest service representative.

The top three skills for a front desk associate include phone calls, math and customer service. The most important skills for a guest service representative are reservations, guest service, and cleanliness.

Front desk associate vs guest service representative overview

	Front Desk Associate	Guest Service Representative
Yearly salary	$27,236	$26,847
Hourly rate	$13.09	$12.91
Growth rate	-	-4%
Number of jobs	77,432	142,302
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	37	40
Years of experience	-	12

What does a front desk associate do?

Front-Desk Associates are the face of a hotel. Their duties are focused on assisting guests and attaining customer satisfaction. Aside from great communication skills, Front-Desk Associates must also have a pleasing personality and great presence of mind as guests will come to them first should there be any issues on the services provided. Moreover, among the duties of Front-Desk Associates include performing room check-ins and check-outs, accepting and arranging reservations, assigning rooms, maintain booking and payments, and communicate with the entire hotel staff to ensure quality service.

What does a guest service representative do?

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.

Front desk associate vs guest service representative salary

Front desk associates and guest service representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Front Desk Associate	Guest Service Representative
Average salary	$27,236	$26,847
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $35,000	Between $20,000 And $34,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	New York	Washington
Best paying company	Wyndham Capital Mortgage	Seattle Seahawks
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Retail

Differences between front desk associate and guest service representative education

There are a few differences between a front desk associate and a guest service representative in terms of educational background:

	Front Desk Associate	Guest Service Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Front desk associate vs guest service representative demographics

Here are the differences between front desk associates' and guest service representatives' demographics:

	Front Desk Associate	Guest Service Representative
Average age	37	40
Gender ratio	Male, 31.3% Female, 68.7%	Male, 29.9% Female, 70.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 6.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 9.3% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 6.5% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	13%	7%

Differences between front desk associate and guest service representative duties and responsibilities

Front desk associate example responsibilities.

Manage customer service issues with ease and charm and train other co workers in daily operations.
Manage confidential information and documentation, including financial data, and credit card information and payroll checks.
Manage patients records by keeping all medical history, insurance and personal information update and verify abiding by HIPAA protocols.
Process reservations for business groups via opera system.
Process guest reservations, assess needs and ensure appropriate accommodations and assist guests with concierge-relate services.
Contact patients regarding unpaid and underpay accounts, verification of insurance, accounting, customer service, computer and telephone operations.

Guest service representative example responsibilities.

Manage department's expenses, complete weekly schedules, oversee payroll accuracy and act as a mentor to fellow supervisors.
Provide energetic and enthusiastic customer service to VIP clientele.
Operate PBX system including mail/message service; for hotel reservations
Handle phone inquiries and phone communications to verify upcoming reservations and pet medical records.
Exhibit exemplary customer service to patients while providing a therapeutic and comfortable environment within the clinic.
Operate machinery for pools and slides and CPR certify

Front desk associate vs guest service representative skills

Common front desk associate skills

Phone Calls, 21%
Math, 13%
Customer Service, 13%
Basic Math, 11%
Strong Customer Service, 10%
Cash Handling, 8%

Common guest service representative skills

Reservations, 22%
Guest Service, 15%
Cleanliness, 7%
Good Judgment, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
POS, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Front Desk Associate
Front Desk Associate vs Guest Service Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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