Ave Maria College

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

School ID No. 402686 Gov’t Permit No. 0059 s.2015

COURSE PACKET IN
SS HE G111: HOUSEKEEPING 1

Prepared By:

Kristine Jane D. Espiritu

Course Facilitator

2020
AMC, Vallesville – Fatima, Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte, 7115
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 PREFACE

This Housekeeping Course Packet is meant to be a guide on the various aspects of housekeeping
personnel in hotels or those who wish to join the housekeeping profession. While the common
housekeeping procedures and practices are laid out. I have also portrayed tasks in the sequence in which
it would actually happen in a real work situation. . Examples of such tasks are to be found in “cleaning a
room”, “making a bed” or “cleaning a bathroom”. It covers the three (1-3) core competencies such as (1)
Provide Housekeeping Services to Guests, (2) Clean and prepare Rooms for Incoming Guests; and (3)
Provide Valet/Butler Service.

The Housekeeping Course is one of the Specialized Courses taken by students studying
Technical Vocational and Livelihood (TVL) Track and Home Economics Strand. This course is
designed to enhance the knowledge, skills and attitudes of students in Housekeeping NC II in
accordance with industry standards as regulated by the Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA). It covers the basic, common and core competencies required in providing
housekeeping services.
The Housekeeping (HSK) 1 Course Packet is a detailed and comprehensive source of
information, techniques, procedures and standards. It is generally structured in two parts: Part 1,
focuses on the basic and common competencies; and Part 2, focuses on the first 3 core competencies
of HSK, such as such as: (1) Provide Housekeeping Services to Guests, (2) Clean and Prepare Rooms
for Incoming Guests; and (3) Provide valet/Butler Service.
These competencies have been updated to reflect current practice, and provide a comprehensive
training guide to modern housekeeping services. It also offers essential information in all aspects of
housekeeping for hotel managers, owners and personnel.
Moreover, this course packet takes the learners along a varied journey, including the basics of
social etiquette, selling techniques, product knowledge, security and safety, identifying job
opportunities and preparing themselves to answer questions during assessments (both institutional and
national).
Hence, it is hoped that at the end of the course, students must have mastered the required basic
and common competencies, as well as the first three identified core competencies for them to be ready
to move on to the next level of core competencies presented in the Housekeeping 2 Course Packet.

KRISTINE JANE D. ESPIRITU

kristinejanevallinasdangcalan-espiritu@facebook.com
honkrisglenn88@gmail.com
Cell phone No. 09061615489/09383146684

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WEE
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 Ave Maria College
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
School ID No. 402686 Gov’t Permit No. 0059 s. 2015
LESSON 1:
I. BASIC AND COMMON COMPETENCIES
A. Participate in Workplace Communication

What is communication?

We use communication every day in nearly every environment, including the workplace.
Workplace communication is the process of exchanging information and ideas, both verbal and
non-verbal between one person/group within in an organization. It includes e-mails, text
messages, notes and calls. It is therefore important tremendously to an organization because it
increases productivity and efficiency.

Effective Communication is a process of exchanging ideas, thoughts, knowledge and

information such that the purpose or intension is fulfilled in the best possible manner. In simple
words, it is nothing but the presentation of views by the sender in a way best understood by the
receiver.

We can say that it generally involves;

Sender: the person who initiates the process of communication by sending a message;
Receiver: the one to whom the message is to be delivered.

Characteristics of Effective Communication

1. Clear Message: The message which the sender wants to convey must be simple, easy to
understand and systematically framed to retain its meaningfulness.
2. Correct Message: The information communicated must not be vague or false in any sense; it
must be free from errors and grammatical mistakes.
3. Complete Message: Communication is the base for decision making. If the information is
incomplete, it may lead to wrong decisions.
4. Precise Message: The message sent must be short and concise to facilitate straight forward
interpretation and take the desired steps.
5. Reliability: The sender must be sure from his/her end that whatever he/she conveying is right
by their knowledge. Even the receiver must have trust on the sender and can rely on
the message sent.
6. Consideration of the Recipient: The medium of communication and other physical settings
must be planned, keeping in mind the attitude, language,
knowledge, education level and position of the receiver.

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7. Sender’s Courtesy: The message so drafted must reflect the sender’s courtesy, humbleness
and respect towards the receiver.

Significance of Effective Communication in Business

What is the role of effective communication in business?
What is the importance of effective business communication?
1. Employee Management – effective communication ensures self-discipline and efficient
management since the employees are heard by the top
management, and there is open communication in the
organization.
2. Team Building – people in the organization work as a team to accomplish common goals,
thus effective communication boosts the morale of the whole team.
3. Growth of the organization – it ensures better decision making intensifies public relations
and enhances problem-solving ability. All this leads to
corporate growth and development.
4. Building Strong Relationship – interactions often simplify things; they positively motivate
the employees to perform better and maintain long-term
relations with others in the organization.
5. Ascertain Transparency and Develops Trust – effective communication is considered to be
a base for building trust and assures sharing
of complete information.
6. Facilitates Creativity and Innovation – it creates an environment where employees are free
to share their ideas by exploring their creative and
innovative side.
7. Reduces Misunderstanding – effective communication eliminates the possibility of
confusion and misunderstanding by conveying the message
clearly and appropriately.

The different categories of communication

1. Informing. Provides information and understands the role of technology including email,
websites and data management in effective communication.

2. Presentation Skills. Is effective in a variety of formal presentation settings: one-on-one, small

and large groups, with peers, subordinates and bosses; is effective both inside and outside the
organization on both cool data and hot and controversial topics; commands attention and can
manage group processes during the presentation; can change tactics midstream when
something isn’t working.

3. Written Communication. Is able to write clearly and succinctly in a variety of

communication settings and styles; can get messages across that have the desired effect.

4. Listening. Practices attentive and active listening; has the patience to hear people out; can
accurately restate the opinions of others even when he/she disagrees.

Interpersonal Skills Includes:

1. Verbal Communication - What we say and how we say it.

2. Non-Verbal Communication - What we communicate without words, body language is an
example.
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 3. Listening Skills - How we interpret both the verbal and non-verbal messages sent by others.
4. Negotiation - Working with others to find a mutually agreeable outcome.
5. Problem Solving - Working with others to identify, define and solve problems.
6. Decision Making – Exploring and analyzing options to make sound decision.
7. Assertiveness – Communicating our values, ideas, beliefs, opinions, needs and wants freely.
Being assertive is about expressing your feelings and beliefs in a way that others can
understand and respect. 

Two Types of Communication

1. Interpersonal Skills are the life skills we use every day to communicate and interact with
other people, both individually and in groups. Interpersonal skills are not just important in the
workplace, our personal and social lives can also benefit from better interpersonal skills.
2. Intrapersonal Skills or a person skill is a self-talk conversation. It can be useful to envision
occurring in the mind of the individual in a model which contains a sender, receiver and fed
loop.
To obtain and convey workplace information, specific and relevant information is accessed from
appropriate sources:
 Team members
 Suppliers
 Trade personnel

Appropriate medium – is to transfer information and ideas.

 Memorandum/Circular
 Notice
 Verbal instruction
 Face to face communication

Protocols:
 Observing meetings
 Obeying meeting instructions

Workplace interactions are conducted in a courteous manner:

 Face to face
 Telephone
 Electronic and two way radio
 Written including electronic, memos, instructions and forms, non-verbal including gestures,
signs and signals

Ranges of form in relation to the conditions of employment are completed accurately and legibly:
1. Personnel forms – contains key information on employees that is used to keep a record of
who works of the company, their duration of employment and in what role. It can also be used in
emergency contact information form in the event of any serious workplace injury.

2. Telephone message forms – is use to write down any messages receives from the telephone

3. Safety reports – is a tool used by safety officers to document hazards as well as safety
recommendations in the workplace. It is a comprehensive report that includes photo evidence
and detailed descriptions of key safety observations.

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B. Work in a Team Environment

A team environment is any setting that focuses on everyone working together rather than
individually, particularly in the workplace. Whatever role you prefer to fill, it is likely that you will
occasionally encounter situations that call for teamwork. It’s especially important to learn to work
well in teams if you land a job that focuses on a team environment. You’ll need to learn how to
communicate well in meetings, work together in projects and be professional in the workplace and in
fact, you’ll likely need these skills in any office to work in.
Methods in Working Team Environment
1. Communicating Well in Meetings
 Let everyone contribute to the discussion. When you were in meeting together, it is important
that everyone has a chance to speak. Try not to cut off your peers, and if you notice other
people getting cut off, speak up to let each person have their say.

 Listen
well. In addition, it is important to actually hear what your peers are saying. Often, you
may be thinking hard about the project and want to jump in with what you have to say.
However, in that time you spent thinking, you haven’t heard what someone else is saying.
Make sure you take time to hear each other out. Avoid interrupting the person while he/she is
speaking. Wait until he/she has finished asking questions or making comments.

 Don’t shut down ideas. You may be set in one idea. In fact you may think it’s the only way to
work through a situation your team is facing or a problem you’re working on. However, you
can’t shut down other people’s ideas. For one, it will keep them from wanting to speak up
later. More importantly, someone may have a better idea if you give it a chance to develop.

 Draw in the holdouts. You’ll likely find that there’s someone on your team who doesn’t quite,
know how to work well on a team. They may be shy, or they may have never been taught how
to work with others. If that the cases try to draw them out like: Invite them to speak out, ask
questions to get them talk.

2. Working on Projects Together

 Ask questions and seek to understand. It is important to ensure that you understand what the
speaker is trying to express. One way to ensure that you are in the same page as someone else is
to ask questions. This may help to avoid conflicts due to misunderstanding.
 Provide updates regularly. Good communication is essential in working well in a team
environment. You need to be able to talk about what you need from your co-workers, as well
as discuss the progress of community projects regularly to figure out what you’ve
accomplished already and what you still need to accomplish.
 Do what you say you’re going to do. Reliability is one of the main components of being a
good team member. If you don’t follow through with your work, you’re dragging the rest of
the team down. Plus. Your team members won’t trust you with any work in the future, and
your performance could get back to your boss.
 Find your niche. Everyone has something to contribute to a team. You know what you excel
at and you can use that to make the team better. For instance, if you are good at organizing,
offer to help oversee the paper work for the project to help keep it on the right track.
 Don’t criticize a method just to criticize it. That is, if someone does something a way you
wouldn’t do it, analyze the situation before you jump in to “fix” it. You may realize that the
method they are using is just as effective, even if it’s not what you would do in the same
situation.

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 3. Being Professional
 Be respectful. Of course, you’re not always going to like everyone you work with, and you
certainly aren’t required to like them. However, it is important to treat the people in your
workplace with respect and professionalism. Throwing fits or getting in arguments with
people you don’t like is unprofessional and will slow down the team’s work significantly.
 Take the time you need. Sometimes, you may want to rush to get certain tasks done. However,
in a team environment that can lead to mistakes or an ineffective work process because you’re
not taking the time to work with other people or communicate what you’re getting done.
Make sure to spend the proper amount of time to do your work well while working with
others at the same time.
 Realize it’s always your job. When you’re not in a team environment, your job description
may be fairly well defined. In a team environment, you may need to jump in areas that aren’t
exactly in your job description because someone else needs the help. Being welling to help
out makes the group work more efficiently and builds good will.
 Show enthusiasm. If you’re excited. You’ll get others excited. When you’re working together,
that excitement can lead to better results, as you’re all motivated to do your best on the
projects you’re working on.
 Take time to get to know each of your peers. Remember that no two people are alike, and that
each team player has strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes. Knowing what makes your
teammates tick is necessary to develop strong and productive working relationships, where
you complement each other rather than work against each other.

A team environment is one in which multiple people work together towards a common goal for the
benefit of the team. Each individual contributes according to his or her strengths and a good team
player is open-minded, honest, humble and assertive. They have a positive attitude, creativity,
critical thinking skills and consider others.
C. Practice Career Professionalism
Professionalism is the conduct, behavior and attitude of someone in a work or business environment.
A person doesn’t have to work in a specific profession to demonstrate the important qualities and
characteristics of a professional.
Advice to practice professionalism is as follows:
1. Show respect to others. Respecting others is one of the best ways to show professionalism.
2. Learn to communicate effectively.
3. Be proactive.
4. Dress for success.
5. Don’t complain.
6. Practice your basic manners.
7. Keep learning.

Being professional is about having strong skills and competence in your chosen field. There is a
certain obvious expectation that you would have experience and qualification to deliver your product
or service. But this alone is not enough to earn the respect of your customers. Professionalism is also
about the qualities and behaviors you exhibit, and the manner in which you conduct yourself during
your business affairs.
The following are the important characteristics that professional possess:
1. Appearance – a professional is neat in appearance. Be sure to meet or even exceed the
requirements of your company’s dress code, and pay special attention to your appearance
when meeting with prospects or clients, and take your cue from the way they dress.

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 2. Demeanour – should reflect confidence but not cockiness. Be polite and well-spoken whether
you’re interacting with customers, superiors or co-workers. Just because you are expert in a
field, does not earn you the right to treat your customers like ignorant idiots.
3. Reliability – as a professional, you will be counted on to find a way to get the job done.
Responding the people promptly and following through on promises in a timely manner is
also important, as his demonstrate reliability.
4. Competence – professionals strive to become experts in their field, which sets them apart from
the rest of the pack. This can mean continuing your education by taking courses, attending
seminars and attaining any related professional designations.
5. Ethics – professionals such as doctors, lawyers and public accountants must adhere to a strict
code of ethics. Even if your company or industry doesn’t have a written code, you should
display ethical behavior at all times.
6. Maintaining your poise – a professional must maintain his poise even when facing a difficult
situation. When you are challenged or questioned you need to be able to state your case in a
calm and structured manner and keep it factual, clean and to the point.
7. Phone Etiquette – your phone etiquette is also an important competent of professional
behavior. This means identifying yourself by your full name, company and title when you
place a call.
8. Organizational Skills – a professional can quickly and easily find what is needed. Your work
area should be neat and organized and your briefcase should contain only what is needed for
your appointment or presentation.
9. Accountability – professionals are accountable for their actions at all times. If you make a
mistake, own up to eat and try to fix it if possible. Don’t try to place the blame on colleagues.
If your company made the mistake, take responsibility and work to resolve the issue.

D. Practice Occupational Health and Safety Procedures

Occupational Health and Safety Procedures
- is a planned system of working to prevent illness and injury where you work by recognizing and
identifying hazards and risk.
- a hazard is anything that could hurt you or someone else. For example, you can pick up things
from the floor and put them away to eliminate a trip hazard.

Occupational Health and Safety Procedures:

1. Spot the Hazard – a hazard is anything that could hurt you or someone else.
2. Assess the Risk – it means working out how likely it is hazard will harm someone and how
serious the harm could be.
3. Make the Changes – for example, you can pick up things from the floor and put them away
to eliminate a trip hazard.

Common
Hazards is a
situation in the
workplace that
has the potential to
harm the
health and
safety of people or to damage plant and equipment.

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 1. Physical Hazards – one of the most common hazards.
2. Mechanical Hazards – when working on electronic equipment always be alert.
3. Chemical Hazards – always read the warning and instructions on the label.
SAFETY GUIDELINES
 protect people from injury
 protect equipment from damage
 protect the environment from contamination

FIRE SAFETY GUIDELINES

 Know the location of fire extinguishers, how to use them and which to use for electric fires
and for combustible fires.
 Find an escape route in case a fire gets out of control.
 Know how to contact emergency services quickly.
 Keep the workplace clean.
 Keep most solvents in a separate area.

The goal of occupational safety and health programs is to foster a safe and healthy work
environment. OSH may also protect co-workers, family members, employers, customer and
many others who might be affected by the workplace environment.
E. Develop and Update Industry Knowledge
The hospitality industry as we know it today operates to provide food and beverage, entertainment
and accommodation services. These range from five star accommodations and dining for wealthy
tourist to low budget motels or camping grounds and fast food for persons on a tight budget.
The hospitality industry can be broken down into three areas, as follows:
 Commercial – this usually involves providing accommodation, food and beverage to
customers for a profit.
 Industrial – this involves providing accommodation, food and beverage to employees in the
workplace.
 Institutional – this involves providing food, beverage and accommodation where appropriate
to residents, inmates, members or patients at various institutions.

Much of the information about the hospitality industry may come from personal knowledge,
(observation and experience). What do you know about the hospitality industry? When you test
yourself you may discover that you know quite a lot about the topic of your research. As a result of
your knowledge, you should be your first source of information on the topic being researched. You
should take time to analyze and record your knowledge before you go to any other source. You
should not be discouraged from using your previous knowledge. You should note however, that the
accuracy of every item you know or remember should be tested.
Your personal information needs support from other sources to present a broader prospective.
These other sources may include:
 Libraries (consulting reference books and maps)
 Internet
 Resource persons (colleagues, supervisors and managers)

There are certain things that you will need to know and attributes that are required if you are to
work effectively in the hospitality industry. These include:

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  Excellent personal presentation – you should ensure that your clothes are clean, well
ironed and always worn neatly. You should make a good impression and portray a positive
image of your place of work.
 Being able to communicate with people from all walk of life - in hospitality
establishments you will meet people from diverse backgrounds. They may speak different
languages, have disabilities or just be rude and impatient. You should be able to
communicate with these persons in a clear and polite manner at all times.
 Handling pressure and responding appropriately to complaints – you may find yourself
under a lot of pressure, and you will have to learn to work under this pressure while
maintaining a professional attitude. You will also need to be able to handle complaints. You
should listen to your customers and handle all complaints in a manner that encourages
goodwill and trust.
 Working as part of a team – in order to be an effective team player, you need to develop:
- a willingness to work as a team member
- openness
- the ability to be tolerant of other team members
- the ability to be supportive of other team members
- the ability to work towards a common goal
- the ability to communicate effectively
- a willingness to show commitment and dedication to a particular establishment or project

 Being honest, reliable and punctual – employers are looking for persons who are honest,
reliable and punctual, who can meet deadlines and show a real dedication to service. If you
want to success in the hospitality industry you need to display a real understanding of the
term “work ethics”.
 Quality Assurance – is a very important part of hospitality. In order for your establishment
to operate successfully, it has to provide quality products and services. The term quality is
subjective, and can mean anything from freshness of ingredients, to the way meals are
cooked and served. However, you can provide an assurance that certain standards or quality
are present in your establishment. It is important that you maintain quality at all times,
regardless of the task you are performing.

Develop and Update Local Knowledge

1. Discussing information with colleagues finding out about their local experience, the
information they have gained and what they think.
2. Obtaining customer feedback. These are easily done when talking with them at reception
after they have returned from a tour or a visit to an attraction or at the table when they are
having a meal or drink.
3. Personal observation. This takes place when, for example, you notice something just by
chance, regarding an attraction or local event.
4. Informal discussions with friends and family where the topic of conversation happens to
include local attractions, festivals and events.
5. Reading a magazine or any form of printed materials.
6. Undertaking general internet research. These are an excellent source of information as it
quickly brings the world straight to your door and readily shows you things as well as
providing simple text.
7. Attending conference and seminars on hospitality you should make an effort to attend. Be
active participant.
8. Participating in familiarization activities.
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F. Observe Workplace Hygiene Procedures
All workplace environments need to be hygienic and safe for both employees and visitors.
This applies to all, not just workplaces involved in handling food and personal products.
Each workplace will require different hygiene requirements. Certain tasks or industries
may also create risks which require additional protection.
Hygiene procedures may relate to:
1. Personal Hygiene.
2. Safe and hygienic handling of food and beverages.
3. Regular hand washing.
4. Correct food storage.
5. Suitable dress and personal protective equipment and clothing.
6. Avoidance of cross-contamination.
7. Safe handling disposal of linen and laundry
8. Appropriate handling and disposal of garbage
9. Cleaning and sanitizing procedures

What is hygiene risk?

It is particularly dangerous in the kitchen as large numbers of harmful bacteria can be
transferred to food or food contact surfaces, increasing the risk of food poisoning. Cross-
contamination is also linked to standards of personal hygiene, cleanliness and sanitizing.
May include:

1. Bacterial and other contamination arising from poor handling of food

2. Inappropriate storage of foods
3. Storage at incorrect temperatures
4. Foods left uncovered
5. Poor personal hygiene practices
6. Poor work practices
 cleaning
 housekeeping
 food handling
 vermin
 airborne dust

7. Cross-contamination through cleaning with inappropriate cleaning practices

8. Inappropriate handling of potentially infectious linen
9. Contaminated wastes such as blood and body secretions
10. Disposal of garbage and contaminated or potentially contaminated wastes

Minimizing the risks of hazards requires an evaluation of an entire experiment and a review of
the chemicals used and produced as well as the equipment, procedures and PPE.
Important Tips:
Identify methods and safe practices to minimize the risks from exposures to chemicals
and from physical hazards.
Understand the nature and limitations of personal protective equipment, chemical hoods
and other safety equipment.
Wear personal protective equipment such as goggles, lab coats or aprons and
appropriate gloves. The dress code in a lab should be such that that there should be no
expose skin below chest level.
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 Use appropriate waste containers when discarding chemicals.

G. Perform Computer Operations

Computer is a machine which manipulates data according to a list of instructions which makes it
an ideal example of a data processing system.
From keeping in touch with friends, families and our love ones to performing financial
transactions, these days we rely on computers for just about everything. With PCs as advanced as
they are. It’s easy to forget the fundamentals that have made modern technology possible.
Computers do all the things they do because they are able to perform four basic operations.
Basic Computer Operations
1. Input – information and programs are entered into the computer through input devices such as
the keyboard, disks or through other computers via network connections or modems
connected to the internet. Ex. Keyboard, Mouse, Image Scanners, Pen or Stylus, Bar
Code Reader, Card Reader
2. Processing – the CPU or central processing unit/processor sometimes called the control unit
and directs the operation of the input and output devices and this device is the
brain of the PC.
3. Output – displays information on the screen (monitor) or the printer and sends information to
other computers. They also display messages about what errors may have occurred and
brings up message or dialog box asking for more information to be input. The output
device also saves information on the disk for future use. The most common output
devices include monitors, projector, printers and speakers.
4. Storage – computers would not be as useful as they are if they were unable to remember
anything. The fourth basic operation, storage, allows the computer to recall previously
entered data and store information. The most common storage medium is the hard
drive. Memory cards, DVD-ROMs, and floppy disks are other examples.
The BIOS or basic input/output system controls the dialogue between the various devices.
Keyboard Layout and Data Entry
ENTER or RETURN – Moves the cursor down one line and to the left margin. Enter also process
commands such as choosing an option in a dialog (message) boxes and submitting
a form.
DEL or DELETE – Deletes the character at cursor and/or characters to the right of the cursor and
all highlighted text (or selected) text.
BKSP OR BACKSPACE – Deletes the character to the left of cursor and all highlighted text.
SPACE BAR – Moves the cursor one space at a time to the right SHIFT KEY – Use the shift keys
to type capital letters and to type the upper character on keys with two character s
on them.
CAPS LOCK – Locks the keyboard so it types capital letters (a light goes on when caps lock is on)
TAB – Moves the cursor five spaces are usually adjustable). Tab moves to the next field in a form
or table (Shift-Tab for previous field).
ESC or ESCAPE – Cancels a menu or dialog box.
ARROW KEYS – Moves the cursor around document without changing text FUNCTION KEYS
or F KEYS – Access commands by themselves or in combination with the three
command keys; CTRL, SHIFT and ALT.
Command keys normally do nothing on their own but work in combination with other keys. Each
piece of software uses the command keys differently though there is a move to standardize some
functions. The Control key Ctrl is often used to access commands. The Alternative key or Alt is
often used to access menus. The Shift key is used to type Capital Letters.
Basic Typing Rules

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 Place one space between each word, after a punctuation mark and at the end of a sentence. Always
start a sentence with a capital letter. Use capitals for names, addresses, provinces and countries,
places, organizations, businesses, associations, schools, colleges, universities, days of the week,
months, holidays, nationalities, ethnic groups and languages. Learning the keyboard is the first
step to learning computers. Learning involves practice. It really is as simple as that.
The touch typing – touch typist uses the Home Keys asdf for the left hand and jkl; for the right)
and all the fingers on both hands as well as the thumbs for the Space Bar while typing. There are
many commercial and public domain programs that are designed to teach this method.
H. Perform Workplace and Safety Practices
Health, safety and security procedures are those measures that specifically relate to maintaining
health, safety and security in the workplace. These procedures may include:
 OH&S training and education to all employees
 Workplace environment and safety
 Use and maintenance of tools and equipment
 Handling and disposal of materials
 Personal grooming and hygiene
 Use of personal protective clothing and equipment
 Safe posture including sitting, standing, bending
 Manual handling including lifting, transferring
 Safe work techniques including knives and equipment, handling hot surfaces, computers and
electronic equipment
 Safe handling of chemicals, poisons and dangerous materials
 Ergonomically sound furniture and work stations
 Emergency fire and accident
 Hazard identification and control
 Security of documents, cash, equipment, people

Every workplace needs to ensure it meets the proper health and safety regulations. Having
organizational safety and security processes can help manage and prevent injury, theft and
damage in the workplace.
Here are five (5) ways to ensure safety and security in the workplace:
1. Implement a Security System and Promote It
A proper security system is no longer a luxury reserved for large businesses. With more options
available on the market, having video surveillance is more and more common for small
businesses.
Once you have your security system in place, ensure you make any potential intruders aware that
there is a system. A robber is less likely to target residence/establishments if they notice security
cameras.
2. Check All Exit and Entry Points Regularly
Open reception spaces, broken elevators and unsecured fire stairwells can give perpetrators the
chance to get into and potentially access your workplace. Regularly check on these areas to
identify if there are vulnerabilities and ensure to correct any on your property as soon as possible.
3. Train All Employees
Employees are often your eyes and ears when you aren’t present. It is important that all your
employees are on board with protecting your business and are knowledgeable about your safety
and security procedures.
Some of the primary areas to ensure that employees have training on include:
 Handling and processing cash in safe manner
 Safe practices when opening and closing the business
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  Reporting suspicious activity

4. Create a Culture around Safety and Security

Schedule regular safety refresher sessions on workplace security for the staff and include in-
depth training during orientation for new employees. Provide an opportunity for employees to
anonymously report any issues they have seen in case they do not feel like they can publicly
speak about something they have witnessed.
5. Secure Workspaces
While there is major emphasis on preventing a potential intruder from entering the office,
preventive measures can be taken to minimize theft and damage should someone to get in. The
easiest place to start is by reminding employees not to leave valuable items out in the open or in
places that are easily accessible. Lock all paperwork especially if it contains any sensitive
information. Keep any paperwork that needs to be shredded in a discrete secure place.
Issues and breaches of health, safety and security procedures may include:

 Loss of keys
 Strange or suspicious persons
 Broken or malfunctioning equipment
 Loss of property, goods or materials
 Damaged property or fittings
 Lack of suitable signage when required
 Lack of training on health and safety issues
 Unsafe work practices

Health and Safety is important because it protects the well-being of employers, visitors and
customers. Looking after Healthy and Safety makes good business sense.
I. Provide Effective Customer Service
Providing excellent customer service means going the extra mile in making sure a customer is
happy and satisfied with a company’s products or services. It also involves providing service to a
customer in a timely, pleasant manner. Customer service is all about meeting and exceeding the
expectations of the customer.
9 Tips for Providing Excellent Customer Service
1. Know Your Product or Service. To provide good customer service, you need to know what
you’re selling, inside and out. Make sure you and your customer-facing staffs know how your
products or services work. Be aware of the most common questions customers ask and know how
to articulate the answers that will leave them satisfied.
2. Be Friendly. Customer service starts with a smile. When you are in a face-to-face situation, a
warm greeting should be the first thing your customers see and hear when they ask for help. Even
when handling customer service requests via telephone, a smile can come through in your voice,
so make sure you’re ready to be friendly.
3. Say Thank You. Gratitude is memorable, and it can remind your customers what they shopped
at your store or hired your company.
4. Train Your Staff. It is make sure all of your employees, not just your customer service
representatives, understand the way they should talk to, interact with and otherwise assist
customers. Provide employee training that gives your staff the tools they need to carry good
service through the entire customer experience.
5. Show Respect. Customer service often can involve emotions, so it’s important to make sure
you and others you have handling your customer service tasks are always courteous and respectful.

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6. Listen. Listening is one of the simplest secrets of customer service. It means hearing what your
customers are saying out loud, as well as what they are communication non-verbally.
7. Be Responsive. There may be nothing worse than no responsiveness to a customer who is
trying to get help, resolve an issue or find out more about what you’re selling. It’s important to
respond quickly to all inquiries even if it is only o say you are looking into the issue and will be
back in touch.
8. Ask for Feedback. You may be surprised what you learn about your customers and their needs
when you ask them what they think of your business, products and services. You can use customer
surveys, feedback forms and questionnaires but you also can make it a common practice to ask
customers first-hand for feedback when they are completing their orders.
9. Use Feedback You Receive. You need to do something with the feedback you receive from
customers’ in order to make it useful in your customer service process. Take time to regularly
review feedback, identify areas for improvement and make specific changes in your business.

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