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Thursday 11 July 2013

A Report on the Housekeeping Recommendations at West Hope Hotel


Housekeeping is an important part of any hotel and its performance significantly contributes to the customer satisfaction levels. This in turn leads to a better performance and profitability. The first aspect of housekeeping to be considered is and must always be; staffing. The maintenance of an adequate staff that is not necessary overburdened by targets helps ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the housekeeping functions. The staff should also be provided with the requisite equipment to execute their duties as required. These equipment are however prone to wear and tear and the hotel must embrace the best maintenance management systems to ensure that the equipment remain in top condition. These maintenance efforts must also extend to the assets which also help in giving the hotels an edge as far as appearance is concerned. This report outlines the housekeeping functions of the West Hope Hotel and makes detailed recommendations on the staffing and equipment needs relevant to housekeeping. Focus has also been cast on maintenance, its importance and the need to ensure savings by embracing efficiency in the use of energy in the hotel.



West Hope Hotel is a 4-star hotel with a bed capacity of 120 rooms. The main goal of the hotel is to provide comfort and luxury to its clients with a focus on attracting business guests. The rooms are accordingly designed to provide a working space with adequate provision of internet enabled computers to facilitate their work. This hotel is fitted with top of the range furniture which gives the hotel the extra edge in the market. These rooms are designed to not only provide customers with the desired levels of comfort but they are also designed to promote an atmosphere or luxury and lifestyle hence becoming an example of the proverbial ‘home away from home’.

This report aims at discussing the housekeeping processes at the hotel with an aim to determine the resources required to enable the efficient running of the hotel. The report provides an estimation of the number of employees required for the housekeeping function and goes ahead to provide a brief explanation on how these employees are to be deployed. Equipment necessary for this function have also been listed with a brief estimation of the total cost of the equipment in question. The report further focuses on maintenance issues where the efforts to be taken to reduce the level of wear and tear on the hotel’s assets are discussed. To this end, the report proposes maintenance management systems that would best ensure that the equipment are serviced and repaired before further damage is caused. There is also adequate focus on how these maintenance management systems could contribute to the level of satisfaction among the customers of the hotel. 

The recommendations on the level of staffing are based on the total room capacity in the hotel as well as the number of rooms that an average worker is expected to clean per day. These recommendations are also informed both by industry practice and the sentiments expressed by various labour organisations which have in recent times been very vocal in decrying the treatment of housekeepers in the industry (Bombford, 2011). Many of their complaints have bordered on the fact that room attendants are forced to work on over 16 rooms per day with inadequate pay (Bombford, 2011). 

It must be noted that one of the keys to high motivation levels among staff members is the achievability of the goals set. Employees need to be able to achieve the set targets without undue strain- even though such goals need to be challenging enough to push them to work with determination while executing their duties (Cabrera, Collins and Salgado, 2006). Many players in the hospitality industry dedicate their full attention on the front office employees in terms of their customer service skills and largely neglect support staff such as the housekeepers. This report proposes to take a different approach with full attention dedicated to ensuring that the housekeepers are also adequately trained on the importance of treating guests with decorum and in a manner that makes them feel even more comfortable while staying at the hotel.  

Given that the room occupancy is expected to be at 75%, the implication is that the effective room capacity is at 90 rooms. However, in view of the fact that 100% capacity is expected for about 4 days in a week, it will be necessary to factor in the full capacity when considering the staffing needs. To ensure that the employees remain sufficiently motivated, this report recommends the hiring of 13 housekeepers including one supervisor. The housekeepers will be expected to do the cleaning at a rate of 10 rooms per cleaner per day. The basis for this recommendation is that the requirement would allow the employees to conduct the cleaning without undue strain. This would help them to handle the equipment and the furnishings in the room with care. Industry reports that some measure of careless handling of equipment by employees contributes significantly to the wear and tear of equipment as well as the defacement of the furniture and fittings in the hotels (Earnst & Young, 2011). Providing the employees with a workload they can handle comfortably is therefore necessary to cut down on collateral damage.  

 Each housekeeper shall be expected to put in 37 hours of work every week. Given that the room occupancy is expected to be relatively low between Friday and Sunday, scheduling shall be done in such a manner as to ensure that enough labour is concentrated around the time when the demand for the cleaning services will be at its peak. Sufficient labour shall also be procured during the extensive weekly and monthly cleaning exercises. 

The work schedules shall be divided into hour equivalents where each staff member will be expected to input the specified number of hours with some being allowed to work for two or even three consecutive periods. This determination will be based on the estimation of the number of minutes it takes to clean a room effectively. Some measure of flexibility should be applied to fix the working hours with the choices of the employees respected as much as possible. The employees should work individually when executing the daily tasks. Pairing and group shall however be suitable for routine exercises which require teamwork to ensure effectiveness. For the routine exercises, the employees will be grouped into teams of 4 to ensure ease and effectiveness of their work.  

The work rotas will be organised as reflected on the excerpt below:
Room numbers
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
1-10
John K.
Jane W.
John K.
Jane W.
11-20
James w.
Michael C.
James w.
Michael C.
21-30
Liz K
Michael X.
Liz K
Michael X.
The rota excerpt above is applicable only to the daily cleaning exercises. Employees will be expected to participate on routine cleaning exercises and time for this shall be allocated to ensure that their working hours do not extend beyond 37 hours per week. The classification based on the number of rooms to be cleaned is based on the assumption that it should take a maximum of 40 minutes to sufficiently clean a room and the work-hour calculation is based on this upper limit. The option of involving appropriate software shall also be considered with time. 

The cleaning shall predominantly be done using vacuum cleaning systems. Analysts laud this system as very effective in the maintenance of dustless and dry floors and surfaces (Procter and Gamble, 2011). Dusting shall also be done regularly on furniture and on the furnishings on the walls and other parts of the rooms. The aim is to provide a spotlessly clean hotel environment for guests. Daily cleaning activities include floor cleaning, dusting exercises, the cleaning of windows, spreading of beds, carpet vacuuming and stain removal, and others. Routine cleaning exercises may include the polishing of floors, washing and drying of carpets, hotel odour treatment to give the hotel a characteristic pleasant odour, carpet extraction cleaning, thorough walls cleaning, clearance and sterilisation of the drainage systems, and other cleaning exercises whose execution cannot be left to individual employees. 

For housekeeping to be effective, employees must be well equipped with high quality cleaning equipment designed to facilitate their work. When one thinks of cleaning, the floor is often the first part of a room that comes to mind. Some of the necessary equipment for the cleaning of floors includes vacuum cleaners, floor polishers, moping equipment and others (Corrigan, 2011). For effective cleaning, different cleaning methods must be used. However, vacuum cleaning is emphasised as the best option for routine cleaning in order to ensure that clients remain satisfied. 

Given that about 12 cleaners will be actively involved with cleaning during peak periods, a total of 12 vacuum cleaners. Good vacuum cleaners cost about £199 (Numatic International, 2011). The total expenditure on vacuum cleaners should therefore be £2,388. Polishers on the other hand tend to be more expensive with good polishers/ scrubbers costing about £500 each bringing the total estimate to £1,500 (Numatic International, 2011). For effectiveness, three polishers may be required to ensure ease of routine cleaning. Various chemicals and detergents are also useful in the cleaning of floors and their details and expected expenditures are as tabulated alongside other essential pieces of cleaning equipment. 

Equipment/ Chemical
Area of cleaning
Unit price ( £)
units required
Estimated Total ( £)
Vacuum cleaner
floor
199
12
                           2,388.00
Polishers/ Scrubbing machine
floor
500
3
                           1,500.00
Biochem (priced per litre)
floor
2.38
1200
                           2,856.00
Buffer (priced per litre)
floor
1.87
1200
                           2,244.00
Chewing gum remover (Gum Gone)
all surfaces
42.86
36
                           1,542.96
Vanish (priced per litre)
floor
1.98
600
                           1,188.00
Hand sanitisers (stericlean)-per litre
washrooms
2.58
600
                           1,548.00




                         13,266.96
Prices source from: http://www.chemiclean.co.uk/floors.htm
The basic expense for some of the most important equipment is as illustrated on the table. Other items to be included include protective gear for the employees, cleaning towels, brushes and other minor expenses whose sum total should not exceed £3,000. More comprehensive details are as contained in the price lists in appendix I.

The chemicals and detergents used for cleaning as outlined above are priced per litre. The quantity taken into consideration reflects on the estimation of the number of litres that would be needed to enable effective cleaning for a period of one year. This implies that the cost can be broken down and expended on a quarterly basis as appropriate. The amount to be spent on equipment must not be considered as a liability but rather, as an investment. Cleanliness in hotels is one of the main factors that customers evaluate before they can endorse the services of any hotel (HSE, 2011). Customers like to spend time in clean rooms and where their satisfaction is assured, the hotel benefits from the growth of a loyal clientele whose expenditures are crucial in enabling the realisation of the organisational goals (Earnst & Young, 2011). Investment in the best cleaning equipment available in the market is therefore easily justifiable.     

Maintenance can be defined as the process of maintaining equipment and assets in a good condition or the process of restoring such properties to a good condition (Arvee and Lind, 2011). All activities aimed at restoring equipment to their intended functioning can therefore be roundly termed as maintenance activities (Arvee and Lind, 2011). At the West Hope Hotel, maintenance is required on both the assets and the equipment. The assets include the buildings, the furniture, and the furnishings therein among others. Equipment requiring maintenance mainly includes the cleaning equipment that has been specified in the earlier sections. The basic approach to maintenance at the hotel should predominantly be based on taking care of the assets and equipment to minimise any wear and tear that could be occasioned by mishandling (Garg and Deshmukh, 2006). Staff members must be sensitised on the importance of ensuring that assets are treated gently to minimise unnecessary damage. For instance, some of the furnishings kept in the rooms are delicate and are specifically there to add some aesthetic value to the hotels. Careful handling while cleaning is required to avoid any breakage or defacement of the same. The same applies to some of the furniture whose finishing may be glossy and delicate. Any mishandling may result in the formation of scratches that may substantially erode their value. 

Some equipment such as the cleaning equipment must be put to use regularly and are bound to incur a considerable level of wear and tear. To ensure that such equipment remains effective, conscious actions must be taken to ensure the restoration of the same to their best condition (Corrigan, 2011). For instance, the brushes and the movable parts of the vacuum cleaners are bound to wear out in the course of cleaning. Where such parts are in top form, the quality of cleaning is high and when the condition deteriorates, such standards are lowered significantly. Given that hotels are very sensitive to cleanliness standards; it becomes very important to ensure that such cleaning equipment is maintained in their best form.  

Maintenance is an investment. In most cases, the cost of ensuring that an asset or equipment is well maintained tends to be significantly lower than the cost of replacing it or the cost of undertaking extensive repairs after the condition of such assets have been allowed to deteriorate significantly (Arvee and Lind, 2011). It must be appreciated that where assets are in their best condition, clients tend to enjoy a higher level of satisfaction. Maintenance must therefore be taken seriously and must be carefully planned for in order to ensure that unnecessary damage is avoided.  

Several maintenance management systems can be implemented at West Hope Hotel. These management systems can be categorised into 8 systems. The first one involves the use of appropriate software which is programmed to point out when certain equipment need to be maintained. One such system is CMMS Software whose functions are as illustrated in Appendix II (COGZ Systems, 2011). These systems work best where accurate estimation of the level of wear and tear of assets and equipment can be estimated with reasonable levels of accuracy. The main maintenance techniques that can be used in conjunction with this system condition based maintenance, predictive or time based maintenance, and preventive maintenance. Maintenance scheduling can also be implemented at the hotel (Arvee and Lind, 2011). In this system, routine maintenance is conducted where the equipment in question is diagnosed and any weaknesses that may be developing fixed in time. In terms of assets, this system entails the physical inspection of the business premises and having any assets that need any form of maintenance fixed before the damage can advance any further. 

Maintenance information systems on the other hand make use of the modern technological developments in collecting and transmitting information to the relevant parties concerning the working conditions of the equipment being used (MINTEK, 2011). For instance, where a cleaner makes use of a vacuum cleaner, it may be necessary for them to make a preliminary inspection and note any need for repair. Proper use of maintenance management systems is essential in ensuring that equipment is maintained effectively and at the lowest possible cost. Maintenance performance measurements can also be used to identify the need for repair. Any equipment in its top condition should be able to deliver a given standard of results when put into proper use. This is a function that can easily be executed by the supervisors in consultation with the individual cleaners. Where the standards are observed to be deteriorating, the equipment being used should be inspected thoroughly to ensure its proper functioning. The hotel must also maintain a maintenance policy whose contents must be known to all housekeepers. Procedures on how to handle certain assets and equipment must be clearly outlined and penalties for carelessness clearly spelt out. This carrot and stick approach to maintenance can be effective when used properly.  

On the whole, maintenance can be categorised into three management systems: corrective maintenance which is highly unpopular due to the fact that it is unplanned for and only executed after the damage has been done; preventive maintenance which may well be implemented through scheduling and routine maintenance; and condition-based maintenance which focuses on diagnosis based on the productivity of the equipment (Arvee and Lind, 2011). 

In a scenario where workers are faced with equipment that constantly breaks down, the condition based maintenance system should be used. The equipment should be thoroughly inspected and faults identified and corrected. Thereafter, the preventive system should be adopted to avoid the recurrence of such a condition.
In the second scenario where rooms have been off for a while, the corrective maintenance action should be taken. Even though damage has already been caused, it is essential that the rooms be put back to top condition. Thereafter, preventive systems should be put in place. 

In the third scenario where complaints are raised about the internet, remote controls and showers, condition based maintenance should be embraced. After restoration is achieved, the hotel should embrace preventive maintenance systems. 

In the fourth scenario where there have been no fire drills or evacuation procedure reviews, the system to be embraced is the preventive maintenance system. This is due to the fact that no fire has actually been experienced and the correction is still timely in case of such an eventuality.
In the sixth scenario, preventive measures must be taken to ensure that rooms are ready for the guests before such guests are shown in.  

In order to reduce the operating costs in the hotel, certain measures must be taken to ensure such minimisation. To start with, the hotel manager must endeavour to acquire equipment that uses significantly lower amounts of energy than the ones being used. One of the areas where significant energy saving could be achieved is in the kitchen and in the water heating systems (Green Hotels Association, 2011). The provision of hot water is central to the customer satisfaction of most guests and the service cannot be withdrawn without costing the hotel significant amounts of revenue. However, energy could still be saved by ensuring that energy efficient equipment is used in the water heating systems. The hotel manager could also do well by working on the lighting systems and replacing heat bulbs with more energy efficient lights. Except where necessary, ordinary bulbs result in unnecessary consumption of energy with no apparent benefits (Efficiency Partnership, 2011). Vast amounts of energy can also be saved through the installation of solar systems capable of supplying the hotels with all the energy they need. During summer where the exposure to sunlight is at its optimum, the hotels can run almost entirely on solar energy hence making valuable savings on what would have otherwise been spent on paying for the power from the national grid and other suppliers (EcoGreen Hotel, 2011). 

Housekeeping is an integral part of any hotel and it must be taken seriously. This is a strategic department whose performance could determine whether or not the hotel’s strategies are realised or not. Equally important is the concept of maintenance. It is important that assets and equipment in hotels be kept in their top form. This not only retains the good appearance of the hotels but also helps in ensuring that the customers remain satisfied at all times. Maintenance also significantly contributes to the reduction of costs. Costs can also be reduced by ensuring savings are made through the prudent use of energy. The use of energy efficient equipment and appliances is an important measure. The installation of green energy sources could further ensure these savings are even more significant.


For more theory and case studies on: http://expertresearchers.blogspot.com/

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Cabrera, A., Collins, W.C., Salgado, J.F., 2006. Determinants of individual knowledge sharing. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 17 (2), pp. 245-264
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1 comment:

  1. Thank you for sharing. Condition Based Maintenance is a major component of Predictive Maintenance (PdM) and asset health

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