Career Overview
Accommodate hotel, motel, and resort patrons by registering and assigning rooms to guests, issuing room keys or cards, transmitting and receiving messages, keeping records of occupied rooms and guests' accounts, making and confirming reservations, and presenting statements to and collecting payments from departing guests.
Also Known As
- Front Desk Agent
- Front Desk Clerk
- Guest Services Agent (GSA)
- Night Auditor
Alternate Job Titles
- Desk Clerk
- Floor Clerk
- Front Desk Agent
- Front Desk and Night Auditor
- Front Desk Associate
- Front Desk Attendant
- Front Desk Auditor
- Front Desk Clerk
- Front Desk Concierge
- Front Desk Coordinator
- Front Desk Receptionist
- Front Desk Representative
- Front Office Agent
- Guest Service Agent
- Guest Service Representative
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Greet, register, and assign rooms to guests of hotels or motels.
- Contact housekeeping or maintenance staff when guests report problems.
- Issue room keys and escort instructions to bellhops.
- Make and confirm reservations.
- Verify customers' credit, and establish how the customer will pay for the accommodation.
- Keep records of room availability and guests' accounts, manually or using computers.
- Post charges, such as those for rooms, food, liquor, or telephone calls, to ledgers, manually or by using computers.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Administrative
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Speech Recognition
- Speech Clarity
- Problem Sensitivity
- Near Vision
- Deductive Reasoning
- Information Ordering
- Category Flexibility
- Written Expression
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Dependability
- Cooperation
- Social Orientation
- Attention to Detail
- Optimism
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Relationships
- Support
- Independence
- Achievement
- Recognition
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month
Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- Yardi software
Tools & Equipment
- Automated call distributors ACD
- Automated telephone answering systems
- Centrex phone consoles
- On hold players
- Personal computers
- Private automatic branch exchange PABX systems
- Steam cleaning equipment
- Telephone call identification systems
- Vacuum cleaners
- Voice mail systems
Work Environment
- Contact With Others
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Telephone Conversations
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $26,600 |
| Median | $34,270 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $44,720 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 261,430
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Lodging Managers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $68,130
Concierges
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $37,320
Receptionists and Information Clerks
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $37,230
Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $34,800
Counter and Rental Clerks
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $38,540
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.