Asia’s largest gathering of hospitality housekeeping professionals witnessed record number of housekeepers from across 11 countries come together at Sahara Star Mumbai on September 8 and 9. In all there were 320 delegates from India, Maldives, Dubai, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia. This is the first time-ever, hospitality students, teachers, General Managers, Chefs, Purchase Heads and Engineers joined Housekeepers to “Energize the Synergies”, the theme of the International Housekeepers’ Summit 2017.
Highlights
• Seven thought-provoking sessions
• Asian Housekeeping Awards
• Official launch of Asian Housekeepers’ Association
• Live Demo of Cleaning and Laundry Technology
• 2nd edition of Uniforms a Corporate Fashion Statement
• IPHA Awards
• Felicitation
• B2B Meeting
• Motivational Talks
• Cocktail Dinner & Networking
The Summit began on a positive note with the most encouraging speech from Chief Guest Kuldeep Bhartee, Area General Manager for ITC hotels. “We are here to celebrate one of the most exceptional departments in the hospitality industry that has mastered the art of value proposition and I call it the backbone of the industry.” Speaking to Clean India Journal, following the inauguration he said that IHS2017 is very important platform for the housekeepers around the world to patriciate and gather knowledge from different countries. “Housekeeping today is no more a backend job. The housekeeper now controls 60 to 70% of the revenue of the hotels. We can talk about the room revenue being directly related to housekeeping, as great housekeeping makes the guest come back again. Housekeeping is very important aspect of hospitality, a major department and the backbone to the hotel industry. People should change their view about housekeeping.
“Eight out of the 10 people look at the internet to check the review before choosing the hotel they want to check-in. Most of the time, they check the cleanliness levels and then decide the hotel,” he added.
Chief Guest Kuldeep Bhartee, Area General Manager, ITC Hotels.
“It is indeed a great honour and privilege for me to be standing here as the guest of honor in the presence of national and international dignitaries from the hospitality sector. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mohana, Editor, Clean India Journal for organizing such a wonderful event year after year.
We are here to celebrate one of the most exceptional departments in the hospitality industry which has mastered the value proportion over the years and I call it the backbone of the hotel industry. Without a strong support, passion and commitment of our team of housekeepers our hotels could not have scripted a success story.
Today, this department is in the forefront to enable our hotel to occupy rooms, make raving fans out of our guests assuring repeat business from them, protect our hotel assets and up the profit margins.
A career as a housekeeper is challenging, as it requires great deal of organizing skills, ability to communicate well with the guest and equally with the staff and a discipline of upholding service excellence at the units. No level of service or friendliness or glamour can equal the sensation a guest has while entering a spotless, tidy, conveniently arranged room.
I am very happy to see the presence of some of my esteemed colleagues here who are currently general managers of reputed properties and have risen to the position from the housekeeping background.
Finally, I would like to conclude my speech with a quote Shep Hyken, says, “Remember, no matter how good your feedback is; you always start over with the next customer”. That means you are as good as yesterday, today is a new day.”
Summit Sessions
General Managers Session
Beginning with an inspirational sharing from General Managers who started their journey with Housekeeping to a discussion from multiple points of view to achieve housekeeping excellence through education, training and technology, there were about seven session spread across two days. Sessions also included viewing models and new innovations to be adopted by housekeeping to maintain the ecological balance besides strengthening inter departmental relations with procurement and laundry. There was something to be learnt from every session.. Focussing on the theme of the summit on ‘Energizing the Synergies’ there were also discussions on improving co-ordination with procurement and laundry.
Speaking on creating talents, Lakshmanan said, “Somebody got a risk on you. And that somebody that is taking risk of moving you say from the executive role to front office manager or a general manager role or an executive housekeeper or rooms divisional manager role, part of the ownership need should be on us. If I want to be a general manager I got to give the confidence to my general manager, I have to say this is where I want to go and have a conversation. I sit down have career conversation and say where you want to go from today, what support you want and what you need to do. It is a partnership, it cannot be one way. Someone took a risk on me and I am here.”
From a student’s point of view, Nousheen Rajqotwala, a recently graduated hospitality management student, expressed why she chose to specialise in Housekeeping and why other students were deterred from choosing Housekeeping as a career.
The session was intended to bridge the gap between education and training and encourage hospitality students to pursue a career in housekeeping.
Emphasising on the need for both education and training, Tharaka said “We cannot have highly skilled and poorly educated or highly educated and poorly skilled employee. Human resources is a cost incurring area in our operations and it is all the more important when it comes to training. In 20 minutes of training, the employee should address what we are doing, how we are doing and why we are doing it. Here is where the education comes in. There is a nice saying: ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. I would like to add little salt and pepper, ‘teach them the art and science of fishing so that in any kind of situation, they will be able to take their decision’.”
Technology Session
A video clip was projected on screen showing the scope for training physically-challenged people to be successfully integrated in housekeeping operations.
With the difficulties facing a labour-intensive department, the value of comprehending and implementing technology to efficiently operate the Housekeeping department cannot be undermined. The final part of the session provided an insight on the use of technology via a dialogue between Akshi and Manbinder Singh – IT Manager, JW Marriott, Mumbai. Evidently, IT support in day-to-day operations is only possible when tenacious housekeepers take a ‘make-it-happen’ approach.
Manbinder explained how a simple telephone device today with the help of technology could enhance guest experience and enable housekeeping to provide the required service more accurately. The guest can use his or her smart phone, with the help of technology, to order dinner of his or her choice even while at the lobby, send messages for laundry or dry-cleaning services or check the status or even inform the hotel of his requirement to be served on arrival to the room.
“Laundry also has high potential in housekeeping in terms of revenue. I had worked for hotel Doha Marriott in Qatar, where in the total revenue laundry amounted to more than entire rooms sold plus the restaurant business. This is possible because of technology,” he added.
The three-pronged discussion held the interest of the audience giving rise to many queries from the delegates.
Motivational Talk Pamini Hemaprabha
‘How to become a Red Apple’ – an inspirational talk by Pamini Hemaprabha got the audience on their feet and set the tone for the session ahead.
‘Nuances of HK Procurement Globally’ was chaired by Nitin Nagrale, Vice-President (Materials), Foodlink Restaurants and Catering India and Founder & General Secretary HPMF. Procurement experts Jaideep Gupta, Consultant & Director, Aanyah Management – Mumbai, Dinesh Singhe, Assistant Materials Manager, Hotel Holiday Inn, Mumbai International Airport, Teckbahadur Sarke, Materials Manager, Sahara Star and Rajendra Kankekar, Materials Manager-The Chedi Mumbai, discussed pertinent issues with Meenu Tognatta, Div. Housekeeper, ITC Ltd. and Reena Tiwari, Head – Administration, Artemis Hospitals. Juggling between functionality, aesthetics and price is a Herculean task.
In terms of inter-departmental relationship, procurement is one such department that faces unwarned demands. Procurement of housekeeping demands is no different, said Teckbahadur Sarke. “In fact, if the requirement comes to purchase with proper specification, it will not be difficult for the department to procure.”
Adding, Jaideep Gupta said, “When it comes to procurement of housekeeping supplies, if you are part of a group or a conglomerate or an international group where everything is specified, procurement does not have to do much; they just work on number. But, in owner-driven properties, the housekeeper and procurement departments have to work very closely together.”
Appreciating housekeepers’ talent, he said, “There are housekeepers who have come up very creative ideas and are very passionate about their work. Even with a budget constraint they come up with an ideal solution.”
The second day of the summit was inaugurated with the cutting of the cake by the Chief Guest Param Kanampilly together with Jayaprakash Nair and the heads of the various Asian Housekeeping Association.
Summarizing environment responsibility in reduce, reuse and recycle, Parma Kanampilly said, “Environment sensitivity is a journey and not a goal. Nobody can claim that they are completely environment sensitive, as one keeps learning every day. A simple example of a bulb; from incandescent bulb we went on to CFL and now LED is in. Innovations keep happening and will continue, and we will continue learning.
“Sustainability, on the other hand, is a very big subject which the whole world is concerned about. Sustainability and environmental responsibility go hand-in-hand.”
Introducing for the first time ‘Live Demo’, two innovative technologies were introduced to the housekeepers. Tjin Kho Hok-Lagoon Specialistt-APAC, Electrolux, Singapore, explained the cost effective, energy efficient and water efficient laundry system and Atika Rao, Director, Manmachine Solutions, India, launched floor polishing using plain water; thus, saving on chemicals.
Linen is an integral part of any hotel operation and ensuring an adequate supply of clean linen is available is the responsibility of the laundry department. The responsibility for co-ordinating the linen operations lies with the housekeeping department. Chaired by Salil Fadnis, Deputy General Manager, Sahara Star, Mumbai, the session on ‘Approach to Laundry’ commenced with Umapathy Amirtham, Rooms Division Manager of The Leela Palace, Chennai, tracking his journey from Laundry to Housekeeping. This was followed by a panel discussion on trending models in laundry highlighting the pros and cons. Representing varied viewpoints the panel members were Shweta Suryawanshi, Housekeeping Manager at The Ascott Limited. Sagar Sodha, Zonal Head- West at Jyothy Fabricare Services Ltd. Sandeep Jadhav, Laundry Manager, Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resorts, Accor Hotels. Janet Smailes, Trainer & Food Safety Consultant, Food Hygiene Consultants Maldives
Editor in Chief Mangala Chandran felicitating Association heads: (from left) Chef Salil Fadnis for WICA; Nitin Nagrale for HPMF and Kundan Attarde for AWESOME
Housekeeping over the years has changed, said Salil Fadnis. “Earlier laundry used to be a part and parcel of the hotel but over the years with the multinational chains coming into India, the cost factor in laundry services became prominent. India started embracing outsourcing. Different models of outsourcing came into practice. Sahara Star Mumbai has the first-of-its-kind outsourcing, where the laundry is outsourced, linen is rented and above all it is within the premises. This model is working very well with us, that gives a good balance as well.”
Concluding the session, Sunil Ralph, Vice President & Head Administration, India, Essar Steel India Ltd, Akash Dharamsey, Director, ADD Laundry Concepts and Pancham Narkar, Housekeeping Manager, Grand Hyatt, Mumbai, said that the ‘Point of Focus’ today in hospitality is housekeeping. More so because the rising occupancy corelates with guest experience which is primarily taken care by the housekeeping. Hence, the need for every hotel is to involve housekeepers right from the project state to the operations to ensure that it meets housekeeping demands in terms of maintenance and accessibility.
Finally, Vasanth Trivellore Pattangi, Chief Empowerment Officer, delivered the final talk on ‘Staying Motivated’ and moving from good to great! As he put it, “When you know yourself, you are empowered. When you accept yourself, you are invincible!”
We thank all Associations for partnering with us and making this Summit a grand success.
Thank you: Indian Professional Housekeepers’ Association, Doha Housekeeper Group, Indonesian Housekeepers Association, Kuwait Housekeeper Hub, Maldives Housekeepers Forum, Malaysian Association of Housekeeper, Professional Housekeepers Group UAE, Vietnam Executive Housekeepers Association, Sri Lanka Housekeepers Association, Western India Culinary Association, Hospitality Purchasing Managers’ Forum, Laundry Dry cleaning Association of India & AWESOME.
Draft of Whitepaper on Redefining Housekeeping in the Corporate Strategy
Nonetheless, the team through short survey made a draft of the whitepaper by listing down the five major elements that will govern housekeeping in the future
- Sustainability – a new way of doing things
- Technology – an approach to unified communication
- Training – to develop personal leadership
- Resources – where luxury is not at the cost of environment
- Procurement – as a major cost determinant
The team presented the findings so far in a brief session. The draft of the whitepaper will be made available online at www.ihs2017.com