Role
& Importance of Housekeeping in Hospitality Industry
2.1 Role &
Importance of Housekeeping in Hospitality Industry
The aim of all
Hotels or establishments that offer accommodation is to provide their customers
with clean, attractive, comfortable and welcoming surroundings that offer value
for money. Nothing sends a stronger message than cleanliness in a hospitality
industry. No level of service, friendliness or glamour can equal the sensation
a guest has upon entering a spotless, tidy and conveniently arranged room. Both
management and guest consider keeping the place clean and in good order as
necessity, for a hotel to command a fair price and to get repeated business.
A survey carried
out showed 63% travelers rated cleanliness and appearance as their first
priority in their choice of hotels. The housekeeping department takes pride in
keeping the hotel clean and comfortable so as to create a ‘home away from
home’. Good housekeeping is considered as the backbone of accommodation sector
as its main aim is to provide a clean comfortable, safe and aesthetically
appealing environment.
Housekeeping is
an operational department of the hotel. It is responsible for cleanliness,
maintenance, aesthetic upkeep of rooms, public areas, back areas and surroundings.
A hotel survives
on the sale of rooms, food, beverage, and other minor services like laundry,
health clubs, health spa, sightseeing, shopping arcades etc. The sale of rooms
constitutes a minimum of 50% of these sales.
Thus a major
part of hotels margin of profit comes from room sales because a room once made
can be sold over and over again. However, the days when the room remains unsold
there is a total loss of revenue. To this extent, rooms are more perishable
than food. The housekeeping budget typically accounts for 20% of the properties
total operating expenditure. The largest element of operating cost in the
housekeeping department is labor. The effort that the housekeeping department
makes in giving a guest a desirable room has a direct bearing on the guest
experience in the hotel.
Guest rooms are
the heart of the hotel. Unless the décor is appropriate, the air odor free,
furnishing and upholstery is spotlessly clean the hotel may lose a guest as a
potential customer. The housekeeping department not only prepares the clean
guestroom on a timely basis for the guests who are arriving but also cleans and
maintains everything in the hotel so that the property is fresh and attractive
as the day it opens for business. The housekeeping thus contributes in a big
way towards the overall reputation of a property. It is a 24 hour and 365 day
operation. Scientific housekeeping demands the employment of the most effective
cleaning materials and procedures, attention to purchasing the most suitable
linen supplies, maintenance of decorative area under the housekeeping
department and proper organization and supervision.
Other than
hotels, professional housekeeping service is very much in demand in hospitals,
cooperate buildings, airports, airlines, cruisers, banks, shopping arcade,
malls, multiplexes etc. Since most such organizations prefer to outsource these
functions, contract housekeeping is becoming a lucrative entrepreneurship
venture these days.
SUMIT MANWAL