Procedures and Documentation PDF

Preview

Summary

Download Procedures and Documentation PDF

Description

Procedures and Documentation

About this Course Every establishment puts procedures in place to make their departments’ operations run smoothly. Housekeeping is no different. With the relevant documentation and paperwork, your team will ensure that your housekeeping department is up to standard. This course will help hone their administration skills so they can become proficient at organization and structure, resulting in a housekeeping department that’s in top administrative shape.

Introduction to Administration In every establishment they are procedures set in place to make general operations run smoothly. A procedure is a particular way of doing something through certain steps that stay the same every time. This procedures are recorded using documentation or paperwork, that needs to be filled out to add organization and structure to a department. This is called administration and is a daily responsibility that you have. In this lesson we will identify the different types of documents and their purpose you may come across, including: 1. Day sheet 2. Stores register 3. Linen check sheets

4. Lost property slip 5. Maintenance log sheet 6. Why we fill out these documents?

1. Day sheet or also known as allocation sheet This form gives you all the information on the rooms you will need to service. Once you have this form you can prepare everything you need to clean and service those rooms. We keep this form on us throughout our day to know which rooms we need to go, writing down any notes on this form whilst we work.

2. Store registers The stores register is a list containing all the amenities, equipment and chemicals that you have in your stores. At the beginning of the day you would look at your day sheet, see what you need for the day and then sign for the items you need to service the rooms properly. This includes writing down the number of the item taken and any comments. For example the condition of these items taken this way the issuer or manager can know where everything is and who has what. This prevents items being lost, stolen, or running out unexpectedly. This way someone is always responsible for this items, at the end of the day you will sign everything you have taken back in, so that the issuer knows that you have returned what has not been used or returning what you signed out earlier. This is a great way to control the chemicals and equipment that is being used daily. So, we have our chemicals, our equipment, and our amenities that we need for the day.

3. Linen Check Sheet The linen check sheet is the form which is used to record what items and the quantity taken from the linen store or laundry room. This is signed for and then at a specific time of the day, you go back and sign back in the unused items. This is so that you and the linen attendants can keep track of where all the linen is. The comments column would be to record any special notes about the linen when returning it, noting condemned items and items that need special attention. This would help them in attendance give the correct information to the laundry attendants and adjust stock levels accordingly. You may also have your own linen check sheet, that you would keep with you which is to record which dirty linen you take out of the guest room, and what clean linen that you put back into the guest room. This form may also detail what dirty linen was headed into the laundry according to your records as well as any special notes for stand or condemned linen. 4. Lost Property Slip The lost property slip is the piece of paper that you fill in, if you find any guests items that have been lef behind in a departure room or other areas of the hotel. This form always needs to be filled in with all the necessary information: the room number or area, where the item was found, a description of what it is, who it was found by, who stored it, and any special comments. This information is vital to ensure that if the guest is asking for such items, can be returned immediately to the correct person. Defining lost property and the procedures in place will be looked at in more detail in Level 3. 5. Maintenance Log Sheet Throughout the day you might see things in the rooms that are damaged or broken. If you do, you will record these on your day sheet to make note of the problem and the room or area that it is in. However, these problems need to be reported to the maintenance department so that it can be fixed. Either you will call them with the problem, they will arrive and fix it immediately or if this is not possible you will

make use of a maintenance log sheet. This form may stay in the housekeeping office and you call in the problem to your supervisor. Then this gets delivered to the maintenance department for attention and actioning. On this form, the date and name of the person logging the problem is recorded, in the time, the call was made, as recorded your name, and the room number or area is recorded. This then details what the problem is the name of the person who received the maintenance request and the time this was done. Only once the problem has been fixed and this has been communicated back to you does this time get recorded. You or a supervisor will they need to go and check that management instead of good job, problem is fixed, and the room is in perfect order. Only then is the room ready to be sold or occupied again. This check is essential and very much a responsibility of the housekeeping department. This thing needs to be signed by all involved to confirm the action is being completed. The date and time when the problem was identified is essential to ensure that the maintenance department gets to it in the provided time. With these specific details being written down, it avoids the awful situation of we didn't know about this problem and hence it is “not fixed yet”. If this is simply called in, maintenance must fix it as soon as possible and then let housekeeping know that it is fixed. If it takes longer and you have already lef that room, be sure to use your day sheet to remind you of which room had the problem and go back to that room to check it.

6. Why do we fill out these documents? Paperwork like what we have discussed here is used to record all the happenings of our efficient department.The reason everything is written down or recorded on paper is so that there is a written document to go back to afer you have done it. This allows you to remember what was done who did it and when it was done. Each procedure needs to be backed-up by these documents, at the end of the day

these can be handed over to your supervisor or manager to make use of file and correctly store these important documents for future reference. There may be many other records and forms at your establishment be familiar with these and the purpose of them because by filling in all the paperwork at your establishment you and your colleagues will always have all the information you need and be able to communicate effectively within a structured and well-organized department.

Introduction to Day Sheet

In the previous lesson, we discussed our daily administration of which the day sheet was a part, and as promised in this lesson we will look at the Datasheet in detail. We break the sheet down by defining: 1. What is day sheet? 2. Analyzing how to use it effectively

1. What is day sheet? The day sheet also called the “allocation paper” has information on what rooms you need to clean, the status of the rooms, and possibly further information on the guests in those rooms. Not only does it contain the information you need to know but you will also use it to write down certain bits of information that you find out during the day. This information could be: a. Extra linen that is needed special requests

b. preferences written down to help you remember what they are in which room they are and how to tailor to these guests

The day she will give you the information you need to do your job properly. So, it is important that you know what information is provided on this day sheet.

2. Let's have a look at the general information that today sheet should contain:

i.

Date and your name -

this how is you know it is your sheet and not one of your colleagues, this is now your day sheet and the tasks set out are your responsibility. Equally, when your supervisor or manager uses this sheet to go back and find information about a specific room or guest, they can confirm these details with you.

ii.

Room number and guest name -

this tells you in which rooms to clean for the day and who is occupying these rooms. Some establishments may not notice the guests name on the day sheet for safety reasons, but it is nice to have the guests names included so that if the guests are in the room or enters the room while you are cleaning you can greet them warmly by name.

iii.

bed type, this will tell you if it is a single, twin, or king room or if it is a suite. You need to know this so that you can collect the correct linen and a number of amenities for these rooms. The day sheet it

also tells us the status of the room, if it was dirty or clean. This defines if it is ready for a new arrival or if it still needs to be cleaned or inspected.

iv.

Front office and reservation status -

This is the noted stay over or stay on status or if it is a departure or do you out room. Stay over room is written as “S/O” And the departure room as a “Y”. You can then check with your supervisor which of the departure rooms have already checked out, in order the clean these first getting them ready for the new guests whilst letting your stay over guests have a bit of a sleeping.

v.

Time in and time out -

this is useful when managing where time is most spent. Writing in the time that you arrived at the room and the time that you lef the room gives further insight into how long certain rooms and bed types takes to clean and present.

vi.

It will say whether the room is complete yes or no -

This is a reminder to you and your department, say for example a guest walks in just before you manage to vacuum the room they have asked you to come back a little later and you agree on a time. By circling the “NO” you will remember to go back to that room to vacuum it as you never got a chance to do so earlier. This is also very useful when handing the day sheet to your supervisor or manager at the end of the day. so that they have confirmation of whether the room is complete.

vii.

Special requests or preferences -

VIPs are sometimes have very specific requests or requirements that might have an impact on your work so it is best to be aware of these in service the rooms are accordingly.

For example: a VIP may request that the room only be cleaned afer 12 each day or request more mineral water special amenities and so forth. These can be noted on your day sheet so that you can meet your VIP's expectations and requests when servicing their rooms. And then the preferences that you have noticed when cleaning the room helped to serve your guest better. So if a guest asked for something special or specific, these can be noted here and perhaps even recorded for guest profiles in the future.

viii.

Comments -

This is to write down any additional information that will help when handing over your rooms at the end of the day. Information handovers are vital and making notes throughout your day helps immensely to remember all of these details.

For example: a room was showing do not disturb, on returning to the room the sign was still present. You must advise the late shif and reception on this. The most important rule to remember when it comes to your day sheet it is that it is only for your and your supervisor's eyes. Don't ever leave it on top of your trolley or lying around for guests to see or where it may get lost. Even worse, someone could steal the list and use the information to break into rooms. This is very dangerous and should never happen, plus if it is was your key that was used to open the room, you may be blamed for this robbery. Store your day shif in a safe place such as inside your trolley or on your person.

The data sheet that you use should have the similar information on it as we have just discussed. But no matter what the information on your day sheet, it is important that you understand how to use it.

Using the Day Sheet This lesson is going to discuss three important ways on how to effectively use your day sheet. 1. Working systematically 2. Making notes as reminders 3. Making notes for tailoring

The rooms on your day sheet will be divided in certain ways, they will either be divided into sections for each example each room attendant does a different floor or they will be divided into stay over rooms and departure rooms. At most establishments, the rooms will be divided so that every room attendant, cleans the same number of departure rooms and stay over rooms. But no matter how the rooms are split up, it is vitally important to work systematically.

1. Working Systematically Working systematically means willing to each room as it is listed on your day sheet, marking or ticking off the rooms as you go down the list. The only time that you might not be able to do this is if the guest is in the room and they ask you to come back later. When you have a do not disturb sign on the door, you need to go back to these rooms later. But how will we remember this in our busy day? Make notes.

2. Making notes as a Reminder If this is the case, mark on your digit. That is a DND room and write down the time you were there to remind you of the time the DND was up, and so that you don't forget to go back to this room. There are two reasons why it is important: a. if a guest complaints that their room was not cleared, you can show that you were there to clean the room, but the guest did not want to be disturbed. b. if at the end of your shif the roof still has a DND sign, you will have to report this for security reasons. This will be explained in more detail in Level 3 on respecting a guest’s notification.

3. Making notes of special preferences so that we can tailor to our guests. Using the dates to keep track of special touches in unusual cases is vital. For example: a room that has a treadmill or exercise bike perhaps? Normally this room would take four towels, because there is exercise equipment and on day 1 you notice that the guest made use of this. You place an extra full towels or they use when they are exercising. This would be placing 8 towels instead of four in the room, but wow, this will really impress the guest and show them that you care. Or save the guest requested extra pillows before their arrival. This would mean that you would need extra pillowcases each time you clean the room.

It is essential to write these preferences on the day sheet to remind you what room needs want as well as showing you where your extra towels or pillowcases have gone. This not only ensures that the guest receives the same standard of service and attention to detail each time, but equally ensures that these items are not thought to be missing from the linen store. Try to write as many as possible on your day

sheet. Your supervisor might need to look at it when you are not there, and if the sheet is untidy they might not understand it. It's not professional. The day she is one of the most important tools for you as a retainer to make sure you get all your jobs done with excellence. Good luck making use of such an important sheet.

Room Status Codes There are a few different groups that you think, you may have heard them being used before. Ofen to identify what the status of the rumors without a long explanation. Let's have a quick look at some of these codes that are ofen used in the industry.

1. OR - Occupied Ready -

This is when I get to get check into a new room that has been cleaned and checked.

2. OC – Occupied Clean -

This is a guest that is staying another night, and the room has been cleared by the room attendant.

3. OCI - Occupied Clean and Inspected -

This means that the occupied room has been cleaned by the room attendant and inspected by the supervisor or manager.

4. OD - Occupied Dirty -

The guest is checked into the room. And is staying another night, but the room has not been cleaned yet.

5. OOS – Out of Service -

This means that the room is out of service and cannot be sold to a guest.

6. OOO - Out of Order. -

This room cannot be sold usually due to a maintenance problem. A good idea is to state the reason for this when using this code.

7. VM - Vacant Maintenance -

Is an empty room, but cannot be sold until it has been fixed and checked.

8. VD – Vacant Dirty -

It says checked out of the room and the room is ready to be cleaned.

9. VC / VCR – Vacant Clean or Vacant, Clean, and Ready -

The room has been cleaned by the room attendant but has not yet been inspected or checked by a supervisor or manager.

10. VCI / VR– Vacant, Clean and Inspected or Vacant Ready -

Has been cleaned and has been checked or inspected by a supervisor or manager, and it is ready for the arrival of a new guest.

11. DND – Do not Disturb -

As we have looked at previously in this label, this is when a guest has placed this sign up and the system shows that this sign is still up and we must not necessarily disturb this guest.

12. VIP – Very Important Guests -

Statuses and special requests that you need to be aware of.

Signing in and Signing Out of Master Keys\ Keys cards. Tags or codes are all used in the housekeeping department in order to get into the rooms that you need to service. They also needed to enter the other areas which hold the important equipment, chemicals and linen. In this lesson we will identify the: 1. Different types of keys 2. The signing-in and signing-out procedures 3. The Importance of signing

1. Different types of keys The keys at your establishment may be metal keys like most people have at their homes, code pads or tags, but most commonly used other key cards which look like credit cards. There are four types of key cards that we will look at here: 1. The Grand Master or Hotel Master Key -

The Grand Master key opens all doors in the entire establishment. This should only be available to the security manager and the general manager. These should be reset and reprogrammed monthly for safety reasons.

2. The Master key -

Opens all guestrooms and housekeeping storerooms in an establishment. These are most ofen by the housekeeper or duty manager so, that they can have access storerooms and went to the rooms on shif. This can also be used in an emergency.

3. Sub-Master Key, Section Master Key, or Floor Master key -

Which opens all the rooms in a section or the floor master key, opens all doors on a specific floor. This is most commonly the key used by the room attendants, as this will allow you to get into the rooms in the section or on the floor you have been given to clean.

4. Room or guest key -

Which opens only one room and is used by the guest. Some establishments may have a lockout key which locks the guest out of their room. If the establishment knows about something bad that has happened. For example, a guest is not paying or is up to no good. But for every key used, there should be a person responsible for that key.

2.

Signing-in and Signing-out procedures

Every time you get or return a key, you need to sign f...