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What does a hotel desk clerk do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
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Hotel desk clerk responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real hotel desk clerk resumes:

  • Manage customer service issues with ease and charm and train other co workers in daily operations.
  • Provide customer service to hotel guests; receive reservations for incoming guests base on room availability.
  • Make reservations for incoming guests base on room availability and interview incoming guests to determine room assignment.
  • Register new patients and updates existing patient demographics by collecting patient detail patient information including personal and financial information.
  • Transmit and receive messages using telephone or switchboard.
  • Monitor checkout stations to ensure that they have adequate cash available and that they are staff appropriately.

Hotel desk clerk skills and personality traits

We calculated that 44% of Hotel Desk Clerks are proficient in Reservations, Customer Service, and Room Availability. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Integrity, and Interpersonal skills.

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

  • Reservations, 44%

    Assist management with group reservations and follow procedures pertaining to hotel guest security.

  • Customer Service, 8%

    Rented rooms to customers, provided customer service, cleaned rooms, did laundry, and answered phones.

  • Room Availability, 7%

    Interview incoming guests to determine room availability.

  • Computer System, 6%

    Run night audit to update computer system and receive next day data.

  • Data Entry, 6%

    Perform data entry on spreadsheets and in database processing different types of computer accounting reports for the hotel.

  • Registration Cards, 5%

    Interviewed incoming guests to determine room assignment, assisted clientele in the completion of required forms and registration cards.

"reservations," "customer service," and "room availability" are among the most common skills that hotel desk clerks use at work. You can find even more hotel desk clerk responsibilities below, including:

Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a hotel desk clerk 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." Hotel desk clerks often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "strengthen communication skills by answering phones and transferring calls to the appropriate department. "

Integrity. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling hotel desk clerk duties is integrity. The role rewards competence in this skill because "information clerks, particularly human resources assistants, have access to confidential information." According to a hotel desk clerk resume, here's how hotel desk clerks can utilize integrity in their job responsibilities: "performed confidentiality and was trusted with guest rooms even in their absence. "

Interpersonal skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of hotel desk clerks is interpersonal skills. This skill is critical to many everyday hotel desk clerk 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: "book motel reservations and answered customer questions provide quality customer service to all patrons developed strong verbal communication and interpersonal skills"

Organizational skills. hotel desk clerk responsibilities often require "organizational skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "information clerks must be able to retrieve files and other important information quickly and efficiently." This resume example shows what hotel desk clerks do with organizational skills on a typical day: "handled all incoming phone calls and numerous other organizational duties in the office. "

All hotel desk clerk skills

The three companies that hire the most hotel desk clerks are:

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Compare different hotel desk clerks

Hotel desk clerk 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.

If we compare the average hotel desk clerk annual salary with that of a night auditor, we find that night auditors typically earn a $829 higher salary than hotel desk clerks make annually.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both hotel desk clerk and night auditor positions are skilled in reservations, customer service, and room availability.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, hotel desk clerk responsibilities require skills like "hotel front desk," "data entry," "registration cards," and "booking." Meanwhile a typical night auditor has skills in areas such as "check-in," "guest service," "cash handling," and "keep management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Night auditors really shine in the real estate industry with an average salary of $31,410. Comparatively, hotel desk clerks tend to make the most money in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $36,864.night auditors tend to reach similar levels of education than hotel desk clerks. In fact, night auditors are 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Hotel desk clerk vs. Guest services agent

Guest services agents are the ones who communicate with hotel guests who want to reserve or cancel bookings. Their job includes welcoming guests upon arrival, assigning them their rooms and suites, issuing their room keys, and collecting payment information. They organize housekeeping, transport providers, porters, and kitchen staff to meet the requirements of guests. They also resolve issues and deal with disappointed guests' complaints and coordinate third party services, including taxis, rental cars, tour guides, and airport transfers.

A career as a guest services agent brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a hotel desk clerk. In fact, guest services agents salary is $1,606 lower than the salary of hotel desk clerks per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Hotel desk clerks and guest services agents both require similar skills like "reservations," "customer service," and "room availability" 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 hotel desk clerk responsibilities requires skills like "hotel front desk," "data entry," "registration cards," and "booking." But a guest services agent might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "cash handling," "pbx," "exceptional guest," and "phone calls."

Guest services agents may earn a lower salary than hotel desk clerks, but guest services agents earn the most pay in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $28,914. On the other hand, hotel desk clerks receive higher pay in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $36,864.guest services agents earn similar levels of education than hotel desk clerks in general. They're 1.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Hotel desk clerk vs. Front office agent

Front office agents are a part of a corporation that comes in touch with clients like the marketing, sales, and repair departments. In general offices, the agents can discover more information about the customer by asking them questions, also helping the purchasers out. Agents working within the front office can also affect simple tasks, like checking out emails and printing and typing works. Front office agents used different technologies, too, like using printers, fax machines, and phones.

On average, front office agents earn higher salaries than hotel desk clerks, with a $4,104 difference per year.By looking over several hotel desk clerks and front office agents resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "reservations," "customer service," and "room availability." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a hotel desk clerk is likely to be skilled in "hotel front desk," "data entry," "registration cards," and "booking," while a typical front office agent is skilled in "excellent guest," "cleanliness," "guest service," and "cash handling."

Front office agents typically earn similar educational levels compared to hotel desk clerks. Specifically, they're 0.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Hotel desk clerk vs. Guest relations representative

Guest relations representatives are professionals who are responsible for providing excellent customer service to customers of a hotel or other establishment. These representatives are required to assist the front office manager in mentoring and developing front office associates by contributing valuable feedback and suggestions for improvement. They must provide general hospitality services for VIP guests by arranging transportation as well as special accommodations. Guest relations representatives must also maintain the cleanliness of guest rooms while delivering housekeeping amenities to the rooms.

Guest relations representatives tend to earn a lower pay than hotel desk clerks by an average of $1,879 per year.While their salaries may vary, hotel desk clerks and guest relations representatives both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "reservations," "customer service," and "computer system. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "room availability," "hotel front desk," "data entry," and "registration cards" are skills that commonly show up on hotel desk clerk resumes. On the other hand, guest relations representatives use skills like patients, front desk, vip, and excellent guest on their resumes.guest relations representatives reach similar levels of education compared to hotel desk clerks, in general. The difference is that they're 0.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of hotel desk clerk

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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