Enhancing the Guest Experience

Housekeeping must remain at the heart of service delivery in hotels, whatever else they
may offer. Hotels must also look at their management structure and decide whether to
outsource their staffing needs or retain a core of experienced personnel in-house.

The impact of the housekeeping function on the success of a hotel’s operations

cannot be underestimated. Although the staff providing this service do not
necessarily interact directly with the public, the quality of their work is critical in
shaping guests’ memories of their stay.

"Housekeeping is an important part of the guest experience," says Werner Knechtli,

general manager at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Berlin. "Other things such as security
are important, but what guests really want is to feel at home, to feel comfortable."

"The cleanliness of the rooms is crucial to guest satisfaction."

Knechtli’s property, which has around 115,000 room nights per year, based on about
75% occupancy, places significant demands on its housekeeping staff, but the
cleanliness of the rooms is crucial to guest satisfaction, and therefore a key factor in
generating repeat business.

Also, as guests become more selective about their accommodation, getting the
basics of cleanliness, efficiency and friendly service right becomes more of a
challenge.
"Guests’ expectations are higher now, particularly in terms of deadlines," observes
Knechtli. "They want their rooms to be ready by the time they come back from
breakfast."

Despite the evolution of benchmark standards across the industry, the housekeeping
function must be closely managed and constantly reviewed and improved.

Although housekeeping is a basic necessity rather than a function where hotels can
gain a clear competitive advantage, it clearly has a direct and critical impact on the
guest experience.

CLEANLINESS IS SECOND TO NONE

Ask any executive housekeeper and they will say that standards of cleanliness in the
guestrooms is top of their list of priorities.

Guests should not be able to tell if anyone has slept in the room, so a clean
environment is very important. That is why suppliers of hygiene products to hotels
are constantly looking to improve their standards and develop high-performance
products.
One example is Perstorp, which has reacted to growing public demand for superior
hygiene products by developing a new material, Polygiene, which acts as an
improved barrier against bacteria.

"Polygiene provides antimicrobial protection and was developed for electrical

accessories and toilet seats," says Anders Norin of Perstorp. "Now we are
developing other products suitable for a hotel room. We will be able to put full
antimicrobial protection in a hotel room – on the walls, the ceiling, the floor. It
provides increased freshness.

"Polygiene does not require any changes to the cleaning techniques, so it is more for
the guest than to reduce the housekeeping requirements, but the antimicrobial
coating is part of the material, so it cannot wear off and it cannot be cleaned off."

MANAGEMENT DEFINES QUALITY OF SERVICE

The use of new products to improve standards of hygiene is one approach that hotels
can adopt to improve the performance of their housekeeping function, but it will not
be the main factor that determines efficiency or overall quality of service.

Whichever products are used, it is housekeeping staff who determine how well the
service is delivered, and hotels are now finding more varied options for managing
their staff requirements.
A growing trend is the outsourcing of housekeeping staff requirements. Knechtli’s
Radisson SAS Hotel has chosen to use staff provided by an external supplier, and
believes that it is a useful part of the management strategy in terms of efficiency,
standards and flexibility.

"The efficiency of the housekeeping function depends on the standard operating

procedures that you have in place from the start of the day to the time the trolley
comes back," explains Knechtli.

"We employ one executive housekeeper, one assistant, seven supervisors and eight
room attendants, but most of the room attendants are outsourced. Of course they are
trained to our can-do attitude, our standards and our service philosophy."

The main advantage of this arrangement is the reduction of staffing costs. It allows
hotels to pay room attendants on the basis of the work they do, which will change in
response to occupancy rates.

It also guarantees that the job will be done, even if an individual worker is off sick.
The task of supplying enough staff to cover the work becomes the responsibility of
the service provider, not the hotel. It also eliminates the need to directly recruit
employees for a function with a high staff turnover.

"Whichever products are used, it is housekeeping staff who determine how

well the service is delivered."
However, using outsourced staff also brings with it certain responsibilities. Knechtli
acknowledges that constant monitoring is essential, though the benefits still
outweigh the costs: "We check every room, and it must comply with our policy.

"More hotels are using outsourced staff. Besides the benefits in terms of cost and
flexibility, quality assurance and long-term maintenance of property value are now
key requirements for modern housekeeping. We also minimise the fluctuation in
employees performing housekeeping duties, and we pay only for the number of
rooms that are cleaned."

However, for an outsourced agreement to work there must be a relationship of trust

between the hotel and its external partner. The hotel must be certain that the supplier
will provide staff who will perform their housekeeping duties to the required
standards. "We have chosen the right partner. There should be no difference
[between in-house and outsourced staff] in terms of friendliness, cleanliness and
speed," says Knechtli.

To make sure of this, greater responsibility is given to staff employed directly by the
hotel, principally executive housekeepers, who are ultimately held accountable for
the performance of the outsourced workforce.

Still largely the domain of larger chains and properties, the outsourcing of
housekeeping staff is likely to increase, but before taking action hotel managers
should first examine whether a different approach might be more suitable.
THE ALTERNATIVE TO OUTSOURCING

There are others who feel that the extra cost of employing staff directly is worth it.
The five-star Lapa Palace in Lisbon, Portugal achieves a unique feel in its rooms by
incorporating small personal details that make them feel more personal.

Ferreira believes that this makes a real difference to guests, and that it is important
for the housekeeping staff to understand and be involved with the room and service
policies that define the hotel.

"In a luxury hotel, all staff must feel that they are part of the hotel."

For instance, guests can choose the type of pillow they want from a menu of nine,
which has a knock-on effect on the duties of the housekeeping staff.

"Our rooms are very clean, with linen sheets and special towels," says executive
housekeeper Adélia Ferreira. "Also, our staff are trained to take care of the guests’
needs in a friendly manner."

This blend of good service and individual detail depends on housekeeping staff
identifying with the hotel brand, and Ferreira believes it is important that these staff
are employed directly by the hotel, rather than supplied by an external company.
However, making this work demands a different kind of management style,
designed to minimise potentially high turnover of housekeeping staff. Whereas
outsourcing passes on this problem to the service provider, Ferreira’s approach is to
provide an environment that encourages good employees to stay. This in turn allows
the hotel to benefit from the experience that these employees have accumulated over
the years.

"The turnover of our housekeeping staff is not high, because of the ambience in the
hotel and because work conditions are very good," says Ferreira. "We treat the staff
like they are part of the family, and we are all close. It is very important to make
them feel part of the team."

This does not necessarily mean a more rigorous recruitment process, but it does
keep control of quality of labour in-house. The potential pay-off is that employees
are more reliable and can become an integral part of developing and implementing
policy.

"In a luxury hotel, all staff must feel that they are part of the hotel," adds Ferreira.
"We have a very open work environment, and I am willing to accept suggestions
from the staff. They let me know if something is not working well. This kind of
feedback is much better with our own staff."

Although Ferreira’s approach may also entail greater training costs, she believes this
has some advantages: "If we hire people with no experience, we can train them to
our concepts. They don’t have any bad habits."
 Ferreira’s model perhaps places loyalty above flexibility. When deciding whether to
try a similar strategy or opt for outsourcing, a hotel must ask which of these
approaches serves its housekeeping function best.

The success of a hotel’s housekeeping strategy will depend on how that strategy is
implemented and to what extent it meets the needs of the property.

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Safe lodging and the reputation of a hotel are critical if not paramount to ensure success
for a single inn, hotel or hotel chain. These entities must properly provide for the
protection and maintenance of assets. This includes protecting human, physical and
intangible assets. A hotels reputation and standard conduct of business is based on the
protection that is afforded to guests, employees, visitors, contractors, the physical
structure of the premises and all that is contained therein and pertinent to the property.

Assets must be deployed to mitigate numerous risks that Hotels face which include but
are not limited to fire, criminal activities, injury, natural disaster, sabotage, and terrorism.
Crime and attempted crime has increased over time due to numerous factors. With
increased population there are simply more criminals. In addition, crime has gotten more
viral as evidenced by that most unfortunate terrorist attack in Mumbai, India where scores
were killed and injured in a horrific assault at the Taj Mahal and Oberoi Hotels. While
this represents an extreme it also illustrates the vulnerability that Hotels face.

More common vulnerabilities would be the lone physical attack on Hotel guests and
employees, theft of merchandise and services, injuries and claims due to both real and
alleged circumstances and the devastating effect of fire and natural disaster. While all
risks cannot be avoided, they can and are being mitigated through basic as well as
enhanced security techniques and methods.

While the cost of systems and manpower has to be considered in the context of an overall
security program, it is as noted above incumbent for a Hotel to provide the safe and
secure environment that patrons expect and have a legal right for. As such Hotels can
take basic steps as well as utilize sophisticated security techniques to mitigate risk. While
basic steps are relatively inexpensive the decision to deploy more complex techniques
will need to based on based on budgets and the financial ability of the Hotel. It is thus
incumbent for decision makers at the Hotel to decide on a basic framework of
expenditure for Security purposes.
What ALL Hotels can cost effectively do is TRAIN ALL staff and not just security
personnel on the importance of security and what all staff members should look for and
try to do when there is a situation or incident at the Hotel. Hotel staff should be
encouraged if not rewarded to report situations that are dangerous or might be dangerous.
A trained staff that can identify and react appropriately in the identification of potential
and or actual risk is the best and most cost effective security technique for any Hotel.
Training programs can also range from simple to complex but there is no substitute or
excuse for Hotel staff not to be given basic training on the importance of Hotel security.
If a Hotel can afford it, advanced security training for management staff is highly
recommended.

It is also very important that risk is analyzed for a given Hotel. This is best done through
security professionals however if the Hotel is small and has financial constraints the
Hotel should try to identify potential risk based on previous incidents that have occurred
both at the Hotel and in the nearby vicinity.

In addition to training staff, the components of an integrated security program consist of

the utilization of security personnel and the operation and maintenance of installed
physical security systems. The Hotel owner can choose between an array of suppliers and
choices for both their manpower and physical security system needs. It is important for
the Hotel owner to use an appropriate level of both manpower and physical security
systems based on need and budget.

While some Hotels choose to manage and staff their security personnel needs "in house",
others choose to supplement their own staff or solely utilize professional and State
licensed security guard service vendors that specialize in providing manpower. The
choice between using in house or outside vendors has in recent years been shifting
towards the use of outside vendors. Security service vendors that are recognized for the
quality of their service will have superior training, supervision and access to resources
that many Hotel operators cannot internally provide. When all costs are considered the
economic advantage will often lie in choosing a security service provider rather than to
attempt staffing internally for this function.

Qualified security service providers provide comprehensive liability and workers

compensation insurance, employee screening, scheduling, training, supervision and
emergency response at fixed hourly rates. Budgets are more easily computed and
management time minimized in the delivery of these services to a Hotel.

In order to maximize utilization of a security staff, Hotel owners can hire an outside
independent consultant, utilize in house security management to analyze needs, or rely on
security service providers to provide them with proposals to provide the most cost
effective means of protecting a Hotel.

Selecting a security vendor is best accomplished when the Hotel operator conducts due
diligence by checking vendor licensing, reputation, references and financial stability. An
examination of the security vendor background screening process, training programs,
level of supervision and the structure of the security officers wage as a component of the
billing price are necessary consideration in the due diligence process.

Physical security system components include but are not limited to landscaping and
lighting, fire and security alarm systems, access control systems including card key,
locks, safes and biometric systems, CCTV systems to monitor, record and store camera or
video surveillance of a hotel premises and various devices and programs to protect
proprietary information of the Hotel and their guests.

Fast paced changes and significant improvements in physical security system

technologies are clearly evident in the physical security field. Analog systems are being
converted to or replaced by digital systems with internet protocol. These systems now
enable superior and advanced imagery, recognition and storage.

Software now enables cameras to detect incidents and incident patterns. The systems can
alert system monitors of actual or impending security breaches through the detection of
"patterns" that signify a security incident.

Physical security systems are being "integrated" so that access control systems, alarms
and cameras are coordinated. For example when an access control device such as an exit
door is breached, a camera will be activated to focus on the event. The result is more
efficient use of installed systems in that identification and response to potential and actual
problems is enhanced.

Fire safety and security alarm systems are also becoming more sophisticated. Further in
large cities such as New York and Chicago, municipalities are mandating that systems be
upgraded and/or more highly trained and certified security personnel be retained to
monitor and assist in Fire Safety and Security Emergency Action programs.

Due to the complexity and variation of systems it is highly suggested that the Hotel
operator select a vetted independent consultant to review the design, selection and
installation of physical security systems. The Hotel operator is well advised to conduct
due diligence in choosing a consultant because physical security systems are highly
varied, complex and the price differentials between systems are often substantial.

To summarize, all Hotels face security risks. If nothing is done to prevent risk, there is an
increased likelihood that harm can occur to a Hotel property and its guests. A Hotels
reputation and success is also largely based on the comfort and safety it provides to its
guests. Failure to provide a safe and secure environment will damage the Hotel reputation
and can result in serious financial damage and loss. Choices on how to manage risk must
be based on the Hotel budget.

As the most basic and important step, Hotels should provide security training to as much
staff as possible so that all employees can assist in indentifying and properly responding
to potential and actual security related incidents. Hotel owners and operators should
identify the probability and severity of risk for their owned or managed property. This
can be done based on an internal review of previous incidents if any at the property as
well as in the Hotel vicinity, through an internal security department, or outside security
consultants and or vendors. An integrated security program which encompasses both
manpower and physical security systems can then be designed to best protect a Hotels
assets.

Michael Hymanson, CPP has been a licensed Private Investigator in New York State for
more than 30 years. He is a graduate of the New York State School of Industrial and
Labor Relations at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Mr. Hymanson was a director
and owner of a New York State licensed Security Training School and a licensed Security
trainer in New York and Connecticut. He also was an American Red Cross First Aid and
CPR instructor. Mr. Hymanson has provided security consulting services for Fortune 500
companies, and many major organizations. He is currently the Regional Manager, New
York Metro Business Unit for U.S. Security Associates, the nation’s fourth largest
security firm. U.S. Security Associates provides security guard, concierge, fire safety
director and patrol services to Hotels and other industries through a network of more than
140 branches nationwide. The company is Certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security under the Safety Act. Mr. Hymanson can be contacted at 914-557-4277
or [email protected] Extended Bio...