Housekeeping in hospitality:Contributing to the bottom line

Housekeeping has a pivotal role in a hotel. It is the backbone that keeps the property clean and efficient – the most important aspects for both staff and guests. Over the last few years, expectations on the role of the housekeeping department have grown, exspecially with a huge emphasis put on environmental issues and staff wellbeing. Behind the entire operation is one person keeping the ball rolling on these issues and fighting for a better experience for their guests – the executive housekeeper, who also takes quite a few challenges.

Since customer expectations play a critical role in customer evaluation of services, there is a need and want to understand the factors that shape them. Delivering quality service consistently is not easy. It takes not only passion to be the best but also discipline to be able to recreate memorable guest experiences.

Also training is the key factor. A lot is being invested to train housekeepers. Training should be an ongoing process. A blend of good service and individual details is the key factor. Trainings should be audited. Training is necessary to achieve consistency in service, maintain quality standards and to maintain SOP. It is better to avoid outsourced staff in area where there is direct contact with guests. However, it is the job of the Executive Housekeeper / Housekeeping team to mould the outsourced staff to suit the requirement of the property.

One main issue in the industry is staff poaching, propagated by low wages. It is the responsibility of the housekeeper to give the staff a sense of loyalty and make them happy in their positions. By showing interest in their day-to-day work, developing and encouraging star workers and by providing a pleasant work environment are important. Higher pay may not always help in retention of man power.

Another issue for housekeepers is with regard to the design of the hotel itself. In general designers tend to cater to the needs of the guests and front office. The storages and pantries are often ignored. It is important that the housekeeping staff is involved in the design and operation planning. Housekeeping and other departments in the hotel operate on two types of budget – Operational and Capital Expenditure budgets.

Operational Budget is the allocation of expenses for each item required by the department in order to operate smoothly. In case of
hotel operation, control of expenses is based on occupancy percentage.

The budgeted amount for the month can be variable since there is certain period where occupancy forecasts in other areas or countries are unreliable or unpredictable. There are also budgeted items or sections in housekeeping that are usually divided between other departments like repairs and maintenance, uniforms, decorative, print and stationeries. In case of housekeeping, projects can be something that require replacement or additional housekeepers cart, laundry washer & dryer, building a new laundry shop for outside customers, replacement of vacuum cleaners and replacement of worn out beds or furniture. Usually the CAPEX fund is allocated in these same way as that of the operational budget. It is through CAPEX fund that maintenance of the hotel works best and at the same time avoiding depreciation of items in large quantities.

Not being able to monitor the operating budget effectively will lead to the demise of Capital Expenditure. Both budgets are equally important.

Housekeeping budget is mostly viewed as an expense in most hotels. But now most housekeepers believe in making it an investment.

Hotel labour costs can take up 47% of your operating expenses. So it is important to cross-train the staff. The housekeeper has to take care to schedule projects and staff based on the occupancy and daily check outs. Hotels spend approximately six percent of operating costs on utilities. A 10% reduction in energy consumption would have the same financial effect as increasing the average daily room rate.

Housekeeping is not a revenue-generating department; however, we are most certainly involved in cost controlling measures which is very important for the hotel. We at Ramada provide our guests with five-star service and the quality of what we offer is imperative to us and to our brand as this is what makes us so successful. Although costs are rising, we do not compromise on quality, hence we try very hard to build a strong network of quality suppliers who can deliver at reasonable costs. What is also important for us is to keep track on how much of our inventory is spent on a daily basis in order to measure and evaluate if we need to decrease a certain level of consumption or improve another.
The housekeepers of tomorrow are not just an employee working within the confinements of one specific area or department. Housekeeping will become more technology and automation driven in key operating areas such as laundry and inventory management.

Housekeeping standards in India are at par with global standards. The use of newer technology to improve standards of hygiene is one approach that hotels adopt, but it is not the only one factor that determines the overall standards of service. Whatever products are being used, it is the housekeeping department that determines how well the standard is maintained. In India, we have a dedicated approach towards service which is extremely warm and caring.

In the present scenario, the competition is very high. Simultaneously, we have to deal with cost cutting too. Training the staff is the key factor to maintain standards. We conduct training sessions of two hours on a daily basis.

The objective is not only to keep them updated but also motivated towards cleanliness and hygiene. Being associated with Indian HouseKeepers Club, we train our staff at the hotel and also conduct sessions across the country to raise the level. The hospitality sector is going to the next level, where there is always pressure to raise the standard. Only with the right blend of latest equipment and the manpower that standard can be achieved. With more companies coming into this sector, the tough competition demands more attention to housekeeping. ‘Going green’ is becoming an important factor in housekeeping. Attention is being paid to explore the green as well as cost effective housekeeping methods. People too now understand the importance of housekeeping and they usually do check the standards before booking.

The main challenge in this casino hotel is getting and retaining skilled & experienced manpower. The present scenario is that most of the staffs at the hotel are new. Hence only a proper training can ensure the right standard of cleaning and hygiene.

We do provide two hours training to our maintenance staffs on a daily basis. Housekeeping standard is not only about maintaining cleanliness but also about the method of cleaning particularly in high traffic areas. This is where staffs need proper cleaning skills and that comes with training and experience. The management earmarks 2.5% of the total turnover as housekeeping budget. We do invest in new equipment as this allows us to reduce manpower. This simultaneously helps us in raising the level of maintenance standard at the hotel and this is what hospitality sector is all about.

Green methodology of facility services is becoming important day by day. It is not limited to being environment friendly but it helps to attract and se
rve customers with pride. We have almost avoided the use of plastics. We are also working on the deployment of green chemicals in facility services.

There are loads of changes happening in housekeeping. The equipment is getting up-graded very fast. Dependency on manpower is decreasing. Standard of cleaning and hygiene is getting better. Five years later I do see housekeeping as more green, technologically advanced with less dependency on man power.