A. Hierarchy in small, medium, large and chain hotels
Small Hotels:
Medium Hotels:
Large Hotels:
B. Identifying Housekeeping Responsibilities
Responsibilities of Housekeeping Department
Housekeeping is defined as
• Provision of clean, comfortable, safe & aesthetically appealing environment.
• Housekeeping is an operational department in a hotel, which is responsible for cleanliness, maintenance & aesthetic upkeep of rooms, public areas and the surroundings
• It helps in creating “A home away from home”
HK department not only prepares guestrooms on a timely basis, but it also cleans & maintains everything in the hotel so that the property is fresh & attractive in all respects. No level of service, friendliness, or glamour can equal the sensation a guest has upon entering a spotless, tidy, and conveniently arranged room.
The HK department has the following responsibilities:
• To achieve maximum efficiency in ensuring the care and comfort of guests & in the smooth functioning of the department.
• To establish a welcoming atmosphere.
• To ensure courteousness, reliable service from all staff to the guest.
• To ensure a high standard of cleanliness and general upkeep in all areas for which the department is responsible.
• To provide linen in rooms, restaurants, banquet halls, conference halls, health clubs, etc, as well as to maintain an inventory for the same.
• To provide uniforms for all the staff & maintain inventory for the same.
• To Cater to the laundering requirements of hotel linen, staff uniforms, and guests.
• To provide & maintain the floral decorations and to maintain the landscaped areas of the hotel.
• To select the right contractors & ensure the quality of work is maintained.
• To co-ordinate renovation and refurnishing of the property in consultation with the management & with interior designers.
• To co-ordinate with the purchasing department for the procurement of guest supplies, cleaning agents, equipment, fabrics, carpets, & other items used in the hotel.
• To deal with lost & found articles.
• Carpet shampooing.
• Dealing with any guest queries, complaints & requests as they occur.
• To keep the general manager or administrator informed of all matters requiring attention.
C. Personality Traits of Housekeeping Management Personnel
Personnel attributes of housekeeping staff in the hospitality industry play an important role. It enhances the images of the property as well as the quality of personalization that only humans can give. These attributes are based on the following term.
1. Pleasant Personality
A result of good grooming and presentation in front of the guest. The way the staff looks is the first impression on the guest and by this look, the guest judges the quality of service/ standards provided by the organization. All HK staff should be well-groomed.
• Clean Crisp Uniform
• If long hair -Tied neat hair
• Minimum jewellery
• Light makeup
• Aftershave/ Perfume – not too strong
• H/k Attendants may be given Hair caps.
• Clean Footwear- comfortable, low heels
• Mannerisms to avoid- scratching, digging into nose/ ear, chewing gum, etc in public
2. Physical Fitness
“A Strong Heart and Good Feet” to cope up with 24 X 7 operations and also a labour-intensive department
3. Personal hygiene
It is important since it reflects the hygiene standards of the organization.
• Bathe daily- no body odour
• Nails Clipped and clean
• Mouth- Odour free
• Scalp – clean, dandruff free
• Infection- report immediately; Cuts and wounds- covered
4. Eye for detail
The critical power of observation distinguishes good service from average. This is important to make a flawless room.
5. Cooperation
H/k involves a lot of teamwork.
6. Adaptability
Technology is fast upgrading hence all H/k staff should be open to accepting these changes and adapt accordingly
7. Honesty
It is essential since it is the H/k staff who have access to the guest rooms even when the guest is not present in the room
8. Tact & Diplomacy
To cope up with the different types of guests since H/k staff come in close contact with them. They should be able to handle problem guests also without being rude or hurting his/ her sentiments.
9. Right Attitude
Includes:
• Optimism
• Ready to learn from own mistakes
• Proactive and anticipate guest needs
• The display even temper, courtesy, and good humour.
10. Calm demeanor
Helps in the time of emergencies when a person does not panic and handles the problem effectively.
11. Courteous
To both guests and colleagues.
• Humble
• Polite
• No unnecessary argumentative nature.
12. Punctuality
Reporting for duty on time displays commitment to work.
13. Good Memory
Especially in the case of repeat guests. It feels nice if someone remembers the guest likes, dislikes or wish, etc.
D. Duties and Responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff
Executive Housekeeper / Director of Housekeeping
She / He is responsible and accountable for the total cleanliness and aesthetic upkeep of the hotel. The EHK supervises all housekeeping employees, has the authority to hire or discharge subordinates, plans and assigns work assignments, informs new employees of property regulations, inspects completed assignments, and requisitions supplies. Reports to: The General Manager, or Resident Manager, or Room’s Division manager.
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Organize, supervise, and coordinate the work of housekeeping personnel on a day-to-day basis.
• Ensure excellence in housekeeping sanitation, safety, comfort, and aesthetics for hotel guests.
• Draw up duty rosters
• Supervise the discipline and conduct of her staff.
• Assure proper communication within the department by conducting a regular meeting with all personnel.
• Hire new employees, warn employees when policies are violated, and discharge employees when necessary.
• Counsel employees on various duties and on work-related issues.
• Motivate her staff and keep their morale high.
• Establish and maintain standard operating procedures (SOP) for cleaning and to initiate new procedures to increase the efficiency of labor and product use.
• Search constantly for and test new techniques and products.
Maintain an inventory of the furniture, linen, and movable equipment in the rooms and related premises and to ensure they are regularly checked.
• Organize maintenance and repair of guestrooms.
• Deal with articles that a guest may have left behind in a room.
• Ensure the provision of proper uniforms for the hotel staff.
• Ensure observance of hygiene and safety precautions.
• Offer suggestions to the human resource department concerning selection recruitment, replacement, duty alterations, up-gradation, and so on.
• Evaluate employees in order to upgrade them when openings arise.
• Organize and supervise on-the-job and off-the-job training of staff.
• Liaise between the maintenance and housekeeping departments.
• Inspect and approve all supply requisitions for the housekeeping department, and to maintain par stock, inventory control, and cost-control procedures for all materials.
• Check the reports filed and the registers maintained.
• Maintain a time logbook for all employees within the department.
• Be responsible for the redecoration and refurbishing of rooms, lobbies, and so on.
• Provide a budget to the management, and undertake budget control and forecasting.
Deputy Housekeeper
Reports to: The Executive Housekeeper or Director of Housekeeping.
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Check and ensure that all guestrooms, public areas, and ‘back-of-the-house’ areas are clean and well-maintained.
• Inspect the work done by contractors-for example, pest control, laundry, window cleaning, and so on.
• Prepare staff schedules and duty rotas/ roasters.
• Ensure periodical stock-taking and maintaining stock records for linen, uniforms, and equipment.
• Provide the necessary information to and assist the executive housekeeper in staff appraisal, disciplining termination, and promotion.
• Develop and implement training programs within the housekeeping department in consultation with the executive housekeeper.
• Assist the executive housekeeper in forecasting and budgeting for operating and capital expenditures.
• Take charge of the housekeeping department in the absence of the executive housekeeper.
Assistant Housekeeper
Reports to: The Executive Housekeeper or Deputy Housekeeper (if this position exists in the organization).
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Be responsible for the sufficient and orderly management of cleaning, servicing, and repairing of guestrooms.
• Be responsible for the hotel linen and check its movements and its distribution to room attendants.
Keep an inventory of all housekeeping supplies and check it regularly.
• Assist the room attendants in their daily difficulties.
• Provide the front office with a list of rooms ready for allotment to guests.
• Organize the flower arrangements.
• Arrange the training of staff and substitute for the executive housekeeper in case of his/her absence.
• Update record books, registers, and files.
• Compile the maid’s roster.
• Check the VIP and OOO (out-of-order)
Note — There may be just one assistant housekeeper under the executive housekeeper in a medium-sized hotel or one for each shift in a large hotel. In large hotels, the responsibilities for the floors, public areas, linen room, and control room are divided among assistant housekeepers. Essentially, the assistant housekeeper manages the resources provided by the executive housekeeper to achieve the objectives of cleanliness, maintenance, and attractiveness during a given shift. His/her responsibility involves the daily supervision of specific areas within the hotel. In the absence of the deputy housekeeper, all the above-mentioned duties and responsibilities are taken over by the assistant housekeeper.
Floor Supervisors /Floor Housekeepers
Floor housekeepers have final responsibility for the condition of guestrooms. Each floor housekeeper is assigned three or more floors. She/he gives the room attendants their room assignments and the floor master keys, which are returned at the end of the day. The floor supervisor checks, supervises, and approves the attendants’ work and makes a periodical inspection of the physical condition of all rooms on the floor.
Reports to: The Assistant Housekeeper and Executive Housekeeper.
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Supervise the handing over of soiled linen to the laundry and the requisitioning of fresh ones from housekeeping.
• Ensure the supply of equipment and maintenance and cleaning supplies to floors and public areas.
• Issue floor keys to room attendants.
• Supervise spring cleaning.
• Report on maintenance work on her floor.
• Coordinate with room service for clearing.
• Maintain par stock for the respective floors/ floor pantry.
• Coordinate with the front office manager.
• Facilitate the provision of extra services to guests, such as babysitters, hot-water bottles, and so on, on request.
• Immediately report any safety or security hazard to the security department or to the management.
• Check on scanty baggage.
• Prepare housekeeping status reports.
• Supervise cleaning on the allotted floors and areas- including guestrooms, corridors, staircases, and floor pantries of the allotted floors.
• Report on standards of individual staff performance.
Public Area Supervisor
Reports to: The Assistant Housekeeper.
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Ensure that all public areas and other functional areas are kept clean at all times.
• Organize special cleaning of public areas.
• Ensure that all maintenance jobs are attended to in coordination with the maintenance department.
• Ensure that flower arrangements are placed in appropriate places in the public areas.
• Ensure that the banquet halls and conference halls are kept ready for functions and conferences.
Night Supervisor
Reports to: The Assistant Housekeeper.
Duties and Responsibilities:
• He supervises all night staff engaged in the cleaning of public areas and guestrooms in the hotel.
• Ensure that all public areas are thoroughly cleaned at night, which is the only time when traffic is low.
• Clear departure rooms to the front office if necessary.
• Plan the order of work according to priority and direct the staff accordingly.
• Make sure that departure rooms are serviced and made ready as soon as possible in order that reception may re-let at any time.
• Organize special cleaning of rooms as required.
• Anticipate guest’ requirements at all times, thereby ensuring comfort and satisfaction.
• See that all lost-found articles are deposited with the control desk.
• Ensure the submission of room attendants’ reports and the room status report.
• Help with the training of staff.
• Report any safety and security hazards.
Evening Shift Supervisor
Evening shift supervisors are required for the floors, public areas, and control room.
Report to: The Assistant Housekeeper.
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Check all log entries and ensure they are followed up.
• Ensure all keys are deposited back before taking over the shift.
• Ensure the cleaning of rooms that were not serviced in the morning- rooms with a ‘do not disturb’ (DND), double-locked (DL), or refused service status.
• Ensure all departure rooms are cleaned and released to the front office as soon as possible.
• Ensure that the turndown service is carried out for all rooms.
• Ensure public areas are kept clean at all times.
Storekeeper
A storekeeper reports to the linen room supervisor. In large hotels, a storekeeper may be appointed to a full-time position.
Duties and responsibilities:
• Control the stock of equipment.
• Store cleaning materials agents.
• Issue equipment and cleaning materials as per demand.
• Prepare requisitions for used-up materials and new products for the approval of the executive housekeeper
• Liaise with the purchasing department for the procurement of approved materials.
Control desk supervisor
The control room or desk is the nerve centre of the housekeeping department. The desk is manned 24 hours a day. Since the control desk is the hub of information dissemination in housekeeping, the control desk supervisor is a critical person in housekeeping operations.
Reports to: The Assistant Housekeeper.
Duties and responsibilities:
• Coordinate with the front office for information on departure rooms and handing over of clean rooms.
• Coordinate with other departments for smooth functioning and efficiency.
• Receive complaints on maintenance and housekeeping.
• Maintains registers kept at the control desk.
• Receive special requests from guests.
• Act as a pivotal person in receiving and disseminating information amongst housekeeping staff.
• Maintain the latest reports regarding room occupancy, VIPs, the status of rooms, and so on, so that work can be delegated to attendants and supervisors accordingly.
• Attend to all phone calls received at the control desk.
• Be responsible for guestroom keys given to room attendants and to store the keys and maintain a key register.
Guestroom Attendants/ Room Maids/ Chamber Maids
Generally, hotels employ one maid per 12-15 rooms. The room attendants’/maids’ work is of great importance because it contributes in a big way to the comfort of the guests and hence their impression of the hotel. Their day consists of servicing each room to the required standard of the hotel, and this includes making beds, coping with linen supplies, and general cleaning. Nowadays most hotels use the term “attendant’ rather than ‘maid’ since men have entered this arena earlier dominated by a woman.
Reports to: The Floor Supervisor. In small hotels, they may report to the assistant housekeeper directly.
Duties and responsibilities:
• Clean and tidy rooms as per the sanitary regulations assigned.
• Change guestroom and bathroom linen.
• Make guest room beds.
• Replenish guest supplies.
• Answer guests’ summons promptly.
• Be responsible for getting guest laundry processed.
• Undertake the evening and provide the turn-down service.
• Check and secure rooms.
• Hand over to the housekeeper any article found.
• Replenish the maids’ cart with guest supplies, cleaning agents, and linen.
Head House person
Reports to: The Public Area Supervisor. In some organizations, he/she may report directly to the executive housekeeper or assistant housekeeper and is in charge of the housemen/house-persons.
Duties and responsibilities:
• Supervise the work allotted to house-persons, especially those in the public areas.
• Supervise the work of people who clean the carpets, wall washers, and window washers.
• Supervise the work of drapery men, heavy vacuum machine operators for general cleaning, chandelier cleaners, and workers responsible for revamping.
• Supervise the work of furniture men, floor men, and warehousemen.
Houseporters/ Housepersons/ Houseman
The house person’s job involves heavy physical work as assigned, such as carpet cleaning, window cleaning, carrying heavy pieces of furniture, washing public areas, garbage clearance, and complementing the work of room attendants on guest floors.
Reports to: The Head House-person or The Public Area Supervisor.
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Clean carpets
• Shift beds, chairs, and other heavy furniture.
• Cart linen to and from floors.
• Clean the swimming pools. garden paths and such outdoor surfaces
• Clear out the garbage.
• Polish all brassware.
• Help room attendants in their work in guestrooms.
• Clean all doors, windows, and ventilators.
• Corridor cleaning
• Cleaning the floor pantry
• Takedown and re-hang curtains as needed.
• Clean fire-fighting equipment.
• Keep the fire buckets filled with sand.
• Take on heavy cleaning of areas such as shafts and terraces.
• Wash walls draperies, chandeliers, and other hard-to-reach areas.
Tailors, Seamstresses, and Upholsterers
They are responsible for mending and stitching uniforms, linen, and upholstery, respectively. The upholsterers also replenish upholstery that requires replacement.
Report to: The Linen Room Supervisor.
Duties and responsibilities:
• Mend all damaged linen using methods such as patching.
• Make new uniforms for staff
• Mend all damaged uniforms and alter uniforms if required.
• Make pads from used mattress pads for the burnishing of silver.
• Stitch pillowcases if required.
• Refurnish all damaged upholstery.
• Estimate the requirement of materials and request the linen room supervisor to place a requisition at the stores.
• Draw material from the stores and take these to the tailoring room.
Note – A seamstress works under a tailor and does minor stitching, repairs, etc.
Cloakroom Attendant/ Powder Room Attendant
In a hotel that hosts many non-resident guests, it is usual to have someone on duty in a ladies’ powder room during lunch and dinner time to attend to the requirements of guests, guard their belongings, and keep them for the powder room neat and tidy.
Reports to: The Public Area Supervisor.
Duties and responsibilities:
• Maintain the area clean at all times
• Maintain an adequate stock of soaps, detergents, combs, brushes, powder, and hand towels to meet demands at peak hours.
• Take soiled linen to meet demands at peak hours.
• Maintain the shoeshine kit and clean guests’ shoes if required.
• Maintain the shoe shine machine kept in the public area cloakroom
• Maintain all cupboards and fixtures installed in the cloakroom.
• Brush guests’ jackets if required.
Hat checker
A hat checker provides his services in superior hotels in cold climates. His domain is the hat check room, where hats and heavy overcoats are deposited by guest as soon as they enter the hotel lobby, so as to spare them the inconvenience of carrying these articles around in the hotel. The hat checker carefully labels the guest articles and hangs or stores them correctly so as to return them to the guest when they are leaving the hotel.
Horticulturist
She/he leads a team of gardeners in maintaining the landscape, gardens of the hotel as well as in supplying flowers from the gardens for flower arrangements in the hotel. Flowers are used largely by the house-keeping department to aesthetically enhance various areas of the hotel. Flower arrangements may be used in banquet functions, guest rooms, restaurants, lobby areas, offices, and so on.
Reports to: The Asst. House-Keeper.
Duties & responsibilities:
• Supervise the maintenance of gardens & landscape areas.
• Ensure a smooth supply of flowers/ foliage to the housekeeping department.
• Assist the executive house-keepers with flower arrangements in the absence of a florist.
Head Gardener
He is required to maintain landscape areas& gardens in a hotel, keeping in mind their cleanliness, aesthetic appeal & freshness all year-round through a well-motivated team of gardeners.
Reports to: The Horticulturist/ Horticulture Manager
Duties & responsibilities:
• Ensure that landscaped area, gardens, rock gardens, water base, etc. are maintained as per the original concept
• Brief schedule & allot duties to gardeners.
• Take care of fresh seasonal plantings. Procure quality seeds from reliable sources at a reasonable cost.
• Procure, control & supervise the usage manure & fertilizers.
• Maintain the watering schedules & attend to any problems regarding water shortages.
• Provide the hotel with flowers, garlands, and wreaths, bouquets, as & when required.
• Maintain indoor plants for the hotel.
• Supervise the maintenance of lawns, mowing, & replanting the grass.
• Train gardeners
• Ensure that gardeners handle equipment & tools effectively & correctly.
• Oversee the upkeep of the plants & greenhouse.
Gardeners
They keep landscaped areas lawns, & gardens clean, beautiful, & fresh through the daily schedule of the task assigned to them.
Report to: The Head Gardener or Horticulturist.
Duties & responsibilities:
• Take care of landscaped areas & maintain them as per the original concept & undertake fresh plantings.
• Plant seeds & saplings as per conditions & the landscaping concept.
• Distribute manure & fertilizer appropriately.
• Water all garden areas as scheduled.
• Maintain the plant nursery & the greenhouse,
• Prune & trim hedges & bushes.
• Prepare seasonal and evergreen potted indoor plants as required by the hotels.
• Utilize garden tools efficiently.
Florist
Reports to: The Horticulturist or to the Assistant Housekeeper.
Duties and responsibilities:
• Collect fresh flowers from the gardeners every day.
• In case flowers are not available from the hotel gardens, to purchase flowers from dealers.
• Make up various types of flower arrangements for different hotel areas-lobbies, front office, restaurants, banquet halls, convention rooms, VIP rooms, and guestrooms.
• Provide garlands, wreaths, and bouquets to the hotel for guests, as and when required.
• Treat cut flowers so that they last longer.
• Maintain flower arrangements by changing water, pruning, and so on.
• Be responsible for the functioning of the flower room in the housekeeping department, which deals with the care of flower-arranging equipment, mechanics, accessories.
• Train the assistant florist.
Laundry Manager
Reports to: Executive House Keeper.
He/she is responsible for the entire functioning of the laundry and dry-cleaning unit. A laundry manager must have the organizational ability as well as technical knowledge of chemicals and their effect on fabrics.
Laundry supervisor
He/she is in charge of the functioning of the laundry in the absence of the laundry manager. A laundry supervisor must have a good understanding of all aspects of the laundry equipment, chemicals, and fabrics.
Dry-Cleaner
The dry cleaner is in charge of the dry cleaning of hotel linen and guest clothing.
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