Raising the bar in terms of service quality and customer loyalty, the global hotel chains with corporate practices and guest services are striving to become customer favourites. The department of housekeeping that forms the face and holds the pulse of the organisation takes the lead in providing the ultimate in services and offerings. Vijayalakshmi Sridhar finds out how housekeeping heads of hotel chains balance customer expectations, brand image and the department’s own scruples.
Post cleaning an area, the instrument measures the quality and the readings must be as per a set benchmark mentioned in the Standard Operating Procedures of the organization.
– Swarnalatha Mankikar
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The housekeeping agenda is driven by brand image, competition and globally recognized standards in the industry. The entire gamut of housekeeping services boils down to how well quality amenities are rendered to guests. “There are some guiding parameters to do the job well,” says Swarnalata Mankikar, Executive Housekeeper, ITC Gardenia, Bangalore. “The area must be free of dust/debris, stains, hair, fungi and cobwebs. We consider these to be the ‘five cardinal sins’ of housekeeping. In addition, we also follow the principle of Six Sigma where any area that needs to be cleaned follows the process of Sort, Select, Shine, Standardize, Sustain and Safety. Measurable instruments have standard benchmarks that the organization adheres to. Post cleaning an area, the instrument measures the quality and the readings must be as per a set benchmark mentioned in the Standard Operating Procedures of the organization.”
The cost is long forgotten but the quality is remembered forever. For us, quality is immaculately clean and hygienic rooms and public areas which satisfy all your five senses.”
– Bhavana Alvarez
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Of course, there is a cost and time involved in achieving this. However, notes Bhavana Alvarez, Executive Housekeeper, Vivanta by Taj – MG Road, Bangalore,“The cost is long forgotten but the quality is remembered forever. For us, quality is immaculately clean and hygienic rooms and public areas which satisfy all your five senses.”
According to Chinna Thambi, Assistant Housekeeper, Davanam Sarovar Portico Suites, Bangalore, what speaks of the brand’s housekeeping’s sparkling standards is the cleaning of each surface in the room, including the walls, baseboards, floor tiles and grout, doors, windows, light fixtures, smoke detectors and sprinklers, light diffusers, air vent grates, and the tops of entertainment hutches, armoires, and door jambs to shower curtains with corresponding solutions and the methods.
Deep cleaning is the process of taking a room out of a hotel’s salable inventory and thoroughly cleaning it to more exacting standards than is normally performed during the daily maintenance.
– Chinna Thambi
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Taking it to the next level, he adds, deep cleaning comes into the perspective. “Deep cleaning is the process of taking a room out of a hotel’s salable inventory and thoroughly cleaning it to more exacting standards than is normally performed during the daily maintenance. Most guestrooms are deep-cleaned between two and four times a year, depending on the occupancy level of the hotel.”
Chemistry of cleaning
Appropriate chemicals are the prerequisites for achieving efficiency in cleaning. There is a quality threshold each brand sets out to achieve. “We use all room care series chemicals for cleaning purposes. For laundry, spotting agents and clax series are in use. For upkeep of public areas, especially marble liquid crystallizer (Terrenova) is being used,” says Bhavana. “Chemicals like, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 and TR101 from Diversey are used in Sarovar to achieve efficient cleaning,” says Chinna Thambi. Green Seal chemicals and 80% recyclable cleaning equipment are used at ITC.
Above and beyond all that, to achieve perfection, says Swarnalatha, “A glossometer is used to measure the gloss levels of marble flooring that are maintained above 95. A luxmeter ensures that the luminosity levels are maintained at a specific lux level depending on the area. A dehumidifier measures the moisture content and ensures that the air quality is maintained. A thermostat ensures that the indoor temperature is comfortable for our guests. A PH kit maintains the water quality at the laundry and a reflectometer is used to measure the whiteness of linen.”
Housekeeping training
State-of-the-art staff training could be the only key to achieving such exacting and competitive standards in cleaning. Training is specifically relevant in the current times when trained housekeepers are a rarity. Though the training is customized and carried out according to any brand’s SOP, Bhavana lists some specific must-haves to it, “Eye for detail, body language, communication, creativity, employee engagement would help to do it well.”
At ITC, it is an all-round training. “Our housekeeping associates are trained to be observant while servicing guest rooms and make a note of guest preferences in order to customize their stay. These are updated in the centralized guest profile so that these preferences are placed prior to arrival for every visit across the chain in any location. They are also taught standard phrases to interact with guests. They act as a single point of contact for all housekeeping needs and to provide the service with warmth and add that personal touch. Service designs have
been created for honeymoon couples, family guests, children, birthdays, long staying guests,” explains Swanalatha.
Inspiring a sense of belonging
“Sarovar recruits freshers and train them thoroughly on the hotel’s housekeeping procedures,” says Chinna Thambi. Outsourcing, in his view creates issues. “Training the outsourced staff on Taj’s Standard Operating Procedures every time they are replaced is very time consuming.”
Bhavana adds, “We must be very patient and have the understanding that a new joinee be given proper time and training along with separate briefings so that his needs and issues are addressed. Proper and constant monitoring and mentoring are offered to help him/her learn faster.” ITC’s recruitment is through traditional channels such as culinary institutions. A housekeeping trade test opens the doors to the newcomers. Though learning depends on individual capacities, two months is the time the organization offers for the newcomer to scale up. Skill charts represent their learning graph and the learning services department certification and interviews fix their final positioning. Even with such monitored grooming, Swarna opines, “Outsourcing is a good way to achieve efficiency and regularity in cleaning through schedules which are customized and created for the organization.”
Staff-EHK bonding
The organization also recognizes and suitably rewards any extra efforts of the housekeeping staff.
In hospitality, cleaning, therefore, is a vehicle to the brand’s reputation and long-standing heritage and the quality of cleaning is a badge to its distinctive positioning in the industry.
State-of-the-art staff training could be the only key to achieving such exacting and competitive standards in cleaning. Training is specifically relevant in the current times when trained housekeepers are a rarity.