Executive Housekeeping Today - January 2009 - (Page 8)

FRugAl (continued from previous page) the time. The accurate perception of the ambassador’s country is determined by how well the ambassador performs his or her role. Likewise, the manner in which the service worker acts, behaves, speaks, and performs sends a message to each guest who visits their workplace each and every day. The image of your company or organization, and the quality of the services it provides, is determined largely by the manner in which you perform your job. What can we do, each and every day and throughout this year to be exceptional ambassadors for our organization? The following are only some suggestions, and we are sure you could add some of your own: • Be attentive to each customer’s needs, no matter how trivial: The clerk at the desk took care of my reservation, my meal issue, and my lost coupon. She even was concerned about the meal I had and if I had the opportunity to meet with my son. She was concerned about the location of my room and about noise levels. She was attentive to my needs. Sometimes, a person may ask you for directions and you to take the time to explain how to get the location. One time, I was at a very large restaurant and needed to use the restroom. It seemed like an impossible task to find the “throne room;” however, one of the waiters not only told me where it was, but guided me there. Five years later, and I still remember that kindness. Would I go to that restaurant again? Yes, in part because the waiter took the time to guide me to my destination, even though he could have perceived my need as trivial. • Set the example for your peers and co-workers to follow: As you walk down the hallway, do you walk by a loose piece of trash or leave a spill on the floor? Recently, I heard someone talking about the level of cleanliness in a bathroom, and the customer had no complaints about overall cleanliness, the only thing he remembered was a few bits of paper on the floor. The piece of paper that you pick up (and do not leave for the other service worker to pick up) could be the piece that would improve the image of the company. Managers and supervisors alike set the example for others to follow, each and every day. • Be careful how you act— you never know who is watching! I remember a story about some housekeepers who worked in a building that did not have elevators, but it did have a circular balcony that surrounded a rotunda. Since they worked at night, they assumed that their behavior might not be observed, so they came up with a shortcut. Why carry the trash down four or five flights of stairs when they could drop it off the balcony to several floors below and pick it up there? They did this, unobserved for a while, until one night, there was another person in the building and a bag of trash came whizzing down from the floor above and landed right at the feet of the company president! Always work and serve as if you are being observed at all times. • Use appropriate language and expressions while in the workplace: The old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is not quite accurate. I remember a story where service workers were performing some work in a building. They assumed the building was not very occupied, so they yelled up and down the hallways, using somewhat blunt and vulgar language. One of the customers overheard the vulgar language and was mortally offended. Not only act like people are around at all As ambassadors for our organizations, it is important for housekeepers to present a positive image for customers, by being attentive to their needs. times, but speak in a manner that is non-offensive to all. • Dress the part: Recently, we have been watching a special about the Queen of England. It is very apparent that the Queen is an ambassador for her country, and at all times, she must dress the part. The image of her nation is reflected through her dress. It is important to wear neatly pressed and clean clothing at all times. The desk attendant at the hotel where I stayed was impeccably dressed; she dressed the part. Would you like to eat food in a restaurant if the chef’s uniform was covered with dirt, or if the waitperson’s hands were dirty? I am sure you would not. Likewise, when you are working, dress the part; you never know who will see you or talk to you. The company is represented by the way you dress. • Keep it clean: Whenever I have an opportunity to visit a hotel, hospital, airport, or building, not only do I look at how clean it appears to be, I take a few minutes to look in the housekeeping and janitorial closets. Too often, the buildings look clean; however, the (continued on page 12) 8 Executive Housekeeping Today/January 2009

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Housekeeping Today - January 2009

Executive Housekeeping Today - January 2009 Contents Executive Corner Start With the Seal: CRI Seal of Approval Offers Proven Effectiveness 2008 IHW Celebrations! Frugal Housekeeper What’s in Your Janitor Closet? Feature Article Let the “Recognition Games” Begin! The Green Scene Product Highlights New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members REH/CEH Members Advertisers' Index Calendar of Events Inside IEHA What IEHA Has Done For Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - January 2009

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