Benchmarks

Puttin’ on the Ritz
What the latest trends in hard-floor coverings mean for cleaning needs

"I can teach you how to make a bed but I can’t teach you how to smile and be nice, and that is our philosophy," says Jon McGaunn, executive assistant manager of rooms for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. in Boston. He is passionate about making certain high standards a part of everything he does. "We do daily line-ups with the ladies and gentlemen who work for us and talk about our philosophy every day."

This trademark Ritz-Carlton style is part of the reason why this renowned hotel chain is the only organization to receive the U.S. Commerce Department’s Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award more than once.

According to McGaunn, the idea of quality funnels down to every aspect of the Ritz-Carlton’s operation including basic maintenance and cleaning jobs.

On a daily basis employees are asked what they need to make their jobs better. McGaunn says building a successful relationship with a housekeeper will mean that the employee will do whatever he or she can to be successful.

John Timmerman, corporate director of quality improvement for Ritz-Carlton, also says that an intensive, mandatory two-day orientation for new employees helps set the tone for expectations.

Timmerman says one of the greatest tips he could share about quality management – no matter what kind of business is involved – is to make every opportunity to bring employees into the decision making process. He says clarifying expectations on every level also is a sign of quality management.

McGaunn says yearly training and an awards program that offers incentives also works to keep quality at a high level. "Everyone wants to know they are doing a good job at work," he says.

Sometimes it’s the simple management techniques that work the best and that’s what has helped Ritz-Carlton become one of the best of the best.

Kris Radish is a free-lance writer based in Oconomowoc, Wis.

More schools are putting carpeting in their buildings, but budgets continue to shrink, forcing housekeeping departments to question how they can maintain these more difficult surfaces. Here are some tips:

The job is much harder if crews let carpets accumulate soil over a large period of time and wait for breaks to clean them properly. Spot removal and chemical cleaning needs to be workloaded into cleaners’ schedules to reduce the soil accumulations that can make cleaning tougher later on.

To develop the right carpet-cleaning program, housekeeping directors need to identify heavy traffic areas and focus on them on a daily basis. If a custodian dust mops a hallway or entranceway three to four times a day to pick up the soil that has been tracked in the carpets need the same attention.

To reduce moisture problems that can occur when cleaning carpets, keep the humidity level as low as possible in school buildings and don’t over-wet carpets.

And cleaning staff should be aware of other moisture problems in their buildings that could affect carpeting. Look for signs of potential leaks in ceiling tiles and when you see one that is stained find out where the moisture is coming from.

Geoff Greeley is director of training and technical services for Wis.-based Host/Racine Industries. He has worked with schools systems around the country to address carpet maintenance issues.

The West Bend Mutual Insurance Building in West Bend, Wis., has been touted as a case study in environmentally-friendly and tenant-friendly building construction, but it also is a good example of common-sense housekeeping management.

The 150,000-square-foot office building has an in-house staff of only 10 people, yet the building always looks in tip-top shape. The reasons for this quality cleaning are fairly simple, according to Robert Schmitt, facility manager.

In the mid 1990s, he evaluated the facility to determine what were reasonable expectations of each of his part-time staffers. He looked at what it took to clean a cubicle, vacuum hallways, clean conference rooms, restrooms and public areas.

Then, he evaluated the zones his people were cleaning to determine how the number of each of these types of rooms affected the amount of work each person could handle. From there, Schmitt discovered what was a reasonable workload. Now, as occupancy in different areas of the facility shift, so does the cleaning staff’s workload to account for the increased or decreased levels of cleaning. Ongoing training makes sure that workers continue to meet the quality levels originally established.

Now Schmitt has a solid cleaning plan and staff who are willing to pitch in when nand where needed because they’ve received full explanations of why these methods are best. That leaves Schmitt with the simple task of reviewing new technology to find anything able to help his workers be even more efficient and ergonomic.

“The only way to know what will work best is too document what works best,” he says. “Then you just reinforce it in a way that allows workers to buy into your system and you can introduce new products with less hassle.”

Ice-melt chemicals, tracked-in snow and sludge present a special challenge for healthcare facilities that must protect patients from germs and slip-and-fall accidents.

"We put in a lot more matting during the winter,” says Joy Mendenhall, director of housekeeping for Culbertson Memorial Hospital, a 50-bed facility in Rushville, Ill. “You need to provide an adequate walk-off space — about 20 or 30 feet at entrances.”

While matting cuts down considerably on the amount of slush tracked in, some salt and dirt still find their way to the floors.

Her department uses a neutral cleaner to mop up salt residue, as well as prompt vacuuming to keep the chemicals from settling into the carpet. Janitors also step up policing of entranceways to ensure prompt removal.