Duties And Responsibilities Of Housekeeping Staffs

Duties and Responsibilities of Housekeeping Staffs

Executive Housekeeper

He is supervises and is responsible for cleanliness, order and appearance of the hotel rooms and public areas, annexes, cottages, facilities, service corridors, linen and uniform rooms, shopping arcades and employees.
He Schedules, recruits, trains, and recommends hiring, discharging, promotion and discipline of all department employees through management and in accordance with labour regulations.
He makes reports as required.
He participates in all department head meetings. He supervise preparation of maintenance requisitions and maintain follow up file to ensure that all public areas and guest accommodations do not deteriorate from standard.
Train all employees to perform their best in the standard procedures as applicable to their job positions.
Develop and recommend standard procedures for new tasks or changed conditions.
He inspects personally, and supervise inspections of all areas in a frequent and unvarying schedule.
He has to pay attention on inspection to the presence, of odours and pests and appropriate control measures.
He works closely with the General Manager on day-to-day when required.
He supervises linen stock in hotel and recommend the maintenance of adequate quantities of cleaning equipment’s and materials with due regard to delivery requirements and import restrictions on cleaning equipment’s. Develop and supervise the maintenance of the lost and found procedure including the disbursement of unclaimed articles to employees.
He prepares the annual housekeeping budget and submit to the General Manager. Identify reliable suppliers of housekeeping materials including carpets, linen, etc. and recommend them to the Purchase Department. He develops housekeeping Systems and procedures. Plan, control and supervise horticultural requirements and commitments.

Public Area Supervisor

He checks all public areas against area check-lists and see that they meet the standards of cleanliness stipulated.
He takes care of removal of furniture, curtains and other fixtures, which require
repairs, mending, spotting, washing, etc.
He maintains a regular and complete advance scheduled programme for cleaning public areas after receiving the final concurrence of the Executive Housekeeper.
He prepares schedule for the chandelier and decorative materials cleaning.
He prepares schedule for the carpet shampoo staff.
He inspect staff turnout.
He helps in training new staff.
He submit performance appraisals of staff working under his / her control.
He initiate and follow-up maintenance orders for public areas/ service areas under his / her control.
He checks and control equipment like floor washing machines, floor polishing machine, carpet shampoo and beating machines and ensure that they are used correctly and maintained properly.

Floor Supervisor

He is responsible to assign duties to the floor housemen and room attendants.
He inspects each room completed by Room attendants according to specified room checklist and ensure that they meet the standards of the establishment in terms of cleaning,
functional and aesthetic value.
He checks stocks of linen and guest supplies and cleaning supplies on floors and ensure timely delivery of soiled linen to laundry and requisition for fresh linen from linen room and guest supplies.
He trains room attendants and housemen achieve maximum productivity and standards of efficiency.
He submits performance appraisals periodically for each staff under his control.
Check all safety systems on the allotted floors.
He keeps account for movement of linen from his / her floors.
Prepare housekeeping occupancy lists for front Office.
He checks all maids’ carts to ensure it is well stocked with linen and supplies and as per standards stipulated.
Follow upon maintenance orders sent to Engineering.

Uniform and Linen Room Supervisor

He schedules linen / uniform room staff.
He checks periodically the condition of uniform and hotel linen.
He allot daily work to tailors.
He maintain an effective control system to issue clean linen and uniforms.
He co-ordinate with the laundry department to ensure timely supply of fresh linen.
Conducts periodic inventories of linen and uniforms.
Make sure that all linen, uniforms needing stitching immediately attended to before being sent to the Laundry department.
Ensure that the Linen Room is kept clean.
He ensures that all linen, uniforms and materials are neatly and systematically stocked and properly labelled.
He trains the staff to perform their duties effectively and, efficiently.
He maintain all relevant records in respect of material, uniforms /linen-storage and movement.

Night Supervisor

He supervises all night force engaged in cleaning public areas and guest rooms of hotel. His responsibilities are same as that of the floor supervisor and public area supervisor.

Room Attendant

His duty is to clean guest bathrooms and replenish supplies.
Clean guest bedroom and restock supplies as per room checklist.
Replace missing or broken hotel property to the Floor Supervisor.
Maintain a polite, helpful and pleasing attitude towards the guests.
Attend daily briefings and give attendance.
Receive allocation of floor and rooms.
Replace maid cart with guest supplies, detergents and linen.
Count soiled linen handed over to floor linen room.
Hand over lost and found articles to Supervisor.
Conduct physical check of rooms for preparing the housekeeping occupancy list.
To check that all bulbs and switches are working. In case of defect or fuse, report the same to the Floor Supervisor.
Remove and dispose of refuse and rubbish at the assigned area.
Return keys to the Housekeeping Department when going off duty.
Check that housemen polish guest shoes and assist the Bell Boys in carrying guest luggage when required.
Prepare room checklist

Uniform and Linen Room Attendant

He issues uniforms to all hotel employees.
Count soiled uniforms / linen received and send the same to the laundry department.
Maintain records of linen and uniforms.
Store uniform and linen according to prescribed methods and check if any damages when receiving dirty uniforms.
Check for fitness of uniforms as per norms laid down before issuing.

Cloak Room Attendant

He takes soiled hand towels to the linen room for replacement.
He maintain adequate stocks of materials like soap, detergents and handtowels to meet demands at peak level also shoe shine kit .
His duty is to maintain all cupboards and fixtures installed in the cloak room.
4 He reports any plumbing deficiencies to Public Area Supervisor.
He supplies the guest with towels, soap, comb, brush and powder.
Sweep, wash and scrub the floors.
He clears the soiled linen periodically from the baskets and brush the guest’s jacket, if requested.

Tailor and Upholsterer

He mends all damaged linen and uniforms.
Refurnish all damaged upholstery handed over by the supervisor.
Take out estimate the requirements of material and request the Linen room Supervisor to requisition it from stores.
He collects material from the stores and take to the work area assigned.
Checks the quality of springs, in the cots and replace, if necessary under directions of the Linen Room Supervisor.
Store systematically all items, i.e. needle, thread, etc.
Prepare requisition for replenishment of stock and render accounts of the same.
Keep records of material consumed and balance left over should be handed back to stores.

Head Gardener

He ensure that the prescribed landscaping is carried out in the garden.
He has to be updated about seasonality of plants and their maintenance conditions.
Dig-up landscaped areas for fresh planting.
Procure seeds from reliable sources at least cost.
Procure, control and supervise the usage of manure and fertilizers.
He has to ensure that seeds planted so with consideration for ultimate aesthetic appeal and survival.
He ensures that gardeners follow the watering and fertilizing.
Cut, trim hedges, bushes, flowers to enhance aesthetic appeal.
He maintain nursery at optimum conditions and ensure steady supply of saplings for planting.
Provide the hotel with flowers, garlands, wreaths, bouquets as required. Also grow, supply and maintain indoor plants for the hotel.
Ensure that lawns are well maintained, healthy and kept clean at all times.
He trains and motivate gardeners.
Ensure that gardeners handle garden tools and machines are properly maintained.

Houseman

He Shifts beds, chairs, heavy furniture for cleaning carpets.
2.Cleans swimming pool when needed.
Clean all surfaces including garden paths, etc.
Polish all brassware, clean all windows, door and ventilators.
Clean and replenish linen in the floor and pool area.

Gardener

Assists Head Gardener.
Maintain landscaped area properly and also prepare for fresh planting.
fertilizers economically ensuring proper coverage.
Prevent garden from insects by spraying insecticides and fungicides as directed by the Head Gardner.
Water all gardened areas as per daily schedule and routine.
Maintain the nursery as instructed.
Cut, trim, Prune hedges, buses, flowers to enhance aesthetic appeal.
Prepare such flowers potted plants, wreath, bouquets, etc. as required by the Hotel.
Maintain indoor plants as per schedule when assigned.
Utilize garden tools correctly.
Be punctual and regular.

Organizational Structure of Housekeeping Department

The organizational structure of the housekeeping department mainly depends on the work performed and the size of the hotel. The charts below show the organizational structure of the large and medium-sized hotels.

In small hotels, one or more jobs are integrated and handled by a few housekeeping staff.

Executive Housekeeper

He is responsible for the total cleanliness, maintenance and aesthetic upkeep of the hotel. This is achieved with the resources of manpower, materials, machines, money, space and time available to him.

Assistant Housekeeper

He/she may be one for each shift of a large hotel. He manages the resources given by the Executive Housekeeper to achieve the common objectives of cleanliness, maintenance and attractiveness in a given shift. His work ends on the completion of his shift.

Uniform Room Supervisor

He is solely responsible for providing clean uniforms to the staff of the hotel. As the hotel staff are all practically in uniforms his / her task is enormous and demanding as he/she has to keep inventory control on various stages of use, such as, when sorted ones are handed over, or those which are being washed or dry-cleaned in the laundry.

Uniform Room Attendants

The uniform supervisor is assisted by attendants who actually do the issue of uniforms in exchange for dirty ones for transmission to the laundry. These attendants are in actual contact with the staff.

Linen Room Supervisors

He is a non-management person solely responsible for the acquisition, storage, issue and cleanliness of linen in its various forms. His job is to do the task because he keeps track of all linen as they would number in thousands.

Linen Room Attendant

He assists the supervisor by issuing linen and filling such records as necessary.

Tailor and Seamstress

Tailor or seamstress personnel are responsible for stitching and mending the linen

Floor Supervisor

He is responsible for the cleanliness, maintenance and presentability of the guest floors attached to him in a shift. His includes guestrooms, corridors, staircases and floor pantries of the allotted floor.

Public Area Supervisor

He is responsible for the cleanliness, maintenance of all public areas which include restaurants, bars, banquet halls, gardens, administrative offices, shopping arcades, health clubs, swimming pools, main entrances and car park areas.

Room Attendants

Room attendants are also known as room boys. They do the cleaning of guest rooms and bathrooms allotted to them. They are not responsible for the cleanliness of corridors, guest elevators or floor pantries.

Head House man

He has to supervise the work allotted to Houseman, especially those in public areas. In medium-sized hotels he could be the person in charge of housekeeping on night shifts.

Housemen

He is the staff who are handymen who do the heavy physical cleaning required in guest rooms and public areas. Their job is to vacuuming, shifting of furniture, cleaning of windows panes, mopping, braising, sweeping, etc.

Desk Control Supervisor

The desk control supervisor is the hub of information dissemination in housekeeping and is thus the critical person in housekeeping operations. The Housekeeping Desk must be manned 24 hours as guests and staff will contact this desk to transmit or receive information.

It is the Desk Control Supervisor who coordinates with the front office for information on departure rooms and handing over cleared rooms. The desk also receives complaints on maintenance from Housekeeping supervisors spread all over the hotel.

Runner

He is a person who goes from one guest room to another collecting or delivering guest laundry.

Clack Room Attendants

Clack room attendants are persons responsible for the supply of clean dry towels, soaps and perfumeries, directed by the management for the guest rooms.

Hat Checkers

Hat check is a service provided by superior hotels in cold climates. A hat-check room is where hats and heavy overcoats are deposited by guests at the time they enter the hotel lobby so they should not have the inconvenience of carrying them around in the hotel.

The hat-checker would carefully label these guest articles and hang and store them correctly so as to return them to the guests when they are leaving the hotel.

Night Supervisor

Night supervisors handle all issues of housekeeping at night including desk control operations, issue of linen and uniform in an emergency, etc. His activity extends over guest rooms, public areas as also linen and uniform rooms.

He is solely responsible and accountable at night for smooth housekeeping through his night brigade and has larger decision-making authority than other supervisors as he is the housekeeper for the night.

Horticulturist

Many hotels may have horticultural work professionally trained Horticulturists who maintain the gardens of the hotels as well as supply flowers from the garden for interior decorations and floral arrangements. Rooms are decorated with flowers used in banquet functions, guestrooms, restaurants, lobbies, offices, etc.

The Horticulturist would have to ensure a smooth supply of flowers as well as assist the Housekeeper in flower arrangements.

Head Gardener

He supervises the brigade of gardeners in maintaining hotel gardens and keeping them contemporary each season.

Gardeners

He does the actual digging, planting, watering, etc. of gardens on a day-to-day basis.

Departments and Duties of Hotel Housekeeping