Is the Productivity for Your Housekeeping Optimised? Use this Checklist.
Did you know that the majority of travellers consider cleanliness a top priority when choosing a hotel and that 48% of them would change their hotel if cleanliness expectations were not met? Cleanliness isn’t just about aesthetics; it directly impacts guest satisfaction and online reviews, which are crucial for a hotel’s success. But with staff shortage, constant room turnover, and communication inefficiencies, maintaining efficient housekeeping operations in a busy hotel environment can be a challenge.
This is where housekeeping optimisation comes in. By implementing the right strategies, hotels can achieve faster room turnovers, happier guests, and a more profitable business. Ready to optimise your housekeeping operation? Here’s a breakdown of key recommendations across technology use, processes, and ongoing review.
Strategies for Optimised Housekeeping
A. Unleashing the Power of Automation with Technology
If your hotel currently does not have a housekeeping management software implemented, you should seriously consider getting one. These cloud-based platforms offer a suite of features designed to streamline every aspect of the housekeeping workflow, ensuring smooth operations without manual oversight.
- Automated Room Assignments: Automatically assign rooms to staff based on pre-defined conditions set by the Housekeeping Manager, ensuring no room is missed and tasks are completed efficiently.
- Real-Time Communication: Housekeepers can receive instant updates on guest requests, ad hoc tasks and any special instructions directly on their mobile devices. This eliminates the time-consuming practice of relaying messages through a chain of supervisors or front desk staff and it keeps everyone on the same page.
- Asset Management: Track state of assets and amenities, and send automatic alerts when maintenance is needed. For example, hotels can implement the software to remind room attendants to flip mattresses promptly, keeping the assets in good condition for longer. Manual tracking is no longer required and room attendants are held accountable for their assigned tasks.
- Guest Communication: Guests can use a digital platform to request additional housekeeping services electronically, eliminating the need for phone calls or waiting at the front desk. This empowers guests and frees up valuable staff time.
Tip: To increase the chances of guests placing their requests digitally, make it very easy for them to access the platform i.e. scan a QR code rather than download an app.
- Data-Driven Decisions: Advanced software can generate reports on cleaning times, staff performance, and guest insights. This valuable data allows hotels to identify areas for improvement and continuously optimise their housekeeping operations.
Tip: To ensure the most comprehensive and informative analysis on your hotel, run your entire operations with a single technology vendor who would have access to the entire data stack. Check out Vouch HOME to achieve all of the above in one single ecosystem.
B. Streamlining Cleaning Processes
Sometimes, simple adjustments can surprisingly transform even long-established ways of working. Let’s take a closer look at these easy-to-implement suggestions on how you can streamline your processes to get work done more efficiently.
- Smarter Amenities: Place amenities like towels and toiletries in strategically positioned storage to minimise unnecessary steps during cleaning. Invest in good quality cleaning products that work effectively and efficiently to prevent spending more time cleaning than necessary. Another idea could be the use of multi-purpose cleaning solutions that can tackle various surfaces effectively, reducing the number of different products housekeepers need to carry.
- Opt-In Housekeeping: Offer guests the option to opt-in to daily housekeeping or request service every other day. This can be particularly appealing to environmentally conscious guests and allows housekeepers to focus on check-out rooms first.
- Consistency is Key: Develop detailed checklists specific to each room type to ensure all room attendants follow a consistent, thorough cleaning process. Empower floor supervisors with digital checklists. During inspection to guarantee every room meets your cleaning standards before releasing it for new guests.
- Communicate for Success: Even the most brilliant plan needs a strong foundation. Just like good communication is half the battle in any business, clear communication and team alignment are crucial for housekeeping success. Empowering your staff through training and ongoing communication ensures everyone understands and executes the optimised processes, multiplying the positive impact on guest satisfaction and hotel efficiency.
C. Listen to Your Guests
In the hospitality industry, the ultimate judges are always your guests. Their satisfaction is the truest measure of success. By actively listening to their comments and suggestions, you can identify areas for improvement and refine your cleaning procedures to consistently deliver the sparkling clean rooms and exceptional service that truly wow your guests.
- Post-Stay Surveys: Include a section in post-stay surveys specifically for housekeeping feedback. This will quickly allow you to identify areas for improvement and address guest concerns promptly. Positive feedback should also be used as recognition for outstanding staff.
- During-stay reviews: Empowering guests to provide feedback throughout their stay is a win-win situation. It allows them to easily share their experience, both positive and negative. This proactive approach would not only alert you to conduct immediate service recovery, but also reduce the chance of guests leaving a poor review at the end of their stay.
The investment in housekeeping optimisation reaps rewards far beyond a clean room. It fosters guest loyalty, strengthens your online reputation, and ultimately contributes to a thriving hotel business. So, embrace these strategies, empower your staff, and watch your housekeeping operation become the cornerstone of your hotel’s success.
Is the Productivity for Your Housekeeping Optimised? Use this Checklist.
Did you know that the majority of travellers consider cleanliness a top priority when choosing a hotel and that 48% of them would change their hotel if cleanliness expectations were not met? Cleanliness isn’t just about aesthetics; it directly impacts guest satisfaction and online reviews, which are crucial for a hotel’s success. But with staff shortage, constant room turnover, and communication inefficiencies, maintaining efficient housekeeping operations in a busy hotel environment can be a challenge.
This is where housekeeping optimisation comes in. By implementing the right strategies, hotels can achieve faster room turnovers, happier guests, and a more profitable business. Ready to optimise your housekeeping operation? Here’s a breakdown of key recommendations across technology use, processes, and ongoing review.
Strategies for Optimised Housekeeping
A. Unleashing the Power of Automation with Technology
If your hotel currently does not have a housekeeping management software implemented, you should seriously consider getting one. These cloud-based platforms offer a suite of features designed to streamline every aspect of the housekeeping workflow, ensuring smooth operations without manual oversight.
- Automated Room Assignments: Automatically assign rooms to staff based on pre-defined conditions set by the Housekeeping Manager, ensuring no room is missed and tasks are completed efficiently.
- Real-Time Communication: Housekeepers can receive instant updates on guest requests, ad hoc tasks and any special instructions directly on their mobile devices. This eliminates the time-consuming practice of relaying messages through a chain of supervisors or front desk staff and it keeps everyone on the same page.
- Asset Management: Track state of assets and amenities, and send automatic alerts when maintenance is needed. For example, hotels can implement the software to remind room attendants to flip mattresses promptly, keeping the assets in good condition for longer. Manual tracking is no longer required and room attendants are held accountable for their assigned tasks.
- Guest Communication: Guests can use a digital platform to request additional housekeeping services electronically, eliminating the need for phone calls or waiting at the front desk. This empowers guests and frees up valuable staff time.
Tip: To increase the chances of guests placing their requests digitally, make it very easy for them to access the platform i.e. scan a QR code rather than download an app.
- Data-Driven Decisions: Advanced software can generate reports on cleaning times, staff performance, and guest insights. This valuable data allows hotels to identify areas for improvement and continuously optimise their housekeeping operations.
Tip: To ensure the most comprehensive and informative analysis on your hotel, run your entire operations with a single technology vendor who would have access to the entire data stack. Check out Vouch HOME to achieve all of the above in one single ecosystem.
B. Streamlining Cleaning Processes
Sometimes, simple adjustments can surprisingly transform even long-established ways of working. Let’s take a closer look at these easy-to-implement suggestions on how you can streamline your processes to get work done more efficiently.
- Smarter Amenities: Place amenities like towels and toiletries in strategically positioned storage to minimise unnecessary steps during cleaning. Invest in good quality cleaning products that work effectively and efficiently to prevent spending more time cleaning than necessary. Another idea could be the use of multi-purpose cleaning solutions that can tackle various surfaces effectively, reducing the number of different products housekeepers need to carry.
- Opt-In Housekeeping: Offer guests the option to opt-in to daily housekeeping or request service every other day. This can be particularly appealing to environmentally conscious guests and allows housekeepers to focus on check-out rooms first.
- Consistency is Key: Develop detailed checklists specific to each room type to ensure all room attendants follow a consistent, thorough cleaning process. Empower floor supervisors with digital checklists. During inspection to guarantee every room meets your cleaning standards before releasing it for new guests.
- Communicate for Success: Even the most brilliant plan needs a strong foundation. Just like good communication is half the battle in any business, clear communication and team alignment are crucial for housekeeping success. Empowering your staff through training and ongoing communication ensures everyone understands and executes the optimised processes, multiplying the positive impact on guest satisfaction and hotel efficiency.
C. Listen to Your Guests
In the hospitality industry, the ultimate judges are always your guests. Their satisfaction is the truest measure of success. By actively listening to their comments and suggestions, you can identify areas for improvement and refine your cleaning procedures to consistently deliver the sparkling clean rooms and exceptional service that truly wow your guests.
- Post-Stay Surveys: Include a section in post-stay surveys specifically for housekeeping feedback. This will quickly allow you to identify areas for improvement and address guest concerns promptly. Positive feedback should also be used as recognition for outstanding staff.
- During-stay reviews: Empowering guests to provide feedback throughout their stay is a win-win situation. It allows them to easily share their experience, both positive and negative. This proactive approach would not only alert you to conduct immediate service recovery, but also reduce the chance of guests leaving a poor review at the end of their stay.
The investment in housekeeping optimisation reaps rewards far beyond a clean room. It fosters guest loyalty, strengthens your online reputation, and ultimately contributes to a thriving hotel business. So, embrace these strategies, empower your staff, and watch your housekeeping operation become the cornerstone of your hotel’s success.