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.
2.
Housekeeping
recommendations
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/
Aryee,
S., Lind. H., 2011. Hotel Maintenance
Management: strategic management in hotel preparations. (Online) Available
at: http://www.kth.se/polopoly_fs/1.122083!/Menu/general/column-content/attachment/73.pdf
(Accessed 4 November 2011)
Bombford,
A., 2011. Exploitation of workers at top hotels. BBC newsnight. (Online) Available at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/8171318.stm (Accessed 4
November 2011)
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
COGZ
Systems, 2011. COGZ CMMS Maintenance
Software. (Online) Available at: http://www.cogz.com/ (Accessed 4 November
2011)
Corrigan,
C., 2011. An introduction to Hotel
Engineering. (Online) Available at:
http://www.maintenanceresources.com/referencelibrary/ezine/hoteleng.html
(Accessed 4 November 2011)
Earnst
& Young, 2011. Global Hospitality Insights: Top Thoughts for 2011. (Online)
Available at:
http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/Global_hospitality_insights_Top_Thoughts_for_2011/$File/Top-thoughts-for-2011.pdf
(Accessed 4 November 2011)
EcoGreen
Hotel, 2011. Eco Green Hotel Expert. (Online)
Available at: http://www.ecogreenhotel.com/blog/index.php/tag/hotel-energy-saving-ideas
(Accessed 4 November 2011)
Efficiency
Partnership, 2011. Cutting Costs with energy efficiency and
conservation. (Online) Available at:
http://www.fypower.org/pdf/BPG_hotels.pdf (Accessed 4 November 2011)
Garg,
A., Deshmukh, S.G., 2006. Maintenance and management. Journal of Quality and Enginering, 12(3), pp. 205-238
Green
Hotels Association, 2011. Why Should
Hotels be Green? (Online) Available at: http://greenhotels.com/index.php
(Accessed 4 November 2011)
HSE,
2011. Safe Use of Cleaning chemicals in
the hospitality Industry. (Online) Available at:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cais22.pdf (Accessed 4 November 2011)
MINTEK,
2011. Hotel Maintenance Management Tips
for the Holidays. (Online) available at:
http://www.mintek.com/blog/eam-cmms/hotel-maintenance-management-tips/
(Accessed 4 November 2011)
Numatic
International, 2011. ChemiClean Products:
Manufacturers and Distributors. (Online) Available at:
http://www.chemiclean.co.uk/floors.htm (Accessed 4 November 2011)
Procter
and Gamble, 2011. Professional Cleaning
Procedure Guides at Your Fingertips. (Online) Available at:
http://www.pgpro.com/Default.aspx?tabid=148 (Accessed 4 November 2011)
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Thank you for sharing. Condition Based Maintenance is a major component of Predictive Maintenance (PdM) and asset health
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