What does a front desk manager do?
A front desk manager is an employee employed to manage a hotel's reception area, coordinate all front desk activities, and supervise the support staff. A manager is expected to handle guest complaints and schedule training for front desk staff. Apart from handling hotel guests, a front desk manager must be able to handle cash, accounting procedures, and general administration. A manager should also possess talents such as multitask, manage time as well as proficient in computer skills.
Front desk manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real front desk manager resumes:
- Manage vendor relationships in support of CRM and sales reporting projects.
- Serve as a point of escalation for guest problem resolution and manage all VIP special guests and execution of requests.
- Manage facility procedures relate to insurance and billing and solve patients' queries regarding their insurance renewal and expiry.
- Direct a team of three, successfully providing resolution to daily incidents, meeting SLA and KPI objectives.
- Supervise entire front of the house functions including front desk and concierge personnel, bell staff and PBX associates.
- Utilize Marriott policies and procedures to train new employees and keep proper records to relay training progress to hotel supervisors.
- Oversee and drive an overall seamless operation of the front office: including bell services, PBX, and front desk.
- Present weather derivative concepts at Industry/Government seminars
- Direct national and international newsgathering on weekends.
- Develop understanding of various computer programs through the Marriott scheduling systems.
- Prepare team member schedules according to business forecast, payroll budget guidelines and productivity requirements.
- Communicate and translate business requirements to the implementation project managers for ERP and CRM implementation.
- Perform all administrative functions and ensure records, paperwork, schedules and payroll remain up-to-date and file appropriately.
- Work experience answering phones taking reservations checking guest in and out doing daily deposits also do laundry assisting general manager
- Manage facility procedures relate to insurance and billing and solve patients' queries regarding their insurance renewal and expiry.
Front desk manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 16% of Front Desk Managers are proficient in Front Desk Operations, Reservations, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Integrity, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Front Desk Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Front Desk Operations, 16%
Performed managerial responsibilities, including supervising and overseeing all front desk operations, interviewing prospective employees, and current employee evaluations.
- Reservations, 15%
Closed hotel operations by successfully relocating 453 future guest reservations by direct connections with neighborhood hotels.
- Customer Service, 11%
Improved guest experience by providing top-notch customer service that increased repeat business; built and maintained long-lasting business relationships.
- Guest Service, 8%
Monitored and analyzed the payroll for accounting to ensure minimum effectiveness toward guest services while realizing full profit potential.
- Room Availability, 5%
Review Future Rooms Availability Forecast and use this information effectively in order to maximize room availability.
- Customer Satisfaction, 5%
Managed desk and employees delegating as necessary, also responsible for cash management and ensuring customer satisfaction during check-in/out process.
Common skills that a front desk manager uses to do their job include "front desk operations," "reservations," and "customer service." You can find details on the most important front desk manager responsibilities below.
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a front desk manager to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "information clerks must be able to explain policies and procedures clearly to customers and the public." Front desk managers often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "served as communications liaison between general manager and guests for on and off site guest relations. "
Integrity. Many front desk manager duties rely on integrity. "information clerks, particularly human resources assistants, have access to confidential information," so a front desk manager will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways front desk manager responsibilities rely on integrity: "entrusted with manager, night audit, and bartending duties as well. "
Interpersonal skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of front desk managers is interpersonal skills. This skill is critical to many everyday front desk manager 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: "analyze, investigate, and resolve guest complaints using interpersonal skills and premiums when needed. "
Organizational skills. For certain front desk manager responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "organizational skills." The day-to-day duties of a front desk manager 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 managers do: "demonstrate strong organizational skills while overseeing guest registration, checkout and scheduling. "
The three companies that hire the most front desk managers are:
- Aimbridge Hospitality108 front desk managers jobs
- Marriott International92 front desk managers jobs
- Urban Air Adventure Park22 front desk managers jobs
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Compare different front desk managers
Front desk manager vs. Guest service supervisor
A guest service supervisor supervises and trains guest service staff to have a high standard for guest delivery and efficient communication between all service staff. They ensure all guests are assisted with any complaints or service issues, with tour and travel information provided. As a supervisor, they must ensure that all forms and documents/printing going into the suites are accurate at all times and approved by the hotel manager. They must be aware of each guest's name as soon as possible and support guest service staff with queries from guests and control issues with guests when escalated beyond their level of responsibility.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a front desk manager are more likely to require skills like "guest service," "bad debts," "scheduling appointments," and "inventory control." On the other hand, a job as a guest service supervisor requires skills like "guest inquiries," "cash handling," "guest expectations," and "room inventory." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Guest service supervisors earn the highest salaries when working in the retail industry, with an average yearly salary of $36,493. On the other hand, front desk managers are paid more in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $43,552.On average, guest service supervisors reach similar levels of education than front desk managers. Guest service supervisors are 1.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Front desk manager vs. Manager on duty
A manager on duty's role is to oversee operations in a store or a particular department, ensuring efficient workflow and workforce performance. They mainly evaluate and delegate tasks among employees, arrange schedules, set goals and budget, handle issues and concerns, and impose disciplinary actions. Moreover, a manager on duty may also perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports, processing paperwork, maintaining an inventory of supplies, reporting to supervisors, coordinating with other managers, and implementing the company's policies and standards.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, front desk manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "reservations," "room availability," "customer satisfaction," and "bad debts." Meanwhile, a manager on duty has duties that require skills in areas such as "safety procedures," "cpr," "sales floor," and "incident reports." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Managers on duty earn a lower average salary than front desk managers. But managers on duty earn the highest pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $36,308. Additionally, front desk managers earn the highest salaries in the hospitality with average pay of $43,552 annually.managers on duty earn similar levels of education than front desk managers in general. They're 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Front desk manager vs. Front office supervisor
A front office supervisor is responsible for greeting customers, giving administrative assistance to fellow employees, and managing a team of personnel. This senior position manages either a team of receptionists or administrative assistants. Tasks and duties vary depending on the company's needs. Their primary tasks include training the team of personnel in providing excellent customer service, supervising their daily shift process, and efficiently resolving customer complaints and issues. Additionally, they manage office maintenance, which includes making sure all areas are clean and sufficiently stocked with essentials and supplies.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, front desk managers are more likely to have skills like "guest service," "bad debts," "scheduling appointments," and "inventory control." But a front office supervisor is more likely to have skills like "patients," "cash handling," "excellent interpersonal," and "front office operations."
Front office supervisors make a very good living in the health care industry with an average annual salary of $38,007. On the other hand, front desk managers are paid the highest salary in the hospitality industry, with average annual pay of $43,552.When it comes to education, front office supervisors tend to earn similar degree levels compared to front desk managers. In fact, they're 0.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Front desk manager vs. Guest relations manager
Guest relations managers are in charge of providing an immaculate, professional, superior, and top-quality guest service experience. Their tasks include assessing customers' feedback and providing strategic management to continuously enhance the general rating. Also, the answer to the needs of the guests and predict the unexplicit ones. Additionally, they direct a guest relation team to make sure compliance with standards and operating protocols are implemented. Guest relations managers should be able to communicate well, resolve problems efficiently, and has strong leadership as well as a sense of responsibility skills.
Types of front desk manager
Updated January 8, 2025
