A Bell Desk is a hotel service whose main function is to assist the guests with their luggage. There are many activities from the arrival to the departure of guests that can’t be done just by the Front desk.
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This is where you need Bell Desk who help the guests with their requests during this time. The Bell Desk assists with the guest’s luggage.
It primarily starts when the luggage is unloaded from the guest’s car during the arrival. Then it’s carried to the guest room and can be delivered to the front desk for storage.
The Bell Desk is usually located close to the entrance or the lobby. Although it should be in a clear view of the front desk, and the doorman outside the lobby for signaling the bellboy when the guests arrive.
Bell Desk staff are given training to keep the luggage safely and efficiently while carrying it out. They can also provide other services like transportation assistance, package delivery, luggage storage, and any other guest requests.
The Bell Captain is the one who heads the bell desk. It is a supreme position within the Bell Desk department.
Functions of Bell Desk In Hotel
The bell Desk has several functions to perform from the arrival of the guests till their departure. Some of the important functions of the bell desk are as follows:
1- Handling Luggage
This is the primary and most important function of the Bell Desk. They are responsible for handling the luggage of the guests during their stay. It can be done multiple times from arrival to departure.
On arrival, the bellboy carries the luggage from the car to the room. This is called the “up bell activity”. And similarly when the luggage is moved out from the room to the car during the departure is called “down bell activity”. While moving the luggage the Bell Desk should ensure the safety and security of the luggage.
2- Message Handling and Paging
Paging is the process to reach a particular guest by broadcasting a message over the hotel’s public address system or by just making an announcement. It is a very important function that lets the hotel communicate with the guest.
Paging can be used to tell the guests that their room is ready or in case of an emergency provide the information asap.
Message Handling is a system to deliver the message between the staff and the guests. These messages can be any wake-up calls, requests for housekeeping, package or newspaper delivery, room service orders, etc.
3- Collection of Room Keys at Departure
The bell desk staff has to collect the room keys from the departing guests. And then deposit the key at the front desk. The Bell Desk should remind the guest to submit their key on departure.
4- Delivery of Newspaper
The guests are given a copy of the local newspaper each morning. The Bell Desk staff working at night are responsible for delivering the newspaper to all the guest’s rooms.
The Bell Desk also keeps a record of delivered newspapers. The Bell Captain works with the bell boy to ensure that the number of newspapers is there for each occupied room.
5- Miscellaneous Jobs
These are the jobs that the bell desk staff do on behalf of the guests. It includes outing mails of the guest, booking cinema tickets, recommending local restaurants, local transport reservations, moving files, and documents, etc.
The Bell captain assigns the bell boys for doing these outside tasks. And also make an entry in the control sheet to control the movements of the bellboy.
Importance of Bell Desk in the Hospitality Industry
The hotel Bell Desk has a very crucial role in the hospitality industry. They provide multiple services which ensures that the guests are having a comfortable experience. We have listed some key points which show the contribution of Bell Desk in the Hospitality Industry.
Convenience: The main function of the Bell Desk is to provide a convenient stay for the guests. And it starts with carrying the luggage out of their vehicles and transporting it to their respective rooms.
They also help the guest with all their transportation needs. It can provide information regarding the local transportation option and even make a reservation for the convenient transportation service.
This allows the guests to only focus on their travel and not worry about their belongings and transportation.
Personalized Services: The bell desk staff can also help the guests with their plans or needs. They may help the guests in deciding the local attractions, best restaurants, and other tourist spots.
If the service is on the spot, this will leave a long-lasting effect on the guests. And their experience will determine the future opportunities for the business. The Bell Desk is specialized in providing these services efficiently. So, that the guests can have a memorable experience.
Safety: It is the most important expect of the Bell Desk, to ensure the safety of the guest’s luggage and any other belongings. They have to handle the luggage with full safety, which ensures the safety of the luggage as well as the guests.
The Bell Desk can assist the desk with mobility issues which ensures that the guests can move around the hotel with safety and comfort. This is very important, especially for old or disabled guests.
Reputation: The Bell Desk is usually the first staff from the hotel who interacts with the guests. So, they have a big responsibility to give the best first impression by giving their full assistance.
This will help to build the reputation of the hotel which will attract more guests. If the guests are getting the best services and hospitality, it will leave a positive impression which helps in building the hotel’s reputation.
Revenue: The bell desks can also generate money for the hotel, by simply making transportation arrangements and other concierge services. This will ultimately generate money to the hotel which will result in hotel’s profitability.
