organization chart of housekeeping department

                                                                            UNIT- 2       

Organisation Chart Of The Housekeeping Department

(A.)Hierarchy in small,Medium & Large hotels.

B. IDENTIFYING HOUSEKEEPING RESPONSIBILITIES:-

(a) Achieve the maximum possible efficiency in ensuring the care and comfort of guests and in smooth running of the department

(b)Establish a welcoming atmosphere and ensure courteous , reliable service from all staff of department.

(c) Ensure a high standard of cleanliness and up keep  in all areas for which department is responsible.

(d) Provide linen and maintain an inventory for same.

(e) Provide uniform for all staff and maintain adequate interior to the same

(f) Cater to the laundry requirements

(g) Provide and maintain floral decorations

(h) Coordinate renovation and refurnishing of the property

(i) Coordinate with purchase department for purchasing

(j) Deal with lost and found articles

(k) Establish a good working relationship with other departments

(l) Keep the general manager informed of all matters requiring attention

C.  PERSONALITY TRAITS OF HOUSEKEEPING MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL:

The housekeeping department in a hotel may have the largest work force. Being a service industry, the personal projection of staff to guest enhances the image of the hotel.

·        PLEASANT PERSONALITY:

                          A pleasant personality is the result of good grooming and good presentation in front of guests. It is good to remember that your last look in the mirror will be the guests first look. Hair must always be clean and in case of long hair, should be tied up. It should always be remembered that a ready smile on the face wins many a battle.

·        PHYSICAL FITNESS:

                           Housekeeping is a busy operation and staff work long hours on their feet. Hence, physical fitness is a must to cope with the nature of this work. It is said that ideal housekeeping staff should possess a “strong heart and good feet”.

·        PERSONAL HYGIENCE:

         Elements of personal hygiene include:

·         Good and healthy habits.

·         Cleanliness of skin.

·         Cleanliness of hair, eyes, ears, nose etc.

·         Cleanliness of nails and fingers.

·         Cleanliness of clothes and footwear.

·         Any infection should be reported and attended to immediately.

·         Cuts and burns should be covered with correct dressing.

·        EYE FOR DETAIL:

                             Housekeeping staff must be able to take into consideration minute details that a layman may let go unobserved. The whole property must be scrutinized by housekeeping department for proper care and maintenance.

·        COOPERATION:

                              Housekeeping staff must cooperate not only with each other but also with staff of other departments. This is essential since housekeeping involves  a lot of team work for efficient functioning.

·        ADAPTABILITY:

                              Housekeeping staff should be willing to try out and experiment with new ideas. The staff should accept and adapt to change willingly and should welcome such innovations.

·        HONESTY:

                               Housekeeping staff has direct access to guest rooms. Guest belongings are often lying around the room and temptations are great. If there is a trust and respect across the staff, guests and management, then there will be a work atmosphere that encourages efficiency and a good team spirit.

·        TACT AND DIPLOMACY:

                                 Housekeeping staff come into close contact with various kinds of guests. Some guests may make unusual requests or complaints. Staff need to trained in handling guests who make unusual requests.

·        RIGHT ATTITUDE:

                                  Most managers agree that a candidate with right attitude is more of an asset to them than a candidate who has skills but wrong attitude. They learn from their mistakes and are always optimistic.

·          CALM DEMEANOUR:

                                  Housekeeping staff may be faced with various kinds of emergency situations and it is necessary that they remain calm so as to do their best in coping with the problem in hand.

·          COURTESY:

                                   A housekeeping employee should extend courtesy to both guests and colleagues. It is essential that while dealing with guests, the staff should be humble and polite.

·          PUNCTUALITY:

                                 This is very important respect for time during working hours will reflect on the employee work and help to create an impression worthy of appreciation.

·          GOOD MEMORY:

                                  This is an essential asset in housekeeping staff when dealing with regular guests and repeat customers.

·         LOYALTY:

                                   An employee’s first obligation and loyalty are to the establishment in which they are employed and to its management. They should respect their policies and decisions of the management.

D. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF HOUSEKEEPING STAFF:

         (1) EXECUTIVE HOUSEKEEPER:

                                                 The executive housekeeper reports to general manager, or resident manager or room division manager. She/he is responsible for total cleanliness and upkeep of the hotel.

·         Organize, supervise and coordinate the work of housekeeping personnel on a day to day basis.

·         Ensure excellence in housekeeping sanitation, safety, comfort and aesthetics for hotel guests.

·         Draw up duty rosters and supervise the discipline and conduct of staff.

·         Assure proper communication within the department by conducting regular meetings with personnel.

·         Counsel employees on various duties and on work related issues.

·         Motivate her staff and keep their moral high.

·         Establish and maintain standard operating procedures for cleaning and to initiate new procedures to increase efficiency of labour and product use.

·         Search constantly for and test new techniques and products.

·         Organize maintenance and repair of guestrooms.

·         Deal with articles that a guest may have left behind in a room.

·         Ensure the provision of proper uniforms for hotel staff.

·         Ensure observance of hygiene and safety precautions.

·         Organize and supervise on the job and off the job training of staff.

·         Coordinate with maintenance and other departments.

·          Inspect and approve all supply requisitions for the department.

·         Check the reports filed and registers maintained.

·         Maintain a time logbook for all employees within the department.

·         Be responsible for redecoration and refurbishing of rooms etc.

·         Provide a budget to the management and undertake budget control and forecasting.

    

            (2) DEPUTY HOUSEKEEPER:        The deputy housekeeper reports to the executive housekeeper or the director of housekeeping.

·         Check and ensure that all guestrooms, public areas and back of the house areas are clean and well maintained.

·         Inspect the work done by contractors.

·         Prepare staff schedules and duty rosters.

·         Ensure stock taking and maintaining of stock records.

·         Provide necessary information to and assist executive housekeeper in staff appraisal, disciplining, termination and promotion.

·         Develop and implement training programmes within the housekeeping department in consultation with executive housekeeper.

·         Assist the executive housekeeper in forecasting and budgeting for operating and capital expenditures.

   (3) ASSISTANT HOUSEKEEPER: {Housekeeping Manager}

                                                  The assistant housekeeper usually report the executive housekeeper or deputy housekeeper.

·         Responsible for efficient and orderly management of cleaning, servicing and repairing of guestrooms.

·         Responsible for hotel linen and check its movements and its distribution to room attendants.

·         Keep the inventory of all housekeeping supplies and check it regularly.

·         Assist the room attendants in their works.

·         Provide the front office with a list of rooms ready for allotment to guests.

·         Organize the flower arrangements.

·         Arrange the training of staff and substitute for executive housekeeper in case of his absence.

·         Update records book, registers and files.

·         Compile the maid’s roster.

·         Check the VIP and out of order rooms.

    (4) FLOOR SUPERVISORS:

                                               The floor housekeeper reports to the assistant housekeeper and executive housekeeper.

·         Supervise the handling over to soiled linen to the laundry and the requisitioning of fresh ones from housekeeping.

·         Ensure supply to equipment and maintenance and cleaning supplies to floors and public areas.

·         Issue floor key to room attendants.

·         Supervise spring cleaning.

·         Report on maintenance work on his/her floor.

·         Coordinate with room service for clearance.

·         Maintain par stock for respective floors.

·         Coordinate with front office.

·         Report any safety or security hazard to security department.

·         Check on scanty baggage.

·         Prepare housekeeping status reports.

·         Supervise cleaning on allotted floors.

·         Report on standards of individual staff performance.

  (5) PUBLIC AREA SUPERVISOR:

                                               Public area supervisor reports to assistant housekeeper.

·         Ensure that all public areas and other functional areas are kept clean at all times.

·         Organize special cleaning of public areas.

·         Ensure that all maintenance jobs are attended to in coordination with maintenance department.

·         Ensure that flower arrangements are placed In appropriate places in public areas.

·         Ensure that banquet halls and conference halls are kept ready for functions and conferences.

   (6) NIGHT SUPERVISIOR:

                                                The night supervisor reports to the assistant housekeeper.

·         Ensure that all public areas are thoroughly cleaned at night which is the only time when traffic is low.

·         Clear departure rooms to front office if necessary.

·         Plan the order of work according to priority and direct staff accordingly.

·         Make sure that departure rooms are serviced and made ready as soon as possible in order that reception may re-let at any time.

·         Organize special cleaning of rooms.

·         Anticipate guest requirements at all times.

·         See that all lost and found articles are deposited with control desk.

·         Ensure the submission of room attendant reports and room status report.

·         Training of staff.

·         Report safety and security hazards.

  (7) EVENING SHIFT SUPERVISIOR:

·         Check all log entries and ensure they are followed up.

·         Ensure all keys are deposited back before taking over the shift.

·         Ensure cleaning of rooms that were not serviced in the morning.

·         Ensure that turndown service is carried out for all rooms.

·         Ensure public areas are kept clean at all times.

   (8) LINEN ROOM SUPERVISIOR:

·         Be responsible for entire hotel linen.

·         Send dirty linen to laundry after checking them one by one.

·         Check laundered linen.

·         Hand out linen to various departments.

·         Maintain register of linen movements.

·         Supervise the work of linen attendants and tailors.

·         Make suggestions relating to replacement purchases.

  (9) UNIFORM ROOM SUPERVISOR:

·         Be responsible for providing clean uniform to staff of hotel.

·         Set the budget for the procurement of additional material for staff uniforms.

  (10) LINEN ROOM ATTENDANT:

·         Be responsible for sorting of linen.

·         Issue clean linen or clean for spoiled basis.

·         Place soiled linen and send them to laundry.

·         Shelve laundered linen after verifying the number and type of articles.

·         Send torn articles to seamstress for repair.

·         Maintain proper records of discards and determine percentage of discards.

   (11) UNIFORM ROOM ATTENDANT:

·         Issue clean uniforms while receiving soiled ones.

·         Send soiled uniforms for washing.

·         Send torn uniforms to seamstress.

·         Keep count of uniforms.

·         Shelve laundered uniforms.

    (12) STORE KEEPER:

·         Control stock of equipments.

·         Store cleaning materials and agents.

·         Issue equipments and agents.

·         Coordination with purchase department for purchasing.

    (13) CONTROL DESK SUPERVISOR:

·         Coordinate with front office for information regarding departure rooms.

·         Receive complaints on maintenance and housekeeping.

·         Maintain registers at control desk.

·         Receive special requests from guests.

·         Attend to all phone calls.

·         Responsible for keys movement in housekeeping department.

(14) GUESTROOM ATTENDANTS:

·         Clean and tidy rooms as per standard.

·         Change guestroom linen.

·         Answer guest queries.

·         Provide turn down service.

·         Handover lost and found items.

·         Replenish maid’s cart.

(15)     HOUSEPERSONS:

·         Clean carpets.

·         Clean swimming pool.

·         Clean garden paths.

·         Clean out garbage.

·         Help room attendants.

·         Heavy cleaning of areas.

·         Clean hard-to-reach areas.

(16) TAILORS, SEAMSTRESS AND UPHOLSTER:

·         Mend all damaged linen using methods.

·         Mend damaged uniforms.

·         Stitching of linen.

·         Refurnish damaged upholstery.

·         Repair guest clothes.

(17)     CLOAKROOM ATTENDANT:

·         Maintain cloakrooms.

·         Take soiled towels to linen room for replacement.

(18) HORTICULTURIST:

·         Supervise maintenance of gardens.

·         Ensure supply of flowers.

(19) GARDENERS:

·         Dig landscaped areas and maintain them as per original concept.

·         Plant seeds and sapling.

·         Distribute manure and fertilizer.

·         Water garden areas.

·         Maintain garden tools.

(20) FLORIST:

·         Collect fresh flowers from gardeners.

·         Make flower arrangements.

·         Provide garlands and bouquets to hotel for guests.

·         Train assistant florist.

(21) LAUNDRY MANAGER:

·         He is responsible for entire functioning of the laundry and dry cleaning.

·         He must have organizational ability as well as technical knowledge of chemicals and their effect on fabric.

(22)     LAUNDRY ATTENDANTS:

·         Sorting of linen.

·         Load soiled linen into washing machines.

·         Keep laundry clean.

(23)    VALETS/RUNNERS:

·         Responsible for collecting soiled gssuest laundry and delivering fresh guest laundry.