Portfolio: Hotel Organization Report (Assessment)

The Duties of Executive Housekeepers

The Housekeeping Department’s major function is to create a kind of “home away from home” for their guests. (Andrews 2001) The General Manager controls any possible hotel operations; and when a consumer reproves the accommodation, the General Manager has to analyze the duties of the Executive Housekeeper and suggest some steps to improve the services. The Executive Housekeeper should be responsible for lots of duties concerning the housekeeping operations and different levels of cleanliness in the hotel:

• Inter-Department Communications improve the services and their effectiveness, as the decisions, made within a department, may certainly influence the work of other departments, this is why it is necessary to discuss all the changes to achieve the desirable results.
• Staff Training allows defining the functions of each department’s member and raising the effectiveness of their collective work.
• Staff Scheduling helps to save time and provide all the guests with the necessary services in time.
• The Control of the Work proves the significance of services presented. The housekeeping staff observes their executive’s attitude to his/her duties and tries to follow this example.
• Communication provides a person with a chance to learn the preferences of the consumers and meet them all the time.
• Completion of Financial Management Tasks lies in setting a budget and its adhering.
• Hiring and skills’ evaluation should be renewed systematically.
• Coordination of inspection will certainly ensure the meeting of all the standards.
• Awareness about the seasons’ preferences helps to create the desirable atmosphere and please the guests.
• Being a friend to each consumer and being a boss to each worker is not less important duty any Executive Housekeeper should fulfill.

Needs for Female Business Travelers

“Female business travelers represent an increasing segment of the corporate travel market… Their travel is affected by energy prices and speedy communication.” (Bardi 2006)

This is why this particular segment needs to be analyzed deeper in order to take the leading positions in this kind of market, fulfill such special needs, and attract the attention of female consumers. Of course, lots of people have already tried to find the answer to the question of what any woman wants. Some people achieved a bit the desirable goal, and some of them are still trying.

Without any doubts, each woman, who stays at the hotel, wants to see a clean room, fully functional bathroom (with both a shower and a bath), comfortable bed, and nice environment. However, there are some other needs, the hotel manager should remember about. For example, any business lady wants to relax after her working day, this is why a full bar and LCD TV set with different channels – are one of the first things that can make a woman happier.

Also, it is possible to provide a female business traveler with all the necessary in-room spa and manicure services, a DVD with yoga training and other important things for yoga. To attract the attention of women, it is better to present healthy food and drinks, as lots of women try to feed up properly even at work. Of course, the last point that also plays a significant role is service personnel: each attendant should look nice and friendly and not bother a guest.

Strategies to Identify the Needs and Wants of the Customers

To achieve high results in the hotel industry, it is necessary to identify the needs and wants of the consumers. “A key part of marketing a hotel to the guest requires an understanding of the needs, wants, and demands of the potential and returning guest.” (Lockyer 2007) It is necessary underline that any activity, used by the hotel, pursues the same goal – to learn more about the quest and make him/her to become a constant client in the hotel.

One of the strategies any hotel prefers to use is an oral survey. The biggest advantage of this strategy is the ability to observe and analyze the emotions of the consumers after each question. However, not every client has enough time to answer all the necessary questions. This is why it is better to use another way – questions in the written form. When a guest is alone in his/her room, he/she can easily find the time and answer the questions.

The use of illustrative examples and useful information about the hotel will arouse the interest to read more and become a part of the hotel. Such strategy is rather good, because the results of these surveys can be kept for any period of time and may be thoroughly analyzed. However, not every hotel provides really interesting brochures with the questions for their guests. This is why lots of people just do not notice them or find then uninteresting to pay attention to.

It is also possible to present programs for the clients. If people are interested or just want to entertain a bit, they get such a chance, and the hotel realizes what can really be important for its guests. Of course, such strategy requires the participation of many people and a deep analysis of clients’ behavior; however, the results will certain please the customers and managers.

10 Typical Security Risks in the Hotels

Security risks are something that people cannot avoid during their lives. Hotel business also faces numerous problems because of security risks and always tries to find the possible ways out to provide the clients with safe and comfortable services. There is a list of the most typical security risks and the ideas of how to minimize them in hotels:

• Theft is one of the problems, which disturb lots of people. In order to decrease the cases of theft, it is better to pay more attention face control and do not let in people, who do not use the services of the hotel. Also, video watching may help in case every minute someone watch the events.
• Fires may cause unbelievable damage to the clients and the hotel itself. This is why a list with all significant measures should be at each room and be attached to the door.
• Open parking is another problem of many hotels. Numerous activities inside are under deep control, this is why “open to the public” parking may cause another loss to the guest and hotel staff. (Fallon 2006)
• Terrorist attacks are not very frequent, but still, they may happen. This is why the hotel should have enough security guards to make an attempt and prevent the attack.
• Computer hackers can easily make use of the naivety of the hotel clients. Their skills are really great, this is why it is better to check each your bill and be sure for what you pay.
• Earthquakes may disturb any person any time, this is why it is better to inform the clients about the obligatory steps to take during such occasions.
• Workplace violence is another security risk that worth attention. To avoid it, the managers should check the physical and psychological condition of every worker.
• Floods may be caused by human inattentiveness, this is why the staff should keep an eye on those, who leave their apartments and check water everywhere.
• Living conditions may cause another problem for the clients. The managers should check the way cleaners do their job.
• Drink people can create dangerous situations for the rest, this is why it is better to limit the number of drinks in each room.

List of Methods to Restrict the Entry of Soil into Hotels

Lots of people do not pay enough attention to soil they may bring to the hotel and deprive themselves from the opportunity to breath fresh air. Specially, it concerns food and beverage department. These departments are responsible for proper products and their conditions before they will be served. It is crucially important to follow all the significant rules of hygiene. There are several methods to minimize the presence of soil in hotel rooms and working places:

• People can change their footwear to more comfortable and cleaner;
• Rooms need to be cleaned up systematically;
• Security guards should remind people about the necessity to enter with clean footwear;
• Near each door to the room, where people spend much time, it is necessary to put the notes and ask them to keep the rooms clean.

If people neglect such simple rules and warnings, they may catch cold or even cause bad conditions of the people around. In order to spend good time in hotels, it is better to remember about such simple rules and provide everyone with the opportunity to relax.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is a pieces of legislation created by the United Kingdom and covers occupational health and safety at workplaces. This act specifies “the role and responsibilities of the employer as the person who decides and controls what goes on in the workplace, but it does not forget that employees also have a contribution to make.” (Ridley 2008) In the second section, the employers’ duties are presented.

First, they have to maintain the systems, which do not cause any risk to health, and present the necessary information and instructions to train the employees work in safe conditions. All employers should also provide their workers with proper working environment so that everyone can work without risks to health. In their turn, the duties of every employee lie in their care for safety and health of themselves and the people they work with.

It is crucially important to know how exactly the actions of one person may influence the other and be sure that negative consequences will not take place. One of the major employees’ duties according to this law is an obligatory cooperation with their employers. This cooperation will not only help to define safe working conditions, but also provide them with more chances to increase the effectiveness of the work.

It is known that employers have to “provide training and information about health and safety and make sure that accidents don’t happen because of incorrect handling, storage or transportation within the workplace.” (Ross, 2008)

However, nowadays, employers are hardly aware of all the necessary measures to take, and they ask professionals to help and explain everything. This is why all employers should better revise their duties and correspond to each of them to provide their employees with proper working conditions, and their consumers with good services.

Damage to Linen in the Food and Beverage Department

Food and Beverage Department aims to provide consumers with healthy food for their needs. It is necessary to admit that all food has to be prepared hygienically and served on clean tables. After guests have their meals, it is necessary to clean everything up: food and beverage items, table shirts, and linens.

However, it is noticed that lots of linen may be damaged or even missing. The reasons of why linen is missing turns out to be quite clear: people may considerably damage the linen and its recovering is impossible. In such cases, linens are thrown without any informing.

Such attitude to hotel properties is not appropriate, and people, who cause any kind of damage should be punished somehow. The cases of staling linen at hotels are also known: sometimes, it is just another habit of the consumer (kleptomaniacs), and sometimes, it is servants’ desire to have such exclusive linen at home. Poor worker can easily steal some trifles for their working place and hope that such kind of theft will not be noticed.

Reference List

Andrews 2001, Hotel Housekeeping Training Manual, Tata McGraw-Hill.

Bardi, JA 2006, Hotel Front Office Management, John Wiley and Sons.

Lockyer, TLG 2007, The International Hotel Industry: Sustainable Management, Haworth Press.

Ridley, J 2008, Health and Safety in Brief, Butterworth-Heinemann.

Ross, J 2008, Occupational Therapy and Vocational Rehabilitation, Wiley-Interscience.

Rutherford DG and Fallon MJ 2006, Hotel Management and Operations, John Wiley and Sons.