Seamless communication between departments is what allows a well-run hotel to create the "effortless" magic their guests experience, but miscommunication between the front desk and the housekeeping department can bring a quick end to the magic, according to an article on the Mews website.
The quality of the housekeeping is key to guest satisfaction. According to a survey commissioned by cleaning brand CLR, 86 percent of hotel guests said cleanliness was first thing they look for when reading online hotel reviews.
Getting to the heart of potential communication problems has become easier with the rise of the smart property management system (PMS) that allows for software integrations. Not only do real-time status updates and instant communication save money for a hotel, they can reduce conflicts.
For example, the article said, when a guest checks out housekeeping could be automatically alerted via a smartphone or device so they don’t need to wait around or manually check at reception if it is all right to prepare the room for the next guest.
The future of housekeeping management will come down to the ability for hotels to embrace mobile technology.
With the technology now available, hotel cleaners could use a smartphone to login into the PMS and check which rooms are ready to be cleaned, change the status of the room when they are cleaned and inspected. Of course, with any new system, training is crucial.
Housekeepings’ adoption of technology is a potentially longer process than for any hotel department, according to Mews CEO Matthijs Welle. And that process will need a champion who is in charge of the results — ideally someone who is not afraid of technology and driving change.
Although some believe that this technology will streamline processes in hotels, not all housekeepers agree. According to recent reports, housekeepers at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown say an app designed to streamline the cleaning process by allowing managers to give them room assignments on-demand has actually made their jobs more difficult.
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