staff,when we encountered them out in the hallways,were always pleasant,greeting us and wishing us a nice day. It’s the little things such as that,which make an impression on a person.”
Obviously, Nancy has a more pragmatic and a less critical approach to lodging than I do (which is a good thing - she strikes me as a person who cares more about a good night’s sleep than subatomic-level scrutiny). Still, I certainly value the dedication of a great housekeeping staff member. Like Nancy, I give the skillful ones vast credence and strong accolades via a long list of glowing comment cards to grateful general
managers.And,of course, I will tip accordingly.
The housekeeper is arguably the most taken-for-granted person by a property’s guests. We live accordingly, floss regularly, and blow our noses continually, yet most give little thought about there being an actual person who will be removing all of this used stuff from our rooms. Restaurant wait staffers and golf caddies, they have it so much easier because there is the inexorable dance that occurs between the customer and the server - the face-to-face courtship: the introduction, the hand-holding, the departure,and the inevitable monetary payoff.
But with most hotel guests,all they hope for is a good,nice sleep. They’ll look around the room, take some appreciated stock in it, and then make a hasty getaway because there’s no housekeeper who is physically present to accept a gratuity for services ren- dered.
So I will leave a few dollars - like $3 to $5 dollars per day. Not only do I find this sort of gesture to be greatly appreciated, it can, in fact,become a motivator toward extra effort. Like Nancy found out: Be appreciative and you’re bound to get niceness coming back to you,exponentially.
Before you and I check out of Room 1404 together, I will leave this housekeeping suggestion for hotel general managers to consider. It’s an idea that - when I’ve brought it up to hotel sales staff mem- bers who’ve taken me on room tours in the past - they’ve always said pretty much the same thing: “That’s a great idea! We should implement that policy.” But they never do.
What I propose is for hotels to adopt the mandate to train their housekeepers to purposefully clean all of the places in rooms that I had mentioned before, the ones that don’t typically get proper sanitary attention - the drawer knobs, the remote control,door handles, light switches,curtain rods, the telephone,and then leave guests an assuring placard stating as such.
If housekeeping directors were to pay extra-attention to these details, then they’re sure to attract even the most discerning guests. Germaphobes included! (As well as those of us who are simply germ-conscious.)
Ken Alan is a corporate concierge for CBRE. He is based in King of Prussia,PA. Ken is the founding member and the events director of the Philadelphia Area Concierge Association,and a contributor to several regional publications.
Ken never licks his fingers after eating a donut,and he won’t touch handrails at shopping malls.
ken.alan@
cbre.com
74 May June 2015
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