Housekeeping and Front Office Department

No individual department in any hotel can work in isolation. A willingness to cooperate and
coordinate with the assistance of efficient methods of communication is essential if the
establishment is to run smoothly. The housekeeping department is just one of the
departments in a hotel working towards the satisfaction of the guests, and each department
is dependent on others for information and/or service if its work is to be accomplished
efficiently. Frictions between departments must be kept to a minimum and there should be
close inter-departmental liaison.

Coordination with Front Office

Rooms are of chief concern to the front office and housekeeping departments. It is
important for the departments to continuously exchange information on room status. The
front office must provide lists for expected arrivals and departures for the day in advance,
and notify housekeeping of actual arrivals and departures as and when they occur. The
front office is not allowed to assign guestrooms until the rooms have been cleaned,
inspected and released by the housekeeping department.

Each night, a front office assistant produces an “occupancy report “also called the night
report. This report list room occupied that night   indicates guests who are expected to
check out the following day. The executive housekeeper procures and consults this list early
in the morning and schedules the occupied room for cleaning. As guest check out, the front
office notifies housekeeping. Housekeeping ensures that these rooms are given top priority
in servicing, so that clean rooms are available for sale. To ensure efficient rooming of
guests, both housekeeping and front office must inform each other of changes in a room’s
status. Out of order, under repair, or similar, is important for proper room’s management.

A room status discrepancy is a situation in which the housekeeping department’s

description of a room m’s status differs from the room status information being used by the
front office to assign guestrooms. As unoccupied rooms are cleaned and inspected, the
floor supervisors call the housekeeping desk attendant, who in turn informs the front office
of rooms ready. The front office then updates the room’s status to ‘vacant and ready’.
Promptly informing the front office of the housekeeping status room is a tremendous aid in
getting guests who arrive early registered, especially during high-occupancy or sold-out
period.

The housekeeping department also receives other important information from the front

office, which required special attention:

VIPs in the house – this information is essential so that the staff can take a little extra care
and keener precautions in cleaning and supervising VIP rooms.

Group in the house – The group rooming list must be provided before the group’s arrival
as groups tend to move together in terms of arrival, departure, sightseeing tour, and meals.
Their room needs to be readied together in view of strict time parameters. It is also
important to intimate room changes, so that items left behind by guest may be handed over.
Group rooming lists enable the department to organize their work and have the group’s
 rooms ready on time. This particularly crucial when the turnover is high and rooms are
experiencing back to back occupancy.

Crew in the house – Under normal circumstances, airline crews are allotted a given set of
rooms on a particular floor. However, sometimes, the arrival of a crew and the departure of
another crew from the same airline may overlap. In such circumstances, it is important for
the allotted rooms to be cleaned within a short period of time. Also, because of odd timing
for international flights, these crew rooms may display a “do not disturb – DND “card at
times when other guests are normally out, which the housekeeping schedule must take into
account.

Flowers – Sometimes the management extends its compliment to a guest with a special
gesture of a flower arrangement in the room as recognition of the importance of a person.
This requirement of flower arrangements for certain guests is conveyed to housekeeping by
front office on a daily basis. Apart from the above communications, the front office needs to
depend on housekeeping for the provision of clean uniforms to its staff.

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Coordination of housekeeping with other departments

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Published on Dec 3, 2011

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sunil perera 

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3 years ago   

 Coordination of housekeeping with other departments

1. 1. COORDINATION OF HOUSEKEEPING WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTSNo individual
department in any hotel can work in isolation. A willingness to cooperateand coordinate, with the
assistance of efficient methods of communication, is essentialif the establishment is to run smoothly.
The housekeeping department is just one of thedepartments in a hotel working towards the satisfaction
of the guests, and each department isdependent on others for information and/or services if its work is
to be accomplished efficiently.Frictions between departments must be kept to a minimum and there
should be close inter-departmental liaison.All departments depicted in the above picture need to co
ordinate with housekeeping, and viceversa. Within the rooms division, housekeeping primarily
coordinates with the front office andmaintenance. Amongst all coordination relationships in hotels, the
most important one is thatbetween the front office, housekeeping, and maintenance (see Figure ).
Hotels depend on thistriangle to create a perfect image. The ultimate aim of this trio is to provide the
guests with acomfortable room and a friendly yet courteous service. This must be provided
economically andefficiently because a room that is not sold for a day is loss of revenue that cannot be
retrieved. Coordination with Front OfficeRooms are of chief concern to the front office and
housekeeping departments. It isimportant for the departments to continuously exchange information
on room status. Thefront office must provide lists for expected arrivals and departures for the day in
advance,and notify housekeeping of actual arrivals and departures as and when they occur. The
2. 2. front office is not allowed to assign guestrooms until the rooms have been cleaned,inspected, and
released by the housekeeping department. Each night, a front officeassistant produces an occupancy
report, also called the night report. This report listsrooms occupied that night and indicates guests who
are expected to check out thefollowing day. The executive housekeeper procures and consults this list
early the nextmorning and schedules the occupied rooms for cleaning. As guests check out, the
frontoffice notifies housekeeping. Housekeeping ensures thatthese rooms are given top priority in
servicing, so that clean rooms are available for sale. Ifa guest checks out before the stated departure
date, the front office must informhousekeeping that the room is no longer a stayover, but is now a
check-out. To ensureefficient rooming of guests, both housekeeping and the front office must inform
each otherof changes in a rooms status. Knowing whether a room is occupied, vacant, on change,
outof order (000), under repair, or similar, is important for proper roomsmanagement.A flow of
information in the reverse direction is also necessary, especially by way of theroom status report or the
housekeeping status report. At the end of a shift, thehousekeeping department prepares the
housekeeping status report, which indicates thephysical count as seen by housekeeping, which is to be
tallied by the reception board. Thisreport indicates the current housekeeping status of each room. The
front office must beinformed about rooms that are ready for occupation and those which are out of
order orunder repair. The room status report is compared with the front offices occupancy report,and
discrepancies are brought to the attention of the front office manager. ,A room status discrepancy is a
situation in which the housekeeping departmentsdescription of a rooms status differs from the room
status information being used by thefront office to assign guestrooms. As unoccupied rooms are
cleaned and inspected, thefloor supervisors call the housekeeping desk attendant, who in turn informs
the front officeof rooms ready. The front office then updates the rooms status to vacant and
ready.Promptly informing the front office of the housekeeping status of rooms is a tremendousaid in
getting guests who arrive early registered, especially during high- occupancy orsold-out
periods.Keeping room status information up-to-date requires close coordination between-the frontdesk
and housekeeping. The two common systems used for tracking current room statusare the manual
Whitney room-rack systems and the computerized room status systems.The front desk may use a
Whitney room rack to track the status of rooms. In this system, aroom-rack slip containing the guests
name and other relevant information is preparedduring the registration process. This slip is placed in
the room- rack slot corresponding tothe assigned room number.The presence of a room-rack slip in the
slot indicates that the room is occupied. When theguest checks out, the rack slip is removed and the
 rooms status now indicates on change,which means the room is in need of housekeeping services
before it can be registered to anarriving guest. Housekeeping meanwhile attends to the unoccupied
room and notifies thefront desk, which updates the status to vacant and ready.In a computerized room
status system, as soon as a guest checks out, the front desk entersthe departure into the computer. This
information is received by housekeeping via the
3. 3. computer terminal located in the housekeeping department. When housekeeping is donewith the
cleaning and inspection of the room, it enters this information into its departmentalterminal. This
information is received on the front office computer terminal and it puts theroom on sale. This system
works best when the computer system is directly connected tothe guestroom telephone system. With
such a network, supervisors can inspect roomscleaned by attendants and, if they are found ready for
occupancy, enter a code on theguestroom telephone to change the room status to cleaned and ready in
the hotelscomputer system. Within seconds, the updated room status is displayed on the screen of
afront desk computer terminal.Sharing information on occupancy levels helps forecast occupancy for
the year and makesit easier to draw up a budget, establish par stock levels, and estimate required staff
strength.It also helps to gear renovations and spring cleaning to low-occupancy periods,
therebypreventing loss of revenue.The housekeeping department also receives other important
information from the frontoffice, which require special attention:VIPs in the house This information is
essential so that the staff can take a little extra care andkeener precautions in cleaning and supervising
VIP rooms.Groups in the house The group rooming list must be provided before the groups arrival
asgroups tend to move together in terms of arrival, departure, sightseeing tours, and meals.Their
rooms need to be readied together in view of strict time parameters. It is alsoimportant to intimate
room changes, so that items left behind by guests may be handedover, extras retrieved, and laundry
delivered. Group rooming lists enable the department toorganize their work and have the groups
rooms ready on time. This is particularly crucialwhen the turnover is high and rooms are experiencing
back-to-back occupancy.Crew in the house Under normal circumstances, airline crews are allotted a
given set ofrooms on a particular floor. However, sometimes, the arrival of a crew and the departure
ofanother crew from the same airline may overlap. In such circumstances, it is important forthe
allotted rooms to be cleaned within a short period of time. Also, because of odd timingsfor
international flights, these crew rooms may display a do not disturb (DND) card attimes when other
guests are normally out, which the housekeeping schedule must take intoaccount.Flowers Sometimes
the management extends its compliments to a guest with a specialgesture of a flower arrangement in
the room as recognition of the importance of a person.This requirement of flower arrangements for
certain guests is conveyed to housekeeping bythe front office on a daily basis. Apart from the
communications mentioned, the front officeneeds to depend on housekeeping for the provision of
clean uniforms to its staff. Coordination with Maintenance DepartmentThe maintenance departrnent is
responsible for the provision of engineering facilitiesthat contribute to the comfort of guests and
increase the efficiency of staff. Thehousekeeping department depends on maintenance to keep things
in order. Whilecarrying out their scheduled work, housekeeping employees may find some
deficienciesin the hotel facilities, such as faulty electrical plugs, dripping faucets, leaking pipes,
ormalfunctioning air-conditioning units or we cisterns. The housekeeping department
4. 4. often takes the first steps in maintenance functions for which the maintenance departmentis
ultimately responsible. However, these deficiencies and faults should be immediatelyreported to
maintenance. A need for urgent repairs is reported to maintenance overtelephone and these requests
are usually dealt with promptly if the rapport between thetwo departments is good.There are various
heads under which maintenance work is done:Electrical work Air conditioning and heating; fused
bulbs; lights and lamps that arenot functioning; defective plugs and plug points; short circuits; and
faulty geysers,refrigerators, and mini bars fall under this category.Boiler work This is necessary to
maintain a supply of hot water to guestrooms.Mechanical work This entails repair or replacement of
any faulty equipment, such asvacuum cleaners, ice-cube machines, and so on.Plumbing work This
deals with faulty faucets, showers, drainage systems, water closets,and so on.Civil work Any masonry
work comes under this head.Carpentry work Broken or shaky furniture, mirrors and cupboards in less
than peakcondition, and fresh woodwork are all part of this.To look at it another way, in terms of
frequency, urgency, and complexity of the job,there are three levels of maintenance work.Routine
 maintenance : This involves maintenance activities that relate to the generalupkeep of the hotel. They
occur on a regular basis, daily or weekly, and require minimaltraining or skills. These activities do not
call for the making out of a formal work order,and no records are maintained for them. Most of these
routine maintenance activities arecarried out by housekeeping. Proper care of many surfaces and
materials by housekeepingpersonnel is the first step in the overall maintenance programme for the
property. Examplesof such activities are the replacement of fused light bulbs, polishing of furniture,
cleaningof windows and floors, and so on.Preventive maintenance This is a systematic approach to
maintenance in which situations areidentified and corrected on a regular basis to control costs and
keeplarger problems from occurring. It involves inspections, minor corrections, and initiationof work
orders.Inspections During the normal course of their duties, housekeeping personnel carry
outinspections of most areas. Room attendants and supervisors regularly check for leakingfaucets,
chipped caulking around bathroom fixtures, fused bulbs, AC malfunctions, andso on.Minor
corrections Problems of a greater magnitude are avoided if minor repairs are attendedto promptly. If
communication between housekeeping and maintenance is efficient, minorrepairs will be rectified by
the maintenance department even as the room attendant iscleaning the guestroom.Initiation of work
orders Preventive maintenance sometimes identifies problems that arebeyond the limited scope of
minor corrections. The necessary work is then referred to themaintenance department through a
formal work-order system. The chief maintenanceofficer or the chief engineer then schedules this
maintenance work to be done.Scheduled maintenance This involves maintenance work initiated by a
work order. Workorders are key elements in the communication and coordination between
housekeepingand maintenance.The procedure for scheduled maintenance is described in this section.
The moment a
5. 5. housekeeping personnel detects a problem that requires attention from maintenance, shecalls the
housekeeping control desk, stating the nature of the problem, the kind ofassistance required, and the
location where it is required. The control desk fills out a workorder form (see Exhibit ) in triplicate,
each copy being of a different colour. One copy issent to the executive housekeeper and two copies to
maintenance. The chief engineerkeeps one of these copies and gives the other to the tradesperson
assigned to do the repair.When the job is completed, a copy of the tradespersons completed work
order is sent tothe executive housekeeper for acknowledgement of work satisfactorily completed. If
thiscopy is not sent to the executive housekeeper within an appropriate period of time,housekeeping
issues another work order, which signals maintenance to provide a statusreport on the requested
repair.Sample Work Order Form Hotel XYZ MAINTENANCE WORK ORDER FORM
Time……….Date…………… Check (X) indicates unsatisfactory condition
By……………………………. Explain Check in remarks section. Location……………………...
Bedroom Problem……………………… ( ) Walls ( ) Woodwork ( ) Doors
………………………………. ( ) Ceiling ( ) Television ( ) Light ………………………………. ( )
Floors ( ) AC unit ( ) Blinds ………………………………. ( ) Windows ( ) Drapes Assigned
to………………….. Remarks ……………………………………………… Date
Compl………………….. ………………………………………………………... Time
spent…………………… Bathroom Completed by………………... ( ) Faucets ( )Drains ( ) Shower
Remarks……………………… ( ) Lights ( ) Wallpapers ( ) Paints ………………………………... ( )
Tiles ( ) Glass ( ) Door ………………………………… ( ) Accessories ( ) Window
………………………………… Remarks …………………………………………………. Nowadays,
many hotels install a computerized maintenance management system(CMMS) to catapult them from
the strategy colloquially called bust n fix to one ofproactive maintenance.Engineering and
maintenance departments in most hotels keep records of all equipmentoperated by housekeeping
personnel. Equipment data cards contain basic informationabout these pieces of equipment. The
purpose is to provide documentation of allmaintenance activity on a given piece of equipment.On the
part of the housekeeping department, its personnel should cooperate withmaintenance by getting room
doors unlocked promptly when repairs are being done.Housekeeping should also have maintenance
rooms already stripped when redecorationis to take place and should have furniture to be removed for
repair appropriately labelled. Coordination with Security DepartmentThe coordination here is mainly
concerned with the prevention of fire and thefts andthe safekeeping of keys and lost property. There
 are so many security hazards on thefloors that this liaison is particularly important, and the
housekeeper cooperates by
6. 6. endeavouring to see that housekeeping staff are aware of the hazards. Housekeepingpersonnel
should also report anything of a suspicious nature immediately to the securitystaff. A hotel guestroom
should be the most private of places and the hotel staff mustensure their guests privacy and security.
However, a guest may take advantage of thisprivacy and may be engaged in certain illegal activities
such as gambling, smuggling,and so on. Housekeeping personnel have to be alert to this risk and seek
the securitydepartments intervention if necessary. The security department is responsible
forconducting training sessions on handling emergency situations for the staff. For example,they
conduct fire drills to train staff to gear up in a fire emergency. Coordination with Food and beverage
department The food and beverage (F&B) department consists of both the service staff as well as
thekitchen staff. The coordination of housekeeping with the restaurants and banquet hallsis mainly
concerned with the provision oflinen and uniforms. The linen room supervisor,under the supervision
of the executive housekeeper, needs to have sufficient stock ofclean napery to meet the demands of
the F&B departments restaurant and banquetfunctions. On his/her part, the restaurant manager should
ensure that the time set forthe exchange of linen is respected; that linen is not lost or misused; and that
intimationof forthcoming banquet functions is conveyed to housekeeping well in advance.
Besidesextra/special linen, housekeeping may also have to arrange for flower decorations
forbanquets.Coordination between the two departments becomes particularly necessary in thecase of
room service, so that friction does not arise over matters such as waiters notcollecting trays from
guestrooms or room service staff leaving soiled trays in the corridorsor causing extra work through
careless spills on the carpet.In many hotels, housekeeping also looks after pest control in restaurants,
kitchens,and stores attached to them. Special cleaning of these areas calls for coordination withthe
housekeeping department. Both restaurant and kitchen staff require clean uniformon a daily basis, for
which too they need to communicate with housekeeping. Provisionof staff meals for housekeeping
personnel, on the other hand, is the responsibility of thekitchen staff. Coordination with
StoresCoordination with stores ensures the availability of day-to-day necessities of house-keeping.
Larger hotels have a store attached to the housekeeping department that stockslinen, supplies, and so
on. Smaller hotels may stock them in the general store, exceptfor linen, which is sent to the
housekeeping department on purchase. Communicationwith stores is by way of a requisition form,
which housekeeping sends to stores when itrequires certain items. The format shown in Exhibit on the
next page may be used. Coordination with PersonneL DepartmentHousekeeping coordinates with the
personnel department for recruitment of house-keeping staff; managing their salaries and wages;
addressing indiscipline; followingthrough grievance procedures; issuing identity cards for employees;
running inductionprogrammes; maintaining locker facilities; completing income tax formalities;
effectingtransfers, promotions, appraisals, and exit formalities; procuring trainees; and
organizingtraining sessions.
7. 7. Sample stores requisition form Hotel XYZ Date …………… STORES REQUISITION FORM
Items Required on…………………………. Items Indented on………………………… S.No Ledger
Name of Unit Stock In Quantity Quantity Rate Amount Folio no Item hand Indented Issued Signature
of Housekeeper…………………… Signature of Storekeeper………………
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sample Purchase requisition form Hotel XYZ Date…………… PURCHASE REQUISITION FORM
No. 3456 S.No Items Unit Quantity Specification Cost Quantity Reason required in stockSignature of
HOD………………… Approved by: Finance controller…………… Coordination with Purchase
Department The purchase department procures out-of-stock items for housekeeping, such as guest
supplies and amenities, stationery, linen, cleaning materials and equipment, and so on. Housekeeping
should convey their requirements to purchase by way of advance notice in the form of a purchase
requisition (Exhibit ).
8. 8. Coordination with Sales and MarketingThe sales and marketing department informs housekeeping
of the occupancy forecastfor the entire year, which is broken up monthwise. This enables
housekeeping to budgetfor the necessary expenses. An important contribution of the housekeeping
staff tohotel sales is ensuring that repeat business is obtained by providing the level of cleanlinessand
 service that meets or exceeds guest expectations. The sales and marketing teamalso have to depend on
housekeeping for their uniforms. Two things are certain in thehotel business: no matter how many
guests a salesperson brings in the door, ifhousekeeping does not execute its function with excellence,
the guests will not be comingback. Vice versa, no matter how well-kept the rooms, if the sales staff do
not bringpotential guests to the hotel, occupancy falls. Coordination with LaundryThis applies when
the laundry is under the supervision and control of a laundry manager.Without clean linen, the room
attendants simply cannot operate. During periods of fulloccupancy, the housekeeper needs a fast
turnaround of linen from the laundry, butshould not always be making an emergency demand for
them. As far as possible, thehousekeeper should stick to the schedule for the laundry. In return, the
laundry shouldprovide an acceptable standard of service with regard to laundering. Housekeepingalso
needs to coordinate with the laundry with regard to housekeeping employeesuniforms and those of
other departments as well.

Provide housekeeping services to guests

Provide housekeeping services to guests

Provide housekeeping services to guests Introduction to trainee manual © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual
Provide housekeeping services to guests 1 Introduction to trainee manual To the Trainee
Congratulations on joining this course. This Trainee Manual is one part of a „toolbox‟ which is a resource
provided to trainees, trainers and assessors to help you become competent in various areas of your
work. The „toolbox‟ consists of three elements: A Trainee Manual for you to read and study at home or
in class A Trainer Guide with Power Point slides to help your Trainer explain the content of the training
material and provide class activities to help with practice An Assessment Manual which provides your
Assessor with oral and written questions and other assessment tasks to establish whether or not you
have achieved competency. The first thing you may notice is that this training program and the
information you find in the Trainee Manual seems different to the textbooks you have used previously.
This is because the method of instruction and examination is different. The method used is called
Competency based training (CBT) and Competency based assessment (CBA). CBT and CBA is the training
and assessment system chosen by ASEAN (Association of SouthEast Asian Nations) to train people to
work in the tourism and hospitality industry throughout all the ASEAN member states. What is the CBT
and CBA system and why has it been adopted by ASEAN? CBT is a way of training that concentrates on
what a worker can do or is required to do at work. The aim is of the training is to enable trainees to
perform tasks and duties at a standard expected by employers. CBT seeks to develop the skills,
knowledge and attitudes (or recognise the ones the trainee already possesses) to achieve the required
competency standard. ASEAN has adopted the CBT/CBA training system as it is able to produce the type
of worker that industry is looking for and this therefore increases trainees chances of obtaining
employment. CBA involves collecting evidence and making a judgement of the extent to which a worker
can perform his/her duties at the required competency standard. Where a trainee can already
demonstrate a degree of competency, either due to prior training or work experience, a process of
„Recognition of Prior Learning‟ (RPL) is available to trainees to recognise this. Please speak to your
trainer about RPL if you think this applies to you. What is a competency standard? Competency
standards are descriptions of the skills and knowledge required to perform a task or activity at the level
of a required standard. 242 competency standards for the tourism and hospitality industries throughout
the ASEAN region have been developed to cover all the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to work
in the following occupational areas: Housekeeping Food Production Food and Beverage Service
Introduction to trainee manual 2 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to
guests Front Office Travel Agencies Tour Operations. All of these competency standards are available for
you to look at. In fact you will find a summary of each one at the beginning of each Trainee Manual
under the heading „Unit Descriptor‟. The unit descriptor describes the content of the unit you will be
studying in the Trainee Manual and provides a table of contents which are divided up into „Elements‟
and „Performance Criteria”. An element is a description of one aspect of what has to be achieved in the
workplace. The „Performance Criteria‟ below each element details the level of performance that needs
to be demonstrated to be declared competent. There are other components of the competency
standard: Unit Title: statement about what is to be done in the workplace Unit Number: unique number
identifying the particular competency Nominal hours: number of classroom or practical hours usually
needed to complete the competency. We call them „nominal‟ hours because they can vary e.g.
sometimes it will take an individual less time to complete a unit of competency because he/she has prior
knowledge or work experience in that area. The final heading you will see before you start reading the
Trainee Manual is the „Assessment Matrix‟. Competency based assessment requires trainees to be
assessed in at least 2 – 3 different ways, one of which must be practical. This section outlines three ways
assessment can be carried out and includes work projects, written questions and oral questions. The
matrix is designed to show you which performance criteria will be assessed and how they will be
assessed. Your trainer and/or assessor may also use other assessment methods including „Observation
Checklist‟ and „Third Party Statement‟. An observation checklist is a way of recording how you perform
at work and a third party statement is a statement by a supervisor or employer about the degree of
competence they believe you have achieved. This can be based on observing your workplace
performance, inspecting your work or gaining feedback from fellow workers. Your trainer and/or
assessor may use other methods to assess you such as: Journals Oral presentations Role plays Log books
Group projects Practical demonstrations. Remember your trainer is there to help you succeed and
become competent. Please feel free to ask him or her for more explanation of what you have just read
and of what is expected from you and best wishes for your future studies and future career in tourism
and hospitality. Unit descriptor © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests
3 Unit descriptor Provide housekeeping services to guests This unit deals with the skills and knowledge
required to Provide housekeeping services to guests in a range of settings within the hotel and travel
industries workplace context. Unit Code: D1.HHK.CL3.01 Nominal Hours: 15 hours Element 1: Receive
housekeeping requests Performance Criteria 1.1 Accept housekeeping requests from guests 1.2 Accept
housekeeping requests from staff 1.3 Record housekeeping requests according to enterprise
requirements 1.4 Advise on time for provision/delivery of identified service or items to guest room
Element 2: Service housekeeping requests Performance Criteria 2.1 Liaise with other staff to obtain and
or deliver identified service or items 2.2 Locate and deliver required items to guest room 2.3 Set up
equipment in guest rooms 2.4 Items from guest rooms as required Element 3: Provide advice to guests
Performance Criteria 3.1 Advise guests on services and items available through the housekeeping
department 3.2 Advise guests on the use of items delivered to guest room, if required 3.3 Demonstrate
the use of items delivered to guest room, if required 3.4 Liaise with other staff and departments to
provide supplementary advice where appropriate Unit descriptor 4 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual
Provide housekeeping services to guests Element 4: Liaise with other departments Performance Criteria
4.1 Report malfunctions as required 4.2 Advise management of dangerous or suspicious circumstances
4.3 Participate in planning to enhance service delivery standards and equipment purchase Assessment
matrix © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests 5 Assessment matrix
Showing mapping of Performance Criteria against Work Projects, Written Questions and Oral Questions
Work Projects Written Questions Oral Questions Element 1: Receive housekeeping requests 1.1 Accept
housekeeping requests from guests 1.1 1,2 1 1.2 Accept housekeeping requests from staff 1.2 3,4 2 1.3
Record housekeeping requests according to enterprise requirements 1.3 5,6 3 1.4 Advise on time for
provision/delivery of identified service or items to guest room 1.4 7,8 4 Element 2: Service housekeeping
requests 2.1 Liaise with other staff to obtain and or deliver identified service or items 2.1 9,10 5 2.2
Locate and deliver required items to guest room 2.2 11,12 6 2.3 Set up equipment in guest rooms 2.3
13,14 7 2.4 Items from guest rooms as required 2.4 15,16 8 Element 3: Provide advice to guests 3.1
Advise guests on services and items available through the housekeeping department 3.1 17,18 9 3.2
Advise guests on the use of items delivered to guest room, if required 3.2 19,20 10 3.3 Demonstrate the
use of items delivered to guest room, if required 3.3 21,22 11 3.4 Liaise with other staff and
departments to provide supplementary advice where appropriate 3.4 23,24 12 Assessment matrix 6 ©
ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests Work Projects Written Questions
Oral Questions Element 4: Liaise with other departments 4.1 Report malfunctions as required 4.1 25,26
13 4.2 Advise management of dangerous or suspicious circumstances 4.2 27,28 14 4.3 Participate in
planning to enhance service delivery standards and equipment purchase 4.3 29,30 15 Glossary © ASEAN
2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests 7 Glossary Term Explanation Chemical A
product, normally in liquid format, used to clean a surface Clean Free from dirt; unsoiled; unstained
Defect A shortcoming, fault, or imperfection Disinfectant Any chemical agent used chiefly on inanimate
objects to destroy or inhibit the growth of harmful organisms Dry Cleaning The cleaning of garments,
fabrics, draperies, etc., with any of various chemicals rather than water: garments for cleaning in this
way Fittings Anything provided as equipment, parts, supply Furnishings Furniture, carpeting, etc., for a
house or room Housekeeping The maintenance of a house or domestic establishment. Kitchenette A
small kitchen or part of another room equipped for use as a kitchen Laundry Articles of clothing, linens,
etc., that have been or are to be washed Malfunction Failure to function properly Manual handling The
act of pushing, pulling or lifting Planning The act or process of making a plan or plans Policy A rule, a
definite course of action Polish To make smooth and glossy, especially by rubbing or friction Procedure A
particular course or mode of action Provision of supplies Providing housekeeping items including
equipment, cleaning products and cloths Repair To restore to a good or sound condition after decay or
damage; mend Glossary 8 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests Term
Explanation Request The act of asking for something to be given or done, especially as a favour or
courtesy; solicitation or petition Strip To remove bed linen from a mattress Suite Hospitality
accommodation containing more than one room Trolley A transport vehicle used in housekeeping to
move supplies from room to room Element 1: Receive housekeeping requests © ASEAN 2012 Trainee
Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests 9 Element 1: Receive housekeeping requests 1.1 Accept
housekeeping requests from guests Introduction Housekeeping is an important area in any
accommodation property. Most people see housekeeping as simply „cleaning guest rooms‟ but from an
operational perspective there is a lot more to housekeeping than just that. The role of housekeeping is
to ensure the comfort and safety of guests whilst they are staying at a hospitality organisation. This is
the guest‟s 'home away from home'. It is essential that that a guest is able to enjoy their room in the
same manner and with the same ease as they would enjoy in their own house. The aim of housekeeping
is to strive to enable guests to access items as easily as in their own home. It is therefore important that
housekeeping staff maintain a professional level of integrity, especially staff who clean rooms.
Housekeeping staff must have high levels of integrity, honesty and discretion as a guest needs to feel
that what takes place or what is left in their room must be safe and remain confidential. Understandably
an accommodation room is considerably smaller in size than the customer's normal residence and
therefore items that they may need might not be in immediate access. A hotel cannot provide all the
necessary items a customer may need inside each and every room for a number of reasons: The room
size is too small It would become cramped for space Not all customers need all items The capital outlay
for a business would be considerable It reduces the chance of damage and theft. Therefore it is vital that
housekeeping are able to get a requested item to a room in the shortest possible time. Types of
accommodation properties The items included in a room or upon request differ depending on the type
of accommodation provided. Housekeeping requests by guests can be made across a range of
accommodation properties for a wide variety of reasons. A housekeeping department exists in any
property that offers in-house accommodation. Element 1: Receive housekeeping requests 10 © ASEAN
2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests Housekeeping departments operate
within: Hotels, motels and clubs Resorts, chalets and hostels Passenger ships and trains Serviced
apartments. Types of guest requests There may be many times during a shift when the room attendant
will have to handle guest requests and the reasons can vary. Need for item sent to the room A guest
may request services or products such as: Additional equipment in their room – because they have
needs during their stay that are not accommodated by the normal in-room items Valet or laundry
service – common among long stay guests Additional bedding – where the existing bedding is
unsuitable, uncomfortable or insufficient Extra tea, coffee, sugar and milk sachets – a common request
where the guests spend a lot of time in their room Extra crockery or cutlery – where the room features a
kitchen or kitchenette this is also a common request especially where guests want to entertain in their
rooms Vases – for flowers that have been delivered to them Replacement items such as hair dryers,
toasters, irons and electric jugs to replace items that are not working Extra bathroom guest supplies –
another common request for longterm guests: guests with long hair often ask for extra shampoo and
conditioner Additional items in compendium – such as letterhead paper, envelopes, postcards, pens,
note paper Additional towels – to accommodate extra showers or baths taken by the guests: where the
property has a swimming pool this is a common request Extra hangers for clothes, extra pillows, extra
blankets A power conversion board – to adapt their electrical equipment to the power supply of the
venue: common where the property caters to some international guests Ice and ice buckets. Element 1:
Receive housekeeping requests © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests
11 Servicing of room Rectification cleaning - guests may request an improvement in the servicing of
room. They require housekeeping staff to provide remedial service to the room when the original room
service is deemed by the guest to be sub-standard Clean-up after an in-room party or entertainment A
special room service where they have spilled something on the floor. Repairs Repair or removal of
broken equipment – such as controls for the TV, DVD player, air conditioner, broken bedside lights, free-
standing lamps Instructions to enable them to work equipment – such as the TV, in-room safe, lights
(especially where room cards are needed to activate the power to a room), heating and cooling controls.
Guests may also contact housekeeping when making a Lost and Found enquiry. They may have found an
item in a room they have just been roomed in or they may contact housekeeping after they have
departed to enquire about something they have lost. Housekeeping is often the department that
operates the Lost and Found facility for a venue because most Lost and Found items come from guest
rooms. Handling complaints Ensuring guest comfort may relate not just to issues that can be handled
quickly by housekeeping (such as rectification cleaning, a replacement jug for one that‟s not working or
extra tea and coffee supplies) but also handle or direct guest requests relating to: Noisy people in the
room next doors Poor views from the balcony Noisy pigeons outside the room which stop guests getting
to sleep Noisy elevators near the room Lack of facilities in the room Quality of facilities that is below
guest expectations Advertising that has created expectations that are not being met. In most cases
housekeeping may not be able to rectify these complaints personally, but they should ensure the
appropriate person is contacted in a timely manner. Element 1: Receive housekeeping requests 12 ©
ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests Handling guest requests promptly
Given that housekeeping staff are usually very busy trying to achieve the tasks set for them by the
Executive Housekeeper on a daily basis (which are essentially the servicing of departing and staying
guest rooms), they must still ensure they handle any requests from in-room guests in addition to their
allocated workload and do so in a polite and friendly manner, in accordance with all relevant house
policies and procedures. If the room attendant cannot assist the guest immediately, they should at least
acknowledge the guest‟s request and advise them when assistance will become available. There may
also be times when a guest makes a request and the room attendant cannot provide an immediate
answer as to whether or not the request can be fulfilled. In such instances, the room attendant should
seek out accurate information to satisfy the guest‟s requests, or pass on the request to the appropriate
department (or the Floor Housekeeper) for action and follow up. The guest should always be told of how
their request is to be dealt with and kept informed about the progress of the request. The basis for
providing excellent levels of customer service in housekeeping In order to ensure the comfort and
wellbeing of guests, housekeeping must develop a good relationship with guests. This can be achieved
by: Good personal presentation – as determined by house requirements that apply to uniforms and
personal hygiene Greeting guests by name when known Providing excellent service at all times Not
giving the guests the impression that serving their needs is a chore/imposition Not rushing service
delivery as and when it is required Enquiring “Is there anything else I can do for you?” Finishing service
delivery with appositive statement: “It‟s been a pleasure” Providing information to guests (about the
property, the local area, tourist attractions, transport, local customs, currency etc) – and not just
providing service in terms of specific housekeeping duties Assisting guests in public areas (such as the
corridors of their floors or in lifts) or inroom when they see them struggling with their luggage. The
assistance may simply involve offering to call a porter to assist Smiling Handling complaints in a
professional manner Element 1: Receive housekeeping requests © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide
housekeeping services to guests 13 Providing a safe and secure environment for the guests while they
are staying in the establishment Respecting the guest‟s need for confidentiality and privacy Having
excellent product knowledge about the appliances, items, features in guest rooms. For room attendant
to provide excellent service, they must know the importance of making guests feel safe, secure and
welcome while they are away from home. Handling guest complaints Unfortunately, even with the best
of intentions, things can sometimes go wrong and result in a guest complaint. As identified before, some
requests are in fact complaints. The following are guidelines to assist in dealing with a customer
complaint: Remain pleasant at all times, but do not smile when the guest is complaining Listen without
interruption Know the correct procedure and the establishment policy on dealing with customer
complaints Ask the guest how they would like you to resolve the problem Focus on the issue and don‟t
take the complaint personal Apologise to the guest for any inconvenience Advise your supervisor and
get their feedback as to how they feel you handled the situation. Use guest name where possible When
dealing with a guest‟s request, the room attendant should acknowledge the guest by addressing them
by their name, if appropriate and possible. It is said that a person likes nothing better than to hear the
sound of their own name. Using the guest‟s name is an excellent way of personalising the service and
showing that the individual guest is valued. Make sure however that you follow any house policies that
might apply to the use of guest‟s names. These usually reflect generally applicable standards of
courtesy, such as: Avoid using first names – only use last names Never use nicknames Get the
pronunciation right – if you are not sure you can do this, use „Sir‟ or „Madam‟ If you don‟t know the
guest‟s name or have forgotten it address the guest by „Sir‟ or „Madam‟. Element 1: Receive
housekeeping requests 14 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests How
will I know the guest‟s name to begin with? Most requests from guests for items for their room come
about from: A phone call to housekeeping from the guest A face-to-face conversation with the guest as
they are walking down the corridor and see you cleaning rooms. In either situation they usually begin
the conversation by identifying themselves and the room they are staying in – “Hi, I‟m Greg Jones from
377. I was wondering if you could …” This provides the perfect opportunity to find out the guest‟s name
but you have to be alert to the possibility it is going to happen and be ready to listen for it and
remember it. If you forget the guest‟s name it is easy enough to find out a name from the internal
rooming system using the room number as the basis for the search: where there is more than one
person in the room (for example, a twin room may have 2 males or 2 females) and you are not sure who
is who, use „Sir‟ or „Madam‟. 1.2 Accept housekeeping requests from staff Introduction Housekeeping
not only services the needs of the guest. As the department responsible for the cleanliness of a
property, it is often called upon to handle requests made by other departments. Therefore all
departments will have requests of housekeeping. Similar to dealing with requests from guests, these
requests must be handled in a professional and timely manner. Types of staff requests The types of
requests may be varied depending on each specific situation, however there are some common staff
requests including: Cleaning Cleaning duties - of items such as furniture, carpets, equipment, windows,
floors and bench surfaces Cleaning of in-house facilities – including public areas, change rooms and
offices Emergency cleaning – unexpected cleaning requests Cleaning and servicing of staff changing
rooms. Element 1: Receive housekeeping requests © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide
housekeeping services to guests 15 Staff Uniforms Order and supply of staff uniforms Providing laundry
service – many properties operate their own on-premise laundry whilst other venues will use the
services of an outside commercial laundry. Most staff uniforms will be cleaned through the
housekeeping department. Provision of Supplies Cleaning products, rags & equipment Chemicals Clean
linen for F&B departments Towels for gymnasiums. Security Check rooms and floors for safety concerns
Ensure guest room and emergency doors are shut Close storerooms Participate in emergency and
evacuation procedures. Other tasks Move room service trays from rooms or corridor to appropriate
store area Check mini bars for departing guests Check actual status of a room – whether a guest has
actually left the room or if it is occupied. As mentioned, when handling requests made by staff, they
must be handled in a timely manner. These requests are made to help provide a better experience for
guests and must be treated seriously. All staff members are part of a team, each with a role to play.
Housekeeping has many requests for other departments and would also expect their requests to be
handled in an efficient manner. Element 1: Receive housekeeping requests 16 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee
Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests 1.3 Record housekeeping requests according to
enterprise requirements Introduction Any contact that housekeeping has with a guest has the potential
for a request to be made by the guest. The reality is that guests rarely speak with housekeeping staff
unless they have a need to do so, so be aware of this and be ready to respond appropriately. Confirm
and note details of the request Confirming what is needed The key to this is repeating back to the guest
what it is they have told you they want, using your establishment knowledge to clarify any areas that are
not clear. For example, if a guest phones and says they want more towels, you need to determine what
size towels they want. If the guest tells you they have spilled something in their room and want it
cleaned up, you should ask the nature of the spill (what was spilled, what it was spilled on, and how big
the spill is) so you can prepare for what is needed. Sometimes the guest will ask questions about what is
available to suit their need, so you need to respond accurately and honestly to these questions. It is
important that honesty is used so that you avoid creating false expectations in the mind of the guests.
Noting details of what is needed The key to this is to not rely on your memory but rather to write down
the relevant details. This advice applies whether the request comes in person or over the phone. There
should always be note paper and a pen near the phone in the housekeeping department and a room
attendant should always have a notebook and pen as standard items when they are working. When a
guest makes a request simply write down: Guest name Room number Specifics of the request – type of
item or service required, number involved (where appropriate – „6 wine glasses‟) Time for delivery to
the room that was agreed to. It is always wise to confirm the details to save time, effort and guest
frustration if the wrong item or service is delivered. There may often be communication difficulties
caused by different languages, lack of local knowledge, tiredness and unfamiliarity with the property.
Element 1: Receive housekeeping requests © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping
services to guests 17 1.4 Advise on time for provision/delivery of identified service or items to guest
room Introduction After a request has been received, recorded and confirmed, you should provide the
guest with an estimated timeframe as to when the request will be met. Keys to agreeing on a timeline
The timeframe for meeting any guest request must be reasonable and achievable. It is best if the guest
agrees that the time given by you is agreed to by them, but sometimes they place unrealistic timelines
that simply can‟t be met. Obtain agreement where possible and where you can‟t, do your best and be
as quick as you can. Remember you will probably have other tasks to do and other guest needs to
provide so the Golden Rule is „Under-promise and overdeliver‟. For example, if you tell the guest the
item or service they have requested will be there in 5 minutes and it actually takes 10 minutes they will
be disappointed and annoyed. If you promise the item in 10 minutes and have it there in 5 minutes, they
will tend to be impressed with your fast response. Never allow yourself to be forced or intimidated into
a timeline that you know can‟t be met. It is far better to politely explain this timeframe cannot be met,
explaining the reasons why, where applicable, and re-assuring the guest you will act as quickly as
possible. Sometimes you don‟t need agreement In many cases where a guest makes a request for
additional room servicing requirements, they are happy to be informed “Certainly, Mr Adams. That‟s
half-a-dozen extra teas, coffees, sugars and milk for Room 583. I‟ll be there in 5 minutes with those for
you. Is there anything else I can do for you?” By supplying this timeframe, the room attendant is
showing that the request has been taken seriously, and is giving the guest an expectation about the
service to be provided. The 5 minute timeframe may also take into account other things the room
attendant has to do both to finish their allocated work and meet the unexpected guest request.
However, should this timeframe change for any reason, the room attendant must inform the guest of
the progress being made with their request and supply the guest with a new revised timeframe, and the
reason for the change in time. By doing this, the guest will then be able to adjust their expectations:
they may not like the revised timeframe but at least they are aware of it (and can plan accordingly) and
know that something is being done to satisfy them. This will help ensure greater customer satisfaction. If
you personally are unable to action a request for guest service that you agreed to, make an attempt to
see if someone else can assist. This may mean asking another room attendant, a porter or a room
service person. Element 1: Receive housekeeping requests 18 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide
housekeeping services to guests Time delays Despite your best efforts there will probably be times when
a breakdown arises in relation to services provided by the housekeeping department. In all instances the
guest should receive an apology for this lapse in service and appropriate remedial action should be
taken immediately, where appropriate, to try to retrieve the situation to the best extent possible.
Examples of breakdown in providing housekeeping services to rooms This breakdown in service
provision may result from: Sub-standard servicing of the guest room when the room was prepared –
someone may have missed cleaning an item, an area or item may not have been properly cleaned, guest
supplies may not have been re-stocked A previous promise to deliver a service may not have been
fulfilled – a guest who was promised a replacement hair dryer may not have been supplied with one.
The task could have been forgotten or a message for another staff member may have been misplaced A
room displaying a „Do Not Disturb‟ sign and the room attendant responsible for that room not notifying
the Floor Housekeeper that, at the end of the shift the sign was still in place and the room had not been
serviced A promise to deliver something to a room by a certain time may not be able to be met –
perhaps the item required is out-of-stock or there are insufficient staff to meet the promised timeline An
item that was promised to a guest turns out to be unavailable and can‟t be supplied as promised. In
essence, anything that: Fails to deliver the service that either we promised Fails to deliver the service
the guest expected Fails to meet house service delivery standards. can be said to be a breakdown in
service delivery and should be apologised for. Keys to making apologies Where there has been a delay
you must apologise for this. You must be sincere in your apology but also brief. You must make sure you
apologise not only for the lack of service or item that wasn‟t delivered but you must include an apology
for any inconvenience that has been caused. The apology should never: Blame anyone else Discredit the
establishment Commit the establishment to making some form of recompense or compensation.
Element 1: Receive housekeeping requests © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping
services to guests 19 Work Projects It is a requirement of this Unit you complete Work Projects as
advised by your Trainer. You must submit documentation, suitable evidence or other relevant proof of
completion of the project to your Trainer by the agreed date. 1.1 To fulfil the requirements of this Work
Project you are asked to research and identify: What types of housekeeping requests guests make How
we can provide for these requests. 1.2 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to
research and identify: What types of housekeeping requests staff make How we can provide for these
requests. 1.3 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to research and identify: How
to record housekeeping requests. 1.4 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to
research and identify: The importance of timely delivery of items to guests Possible causes of a delayed
delivery The process of informing guests if there is a delay. Element 1: Receive housekeeping requests
20 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests Summary Receive
housekeeping requests Accept housekeeping requests from guests: Types of accommodation properties
Types of guest requests Handling guest requests promptly The basis for providing excellent levels of
customer service in housekeeping Handling guest complaints Use guest name where possible. Accept
housekeeping requests from staff: Types of staff requests. Record housekeeping requests according to
enterprise requirements: Confirm and note details of the request. Advise on time for provision/delivery
of identified service or items to guest room: Keys to agreeing on a timeline Sometimes you don‟t need
agreement Time delays Keys to making apologies. Element 2: Service housekeeping requests © ASEAN
2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests 21 Element 2: Service housekeeping
requests 2.1 Liaise with other staff to obtain and or deliver identified service or items Introduction As
identified in the past section, guests or staff may have requests which must be addressed. In some cases
these tasks can be performed by yourself or within the housekeeping department. In many cases, in
order to respond to a guest request it requires the involvement of other people or departments. A guest
is not concerned who handles their request. Their concern is that it is simply handled in a satisfactory
and timely manner. The need for teamwork On some occasions, there will be a need for teamwork and
the person receiving the request for housekeeping services may need to obtain assistance from another
staff member to comply with the request. For example, a large spill in a room may be better dealt with
by 2 people rather than just one. A large piece of equipment or furniture that needs moving will require
a „team lift‟ approach. Where you feel that you are unable to fulfil the request on your own, you should
always be prepared to ask others for their help. You should also be prepared to help others when they
ask for your assistance. Safety and security Where you receive a request from a guest for extra service
provision and the guest appears annoyed, upset, affected by drugs or alcohol then you should always
obtain help from another staff member. Certainly it is important to let someone know the room you are
going to. When you are servicing a room, others can tell where you are by the location of your trolley
and looking at your room chart, but when you respond to a call to take an item to a room it is impossible
for others to know where you are should you need help. All it takes is a quick call to another staff
member “Hi it‟s John here on the 7th floor: just taking some extra guest supplies to Room 1010. Should
be back on station in 5 minutes.” Element 2: Service housekeeping requests 22 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee
Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests Responsibility Regardless if the request has been
forwarded to another person for completion it is important that you ensure that the request is actioned.
Keep track of what is happening and where required keep the guest informed of what is happening and
expected time for completion. Once the request has been fulfilled, it is a good idea to check with the
guest to ensure they are satisfied with the outcome. 2.2 Locate and deliver required items to guest
room Introduction In most cases, it will be the responsibility of housekeeping to carry out any guest
requests that they receive. This is generally fairly easy to do because moist requests relate to items that
the room attendant has ready access to – guest supplies are on the housekeeping trolley and most other
things requested are either in a Floor Housekeeping storeroom or can be „borrowed‟ from a vacant
room. In other cases, however, some requests may involve a bit more time and effort. “It‟s not my job!”
No staff member should ever use the phrase „It‟s not my job” when responding to a request from a
guest. In a service industry, it is always your job to assist guests. If the request is outside your normal
work responsibility, you should: Record and confirm the request Pass the details on to the relevant
person for them to action. Never, ever tell a guest “You‟ll have to ring the Maintenance department –
we don‟t handle replacing light globes” or “Sorry, Room Service do that – perhaps if you ring 22
someone there can help you”. Action is the key to responding to a request Once a request is received,
you must promptly seek out the item or equipment necessary to complete the request within the
agreed timeframe. The key to any request from a guest is to take action on their request. To do this, you
will most likely just go to your trolley (or to the nearest housekeeping storeroom), grab what is needed
and take it to the guest room. Element 2: Service housekeeping requests © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual
Provide housekeeping services to guests 23 Passing on requests In other cases , where the request falls
outside you ability to fulfil it, the appropriate person must be notified and the request passed on
important points when doing this are: Pass on all the relevant details including the name and room
number of the guest is vital. This information allows the person to get back in contact with the guest to
clarify things or amend the promised delivery time Make sure the person you give the message to
understands it. Get them to repeat it back to confirm it. Make special mention of any important bits
including the need for urgency. Stress any agreed time that have been given. If you promised the item in
10 minutes, you must let the other person know when that 10 minutes is up. Requests for information It
is sometimes more time consuming to provide certain things to guests. Requests for information are
amongst these. Requests for information can cover: Information on the products and services offered by
the establishment – even though guests have an in-room compendium they can still want more detail
than what is there and there is always the possibility that this information is out-of-date. Use your
product knowledge about the property to answer these questions, and where you don‟t know the
answer, apologise, tell them you will find out the answer and get back to them, then do so. Availability
of services, hours, location of meals, services and equipment – you might be able to inform a guest that
there is an ice machine at the end of the corridor but perhaps you don‟t know when the spa opens or
what the treatments are how much they cost. How various types of equipment works – you are
expected to know how to operate all the in-room facilities (this should be one of the first things you are
trained in as part of your on-the-job training) but guests may ask you about other items of equipment
throughout the property that you know nothing about. This is to be expected if your are the first person
they see as they walk back to their from not being able to operate a piece of gym equipment, not being
able to get the vending machine to work. Requests for information about local services, attractions,
transport, shopping, entertainment, bars, places to eat. While is probably more a reception or concierge
role, once again, guests can ask you because „you are there‟. Element 2: Service housekeeping requests
24 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests In these situations: Never
say “I don‟t know” and leave it at that Never tell them it‟s not your job to provide that sort of
information Never tell them to look it up in their in-room information compendium. Never give them
the impression that asking for the information is an imposition or a stupid thing for them to do. 2.3 Set
up equipment in guest rooms Introduction From time to time the housekeeping department may be
asked to help set up items requested by guests. These requests need to be accommodated as quickly as
possible because when such requests are made, guests are usually waiting to use the items. What items
might be involved? The items that may need setting up could include: Table and chairs – for meetings or
to assist with the provision of room service meals Internet connection Television DVD player Data
projector Portable bed Portable cot. In-room meetings Guest rooms are sometimes hired by companies
for business purposes to hold a small meeting make presentations or display goods and in such
instances it may be your responsibility to move furniture around, set up tables and chairs before the
meeting commences. Directions will be given by the person hiring the room about what they want,
where they want it set and the time by which it needs to be ready. Elderly people Elderly people can
often have problems with technologically-based items in their rooms. They may be perfectly well able to
operate their TV or DVD at home but the one in their room may be different and they may not be able
to make it work. Element 2: Service housekeeping requests © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide
housekeeping services to guests 25 Don‟t make them feel stupid for asking, take time to make sure they
have understood what you have told them and check to see they are able to operate it properly on their
own before you leave. A call to the room 15minutes later to check everything is fine would also be
appreciated and shows evidence of excellent service. Elderly people may also seek your regular
assistance in: Moving heavy items – which can include their personal luggage Getting items down from
high places Obtaining things from low places Obtaining a wheelchair to access other facilities in the
venue. Portable beds and cots Setting up portable beds and cots is a task that many in housekeeping
hate! They are often cumbersome to move, and difficult to set up. Lots of injuries have resulted from
moving and setting up these items. Where possible, it is advisable to place them into rooms and get
them set up prior to the guests arriving – so no-one can hear or see what goes on! Tips that may assist
include: Be careful – they bite: watch your fingers Practice before having to do it front of a guest – it‟s
embarrassing to have problems with people looking on Follow the instructions Don‟t rush Have an
experienced person with you when you do your first one. You never know when you‟ll need help even
though you‟ve done loads of practice. It should be a standard house rule that guests are never allowed
to set up a portable bed or cot. Not only is allowing them to do this very bad service but there is a great
risk they may injure themselves. Know the house rules It is important for you to be well-versed on the
different types of equipment that need to be set up and the steps to take to actually set up the
equipment in a safe, secure and fullyoperational manner. You must also adhere to all health and safety
regulations when moving items about, especially heavy items. You must also follow any establishment
policies on setting up equipment. Element 2: Service housekeeping requests 26 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee
Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests Where appropriate, agree on suitable time to collect
equipment There may be times when the guest will only require an additional piece of equipment for a
certain time span – a short-term loan. When this item is placed in the room, it may be a good idea for
you to reach an agreement with the guest about the collection time for that item. The main reasons to
identify a time for collection for these items are: To allow the guest to be able to plan their stay with us
– it saves them wondering what is going to happen in relation to the item: they know what‟s going to
and happen and can plan accordingly To prevent the situation where the guest may place the item in the
corridor outside their door – minimising the chance of damage to the item, or theft To give the guest
space in their room – unwanted items take up space that the guest may want to use for something else
To allow the asset to be put back into inventory and available for use by another guest if the need arises.
In relation to agreeing on a time for collection of these short-term (or other) loan items: The
arrangement to pick up should be made as a suggestion rather than a requirement – the central idea is
to provide service not to set limitations or „tell the guest what to do‟ Guests should be encouraged to
contact housekeeping and arrange for an extension of the pick-up time where they want the item for a
longer period Where housekeeping staff will be off duty when the pick-up time arrives, arrangements
need to made with another department to collect the item. It is not acceptable for the guest to have to
„put up with‟ an item in their room that they don‟t want there simply because we can‟t pick it up.
Room service staff, porters, or staff from any department could be asked to assist. Log books Some
establishments will have a log book to record information about when and where extra items were
delivered and when they need to be collected. When an item is recovered from a guest room and
returned to the store (or the vacant room from where it was borrowed), this log is signed to
demonstrate that return. The log book assists in tracking assets and making sure all rooms have their
necessary items. Element 2: Service housekeeping requests © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide
housekeeping services to guests 27 2.4 Items from guest rooms as required Introduction Whilst the
majority of requests involve items to be taken to the room, there are times when requests involve items
being taken from the room. These items may be: Types of items for collection To service a guest request
effectively, you may need to pick up items from the guest room such as: Room features including
furniture, appliances or amenities not being used Housekeeping items and equipment that have been
left behind Towels, face washers and bath mats that are now dirty and need replacing Toilet paper,
tissues and other bathroom and guest supplies that have run out A replacement item – to take the place
of something that isn‟t working Items that are no longer needed but which have been specially
requested previously. Guest items requiring further action such as dry cleaning, storage or repair. Keys
in collecting items It is vital to understand that if you have made a promise to pick something up at an
appointed time, the guest is expecting you to arrive at that time. They have probable changed their
plans, re-arranged things to accommodate this, and are waiting: and every minute they wait past the
scheduled time seems like an hour and their level of frustration etc rises and rises. They can‟t get on
with what they want to get on with until you arrive! So make sure you are there when you said you‟d
be. If you are going to be late: Get someone else to collect it – and make sure they do it on time Contact
the room, apologies and arranged a revised time. Never just be late and fail to notify the guest. If the
item you are picking up is heavy or awkward, take someone else along or a trolley. Element 2: Service
housekeeping requests 28 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests
When you arrive to collect the item: Knock on the door and announce “Housekeeping” Greet the guest
by name Apologise, if applicable Tell them why you are there – “I‟ve come to pick up the … Ask for
permission to enter the room Thank the guest for their permission to do so Keep your eyes and ears to
yourself Pick up the item and walk to the door Apologise again, if appropriate Make arrangements for a
replacement item, where appropriate and a time for its delivery Thank the guest again Depart the room.
Element 2: Service housekeeping requests © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping
services to guests 29 Work Projects It is a requirement of this Unit you complete Work Projects as
advised by your Trainer. You must submit documentation, suitable evidence or other relevant proof of
completion of the project to your Trainer by the agreed date. 2.1 To fulfil the requirements of this Work
Project you are asked to research and identify: When you would need to liaise with other staff to obtain
or deliver services or items What services or items they could provide. 2.2 To fulfil the requirements of
this Work Project you are asked to research and identify: What items are commonly delivered to rooms
Where these items are normally stored How you record the movement of items, if required. 2.3 To fulfil
the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to research and identify: What items are commonly
set up in the rooms Items required for a meeting What assistance can you provide to elderly persons
What equipment and other items are required when setting up a cot. 2.4 To fulfil the requirements of
this Work Project you are asked to research and identify: What items are commonly removed from
rooms Where these items are taken. Element 2: Service housekeeping requests 30 © ASEAN 2012
Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests Summary Service housekeeping requests Liaise
with other staff to obtain and/or deliver identified service or items: The need for teamwork Safety and
security Responsibility. Locate and deliver required items to guest room: “It‟s not my job!” Action is the
key to responding to a request Passing on requests Requests for information. Set up equipment in guest
rooms: What items might be involved? Know the house rules Where appropriate, agree on suitable time
to collect equipment Log books. Items from guest rooms as required: Types of items for collection Keys
in collecting items. Element 3: Provide advice to guests © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide
housekeeping services to guests 31 Element 3: Provide advice to guests 3.1 Advise guests on services
and items available through the housekeeping department Introduction Many guests will have direct
requests and are clear as to what housekeeping can provide. For some guests however this may be the
first time in a hotel and are unsure what is available for use in the room. It is your role to provide
assistance and information that may be suitable to their needs. At times the guest may not directly tell
you their need to be aware of signs that may indicate their requirements. Items or services that may be
required The guest may require any of the following directly related to the housekeeping department:
Additional equipment in their room Fold-away bed – usually stored in the housekeeping department,
this bed is portable and already made up Additional bedding Extra blankets – where these are requested
it is a good idea to advise the guest that an extra blanket is provided in the wardrobe just in case they
don‟t know this Extra pillows – as above Extra towels Hand towels Face washers Bath towels Floor mats
Improvement in the servicing of room Room to be re-vacuumed Area to be re-cleaned Bed to be remade
Items in compendium Extra stationery – determine what is needed and how many Bathroom supplies
Element 3: Provide advice to guests 32 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to
guests Extra shampoo Extra soap Extra shower caps Items for beverage making Extra tea, coffee, sugar
and milk sachets Extra crockery or cutlery Repair or removal of broken equipment Electrical water jug /
kettle Hair dryer Toaster Iron and ironing board Light bulb changed Air conditioning/heating system
fixed Instructions on how to work equipment Instructions on how to work entertainment equipment
Instructions on how to work heating system Instructions on operating the in-room safe. Advising on
hotel services and items It is quite common for guests to ask you questions whilst you are in the room
handling a separate request. As you are face to face with the guest, they may use this opportunity to ask
you questions relating to the products and services provided in the hotel. As the „face of the business‟ it
is your role to: Provide information directly Arrange for someone more suitable to come in person to
provide information Follow up a request including dinner reservations Arrange copies of information
sought including maps, brochures, menus or contact information. For most guests, they are new to the
hotel and as a professional staff member you should be equipped to provide guests with advice,
information or suggestions to help make their stay more enjoyable. Element 3: Provide advice to guests
© ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests 33 3.2 Advise guests on the use
of items delivered to guest room, if required Introduction From time-to-time you will be required to help
guests use items delivered to or already in their room. This may be because guests have had no
experience with this sort of item or because they have no experience with the type or model of
equipment in the room. It should be remembered that in most situations the guest is likely to feel
embarrassed at having to ask for help so this must be taken into account when providing advice and
assistance. Keys to providing advice The prime requirement is that you, yourself, can operate the
equipment effectively. It is imperative that you make sure that you find out how to operate all the in-
room items where you work and you have to know all the features of very piece of equipment. In
addition to this operational knowledge, important aspects of providing advice are: Explain the functions
and operations of all aspects of the item that the guest wants to know about – including what all the
switches, knobs do. Note that it may not be necessary to explain all aspects of the item. Just focus on
what the guests want to know about or be able to do Make sure all health and safety requirements are
covered – remember the property has a duty of care to all its guests Use clear terminology, simple
words – stay away from jargon Use some simple questions to test their understanding of what you have
explained to them. Instructional sheets in different languages Many guests will not be familiar with
equipment in the room as: They are not the same as they use at home They may be more
technologically advanced They may be connected to a in-room system – for example the lighting system
may be controlled by a master panel It is in a different language. Regardless of why they may not be
familiar with items, it is important they we are able to communicate instructions in a manner which they
can understand. A very good way of doing this is through instruction sheets which are in different
languages or use symbols and pictures to explain how they are used. Element 3: Provide advice to guests
34 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests 3.3 Demonstrate the use of
items delivered to guest room, if required Introduction Whilst providing advice is very helpful in helping
a guest to use and enjoy items in a rooms, quite often you will be required to demonstrate how an item
is used. As mentioned in the previous section, quite often a guest may not speak your language and the
only way to get your message across is to demonstrate. Whilst it is important that you demonstrate an
item in a clear and concise manner, it is vital that the guest understands the demonstration and is able
to perform the task themselves. Keys to providing a demonstration When providing a demonstration:
Demonstrate the operations and functions – so that guests can see what you have been talking about
Show the guests where the in-room instructions are – point out the instructions in the in-room
compendium, or posted on the walls of the room. If relevant operating instructions are not available in-
room, make an effort to get them from somewhere else in the premises Take your time – don‟t rush the
explanations. Be prepared to explain things twice. Be prepared to explain things a different way, using
different words or phrases if necessary Give them an opportunity to try things out while you are there –
to give them confidence and to allow you extra opportunity to assist Encourage them to contact you
again if they have further problems. As an effective and interested staff member it is wise to ensure that
the guest is competent in the operations of items they want to use before you leave the room. However,
you may find that guests may want to practice without you watching, as they may be embarrassed. Use
your judgement when determining how much demonstration and instruction they require. Element 3:
Provide advice to guests © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests 35 3.4
Liaise with other staff and departments to provide supplementary advice where appropriate
Introduction Each housekeeping staff member will be required to have a sound basic understanding of
the items in the guest room and how they operate. It is important to remember that their role, first and
foremost, is to ensure the room is clean and tidy. Items There are many items that are either located in
the room or available to be sent to the room. Some of these items may be: Technologically advanced
such as computers, data projectors and internet access Mechanically advanced – such as televisions,
fridges and air conditioners. A staff member is not expected to understand the inner workings or
components of all items in the room and therefore will not always be able to demonstrate or explain
how to use it. Services Likewise, staff members will have a basic understanding of all the items and
services provided in the hotel but will not be able to provide detailed descriptions. In addition, many
guests will require information on events or activities in the local community which the staff member
can not fully describe in detail. Access „experts‟ to provide advice When guests require information
which is beyond your level of knowledge or understanding it is important that the most appropriate
person is sought to provide further information and advice. This must be done in a timely manner. It
may involve getting the „expert‟ to: Come and explain or demonstrate to the guest personally or over
the phone Providing explanation to the housekeeping staff member, who will relay the information to
the guest Providing information in a written format including brochures, maps, user manuals or guides.
Element 3: Provide advice to guests 36 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to
guests Work Projects It is a requirement of this Unit you complete Work Projects as advised by your
Trainer. You must submit documentation, suitable evidence or other relevant proof of completion of the
project to your Trainer by the agreed date.. 3.1 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are
asked to research and identify: Items available through housekeeping Services available through
housekeeping The best methods to advise customers on information relating to items and services. 3.2
To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to research and identify: Tips to advise
guests on the use of items delivered to the guest room. 3.3 To fulfil the requirements of this Work
Project you are asked to research and identify: Tips to demonstrate to guests how to use items delivered
to the guest room. 3.4 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to research and
identify: Examples where housekeeping staff members will not be able to provide sufficient advise or
demonstrations to guests Types of departments and „experts‟ who can provide assistance to guests.
Element 3: Provide advice to guests © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to
guests 37 Summary Provide advice to guests Advise guests on services and items available through the
housekeeping department: Items or services that may be required Advising on hotel services and items.
Advise guests on the use of items delivered to guest room, if required: Keys to providing advice
Instructional sheets in different languages. Demonstrate the use of items delivered to guest room, if
required: Keys to providing a demonstration. Liaise with other staff and departments to provide
supplementary advice where appropriate: Access „experts‟ to provide advice. Element 3: Provide advice
to guests 38 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests Element 4: Liaise
with other departments © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests 39
Element 4: Liaise with other departments 4.1 Report malfunctions as required Introduction There may
be times when you will come across equipment that is malfunctioning – either not working as intended,
making too much noise, is unsafe, is damaged or not working at all. All such equipment must be
immediately tagged as „Out of Order‟ and, where possible and safe to do so, the item should be
removed from the guest‟s room and logged at the housekeeping department as being in need of repair.
Where possible, a replacement item must be placed into the guest room so that required house service
levels are maintained, and guest expectations continue to be met. Replacement items may come from
storage or from a vacant room, in the immediate short term. Sometimes a new item may be purchased
as the replacement. Reporting malfunctions You must do your best to immediately replace the item in
the guest room by seeking a replacement from the housekeeping department, storage or substituting
one from a vacant room. Where the item is of such importance such as the fridge, the TV, the air
conditioner or stove (in a kitchenette situation) front office must be notified so they take the room off
the board and not sell it. If the room is occupied and a major piece of equipment is malfunctioning and
can‟t be repaired or replaced immediately, the guest will have to be re-roomed (room change) to
another room. It is housekeeping staff who will have to move the guest‟s luggage and belongings in such
as cases, and set up those belongings in the new room. Element 4: Liaise with other departments 40 ©
ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests How might I report these
problems? The traditional ways of reporting these equipment problems are: Verbally – face-to-face or
over the phone with the Floor Housekeeper, Maintenance Department or the Executive Housekeeper
Completing a relevant in-house report form – these are pro forma documents that detail the item of
equipment, the room number the item came from, the problem that was identified, name of the person
reporting it, date. Where establishments have their own in-house maintenance department it will be the
Executive Housekeeper‟s responsibility to contact them for repairs or to make a judgement call about
replacement rather than repair. It is the Executive Housekeeper‟s responsibility because the expenses
will be charged against the Rooms Division. 4.2 Advise management of dangerous or suspicious
circumstances Introduction Accommodation establishments are the setting for many illegal activities and
all room attendants must be alert for signs this is happening or may take place. The role of
housekeeping is this regard is only to „report‟ – it is not to intervene, take action or put themselves in
harm‟s way. Members of the public can target floors and rooms with a view to breaking and entering. If
the thief has watched their target leave the property to go on a three-hour tour they know the target‟s
room will be ‟safe‟ for that period and it is a relatively easy target. Other guests will use their room for
illegal activities that they do not want to undertake at home. Is the activity illegal or immoral? Individual
establishments can have different approaches this. Most properties are not prepared to allow illegal
activity and also frown on immoral activity. Some turn a blind eye to immoral activities deeming that
what guests do in the privacy of their own room is their business. You need to speak to your supervisor
to determine what applies where you work and accept the position taken by the establishment. If you
ever have any concerns about differentiating between „illegal‟ and „immoral‟ seek guidance on the
distinctions form your supervisor and be guided by them and their experience. Element 4: Liaise with
other departments © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests 41 Taking
action If you notice an item that looks unusual or suspicious, or see an occurrence that is suspicious,
appropriate action should be taken immediately. The appropriate action may be spelled out in the
standard Emergency Procedures for your venue. The action may be to: Advise the floor supervisor, the
Floor Housekeeper or the Executive Housekeeper Contact venue security. Always adhere to workplace
policies and procedures when dealing with such matters, as they are potentially dangerous and serious.
An unusual item or situation may include: A package left unattended in corridor or stairwells An item
that is heavily bloodstained A package left in a check-out room A weapon found in a room – whether the
room is a stay room or a departed room Drugs – or packages thought to contain drugs Explosives
Evidence of drug taking in a room – including the presence of drug paraphernalia. Suspicious
occurrences or people may include: Person behaving nervously or anxiously in a corridor, stairwell, near
a store room, in the guest laundry etc Person in an area they shouldn‟t be in – such as areas members of
the public in areas restricted for „Staff Only‟ access Person using excessive force against another person
Loud voices and swearing Sounds that indicate damage is being done Person seeming to loiter on a
floor, along corridors, in public areas Person asking you to let them into a room. If you see or hear
anything that is suspicious, unusual or appears illegal you should: Not say anything to the persons
involved Try not to alert them to the fact you have noticed something suspicious, unusual etc. Element
4: Liaise with other departments 42 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to
guests Try to remember as much detail as possible – write down notes when safe to do so Alert the
relevant person as soon as possible in such a way that others (those involved and other guests) cannot
hear what is being said. It is rare for you to have the authority to call police so you should refrain from
doing this in all but the most extreme cases of actual or imminent danger. 4.3 Participate in planning to
enhance service delivery standards and equipment purchase Introduction Planning in housekeeping is
just as important as in other hospitality departments. Whilst the majority of services delivered through
housekeeping as not done in direct view of the guest, the output has a tremendous impact on the guest,
either in a positive or negative way. As the staff member working in the environment where the guest
resides and being the contact point for the guest, your input, suggestions and input is invaluable in
ensuring that the services and products provided not only meet the expectations of the guest, but
actually exceeds them. This requires detailed planning of both services and products. Without either of
these the guest experience is certainly compromised. Planning services Improving staff knowledge, skills
and attitudes Services are commonly referred to as the output of staff resulting from their current
knowledge, skills and attitudes. Therefore to improve the service provided, management must plan to
improve each staff member‟s: Knowledge Skills Attitudes. Staff are always keen to learn and improve
and management should strive to find out from staff what they would like to learn to enable them to
provide better service. This training may come in the form of: Workshops Training sessions
Qualifications and courses Buddy system Mentoring programs. Staff have a good understanding of what
they consider important to know and this must be communicated and understood by management.
Element 4: Liaise with other departments © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services
to guests 43 Range of services Each hospitality organisation provides a range of housekeeping services
to its guests. A organisation may choose to increase its range of services provided to guests. One
example of this may be the inclusion of a butler service or turndown service. If either of these were to
be introduced into an organisation, a great deal of planning must be undertaken in terms of: New
products associated with the service New equipment associated with the service Staff training to
develop required knowledge, skills and attitudes. Planning equipment When it comes to planning
purchases, the task to be performed by housekeeping is tremendous. The amount of money required to
prepare and maintain operational rooms and public areas is tremendous. Whilst each operation will
have their own budgets with expense items allocated to different departments, the following are
examples of purchases that housekeeping may be required to make: Furnishings, fixtures and fittings It
is safe to assume that in most hospitality organisations the majority of space in a hotel is allocated to
guest rooms. The capital investment to establish and maintain these rooms conservatively start at
USD10,000 a room. This is easy to see given that each room requires a large array of: Furnishings –
bedding, tables, couches, kitchens, televisions, carpets, chairs Fixtures – lamps, mirrors, cabinets Fittings
– lights, electrical, air conditioners. Equipment Once the guest rooms and other public areas has been
set up they must be maintained in a operational and clean state. Therefore housekeeping needs to
purchase: Equipment – housekeeping cleaning equipment including vacuum cleaners, waxing machines,
trolleys Clothing – uniforms and protective clothing Chemicals – including all cleaning products and
items used to clean including cloths, rags, mops. Therefore this section has shown the importance of
planning, especially in a department as far reaching as housekeeping, is vital to ensure the guest enjoys
their stay in the manner that was not only intended, but also expected. Element 4: Liaise with other
departments 44 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests Work Projects
It is a requirement of this Unit you complete Work Projects as advised by your Trainer. You must submit
documentation, suitable evidence or other relevant proof of completion of the project to your Trainer
by the agreed date. 4.1 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to research and
identify: Common malfunctions in a guest room Methods of reporting malfunctions Items that can be
replaced. 4.2 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to research and identify:
Dangerous or suspicious circumstances Methods of reporting them to the appropriate persons. 4.3 To
fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to research and identify: Planning required to
improve services Planning required to purchase furniture, fittings, fixtures and equipment. Element 4:
Liaise with other departments © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests
45 Summary Liaise with other departments Report malfunctions as required Reporting malfunctions
How might I report these problems? Advise management of dangerous or suspicious circumstances Is
the activity illegal or immoral? Taking action. Participate in planning to enhance service delivery
standards and equipment purchase Planning services Planning equipment. Element 4: Liaise with other
departments 46 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests Presentation of
written work © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to guests 47 Presentation of
written work 1. Introduction It is important for students to present carefully prepared written work.
Written presentation in industry must be professional in appearance and accurate in content. If students
develop good writing skills whilst studying, they are able to easily transfer those skills to the workplace.
2. Style Students should write in a style that is simple and concise. Short sentences and paragraphs are
easier to read and understand. It helps to write a plan and at least one draft of the written work so that
the final product will be well organized. The points presented will then follow a logical sequence and be
relevant. Students should frequently refer to the question asked, to keep „on track‟. Teachers recognize
and are critical of work that does not answer the question, or is „padded‟ with irrelevant material. In
summary, Remember to: Plan ahead Be clear and concise Answer the question Proofread the final draft.
3. Presenting Written Work Types of written work Students may be asked to write: Short and long
reports Essays Records of interviews Questionnaires Business letters Resumes. Format All written work
should be presented on A4 paper, single-sided with a left-hand margin. If work is word-processed, one-
and-a-half or double spacing should be used. Handwritten work must be legible and should also be well
spaced to allow for ease of reading. New paragraphs should not be indented but should be separated by
a space. Pages must be numbered. If headings are also to be numbered, students should use a logical
and sequential system of numbering. Presentation of written work 48 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual
Provide housekeeping services to guests Cover Sheet All written work should be submitted with a cover
sheet stapled to the front that contains: The student‟s name and student number The name of the
class/unit The due date of the work The title of the work The teacher‟s name A signed declaration that
the work does not involve plagiarism. Keeping a Copy Students must keep a copy of the written work in
case it is lost. This rarely happens but it can be disastrous if a copy has not been kept. Inclusive language
This means language that includes every section of the population. For instance, if a student were to
write „A nurse is responsible for the patients in her care at all times‟ it would be implying that all nurses
are female and would be excluding male nurses. Examples of appropriate language are shown on the
right: Mankind Humankind Barman/maid Bar attendant Host/hostess Host Waiter/waitress Waiter or
waiting staff Recommended reading © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide housekeeping services to
guests 49 Recommended reading Casado, Matt A.; 2011 (2nd edition); Housekeeping Management
(CourseSmart); Wiley Jones, Thomas J. A. 2007 (5th edition); Professional Management of Housekeeping
Operations; Wiley Nitschke, Aleta A. 2008 (3rd edition); Managing Housekeeping Operations;
Educational Institute of the American Hotel Motel Association Kappa, Margaret M., 1997 (2nd edition);
Housekeeping Management; Educational Institute of the American Hotel Motel Association O'Fallon,
Michael J.; 2010 (5th edition);Hotel Management and Operations; Wiley Powell, P. Hunter and Watson,
D; 2006; Service unseen: The hotel room attendant at work; An article from: International Journal of
Hospitality Management Recommended reading 50 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide
housekeeping services to guests Trainee evaluation sheet © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide
housekeeping services to guests 51 Trainee evaluation sheet Provide housekeeping services to guests
The following statements are about the competency you have just completed. Please tick the
appropriate box Agree Don‟t Know Do Not Agree Does Not Apply There was too much in this
competency to cover without rushing. Most of the competency seemed relevant to me. The competency
was at the right level for me. I got enough help from my trainer. The amount of activities was sufficient.
The competency allowed me to use my own initiative. My training was well-organized. My trainer had
time to answer my questions. I understood how I was going to be assessed. I was given enough time to
practice. My trainer feedback was useful. Enough equipment was available and it worked well. The
activities were too hard for me. Trainee evaluation sheet 52 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Provide
housekeeping services to guests The best things about this unit were:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________ The worst things
about this unit were: ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________ The things you should
change in this unit are:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

DIFFERENT FORMS USED IN FRONT OFFICE

1. Reservation form
Hotel Reservation Form
Before hoteliers can make your reservation, they want to know the information listed below. You can
use this form as a basis for your email, which most hotels prefer these days, or you can print this
page, fill in the information and send it as a fax.
 
To: (hotel)_________________________at (email/fax)______________________
From: ____________________________at (email/fax)______________________
Today's date: (day/month/year) ____/____/____
Dear Hotel___________________________________,
Please make this reservation for me:
Name: ___________________________________
Total # of people: ____    # of rooms: ____    # of nights: ____
Arriving: (day/month/year) ____/____/____
My time of arrival (24-hour clock): _______    (I will telephone if I will be late)
Departing: (day/month/year) ____/____/____
Room(s): Single ____    Double ____    Twin ____    Triple ____    Quad ____
With: Toilet ____    Shower ____    Bath ____    Sink only ____
Special needs: View ____   Quiet ____    Cheapest   ____  Ground Floor ____
 
Please email or fax confirmation of my reservation, along with the type of room reserved and the
price. Please also inform me of your cancellation policy. After I hear from you, I will quickly send
my credit-card information as a deposit to hold the room. Thank you.
 
Name: ______________________________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________
City: ________________________ State: ____Zip Code: _________Country: _____________

2. Corross
3. Amendment/cancellation form
4. Instant reservation form
5. Bulk reservation form
6. Amenities voucher
7. Guest registration card
8. Guest folio
9. C – form
10. Bell boy errand card
11. VVIP Movement sheet
12. Left luggage slip
13. Message slip
14. Change of room slip
15. Key control sheet
16. Safety deposit box record card
17. Guest history card
18. Front office cash sheet
19. Paid out voucher
20. Travel agent voucher
21. Express check out voucher
 Rooms division department
1. 1. Rooms Division Department I- HOTEL ORGANIZATION: • In order to carry out its mission,
global and departmental goals and objectives, every company shall build a formal structure depicting
different hierarchy of management, supervision, and employee (staff) levels. This very structure is
refereed to as organization chart. Moreover, the organization chart shows reporting relationships span
of management, and staff/line functions. • There are two types of relationships that might exist
between any two functions at any organization chart. These are: 1. Solid Lines: (i.e.:) this
kind of relationship shows Direct Line Accountability. To illustrate, if position A and B are linked
with a solid line, it means (for example) that A shall report to B, that B shall tell A what to do, when
to do, and how to it. Lastly, B shall be liable (i.e. responsible) for A. 2. Dotted Lines: (i.e. ---------)
this kind of relationship entitles both positions linked with dotted lines to have a high degree of
Cooperation and Communication but not direct line accountability. Usually in the hotel industry,
where the sole aim is to satisfy guests, positions, whatsoever level in the hierarchy they occupy, shall
coordinate jointly their efforts so as to provide quality, standard product to their customers. Therefore,
examples of dotted lines are numerous in hotel organization charts. • Every organization chart shall be
flexible, to reflect the ever-changing environmental dynamics and, hence be able to survive. In
accordance, organization charts shall be reviewed periodically in order to determine whether the
actual organization still match the environment needs (i.e. guests, employees, technology, competitor's
needs…) or not. A SWOT analysis (i.e.: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) shall be a
good start to initiate a change in the organization chart or not. Last but not least, it is of extreme
importance that there are no 2 hotels having exactly the same organization chart, and that a hotel
might have an organization chart change over time. For, organization charts shall be tailored to fit the
needs of each individual property. II- HOTEL DEPARTMENTS: 1. Rooms Division: In a statistics
conducted by the U.S. Lodging Industry in 1995, it has been shown that the majority of hotels
revenues (60.2 %) are generated from Rooms Division Department under the form of room sales. This
very department provides the services guests expect during their stay in the Hotel. Lastly, the Rooms
Division Department is typically composed of five different departments: a) Front Office b)
Reservation c) Housekeeping d) Uniformed Services e) Telephone Beneath is a brief description of
the different departments decomposing the Rooms Division Department, along with their related main
responsibilities:
2. 2. a) Front Office: ♣ Sell guestrooms; register guests and design guestrooms ♣ Coordinate guest
services ♣ Provide information ♣ Maintain accurate room statistics, and room key inventories ♣
Maintain guest account statements and complete proper financial settlements b) Reservation: ♣
Receive and process reservation requests for future overnight accommodations. ♣ With technology
development, the Reservation Department can, on real time, access the number and types of rooms
available, various room rates, and furnishings, along with the various facilities existing in the hotel ♣
There should be close relation-ships with Sales and Marketing Division concerning Large Group
Reservations c) Housekeeping: ♣ Inspects rooms before they are available for sale ♣ Cleans occupied
and vacant rooms ♣ Communicates the status of guestrooms to the Front Office Department ♣ Cleans
and presses the property’s linens, towels, and guest clothing (if equipped to do so, free of charge or for
a pre-determined fee) ♣ Maintains recycled and non-recycled inventory items d) Uniformed Services:
♣ Bell Attendants: Ensure baggage service between the lobby area and guestrooms ♣ Door
Attendants: Ensure baggage service and traffic control at hotel entrance(s) ♣ Valet Parking
Attendants: Ensure parking services for guest’s automobiles ♣ Transportation Personnel: Ensure
transportation services for guests from and to the hotel ♣ Concierge: Assists guests by making
restaurant reservations, arranging for transportation, and getting tickets for theater, sporting, or any
other special events 5. Telephone Department: ♣ Answers and distributes calls to the appropriate
extensions, whether guest, employee, or management extensions ♣ Places wake-up calls ♣ Monitors
automated systems ♣ Coordinates emergency communications  ‘Protects Guest Privacy‘
3. 3. 2. Food & Beverage Department: • According to U.S. Lodging 1995 statistics, F&B Department
constitutes the second largest revenue generator of a typical hotel with an average of 23.1 for Food
sales, and 8.6 % for Beverage sales. In a five-star hotel, Food and Beverage outlets might have the
following forms: ♣ Quick Service ♣ Table Service ♣ Specialty Restaurants ♣ Coffee Shops ♣ Bars
♣Lounges ♣ Clubs ♣ Banquets ♣ Catering Functions ⇒ Wedding, Birthdays… 3. Sales & Marketing
Division: • A typical hotel should usually have Sales & Marketing division. However, if the staff size,
volume business, hotel size, expected group arrivals is low enough, the hotel might have marketing
staff placed under the reservation department (i.e. No need for a Sales & Marketing Division). • A
typical Sales & Marketing Division is composed of four different departments: a) Sales b) Convention
Services c) Advertising d) Public Relations 4. Accounting Division: • The Accounting Division
monitors the financial activities of the property. Some of the activities that are undertaken in the
Accounting Division are listed below: a) Pays outstanding invoices b) Distributes unpaid statements c)
Collects amounts owed d) Processes payroll e) Accumulates operating data f) Compiles financial
reports g) Makes bank deposits h) Secures cash loans i) Performs other control and processing
functions 5. Engineering and Maintenance Division: • This very department maintains the property's
structure and grounds as well as electrical and mechanical equipment. Some hotels might have this
very division under different names, such as maintenance division, property operation and
maintenance department…
4. 4. 6. Security Division: • Security division personnel are usually screened from in-house personnel,
security officers or retired police officers, across certain physical skills, and prior experience. • Some
of the functions of the security division are listed below: a) Patrols the property b) Monitors
supervision equipment c) Ensures safety and security of guests, visitors, and employees 7. Human
Resources Division: • Some of the duties of the human resources division are listed below: a)
Responsible for external & internal recruitment b) Calculates employees' salaries, compensation, and
tax withholding… c) Administrates employees' paperwork, monitors attendance… d) Maintains good
relations with Labor Unions e) Ensures employees' safety and working conditions 8. Other Divisions:
• All the above mentioned departments and/or divisions should exist in a typical five-star hotel;
however there might be some revenue generators that are specific to certain hotels but not existing in
others. Below is a list of some possible extra or other divisions that might exist in a hotel: a) Retail
Outlets (i.e.: Shops rented to outsiders or managed by the hotel) b) Recreation Facilities (ex: Fitness
Center, Tennis Courts, and Cinema Saloons…) c) Conference Centers d) Casinos III- ROOMS
DIVISION DEPARTMENT: The major functions conducted by the Rooms Division Department are:
a) Reservation, registration, room & rate assignment b) Fulfills guest services and updates room status
c) Maintains & settles guest accounts d) Creates guest history records e) Develops & maintains a
comprehensive database of guest information f) Coordinates Guest Services • The sole priority of the
Rooms Division Department shall be ensuring Guest Satisfaction, which happens when, guest
expectations match what the hotel provides. • In order to achieve Guest Satisfaction, front office
department shall prepare: a) Careful designed front office organization chart b) Comprehensive goals,
strategies and tactics c) Planned work shifts d) Well designed job descriptions e) Well designed job
specifications
5. 5. 1. Organization Chart: ♦ The Front Office organization chart shall be designed according to
Functions. Doing so not only enhances the control the Front Office has over its Operations, but also
provides guests with more specialized attention. Such a division according to functions, however, is
not practical in middle and small size hotels due to the fact that these very hotels don't posses enough
and sufficient monetary resources to ensure the existence of at least 3 jobholders (i.e. one for each
shift) for each job position. Therefore, in middle size hotels, a front office clerk might be responsible
for more than one work position. This is ensured via cross training. On the other hand, in small size
hotels, one or two front office clerk(s) might be responsible for all front office activities. A) Typical
functions and positions under the Rooms Division Department:  Front Desk Agent: Registers guests,
and maintains room availability information  Cashier: Closes guest folios, and properly checks out
guests  Accounts Receivable Clerk: Posts charges in correct guest folios and updates folios'
outstanding balances  Night Auditor: Controls the job of the Accounts Receivable Clerk, and
 prepares daily reports to management (ex: Occupancy Report and Revenue Report)  Mail &
Information Clerk: Takes Messages, provides Directions to Guests, and maintains Mail Telephone
Operator: Manages the Switchboard and coordinates Wake-up Calls  Reservation Agent: Responds
to Reservation Requests and creates Reservation Records  Uniformed Service Agents: Handles Guest
Luggage, escorts Guests to their Rooms, and assists guests for any bit of information requested 2.
Goals and Strategies ♦ In every organization, goals and strategies must be prepared bearing in mind
the hotel's mission statement and overall goals and objectives. An example might be: Global Goal:
Increase Occupancy Rate of the Hotel by 25% Department Goal: Increase in the Number of Walk-ins
by 50% Strategy: Improve Sales Figures by describing guestrooms and Hotel Services 3. Work Shift: •
The Front Office Manager shall schedule his/her employees according to seasonality, business
volume, and available staff in hand • The most commonly used scheduling is the Traditional
Scheduling, which assumes that every employee shall work 40 Hours per Week. Moreover, the hotel
shall ensure 3
6. 6. shifts per day, each of which lasts for 8 hours. A possible example to traditional scheduling is
shown below:  Day Shift  7 a.m. - 3 p.m.  Evening Shift  3 p.m. - 11 p.m.  Night Shift  11
p.m. - 7 a.m. • Sometimes, due to non-availability of staff, seasonality, and volume business, the Front
Office manager might be forced to adopt an Alternative Scheduling, which might be arranged under
the following patterns: a) Flexible Work Hours or Flextime: This kind of alternative scheduling
entitles that employees might start work, for example, one hour earlier, just to leave again one hour
earlier. b) Compressed Work Schedule: Employees, instead of working 5 days per week, 8 hours per
day, might work 4 days per week, 10 hours per day. Therefore, compressed work-scheduling means
working all the 40 hours per week in less than the standard 5 days per week. c) Job Sharing: This kind
of scheduling entitles that two or more part-timers occupy the job of one full timer. • Front Office
managers shall carefully schedule their employees in order to minimize conflicts that arise between
hotel and employee needs. In big hotels operating under fully automated systems, some scheduling
software package programs might be installed as to aid and help managers in effective scheduling. 4.
Job Descriptions: • Job description lists all tasks and subtasks that compose a work position.
Moreover, it may outline reporting relationships, responsibilities, working conditions, equipment and
materials to be used. • All job descriptions shall be tailored and customized to reflect the needs of each
single hotel property, and work position. Moreover, job descriptions shall be task-oriented rather
employee-oriented, which means that hotels shall try to search for employees who can fit their job
descriptions, not design jobs to fit the skills of certain job applicants. • Job Descriptions shall be
revised periodically to cope with the ever changing demands and needs of the industry and to respond
to the sophisticated needs of guests. While doing so, managers shall let their employees be involved in
the revision process. • Job descriptions might be used as: a) To evaluate job performances b) Tools to
conduct training or retraining c) Prevent duty duplications d) Ensure the performance of each job task
e) Determine appropriate staffing levels
7. 7. 5. Job Specifications: • Job specifications List the personal qualities, skills, and traits a person needs
to have in order to perform successfully the tasks outlined in a job description. That's why;
departments shall first design job descriptions, and later job specifications! • Job specifications usually
serve as a basis for advertising job vacancies, and as a tool to identify current employees for
promotion purposes. • Inside a typical job specification, the underneath key factors shall exist: a)
Work experience b) Formal education c) General knowledge d) Previous training e) Physical
requirements f) Communication ability g) Equipment skills

TYPES AND USES OF DIFFERENT HOUSEKEEPING FORMS

OBJECTIVES:
1. To be able to know the different housekeeping forms and reports.
2. To identify what forms to use in making reports.
3. To monitor and control specific situation by making daily reports.

INTRODUCTION
The housekeeping department is one of the most important areas in the hotel. They are incharge of cleaning
both the public and the private areas of the hotel. Not only that. They also make reports in order to monitor the
things in housekeeping department in order to manage it properly. That is why forms and reports are very
important in managing the housekeeping department.

IMPORTANCE
Forms and reports in managing housekeeping is very important because it serves as an evidence in a specific
incident, situation and happenings. Reports are very useful method for keeping track of important information.
The information contained in reports can be used to make very important decisions that affect the
establishment.

DIFFERENT HOUSEKEEPING FORMS AND REPORTS

1. Room status
Room / Unit Status
The status of each room / unit (when it was last cleaned) will be displayed. To change the status of
the room use the drop down and save button. The options are ready (clean), dirty, early makeup,
turndown and refresh. If a room is dirty you can also check the box on the left of the room, click save,
and the room status will be marked clean. This allows you to go down the list of dirty rooms and
mark which units have been cleaned.
The bottom of the housekeeping report displays options for marking all rooms clean or all rooms
dirty. This allows you to quickly adjust the overall status of your business and its rooms / units.
To print the housekeeping report use the printer icon found at the top right of the page.

2. Where are you? Form

It is used to monitor guest’s whereabouts. And their comments served as a signal if they wanted to
make up room.

3. Customer feedback form

Information coming directly from customers about the satisfaction or dissatisfaction they feel with
a product or a service. Customer comments and complaints given to a company are an important
resource for improving and addressing the needs and wants of the customer.

4. Acknowledgment receipt
A documented verification that goods have been received or services have been rendered.
Typically, the acknowledgement is indicated by the recipient's signature on a bill of lading, an
invoice or another form.

5. House rules for guests

a rule in operation in a particular institution

6. Checklist of room fixtures and amenities

It is used to monitor fixtures and amenities in hotel.

7. Lost and found receipt slip

 is a simple form that any company can use to record their guest’s unclaimed or
misdirected item
8. .Daily productivity report for room attendants
It is used to record tasks done within the shift and also helps them to plan their work for the day.
9. Control form for borrowed items
It is used to control guest’s accountability for their borrowed items.
10. Mini bar requisition form
It is used to monitor mini bar items, if there are items to be replenished they have to request for it.
11. Mini bar sales voucher
This serves as a receipt of the guests’ order from the mini bar.
12. Daily mini bar consumption/sales report
It is used to record consumption of the guests in the mini bar.
13. Mini bar spoilage report
It contains the spoiled items in the mini bar and its reason of spoilage, unit cost and total cost verified
by the supervisor.
14. Mini bar losses and damages report
It contains the losses and damaged items in the mini bar, quantity, unit cost and total cost verified by
the supervisor.
15. Physical inventory sheet
An inventory control tool used when taking a physical inventory. The count sheet will generally
include a description of the item, including UPC and vendor, location of the item and a column to
record the quantity counted. The results are compared to the quantity listed in the computer to
determine if inventory adjustments are required .
16. Inventory variance report
It is a report used to determine the difference between the actual number, amount, or volume
of an inventory item and the balance shown in the inventory records. Such differences are
summarized in the variance report that is prepared to record and rectify inventory control
problems.
17. Accomplishment report
An accomplishment report is a regularly prepared status report that provides an overview
of what was achieved during the given period.
18. Damage advice
It is a form that is used by laundry department to notify the guests that the garment they sent was
already damaged and can’t be laundered. Asking for guest’s suggestions/comments.
19. Laundry voucher
It is a form which is used by the laundry department, written instrument that serves to confirm
or witness (vouch) for some fact such as a transaction. Commonly, a voucher is a document
that shows goods have bought or services have been rendered, authorizes payment, and
indicates the ledger account(s) in which these transactions have to be recorded.
20. Linen inventory sheet
It is a form that is used to help cut linen losses and helps identify losses better.
21. Housekeeping checklist
A housekeeping checklist is a list used to track or aid in housekeeping activities or chores.
The checklist is essential to ensuring effective housekeeping, as it helps cleaners make sure
everything has been cleaned well.
22. Public area attendant checklist
It is a list of the public areas that the public area attendant should be cleaned, time started and time
ended. It is used to determine the productivity of the public area attendant.
23. Travel agent commission form
It is a form used for the travel agent when they promote/endorse the hotel to the tourists/guests.
 Agreement between Travel Agent and Hotel Owner to Sell Lodging at Hotel in Return for a
Commission
Agreement made on the ______________________________________ (date), between
_________________________________________ (Name of Travel Agent) of
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ (street
address, city, county, state, zip code), referred to herein as Agent, and
________________________________________________ (Name of Hotel Owner), a
corporation organized and existing under the laws of the state of ___________________, with
its principal office located at ____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
____________ (street address, city, county, state, zip code), referred to herein as Owner.
Whereas, Owner owns a Hotel located at ________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
____________ (street address, city, county, state, zip code), hereinafter called Hotel; and

Whereas, Agent is an independent travel agent and Owner desires to retain the services of
Agent pursuant to the terms of this Agreement; Now, therefore, for and in consideration of the
mutual covenants contained in this agreement, and other good and valuable consideration, the
receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:
1. Term of Agreement Owner hereby retains Agent to act as an independent outside
salesperson, and Agent agrees to act in such a capacity on behalf of Owner for a period of (e.g.,
one year) _____________________________ from the date of this Agreement.
2. Duties of Agents Agent is being retained by Owner as an independent contractor to sell
lodging to the public at Hotel.
3. Compensation of Agent As compensation for the services rendered under this Agreement,
Agent shall be entitled to receive from Owner the commissions described and set forth in Exhibit
A attached hereto and initialed by each party
4. Method of Payment Agent shall be paid monthly by Owner. Owner shall, within 10 days after
the end of each month, provide Agent with a statement of all commissions earned by Agent
during the previous month. Said commissions shall be paid by Owner to Agent no later than 15
days after the end of the previous month.
5. Examination of Books Agent shall have the right, either personally or by accountant retained
and paid by the Agent, at times mutually convenient to Owner and Agent, but in any event at
least once during each half of the calendar year, to examine books and accounts of Owner
insofar as they relate to transactions affecting the amount of the Agent’s compensation.
6. Independent Contractor Status of Agent The parties intend that an independent contractor-
employer relationship will be created by this Agreement. Owner is interested only in the results
to be achieved and the conduct and control of the work will lie solely with Agent. Agent is not to
be considered an employee of Owner for any purpose and Agent is not entitled to any of the
benefits that Owner provides for Owner’s employees. It is understood that Agent is free to
contract for similar services to be performed for others while under contract with Owner. Agent
has no authority to enter into any agreement for or on behalf of Owner.
7. Agent agrees to be fully responsible for complying with all federal, state, and local laws in
connection with performance of this Agreement, including, but not limited to, payment of any
estimated or other federal, state, or local income taxes, payment of applicable charges for social
security, FICA, worker's compensation and obtaining any required state or local licenses or
registration as a self-employed travel agent.
 8. No Waiver The failure of either party to this Agreement to insist upon the performance of any
of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, or the waiver of any breach of any of the terms
and conditions of this Agreement, shall not be construed as subsequently waiving any such
terms and conditions, but the same shall continue and remain in full force and effect as if no
such forbearance or waiver had occurred.
9. Governing Law This Agreement shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance
with the laws of the State of _______________________.
10. Notices Any notice provided for or concerning this Agreement shall be in writing and shall
be deemed sufficiently given when sent by certified or registered mail if sent to the respective
address of each party as set forth at the beginning of this Agreement.
11. Mandatory Arbitration Any dispute under this Agreement shall be required to be resolved by
binding arbitration of the parties hereto. If the parties cannot agree on an arbitrator, each party
shall select one arbitrator and both arbitrators shall then select a third. The third arbitrator so
selected shall arbitrate said dispute. The arbitration shall be governed by the rules of the
American Arbitration Association then in force and effect.
12. Entire Agreement This Agreement shall constitute the entire agreement between the parties
and any prior understanding or representation of any kind preceding the date of this Agreement
shall not be binding upon either party except to the extent incorporated in this Agreement.
13. Modification of Agreement Any modification of this Agreement or additional obligation
assumed by either party in connection with this Agreement shall be binding only if placed in
writing and signed by each party or an authorized representative of each party.
14. Assignment of Rights The rights of each party under this Agreement are personal to that
party and may not be assigned or transferred to any other person, firm, corporation, or other
entity without the prior, express, and written consent of the other party.
15. Counterparts This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of
which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together shall constitute but one and
the same instrument.
WITNESS our signatures as of the day and date first above stated.
____________________________________
(Name of Hotel Owner)
__________________________________
By: ________________________________
(Printed or typed name) (Printed or typed name)
___________________________________ ____________________________________
(Signature of Travel Agent) (Name and Office in Corporation)