housekeeping management

Question 1

rack rate

Answer 1

highest possible rate for a room

Question 2

budget vs forecast

Answer 2

budget - estimated finances/costs for hotel (once a year)

forecast - revenue/expenses (can be done once a week)

Question 3

Maintenance, types

Answer 3

• routine maintenance: daily basis with minimum skills or trainings to perform
• preventive -“- : infrastructure should be up to speed; keep the look on stuff to work and last longer
• scheduled: planned through a formal work-order, deep cleaning/repairing/checkings (low season)

Question 4

hotel types

Answer 4

Economy Hotels: Small to medium-sized hotel establishments that offer a very limited amount of on-site amenities.
Mid-Market Hotels: Medium to big sized hotels which offer good service to its guest and more than sufficient amenities on-site to enjoy a comfortable stay.
Luxury Hotels: A luxury hotel is a hotel that is upscale and typically costs more than the average accommodation. It has the best services and a stay with leisure and top most service and comfort.

Question 5

housekeeping with other departments

Answer 5

Front office, maintenance, security, f&b, Stores, personnel, sales and marketing, purchases, laundry

Question 6

Occupancy report and housekeeping status report

Answer 6

Occupancy Report: This report is referred to at the start of the days shift. It helps the department to plan the work for the day as they know the rooms occupied and the rooms vacant.
Housekeeping Status Report (phisical check): This report is maintained at the end of a shift. This report helps provide information and co ordinate the staff within the department to know the rooms let to clean and clear and the rooms that are ready; based on physical check

Question 7

eco-purchasing

Answer 7

purchasing products that for durability; reusability, recycle; packaging etc.

Question 8

triple bottom line

Answer 8

(abbreviated as TBL or 3BL) is an accounting framework with three parts: social, environmental (or ecological) and financial. These three divisions are also called the three Ps: people, planet and profit, or the “three pillars of sustainability”.

Question 9

cleaning areas responsible in House-keeping

Answer 9

public area: lobby, front desk, public bathrooms, staff room, recreation center
Private area: rooms and guest floors.
restaurants, elevators

Question 10

Inventory levels

Answer 10

RECYCLED INVENTORIES: Recycled inventories are those items that have limited useful lives but that are used over and over again in housekeeping operations. E.g. linens, uniforms, guest loan items, some machines and equipments.
NON-RECYCLED INVENTORIES: Non-recycled inventories are those items that are consumed or used up during the course of routine housekeeping operations. E.g. cleaning supplies, small equipment items and guest supplies and amenities

Question 11

turnover

Answer 11

replacement cycle of employees

Question 12

recruitment

Answer 12

process by which applicants are sought and screened concerning their suitability for positions in the operation

Question 13

recruiting process

Answer 13

• define job requirements
• review job analysis, JD and job specification information
• identify and review applicable laws and regulations
• determine the message to convey to applicants
• determine what should be learnt from recruits about competitors and the community
• recruit internal/external/both
• where to recruit
• select recruiters
• recruitment strategies and methods
• establish criteria for evaluation applicants
• evaluation recruiting methods

Question 14

External vs internal recruitment

Answer 14

+ External recruitment refers to recruiting a candidate through references, networks, job portals or they may approach recruitment agencies
+ Internal recruitment is the recruitment of employees within the workforce. The employee may be provided with a new job position in the same organization, he may be promoted within his hierarchy and given job development opportunity.

Question 15

4 principles when selecting employees

Answer 15

Explicitness: This means that the employee must be observant and make sure he/she makes everything clear.
Objectivity: This can be related to positivity in the work effort. The employee’s efforts or actions must be intended to achieve the goal i.e to maintain the standards of the organization.
Thoroughness: The employee must be spick and span. He/she must maintain a daily thorough procedure to keep up with the work flow.
Consistency: The employee must be consistent. He/she should maintain the work quality and effort and achieve the same or better results everyday.

Question 16

skill training (4 steps)

Answer 16

training model used to implement an on-the-job training program
+prepare (job analysis, task list; job breakdown to train/stress; tips on know-how)
+present (job breakdown as training guide)
+practice (coaching)
+follow up (coaching; give feedback on correct/incorrect; )

Question 17

scheduling

Answer 17

a process in which the appropriate number of employees are assigned to fulfill necessary duties and positions each workday

Question 18

fixed vs variable staff positions

Answer 18

• Fixed staff positions are those that must be filled regardless of the volume of business. These positions are generally managerial and administrative. E.g. exec. housekeeper, assistant exec. housekeeper, supervisor (day shift), department clerk (day and afternoon shift)
• Variable staff positions are those that are filled according to the changes in the occupancy level. E.g. room attendants (day and afternoon shift), housepersons (day and afternoon shift), inspectors, lobby attendants.

Question 19

a staffing guide

Answer 19

a system used to establish the number of labour hours needed (includes: total labour hours, #of employees, estimated labour expence at specific occupancy level)

Question 20

Productivity Standards

Answer 20

acceptable amounts of work that must be done with in a specified timeframe, according to an established performance standard.

Question 21

Productivity Complications

Answer 21

\+Trainees/turnover
Send backs
Meetings
Messy rooms
Suites
Late check-outs and room changes
Maintenance rooms
Show rooms

Question 22

Motivation

Answer 22

An environment that fosters professional growth and development of its employee’s, is an enormous positive factor to have in a hospitality environment. Motivation plays a significant role in this and can be defined as the art of stimulating or challenging a person’s interest.
Training
Cross-Training
Recognition
Communication
Incentive Programs "R&R"
PerformanceAppraisals

Question 23

par

Answer 23

the standard quantity of a particular inventory item that must be on hand to support daily, routine housekeeping operations (3-5 is best)

Question 24

house setup

Answer 24

the total # of each type of linen that is needed to outfit all guestrooms one time (one par of linen)

Question 25

6 steps to perfect linens

Answer 25

1. Notice and treat stains
2. Laundry awareness
3. Repair and remove
4. Investigate reoccurrence
5. Management support
6. Ongoing inspections

Question 26

floor par

Answer 26

The quantity of each type of linen that is required to outfit all rooms serviced from particular floor linen closet.

Question 27

issuing

Answer 27

procedures ensure that each floor linen closet is stocked with its par amount at the start of each day.

Question 28

cleaning supply varies between (par number)

Answer 28

• minimum quantity - fewest number of units that should be stock at any given time
• maximum quantity

Question 29

lead-time quantity

Answer 29

the number of purchased units that are used up between the time that a supply order is placed and the time it is actually received

Question 30

safety stock

Answer 30

the number of purchase units that must always be on hand for the housekeeping department to operate smoothly in the event of emergencies, spoilage, unexpected delays in delivery, etc. By adding lead time quantity and safety stock level, the executive housekeeper can determine the minimum purchase units that always need to be stocked.

Question 31

perpetual inventory

Answer 31

inventory system in which receipts and issues are recorded as they occur; this system provides readily available information on inventory levels and cost of sales

Question 32

On Premise Laundry (OPL)

Answer 32

there are facilities present to do laundry on the property

can save money by doing it yourself

Question 33

turndown service

Answer 33

special service provided by the housekeeping department in which a room attendant enters the guestroom in the early evening to restock supplies; tidy the room and turn down the covers on the bed

Question 34

types of budget

Answer 34

capital budget - a detailed plan for the acquisition of equipment, land, buildings, and other fixed assets(furniture, fixtures, equipment)
operating budget - a detailed plan for generating revenue and incurring expenses for each department within the hospitality operations (salaries, wages; cleaning, guest supplies)

Question 35

planning budget

Answer 35

(annual)
1)room sales (for other departments and occupancy)
2)occupancy
3)expense level
4)feedback and discussions
Income statement comes from actual results

Question 36

income statement

Answer 36

a report on the profitability of operations, including revenue and incurring expenses for each department within the hospitality operation

Question 37

schedule

Answer 37

report (department income statement) gives supporting detail to a property’s financial statements; f.e. rooms,

Question 38

LINEN

Answer 38

Shortages occur when the inventory level for linen is set too low. If set too high excessive amount of cash resources get tied up in overstock.

Question 39

uniforms

Answer 39

All uniforms should be inventoried at least on a quarterly basis. The same general principles that pertain to taking physical inventories of linen supplies apply to counting uniforms.

Question 40

guest supply

Answer 40

• Guest expendables; items that the guest is either expected to use or take away on departure from the hotel ( TV table tent cards, guest services directory, instruction sheets..)
• Guest essentials - essential for the guest use in rooms but are not taken away by the guests, for e.g. ashtrays, etc.
• Guest loan items - not maintained in the guest room but are available on request to a guest, on a receipted loan basis at no charge (irons, ironing boards, hot water bags, alarm clocks, bed boards, adapters, non-allergic pillows, electric blankets, etc. )

Question 41

laundering factors to consider

Answer 41

colours; material; temperature;

Question 42

OPL process

Answer 42

Collecting soiled linens
Transport linens to OPL
Sorting (types, soils etc.)
Loading
Washing (temperature, chemicals, cycle)
Extracting and drying
Finishing & folding
Storing & transferring linen to use areas

Question 43

2 types of sorting (OPL)

Answer 43

• sorting by degree of soiling: no waste of water and energy

- by linen type: no damage to linens

Question 44

outside laundry consideration

Answer 44

• equipment - productivity
• working hours
• staffing (peak; non-peak hours)
• facility space - linen volume
• transport

Question 45

3 steps for safety

Answer 45

+Place mops, buckets, and other equipment where
no one can fall over them
+Practice safe lifting techniques – lift with your legs,ƒ
not your back
+Use the right tools for the job, such as long-
handled scrubbers to reduce stooping and bending
while cleaning

Question 46

safety equipment to use when handling chemicals

Answer 46

• safety glasses with side shields for dust and flying object protection
• chemical splash goggles for chemical splash, spray and mist protection
• face and neck shield for head and neck protection (these devices must always be used with safety glasses or goggles).
• gloves; boots

Question 47

3 ways to prevent guest/employee theft

Answer 47

-use as few monogrammed items as possible
-keep storage rooms closed and locked
affix/bolt guestroom items and fixtures to appropriate

Question 48

3 fire-detection systems

Answer 48

1) Smoke detectors in every room save occupant’s lives. If a fire starts in a guest room, the occupant
has, on average, two minutes to get out alive. A smoke detector will give the necessary warning to
facilitate escape.
2) Self-closing doors (fire doors, stairwell doors) save lives by confining the smoke, flames and heat and
leaving evacuation routes clear. It is imperative that these doors are not blocked or propped open.
3) Sprinklers work to limit fire spread to the room of fire origin. 96% of fires in which automatic
sprinklers are present are extinguished or contained by three or fewer sprinkler heads. There has been
no multiple loss of life in the United States in buildings in which sprinklers were functioning correctly.

Question 49

deep cleaning scheduled (3 ways)

Answer 49

• preventive maintenance
• guests expect clean accommodation
• frequency

Question 50

porosity for cleaning

Answer 50

Porous:(of a rock or other material) having minute interstices through which liquid or air may pass.
since porous allow liquid to pass easily the chance of growth of mold is high.
Non Porous: (Of a substance) not allowing liquid or air to pass through it
Semi Porous: Semi-porous means that it is porous with respect to some materials and not to others. The most common factor is size. By limiting the size of pore-holes in a membrane, you can let smaller things out and keep larger things in.