Planning and Organizing the Housekeeping Department
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Planning and Organizing the Housekeeping Department 1. Identifying Housekeeping’s Responsibilities • Cleaning the following areas • Guestroom • Corridors • Public areas, such as lobby and public restroom • Pool • Management office • Storage area • Linen and sewing rooms • Laundry room • Back of the house area such as employee locker room • Meeting rooms • Dining rooms • Banquet rooms • Convention exhibit halls • Hotel operated shops • Game room • Exercise room Ø Food preparation, food production, and food storage areas are not the part of housekeeping 2. Planning the work of Housekeeping Department • Planning is the executive housekeeping’s most important management function 1. Area inventory lists (What items to be cleaned • List of items within each area that will need housekeeping’s attention • Follow the same system that room attendant will use as the sequence of cleaning tasks and that supervisors will use as the sequence of cleaning tasks and that supervisors will use in the course of their inspections • Use inventory list as the basic for developing cleaning procedures, training plans, and inspection checklist. 2. Frequency schedules ( How often) • Indicate how often items on inventory lists are to be cleaned or maintained - Routine cleaning: daily or weekly basis - General / deep cleaning: biweekly, monthly, bimonthly 3. Performance standard (What must be done in order to clean/ maintain and how) • A required level of performance that establishes the quality of work that mush be done - Consistency is important - Performance standard is developed through consensus and communicated through ongoing training rather than written standards - Conformity to standards must be ensured through constant inspection - On the job coaching and retraining Exe. Housekeeping reviews performance standard once a year. 4. Productivity standards ( How long to perform) • An acceptable amount of work that must be done within a specific time frame according to an established performance standard Step 1: Determine how long its should take to clean one guestroom according to the department’s performance standards *Approximately 27 minutes. Step 2: Determine the total shift time in minutes *8 hr. X 60 minutes = 480 minutes Step 3: Determine the time available for guestroom cleaning Total shift Time 480 minutes Less: Beginning of shift duties 20 minutes Morning Break 15minutes Afternoon break 15minutes End of shift duties 20 minutes Time Available for guestroom cleaning 410 minutes Step 4: Determine the productivity standard by dividing the result of step 3 by the result of step = 410 min. 27 min. = • 15.2 guestrooms per 8 hr. shift Quality and Quantity can be two side of a double edged sword. Quality expectations (performance standard) à quantity à Labor cost à the no. of room attendants à no. of room attendants à how to maintain high quality à wasted motion (be more efficient) 5. Inventory levels (what amount of equipment / supplies to meet performance and productivity standards • Ensure that employee have the nessary equipment and supplies to get their jobs done • Ensure smooth daily housekeeping activities and forms the basis for planning effective purchasing system. • Managing two types of inventories - Recyclable items (recycled inventories) - Non- recyclable items (non recycled inventories) Ø 2 Types of inventories Types of inventories Recycled Inventory Non- recycled inventories • Those items in stock that have • Those items in stock that are limited uesful lives but use over and consumed or used up during the course of routine housekeeping over in housekeeping operation operation • Par number = the standard no. of items that must be on hand to support • non recycled inventoryies cleaning daily operation supplies, small equipment items, guest supplies and amenities • Recycled inventories include linen, uniforms, and guest loan items Purchasing Ordering system of nonrecyclable inventory Minimum quantity Maximum quantity - The fewest number of purchase units that should be in stock at any given time - The greatest number of purchase units that should be in stock at any given time Organizing the housekeeping department Organization Chart - A schematic representation of the relationships between position within an organization, showing where each position fits into the overall organization and illustrating the divisions of responsibility and line of authority. Job list Job breakdown • A list identifying all the key duties of a job in the order of their importance • A list of the total job responsibilities. • A from that detail how the teachnical duties of a job should be performed. • Simply state what the employee must be able to do in order to perform the job Other Mgt. Function of the Executive Housekeeper Ø coordinating - Is the Mgt. Function of implemen implementing ting the results of planning and organizing at the level of daily housekeeping activities. - coordinates schedules, work assignment, and ensure that the proper equipment, supplies, linen are on hand for employees to carry out their assignment. Ø staffing - Involves recruiting applicants, selecting those best qualified to fill open position, and scheduling employees to work. Ø directing - Involves supervising, motivating, trainning and disciplining individuals who work in the department - Is a complicated Mgt. Skill which is exercised in a wide variety of situation - Managers direct people and control things Ø controlling - Refers to the excutive housekeeper responsibilities to devise and implement procedures which protect the hotels' assets - Proper procedures and control for keys, linens, supplies, equipment, and other items Ø evaluating - Assessing the extent to which planed goals are attainted. - Begins with the performance standard and productivity standard and productivity standard. - Important tools used for the evaluating housekeeping operation ----> provide timely information for evaluating housekeeping operation Ø Department labor monthly expense ----> comparing actual expense with the budget Progressive discipline Addresses undesirables behavior needs to be corrected 4 basic steps for Progressive Discipline ----informal. And formal 0 ---> informal counseling ---> try to correct the action by doing nice First step---> spoken warning - the first step in the formal disciplinary action process - the employee should be told how his or her behavior is affecting the other employees and the operation - the employees should also be told that if the information/ violation occurs again, more severe disciplinary action may take place - the manager should offer help, support, and assistance -the manager should document the occurrence of the conversation and arrange a followup date to discuss any progress Secornd step ---Written Warning - counseling provided only when spoken warning prove ineffective - in this step, everything related to problem should be written down on a disciplinary action form - should describe dates, time, and violations of the rules -the employee should be asked to sign the written warning - if the employees refuses to sign, another manager or the human resource director sholud note the employees refusal on the warning notice Third step ---> Suspension - Temporary layoff “cooling off period" of am employee without pay ( method of punishment) -give the management to conduct an investigation -is also subject to termination depending on the result of the investigation Fourth step ---> Termination - is the final step in the progressive discipline process -termination occurs if the following situations and steps are documented in the employee personel file In most organizations, an employee can be terminated immediately without any prior disciplinary action for such as offenses as - fighting - damaging company property -immoral conduct -violation of house rules -stealing Sample of House Rules - Being rude or using abusive language to a guest or fellow employee - Fighting, stealing procession of hotel property or gambling on hotel premises. - Unauthorized use of alcohol, or drugs - Possession of weapons - Falsification of work or time records, reports or guest related documents - Being in an unauthorized area of the hotel while working or in a non-public area of the building after hours without prior permission from tour dept. head - Socializing with guests on hotel premises -Removing anything from the hotel without permission -Sleeping while on duty. Safety and Security Ø As responsibilities of GM Ø How housekeeping can help making a difference Safe in Hospitality operation Ø A condition in which persons are safe in jury, hurt, or loss while present in the workplace Security -à is the prevention of theft, fire, and other emergency situations in the workplace Safety and Security Ø Are major responsibilities of Hotel Managers Ø The hotel Managers/GM must ensure that guests are safe and secure to sleep, meet, dine and entertain in the hotel property There are Two departments that is most likely to have the largest number of accidents and injuries à Housekeeping and Maintenance Ø Sheer labor intensity/ more employees Ø Physical activity Ø Use of equipment Increase the risk of accident and injury Insurance and liability concerns Ø An unsafe work environment can be costly to due to Ø Loss of work Ø Cost of medical care paid for injured employees Ø Hotel being fined or sured Ø High liability insurance rates Ø Overall worker’s compensation rates Ø Negative effects on employee moral (management should respect on employee’s right to work in a safe and hazard- free environment Potentially Hazardous condition Ø Both managers and employees should work together to keep all job function from becoming dangerous Ø Three simple rules 1. Take adequate time 2. Correct unsafe conditions immediately 3. Do it safety the first time Ø Each property should have a list of safety rules Guidelines 1. Lifting Ø Inspect the object before lifting Ø Keep your back and head straight Ø Lifting with the leg muscles 2. Ladders Ø The floor should be dry Ø Never place a ladder against a window or uneven surface 3. Machinery Ø Employee should be authorized and trained Ø All protective gear should be warned 4. Electrical equipment Ø A vacuum cleaner should not be operated when hands or clothing are wet Ø The equipment should be checked periodically 5. Chemicals Ø Misuse of chemicals can cause serious injury Ø Training is a must Job safety Analysis Ø A detailed report that lists every job function performed by all employees on the safe and proper way to perform each job Safety Training Ø Safety training being the first day of the job Ø Safety rules and procedures Ø A good safety policy --- is written with the employee in mind Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) Regulations: Ø Primarily designed to protect the employees Ø Primarily focus on the area where employees work, materials used, on the job and other safety issues 1. Work Areas: stairway with four or more steps must have at least one railing 2. Means of Egress (way out): exits must be clearly marked and should never be locked 3. Hazardous Materials: container for hazardous materials 4. Sanitation Ø Waste disposal: leak proof and tight- fitting cover Ø Washing facilities: hot and cold running water in bath room Ø F&B consumption: forbids consuming in storage/washroom area to avoid contamination 5. Signs and Tags Type of signs Ø Danger signs à use only if there is an immediate hazard Ø Caution signsàused to warn against a potential hazard, wet floor Ø Safety Instruction Signsà used only when general instructions need to be given in a certain are Ø Accident Prevention Tags è Are a temporary means of alerting employees of a hazardous condition of defective equipment è Defective equipment (out of service) Ø First Aid àProvide employees with accessible medical personal Ø OSHA Inspection àInspection are often done without any advance notice Security Protect both people and assets Involves à Guestroom security, Key control, Perimeter control Security Committee: Ø Key management Involve Ø Department head Ø Supervisors Ø Selected employees Ø The committee should meet once a month to monitor the property’s security Suspicious Activities Ø Theft Ø Guest theft Ø Employee theft Ø Guest theft - Known as guest hunter/souvenir hunter - To reduce guest theft by provide at Give Shop Helpful tips to reduce guest theft - Use as few monogrammed item as possible - Keep storge rooms closed and locked - Affix and bolt guestroom items and fixtures to appropriate surfaces - Secure window; cannot be opened Ø Employee - Inventory control procedures help control theft - Keep all the storeroom door locked - Only authorize employee should have the access to the store Bomb threats Housekeeping’s role: helping in the search for any suspicious objects 4 classification of fire Based on the products of combustion 1. Class A è Wood and paper 2. Class B è Flammable liquid, grease and gasoline 3. Class C è Electrical in nature 4. Class D è Formed by combustible/ explosive metals The causes of two of the worst fires are electrical malfunction and arson The principle of Hospitality LEARN àto take ownership of guest problem and solve them L= listen E= Empathize with the guest A= Apologize to the guest R= React to their situation N= Notify the tracking process Listen to the guest by - Never interrupt the guest it will only upset them more - Show the guest you are concerned about their problem - Never argue with guest - Always stay to calm - Maintain eye contact - Learn to ward the guest - Nod your head - Ask questions of understanding Empathize with the guest by - Put yourself in the guest place Apologize to the guest by - Be straight forward and sincere, show empathy, that you are sorry about what happened to the guest ; not sorry to the guest React by - Do something to satify the guest - Take action to solve their problem - Don’t make excuses or bleams other - Keep the Goodwill of the guest - Say thank you for bringing the matter to our attention Notify the tracking process by - All complain should be logged giving - If the complain concerns another department, offer to contract the manager or supervisor concerned - If it appears that the guest cannot be appeased or that the situation is getting out of control, be prepared to excuse yourself and cell a supervisor or manager to take over The seven Magic World 1. Greeting 2. How may I help you -à Open question 3. Please 4. Have to say “thank you” for everyone 5. I’m sorry (simple but are not frequently used) 6. It’s my Pleasure ( expressing that your job is to make guest happy) 7. I’ll be happy to (is an effective response to a customer’s request)
