Front Desk Manager: Pros and Cons
A front desk manager, also known as a front-office manager, helps to coordinate the staff at the front desk of a lodging establishment. Learn about the pros and cons to being a front desk manager by reading below.
| Pros of Being a Front Desk Manager |
|---|
| Establishments that offer multiple services, like casinos and resorts, are expected to offer more jobs for front desk managers* |
| The average income for front desk managers is above the national average* |
| Career advancement to higher level managerial positions is possible* |
| Self-employment opportunities by opening your own lodging establishment* |
| Cons of Being a Front Desk Manager |
|---|
| As a manager, you can be on call 24/7 in the event of emergencies* |
| Many hotels operate around the clock which results in evening, night, weekend, and holiday hours* |
| Interacting with angry customers can result in stressful situations* |
| Little to no change in growth (1% from 2012 to 2022)* |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Essential Career Info
Job Description
As a front desk manager, you'll direct the work activities of your staff. This includes assigning your team their shifts and work duties. When you receive a new worker or assign a worker to a task that he or she is unfamiliar with, you'll need to provide training. Front desk managers see to it that every guest feels welcomed. This involves treating guests with respect and resolving any issues that your guests might have. If a request for a special service is submitted to the front desk, you'll do your best to ensure that service is fulfilled.
Salary Information
As of May 2013, lodging managers were reported to make about $27 an hour on average, which results in a yearly income of $56,000 or so, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov). Surgical and medical hospitals paid lodging managers the highest average income. You'll want to look for employment in Nevada, District of Columbia, New York, Maryland, or Rhode Island if you want to work in one of the highest-paying states on average for lodging managers. Finally, the upper tenth percentile of wage estimates for lodging managers is about $92,000 annually, as of the same time.
Requirements to Become a Front Desk Manager
Necessary Education
Ideally, an aspiring front desk manager would want to have an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree. You can major in hotel management or hospitality management. Your can expect the coursework to cover topics like marketing, food service management, hotel administration, economics, and accounting. As part of your education, you'll learn to work with several computer programs crucial to running the front desk of a hotel. If you haven't taken the time to acquire a postsecondary degree, then you'll need to demonstrate that you have previous managerial and lodging experience in order to find employment.
What Do Employers Want?
Interpersonal communication and customer service skills are two huge factors employers take into consideration when hiring front desk managers. As customers come to the front desk with complaints or issues, you have to resolve them while making the customer feel appreciated. Employers want front desk managers who can act as leaders and manage their team of workers effectively. As you continue to read, you'll learn what some real employers were requesting in front desk managers in their job postings from May 2012.
- A Connecticut hotel is looking for a front desk manager to evaluate co-workers and advise them on how to improve.
- In Idaho, a front desk manager opening is available to people with the ability to communicate clearly, effectively and professionally.
- A front desk manager job in Nevada calls for applicants that can manage day-to-day operations.
- In Iowa, a hotel wants a front desk manager that has 2-5 years of hospitality experience.
How Can You Stand Out?
The American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute offers professional designations and certifications for front desk managers, and you set yourself apart from applicants who don't have this credential. The Certified Front Desk Manager is the certification you'll want to pursue. There are different prerequisite options you can choose from, but for one of them you have to possess a hospitality degree and currently be employed in a qualifying job. In order to receive your certification, you have to pass an examination. This test can be completed online.
Other Occupational Paths
If you're more interested in working in the food industry instead of lodging services, consider becoming a food service manager. At a restaurant, you're in charge of the day-to-day operations. This includes assigning job duties, scheduling shifts, and monitoring employee activity. You need to make sure customers are happy with their food service first and foremost. The BLS in May 2013 found that food service managers had average annual earnings of about $53,000.
With enough experience, drive, and education, you can apply your managerial skills to a sales manager position. Typically, in this role, you would oversee local and regional managers and staffs on behalf of your employer. You'll prepare budgets, project sales, and examine statistics. This is all done to make sure your business is successfully making a profit. In May 2013, the BLS noted that sales managers generated an income of around $123,000 yearly on average.
