Hospitality Services Level 2

Who it is for. People who have finished Hospitality Services (Level 1), or who can show the same skills. National Proficiency II covers varied work, mostly routine, under limited supervision.

Bridge from Level 1: what you already know

Level 1 taught you to do each job yourself. Level 2 does not repeat those skills. It teaches you to check other people's work, to run the systems behind the desk, to handle hard cases, to count what the business earns, and to start something of your own.

How the module works

Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent. About 70% of the time is practical.

Every unit ends with a Check yourself (three quick questions) and a homework. Most units have an exercise with answers in the teacher copy. Keep a logbook (see the end of the book).

Three rules run through every unit:

1. Numbered steps. Learn each skill as a short list of steps, then practise until you can do it without the page.
2. "Example" means example. Every price, rate and count in this book that is marked "example" is invented to teach the method. Replace it with real local quotes before you use it in a real business.
3. Law and safety gates are firm. Some things you report and never handle yourself. They are marked Never in the text.

Competency standard

Range. A guesthouse or small hotel of 4 to 12 rooms; checkout rooms and stay-over rooms; public areas. Evidence. Completed inspection forms; rota; stock sheet; handover note; observation of a room inspection.

Why we inspect

A room can look clean to the cleaner and still fail the guest. People get used to their own work. A second pair of eyes finds the hair in the bath, the dust under the bed, the bulb that does not work. Inspection is not punishment. It protects the guest, the cleaner's good name and the guesthouse's reviews.

Ghana's accommodation regulations give a legal minimum list for a guest room in a budget hotel, guest house or motel, which they call category B. An inspector from the GTA checks the premises against it. So a supervisor's checklist should be at least as strict as the law. Level 1 teaches you the cleaning order. The checklist below turns the legal list into a form you can tick.

The room inspection checklist

Build your checklist from the legal minimums and the TESDA list of room points. Use this layout. Score each line OK, Fix or Report (Report means a repair job for the owner, not a cleaning job).

The law text says "every second day" for a longer stay: a guest staying two days or more gets clean sheet and pillow cases for every second day, and a fresh towel and soap daily.

How to inspect a room: steps

Scoring rule (example). Count the lines scored OK, divide by the number of lines, and multiply by 100. For example 14 OK out of 16 lines is 14 ÷ 16 × 100 = 87.5%. A house rule can say "Ready only at 100% after fixes". Fixes must be done before a guest enters. Standards are a house rule you set, not a law.

Common mistakes in inspection

The daily rota and the room list

A supervisor plans the day before it starts. Level 1 taught you how long each task takes you. Now you plan for a team.

1. Count the rooms by type. From the front desk, get the departure list (guests leaving today), the stay-over list (guests staying) and the arrival list (guests coming). Departures are cleaned first because new guests need those rooms.
2. Set priorities. Order: (a) rooms for early arrivals; (b) other departures; (c) stay-overs; (d) public areas. Guests with a "do not disturb" sign are left until later, as the hotel's rule says.
3. Estimate time. Use your own timings. Example only: a checkout room 35 minutes, a stay-over room 20 minutes. With 6 checkouts and 2 stay-overs: 6 × 35 + 2 × 20 = 210 + 40 = 250 minutes, which is 4 hours 10 minutes of work. There is no verified standard minutes-per-room in the TESDA text (not verified), so time your own team on real rooms for a week and use your own average.
4. Match people to rooms. One attendant can do about 4 hours of room work in a half-day. Two attendants halve the time. Give each person a named list of rooms and a start time.
5. Add the extras: public areas, the lobby, the stairs, the toilets, the kitchen area. Add wet-floor signs. Add laundry runs.
6. Write it on one page and put it on the store door. Everyone knows who does what.

Trolley set-up and the colour code

A trolley loaded the same way every day saves walking and mistakes. Level 1 taught you the safe loading. As supervisor, you check the trolley before the team starts. The standard says the competent person selects and prepares supplies, identifies and orders enough for the trolley, and loads it safely.

Cloth colour code. To stop germs travelling from the toilet to a drinking glass, use cloths of different colours for different zones, and never move a cloth to another zone. A common scheme from supplier guides is: red for toilets and washrooms, blue for general areas, green for kitchens and food areas, yellow for infection or isolation areas. Colours are not universal, and it is not a legal rule in the sources found. Choose one scheme for your house, write it on the store door, and call it a house rule, not a Ghana law. A Ghana-specific colour rule was not found.

Stock and par levels

A par level is the number of items you must always have so that you never run out. Linen is expensive. If it is missing, rooms cannot be sold. A common rule is "par 3": one set on the bed, one set clean and ready in the store, one set in the wash (the number is a house choice, not a law).

Worked example (example numbers). A guesthouse has 8 double beds and keeps par 3. Each bed needs 1 bottom sheet, 1 top sheet and 2 pillowcases.

• Sets needed = 8 beds × 3 = 24 sets.
• Bottom sheets = 24, top sheets = 24, pillowcases = 24 × 2 = 48.
• You count 20 bottom sheets in total. Shortage = 24 − 20 = 4 sheets. Order four.

The law needs clean sheets and pillowcases for every new guest, and for every second day on a longer stay. Stained items are separated at once and sent to laundry. If you do not keep par, you will be washing at night.

The stock count: steps

1. Pick a fixed day every week or month (for example, the last Saturday).
2. Count everything in the linen room, the trolley store and the chemical store. Count in one direction, left to right. Write numbers on the stock sheet, not on your hand.
3. Compare with the par list. Write shortage or extra.
4. Find missing items. Check the laundry, rooms, other stores. Items "borrowed" for the restaurant or lost by guests must be written in the lost record.
5. Ask for an order. Give the owner or manager the shortage list with the reason. Order before you hit zero. Allow time for delivery (call your supplier; local prices and delivery times were not verified, so get three quotes).
6. Store chemicals locked, in labelled original containers, away from linen and food. Never mix products, especially bleach with any acid or ammonia-based product (standard safety advice, not cited). Ask the supplier for the product safety information.
7. Sign the sheet and file it.

Coaching and handover

Coaching a cleaner: four steps.

1. Do it in private, soon after the problem, not in front of guests or colleagues.
2. Say something good first and true ("The bed was perfect").
3. Show the one thing to fix, using the checklist line, not the person. ("The skirting under the desk needs a wipe.")
4. Ask her to show you how she will do it next time. Thank her.

Never shout. Never threaten pay in anger. Never compare her with a colleague in public. If a problem repeats after coaching three times, tell the owner or manager. Do not decide discipline alone.

Shift handover (TESDA treats the hand-over to the next shift as part of the job). Use a one-page form:

Lost property

A guest's belongings left in a room are collected and stored under a lost-and-found procedure. Ghana has no retention period that was found, so set your own house rule (not verified). Use a log: date, room, who found it, a description, where stored, who claimed it, signature. Never use or give away a guest's item. Valuables go to the manager at once.

Check yourself: Unit 1

1. What does a supervisor do after the cleaner fixes a fault found at inspection?
2. A guesthouse has 10 beds and par 3. How many sets of sheets does it need?
3. Why should chemicals stay in their original labelled bottles?

Competency standard

Range. A paper booking diary and a simple spreadsheet; cash and mobile money; the guest register. Evidence. Booking diary sheet; reconciliation form; register check; role-play observation.

Reservations: the four steps

The competent person at the front desk follows a standard order.

1. Greet and check availability. Acknowledge the guest at once. Check that a room is free for all the nights requested. If it is not, offer another room type, another date or a waiting list.
2. Record the details. Name, phone number, number of guests, arrival and departure dates, room type, rate, special requests, and how they will pay. Check whether this guest has stayed before (guest history).
3. Confirm. Repeat everything back. Issue a confirmation (a WhatsApp message, text or a paper slip). Give a confirmation number or the booking line. File it.
4. Update and pass on. Record any deposit. Record changes and cancellations as they arrive. Tell housekeeping about special requests (an extra bed, a baby cot, a ground-floor room) before the guest arrives.

The TESDA text lists telephone, email, face-to-face and internet as channels. At Akwidaa, add WhatsApp messages, Booking.com and walk-ins, and handle them in the same book.

Paper diary or spreadsheet?

You do not need an expensive system. A paper booking diary or a free spreadsheet is enough for 4 to 12 rooms (a free property management system was not evaluated).

The bookings grid. Rows are rooms; columns are dates. Write the guest name in each night of their stay. At a glance you see which room is free on which night.

Rules for the book:

1. One person is in charge of the book. Everyone writes in the same place.
2. Pencil for "pending", pen when a deposit is received.
3. Every booking has a source (WhatsApp, Booking.com, walk-in, phone).
4. Back up the spreadsheet every day (copy to a second place).
5. Once a day, compare the book with the room board. They must match.

Overbooking and what to do when a room is not there

Overbooking means you promised more rooms than you have. It can happen when two people write bookings in different books, when an online booking arrives while a guest takes the last room at the desk, or when a guest stays longer than planned.

Prevent it. One book. Update the online listing the same hour you take a walk-in. Do not take more bookings than rooms unless the owner has a written policy.

A larger hotel sometimes books slightly above the number of rooms because some guests do not come (no-shows). Example only: 12 rooms booked for 10 available, with a history of 15% no-shows, gives 12 × 0.85 = 10.2 expected arrivals, which is about right. For a small guesthouse, do not overbook on purpose. The cost of a mistake is a guest sleeping outside.

If a guest arrives and the room is not there (standard practice, trainer demonstrates):

1. Say sorry at once, sincerely. Do not blame the guest, a colleague or the system.
2. Call a nearby guesthouse of equal or better standard. Find a room before you tell the guest the whole story.
3. Offer: the room elsewhere, the transport, the first night paid by you, and a message to the guest's phone with the new address.
4. Tell the owner immediately. Record it as an incident.
5. Follow up the next day. Offer the guest a better room for the rest of the stay if you can.

Do not send the guest away with nothing. Do not make a promise you cannot keep.

Rates and policies

Know the following words:

• Rack rate: the normal published price of a room for one night.
• Discounted or corporate rate: a lower price agreed in advance for groups or companies.
• Seasonal rate: a higher or lower price in busy or quiet months.
• Deposit: money paid to hold a booking.
• Cancellation policy: the written rule about refunds.

The law says the rates and house rules must be displayed at reception and in rooms. Quote the displayed rate. Do not invent a private price at the desk. If the owner allows a discount, follow the owner's written rule.

Telling the guest the price. Say the full amount per night, what it includes (breakfast, water, fan or air conditioning), whether any tax or levy is added, and the deposit and cancellation rule. Write it in the confirmation. A tourism levy is reported at about 1% of charges, but the rate and basis in force today are not verified. Ask the owner whether the levy is added to the bill.

Deposits and prepayment. TESDA lists full prepayment, deposit, vouchers, refunds, receipts and the final bill as parts of accommodation accounting. Always give a written receipt for any deposit, even by mobile money.

Bookings from Booking.com (and similar). Third-party guides say Booking.com typically takes about 15% (range about 10 to 25%) of the booking amount, set in your own contract. The commission is not what the guest pays; it is what the property pays. Read your own agreement.

Cash, mobile money and the daily reconciliation

Reconcile means: what the records say should be there equals what is really there. If it does not, find out why. TESDA's front-office standard lists petty cash, floats, debtor control, cashiering, banking, and the night-audit checks for transactions, room rates and discrepancies.

Mobile money. Accept cash, mobile money, bank transfer and card where you have a terminal. Always give a receipt. Do not trust a guest's screenshot. Confirm that the credit alert arrived on the business wallet or the merchant app (standard practice, uncited). The merchant fee rates quoted by vendors in different blogs conflict. No official MTN schedule was found, so do not print a rate; get the written merchant fee schedule from the network. A 2025 repeal of the Electronic Transfer Levy was mentioned in one search result; its effect on merchants is not verified.

Float. A float is the cash you start the day with so that you can give change. Count it at the start and the end of every shift.

Daily cash reconciliation: steps.

1. At the start of the shift, count the float with the person going off. Both sign. (Example: GH¢300.)
2. During the shift, write every payment in the cash book: time, room or reason, amount, how paid (cash, mobile money, transfer). Write petty cash taken out, with a receipt.
3. At the end of the shift, count the drawer in front of a second person. Count note by note.
4. Expected cash = float + cash received − petty cash paid out.
5. Compare expected cash with counted cash. The difference is an over or short.
6. Match the mobile money: add the credit alerts for the day. They must equal the mobile money entries in the cash book.
7. If something does not match, look for the cause: a payment not written, a wrong amount, change given wrongly, a payment put in the wrong room. Write what you found.
8. Bank or keep safe: take out the float for tomorrow and put the rest in the safe or bank according to the owner's rule. Write a deposit slip.
9. Sign the report. Give it to the owner or manager.

Worked example (example numbers). Float GH¢300 at the start. Cash received: 250 + 500 + 180 + 120 = GH¢1,050. Petty cash paid out: GH¢80 (water gallon). Mobile money received: 250 + 300 + 400 = GH¢950.

• Expected cash in the drawer = 300 + 1,050 − 80 = GH¢1,270.
• Counted cash = GH¢1,264. Difference = 1,264 − 1,270 = GH¢6 short.
• Mobile money entries 950 = credit alerts 950, so the mobile money matches.
• Cash to bank or safe = counted 1,264 − float 300 = GH¢964. (You would hold the GH¢6 shortage for the owner to see; never top up the drawer from your own pocket without telling the owner.)

A small shortage is often wrong change. A big or repeated shortage needs the owner. Never hide a difference. Never use the guest's money for anything else.

Guest records and the register (Ghana law)

The accommodation regulations require the operator or manager to keep a register on the premises. For each guest it records: name; gender; occupation; date and place of birth; "particulars of a Government-issued identification card"; for non-residents the passport number, place and date of issue; nationality; country and address of residence; number travelling together; port of arrival and next destination outside Ghana (non-residents); mode of payment; purpose of visit (non-residents); mode of travel; date and time of check-in; room number; and departure time. Each guest also completes a registration card, and the operator sends these to the GTA.

Ghana Card. No GTA directive requiring a Ghana Card at check-in was found. The regulation says "Government-issued identification card". So accept any government-issued ID the owner's policy allows (such as a Ghana Card or a passport), and do not tell a guest that the Ghana Card is the only acceptable ID. For short-term-rental hosts, the GTA asks for a Ghana Card or business documents as part of the host's own registration. The list of IDs accepted is not verified; ask the GTA.

Guest check-in with the register: steps.

1. Welcome the guest; confirm the booking.
2. Ask for a government-issued ID. Look at it and the person.
3. Write each register field carefully. Do not guess; ask.
4. Give the guest the registration card to complete. Check it.
5. Explain the rates, house rules and fire exit.
6. Take payment or the deposit balance and issue a receipt.
7. Give the key. Show the room, or call a porter.
8. Keep the register locked at the desk. Send the cards to the GTA as the rules require.

Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843)

The register is personal data. Ghana's Data Protection Act sets eight principles: accountability, lawfulness of processing, specification of purpose, compatibility of further processing, quality of information, openness, data security safeguards, and data subject participation. A data controller must register with the Data Protection Commission (section 27), registration must be renewed, and fees depend on size and type of business; the fee amounts were not retrieved here. Failing to comply can lead to civil and criminal liability.

Hotel-specific guidance was not found. Whether a very small guesthouse must register, and the fee, is not verified: check with the Data Protection Commission (dpc.gov.gh). Until then, follow safe habits:

Reporting a suspected trafficking case

The Human Trafficking Act, 2005 (Act 694), section 6, says a person with information about trafficking shall inform the police and may inform the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Department of Social Welfare, the Legal Aid Board or a reputable civil society organisation. Failing to inform the police is an offence, with a fine of not less than 250 penalty units or imprisonment of not less than 12 months, or both. In the Act a child is a person below 18.

Check yourself: Unit 2

1. Name the three things you compare in a daily reconciliation.
2. Float GH¢300, cash received GH¢900, petty cash GH¢50. What is the expected cash?
3. A guest is worrying you; you suspect a child is being trafficked. What do you do first?

Competency standard

Range. A guesthouse or small hotel, with day and night shifts. Evidence. Role-play observation; complaint log; evacuation drill; key log.

Handling a complaint: four steps

TESDA's guest-concerns standard gives a clear order.

1. Listen. Give full attention. Do not interrupt. Note the details. Repeat the main points to confirm ("So the hot water stopped last night and no one came?").
2. Apologise and show care. Say sorry. Say you understand. Do not make excuses or blame others. Thank the guest for telling you.
3. Act. Fix it, replace it, change the room, add what is missing, or hand it to the right person. Say what you will do and when. If it is beyond you, escalate to the supervisor or manager. Do the follow-up.
4. Record. Write the complaint, who acted, and what the guest said afterwards.

Complaint log (example layout). Date | Room | What happened | Action taken | Who | Guest's answer | Closed? (Y/N).

Guests can also complain to the GTA, and persistent complaints of poor service are a ground on which a licence can be suspended. A log protects you and shows the owner patterns: if the same fault happens five times, fix the cause, not the guest.

Example script (labelled example). "Good evening, I am Efua, the supervisor. I am very sorry about the water. Let me write down what happened. I will send someone to check in ten minutes and I will come back myself to tell you what we found. Thank you for telling me."

The difficult guest: calm steps

A difficult guest may be loud, rude, angry about a bill, or drunk. The aim is to keep people safe and keep your dignity.

1. Stay calm. Slow your voice and your breathing. Keep a safe distance. Do not touch.
2. Move away from an audience. Invite the guest to a quiet place if it is safe. Never go alone into a closed room with an angry guest.
3. Listen first. Let the person speak. Use their name.
4. Say what you can do and what you cannot. Be clear and kind. Do not promise what the owner has not allowed.
5. Call your supervisor or manager early. Ask for help before it is a fight.
6. Safety first. If a person threatens safety, protect people and get help. Call for security. If someone is hurt or in danger, call 112, the national emergency number taught in Workplace Safety Level 1.
7. Write an incident note afterwards.

Intoxicated guests

TESDA's housekeeping standard teaches: spot changes in behaviour, noise and drink orders; slow the service; offer help politely; refer to a supervisor; do not touch a guest lying on the floor but watch carefully and get security or medical help; arrange transport or a room; deal with under-age drinkers carefully in line with the law.

Ghana's alcohol-service and under-age law was not found. Follow this house rule and "check the local by-laws": no alcohol for children. Ask the manager for the law that applies.

Steps:

1. Notice the signs (slurred speech, unsteady, loud, red eyes, repeated orders).
2. Stop serving alcohol; offer water and food kindly. "I am sorry, I will bring you water and some food."
3. Do not argue. Do not tease.
4. Call your supervisor.
5. Help the guest get to the room or a safe ride. Never let an intoxicated guest drive.
6. If the guest is lying on the floor and does not respond, call for medical help. Never leave them alone.
7. Record it.

Children and vulnerable guests (safeguarding)

Safeguarding means protecting people who can be hurt or used by others: children, people with disabilities, and anyone who looks afraid or controlled.

• A child is anyone below 18.
• TESDA's housekeeping training includes naming the problem of sexual exploitation of children, national and international action against it, and what to do at work to protect children.
• Travel and tourism has an international code (The Code), where companies sign up and train staff to recognise and report abuse. Joining has a fee, so it is not a free course.

What every staff member does:

1. Never be alone with a child guest in a room.
2. Never take a photo of a child guest without a parent or guardian's permission.
3. Know the duty to inform in Unit 2: tell the supervisor; the police are informed.
4. Never keep a secret that puts a child at risk.
5. If a child tells you something, listen, stay calm, do not promise to keep it secret, and tell your supervisor the same day. Write the date, time and exact words.

Security: keys, doors and visitors

The accommodation rules say each guest gets a key and the manager keeps a duplicate, windows and doors need fitted locks, and ground-floor windows should be burglar-proof. Category B premises need security day and night, and some larger premises need smoke detectors and 24-hour surveillance. The front desk is staffed 18 hours a day, 7 days a week for category B.

Key control: steps.

1. Number every key. Never write the room number on the key tag in a way a stranger can use. Use a code.
2. Keep spare and master keys in a locked box. The manager holds the duplicate.
3. Log every key: who has it, time out, time back.
4. When a guest loses a key, ask for ID, check the register, and issue the spare. Record it. If the key may be stolen, change the lock.
5. Do not let a visitor go up without the guest saying yes. Call the guest, then let them in. Write the visitor's name in the visitors' book.
6. At night, check doors and windows. Do a walk-round and sign the security round sheet.

Reporting a suspicious person or item. Housekeeping staff report unusual or suspicious persons, items or events. Never touch an unknown bag. Keep people back. Tell your supervisor. Call the police if there is danger.

Emergencies: fire, accident, power cut

Fire. The law says firefighting facilities, escape routes, notices and emergency procedures must exist, electrics must follow fire safety rules, there must be an alternate light when the power fails, and staff are to be trained once a year in fire action. The Ghana National Fire Service says the owner or occupier of a hotel or guest house should hold a fire certificate under L.I. 1724. Counts and types of extinguishers were not found.

If you find a fire (trainer demonstrates everything below):

1. Shout "Fire!" and sound the alarm.
2. Get people out by the nearest safe exit. Do not use a lift.
3. Close doors behind you if it is safe.
4. Call 112 or the Fire Service.
5. Go to the assembly point and count people (use the register and room list).
6. Use an extinguisher only if the fire is small, you have trained, and your exit is behind you. The "PASS" method and extinguisher types are to be shown by the trainer; they were not sourced here.
7. Never go back for belongings.

Guest room doors. Every guest, including those who cannot hear or move easily, must be in the evacuation plan. Ask at check-in, and mark rooms that need help (see Unit 7).

First-aid awareness. A first-aid kit must be at reception. This book gives awareness only and is not a first-aid certificate. Take a course from the Ghana Red Cross or St John Ambulance. Until then, you may do the following:

1. Keep yourself and the person safe.
2. Call for help (112 or the nearest clinic).
3. If there is heavy bleeding, press firmly on the wound with a clean cloth.
4. Keep the person's airway clear and keep them still.
5. For a burn, cool it under cool running water for at least 20 minutes.
6. Get to the clinic. Do not give medicine. Do not move someone with a neck or back injury.

Never do anything advanced without training. Medical acts are not yours to do.

Power cut or water cut. Switch on the alternate light. Tell guests honestly and say when you expect it to return. Offer water in buckets or bottles. Keep the register and cash safe in the dark. Never use candles near linen.

Check yourself: Unit 3

1. Write the four steps of handling a complaint.
2. What should you do if you think a child at your guesthouse may be at risk?
3. Why should you never go back into a burning building for belongings?

Competency standard

Range. A guesthouse restaurant, bar and a small function of 20 to 50 people. Evidence. Observation of a service; stock sheet; function plan.

The dining room sequence

The standard dining service order is:

1. Prepare. Stock the service station. Clean and put away tableware. Fill water jugs. Refill condiments and wipe the bottle necks. Set tables to the house standard. Polish glassware. Fold napkins. Check lights, floor (dry), seating and comfort.
2. Welcome and seat. Acknowledge the guest at once. Greet. Check the reservation. Escort and seat. Spread guests evenly across stations. Offer water.
3. Take the order. Give the menu. Take the whole order. Note special requests and dietary needs. Repeat the order back. Send it to the kitchen promptly.
4. Serve. Collect from the kitchen promptly. Check presentation. Serve to the guest who ordered. Say the dish name. Serve and clear with minimum disturbance. Check delays. Do the three-minute check: return within about three minutes of serving and ask if everything is right. Give children and guests with special needs extra attention.
5. Drinks. Pick up promptly. Serve at the right temperature, including coffee and tea.
6. Payment and close. Present the bill, process the payment, clear the table, reset for the next guest.

Setting a table: steps

(Use the house standard for your own guesthouse. This layout is standard practice and not from a cited source.)

Taking an order and serving

Order-taking: steps.

1. Greet by name if you know it. Smile.
2. Ask: "Have you any allergies or foods you do not eat?" Write the answer on the order. Tell the kitchen. Never guess. Peanuts, fish and shellfish are common problems. (No Ghana allergen rule for served food was found; this is standard careful practice.)
3. Write the table number, each guest's order, and special requests (no pepper, well done).
4. Repeat the whole order back.
5. Give the order to the kitchen. Note the time.

Serving: steps.

1. Check the dish is the right one, hot, with clean rim.
2. Serve to the correct guest. Say the dish name.
3. Stand on the guest's side so you do not reach across.
4. Come back after about three minutes for the check.
5. Clear plates when all at the table have finished. Do not stack in front of guests.
6. Bring the bill when asked. Place it face down. Take payment. Say thank you. See Unit 2 for cash and mobile money.

Drinks and the bar

Keep bar content to soft drinks, water, juice, beer, tea and coffee. No Ghana source was found for wine or cocktail service. Serve responsibly. Do not serve a person who is already drunk. Do not serve children alcohol.

Bar stock sheet (example method). Each shift: opening stock + received − closing stock = sold. Example: beer bottles opening 36, received 48, closing 20. Sold = 36 + 48 − 20 = 64 bottles. At an example price of GH¢12 a bottle, takings should be 64 × 12 = GH¢768. If cash and mobile money add to less, find out why.

Food hygiene for service staff

WHO's Five keys to safer food are: keep clean; separate raw and cooked; cook thoroughly; keep food at safe temperatures; use safe water and raw materials.

For service staff:

1. Wash hands with soap and clean water before work, after the toilet, after touching your face, hair or phone, and after clearing dirty plates.
2. Keep nails short and clean. Hair tied and covered. No jewellery that falls in food.
3. Never handle food with a cut hand uncovered. Use a clean waterproof dressing.
4. If you have diarrhoea or vomiting, tell your supervisor and do not handle food.
5. Clean tables with a clean cloth and sanitiser. Do not use the same cloth on a toilet and a table.

The law. Staff who work in the kitchen, pantry or dining area or handle food must be examined by a medical officer every six months, with copies of reports sent to the GTA; all staff are examined yearly. Uniforms must be clean, not faded or stained, with ID badges. Local assemblies issue a food handler health certificate, renewed yearly. Which office does it for Ahanta West or Nzema East (Akwidaa), and the fee, are not verified.

Planning a small function or event

A function can be a birthday, a funeral reception, a small wedding or a workshop lunch. The planning is what matters.

Event planning: steps.

1. Meet the organiser. Agree the date, time, number of guests, budget, menu, venue, and who pays and when. Write it down and have the organiser sign. (Standard practice.)
2. Do the numbers. Guests × cost per head. Example: 40 guests × GH¢55 per head = GH¢2,200. If food and drink cost is 40% of the price, cost = 0.40 × 2,200 = GH¢880 and what is left to cover labour and other costs and profit = 2,200 − 880 = GH¢1,320. All numbers are examples. Get real quotes.
3. Make a task list with times: when to order, buy, cook, set up, serve, clear.
4. Staff plan. One server for every 8 to 10 guests is a rough planning rule for a plated meal (a common rule of thumb, not a verified standard). Add a person for the kitchen pass and a person for drinks.
5. Set-up. Tables, chairs, cloths, signs, lights, water and handwashing. Check exits are clear and the first aid kit is nearby.
6. During the event. Welcome guests. Keep the pass moving. Do a three-minute check. Keep the organiser informed.
7. After the event. Clear, count stock and cash, write notes: what went well, what to improve. Thank the organiser. Send the bill within a day.

Functions and safety. Keep emergency exits free. Do not overfill the room. Keep drunk guests from driving. Record any accident or complaint.

Check yourself: Unit 4

1. What is the three-minute check?
2. A dish costs GH¢18 to make (example). The target is 35% food cost. What selling price does that give?
3. Name two reasons a server must not handle food.

Competency standard

Range. A small guesthouse of 4 to 12 rooms; one month of data. Evidence. Completed worksheet; calculator or spreadsheet check; oral questions.

All the numbers in this unit are example numbers. Every sum below was checked by script. Replace them with your own real figures.

Four words you must know

• Room-night: one room used for one night. Two nights in one room = 2 room-nights.
• Available room-nights: rooms × nights in the period.
• Occupancy: room-nights sold ÷ available room-nights × 100.
• ADR (average daily rate): room revenue ÷ room-nights sold.
• RevPAR (revenue per available room): room revenue ÷ available room-nights.

Occupancy, ADR and RevPAR are standard industry measures (not cited). Occupancy is also a normal item in the night-audit reports the TESDA front office standard lists.

Worked example 1: a 6-room guesthouse for 30 days

Rate GH¢250 a night (example). Occupancy 50%.

1. Available room-nights = 6 rooms × 30 nights = 180.
2. Room-nights sold = 180 × 0.50 = 90.
3. Room revenue = 90 × GH¢250 = GH¢22,500.
4. ADR = 22,500 ÷ 90 = GH¢250.
5. RevPAR = 22,500 ÷ 180 = GH¢125.
6. Check: RevPAR = ADR × occupancy = 250 × 0.50 = 125. ✔

A levy. A tourism levy was reported at 1% on goods and services at tourism enterprises. If it applied to GH¢22,500, it would be 22,500 × 0.01 = GH¢225. The rate in force today and how it is collected are not verified: ask the GTA and the owner before you print it on a bill.

Worked example 2: higher occupancy

Same guesthouse at 60% occupancy: sold = 180 × 0.60 = 108 room-nights; revenue = 108 × 250 = GH¢27,000; RevPAR = 27,000 ÷ 180 = GH¢150.

Worked example 3: the cost of one occupied night

Room revenue is not profit. Make a list of variable costs, the ones that happen only when a room is used (example numbers):

(Prices of cleaning supplies, linen and laundry machines in Takoradi markets were not found: collect your own quotes. These are examples; 2.50 for soap and 4.00 for tissue and small supplies gives 6.50.)

Contribution per night = rate − variable cost = 250 − 36.50 = GH¢213.50. That money pays the fixed costs and leaves profit.

Worked example 4: break-even

Fixed costs are paid even if no one comes: wages, rent or loan, licence, insurance, internet, security. Example fixed costs for the month: GH¢9,000. Of that, one housekeeper at the 2026 national minimum wage of GH¢21.77 a day for 27 days is 21.77 × 27 = GH¢587.79. You can see that the wage bill alone is small beside the total. Check your own numbers.

1. Break-even nights = fixed costs ÷ contribution per night = 9,000 ÷ 213.50 = 42.15, so 43 nights (always round up).
2. Break-even occupancy = 43 ÷ 180 = 23.9%.

Below 43 nights a month the business loses money. Above it, each extra night adds GH¢213.50.

Worked example 5: commission and the rate

A booking on a site that takes 15% (a typical figure in third-party guides, not verified for Ghana; read your own contract): commission = 0.15 × 250 = GH¢37.50; you keep 250 − 37.50 = GH¢212.50 before your own variable costs.

Should you raise the rate? Compare 50% at GH¢250 with 45% at GH¢300. Nights at 45% = 180 × 0.45 = 81; revenue = 81 × 300 = GH¢24,300. At 50% and 250: GH¢22,500. The higher price earns GH¢24,300 − 22,500 = GH¢1,800 more, and the room is used fewer nights, so you save costs too. But a higher price may lower occupancy further. Test it for a month and watch.

Costing method: steps

Pay: what the market says

Wage data is weak and wide. Do not print one "typical salary". Use these snapshots only to start a talk:

• The 2026 daily minimum wage is GH¢21.77, about GH¢587.79 a month at 27 days.
• A receptionist's pay: the middle 80% earn GH¢2,113 to GH¢3,811 gross a month, based on fewer than 20 respondents and with the survey period not stated.
• Rural-coast hotel pay was not found. Ask three local employers and write the answers in your logbook.

Check yourself: Unit 5

1. A 10-room guesthouse over 30 nights has how many available room-nights?
2. It sells 150 room-nights. What is the occupancy?
3. Revenue is GH¢30,000 for those 150 nights. What is the ADR?

Competency standard

Range. A small guesthouse, chop bar or cleaning business. Evidence. Feedback form; sample review replies; house standards document.

What quality means

Quality is doing what you promised, the same way every time. A guest who stays three nights should find the same standard on night three as on night one. Standards are the written promises; checks are how you know you kept them.

TESDA's standards mention a repeat-guest record and a three-minute check as ways to keep service on track. Repeat-guest records fit the data rules in Unit 2: keep only what you need and keep it safe.

Feedback forms: steps

1. Keep it very short. Five questions at most.
2. Ask at checkout or send a WhatsApp message the day after.
3. Questions (example): (1) How clean was your room, 1 to 5? (2) How friendly was our staff, 1 to 5? (3) How was the food, 1 to 5? (4) Would you recommend us? (5) What one thing should we change?
4. Collect weekly. Add the scores and find the average.
5. Act. Choose the lowest score and fix it first.
6. Tell the staff the results, good and bad. Thank the person named in good feedback.

Example average. Eight cleanliness scores: 5, 5, 4, 3, 5, 2, 4, 5. Total = 33; average = 33 ÷ 8 = 4.1 (4.125 rounded). A 2 and a 3 tell you to check those rooms.

Online reviews

Guests read reviews on Google, Booking.com and Facebook before they book. You cannot stop a bad review. You can reply well and make it rare.

Respond to a review: steps.

1. Read twice. Wait an hour if you are angry.
2. Thank the guest by name or "Dear guest".
3. Say sorry for what went wrong, if it did. Do not argue in public.
4. State what you did or will do. Be specific ("We have fixed the shower").
5. Invite them back or invite them to contact you privately.
6. Never reveal private details of the guest (name, room number, ID) in a reply.
7. Reply within about one to two days. Hotel marketing blogs say to reply to every review within about 24 to 48 hours.

Good review reply (example). "Thank you, Ama. We are glad you enjoyed the sea breeze and the breakfast. We hope to welcome you again soon."

Bad review reply (example). "Thank you for telling us. We are very sorry the water was not hot. We have checked the heater and replaced the part. Please contact us on WhatsApp and we will make it right on your next visit."

Keep a good profile on the platforms

Three hotel-marketing blogs agree that a free Google Business Profile helps: claim your listing; verify it (by phone, email, postcard or short video); use your real trading name and address (matching your website if you have one); choose the main category carefully; add good photos; reply to every review; and ask guests for a review at checkout. The platform's steps may change; check the platform's own help page.

One set of facts. Make the same name, address, phone, room photos, rates and house rules appear on Google, Booking.com, WhatsApp Business and Facebook. Rates and house rules must also be shown at reception and in rooms. Check once a month.

Photos. Use real photos of your own rooms in daylight. Do not show a guest's face or ID. Do not use photos from another guesthouse.

Honesty. Do not buy fake reviews. Do not write reviews for your own business under a false name. Do not claim a star rating or a licence you do not hold. Only hotels (category A) are star-rated under the L.I. text.

Write your house standards: steps

The Level 2 project: a two-page "house standard" for your own workplace.

Check yourself: Unit 6

1. Give two things you should do when you reply to a bad review.
2. Why should you never include a guest's name and room number in a reply?
3. Where must rates and house rules be displayed by law?

Competency standard

Range. A coastal community near Akwidaa, Busua, Butre or Takoradi. Evidence. Location score sheet; one-page plan; marketing checklist; logbook.

Location: what makes a place earn

Ask these questions before you spend money.

A 2026 news commentary says the Western Region needs a tourist information centre; many eco-lodges are under-promoted; and visitors lack reliable information on feeder roads, transport, tides and seasonal access. A guesthouse that publishes this information has a marketing edge.

What do rooms cost near you? Price snapshots from booking sites, from different dates, are rough: one-night rates for two adults at some Busua and Butre guesthouses ranged from about USD 28 to USD 42, and from GBP 25.91 at one lodge; the listed range across four Busua guesthouses was USD 37 to USD 213. Local rates in GH¢ were not found. Do your own market survey (homework).

Location score sheet (example). Score each question 0 to 2 (0 poor, 1 fair, 2 good) for three places. Add up. The highest total is not automatically the answer, but it tells you what to talk about.

Small business ideas for this level

Level 1 gave you the basic ideas. Here are those that suit someone who has Level 2 skills. Costs and income were not found for Ghana, so use the Unit 5 method with local quotes.

Guesthouse licensing in brief (Level 3 covers it fully). Ghana's rules for an accommodation of 4 to 9 rooms (guest house) are in L.I. 2239. To register the premises, the regulations list: proof of ownership or tenancy; a building permit; site plan and designs; a report from the Environmental Health Division; a Police Clearance Certificate on security; a Fire Safety Certificate; and the application with a fee. A licence also needs a registered business, a licensed manager and an insurance policy. Fees, the licence term and the tourism levy rate in force were not verified: ask the GTA. A newer online route for short-term rentals exists; whether a small guesthouse uses it or the L.I. 2239 route is not verified. The older Sekondi-Takoradi Assembly operating certificate shows that you should expect a local assembly licence too. The GTA Western Regional office is the one to ask.

Marketing yourself and your business

1. WhatsApp Business. It is free. It has a business profile with your name, address and hours, a product catalogue, quick replies and a greeting message. Set the photos and rates the same as everywhere. Do not keep ID photos in chats (Unit 2).

2. Google Business Profile. Free. Steps are in Unit 6.

3. Signage. A clear sign at the road: name, "Guesthouse" or "Rooms", an arrow and a phone number. Paint, not paper.

4. Referrals. Ask every happy guest, "Who else should we tell?" Offer a small reward you can afford. Example: 3 referrals each staying 2 nights at GH¢250 = 3 × 2 × 250 = GH¢1,500 of bookings (example).

5. Portfolio for a job or a service. Keep a folder (printed and on your phone) with: your certificates (never claim one you do not hold), a reference letter, photos of rooms you cleaned or events you served (with permission), your inspection forms and your house standard.

6. Be the person who answers. Reply to messages fast. A guest who waits two days books somewhere else.

7. Don't oversell. If you promise sea view and the guest sees a wall, you get a bad review. Honest photos and descriptions bring the right guests.

Accessibility and inclusion

The law. The Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715), section 6, says the owner or occupier of a place to which the public has access shall provide appropriate facilities so that a person with disability can reach and use it. Section 7 says a service provider shall put in place facilities that make the service available and accessible. Audits report weak enforcement: only 14% of more than 60 places audited had been retrofitted, and 8% had accessible toilets. A revised Disability Bill was reported before Cabinet in July 2026 and was not passed in the sources found.

Hotels. L.I. 2239 requires one percent of guest rooms fitted for persons with disability in a one-star hotel (category A). It has no such rule for category B guest houses in the text read. For a small guesthouse, accessibility is voluntary under the regulation but still a duty under Act 715 sections 6 and 7. The Assemblies' disability share has been reported to rise to 5% in 2026; this is not verified here: ask your Assembly.

Good practice from free sources.

• Guests who are Deaf or hard of hearing: use pointing, miming, pre-printed scripts and maps; keep a pad of paper at reception; include them in the evacuation plan.
• A portable visual fire alarm and door beacon for Deaf guests; large print and audio information; disability-awareness training for all staff; do not assume a guest with hearing or sight loss wants the rooms designed for mobility needs.

Practical adjustments for a small coastal guesthouse (suggested, not sourced; costs not found): a ground-floor room; a firm ramp with handrails; a wide doorway and turning space; a shower with a seat and grab bars; a clear floor; a bed at a good height; a written (WhatsApp or text) booking route; a printed menu and house rules; a staff briefing; and a few Ghanaian Sign Language greetings (see the sign language course in this series).

Which tasks are workable? Say "workable with these adjustments" and ask the worker, do not assume.

Check yourself: Unit 7

1. Name three questions you ask when judging a location.
2. Name two things a Google Business Profile or WhatsApp Business page should show.
3. Which law says a place open to the public must be accessible to persons with disability?

1. What does "Ready" mean for a room, and who decides?
2. A guesthouse has 12 beds and par 3. How many sets of sheets does it need?
3. Write the steps of a daily cash reconciliation in order, briefly.
4. Float GH¢250, cash received GH¢800, petty cash GH¢40. What is the expected cash?
5. Which Act and section tell you to inform the police about suspected trafficking?
6. Why should you never keep photos of guest IDs in a WhatsApp chat?
7. What are the four steps of handling a complaint?
8. What is the three-minute check?
9. A 6-room guesthouse over 30 nights sells 108 room-nights. What is the occupancy?
10. Revenue is GH¢27,000 for 108 room-nights. What is the ADR?
11. Name three things a good reply to a bad review includes.
12. Name two things you check when judging a location for a guesthouse.

Best next reads: the Ghana Tourism Authority accommodation regulations, L.I. 2239 of 2016; the Philippine TESDA training regulations for Housekeeping, Front Office Services and Food and Beverage Services (as checklists of what a competent person does); a first-aid course from the Ghana Red Cross or St John Ambulance; the Data Protection Commission website; your own GTA Western Regional office.

What this module does not cover: a first-aid certificate, wine or cocktail service, kitchen cooking, a full guesthouse licence application and accounts (see Level 3), Ghana alcohol-service law, the current GTA fees and tourism levy rate, and local wage data for the Akwidaa coast (none verified).

Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.