Executive Housekeeping Today - November 2008 - (Page 3)

The Most Unwelcome Guests: “Good night. Sleep tight. Don’t let the bed bugs bite.” Everyone has heard this familiar phrase, and it may take you back to your childhood. But as a kid, did you ever really worry that a small, bloodsucking critter would actually bite you or, for that matter, that they even existed? The fact is, bed bugs are a real problem and biting more than ever. Since their perceived eradication in the 1960s, bed bugs have been making a comeback over the past ten years. Experts point this to an increase in international travel and overall changes in the way that pest control is performed. Today, bed bugs are a top customer complaint in hotels and other overnight facilities where their human prey is close at hand. In fact, travelers are not just complaining; they’re taking it a step further and opting out of staying at hotels that have had bed bug issues. g How Bed Bugs are Affecting Consumers’ Lodging Choices and What it Means for Hotel Management By Frank Meek, B.C.E. of respondents said they would consider forgoing a hotel chain completely. More frequent travelers with typically higher incomes prove even more discriminating. These travelers are significantly less likely than others to choose a hotel that’s had a bed bug infestation anywhere in the same hotel chain. But what does this mean for hotel managers and their housekeeping staff? Bed bugs, the most unwelcome guests, are a real problem. They can cause serious damages to company profits after replacing expensive furniture in infested rooms, covering costly lawsuits, or losing business from loyal customers. Consider that one guest successfully sued a motel chain for $382,000 in 2003 after being bitten by bed bugs during his stay. In another case, a family had to tear out all the carpet in their home and throw away all of their clothes when they carried home bed bugs on their clothing and luggage after a hotel stay. As you know, news travels fast, and it won’t take long for a guest bitten by bed bugs in your hotel to react swiftly and negatively. Additional poll results confirm this hotelier reputation fear. If bitten by a bed bug during their stay: • Nearly nine in ten respondents—88 percent—would complain to the manager, • 58 percent would never go back to that hotel, • 51 percent would notify the health department, • 50 percent would leave the hotel, and Today, bed bugs are a top customer complaint in hotels and other overnight facilities where their human prey is close at hand. • 50 percent would tell five or more people about their experience. With a majority of guests taking action against the hotel after a bed bug outbreak, it is important for hoteliers to take proactive steps to ensure these problems are addressed as soon as possible. Fortunately, poll results indicate that hotels are already taking action. Seventy-four percent of hotel managers indicated that their hotel has an action policy in place to respond to a guest who claims to have been bitten by a bed bug. Of those hotels with a bed bug action policy, 64 percent said they would immediately move the guest to another room in the hotel and call in a pest management professional to inspect the room. Sixty-one percent said they would quarantine the room and surrounding rooms—an important step to prevent bed bugs from spreading throughout the hotel. While poll results reveal that nearly 70 percent of hotel managers are confident that their housekeeping staffs can accurately identify the signs of a bed bug infestation during their regular room cleanings, hoteliers must regularly train and review protocols with their staff. Alarming Hotel Customer Statistics Two independent online polls, released by Orkin Commercial Services last year, show that 60 percent of Americans are now choosier about hotels due to the bed bug resurgence. Poll respondents included 1,052 hotel consumers and 289 hotel managers in the contiguous United States. The polls also revealed that beg bug problems at one hotel will affect the entire hotel chain. Thirty-eight percent of travelers surveyed would be less likely to stay in another hotel of the same chain if there were bed bug problems in one hotel, and 17 percent How to Identify Bed Bugs Bed bugs are found in hotels and other overnight facilities for (continued on next page) November 2008/Executive Housekeeping Today 3

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

Executive Housekeeping Today - November 2008 Contents Executive Corner The Most Unwelcome Guests Good Housekeeping: Eliminating Pests from the Equation Frugal Housekeeper Director-at-Large Distribution Don’t Just Clean up After Birds—Get Rid of Them! Monday Night is Fly Night Green Pest Control Practices Executive Profile The Green Scene Keeping Hard Floors Clean For the Holidays Inside the Industry Product Highlights New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members Advertisers’ Index Calendar of Events Inside IEHA What IEHA has Done for Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - November 2008

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