FLGO Reviewer – Prelims Front Office Manager

Week 2.1 – Front Office • Leads and coordinates the activities of the front office
department.
Front Office Department (FO/FOD)
• Acts as a link between the management and front office
• Most important department in the hotel. employees.
• Guest makes first contact with FO department. • Responsible for hiring, training, supervising and
disciplining all front desk, reservation, and guest services
• First place that can makes guest develop an impression
staff members, in order to maintain the desired standard
about the level of service, standard, facilities and
of service.
hospitality of the hotel.
• Prepares the financial
Responsibilities • budget for the front office department.
• Evaluates the job performance of each front office
• Revenue Management – Establishing room rates employee.
• Reservations (advance booking) – Managing the
reservation process Bell Boy/Bellman/Bell Person/Bellhop
• Front Desk Staff – Guest registration at check-in
• Handling guest luggage at the time of arrival and
• Concierge – Guest information
departure.
• Bell Staff – Guest assistance, especially luggage
• Escorting guests to their rooms on arrival.
• Night Auditor – Managing the front office-related
• Familiarizing guests about safety features and in-room
accounting and data collection process
facilities.
Note: • Locating a guest in a specified area of the hotel. The
process is called Paging in hotels.
a) Communication and Accounting are the two most important • Posting guests mails.
functions of the Front Desk operations. • Providing information to guests about hotel facilities and
b) Accounting procedure involve accepting advance booking of services when asked.
hotel rooms, opening & maintaining an account or bill for the
guest and, settlement of the guest bills at the time of check- Bell Captain
out.
c) Effective Communication with guest includes processing the • The Bell Captain's main duties include coordinating all
guest reservation, handling the guest reception on arrival, bell services. This may involve tasks such as luggage
answer the guest queries during stay in the hotel for services service and storage, handling messages, and assigning
like, wi-fi internet facilities, safe deposit lockers etc., work duties and schedules of Bell Attendants/Bell Hops.
processing check out of the guest, and coordinating with other He or She oversees the grooming of bell staff.
departments of the hotel for maintaining an accurate room
Front Office Cashier
status & guest history.

Front Office Working Hours • Opening and maintaining the guest account or folios.
• Recording all credit charges and payments in guest folios.
FO department operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Always • Preparing bills at the time of check-out.
open for guest arrivals & departures. • Receiving payment from guests.
• Handling credit/debit/charge cards for the settlement of
Three main shifts in FO department are,
a guest account.
• Morning or day shift – 7.00 a. m. 3. 00 p.m. • Administer the safe deposit locker system.
• Afternoon or evening shift – 3.00 p.m.-11.00 p.m. • Handling foreign currency exchange.
• Night (graveyard) shift – 11. 00 p.m.-7.00 p.m. Door Attendant
Organization Structure of Front Office Department
• Open the doors of the guest vehicles on their arrival in the
hotel portico. Help bell boys in lifting luggage.
• Open the hotel's entrance door for guests.
• Coordinate with parking attendants for parking guest
vehicles in the hotel's parking area.
• Stop unwanted people from entering the hotel building.

Valet

• Greeting guests of the establishment

• Assisting with unloading guests' luggage
• Parking cars safely

Night Auditor - The most responsible position during night shift.

• Checking all guest accounts at night for errors. Preparing

the night audit report for GM.
• Organization structure of FO department will change • Check-in and check-out guests, who arrive or depart after
from hotel to hotel. 11.00 p.m.
• It depends on the size, and standard or style of operations • Processing the reservations.
of the hotel. (Classification of hotels) • Performing the duties of security guard.
• It can be categorized into • Monitoring fire safety system.
- Small sized hotel • Act as cashier for banquet function.
- Medium sized hotel • Performing the duties of manager on duty.
- Large sized hotel
• Standard could be expressed as luxury, mid-priced and Receptionist
budget hotel.
• Welcoming & greeting guest on arrival.
Duties and Responsibilities of Front Office Personnel • Complete registration process.
General Manager • Notify all departments about arrivals & departures.
• Handling special requests.
• Overall in-charge of hotel organization. • Handling check-in and check-out.
• Front Office Manager reports directly to General • Providing information to guest related to services,
Manager. timings and prices.
• GM evaluates the overall performance of the FO • Assigning right type of rooms and dispensing guest room
Manager. keys.
• Situations that FOM cannot deal with, is handled by GM.
Room Types, a Recapitulation Types of Reservation

• Single • Double-double Guaranteed

• Double • Studio
• Triple • Mini-Suite (Junior • Requires mode of payment at the time of booking
• Quad Suite) • Credit Card
• Queen • Suite • Debit Card
• King • Connecting Rooms • Companies/ Corporates
• Twin • Adjoining Rooms • Cash
• Adjacent Rooms • Advance Deposit
• Pre-payment
Room Status Terms • Cheque
• Bank Transfer/ RTGS/ NEFT
1. Occupied: A guest is currently registered to the room. It • Opera Codes: CC-GTD, CO-GTD, CL, TA-GTD
is a room that has already been assigned to a guest who
has already checked in the hotel. Non-Guaranteed
2. Complimentary: The room is occupied, but the guest is
assessed no charge for its use. • Also known as "tentative booking"
3. Stay Over: The guest is not expected to check out today • Another name used is "6pm reservation"
and will remain at least one more night. • 24 hours existence in PMS Requires follow up
4. On-change: The guest has departed, but the room has • Majorly done for contracted travel agents & companies
not yet been cleaned and readied for re-sale. • Opera Codes- DP-REQ, NON-GTD, 6PM
5. Do Not Disturb: The guest has requested not to be
disturbed. This means that the guest should not be Confirmed
disturbed in any way. This includes all forms of
• No guarantee given
destruction, whether it is cleaning or room service.
• Reservation does not get cancelled irrespective of not
6. Sleep-out: A guest is registered to the room, but the bed
having a guarantee Majorly on the goodwill of the guest
has not been used. Refers to a guest room that is occupied
• Examples: Celebrities (sometimes). Repeat Guests.
but not slept in.
Loyalty Card Members, Owner's Reference,
7. Skipper: The guest has left the hotel without making
Management's Reference
arrangements to settle his or her account.
8. Sleeper: The guest has settled his or her account and left Types of Guestrooms in a Hotel
the hotel, but the front office staff has failed to properly
update the room’s status. • Single Rooms.
9. Vacant and ready: The room has been cleaned and • Twin or Double Rooms.
inspected and is ready for an arriving guest. • Studio Rooms.
10. Out-of-order: The room cannot be assigned to a guest. • Deluxe Rooms.
A room may be out-of-order for a variety of reasons • Rooms with a View.
including the need for maintenance, refurbishing, and
• Suites.
extensive cleaning. Typically used when a room is being
• Presidential Suites.
renovated, undergoing repairs, or cannot be used.
11. Double Lock: The guest room door is locked from Types of Bed and its sizes
inside and outside two times so that no one can enter.
12. Lockout: The room has been locked so that the guest • Twin/Single: 38" x 75"
cannot re-enter until a hotel official clears him or her. • Extra-Long Twin: 38" x 80"
13. DNCO (Did Not Check Out): The guest made • Full/Double: 54" x 75"
arrangements to settle his or her account (and thus is not • Queen: 60" x 80"
a skipper), but has left without informing the front office. • King: 76" x 80"
14. Due out: The room is expected to become vacant after • California King: 72" x 84"
the following day’s checkout time.
15. Do Not Paid: The guest is going to check out from the Types of Telephone Calls
hotel today.
16. Checkout: The guest has settled his or her account, • Local
returned the room keys, and left the hotel. • Direct-dial long-distance
17. Late Check-out: The guest has requested and is being • Calling card
allowed to check out later than the hotel’s standard • Credit card
check-out time. • Collect
• Third-party
Concierge
• Person-to-person
• Making reservations for guest dining in famous • Billed-to-room
restaurants of the city. • International
• Arranging tours, limousine, and entertainment tickets. • Toll-free
• Maintaining good relationship with local hospitality • VoIP-voice over Internet Protocol
industry, that provide tourism products.
• Personal helper to VIP in-house. Telecommunications Equipment
• Obtaining tickets for theatres, musicals etc. • PBX system • Automatic call dispensing
• Provide latest information about events. • Call accounting system system
• Guestroom phones • Telephone/room status
Reservation Agent/Assistant systems
• Pay phones
• Handling guaranteed and non-guaranteed reservation • Pagers/cell phones • Internet access
• Call detection equipment
• Up sell accommodation products
• Prepared the expected arrival list and the expected
departure list every day
• Prepared a guest folder to keep the mails and messages of
guest with reservation documents.
• Providing management information to other
departments, like group arrival, VIP, full house etc.
Front Office Operation Week 2.2 – Housekeeping Tools and Equipment

Guest Cycle • The housekeeping staff needs to clean various guest

rooms, guest bathrooms, and a number of public areas in
the hotel. The staff needs to take the help of various
cleaning equipment while trying to keep the hotel
premises to the highest standard of appearance.
• Today, there is a wide range of cleaning products
available in the market.

Advantages of Cleaning Equipment

The cleaning equipment are advantageous in multiple ways −

• Equally effective for general as well as tougher cleaning

tasks.
• High cleaning capability.
• Reduce work fatigue and increase productivity.
The guest cycle describes the activities that each guest passes by
• Save the time of hotel housekeeping staff.
from the moment he/she calls to communicate a reservation
• High maneuverability. They can reach any corner or
inquiry till he/she departs from the hotel.
height of the room, which is otherwise difficult to reach.
Each stage of the guest cycle cycle is associated guest service, and • Eco-friendly, widely available, and easy to operate.
guest accounting activity(ies). • They give protection from injuries occurring while
cleaning when they are handled by using proper
instructions.

Classification of Cleaning Equipment

Manual Cleaning Tools and Equipment

As the name suggests, they are used manually to keep the surfaces
clean. Some commonly used manual tools and equipment are −

1. Abrasives − They are the sharpening stones or grit

papers used to polish metal or wooden surfaces. There
are various abrasives depending upon the size of grit and
Pre-arrival: adhesion of grit particles on the paper.

• At the pre-arrival stage, the hotel must create for every 2. Brushes − They are handheld flat brushes with bristles
potential guest a reservation record. to dust the plain surfaces as well as the corners. They
come with non-slip handles and stiff scratch-free bristles.
• The reservation department should, then, complete all
They help removing stubborn dust.
the pre-registration activities and prepare guest folios
(applicable only for automated systems). Different Types of Brushes:
Hard floor brush, soft floor brush, scrubbing
Arrival:
brush, toilet brush, flue brash, feather brush,
• At the arrival stage, registration and rooming functions broom, hand brush, etc.
takes place and the hotel establishes a business relation-
3. Chambermaid’s Trolley/Housekeeping Trolley −
ship with the guest.
This trolley is large enough to keep all the guest room and
• The check-in clerk should determine the guest's
guest bathroom supplies in an organized manner. It
reservation status (ie. pre-registered guests versus walk-
makes the housekeeping staff to move it around and carry
ins). Later, he/she shall prepare a registration record or
large number of items in one go while keeping and
make the guest sign the already-printed pre-registration
cleaning the guest rooms.
record (under some of the semi-automated and all fully
automated systems). 4. Dustbins − They are used to collect daily garbage
produced in the hotel.
Occupancy:
5. Dusting Cloths − They are soft cloths used for wiping
• At the occupancy stage, the front office department shall the surface dust.
coordinate guest services in a timely and accurate
manner. 6. Cleaning Caddy - Also called 'cleaners' boxes', these
• In addition, design effective procedures in order to were originally made of wood or metal but are nowadays
protect the funds and valuables of guests. Another usually made of plastic. They consist of a box with a
activity at occupancy is to process posting of guest handle and fitted tray. They are used by room attendants
charges to various guest folios, master Folios... While for carrying cleaning supplies from room to room for
doing so, front office clerks shall continuously check for guestroom cleaning.
deviations from the house limit, and take corrective
measures as to change the status of the guest to Paid-in- 7. Window Squeegee - used to remove the cleaning fluid
advance. Finally, front office clerks shall periodically or water from a glass surface. A soapy solution acts as a
review Account Balances in coordination with the night lubricant and breaks up the dirt, then the squeegee is
auditor. used to draw the now water-borne dirt off the glass
leaving a clean surface.
Departure:
8. Gloves - Wearing gloves protects the hands from harsh
• At the departure stage, the guest shall be walked out of detergents and other cleaning products which are used in
the hotel. Moreover, front office clerks shall create guest the home and elsewhere. These gloves are traditionally
history record. Finally, cashiers shall settle guest account used by people cleaning in the home and are popular with
outstanding balances [i.e.: balance the Guest account to professional cleaners and for clearing up in shops, cafes
0] and other public places.
• At departure, checkout personnel should encourage
9. Dust Masks - When used properly, dust masks prevent
guests to consider returning to the hotel on any future
the inhalation of dust in the air and protects the lungs.
date. • If at departure, the guest account is not fully
When you inhale, air is pulled through the dust mask and
settled, then late charges accumulates.
dust is captured on the outside of the mask. Dust masks
Check Out Room Relay In Housekeeping – Checkout room will leak if they don't fit your face properly. Dust masks
means a guest room assigned to be cleaned by an HOUSEKEEPER don't filter out chemical vapors.
due to the departure of the guest assigned to that room.
 10. Dustpans − They are used to collect dust and garbage 5. Clean Air Sprays − They are best for freshening the
from the floor and putting it into the dustbin. hotel corridors, washrooms, bathrooms, and reception
areas. These sprays remove the pungent smell of tobacco,
11. Janitor’s trolley (Utility trolley) − It is a trolley that smoke, and organic wastes.
stores cleaning supplies such as detergents, spray bottles,
dustbin, mop, and dusting cloths, all in a compact 6. Degreaser − This is mainly used in bars to remove the
manner. It can be moved around easily. It fulfills the marks of grease and lipstick that cannot be removed by
challenge of modern-day housekeeping in hotels. traditional washing of glasses and cups. Degreaser
restores the surface shine and transparency of the glasses
12. Mops − There are various types of mops such as string and bowls.
mops, flat mops, dust mops, and synthetic mops. Mops
are generally made of flat cotton strings or heavy-duty 7. Deodorizers - actually destroy bad odor's and their
sponges fixed on the metal frames. The cotton mops have source.
high absorbing ability but need more care unlike the
synthetic mops that offer almost zero absorbing ability 8. Floor Cleaners and Sealers − One of the important
and very less maintenance. tasks of hotel housekeeping is cleaning the floor
periodically and keeping it sealed with the help of sealer
13. Mop Wringer trolley − A mop bucket cart (or mop of the right consistency for optimum maintenance. Some
trolley) is a wheeled bucket that allows its user to wring areas in the hotel are busy and bear heavy traffic such as
out a wet mop without getting the hands dirty. The mops lobby, corridors, parking areas, restaurants, and dining
are squeezed between two surfaces to remove dirty water halls. Their floorings lose smoothness and shine. In such
from it. a case, the floor cleaners and sealers are used for
restoring their look and shine.
14. Scarifying machine − It is used for keeping gardens,
golf courts, and lawn in the hotel premises. It cuts 9. Laundry Cleaners − They are liquid concentrates with
through the turf, and removes moss and dead grass. It variable amount of peroxide that removes tough stains,
helps grow spongy lawn. Scarifiers have fixed knife blades bleaches the linen, and enhances its whiteness.
attached to the rotary cylinder. They cut through the
grass by which the offshoots are separated into lots of A number of chemicals are used in dry-cleaning. They are
individual plants. This helps to thicken up the turf and camphor oil, turpentine spirits, benzene, kerosene and white
improve its health. gasoline, petroleum solvents such as naphtha blends,
chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and liquid carbon dioxide.
15. Spray Bottles − They are used to spray water or They remove the stains from silk tapestry without damaging
chemical solutions on the surface that needs cleaning. the fibers.
They are also used to spray water on the delicate flowers
or leaves of flower arrangement. 10. Surface Sanitizers − They often come in the form of
liquid concentrate. They are water-based and sanitize the
Electric Cleaning Equipment surfaces without damaging their appearance. The
sanitizers reduce the presence of bacteria to a great
As the name depicts, these equipment require electrical power to extent. They come with different concentrations and
operate. They are operated either on AC power or on the battery. fragrances.
1. Box Sweeper − It is electric sweeper that consists of a 11. Toilet Blocks − They deodorize the toilets and leave
friction brush. The brush often is fit to revolve vertically them with a fresh smell. They come with two variants:
or horizontally, when the equipment moves on the continuous action and instant action. They contain
surface. It can clean floors as well as carpets. The wider oxidizing agents such as ozone, hydrogen peroxide, or
the better is the box sweeper brush. chlorine that removes unpleasant organic odor from the
surface of a material.
2. Vacuum Cleaner − It is again a majorly used
equipment in hotel housekeeping. It comes with a suction 12. Toilet Cleaners − They are available in liquid form
motor fit in a case, a hose, and various attachment for containing strong hydrochloric acid. They remove stains
delicate as well as tough cleaning requirements. and plumbing scales easily, and restore the shine of their
surface.
3. Polishing Machine − They are used to add a shine to
the floors of most frequented areas of the hotel. 13. Carpet Cleaning Agents − Cleaning and maintaining
the carpets are important tasks of hotel housekeeping. As
4. Scrubber − It is a floor care accessory that comes with
suggested by the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), carpet
handheld electrically operated scrubber. It is used where
cleaning is complete when the following issues are
only mopping doesn’t suffice. It can scrub stubborn and
tackled −
sticky stains on the floors of cafeterias, restaurants,
lobbies, and fitness areas where people can take food and • Soil containment
beverages. • Vacuuming
Cleaning Agents or Chemicals • Spotting
• Interim cleaning
Part from water and regular detergents, the housekeeping staff • Restorative cleaning
also uses cleaning chemicals, which are often available in the form • Carpet cleaning chemicals are often low-
of liquids, blocks, and powders. moisture, fast-drying cleaners that take care of
the above said issues effectively
1. Water − It is the most commonly used medium for
cleaning and rinsing. The housekeeping staff needs to use
only soft water because hard water cannot dilute
detergents properly. Non-oily and non-greasy stains such
as ink stains can be removed using water.

2. Vinegar − It is used in removing light stains in the bath.

3. All-purpose cleaners – can be used for different

cleaning tasks in and around the house, such as cleaning
floors, windows and mirrors. They are suitable for light
cleaning activities. Consumers place high demands on
all-purpose cleaners (Falbe, 1997): High cleaning
performance.

4. Bathroom Cleaners − They come in liquid form for

easy cleaning. They clean, descale, and disinfect the
bathroom walls, bathtubs, bathroom flooring, sinks, and
showers. They often contain phosphoric acid.
Week 2.3 – Proper Loading and Arrangement Of The Week 3 – Housekeeping Department
Housekeeping Trolley and Utility Cart
• The housekeeping department, in any hotel business,
Maid’s Cart or Trolley contributes to major amount of profit though it is
considered as an ancillary service. The simple reason
Used to stock a given number of linen, equipment and supplies to being a customer demands a clean, tidy, and pleasing
service an alloted number of rooms ambience.
Arrangement of Articles in Maid’s Cart • Housekeeping generates the first impression on a guest’s
mind. The housekeeping efforts clearly show how the
hotel will take care of its guests.

Housekeeping

Housekeeping means performing all the duties towards cleaning,

maintaining orderliness, and running a house or a business
property. In case of hotels, the housekeeping duties involve
maintaining the hotel to the best possible state in terms of
cleanliness and keeping it at highly desirable ambience.

Types of Housekeeping

1. Domestic housekeeping – includes housekeeping services

or maintenance done at home.

2. Institutional Housekeeping – on other hand includes

housekeeping services applied to commercial establishments like
Hotels, Resorts, Inn and even Hospital.
• Lower shelf – carries heavier items like bed pad, bed
sheets and bed spread Objectives of Hotel Housekeeping
• Middle and top shelf – pillow slips and bath linen
• Top tray – guest supplies such as matches, laundry bags • To maintain overall cleanliness of the entire hotel at all times.
and forms, sewing kits, ball pen, guest stationary, soaps, • To perform cleanliness duties most efficiently and effectively.
shampoo bottles, toilet tissue and tissue rolls and shower • To use good quality, safe cleaning equipment and chemicals.
caps among others. Cleaning agents can also be found • To manage laundry and linen.
here for easy access. • To control pests.
• To keep up the hotel with classy interior decoration.
Arranging Public Area Trolley • To take care of the furniture, fittings, and fixtures of the entire
hotel.
• To understand the expanse or scope of housekeeping, it is
better to understand the divisions of hotel a hotel, first.

Areas in the Housekeeping Department

The layout of the housekeeping department depends on the total

number of Guestrooms, Outlets, and Required Staff. The following
areas of the department are the most prominent ones −

1. Office of the Executive Housekeeper − The

administrative work of the department is carried out here.
2. Housekeeping Control Desk − It is accessible and
operational 24 hours a day. The housekeeping staff reports at
the start and end of the shift here. There are notice boards,
storage shelves, registers, lost and found cupboard, and key-
hanger matrix.
3. Laundry Area − Washing, ironing, dry cleaning, folding of
linen and staff uniform takes place here.
4. Linen Room − Here, the linen of the hotel such as bedsheets,
Cleaning Equipment are placed below the trash bag in stocking the towels, pillow cases, etc., are stored, collected, and carried to
cart, pointer are to be followed such as: the required places in the hotel.
5. Uniform Room − The staff uniforms are collected, stored,
a. Keep cart and caddy tidy and distributed from here.
6. Tailor Room − Here, stitching and repairing of linen and
b. Place supplies in designated areas on cart uniforms takes place.
7. Housekeeping Stores − It is a storage area where the
c. Do not overload cart
cleaning equipment and items, and guest supplies are securely
d. Ensure adequate supplies are on cart and in caddy stored.
8. Lost and found − stores all the items left by the guests. It
e. Restock cart and caddy at end of shift in order to prepare for next directly communicates with the front office desk, as there the
day or shift. guests tend to first enquire about their lost articles.

Areas of Responsibility

The housekeeping department is responsible to keep the following

areas clean and tidy.

• Guest Room • Conference Halls

• Guest Bathrooms • Hotel Parking Area
• Lobby • Sales and Admin Offices
• Lifts • Garden
• Banquets

Purpose of Cleaning

Cleaning is one of the major tasks the housekeeping force

performs. It carries out cleanings when the guests are about to
occupy their room, while they are staying in the hotel, and
immediately after the guests vacate the room. The housekeeping
also cleans the public area, which is often shared by a large number
of guests.
Organizational Structure of Housekeeping Department 3. Operating Staff/Attendants
a) Uniform Room Attendant
• Collecting uniforms of staff at the end of every shift
and maintaining
• them to be used for the next time.
• Maintaining the shelves of uniforms and linens
clearly.
• Giving and taking back the uniforms from the staff.
b) Linen Room Attendant
• Segregating the dirty linen according to its type and
sending it to the laundry.
• Keeping the track of linen count before and after
laundry.
• Stacking towels, bed sheets, pillowcases, table
napkins separately into different sections of shelves.
c) Guest Room Attendant
There is a huge workload on the hotel housekeeping staff. The
• Reporting to the floor supervisor.
housekeeping work is carried out at various levels such as
• Cleaning the guest rooms, guest bathrooms, and the
managerial level, supervisory level, and operational level. Let us
corridors.
see more about the staff and qualities they should possess.
• Changing the linen of the guest room and guest
1. Executive Housekeeper bathrooms.
The Executive Manager is the chief of housekeeping • Topping up the guest supplies.
department. The Deputy Housekeeper and Assistant Manager • Making guest-room beds.
of Housekeeping report to him. Their responsibilities include • Replenishing the hotel cleaner’s trolley with supplies
• Ensuring overall cleanliness and aesthetics of the hotel. and linens for the next shift staff.
• Ensuring overall sanitation, comfort, and ambience of d) Storekeeper
the hotel. • Reporting to the floor supervisor.
• Training the new joiners and motivate the existing • Keeping the count of cleaning equipment and items
employees. such as cleaners and detergents.
• Modelling and establishing Standard Operating • Generating requisition to purchase the required
Procedures (SOPs) for cleaning and decorating. material.
• Monitoring regular inventory of guest supplies and e) Public Area Attendants
linen. • Reporting to public area supervisor.
• Monitoring housekeeping equipment and hotel • Keeping the parking, lobbies, guest rooms, lifts, and
property. corridors in best maintained status.
• Evaluating employee performance, and handling their • Keeping these areas smelling fresh and clean.
training, promotions, and transfers. f) Night Shift Attendants
• Organize flower arrangements for events. • Reporting any hotel safety issues to the night
• Presenting the estimate of the required budget to the supervisor.
General Manager of the hotel. • Performing housekeeping duties during night.
2. Supervisors of Housekeeping
Qualities of Housekeeping Staff
The supervisors report to the Assistant Housekeeper. Their
positions and their respective responsibilities include There are certain professional qualities the housekeeping staff is
required to possess
a) Floor Supervisor
• Issuing keys to the room attendants. Personal Hygiene and Appearance
• Coordinating floor operations and tray clearance The housekeeping staff on duty must −
with room attendants.
• Inspecting rooms for readiness and reporting to the a) Be well-groomed with high degree of personal hygiene.
front office for the same. b) Have trimmed nails and hair, and clean uniform.
• Catering for VIP facilities and providing special c) Have a clean and pleasant appearance.
supplies such as hot drinking water, baby-sitting
provision. Communications skills
b) Public Area Supervisor
The housekeeping staff must −
• Ensuring that cleanliness is maintained at all times
in public areas such as lobby, lifts, parking, a) Conduct themselves with a cooperative attitude.
swimming pool, coffee shop, conference hall, b) Speak in a friendly but sincere tone.
banquet hall, and restaurant. c) Speak clearly in audible voice of moderate pitch.
• Ensuring banquet and conference halls are well kept d) Maintain polite eye contact while interacting with the
and ready. hotel guests.
• Ensuring the concerned operating staff is available
as per the schedule. Interpersonal skills
c) Night Supervisor
a) For serving the guest and working for cleanliness, the
• Ensuring provision of guest supplies such as water,
housekeeping
extra bed, fans, or towels.
b) staff must
• Ensuring the operating staff working at night is
c) Possess right attitude.
following all cleaning SOPs.
d) Have good listening skills to avoid any
• Supervising hotel area at night and ensuring
miscommunication.
cleanliness in all areas of hotel.
e) Be a good team player.
d) Uniform Room Supervisor
• Providing clean, ironed, and fresh uniforms to the Personal skills and Traits
hotel staff.
• Suggesting procurement of any uniforms required. a) The housekeeping staff must −
• Checking repaired linen from tailor room. b) Be able to retain and pursue the demand of the guest until
• Keeping track of number and condition of uniforms. it is fulfilled.
e) Linen Room Supervisor c) Be sincere and physically fit.
• Inspecting linen and sending it to the laundry. d) Respect each hotel guest they are dealing with. They must
• Checking linen from laundry and sending it for conduct themselves confidently and courteously.
ironing. e) Have high integrity.
• Maintaining linen influx and out flux register.
• Checking repaired linen from tailor room.
• Suggesting linen replacements if required.
Rules for Housekeepers To ensure your establishment is clean, tidy and inviting for Guests
you have to fulfil certain duties in the housekeeping department.
Working towards keeping the hotel at high standards plus
conducting themselves well while on job. There are certain rules A. Prepare the Cart
the housekeepers need to follow.
For starters, just to meet Guests' expectations, you need to
The housekeepers must − complete certain duties.

• Enter the floor with clean and tidy uniform, in a properly Your first duty as a room attendant is to be sure that your cart has
groomed manner. the correct amount of supplies to replenish all of the relevant
• Only use the service lifts. areas.
• Speak to the other working staff only when necessary.
• Not walk by stamping the feet, run, or jump in the hotel B. Stripping the Room
premises. This task is done when a Guest checks out prior to a new guest
• Eat only in meal hours, not while cleaning. checking in.
• Stand outside the guest room while speaking to the guest
to respect their privacy. C. Remove the Garbage
• Always keep the room doors open while cleaning.
• Greet the guests with smile according to the time of the Most hotel rooms have at least two garbage cans in them
day. One in the bathroom and one in the main room.
• Never answer the guest room phone.
• Never use guest room phone of floor desk phones for D. Make the Beds
making private calls.
• Never use guest bathrooms. The bed linens should be removed and replaced each day, unless
• Familiarize themselves with the faces of guests. This is otherwise specified by the Guests.
especially
E. Clean the Bathroom
• important for the security purpose.
• Never use a guest room for unauthorized person. The bathroom will probably get the most attention of any area in
• Not accept any gift from the guests and politely deny the hotel room.
them. If the guest insists to take and feels offended on
denial, then mention the gift to the floor supervisor who A clean bathroom is essential to avoid germs and keep the hotel
can permit the attendant to take the gift out of the hotel. room healthy.

Weeks 4 to 5– Room Attendant’s Role F. Vacuum and Dusting

Room Attendant The room must be vacuumed and all items in the room should be
wiped down and cleaned until they are spotless.
To be a room attendant, you need certain skills, such as the ability
to work independently and as part of a team, strong The room must be vacuumed and all items in the room should be
communications skills, good organisational skills, a good eye for wiped down and cleaned until they are spotless
detail, the ability to cope with a crisis and make decisions, and let's
G. Finishing Touches
not forget the fitness required for turning a mattress.
Check the finer details to ensure the room is perfect.
Most of your Guests spend more than 50% of their stav in their
rooms.

So they expect clean, attractive, comfortable and welcoming Hotel housekeeping duties are simple and straightforward, but
surroundings that offer value for money. and function areas. there are many of them and you' have to complete them in such a
short space of time.
Not to mention maintenance of the establishment's linen and
laundry.

As a Room attendant, you are responsible for preparing several

elements of an establishment:

• the Guest room

• the public areas
• back of house areas

PREPARATION - Health, Hygiene and Safety

As a room attendant, you are responsible for many of the health,

hygiene and safety requirements at your establishment.

The best way to stay healthy is by ensuring hygienic and safe

conditions at all times at your establishment.

Hygiene

• Using strong chemicals or even just normal cleaning

agents, is a good way to kill various harmful germs that
people leave behind and will ensure that you maintain an
excellent level of hygiene.
• Remember to rinse all surfaces and areas properly so that
no one can come into contact with those cleaning agents
and chemicals that you use.

Safety

• Following your establishment's policies and procedures,

helps you to work in a safe environment, while providing
safety for your Guests.
• Study the health and safety standards at your
establishment to ensure you are prepared to deal with
emergencies and know how to employ good hygiene"
practices at all times!
• There is so much more to know about your role as a room
attendant when it comes to health and safety.