Over a decade back, a small write up on how the housekeeping department in a hotel demanded for more linen, keeping in mind the year’s projected occupancy, was ignored and the purchase allocated much less than what was likely to be required. Are we any different today?
It was October and the Executive Housekeeper at a 250-room property had put together the housekeeping budget for the next year, requesting `8 lakhs for linens. She based this number on last year’s linen use and projected occupancy for next year, with eight per cent increase thrown in to allow for cost increases.
Late December, the approved budged reached the Executive Housekeeper. Well, this was no surprise to housekeeping, but the EHK was disappointed to see the money for replacement linen reduced for next year.
Hotel Managers throughout the industry are notoriously cautious with linen spending. To quote a General Manager reasoning with a housekeeper, “Why should I buy you more? You’ll just use it.” The EHK could never get the GM to see that housekeeping would use the additional linen because it was truly needed, not because housekeeping wanted to be wasteful or have an unnecessary cushion.
In a memo to the purchase, the EHK explained why the linen budget was proposed for Rs 8 lakhs and how cutting it down by one lakh rupees was likely to result in a late-year disaster and highlighted the some of the problems the hotel might experience if a linen shortage occurred. The EHK also suggested that the original request of `8 lakhs might even be too low, depending on the type of group occupancy the hotel is likely to attract next year. Certain groups are harder on linens than others. For example, wedding groups (mehendi, facial, hair colour – total room linen is messed up), groups that bring children along – are especially hard on linens.
After reading the memo, purchase called the EHK and appreciated the concerns, but felt the hotel could survive on `7 lakhs linen allowance.
Purchase dismissed the topic with an assurance that the linen spending will be considered in the next year’s budget. ‘Maybe next year’ is a phrase so commonly used and more in the hospitality segment where budgets are rarely violated as it involves a tedious process.
With a big OK, the EHK quietly crossed her fingers, hoping the hotel could squeak through one more year without linen becoming a major problem. In case of emergencies, the purchase along with the GM could jointly sanction additional budget amount by 5% out of Contingency Fund. For higher amounts, matter has to be referred at the Corporate Level involving a lot of procedure and questioning.
The linen was purchased at the beginning of year with quarterly delivery schedule. Month after month, the business was even better than expected; by July, the EHK discovered that, to maintain linen par levels, it would be necessary to spend money earmarked for the third and fourth quarters to get enough washcloths, bath towels, sheets, etc. Actually hoping, that the business would slow down in the fourth quarter, the EHK made a plunge and used up the entire budget; at the same time, sending a caution notice to the Purchase on spending the entire allocated funds in July itself owing to linen shortage.
Interestingly, Purchase sent request to the GM, suggesting a cut down in guestroom linen to be reduced from four bath towels to three, and from three washcloths to two. The GM approved.
The Hotel experienced record guestroom sales in August, September, and October. Occupancy was 20 per cent over projected budget levels. The EHK knew it was only a question of time before something major wrong had to happen. At the end of October, the marketing department announced some major last-minute sales; it had just booked a big Tourist group, two wedding groups and beautician convention for November. Considering the groups booked, this meant all occupancy records would be broken.
By mid-November, the housekeeping department resembled a war zone. Every day was more hectic than the one before. Scheduling room attendants was a nightmare, and everyone in the laundry room was working overtime. The EHK could not walk anywhere in the hotel without being accosted by angry guests wanting more towels or frustrated room attendants wanting more linens. Front desk phones never stopped ringing, and the hotel staff never stopped scurrying, rushing stacks of towels just delivered from the launderer to whichever room attendant complained the loudest. Each morning, the EHK anxiously scanned the occupancy projections for December, silently praying that at least one group would cancel its meeting. But day after day, the news was “terrible”; no one cancelled, and December’s business still looked great.
By November end, guest complaints got so bad that the GM called a meeting of the hotel’s senior staff. “What’s going on here?” he fumed. “Business has never been better, yet we seem to be falling apart. If I hear one more person whine about bath towels, I’ll scream. Does anyone have any idea about how we can get out of this mess?”
Truly, what is going on here? In spite of being departments of the same organisation, the understanding of each department’s requirement is largely missing.
Was it because the EHK’s process of assessing existing stock and calculating the required linen for the year faulty?
Was the Purchase so inconsiderate that it could not see the impending danger of underallocation?
Was the Purchase itself ignorant of the basic requirement?
Was the laundry well equipped to churn out clean linen at times of emergencies?
There and many more questions would remain unanswered. We call upon readers in the hospitality segment to throw light on this never ending shortfall.