TELEPHONES

Carrier: company providing a hotel’s telephone service.

Telephone Acurator: turning guest room telephones off or on at
check in or checkout, programming wakeup calls, turning message
lights on or off.
Voice mail: it is a electronic device connected to the telephone
which answers call automatically and records voice message in the
absence of guest. Now a days telephone are having in build voice
mail system. This is interfaced with PMS.

CALL ACCOUNTING SYSTEM: module of a PMS is a system that

automatically posts telephone charges to a guest’s folio.
CAS performs following functions:
1. Makes a record of all incoming and outgoing calls.
2. Chooses the least cost method of sending outgoing calls.
3. Maintain records of who will be charged for calls.
4. Maintain record of how much to be charged for the calls made.
5. Posts telephone charges to the proper guest’s folios.

Common telephone subsystems: auto answering, voice mail,

automated wake up, CAS, message on hold.
These days PABX includes the following integrated
programs:
• Wireless telephony,
• caller ID,
• Conference call capability,
• call forwarding,
• hold,
• transfer,
• DND,
 • Voice messaging, etc.
AUTOMATED WAKE UP CALL: earlier telephone operator manually
makes a telephone call to awaken the guest. But today’s telephone
systems can be interfaced to automate wake up calls as requested
by the guest. Requests can be programmed into the PABX by the
guest in their own room or by the front office staff.
All hotels around the world today have alarm clocks for guests who
wish to use them. Many guests however don’t trust them. Most
automated telephone systems have feature that allows guest to
program their own wake up calls. But still in many older systems this
feature is not available.
Guaranteed wakeup call: hotel chain Crowne Plaza offers a
guaranteed wakeup call program, where guest will receive their
wake up call within five minutes of their specified time or their stay
will be free.
Manual wakeup call system: this system simply require the
recording of guest’s name, room no, and preferred wake up call
time. For this hotels maintain an accurate wakeup call log, which is
nothing but a written record of wakeup call requests made by the
hotel guests.
GENERAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TELEPHONE
DEPARTMENT:
1. Operator & the guest: the operator must always be aware of
the fact that he represents the management. So always need to
show courtesy and need to show politeness in the tone of voice
as well.
2. Make use of:
“Certainly sir”, “thank you”, “one moment please”, “may I help
you”. Guests must always be addressed as “sir” or “madam”.
3. Avoid using slangs: yeah, yup, nope, buddy, dude, guys etc.
4. Complaints handling: handle complaints and must be listen
carefully. If you experiencing difficulty guest must be
connected to the supervisor by saying “one moment please, i
will connect you to the supervisor”.
5. Keep Secrecy of all telephonic communications: it is legal
offence to listen the communications of guests unnecessarily.
6. To memorise the house directory and the internal extensions
and also to memorise local important telephone numbers.
7. Fire reports: the operator on receiving the fire alarm will
immediately notify the chief engineer and announce the
location of the fire. The operator will soon notify the GM, House
keeper, FOM, Security officer. In case of major fire inform local
police and fire brigade.