Executive Housekeeping Today - May 2008 - (Page 15)

feature article are more realistic. “Typically, you may see corner cutting happening in hotels with no ratings or a 2-diamond award maximum. My thinking is that hotels of that type assign 18 or more rooms per housekeeper, and the housekeepers have to rush to get them done because they care about quantity not quality. Our hotel only assigns 13 rooms or less in an eight-hour period,” says Yolanda Marino-Carranza, C.E.H., Executive Housekeeper at Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Vice President of the Utah Chapter. Of course, other factors are involved when it comes to creating a realistic time-to-task outline, which can make planning more difficult. “I’ve also found time is an issue with my housekeepers cutting corners. For example, guests may request services later in the day than our housekeepers are scheduled and, on occasion, our housekeepers aren’t able to get into any of their rooms until two hours into their shift. This can create problems when working within a timeframe,” says Josie Carr, Executive Housekeeper at the Holiday Inn in Cherry Hill, NJ, and member of the Philadelphia Chapter. In addition, budget issues within the hotel housekeeping industry can also play a role in making a time-to-task plan more difficult. “Cutting corners may be caused by giving each housekeeper more rooms to clean, thus saving in the budget,” says Greenwood. working hard for eight hours per day or more at minimum wage, how would you feel? Most likely, you would be tired and would probably cut corners here and there. “We must recognize and appreciate the hard work and dedication of housekeeping employees, most of whom work two jobs to care for their families. The positions they hold are, for the most part, the lowest-paid in the hotel. It is a travesty that some regard them merely as less-well-educated people, rather than applauding them for their hard work and recognizing them for their dedicated professionalism,” says Baird. If the visibility and wages of the housekeeping staff were raised, it would increase morale and in turn, cleanliness. Actually, it could be ventured to say that if the salaries and wages of housekeeping employees were raised, fewer problems would occur with mold, dirty glasses, and other “corner-cutting” concerns and situations that were raised by the media. What Can We Do? In order to aid some of these hotel housekeeping concerns and issues, action must be taken by managers and supervisors first and foremost. Proper training procedures must be implemented and housekeeping employees’ work must be inspected for quality. In addition, providing your staff with incentives to maintain a clean environment, such as pay raises, can raise morale and the cleanliness of your facility. Also, encourage your staff to keep learning—hold educational, training, and question-and-answer sessions regularly (continued on page 25) “I’m sick of being grilled about replacing my carts.” MOD carts still deliver after 20 years of punishing service. And our newest 90PSL bulk linen truck works triple-duty — round trip, one-way and as a guest supply cart. It features: • Ferocious disposition – withstands over-the-road abuses • Stunning, luxurious design – smooth in the lobby and on the floor • Built-in security – lockable doors stop thieves • Hinged split top – opens for access, seals for clean transport • Repositionable shelves for soiled return • 100% polyethylene base and body – strong, wipes clean • Rainbow of color choices – coordinates with your facility’s decor Call now for a quote or free brochure. Morale and Pay Scale Unfortunately, some front-line staff members do not have the proper respect or care for their jobs due to the pay-scale issue. Some staff members may even have to work a second job in order to pay their bills and support their family. You have to wonder: If you were Meese Orbitron Dunne Co. 8 0 0 . 8 2 9 . 4 5 3 5 • w w w. M O D L a u n d r y. c o m May 2008/Executive Housekeeping Today 5 http://www.MODLaundry.com http://www.MODLaundry.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Housekeeping Today - May 2008

Executive Housekeeping Today - May 2008 Contents Executive Corner From Ivory Halls to Four-Star Resorts The Ten-Dollar Test Toward Customer Satisfaction Frugal Housekeeper How Green is Your Laundry Not All Microfiber is Created Equal Feature Article - I.E.H.A. Investigates: Issues in Hotel Housekeeping 2008 Candidate Information IHW Product Information The Green Scene 2008 Convention Information Product Highlights Inside the Industry New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members CEH/REH Members Advertisers' Index Calendar of Events Inside I.E.H.A. What I.E.H.A. Has Done For Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - May 2008

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