Housekeeping Department Overview

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Questions and Answers

What is a primary role of the housekeeping department?

Generate revenue through services

Manage hotel finances

Ensure guest comfort and cleanliness (correct)

Maintain customer relations

Which of the following is NOT a room status term used in housekeeping?

C/O

S/O

C/R (correct)

C/I

In terms of hotel organization, which department is classified as a support center?

Housekeeping (correct)

Front office

Retail shop

Food and Beverage

What is the role of the executive housekeeper in a hotel?

Supervise the housekeeping staff and maintain cleanliness Signup and view all the answers

Which best describes 'front-of-the-house' areas in a hotel?

Areas where employees interact directly with guests Signup and view all the answers

What does the acronym S/O stand for in housekeeping context?

Stay Over Signup and view all the answers

Which position typically reports directly to the executive housekeeper in a large hotel?

Deputy Housekeeper Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following represents a common mindset for a housekeeping staff member?

Prideful and caring towards guest experience Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary responsibility of the floor supervisor?

Control the state of the rooms Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following activities is NOT typically performed by a guestroom attendant?

Manage kitchen inventory Signup and view all the answers

What activity involves collecting work sheets and room status sheets every morning?

Housekeeping duties Signup and view all the answers

Which role is responsible for cleaning and maintaining lobbies and public restrooms?

Public area attendant Signup and view all the answers

What task is a houseman expected to perform?

Perform various cleaning tasks Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a responsibility of the guestroom attendant?

Train new staff Signup and view all the answers

Which task is primarily associated with the activities of a public area attendant?

Polish furniture and fixtures Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the key activities of the floor supervisor?

Improve working methods Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of a bed frame?

To provide support for the mattress Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following items is designed to support the head while sleeping?

Pillow Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary use of a duvet?

To cover and protect the bed Signup and view all the answers

What does a keycard lock primarily prevent?

Unauthorized access without a physical key Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a task typically performed in housekeeping duties?

Operates air conditioning systems Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of bed linen?

To cover and protect the mattress Signup and view all the answers

What is a mattress protection cover primarily used for?

To maintain the cleanliness of the mattress Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a component of a bedroom?

Fridge Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of a dresser?

To store clothes or other items Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes a suite in a hotel?

A set of rooms that may include a living room Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of a hanger?

To maintain the shape of clothes Signup and view all the answers

Which item is primarily used to cover floors?

Carpet Signup and view all the answers

What defines a twin room in a hotel?

A room with two separate beds Signup and view all the answers

What type of furniture is primarily used for sitting and often has arm supports?

Arm-chair Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a component of a bathroom as listed?

Hanger Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of a wastepaper basket?

To hold small quantities of rubbish Signup and view all the answers

What type of materials are considered caus c materials?

Very strong alkali materials Signup and view all the answers

For what purpose are solvent cleaners primarily used?

Stain removal and dry cleaning Signup and view all the answers

What should be done when using disinfectants?

Use in areas where harmful germs may exist Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary function of polishes?

To form a protective layer Signup and view all the answers

What can be a consequence of poor dilution of cleaners?

Costly consequences and dull surfaces Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following substances is used to counteract stale odors?

Deodorants Signup and view all the answers

What is advised when using cleaners, sanitizers, and pesticides in hotel operations?

To use biodegradable and eco-friendly products Signup and view all the answers

Abrasives are primarily used for which cleaning purpose?

Scratching and rubbing away dirt Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Housekeeping Department Role and Organization

Housekeeping's primary role: To create a "home away from home" experience for guests.
Key responsibilities: Cleanliness, hygiene, comfort (guests and employees), aesthetics, and excellent service.
Essential mindset: Pride, care, and dedication to the guest experience.
"WOW" moments: Don't have to be extravagant, but should reflect a commitment to exceeding guest expectations.
Room status vocabulary:
- C/O (Check Out): Guest has left the room.
- C/I (Check In): Guest has arrived and is occupying the room.
- S/O (Stay Over): Guest is extending their stay for at least one more night.
Front of the house vs. Back of the house:
- Front of the house: Areas where employees interact directly with guests (e.g., reception, restaurants).
- Back of the house: Areas with limited or no guest interaction (e.g., kitchens, laundry).
Revenue center vs. Support center:
- Revenue center: Generates income by selling goods and services to guests (e.g., restaurants, spa).
- Support center: Provides essential support to revenue centers but does not generate direct income (e.g., accounting, human resources).

Housekeeping Organizational Chart and Job Descriptions

Housekeeping hierarchy:
- Small hotels: General manager > Executive housekeeper > Housekeeper.
- Large 5-star hotels: Executive housekeeper > Deputy housekeeper > Assistant housekeeper > Staff.
- Mid-size 3-star hotels: Executive housekeeper > Laundry attendant/Rooms attendants/Housepersons.
- General hierarchy: Housekeeping manager > Supervisor > Public Area/Room attendants/House attendants.
Executive Housekeeper:
- Status: Member of management, head of the room division or general manager.
- Responsibilities: Oversees the entire housekeeping department, including staff, general upkeep of specified areas, equipment, linen, and furnishings.
- Operational activities: Room maintenance, linen management, public area maintenance.
- Administrative activities: Management, human resource, purchasing, and commercial operations.
Floor Supervisor:
- Responsibility: Manages and coordinates staff on their assigned floor/sector, controls room conditions and quality standards.
- Mission: Assigns daily tasks to room attendants.
- Activities: Communicates with the executive housekeeper and reception, improves work methods, trains new staff, controls attendants' work, provides necessary materials, and interacts with guests.
Guestroom Attendant/Valet:
- Responsibility: Maintains the cleanliness of guest rooms, bathrooms, public areas, and other designated areas.
- Activities: Turndown service, finds objects to be given to the porter or managed by the executive housekeeper, counts and sorts laundry, prepares the necessary materials on the housekeeping trolley, reviews the minibar, reports any breakage or damage, reports technical issues, collects worksheets and room status sheets daily, reports to the housekeeper when rooms are clean, ensures guest departures are smooth, improves guest comfort (e.g., providing extra pillows), monitors corridors, prepares VIP rooms, documents disappearances or anomalies.
Public Area Attendant:
- Responsibilities: Maintains cleanliness and order in all lobbies and public facilities (e.g., lobby restrooms, telephone areas, front desk, offices).
- Activities: Cleans and maintains lobbies and public restrooms, sweeps floors and carpets, empties ashtrays and rubbish bins, polishes furniture and fixtures, vacuums and polishes elevators, keeps the hotel entrance free of trash.
Houseman:
- Responsibilities: Performs a variety of tasks to ensure the cleanliness and orderliness of guest rooms, work areas, and the entire hotel premises.
- Activities: Assists room attendants with difficult tasks, cleans rugs, carpets, and upholstered furniture using a vacuum cleaner, broom, and shampoo machine, cleans hallways and restrooms, washes walls and ceilings, moves and arranges furniture, turns mattresses, sweeps, mops, scrubs, waxes, and polishes floors, dusts and polishes metal work, collects soiled linen for laundry, receives and stores linen supplies in floor linen closets, manages housekeeping carts, and removes trash collected by housekeepers.

Components of a Guest Room

Bedroom vocabulary: Bed, bed frame, bed base, headboard, bed runner, pillow, duvet, mattress protector, bed linen, door, window, lock, keycard lock, air conditioner, lamp, light bulb, curtains, sheer curtains, dresser, carpet, picture, wardrobe, hanger, safe, mini-bar, telephone, television, chair, armchair, sofa, table, wastepaper basket, luggage rack, single room, double room, twin room, suite.
Bathroom vocabulary: Sink, toilet, bath, shower, mirror, towel rail, soap dish, shower gel dispenser, shampoo dispenser, bath mat, trash can, hairdryer, toothbrush holder, shaving kit, toilet brush, bathrobe, shower curtain.

Cleaning Products and Their Applications

Caustic materials: Very strong alkali materials that are corrosive and poisonous, used for cleaning under strict supervision and with protective gear.
Solvent cleaners: Used for dry cleaning and stain removal, have strong fumes and should be used in well-ventilated rooms, effective for cleaning grease, oil, residue, coatings, or polish/paint from various surfaces.
Disinfectants: Used in areas where harmful germs are likely to exist, kill microorganisms, used in recommended amounts for germ control.
Deodorants: Disguise bad smells.
Air fresheners: Counteract stale odors with a fragrance-like scent, used in guest rooms, bathrooms, and public areas, available in liquids, powders, and crystalline blocks.
Polishes: Applied to surfaces to create a protective layer, guard against finger marks, stains, and scratches, create a pleasant shine.
Abrasives: Cleaning agents that rely on rubbing or scratching action to remove dirt from hard surfaces, used for very stubborn stains on various surfaces.
Dilutions: Proper dilution of cleaners is essential, overdosing can be costly, product effectiveness decreases, and surfaces can become dull or sticky.
Eco-friendly detergents: Use biodegradable and eco-friendly cleaning and laundry products.
Environmentally conscious practices: Use non-toxic cleaners, sanitizers, paints, pesticides, etc., throughout the hotel.

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Description

Explore the essential role and organization of the housekeeping department in hospitality. Understand key responsibilities, room status vocabulary, and the differences between front and back of the house operations. This quiz will test your knowledge of how housekeeping contributes to creating a welcoming guest experience.