Hotel and Motel Desk Clerks Career Information
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Nature of the Work
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks perform
a variety of services for guests of hotels, motels, and other lodging establishments.
Regardless of the type of accommodation, most desk clerks have similar responsibilities.
Primarily, they register arriving guests, assign rooms, and check out guests
at the end of their stay. They also keep records of room assignments and other
registration information on computers. When guests check out, they prepare and
explain the charges, as well as process payments.
Front desk clerks always are in the public eye and, through their attitude and behavior, greatly influence the public's impressions of the establishment. When answering questions about services, checkout times, the local community, or other matters of public interest, clerks must be courteous and helpful. Should guests report problems with their rooms, clerks contact members of the housekeeping or maintenance staff to correct them.
In some smaller hotels and motels, clerks may have a variety of additional responsibilities usually performed by specialized employees in larger establishments. In these places, the desk clerk often is responsible for all front office operations, information, and services. These clerks, for example, may perform the work of a bookkeeper, advance reservation agent, cashier, laundry attendant, and telephone switchboard operator.
Employment
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks held about 195,000 jobs in 2009. Virtually all were in hotels, motels, and other establishments in the accommodation industry. Few were self employed.
Training, Qualifications, Adv.
Employment of hotel and motel desk clerks should be affected by an increase in business and leisure travel. Shifts in travel preference away from long vacations and toward long weekends and other, more frequent, shorter trips also should increase demand as this trend increases the total number of nights spent in hotels. The expansion of budget and extended-stay hotels relative to larger, luxury establishments reflects a change in the composition of the hotel and motel industry. As employment shifts from luxury hotels to these extended-stay establishments offering larger rooms with kitchenettes and laundry services, the proportion of hotel desk clerks should increase in relation to staff such as waiters and waitresses and recreation workers. Desk clerks are able to handle more of the guest's needs in these establishments, answering the main switchboard, providing business services, and coordinating services like dry cleaning or grocery shopping. New technologies automating check-in and check-out procedures now allow some guests to bypass the front desk in many larger establishments, reducing staffing needs. As some of the more traditional duties are automated, however, many desk clerks are assuming a wider range of responsibilities. Employment of desk clerks is sensitive to cyclical swings in the economy. During recessions, vacation and business travel declines, and hotels and motels need fewer clerks. Similarly, desk clerk employment is affected by seasonal fluctuations in travel during high and low tourist seasons. Job Outlook
Employment of hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks is expected to for all occupations through 2010, as more hotels, motels, and other lodging establishments are built and occupancy rates rise.
Median annual earnings of hotel, motel and resort desk clerks were 17,700 in May 2009. The middle 50 percent earned between $15,190 and $21,270. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $13,040, while the highest 10 percent earned more than $25,200.
Earnings of hotel, motel and resort desk clerks vary by a number of seasonal or geographic factors, such as whether the establishment is in a major metropolitan area, a resort community, or other economic or regional characteristic. Earnings also will vary according to the size of the hotel and the level of service offered. For example, luxury hotels that offer guests more personal attention and a greater number of services typically have stricter and more demanding requirements for their desk staff. However, these higher standards of service also result in higher earnings for employees.
Lodging managers, particularly at smaller hotels and lodging establishments, may perform some of the same duties as desk clerks. Other occupations that require workers to assist the public include counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, receptionists and information clerks, and retail salespersons.
Information on careers in the lodging industry, as well as information about professional development and training programs, may be obtained from:Sources of Additional Information