Thank you! I don’t know about where@Rachel-And-Sam1are, but here, I can throw a rock, and here forty house cleaners cry “OW!” as it skips over them. Stability is very important. We have a system, protocols, and a very high standard in place. That is not going to be what any housekeeper can do. We expect a turnaround in 2 hours of a suite. We pay $90 for that turn. We take $10.00 from the guest for supplies and normal wear and tear of our space. Mostly that has gone towards enhanced cleaning protocols of late. We moved things like shrinkage (Stuff taken), and minor damage (hair dye on towels, etc.) into our rate structure. People hate to be nickled-and-dimed. The best thing that you can do is know your costs, and adjust your rate so that you can have every day of every stay pay for it. Lowers the combat over the little stuff, and your blood pressure, all at the same time!
Going rates vary a lot. The market, however, in COVID, is bigger, as many people in the housekeeping game were sidelined by people not wanting others in and out of the house.
If someone tries to hijack me on rate? I’m perfectly capable and willing to do every job on this property. I just let them go, do it myself, and then train someone new. Screening for the right kind of person can take time. Don’t hire anyone without a provisional period with reviews. Thirty days. Sixty days. Ninety days.
It is really a good idea to work up a checklist, and/or a work schedule. What is done on every turnaround? What is done for routine maintenance, or cleaning? How often. If you set up those benchmarks, it makes it SO much easier to lower everyone’s frustration levels. Expectations are either met, or not.
Last thing, which protects YOU, and keeps your staff accountable: SLACK.com It’s a great way to work with house cleaning and maintenance people. Have them take photos when they walk into the room. It documents the state of the place, in case you have a big problem that you DO have to address with a guest. If they see things that need fixed, they can put it on a #maintenance thread that your maintenance guy (or you) have, with photos, to show you what needs done. Have an #ordering thread, so if you’re out of something, they can take a picture of the item, and tell you it needs re-ordered.
The process has two other bonuses: It protects them, in that it’s clear that they notified you about anything. It protects you, in that you are “on the record” with your instructions in a clear, concise way. The second thing is that it provides a history of your business, including a way for new staff to pick up where the old ones left off. People move on, sometimes, just for other reasons. It’s nice, for the new handyman, to see how the last one took care of things. For the housekeeper to see what is expected of them, in terms of your comments about past service issues.
This is a lot of fun, but it’s also a business. When I read so much about the communication snafus, and drama that can swirl around operating any business, doing things that bring clarity, simplicity, and mutual accountability seem to be kind of helpful!
Brian Ross
