Housekeeping Common Mistakes
• The Knock and Enter vs. The Knock and Pause
Housekeeping has a schedule to keep and a goal to reach. But they must remember this is their schedule, not the guest’s. A pet peeve of Hoteliers is when cleaning staff is too quick to enter the room. According to the Hospitality School, it is important to knock and wait 10 seconds (10 Mississippi’s) for a response, then knock again announcing who you are. Open the door slightly to make sure the coast is clear. If your staff heeds this rule of thumb, they won’t find themselves, the hotel, and the surprised guest in an awkward predicament.
• Cleanliness of Linens and Towels
Our beloved hotel properties are not held accountable to the same standards as healthcare facilities; however, through the CDC (Center for Disease Control) there are clear recommendations when dealing with bedding. For example, the need for water temperatures to exceed 70 degrees Celsius, the use of chlorine bleach, required high heat drying and or pressing, and the need to monitor cleaning agent residues. This detail aside, no one wants to come into their hotel room to discover stained linens or towels. Overlooking the obvious, the guest will have a strong perception to the rest of the establishment’s standards toward cleanliness that cannot be easily swayed.
•Security of Personal Effects
It is no secret that there is a certain level of fear that exists when leaving your items in a hotel room. Precautions should always be taken with valuables such as using the in-room safe. Nothing undermines guest trust more with an establishment than missing items. Peace of mind should be a given. Hotels need to create and circulate strict rules that guard against employees stealing from guests. For guest property found after checkout, a defined procedure of how to track lost items puts both guests and staff more at ease. Hotels can deter theft by making it clear they’ll fire and press charges if a housekeeper is found at fault for stealing from guests.
•
Housekeeping has a schedule to keep and a goal to reach. But they must remember this is their schedule, not the guest’s. A pet peeve of Hoteliers is when cleaning staff is too quick to enter the room. According to the Hospitality School, it is important to knock and wait 10 seconds (10 Mississippi’s) for a response, then knock again announcing who you are. Open the door slightly to make sure the coast is clear. If your staff heeds this rule of thumb, they won’t find themselves, the hotel, and the surprised guest in an awkward predicament.
• Cleanliness of Linens and Towels
Our beloved hotel properties are not held accountable to the same standards as healthcare facilities; however, through the CDC (Center for Disease Control) there are clear recommendations when dealing with bedding. For example, the need for water temperatures to exceed 70 degrees Celsius, the use of chlorine bleach, required high heat drying and or pressing, and the need to monitor cleaning agent residues. This detail aside, no one wants to come into their hotel room to discover stained linens or towels. Overlooking the obvious, the guest will have a strong perception to the rest of the establishment’s standards toward cleanliness that cannot be easily swayed.
•Security of Personal Effects
It is no secret that there is a certain level of fear that exists when leaving your items in a hotel room. Precautions should always be taken with valuables such as using the in-room safe. Nothing undermines guest trust more with an establishment than missing items. Peace of mind should be a given. Hotels need to create and circulate strict rules that guard against employees stealing from guests. For guest property found after checkout, a defined procedure of how to track lost items puts both guests and staff more at ease. Hotels can deter theft by making it clear they’ll fire and press charges if a housekeeper is found at fault for stealing from guests.
•