Acknowledgement Any attempt at any level cannot be
satisfactorily completed without the support and guidance of
learned people. I would like to express my immense gratitude to
Mrs.Jhimli Jose for her constant support and motivation that has
encouraged me to come up with the assignment. I am also thankful to
all other members of Frankfinn and my classmates who have rendered
their whole hearted support to all times for the successful
completion of this assignment.
Introduction to Housekeeping Every house, whether private, like
yours, or commercial like offices, shops, hotels, hospitals, clubs,
etc., needs to be kept clean and tidy, so that it looks inviting to
all. This is where housekeeping comes in. Cleaning and maintenance
services can be spotted very easily anywhere. The basic concept of
housekeeping has started from keeping a domestic houseclean and has
gradually come to maintaining high standards of cleanliness and
maintenance at commercial levels. Besides this , housekeeping
should also contribute to the saving in costs of labour, cleaning
material and equipment, furnishings and the like in every type of
establishment.
Role Of Housekeeping The Housekeeper is the only departmental
head who has access to every department. The only departmental head
who maintains regular relation with other departmental head and
obtains an overview of the entire operation. The housekeeping
staffs are the eyes and ears of the management. To get a repeated
customers, the hotel must provide excellent service, rooms
furnishing must be spotlessly clean, the air odour free etc. The
Executive housekeeper and the supervisory team always looks forward
to find out eligible employees and train them properly to get
maximum output.
To stay top in hotel competition field the hotel executive must
be always in touch with the new products in market, new cost saving
devices and accessories. In order to meet the expected arrivals of
the day, the housekeeping dept should inform the front office with
proper information about the ready room. No hotel would like to
provide a room to their guest in an unclean condition. Cleanliness
is important for health and also for well being. One can clean by a
dirty method but one has to be taught the clean and the right
method.
An international guest is more serious about cleans and
discipline. So he wants utmost cleanliness everywhere. Proper room
service and supplies like laundry and dry cleaning services, the
guest will feel like that the hotel is valuing him and it will
create a comfortable impression.
In most hotels the major part of revenue comes from the rooms.
A room empty for one night is a loss for the hotel. Cleanliness may
be a reason for low occupancy. This simply shows the importance of
cleanliness. From the cleanliness of the lobby, restaurant, public
area, public area toilets and also from the state cleanliness of
the staff uniform a guest can judge a lot about the hotel the
result of which may be positive or negative.
Role of Housekeeping The Housekeeping is responsible for
overall cleanliness of the establishment and helps the other
departments to get more business and earn profit.
Importance of Housekeeping Housekeeping is a department that
deals essentially with cleanliness and all the related works that
attached to it. The hygiene of housekeeping is essential. One can
clean by dirty methods, but in our courses we have to stress and
demonstrate clean and correct method. The hygiene factor must
always be present. Housekeeping in a hotel provides the
accommodation for the guests. A guest spends more time alone in the
room than he spends alone in any other part of the hotel, therefore
he can check on the standards of cleanliness of a room and he
doesnt find it clean then he would loose his confidence in the
hotel and change over to another one.
Cleanliness is very important for health. No one cannot feel
comfortable in a room if it is unclean and not well ordered. If
guest requests, the housekeeping provides second service to the
them. Other services provided are laundry, dry cleaning, pressing,
shoe polishing, valet service etc.
The facilities provided for guest should be superior quality
and hygienically cleaned as the guest is going to touch his body.
Dirty linen is unforgiving in any hotel. Before the next guest
comes into the room, the pillows and mattress as well must be
checked by housekeeping staffs
The maximum revenue comes from the sale of rooms, therefore
stress must be paid to proper cleanliness of guest rooms and all
public areas which are in continuous contract with the guests.
Cleanliness involves health which is happiness in our life,
therefore its not something to be ignores at our homes as well as
at our work place.
What does a room mean to a guest? Comfort Security. Privacy.
Convenience. Cleanliness and hygiene.
Facilities
Single Room: It is a standard room. It is for single occupancy
having one single bed having two side tables. Dressing-cum-writing
table is available along with this room.
Double Room: A room with one double bed meant for two people
but can be sold on single occupancy. It is a standard room having a
dressing-cum-writing table.
Twin Room: A room with two single beds for two people having
only one bed side table between the two beds. It has a
dressing-cum-writing table.
Hollywood Twin: A room with two single beds and one single
headboard meant for two people. If need arises the two beds can be
put into together to make it appear as a double room.
Studio Room: A new type of set up with a studio bed which can
use as a sofa during the day and it can be converted into a bed
during the night.
Parlor: A parlor is a sitting or a living room and it is not
used as a bedroom. The guest are allowed to sit and be entertained
in the parlor.
Interconnected Room: Its a two rooms and it has an
interconnecting door between these two rooms. It is allowing entry
from one room to another. The guest neednt go into the corridor.
The interconnecting doors can be opened when required or locked as
per the guest request.
Suite: This is a set of rooms connecting one or more bedrooms.
It has more facilities than a standard room and expensive too. The
rates of this room is much higher because;1. The size of the rooms
are larger, more comforts and privacy.2. It has more facilities
like an extra television, a mini fridge, mini bar etc.3. Particular
dcor and colour scheme to suit the theme of the suit.4. Large and
elaborate furniture.5. It has sitting arrangements separate from
the bidding arrangement.
Penthouse Suite: A suite which has a set of rooms situated on
the top most floor of the building has at least one room open to
the sky.
Duplex Room: A set of rooms not on the same level but it is
connected by an internal staircase. Generally, the parlor is at the
lower level and the bedrooms are the upper level.
Executive Room: This is a large bedroom with a sitting area
provided with chairs and sofa. There will be dressing table and
writing table as well. Newspapers and other business related
magazines are also provided.
Efficiency Room: A room that provides kitchen facilities ,
these type of rooms found in motels and residential hotels.
Cabana: It used as a dress changing purpose. Now it is a room
away from the main building having all basic facilities, mainly
situated next to swimming pool. The dcor would not be too luxurious
and attractive therefore the rate is less.
SICO Room: It is a type of room which has a Murphy bed.
General manager Front office manager House keeping manager
Front office assistant Deputy house keeper Floor supervisor Public
area supervisor horticulturist Desk supervisor Linen and uniform
shousemen Room attendants Public area attendant Cloak room
attendant Runner attendants Head Gardner
Duties andResponsibilities of allHousekeeping Staffs
Executive Housekeeper/ Director of Accommodation Services/
Accommodation Manager: He is in charge of the housekeeping dept. He
comes directly under the resident manager in a large hotel. His
duties are similar to that of the deputy housekeeper. Duties and
Responsibilities:1. Planning, organizing and co-ordinating the work
of the staff.2. Recruiting new staff and inducting them into proper
training programmes.3. Dismissal of staff when they are found
unsatisfactory.4. Hes a link between the management staff. Hes the
person who solve staff complaints and pass on management
orders.
Pay courtesy calls to long staying guests. He prepares the
annual housekeeping budget. He decides on the type of furniture,
dcor, linen, staff requirements in conjunction with the General
Manger. He formulates rules and regulations for his staffs and sees
that they are followed. He maintains records of contract staff, and
those who work on daily wages.
Deputy Housekeeper: He comes next in seniority to the executive
housekeeper. His duties are,1. He takes over on the executive
housekeepers day and time off.2. He sees to the allocation of work
to the staff.3. He prepares the duty schedule for the housekeeping
staff and re-schedules them in case of absenteeism.4. He is
maintains the stock registers.5. He is in charge of the lost and
found dept.6. He checks the proper grooming of staff and settle
their complaints .
Floor Supervisor: She reports to the assistant/ deputy
housekeeper.Her duties are, 1. She inspects each room completed by
the room attendant, and ensures that they keep the standards of the
hotel.2. She checks the par stocks linen, guest supplies and
cleaning supplies, cleaning equipments, etc.3. She checks the day
to day grooming and discipline of the staff under her.4. She assist
the guest in case of information or any medical support.
Public Area Supervisor: The duties are ,1. To check the public
area and see that the standards of cleanliness is maintained.2. She
removes furniture, curtains, fixtures etc. if it needed a repair.3.
She checks the controls the mechanical equipments.4. She checks the
contract workers working in the public area.
Uniform And Linen Supervisor: The duties are,1. He maintains
the records of linen and uniforms issued and received.2. He keeps
an update of the inventory stock on monthly basis.3. He deals the
requests and complains from the staff or guest, and it passes it on
the laundry dept.4. He checks the standards of cleanliness and
hygiene maintained for all housekeeping linen and staff uniforms.5.
He maintains proper storage place for linen and uniforms.6. He
assigns daily work to the tailors.
Desk Control Supervisor: The desk is the nerve center for
communication with all other depts. in the hotel and it is very
important. It is operated 24/7 and provide complete satisfaction to
the guest. The duties are,1. Receiving and sending from all
departments of the hotel including guest call.2. He maintain all
registers like guest call register, attendance register, lost and
found register, job order register, log book etc.3. Filing is the
main part of the supervisors job.4. Handles all guest complaints
and requests promptly.
Cloak Room Attendant: They are responsible for the cleanliness
and proper maintenance of the public area toilets of the hotel. He
ensures that there is always a fresh supply of rolls, soaps, dry
clean towels etc. He must use the air freshener regularly in the
toilets.
Room Attendant: The are also known as room boy and they do the
cleaning of the entire guest room and toilet/ bath area. They are
supposed to carry the chamber maids trolley with them during the
cleaning process.
Horticulturist: A large no. of hotels have a horticulturist
section. They maintain a well grown garden and fresh supply of
flowers to the hotel on a daily requirement basis. They are used in
all kind of rooms, and they also assist the housekeeping in flower
arrangement.
Housemen: They usually handles the heavy physical work. The job
including heavy duty vacuuming, shifting of furniture, cleaning of
window panes, brassoing, scrubbing of corridors etc. Spotters /
Pressers: These people who do the work of stain removal from
cloths. The pressers do the job of ironing. Valet / Runner: He is
the person who goes from one guest room to another collecting or
delivering guest laundry.
Hat Checkers: This is a service provided by hotels which faces
very cold climate. A hat checker room is one in which the guests
hats and overcoats are deposited as soon as they enter into the
lobby. The Hat Checker gives the security for these and correctly
return it to guest at the time of departure.Helpers: They are found
in a linen and uniform room and they helps in heavy duty works like
transporting soiled linen to laundry, counting of fresh linen and
stacking them on the right rack etc.
Conclusion I have started to learn Housekeeping ultimately what
I needed by means of knowledge towards myself and others is taught
and entertained. I would like to Thank Mrs.Jhimli Maam for her
guidance. I loved the way she taught us how to become a successful
professional in Housekeeping Industry. And also Thanks to FRANKFINN
INSTITUTE