TLE 9 Housekeeping Quarter 1 Module 2: Advice Guests on Room and Housekeeping Equipment

Technology and Livelihood Education Housekeeping Quarter 1 – Module 2: Advice Guests on Room and Housekeeping Equipment

CO_Q1_TLE9_Housekeeping_Module2

Development and Copyright Information

Housekeeping – Grade 9 Alternative Delivery Mode Quarter 1 – Module 2: Advice Guests on Room and Housekeeping Equipment First Edition, 2020

Republic Act 8293, Section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any work of the Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the government agency or office wherein the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit. Such agency or office may, among other things, impose as a condition the payment of royalties.

Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand names, trademarks, etc.) included in this module are owned by their respective copyright holders. Every effort has been exerted to seek permission from copyright owners to use these materials. The publisher and authors do not represent nor claim ownership over them.

Published by the Department of Education Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio

Development Team of the Module

Writers: James B. De Los Reyes Editors: Norviña A. Tubongbanua, Alma M. Beton Reviewers: Laarni V. Miranda Illustrator: Gilbert B. Zamora Layout Artist: James B. De Los Reyes Management Team: Isabelita M. Borres, Eugenio B. Penales, Sonia D. Gonzales, Roy C. Tuballa, Mildred D. Dayao, Aida Coyme

Printed in the Philippines

Department of Education – Region IX Office Address: Regional Center, Balintawak, Pagadian City E-mail Address: region9@deped.gov.ph

Technology and Livelihood Education Housekeeping Quarter 1 – Module 2: Advice Guests on Room and Housekeeping Equipment

Introductory Message

This Self-Learning Module (SLM) is prepared so that you, our dear learners, can continue your studies and learn while at home. Activities, questions, directions, exercises, and discussions are carefully stated for you to understand each lesson.

Each SLM is composed of different parts. Each part shall guide you step-by-step as you discover and understand the lesson prepared for you.

Pre-tests are provided to measure your prior knowledge on lessons in each SLM. This will tell you if you need to proceed on completing this module or if you need to ask your facilitator or your teacher’s assistance for better understanding of the lesson. At the end of each module, you need to answer the post-test to self-check your learning. Answer keys are provided for each activity and test. We trust that you will be honest in using these.

In addition to the material in the main text, Notes to the Teacher are also provided to our facilitators and parents for strategies and reminders on how they can best help you on your home-based learning.

Please use this module with care. Do not put unnecessary marks on any part of this SLM. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises and tests. And read the instructions carefully before performing each task.

If you have any questions in using this SLM or any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator.

Thank you.

What I Need to Know

Congratulations! This manual is one part of a Learning Kit which is a resource provided to learners, teachers and assessors to help you become skilled and competent in various areas of Technical Vocational/ Technology and Livelihood Education.

The first thing you may notice is that this learning kit and the information you find in the Learner’s Manual seems different from 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 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 recognize the ones the trainee already possesses) to demonstrate the required competency standard. CBA involves collecting evidence and making a judgement of the extent to which a learner can perform his/her duties at the required competency standard.

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you master Housekeeping. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the course.

The module is about:

Learning Outcome No. 2. Advice guests on room and housekeeping equipment

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Describe and explain the use of different types of housekeeping and front office forms
2. Practice proper handling of client’s queries through telephone, fax machine, e-mail, etc.
3. Identify common problems related to housekeeping services
4. Observe proper handling of different problems in housekeeping services

What I Know

Written Work – Portfolio

It is a requirement of this module that you complete a portfolio of Written Works as advised by your teacher. You must submit documentation, suitable evidence or other relevant proof of completion of the project to your teacher on the agreed date.

To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to research and identify:

What types of housekeeping requests do guests make?

How we can provide these requests?

What types of housekeeping requests do staff make?

How we can provide these requests?

How do we record housekeeping requests?

What is the importance of timely delivery of items to guests?

What are possible causes of a delayed delivery?

What is the process of informing guests if there is a delay?

Lesson 1: Advice Guests on Room and Housekeeping Equipment

This lesson deals with different performance criteria, the skills and knowledge required in a range of settings within the hotel and travel industries/ workplace context.

What’s In

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 while they are staying at a hospitality organization. This is the guest’s ‘home away from home’. It is essential that that a guest is able to enjoy the room 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 the following 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 staff 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.

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 long-term 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

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.

[photo: in-room equipment controls, a light and a wall-mounted control panel]

Lost and found

Guests may also contact housekeeping when making a Lost and Found inquiry. 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 inquire 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.

[photo: a man sitting on a hotel bed holding a remote control and looking dissatisfied]

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.

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.

[photo: a room attendant in uniform making a bed]

The basis for providing excellent levels of customer service in housekeeping

In order to ensure the comfort and well-being 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
• Inquiring “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 in-room 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
• 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.

[photo: a housekeeping staff member in a uniform carrying a stack of towels]

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 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.

[photo: a housekeeping staff member holding a stack of folded towels beside a laundry machine]

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 personalizing 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’.

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 that 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’.

[photo: a housekeeping attendant standing with a vacuum cleaner, mop and broom]

What’s New

[illustration: a hand holding a leafy sprig, in a circle]

Proper Handling of Client’s Queries

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.

[photo: two rolled white towels]

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.

[photo: a pen resting on a notepad with the word “YES” written on it]

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.

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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 over-deliver’.

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.

[photo: a bottle of wine in an ice bucket beside a glass]

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.

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.

[photo: a door hanger reading “PRIVACY PLEASE”]

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 apologized for.

[photo: a man with glasses touching his forehead with a worried expression]

Keys to making apologies

Where there has been a delay you must apologize for this. You must be sincere in your apology but also brief. You must make sure you apologize 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

What is It

[illustration: a magnifying glass held over a hand, in a circle]

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.

What’s More

[illustration: a hand stacking blocks, in a circle]

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
• 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

[photo: a folded white towel stack on a bed]

[photo: a rumpled bed with pillows and a blanket, viewed from above]

[photo: an iron pressing a white sheet]

• 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.

[photo: table set with plates, glasses and cups]

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.

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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.

[photo: hand holding a remote control pointed at a television]

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.

[photo: door hanger reading “Do Not Disturb” on a door handle]

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.

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While providing advice is very helpful in helping a guest to use and enjoy items in a room, 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.

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.

[photo: curtains with hooks and rings]

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 cannot fully describe in detail.

[photo: theatre masks beside a printed programme]

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.

What I Have Learned

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

What I Can Do

Written Work – Explain the following housekeeping requests and procedures.

1. Give three examples of housekeeping requests that may be made by room guests or by other staff on behalf of room guests, to room attendants.
2. How may a room attendant become aware of specific housekeeping requests for a guest in a specific room?
3. What details of a housekeeping request from a guest should be recorded to ensure their requirements are met?
4. Why is it important to advise a guest who has requested a specific housekeeping service how long it will take for that service to be provided to their room?
5. Identify two instances where there may be a need for a room attendant to liaise with other staff to obtain/deliver an item or service to a guest room as specially requested by the guest.

Assessment

Answer all the following questions. Compile your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

1. What are four items that are commonly requested by guests?

   
   

2. What are two examples of other requests made by guests?

   
   

3. What are three ‘cleaning’ requests made by staff to housekeeping?

   
   

4. What are two ‘security’ requests made by staff to housekeeping?

   
   

5. When a guest makes a request, what information should you record?

   
   

Additional Activities

Field	Entry
Student name:
Name of Rater:
Contact no:
Relationship to student:	☐ Employer ☐ Supervisor ☐ Colleague ☐ Other. Please specify: _____
Unit of competency:	Error! Reference source not found.

The student is being assessed and we are seeking your support in the judgement of their competence.

Please answer these questions as a record of their performance while working with you. Thank you for your time.

Do you believe the learner has demonstrated the following skills? (tick the correct response)

Skill	Yes	No	Not sure
Accepts and records housekeeping requests from guests and staff	☐	☐	☐
Advises on time for provision/delivery of identified service or items	☐	☐	☐
Liaises with other staff to obtain and/or deliver identified service or items	☐	☐	☐
Sets up items in guest rooms as required, and removes same when necessary	☐	☐	☐
Advises guests on services and items available through the housekeeping department	☐	☐	☐
Advises guests on the use of items delivered to guest room and demonstrates items where required	☐	☐	☐
Reports malfunctions of room items as required	☐	☐	☐
Advises management of dangerous or suspicious circumstances	☐	☐	☐
Participates in planning to enhance service delivery standards and equipment purchase	☐	☐	☐

Answer Key

[transcriber’s note: this page is printed upside down; it is transcribed in reading order as it appears when the page is turned the right way up]

Assessment:

The following are model answers only – Teachers must use discretion when determining whether or not an answer provided by a student is acceptable or not.

1. What are four items that are commonly requested by guests?
   • Additional equipment in their room, valet or laundry service, additional bedding, extra tea, coffee, sugar and milk sachets, extra crockery or cutlery, vases
   • Replacement items such as hair dryers, toasters, irons and electric jugs to replace items that are area towels, extra hangers for clothes, extra pillows, extra blankets, power conversion board, ice and ice buckets.
2. What are two examples of other requests made by guests?
   • Servicing of room, repairs, lost and found, handling complaints.
3. What are three ‘cleaning’ requests made by staff to housekeeping?
   • 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.
4. What are two ‘security’ requests made by staff to housekeeping?
   • Check rooms and floors for safety concerns. Ensure guest room and emergency doors are shut, close storerooms, participate in emergency and evacuation procedures.
5. When a guest makes a request, what information should you record?
   • Guest name, room number, specifics of the request, time for delivery to the room that was agreed to.

References

ASEAN (2012) Project on “Toolbox Development for Priority Tourism Labour Division”

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