Housekeeping With a Conscience

As we approach Housekeeping Week in September, there is no better time to celebrate all the housekeeping heroes at ahs hospitality across Australia and New Zealand who keep our hotels looking spotless and most importantly, guests happy. In this blog we take you behind-the-scenes to show you what it is like working as a Hotel Housekeeper, understand what a typical day in the life looks like for a Housekeeping Manager managing a hotel housekeeping team, and the hard work and dedication that goes into keeping hotels clean and tidy. A typical day as a Hotel Housekeeping Manager For most Housekeeping Managers, every day starts with checking and replying to emails, taking a handover from the AM team, and conducting morning briefings and stretches with all room attendants on shift that day. These initial tasks are important and help set the tone for the day and get the body warmed up - ensuring that everyone is ready to complete their public area, house person or room attendant duties with confidence! As the leader of their Housekeeping team , Housekeeping Managers also attend their hotel’s leadership and operations meetings to stay up to date on any events or upcoming high-occupancy periods happening at the hotel that may impact their Housekeeping team. During these meetings, Housekeeping Managers also receive feedback on how well their housekeeping team are performing in line with hotel operations and expectations. Throughout the day, Housekeeping Managers also supervise their housekeeping staff, manage scheduling and assign tasks to ensure that all rooms are cleaned and maintained efficiently . Housekeeping Managers are also expected to coordinate and work with the front desk and maintenance teams to address any immediate concerns or guest enquiries to ensure that the hotel continues to operate smoothly. Another significant part of the job of a Housekeeping Manager is to ensure that their housekeeping team has everything they need and the knowledge to deliver high cleanliness standards. This involves managing inventory and ordering supplies, as well as ensuring they all participate in the monthly Work Group Discussions and training sessions. Addressing guest feedback and queries is also a daily task, often requiring prompt and effective solutions to ensure the best in guest satisfaction. The day wraps up with sending a handover to the PM team for any follow-ups. Prioritising tasks and team management is key to be a successful Housekeeping Manager Each day as a Housekeeping Manager is never the same and can present different challenges that need to be solved. So being able to prioritise tasks based on urgency and planning accordingly is a valuable skill to have as a hotel housekeeper. Some days, a Housekeeping Manager may be training a new staff member, and other days they are addressing payroll queries as the first point of call. High occupancy periods or special events require meticulous planning for a Hotel Housekeeping Manager. Checking occupancy forecasts a couple of weeks in advance helps a Hotel Housekeeping Manger plan the right number of staff on shift. Depending on the hotel's occupancy, a Housekeeping Manager can oversee around 20 Housekeepers during high occupancy periods and about 13 room attendants, 2 supervisors, 2 housemen, and 1 minibar attendant on regular days. Clear and respectful communication, active listening, teamwork, showing appreciation, and regular feedback are key strategies for a Housekeeping Manager to ensure effective communication within a Housekeeping Team. Also, acknowledging the team's hard work with small gestures like morning teas or pizza parties also boosts team morale and performance. It is the responsibly of a Housekeeping Manager to maintaining hotel cleanliness standards The key responsibility and measurement of a successful Hotel Housekeeping Manager is the ability to train and support their Housekeeping team to maintain high cleanliness standards. Onboarding training for new staff, supervised on-site training, and even virtual training ensure that the team is well-equipped to perform well in their housekeeping role. Regular training and development programs, thanks to ahs hospitality’s Quality and Training Managers, also help housekeeping teams stay up to date on the latest cleaning equipment and procedures and further develop their skills. Advice for Aspiring Hotel Housekeeping Managers For those aspiring to become Hotel Housekeepers, dedication, organisation, and a focus on guest satisfaction are key. As Housekeeping Week approaches, let's celebrate the hard work and dedication of Hotel Housekeeping Managers who successfully manage their housekeeping teams. It is their commitment to maintaining high cleanliness standards that ensures every guest enjoys a clean and comfortable stay. Thank you to all our Hotel Housekeeping Managers and Happy Housekeeping Week!