Warinton Khrua-on, 179308
Author: Team cleaning A (Economy site)
Title: Team cleaning
Source: http://www.hospitalityforum.co.za/ad_team-clean.html
Nowadays hospitality and tourism has increasing in a number of guest and room because
people have several reasons for their traveling. Hotels have to prepare, make the room ready
for guests and try to satisfy them with the cleanliness room. To make this kind of tough, hard
work and to maintain standard and reputation of the hotel, housekeepers have to do many
works and pay more attention on every detail to make the best impression impact to the guest.
Therefore in the hotel housekeeper is the main structure and usually has more employee than
another department (Jones, I & Phillips, C, 1984). Normally one room should be done by one
housekeeper which is the traditional way it is called zone cleaning, but the situation in the
world of hotel is changing. Managers in each hotel try to cut cost, save time, reduce turnover
and added profits by using the new system of cleaning which is very successful and it is called
team cleaning.
The author’s main idea of this article (Team cleaning A, n.d.) is focusing on the advantages of
team cleaning which is better than the procedure of the traditional way of zone cleaning.
Although, the author did not mention about disadvantage of team cleaning but this article
contains complete information about team cleaning, which is very useful for people who is
working in the hotel. Some author who disagree with the new system of team cleaning oppose
that housekeepers are suffered with the big obstacle which is the limited of time and their
work is measured by the time not their quality of work (Thrailkill, 2000). Some housekeepers
prefer to work alone and refuse to work with other people, which cause the problem about the
relationship within colleague in the hotel. It seems to have both advantages and disadvantages
for using the new system of team cleaning. Now it is the problem being compared between
team cleaning and the traditional way of zone approach. There are both positive and negative
ways of using team cleaning as the new system, but the author said it is worthwhile to make
the good strategy of planning for team cleaning and use it in the hotel.
The author said (Team cleaning A, n.d.) some manager prefers to use the traditional way of
zone cleaning than team cleaning, which is the reason why team cleaning is not widely use in
several establishment. In general guests will not impress while they are staying in the hotel
and see different housekeeper in different time cleaning their room. There are several things
that make the different between team cleaning and zone cleaning. In term of the area and
number of housekeeper to clean the room, team cleaning is proper for large property because
they have more people working in the same time and work faster. After finish cleaning the
members of team cleaning can spot-check for the mistake before leaving the room because
one person can not check for everything completely. The problem about theft is also reduces
and increases the good relationship within team in work place. Whereas zone cleaning is
suitable for small area as housekeepers have not many rooms to clean and one housekeeper
can perform for all tasks in proper time (Mittlefehldt, 2001). Another dissimilar within two
departments is team cleaning has specific tasks to do during a limited time in each shift.
Housekeepers have special task to perform and work within the group. On the other hand,
zone cleaning has only one employee to perform the entire task and the employee has a sense
of ‘ownership’ as they are responsible for specific area (Hanson, n.d.).
The author (Team cleaning A, n.d.) mentioned in the article that there are several advantages
of team cleaning. One of the advantages of this new system is reducing equipment for
cleaning it is said that they have the “whole set of equipment” for one team cleaning (Hanson,
n.d.), not every housekeeper needs their own equipment. Equipments are provided for team
and it is not much in turnover of purchasing equipment for housekeeping department.
Whereas zone cleaning uses more equipment than team cleaning because one housekeeper
needs his or her own equipment such as vacuum, bucket, mop and cloths. Moreover team
cleaning reduces cost and others spend, the research said that team cleaning decreases cost
about 28 per cent in general establishment (Mittlefehldt, 2001).Team cleaning also saves
energy in the building according to they have more than one person to clean and finish the
room quickly, they turn on and turn off electricity faster, so they do not waste the energy in
the building (Team cleaning B, n.d.).
Another advantage of team cleaning in the article is that housekeepers have to do with
training according to the good strategic planning in the hotel that would have for their
employee (Team cleaning A, n.d.). The book said (Jones, I. & Phillips, C, 1984) the aim of
training is to make housekeeper gain highly efficiency and consistency of work. All of
employees should have opportunity to train their skills and knowledge properly. Also
housekeeper should be well-versed of cleaning in different level. There are three different
periods of cleaning time, which is useful for employee to do it sequentially. There are daily
cleaning, once a week and monthly. Housekeeper should know that which area or equipment
they have to clean at different period. For example, daily cleaning they should recognize that
they have to clean properly everyday, cleaning blinds and vacuum behind the furniture should
be done once a week and turning mattresses should do monthly (Team cleaning A, n.d.). The
result from training is housekeeper has more experience in their work and carries out their
task completely and according to housekeeper in team cleaning does specific task, which is
determined from their ability and proper type of work for them, they will use their skills and
their experience in their certain task.
Some author (Thrailkill, 2000) claimed team cleaning makes housekeeper feel like machine.
They only have to do the work done and there is no pride in their work because employee has
a limited speed of time to clean and get the work done. They also mentioned that the quality
of cleanliness is declining since team cleaning launched as a new system of cleaning. Now it
is the result from using team cleaning in some institution. For example, UT custodial workers
in United States of America are preventing team cleaning by using their campaign which is
called “Labor of Love” (Mittlefehldt, 2001). The problem within custodial worker in the
University is they are forcing the lack of revealing to work with their colleague. Another
reason for their request is the number of employee, which is reducing since the University has
team cleaning and the result is increasing workloads for them. Therefore the author
(Mittlefehldt, 2000) suggested increasing employee in team cleaning may work in the
University. The author (Mitlefehldt, 2001) suggested increasing the number of housekeeper in
team cleaning may help to reduce this problem in this University.
In conclusion, this article is very useful for reader to help them know about advantages of
team cleaning especially the manager and housekeeper in the hotel. If the hotel use team
cleaning as new system instead of zone cleaning it will reduces the cost of purchasing
equipment, cuts cost of labor, save time and have well trained housekeeper. This critique
essay shows the advantages of team cleaning which is very successful in several institutions
and shows some example of disadvantages of this system in University. The author of this
article (Team cleaning A, n.d.) uses good strategy and put worthwhile information about team
cleaning in the article. Therefore the reader should pay more attention to consider whether use
team cleaning or not according to the author put only the advantages of team cleaning in the
article.
References
Hanson, S. (n.d.). Zone cleaning VS. Team cleaning-which is for you?. Retrieved August 10th,
2007 from http://ezine articles.com/?Zone-Cleaning-vs.-Team-Cleaning---Which-is-ForYou?&id…
Jones, I. & Phillips, C. (1984). Commercial Housekeeping and Maintenance. Great Britain:
Stanley Thornes Ltd.
Mittlefehldt, R. (20001). Team cleaning not the problem-opinion. Retrieved August 13th, 2007
from http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2001/02/23/0...
Team cleaning A (Economy site). (n.d.). Team cleaning. Retrieved August 7th, 2007 from
http://www.hospitalityforum.co.za/ad_team-clean.html
Team cleaning B (Economy site 2). (n.d.). Team cleaning. Retrieved August 13th, 2007 from
http://www.osceola.k12.fl.us/depts/Maintenance/SITES/Custodial/Team%20Clean.htm
Thraikill, M. (2000). Staff decry team cleaning. Retrieved August 11th, 2007 from
http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2000/11/29/Ne...