May guest na nag-check-in kanina. Medyo demanding pero still polite. Nagtanong ng extra pillow, humingi ng wake-up call, at nag-request ng airport transfer bukas ng madaling araw.
Ikaw, sipag mode on, sinulat mo lahat sa system at sa logbook. Pero guess what? Night shift forgot. Guest got mad. Ikaw ang unang nasabon.
Relate?
Ito ang classic front desk nightmare — hindi dahil tamad ka, pero dahil kulang sa perfect guest notes at memos.
Totoo, minsan parang maliit na bagay lang, pero ito yung mga maliliit na bagay na nagse-save ng guest experience at nagpo-protect sa career mo.
Kaya dito sa blog na ‘to, parang kwentuhan lang tayo after shift habang nagkakape. Gusto kong ituro kung paano magsulat ng notes at memos na malinaw, helpful, at hindi boring.
Ready? Let’s go.
Bakit importante ang guest notes at memos?
Simple lang — ito ang communication lifeline ng front desk.
Kung wala nito, parang teleserye na walang script. Gulong-gulo ang next shift, tapos ikaw pa ang bida kontrabida.
Guest notes at memos make sure na,
- Hindi na-uulit yung tanong ng guest.
- Hindi na-mimiss yung requests.
- Pare-pareho ang info kahit iba-iba ang shift.
- Hindi napapahiya ang buong hotel.
Isipin mo na lang, isang maling note lang, pwedeng maging bad review sa TripAdvisor. Isang malinaw na memo naman, pwedeng maging glowing 5-star review.
Rule #1: Keep it short pero klaro.
Walang guest na gustong basahin ang nobela.
Walang co-worker na may oras para sa essay.
Kung gagawa ka ng guest note, isipin mo, “Kung ako ang next shift, maiintindihan ko ba ‘to in 10 seconds?”
Example:
❌ “Guest said that she will be leaving early tomorrow morning, possibly around 5 AM, and she wants to have a vehicle ready at the lobby if it’s not too much trouble, and if there’s no car she might just grab a Grab.”
✅ “Guest departs 5AM. Request: airport transfer. If no car, suggest Grab.”
Gets? Mas malinaw, mas mabilis, mas safe.
Rule #2: Gamitin ang standard codes and formats.
Front desk language is like hotel slang.
Kung pare-pareho tayong format, less confusion.
Pwede kang gumawa ng style guide sa notes nyo,
- Time-sensitive request → start with time. (Ex: “6AM wake-up call.”)
- Special items → use caps. (Ex: “EXTRA PILLOW, delivered.”)
- Pending action → add “TO FOLLOW.” (Ex: “Laundry pickup TO FOLLOW.”)
Standard = smooth handover = happy guest.
Rule #3: Write for humans, not robots.
Minsan may agents na sobrang stiff magsulat.
Parang system log ng computer, walang feelings.
Pero tandaan, co-worker mo ang babasa, hindi si Siri.
Example:
❌ “PAX requested supplementary bedding. Status: Fulfilled.”
✅ “Guest asked for extra bed. Already set up in room 512.”
Wala namang award para sa pinaka-formal na note. Pero may award (at recognition) para sa pinaka-helpful na teammate.
Rule #4: Always update, never assume.
May mga agent na ayaw mag-update ng notes.
“Eh ginawa ko na eh, obvious na yan.”
Nope. Hindi obvious.
Ang rule: kung hindi naka-log, parang hindi nangyari.
Na-deliver mo na yung towels? I-log.
Na-resched yung wake-up call? I-log.
Guest cancelled the city tour? I-log.
Para walang finger-pointing. Para kung may tanong ang manager, may receipt ka.
Rule #5: Add personality (pero professional pa rin).
Hindi naman bawal maging tao.
Pwede ka maglagay ng konting color sa notes mo basta hindi disrespectful.
Example:
“Mr. Lee (room 702) loves strong coffee. Ordered 2 extra shots of espresso this morning. Might request again tomorrow.”
Maliit na detail yan pero sobrang useful sa service. Kasi kung ibang shift ang kaharap niya bukas, pwede silang proactive.
Imagine the guest saying: “Wow, you remembered my coffee. Impressive.”
Ikaw? Secret MVP ng hotel.
The case of the angry honeymooner.
May time na may honeymoon couple na dumating. Sweet sila at first, pero nung hindi na-set up yung special honeymoon amenity, nagalit bigla si bride.
Turns out, naka-note siya sa reservation pero walang follow-through sa logbook.
Lesson?
Kung walang malinaw na memo, kahit best effort mo sa harap ng guest, late na. Damage done.
Pero kung may simple note lang na: “Honeymoon couple. Set up wine + cake before arrival.” tapos na sana ang issue.
Small effort, big save.
How to write perfect memos for the team
Guest notes are for individual requests.
Memos are for team-wide reminders.
Ang style dapat,
- Clear headline – para obvious agad.
(Ex: “Memo: VIP Check-in Today, Room 901”)
- Direct instructions – walang paligoy-ligoy.
(Ex: “Ensure room inspection before 12 noon. Coordinate with housekeeping.”)
- Positive tone – hindi sermon.
(Ex: “Reminder: Let’s keep smiles at check-in. Big group arrival at 3PM.”)
Memos are not for ranting. Hindi ito diary. Hindi ito space para maglabas ng inis.
Kung memo mo parang nagagalit ka, it defeats the purpose. Kaya keep it professional, pero warm.
FAQs: Perfect Guest Notes and Memos
1. Paano kung sobrang dami ng requests ng guest?
I-break down mo into bullet-style notes. Huwag lahat sa isang sentence. Example:
- 6AM wake-up call
- Airport transfer at 5:30AM
- Extra pillows tonight
2. Okay lang bang mag-Taglish sa notes?
Kung internal log lang at team mo gets it, yes. Pero kung official system at pwedeng makita ng manager or auditor, stick to English.
3. Paano kung hindi ko sure ang info?
Huwag mag-assume. Lagyan ng “TO CONFIRM” para alam ng next shift na hindi final.
4. Kailangan ba sobrang detailed?
Detailed enough para malinaw, pero not overwhelming. Isipin mo yung “need to know” lang.
5. Ano ang best tool, logbook o PMS system?
Both. Use PMS for official notes (visible across departments), and logbook for shift-to-shift nuances.
Maging note ninja ka.
Hindi glamorous ang pagsulat ng guest notes at memos.
Walang mag-a-applause after shift kasi perfect ang logbook mo.
Pero trust me, ito yung mga invisible habits na nagse-separate ng good agent sa great agent.
Kapag malinaw ang notes mo, mas smooth ang teamwork, mas happy ang guest, mas stress-free ang shift.
And guess what? Managers notice. Guests notice. Ikaw rin ang makikinabang.
So next time na magsusulat ka ng note, isipin mo: “Ito kaya ang note na magse-save ng buong hotel bukas?”
If yes, good job. Kung hindi pa, rewrite.