How to Improve Housekeeping Department

Improving quality standards is a worthwhile goal of many industries.  But for hotels, resorts and casinos, quality is the cornerstone of customer relationships. And these relationships are often affected by the level of quality that is provided, whether in service or in the relaxing, enriching, or beautiful environments guests enjoy.  Here are 5 ways to improve quality standards in hospitality:

Define what those standards are

Many properties and places of business want to be the best and always strive for improvement.   But in order to improve quality, everyone needs to understand what the standards actually are. Define what those quality goals are, preferably in writing.   This makes reaching those goals becomes that much easier.

Choose measurable results

Quality standards should be focused on improvement over time, with clear and measurable results. There are no quick fixes to improving quality standards. It will take time but once you have the base markers of where you are, making measurable goals towards where the management would like to be becomes that much easier and attainable.

Continuous follow-up

Once the metrics have been put in place, the real work begins. It’s one thing to set up measurement standards.  But it’s an entirely different challenge to keep and maintain them. Making small steps towards change, and staying on top of it is a necessary yet often forgotten part of the change process. Constant, attentive and motivational follow-up needs to take place in order for new, better habits to be formed.

Flexibility

Sometimes things may change our plans or goals may be altered without our consent. This can lead to frustration in some line-level employees that may not understand the reasons for the changes. Instead of being a hurdle to climb over, it’s an opportunity. Use this opportunity to explain how needs have changed.  For example, maybe a surprise audit has changed the property’s direction.   Or maybe a customer review has brought some deficiencies to light. Whatever the case, it’s never a bad thing to remain flexible in our planning and be open to useful change, regardless of where it comes from.

Always move the finish line

Your team has reached its goals.  Great!  But when any goals, professional or personal, are reached in life,  the next obvious step is to create new goals to reach for. Improving quality is not a one-time goal that is reached at a definitive time in the future; it’s a mission that should always be evolving and changing internally to lead the team towards success. It’s a form of guidance and a way to motivate employees in a particular direction but motivation like quality are things that always need to be worked on. The finish line can be reached for a certain set of goals but there then needs to be new goals to strive for.

Different properties with different standards across the board may have different needs, yet learning the process of improving quality is something that every property can work towards and with these few easy steps, everyone can begin to work towards that process.