Wk.7: Guest Lecture

Learning Experiences: Required Mangement Skills and Key Challenges in operating the Housekeeping Department

For the Guest Lecture in Week Seven:

The HarbourView Place

- OPA: 999 days max, average length of stay=about 2 days

- some customers may even stay for 2-3 years

- they may have many complaints

- this is the hardware problems, not the software problems

- Housekeeping: largest department (Rooms, Public Area, Uniform & Linen, Laundry and Forest)

- Rooms: room attendents in charge. Their individual productiviy can be measured. But the effectiveness of cleaningness is quite hard to measure.

- Uniform & Linen: e.g bed sheets, towels, etc staff are taken to laundry room to wash

- Challenges: hard to control each housekeeper as they can be lazy at some concerns that the supervisors cannot find and check

- F&B: second largest department (Food production & Food service)

- Each department: self financing individually

Profit Origin:

- Rooms which is under sales and marketing

- Food which is from F&B

- Annual Avg. Occupancy: 80% usually

- when this is in low, not many part-time workers e.g. 60% (Low season)

- when this is in high, many part-time workers e.g. 100% (High season)

- GOP(Gross Operating Profit): 80%

- e.g. $100 sales but $20 expense-> Earn $80

- if Rooms use more than $80, sales must be earned extra $100 to replenish.

- Stock Mnagement/Inventory Control

- Stealing: most from employees

Par stock: at least 5 par (1 par: all the room material like pillows, towels, etc. that all the rooms of the whole hotel need.)

- Par is for exchange of the new material that the old material is needed for washing and cleaning.

-People Management: HK department's knowledge is comparatively low.

- Customers DND(Do not disturb) Case

- Murder case that cannot be discovered at once

 

Additional Information:

Housekeeping

•  
• Housekeepers in the hotel industry are responsible for keeping the facility clean, safe and comfortable for guests. Their jobs include cleaning rooms, changing bedding, cleaning all bathrooms, replacing toiletries, cleaning common areas, doing laundry and ensuring a clean overall appearance. These individuals may also be required to assist in other areas of the hotel. They include all levels of housekeeping, from assistants to supervisors and executive housekeepers. It is important to have housekeeping available 24 hours per day seven days per week for guests in the hotel industry.

Housekeepers

•  
• Housekeepers are specially trained individuals. They can be provided with performance-development programs to improve their work and assist them in moving up in the hospitality industry. Housekeeping in the hotel industry can be a stepping stone for future positions and promotions for housekeepers. These individuals learn key communication and teamwork skills that can be used throughout the hotel industry, not just in housekeeping. Proper selection and training are the key to maintaining a superior housekeeping department within the hotel industry.

Additional Services

•  
• As with most services, the more a company can offer the more the consumer is loyal. The hotel industry can offer additional housekeeping services, such as dry cleaning, laundry, shoe polishing and personalized touches for return guests that will keep the guests coming back. Encouraging innovation in the housekeeping departments of the hotel industry will continually create new services and add value for customers.

Challenges

•  
• Although housekeeping is vital to the hotel industry, there are several challenges. Ensuring the efficiency of the staff and cleaning chemicals is important. In addition, reducing waste and reducing the environmental impact of the hotel industry can be done through housekeeping. Training housekeeping staff to become more energy aware will aid with energy conservation and also reduce the environmental impact of the hotel industry. Housekeeping staff will also be required to anticipate guest needs. Finally, offering educational opportunities to staff members on all these areas will reduce the challenges the hotel industry faces in the housekeeping department.