HPC3

Fundamentals in
Lodging Operations
BSHM
2nd Year

Learning Module Property of SMCC

 Chapter 2
I. Housekeeping Department
(Coverage of Week 3 and Week 4)

Opening Prayer:

Lord of Light and Wisdom, thank you for giving me a mind that can
know and a heart that can love. Help me to keep learning every day,
no matter what the subject is, for all knowledge leads to you.
Encourage me when the studies are hard and when I am tempted to
give up. Enlighten me when my brain is slow, and let me grasp the
truth held out to me. AMEN.

II. Overview:
Housekeeping is an operational department in a hotel, which is responsible for
cleanliness, maintenance, aesthetic upkeep of rooms, public area, back area and
surroundings. The effort that a housekeeping department makes in giving a guest a
desirable room has a direct bearing on the guest's experience in a hotel.

III. Sub – Topics:

a. What is Housekeeping?
b. Challenges of housekeeping
c. Basic Duties of Housekeeping
d. Quality Service
e. Importance of Housekeeping
f. Quality Control of Housekeeping
g. Organization, Staffing, & Structures
h. Key Terms

Learning Module Property of SMCC

 IV. Learning Outcomes:

1. Define housekeeping, quality service, attitude and housekeeper.

2. Identify the importance of housekeeping.

3. Describe the challenges of quality service and attitude .

V. Introduction of the Sub Topics:

Housekeeping is a vital and essential part of the visitor experience and

satisfaction. It is one of the department in a hotel that have many responsibilities and

faces a lot of challenges so it is important to know the basic duties of housekeeping. To

provide a good and memorable experience of the guests Quality Service is needed to

apply. Therefore, it is a must to know the importance of housekeeping as well as the

organization, staffing and structure.

Learning Module Property of SMCC

 VI. Discussion

What is housekeeping?

Housekeeping is a vital and essential part of the visitor experience and satisfaction.
Other things, which include but are not limited to, security, food and service, customer service
are important but what guest really want is to feel at home and to feel comfortable. Though the
staff providing this service do not necessarily interact directly with the public, the quality of their
work is critical in shaping the guests’ pleasant memories of their stay.

The impact of housekeeping function on the success of a hotel’s operations cannot be

underestimated since large revenue for the hotel industry is generated mainly from the sales
rooms.

Housekeeping is one of the important departments of the hotel. The department is

responsible for the care and upkeep of all guestrooms and public areas in a hotel such as the
lobby, elevator, dining areas and hallways. Staffs in this department must have sharp eyes to
detect things that are not quite right.

Efficiently manage housekeeping departments ensure the cleanliness, maintenance and

aesthetic appeal of lodging properties. They are also responsible for the preparation of guest
rooms on timely basis, making sure that rooms are clean and maintained in a comfortable
fashion. According to “Margaret Kappa, Aleta Nitschke and Patricia Schappert, “Housekeeping
is the customer’s first impression and last impression.”

CHALLENGES OF HOUSEKEEPING
The housekeeping department is one of the departments in a hotel that have many
responsibilities and thereof, are usually strike with many challenges since it is responsible for
the largest volume of are within the hotel.

In most cases, it has the largest department staff count in the hotel. The most
challenging so far for this department is it is hard to attract skilled employees, hard to retain
employees and hard to motivate employees.

Learning Module Property of SMCC

 Good Housekeeping Bad Housekeeping
Guest feels comfortable Guest feels uncomfortable
Guest are satisfied Guest is unsatisfied
Praise and gratuities Complaints and discounts
Guest return Guest switched to other hotels
Good word of mouth Negative word of mouth
Employees ae satisfied Employees are unhappy
Employees are retained Employees leave

BASIC DUTIES IN HOUSEKEEPING

Three major Functions of Housekeeping:
a. Cleaning - free of dirt, marks, or mess especially by washing, wiping, or brushing, etc.
b. Maintenance - actions performed to keep some machine or system functioning or in service.
c. Aesthetic Upkeep – refers to the effort taken to beautify the property.
Guest Rooms
Cleaning guest rooms involves the following: Bed linen is change daily, the furniture is
dusted, ashtrays emptied, and the carpet vacuumed. The bathroom sink, toilet, tub, and the
floor are scrubbed. Clean towels are put in place. Daily supplies of the guests must be always
be replaced such as matches, soap, tissues and shampoos. The rooms must always be kept in
good repair.

Public Rooms

Cleaning public rooms is almost a 24 – hour job in a hotel. Of course, the lobby must be
kept spotless for that all – important first impression on the guests. Public restrooms need to be
spot – cleaned throughout the day and into the night until all restaurants have closed and
meetings have adjourned.

Outside Grounds
The outside grounds of a hotel might be the responsibility of housekeeping, another
separate department within the hotel, or an outside contractor. Keeping the shrubby, grass, and
flowerbeds in trim condition is a big job. At resorts with pools and tennis courts, recreation
departments will usually handle this cleaning and maintenance.

QUALITY SERVICE
Quality is the consistent delivery of products and services according to expected
standards and service is the process of helping of helping guests by addressing their wants and

Learning Module Property of SMCC

 needs with respect and dignity in timely manner. Therefore, we can define quality services as
“dealing with clients and customers in a respectful and helpful way.”
Quality service means creating a memorable experience for guest, understanding and
anticipating each guests’ wants and needs, meeting and exceeding every guest’s expectations
and helping associates fulfill our guest’s wishes. Although we can define quality service as easy
as that, quality service in reality is actually quite challenging.

Every interaction with people, addressing their needs.

QUALITY
Wants and expectation require special skills of tact
SERVICE

Combined with knowledge and flexibility, diplomacy and

positive attitude.

Why is Quality Service challenging?

Simply because:
a. every situation we face is different.
b. Every guest is different.
c. Employees have no control over what attitudes, needs, expectation and experience
any one guest may bring to the situation.

“Delivering quality service is not part of our job. If it weren’t for

guests, we would not have a job in the hospitality industry.”

What is then the solution to overcome these challenges?

The best way to overcome the challenges of quality service is in the hands of the

employees. The staff must be able to develop proper discipline and attitude especially in

interpersonal communication. Attitude is defined as the way one person communicate a mood

to others. Because employees do not have control over the needs, expectation and at the same

the attitude of the customer, they must be able to interact with ease with any kind of people-

good or bad, in a way that is still respectable and is not harmful to the image of the business

involved.

Learning Module Property of SMCC

 Some practices that could help employees in this occupation is to make eye contact to

guests while taking to them, always greet them with warm and sincere smile and approach each

and every guest with a warm welcome. Seek out guest contact, exceed guest expectation,

display appropriate body language at all time, provide immediate service recovery, anticipate

guest needs whenever possible, make them feel comfortable with you, show them that you care

about them and thanks each and every guest. Always bid them with a pleasant farewell.

IMPORTANCE OF HOUSEKEEPING

ATTITUDE IS THE KEY TO SUCCES

a. Our attitude towards guest and colleagues influence our behavior.
b. We cannot show how you feel.
c. Our attitude reflects the level of our job satisfaction.
d. It affects everyone who meets us, either in person or on the telephone.
Our attitude is not fixed. The attitude we choose to display is up to us.
It is not only reflected by our tone of voice, but also by the way, we stand or sit, facial expression and
other non – verbal ways.

Housekeeping is very important in the hospitality industry because it establishes the

hotel reputation for cleanliness and quality. It is vital to have a strong housekeeping department

in the hotel industry for the guests’ health, safety and comfort. The standard plays an important

role in the reputation of the hotels. Reducing waste and reducing the environmental impact of

the hotel industry can be done through housekeeping. The guest satisfaction is its primary

object and the hygiene factor must always be present in the hotel. Thus, these are the reasons

why guest will return to a hotel: Cleanliness and appearance, good service, facilities,

convenience or its locations, price / reasonable rates, quiet and private.

Learning Module Property of SMCC

 QUALITY CONTROL IN HOUSEKEEPING
Key Ways to Provide Good Housekeeping

Good leadership Good Checking Good quality Cleaning schedule

and ongoing system cleaning products
supervision

Good communication Keep up to date with Ongoing customer Productivity

with other industry trends research. Speak to standards
departments customers for
suggestions

Cleaning standards- The right tools to do Regular audit Regular employee

how to clean the job training

Skilled motivated Rules and

employee regulations for
employees a guest

ORGANIZATION, STAFFING & STRUCTURES

General Manager

Deputy General Manager

Executive Food and Sales and Marketing Finance Maintenance Front Office
Housekeeper Beverage Manager Manager Manager Manager Manager

Figure 2.1 Sample of Organizational chart in a hotel organization

Learning Module Property of SMCC

 The Executive Housekeeper is one of the main managers within any large hotel. The executive
housekeeper or housekeeping manage is normally a high-level position within the hotel holding
much responsibility as outlined in the job description below. The sample chart shows a more
elaborate organizational chart of the scope of the executive housekeeper in a hotel
organization.

Job title: Head housekeeper

Responsibility: Assistant General Manager
Main Duties:
a. To comply with statutory and company regulations relating to the health and safety,
hygiene, conduct of employees, fire emergency procedures, security of premises of
property.
b. To be responsible for the cleanliness of all public areas, bedrooms and offices.
c. To have responsibility for the supervision, training and development of the
housekeeping team.
d. To ensure the smooth operations of linen room within the hotel.
e. Manage of the compilation of weekly wage sheets to hand them over to the personnel
department.
f. To liaise closely with the Personnel department with regard to recruitment and
disciplinary matters.
g. To ensure the correct training and retaining of all staff to sustain company standards of
cleanliness.
h. To liaise on a regular basis with the maintenance department with regard with room
maintenance.
i. To maintain correct staffing levels in accordance with company business.
j. To be responsible for the purchase of all cleaning materials and maintaining adequate
stocks while controlling expenditure in with company budget.
k. To be aware of and be responsible for all contract cleaning including carpets, window.
l. To maintain a high level of quality control in all areas through rooms checks and correct
delegation to supervisor and room attendants.
m. To maintain all housekeeping storerooms in an orderly and tidy manner.
n. To comply with COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations)
regulations and to ensure that staff adhere to the regulations.
o. To comply with company image standards.

Executive Housekeeper
Figure 2.2 Scope of the Exe-
cutive Housekeeper in Hotel
Organization Asst. Housekeeper

Learning Module Property of SMCC

 Floor Public Area Control Desk Linen/ Uniform Laundry
Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor

Room Public Area Housemen & Linen Room Tailor/

Attendants Attendant Mini Bar Attd. Attendant Upholster

Valet/ laundry
Attendant

Head Housekeeper’s Managerial Functions:

 Planning- perform certain activities that predetermined a course of action.

 Organizing-refers to the executive housekeeper’s responsibility to structure the
department’s staff and to divide the work so that everyone gets a fair assignment and all
the work can be finished on time.
 Coordinating- is the management function of implanting the results of planning and
organizing at the level of daily housekeeping activities. Each day the executive
housekeeper must coordinate schedules, work assignments, and ensure that the
equipment, cleaning supplies, linens, etc. are on hand for employees to carry out their
assignments.
 Staffing- involves recruiting applicants, selecting those best qualified to fill open
positions, and scheduling employees to work.
 Directing- involves supervising, motivating, training and disciplining individuals who
work in the department.
 Controlling- refers to the executive housekeeper’s responsibilities to design and
implement procedures, which protect the hotel’s assets. Assets are anything the hotel
owns which has value.g. keys, linens, equipment, etc.
 Evaluating- is assessing the extent to which planned goals are attained. One of the
most important evaluation tools is the monthly budget reports.

Personal attributes of a good housekeeping staff include Pleasant personality, physical

fitness, personal hygiene, eye for details, cooperation, adaptability, honesty, tact and diplomacy,
right attitude, calm demeanor, courtesy, punctuality, memory, loyalty.

Learning Module Property of SMCC

 Staffing within the organization would vary depending on size of operations and area to
be cleaned, quantity of rooms, standard of hotel, amount of facilities in the hotel, amount of
facilities in the hotel, availability of skilled labor, housekeeping labor budget.

Different Job Titles in Housekeeping

Job Job Summary Reports to
Executive Housekeeper Responsible and accountable for the total cleanliness, General Manager
maintenance and aesthetic up keep of the hotel. Resident Manager
Supervise all housekeeping employees, has authority Rooms Division Manager
s to hire or discharge subordinates, plans and assign
work, inform new employees of property regulations,
inspect completed assignments and requisition
supplies.
Assistant Housekeeper Responsible for the floors, public areas, linen room Executive Housekeeper
and control room. Involves the daily supervision of
specific areas within the hotel.
Floor Housekeeper Responsible for the condition of guestroom. Ensure Executive housekeeper
accordingly that guestroom on allotted floors are Assistant housekeeper
cleaned and maintained to standards.
Public Area supervisors Public areas are the “front of the house” such as the Assistant Housekeeper
entrance, lobby and guest corridor and so on. Ensure
that all public areas are cleaned and maintained
according to hotel standards.
Night supervisor To supervise all night schedules in guestrooms and Assistant housekeeper
public areas to meet hotel standards within
productivity limits.
Evening shift supervisor Ensure the cleaning of rooms that were not serviced Assistant housekeeper
in the morning.
Evening maid Completes “turn down” service and deals with guest’s Evening shift supervisor
requests. Night supervisor
Linen supervisor/Linen Maintain inventory of linen, uniform and their storage Assistant housekeeper
keeper conditions.
Uniform room attendant Issues linen and uniforms to staff according to Assistant housekeeper
prescribed systems.
Linen room attendant Responsible for sorting all linens, examining and Linen room supervisor
counting. Placed soiled linen containers and send
them to laundry. Issue clean on clean – for – soiled
basis.
Uniform attendant Issue clean uniforms while receiving soiled ones and Uniform room supervisor
send for laundering. Examined the laundered items to
ensure cleanliness and serviceability.
Storekeeper Control the stock equipment and store cleaning Linen room supervisor
materials and agents.
Control desk supervisor The desk is manned 24 hours a day and the hub of Assistant housekeeper
information dissemination in housekeeping.
Coordinate with the front office for information and
departure and handling over of clean rooms.
Receives on complaints on maintenance and
housekeeping.
Room attendants Cleans guestrooms as per the hotel standards and Floor supervisor

Learning Module Property of SMCC

 ensures that is safe and functional.
Head house person Supervise the work allotted to house persons, Public area supervisor
especially those in public areas.
House person Make the public are clean and well presented, report Head house person
any faults and defect. Public area supervisor
Horticulturist Responsible for aesthetic upkeep of the hotel’s Assistant housekeeper
landscape and indoor pants through a trained and
motivated team of gardeners.
Head gardener Translates the horticulturist’s directives to operational Horticulturist
levels.
Gardener Keeps all landscape, gardens, nurseries and green Head gardener horticulturist
houses to set standards.
Laundry manager Responsible for the entire functioning of the laundry Assistant housekeeper
and the dry-cleaning unit.
Laundry supervisor Is in charge of the functioning of the laundry in the Laundry manager
absence of the laundry manager.
Dry cleaner In charge of the dry cleaning of hotel linen and guest
clothing.
Pressman Responsible for the ironing linen, uniform and guest
clothing.
Valets/Runner Responsible to take care of the guest’s laundry Linen room supervisor
Butler Communicates any issues regarding rooms and suits
with housekeeping office. Send and receive guest
laundry
KEY TERMS
1. Turndown service-this is a service normally carried out around 6 pm when a room attendant
or evening house cleaner enters an occupied room.
2. Out of order (OOO)- the room cannot be assigned to guest for a variety of reasons, including
the needs of maintenance, refurbishing and extensive cleaning.
3. Double Locked (DL)- the guest has been locked so that guest cannot re-enter until a hotel
official clear him/her.
4. Checked out (CO)- the guest has settled his or her account, returned the room keys and left
the hotel.
5.Occupied (OCC)- a guest is currently registered to the room.
6. Complimentary (COMP)- the room is occupied but the guest is assessed no change for its
use
7. Stay over (SO)- the guest is not checking - out to day and will remain at least one more nigh.
8. Vacant dirty (VC)- the guest has departed but the room has not yet been cleaned and readied
for resale.
9. Did not check out (DNCO)- the guest arranged to settle his or her account but has left without
informing the front office.
10. Do not disturb (DND)- the guest has requested not to be disturbed.

Learning Module Property of SMCC

 11. Vacant clean inspected (VCI)- the room has been cleaned and inspected and is ready for
arriving guest.
12. Blocked (BLO)- reserved for a guest who is expected to arrive within the day.
13. No show (NS)- room is reserved but not used for reservation has been cancelled.
14. Make up room (MUR)- an occupied guestroom, which needs to be cleaned, including beds
to be made.

Activity/Assessment:

Name: Score:

Enumeration:

1-3. Give at least three examples of good housekeeping.

4-6. Give at least three examples of bad housekeeping.

Learning Module Property of SMCC

 7-10. Give at least four ways on how to provide good housekeeping.

Learning Module Property of SMCC

 VII. Suggestive Readings:
Housekeeping Department
Managing Housekeeping
By: Bryan G. Baliste

VIII. Reference:
Fundamentals in Lodging Operations by Bryan G. Baliste

Learning Module Property of SMCC

Learning Module Property of SMCC