Assignment II of housekeeping

Q1. What is an out of order room and how do we pack it?

Ans. Out of Order rooms
SOP Number: HK - 28 ( SOP serial number and department code )
Department: Housekeeping Guest Rooms
Date Issued: DATE THE DOCUMENT WAS CREATED.
Time to Train: 30 Minutes
In some cases a guest room has to be taken out from inventory due to
various maintenance works.
Below are few reasons when the room is taken under Out of Order
( OOO ):
A/C leakage
Bathroom leak
Carpet replace
Window Glass broken
Repainting
False ceiling repair
Room Ceiling Fungus appearing
Blockage / Leakage in bathroom etc.
The housekeeping department is responsible to pack the guest for
the maintenance team to start their work.
Packing help to protect and prevent other areas in the rooms from
damage due to dust, moisture, paint etc.
Depending upon each kind of maintenance activity the room boy
should pack the room.
Below items are packed in most of the cases:
All the furniture
Guest supplies
Accessories
I pad-dock
TV
Home Theatre / surround systems.
In Room Lightning and Temperature control systems.
 Drapery
Linen
All fittings & fixtures and heavy items like bed to be covered.
Carpet to be either rolled or covered with plastic or discard sheets.
W/C seat to be covered and tied with polythene.
Heavy items
Fixtures.
All artwork, lamps.
Fittings have to be covered and kept aside.
Entire carpet has to be covered wall to wall.
Strip bed of all linen.
Mattress protector, curtain swag, bed valence & bedcover to be
sent for dry-cleaning.
Pillows, shower curtain and small items to be packed, numbered
and kept in store.
All supplies & stationery to be packed numbered and stored.
Small furniture to be numbered and kept in the store.

Q2. Why key control is essential?

Ans. State of the art key control systems are important for many
reasons; safety, security, and of course, loss prevention, to name a
few. Once installed these systems pretty much run themselves and all
staff quickly adjust to the new technologies and steps involved.
Efficient key control comes with secure keys every step of the way with
electronically locking cabinets to hold keys, tamper proof key fobs,
RFID technology for tracking keys and alerting when they are being
taken out of bounds, or off site and the ability to identify at all times
who is in possession of keys. People usually associate a high tech key
control system with big bills and added expenses, when really, once
these systems are in place, they start saving businesses and
operations a large amount of money. They do so by preventing theft of
valuables from lockers and offices, eliminating unauthorized access to
classified areas, which results in the necessity to re-key entire sections,
and even reducing the need for more hired staff to keep areas safe.
Knowing who is in possession of all keys at all times ensures a safe and
secure environment, where staff and occupants feel safer and potential
thieves or vandals are less likely to target your facility. Prisons, or
juvenile facilities that are at risk of escapees, or of inmates gaining
access to weapons, require an absolutely steadfast key control system
that is a reliable and fail safe way to prevent these terrifying
possibilities from becoming a reality.
When someone who is not in possession of a key card, RFID key fob
(Contact free method of transferring data from key fob to control
terminal) or who have the correct pins or fingerprints tries to access
the locked key cabinet, they are met with disappointment. Only
authorized users who are properly equipped will be able to access and
remove, or replace keys from the cabinet. Employees are held to a
higher level of accountability and make a much more concerted effort
to return keys and keep them accounted for at all times. No one wants
keys to go missing on their watch! A key control system like this is
capable of following and identifying thousands of keys with thousands
of users, so it can really be utilized by groups of all sizes and
demographics.
Key control systems have a variety of useful options to choose from
(such as the types of security they want to be required to gain access
to locking cabinets). Each customer is encouraged to decide which
options best fit their facility's needs. This ensures absolute customer
satisfaction and prevents clients from having to pay for features that
they will not utilize. With so much customization available, it is a
guarantee that there is a package ready and waiting that perfectly
suits just about every situation.
The great people at Keytracer.com want to help you develop and follow
a successful key control system that is right for your facility today! Log
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Q3. What are the advantages of electronic key?

Ans. From larger lodging establishments to smaller bed & breakfasts,
more and more businesses in the hospitality industry are starting to
use hotel key cards, that trusty old keys seem outdated. There are
practical reasons why businesses are starting to make the switch to
hotel key cards. Here are several key benefits.
Handy
One of the major advantages of using hotel key cards is the fact that
they are handy and lightweight. Hotel key cards are lighter and way
easier to use than real keys. Guests can lock and unlock their rooms
with a credit card-sized electronic key that they can put in their wallet
or purse.
Efficient
Guests can check out with their hotel key cards and the hotels system
will automatically record customer information. This saves a great deal
of time and effort, since the hotel staff no longer needs to write down
information manually.
Cost-effective
Real keys cost a fairly large budget, especially if you own a larger
establishment. Not to mention the amount it would cost you to rekey a
lock in case your guest loses a key. Opting for hotel key cards ensures
the safety and comfort of your guests without breaking your budget.
Great Branding and Advertising Tool
Having your business name or logo printed on your hotel key cards is a
smart and strategic way to advertise your establishment. Hotel key
cards are fantastic marketing tools to get the word out if you offer
services in your hotel other than lodging such as spa, health club,
casino, bar or restaurant.
Hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts and resorts are constantly looking for
reliable sources of hotel key cards. It is always wise to ask about the
capabilities of the card manufacturer before you place an order.
Cardprinting.us is an industry leader in paper and plastic card
manufacturing. We utilize advanced technology and strict quality
control in all aspects of production to give you the highest-quality hotel
key cards at affordable prices.

Q4. Why control desk is called nerve centre of department?

Ans. House Keeping Control Desk:
The Housekeeping control desk is the nerve centre of the
Housekeeping Department.
It is the one point contact for all Housekeeping activities which also
controls, co-ordinates and keeps a constant link among the various
activities taking place at different locations by Housekeeping staff. And
also people associated with Housekeeping within the Hotel premises.
Coordinates with the Front office for room status. updation and
sorting out room discrepancy issues.
Coordinates with the maintenance department regarding guest
room maintenance issues.
Registers / reports maintained in Housekeeping control desk:
Departure register:
To keep track of change of status of guest rooms from Dirty to Clean for
re-selling. It also acts as a control book for Mini bar consumption
checking in check out rooms.
Expected Arrival Register:
Keep track of arrival of pre-registered guests as regards profile/VIP
status, timing, pax, any special request.
Room Status Report:
Shows the list of all room in the hotel with their current room status,
( Eg: Dirt Vacant, Vacant Clean, Dirty Clean, OOO Out of order, OOS
Out of service etc. )
Guest call Register:
To note down any relevant messages pertaining to guest rooms and
adjoining areas.
E.g. Maintenance, requests, special instructions etc. It helps in keeping
a track of the completion of the activity and the duration of the same.
Note: Download sample call register tracking sheet.
Mini bar and Laundry Posting Reports:
Shows the list of postings / sales under the revenue head Laundry, Mini
Bar, Dry Cleaning Etc.
Control desk checklist:
To keep track of all keys, key cards, I need it now cupboard items etc
during changeover of shifts.
Missing item Register:
Any item placed in guest rooms [other than consumable items] found
missing in a departure room is recorded in this Register after duly
informing the Lobby Manager on duty.
Breakage Register:
Any breakable item found damaged/broken or that opts damaged/
broken while handling is duly recorded in this Register.
Lost and Found Register:
Any personal item/article of guest found anywhere in the Hotel
premises is recorded in this Register with the relevant details.

Q5. What are role and responsibilities of control desk

supervisor?
Ans. Role and responsibilities of control desk supervisor
POSITION SUMMARY:
Housekeeping control desk is the main communication Centre of the
housekeeping department. You are responsible for all information sent
out and received from the control desk. You should have good
telephone etiquties . Keep the notice board up to date with the
relevant information.
As a desk control assistant you should maintain complete and up to
date information of every departmental section comes under house
keeping.Experience as Housekeeping Desk Coordinator or
Housekeeping Order Taker.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Good knowledge in handling guest requests.
Good knowledge of Housekeeping operations.
Responsible for Departmental keys and guest room master cards.
Responsible for all calls coming to the Desk and to convey the right
message to the right person.
Maintaining records related to day to day operations of
Housekeeping.
Follow up with concerned departments in case of guest requests/
complaints.
Updating the Housekeeping data board with information like VIP
inhouse, Today's occupancy Percentage, arrivals, departures, to do list,
rooms for super cleaning etc.
Good understanding of the property management soft wares ( Eg:
Opera, Protel, Fidelio etc. )
Allocate work for each staff according to point system / work load
for the day.
Should have a good telephone etiquette.
Make the relevant room status changes on the software as per the
instruction given by floor supervisors.
Prepare the room discrepancy list for Front office.
Prepare the VIP amenities list.
Prepare the Min BAR consumption list.
Post mini bar and laundry charges to the respective guest folios.
Prepare monthly sales report for Minibar, Laundry, dry cleaning and
any other miscellaneous sales.
 Prepare the missing / broken item register.
Handle the lost and found procedures and all enquiry.
Maintaining the I need it now cupboard.
Changing the room status from Vacant dirty to vacant clean and
changing the room status as per requirement.
Coordinate with Engineering / Maintenance department for room
maintenance issues.
Co-ordinate with Front office department.
Should have complete information related all the rooms in hotel.
Should have information of every staffs, And where they are
allotted for the work. E.g. Staff allocated for Floor 1, public area, pool
side, SPA etc.
Give proper handover to the next shift and mention all
responsibilities in detail to next shift staff before leaving.
Assist Housekeeper and Asst. housekeeper for preparing the
monthly report and budgets.

THINLEY PHUNTSHO