The factor behind it is that housekeeping manages one of the most important jobs of a hotel– maintaining tidiness and hygiene.However, the jobs involved under housekeeping operations are not limited to it. There are other obligations too, like: Raising stock requisitionsMaintaining stocksManaging laundry servicesHandling the lost and discovered artifactsKeeping a track of hotel room thefts and lossesAlthough the housekeeping department is not counted among revenue-generating ones, you can not deny the reality that it does play an important function in cost-control. How to Optimise Hotel Housekeeping Operations?Now that we are done with a refresher course on hotel housekeeping operations, let me tell you the steps you can utilize to make it more effective. Of course, it is also essential and well be discussing it in the next point.Streamlining your process indicates aligning hotel housekeeping operations with tasks of other departments. The hotel where I utilized to work a couple of years back was having a shortage of housekeeping personnel.
Have you enjoyed the Harry Potter series? I appreciate the method they swirl their wand and things get carried out in a jiffy. I always wanted I might have a comparable wand. Harry Potter Intrigued By The Magical CleaningAs a maid, it would be most helpful for you. Imagine, you just need to wave the wand and whatever turns shimmering clean. Be it the lobby, rooms, laundry, or dining establishment. You do not need any personnel to do it. And since of that, the level of visitor complete satisfaction would top the charts. The unfortunate part is that such kind of magic is difficult. However, I can tell you suggestions to enhance hotel housekeeping operations for better guest experience. By now, you may have found out what this blog has to do with. But, before getting to the pointers, let me provide you an overview of the housekeeping department. What are Housekeeping Operations in Hotels?Housekeeping department is called the foundation of the hotel. The reason behind it is that housekeeping handles among the most crucial jobs of a hotel– keeping tidiness and hygiene.However, the tasks included under housekeeping operations are not restricted to it. There are other obligations too, like: Raising inventory requisitionsMaintaining stocksManaging laundry servicesHandling the lost and found artifactsKeeping a track of hotel space thefts and lossesAlthough the housekeeping department is not counted amongst revenue-generating ones, you can not deny the truth that it does play a crucial function in cost-control. How to Optimise Hotel Housekeeping Operations?Now that we are finished with a refresher course on hotel housekeeping operations, let me inform you the actions you can utilize to make it more effective. Lets have a look at them.1. Simplify your processWhen I state enhance your process, it doesnt suggest working on your SOPs. Obviously, it is also important and well be discussing it in the next point.Streamlining your process indicates aligning hotel housekeeping operations with jobs of other departments. Let me explain in information. The housekeeping department is responsible for upkeep of the room and the amenities related to it in a perfect way. Now, this likewise consists of inspecting for any upkeep concerns. Expect, among the rooms needs major upkeep work. Because case, the housekeeping manager needs to inform the front office and maintenance department, respectively.Such jobs do take a lot of time, which suggests one room is out of order for a short duration. Hence, the earnings management group would guarantee that sales from other spaces are on the higher side to cover the loss of one space night for that duration. This is simply one example. There are many other tasks that need assistance from other departments. Thats why you need to streamline your hotels housekeeping operations to prevent any complicated circumstances.2. Bring timely modifications in SOPsAs I said above, you require to optimise your SOPs from time to time. The reason is, it will help you improve your housekeeping operations and increase staffs effectiveness. In college, we were taught that getting a room ready must take approximately 20 minutes. The bifurcation is as follows:7 minutes– Bed making5 minutes– Bathroom cleaning3 minutes– Dusting2 minutes– Amenities replenishing3 minutes– Sweeping and moppingBut when I began working in hotels, things were really various. Every task associated with space cleaning had a various time depending on the size of the room, the number of staff included in it. For instance, some hotels use vacuum or mop sticks, rather of traditional brooms and mopping fabric. This aided in minimizing the time required to clean one room. You need to figure out methods to optimise SOPs related to every procedure involved in the housekeeping operations. 3. Standardise the quality of tidiness and hygieneNo one likes to stay in a dull and shoddy hotel. Additionally, after covid-19, visitors are more worried about the cleanliness and hygienic environment offered by the hotel. Thats where the housekeeping department comes into the photo. Guarantee that youve set the greatest standards relating to tidiness and hygiene. Here are some actions you can take: Room sanitisation after check outChange room linen for new guestsUse a disinfectant for mopping the floor (decide for one with mid scent)Keep a sanitiser in each roomWear masks and protective equipment while cleaning up the roomOpt for color-coded cleaning4. Focus on stock managementInventory management is an important part of hotel housekeeping operations. Thats since the housekeeping department is responsible for raising the appropriation and distributing all sorts of facilities amongst visitors and employee. This consists of room facilities, stationeries for the front workplace department (pen, files, documents, essential cards etc), personnel uniforms, and other such things. Whilst the list is long, you need to ensure you do not miss even a single item. Heres a blog on stock management that can assist you do it in a better method. Hear It From The Experts: Dos and Do nts of Hotel Inventory Management5. Buy technologyTechnology plays a crucial function in every hotel and still much of them hesitate to accept it. Some discover it pricey, while there are others who think its futile to invest in technological aspects. Thats where they go incorrect. There are numerous PMS that can do all your calculations, stock management, and space status upgrade within seconds. If they can be integrated with other housekeeping software, it can get you live space status and aid with direct bill publishing in visitors folios. Apart from that, it can assist you keep a track of guest requisitions and whether they are resolved or not. This would help in improving visitor experience. The technological aspect is not restricted to software, it includes investing in gizmos. You can choose equipment like convenient vacuum, carpet cleaner devices, floor scrubber and dryer, automated space freshener, and so on. 6. Employ, train, and reward your staffUnderstaffing is one of the typical issues dealt with by the hospitality market nowadays. This results in a tremendous pressure on the existing ones, as they need to manage tasks of other employees at the same time. And believe me, Ive seen this happening. The hotel where I utilized to work a number of years ago was having a shortage of housekeeping personnel. This created a great deal of problems for the rest of us. We needed to run from floor to flooring in the early morning to check spaces which are due for check out. All at once, we needed to prepare rooms for upcoming arrivals. And to top that, we were supposed to provide guests with requested facilities. Because of this, none of the team member in the housekeeping department worked for more than 2-3 months. We ourselves utilized to be rather exhausted by the end of the day. A research study released by Harver reveals that, Hotels and motels have an employee turnover rate of 73.8%Thats why initially of all, you ought to focus on employing personnel. Post that, train and make them knowledgeable about the SOPs of your hotel. Once they are through with that, evaluate their efficiency from time to time. Keep a reward policy to improve their morale.In case they are not carrying out well, instead of shooting, buy training them once again. This way, they will become more efficient and will stay encouraged at work.7. Keep a check on your discardsMost hotels avoid the disposing of procedure, and thats where they suffer a loss. Essentially, discarding involves removing ended products from the stock and replenishing them with brand-new ones. Lets state, you have kept a stock of old towels to dispose of. Now, you would either distribute them among your staff, use those for cleaning, or recycle them.Sometimes, a staff member or a supplier can do foul play here. S/he would be changing the old ones with brand-new or maybe include some fresh ones because batch for gaining extra advantages. Thats why I advise doing the discarding process in the existence of CCTV video cameras, security workers, and housekeeping manager. 8. Preserve pantry on each floorTo guarantee seamless visitor experience and quick service, its crucial that you have a housekeeping kitchen on each flooring. In case you already have one, examine that it has sufficient stock preserved of each and every features. First of all, itll help your housekeeping staff in avoiding running to and fro. And secondly, itll help in raising on time appropriations. 9. Deal with right vendorsSelecting the right suppliers for contracting out any kind of facility is vital. Additionally, if you are dealing with simply one vendor, I would suggest you discover a couple of them as a backup. Factor being, depending on a single one would produce a great deal of issues, such as hold-up in delivery, unavailability of certain products, unscripted price changes, and so on. You require to check the credibility of the suppliers, quality of products they offer, and other elements. We have done a detailed blog on selection of the ideal vendor for your hotel, you can provide it a read. Picking the Right Hotel Supplier is an Art. Wish to Master it?ConclusionWhen it concerns housekeeping operations in hotels, it needs to be optimised for much better efficiency and improve visitor fulfillment. And doing that is no brain surgery. Just focus on a couple of steps. In this blog site, Ive noted particular pointers to enhance hotel housekeeping operations and make it smooth. You can take a hint from them, pick the feasible ones, and see the results for yourself.
