19 ORGANIZATION OF HOUSEKEEPING

PL. Sridevi Sivakami

DEPARTMENT 1 .Introduction

“Housekeeping to be the heart of hotels and it is only when something goes wrong that it is recognized – just like our hearts.” The housekeeping department, in any hotel business, contributes to major amount of profit though it is considered as an ancillary service. The simple reason being, a customer demands a clean, tidy, and pleasing ambience. Housekeeping generates the first impression on a guest’s mind. The housekeeping efforts clearly show how the hotel will take care of its guests. Housekeeping means performing all the duties towards cleaning, maintaining orderliness, and running a house or a business property. In case of hotels, the housekeeping duties involve maintaining the hotel to the best possible state in terms of cleanliness, and keeping it at highly desirable ambience. Main Objectives of Hotel Housekeeping are :

v  To maintain overall cleanliness of the entire hotel at all times.

v  To perform cleanliness duties most efficiently and effectively.

v  To use good quality, safe cleaning equipment and chemicals.

v  To manage laundry and linen.

v  To control pests.

v   To keep up the hotel with classy interior decoration.

v  To take care of the furniture, fittings, and fixtures of the entire hotel.

2.  Objectives

After reading this module ,you should be able to

• understand the importance of housekeeping in hotels and grasp the responsibility of the housekeeping department &
• understand the organizational structure of the housekeeping department in the various category hotels &
• know about the various personnel in a housekeeping department and their duties and responsibility.

3.  Layout of Housekeeping Department in Hotel

The layout of the housekeeping department depends on the total number of Guestrooms, Outlets, and Required Staff. The following areas of the department are the most prominent ones:

Ø  Office of the Executive Housekeeper

Ø   Housekeeping Control Desk

Ø   Laundry Area

Ø   Linen Room

Ø   Uniform Room

Ø   Tailor Room

Ø   Housekeeping Stores

Ø   Flower Room

Ø   Lost and found

4.   Duties in the  Housekeeping Department  :  There is a famous Irish saying  “A

new broom sweeps clean; but an old broom knows the corners.” There is a huge workload on the hotel housekeeping staff. The housekeeping work is carried out at various levels such as

a.       Managerial level

b.      Supervisory level

c.       Operational level.

Structure of Housekeeping Staff

The general structure of housekeeping staff is as shown here:

5.1. Executive Housekeeper: The executive housekeeper is the over all in charge of the housekeeping department. He or she directly controls all the personnel as well as aspects of house keeping. He or she is responsible and accountable for the total cleanliness, maintenance and aesthetic upkeep of the hotel. This was achieved with the resources of manpower, materials, machines, money, space and time available to him

a.Supervise and be responsible for cleanliness, order and appearance of the hotel rooms and public areas, annexes, cottages, facilities, service corridors, linen and uniform rooms, shopping arcades and employees.

b.Schedule, recruit, train, and recommend hiring, discharging and discipline of all department employees through management and in accordance with labour regulations. To perform their best in the standard procedures

c.Participate in all department head meetings. Supervise preparation of maintenance requisitions and maintain follow up file to ensure that all public areas and guests accommodations do not deteriorate from standard.

d.Develop and recommend standard procedures for new tasks or changed conditions.

e. 5 .Inspect personally, and supervise inspections by assistants of all areas in a frequent and unvarying schedule.

f. Work closely with the general manager on day to day housekeeping requirements.

g.Prepare the annual housekeeping budget for submission to the general manager. Identify reliable suppliers of housekeeping materials, and etc.

The duties of the housekeeper or domestic manager vary considerably, depending on the types and size of the establishment, the number of staff employed, company policy, the number and extend of contract services used the function of other department the job can demanding and time consuming and 60%-70% of the time may be spend demand to personnel in all aspects. Some of the main duties and responsibilities are indicating,

Ø  The recruitment and dismissal of staff

Ø  Staff training and appraisal

Ø  Welfare of staff and customers

Ø  The control and supervision of the linen room

Implementing the policy of the company, organizing the work schedule roasters

Ø  , setting standards and achieving goals

Ø  Security of the establishment, furniture and fittings

Ø  Maintenance of the buildings and contents, example equipment, furniture etc

Ø  The keeping of all relevant records on staff, finance, equipment, redecorating, room occupancy, special functions

Ø  The purchasing of supplies and equipment

Ø  In order to carry out the required duties effectively the housekeeper must some of the tasks to assistant.

5.2. Assistant Housekeeper: He or she is responsible for all the aspects similar to that of the housekeeper. .In case the organisation works round the clock, there may be more than one assistant housekeeper to work in different shifts. Housekeepers/assistant housekeepers are in turn assisted by the following members. May be one for each shifts of a large hotel He may be the housekeeper of a small hotel or the only deputy to the executive house keeper of a medium sized hotel. He manages the resources given by the executive housekeeper to achieve the common objectives of cleanliness, maintenance and attractiveness in a given shift. his accountability normally ends on the completion of his shift.

5.3. Public Area Supervisor: is a important person in organizational structure of the house keeping department. This personnel is responsible for the cleanliness, maintenance and present ability of all public areas which include restaurants, bars, banquet halls, garden, administrative officers, shopping arcade, health club, swimming pool, main entrances and car park areas.

Ø  Check all public areas against area check lists and see that they meet the standards of cleanliness stipulated.

Ø  Remove furniture, curtains, and other fixtures, which require repair, mending, spotting, washing, etc.

Ø  Prepare schedule for the chandelier cleaning crew, carpet, sampan crew

Ø  Inspect staff turnout

Ø  Train new recruits

Ø  Submit performance appraisals of staff working under his/her control

Ø  Clean safety and security systems in public areas

Ø  Initiate and follow up maintenance order for public areas/service areas under his/her control

Ø  Check and control equipment like hovers, floor washing machines, floor polishing machines, carpet shampoo and beating machines and ensure that they are used correctly and maintained properly.

5.4. Floor Supervisor: Duties and responsibilities of floor supervisor:

Ø  Assign the duties to the housemen and room attendants

Ø  Aspect each room completed by room attendants according to specified room check list and ensure that they meet the standards of the establishment in terms of cleaning, functional, and aesthetic value.

Ø  Check par stocks of linen and guest supplies on floor and ensure delivery of solid linen to laundry and fresh linen from linen room and guest supplies cleaning supplies

Ø  Check all safety systems on the allotted floors and on security aspects on guest floors

Ø  Follow up on the maintenance orders send to engineering

5.5. Desk Control Supervisor: This person communicates with the staff and coordinates with various departments of the organization. He becomes the centre point of all messages, complaints, etc., and also keep records of what work has been assigned to whom and maintains the general follow up of the same. He is the hub of information dissemination in housekeeping and is thus the critical person in housekeeping operations. The housekeeping desk must be manned 24 hours as guests and staff will contact this desk to transmit or receive information. It is the desk control supervisor who coordinates with the front office for information on departure rooms and handling over cleared rooms. The desk also receives complaints on maintenance from housekeeping supervisor spread all over the hotel.

5.6. Linen Room Supervisor: Non management person solely responsible for providing clean serviceable uniforms to the staff of the hotel he/she has to keep an inventory control on various stages of use, such as, when sorted once are handed over, or those which are being washed or dry cleaned in the laundry.

Ø  Schedule linen/uniform room staff

Ø  Check periodically the condition of uniform and hotel linen

Ø  Devise and maintain an effect control system to issues clean linen and uniforms

Ø  Coordinate mostly with the laundry department to ensure operation timely supply of fresh uniform and linen

Ø  Contact periodic inventories of linen and uniform

Ø  Ensure that on linen uniforms needing stitching mending is immediately attended to Yes you are correct he is before being send to the laundry department

Ø  Ensure that the linen room is kept need and clean

Ø  Ensure that all linen uniforms and materials are neatly and systematically stacked and arranged and properly labelled

Ø  Train the staff to perform the duties effectively and efficiently

5.7.Night Supervisor: He handle all aspects of housekeeping including desk control operations, issue of linen and uniform in an emergency, etc. his area of activities extends over guest rooms public areas also linen and uniform rooms. He is solely responsible and accountable at night for smooth housekeeping through his night brigade and has larger decision making authority then other supervisor has he is the housekeeper for the night. Supervises all night force engaged in cleaning public areas and guest rooms of hotel his duties and responsibilities are same has that of the floor supervisor and public area supervisor

5.8. Head Houseman: Supervisees the work allotted to houseman, especially those in public areas in medium sized hotels he could be the person in charged to of housekeeping on night shifts.

5.9.Linen Store Keeper: He/she is responsible for storage, issue, cleanliness and maintenance of linen, such as napkins, table cloths, bed sheets, bed covers, pillow covers, blankets, curtains and uniforms.

5.10. Valet: He is a person who goes from one guest room to another collecting or delivering guest laundry.

5.11. Skilled Workers: are the nervous system of the hotel. Skilled workers like plumbers, electricians, carpenters, painters are needed to do minor repairs, there may be a separate department for maintenance and engineering work and the housekeeping can coordinate with it to do these jobs .these services are to be rendered with the highest degree of efficiency .besides this efficiency, housekeeping should also contribute to the saving in costs of labour ,cleaning material and equipment, furnishings and the like in every type of establishment

5.12.Room Attendants: Known also as chambermaids or room boys .they do the actual cleaning of guest rooms and bathrooms allotted to them, they are not responsible for the cleanliness of corridors , guest elevators or floor pantries .

Ø  Clean guest bedroom and replenish supplies as per room checklist

Ø  Report missing or broken hotel property to floor supervisor

Ø  Maintain a polite , dignified and helpful and pleasing attitude towards the guests

Ø  Attend daily briefings and give attendance

Ø  Receive allocation of floor and rooms.

Ø  Replenish maid cart with guest supplies, detergents and linen.

Ø  Count soiled line handed over to floor linen room.

Ø  Hand over lost and found articles to supervisor

Ø  Check that all bulbs and switches are working. in case of defect or fuse, same to the floor supervisor.

Ø  Change the water glasses daily and fill the water flasks

Ø  Turn down beds in the evening and draw the curtains .remove and d refuse and rubbish at the assigned area.

Ø  Return keys to the housekeeping department before going off duty.

Ø  Ensure that houseman polish gust shoes and assist the bell boys in guest luggage when required.

Ø  Prepare room checklist.

5.13. Linen Room Attendants:

Ø   The uniform supervisor is assisted by attendants who actually do the issue of the exchange for soiled once for onward transmission to the laundry. These attendants in actual contact with the staff Issue uniforms to all hotel employees on a one to one basis Count soiled uniforms/linen received and deliver the same to the department

Ø  Maintain records of linen and uniforms movements

Ø  Store uniform and linen according to prescribed methods. Check for when receiving dirty uniforms

Ø  Check for fitness of uniforms as per norms laid down before issuing

5.14. Cloak Room Attendants : are persons responsible for the supply of clean dry tools and perfumeries, prescribed by the management for the guest rooms.

Ø  Maintain adequate stocks of soap, detergents and hand towels to meet peak level

Ø   Supply the guest with towels, soap, comb, brush and powder

Ø  Maintain all cupboards and fixtures installed in the cloak room

Ø  See that clack rooms are immaculately clean ,faucets should be spare basins dry and environment free of unpleasant

Ø  Report any plumbing deficiencies to public area supervisor

Ø  Sweep, wash and scrub the floor

Ø  Clear the soiled linen periodically from the baskets

5.15. Tailors/Upholsterers:

Ø  Mend all damaged uniforms/linen

Ø  Refurnish all damaged upholstery over by the supervisor

Ø  Estimate the requirements of material and request the linen room supervisor to requisition it from stores

Ø  Collect material from the stores and take to the work area assigned

Ø  Pre shrink all materials which have a tendency to shrink

Ø  Cut fabric as per requirement of each particular item

Ø  Check the quality of springs, in the cots and replace, if operation necessary under directions of the linen room supervisor

5.16. Head Gardeners: Supervises the brigade of gardeners in maintaining hotel garden and keeping them temporary each season

Ø  Ensure that the prescribed landscaping is carried out in the garden.

Ø  Be knowledgeable about seasonality of plants and their maintenance conditions.

Ø  Dig up landscaped areas for fresh planting.

Ø  Procure seeds from reliable sources at least cost.

Ø  Procure, control and supervise the usage of manure and fertilizers.

Ø  Ensure that gardeners follow the watering fertilizing and maintenance schedules , reporting an water shortage problems and suggesting alternatives.

Ø  Maintain nursery at optimum conditions and ensure steady supply of saplings for planting.

Ø  Provide the hotel with flowers , garlands ,wreaths ,bouquets as required .also grow , supply and maintain indoor plants for the hotel.

Ø  Ensure that lawns are well maintained, healthy and kept clean at all times

5.17. Gardener

    Ø  Take daily briefing from head gardener.

Ø  Maintain landscaped area properly and also prepare for fresh planting

Ø  Plant seeds and saplings as per conditions and concept prescribed

Ø  Apply manure and fertilizers economically ensuring proper coverage

Ø  Perform spraying of insecticides and fungicides to control or as prophylactic measure against pest and disease incidence as directed by the head gardener

Ø  Maintain indoor plants as per schedule when assigned

Ø  Utilize garden tools correctly

5.18. Horticulturist: Many hotels may contract horticultural work to an outside agency. However a large number of large hotels have professionally trained horticulturist who maintain the gardens of the hotels as well as supply flowers from the garden for interior decorations and floral arrangements. Flowers are used in banquet functions, guest rooms, restaurants, lobbies, offices, etc. the horticulturist would have to ensure smooth supply of flower as well as assist the housekeeper in floor arrangements.

5.19. Housemen: is a person usually handy men who do the heavy physical cleaning required in guest rooms and public areas. Their job would include vacuuming, shifting of furniture, leaning of windows panes, mopping, braising, sweeping, etc.

Ø   Shift beds, chairs, heavy furniture for cleaning carpets

Ø  Beat carpets and shift from one area to another

Ø  Clean swimming pool when assigned and also clean all surfaces including garden paths

Ø  Clean all windows, door and ventilators Clean and replenish linen in the floor and pool area

Ø Do all heavy cleaning like shaft cleaning, terrace cleaning etc..

5.20. Helpers: They are to be found both in uniforms and linen rooms and do the physical work of transporting, counting and building of uniforms and linen.

6. Conclusion:

“Success is not created by one person but by a team that comes together as one.” If various departments are seen as organs of the body then the housekeeping department can be seen as a mesh of the nerves that keeps coordination with various organs to achieve its objectives. No work in the industry is complete without coordination and documentation of the staff. The housekeeping department is not an exception either. It needs to coordinate within the department itself and with the other departments in the hotel business for while working on daily basis and completing documentation formalities while working. The aim of the accommodation establishment is to provide their customer with clean, attractive, comfortable and welcoming surrounding that offer value of the money .both management and guests consider the keeping the place clean and in good order a necessarily for a hotel to command a fair price and get repeat business.