Each department of a hotel has been established to carry out its own specialized functions.
Yet each is an important part of the whole operation and must coordinate its activities with those of
all other departments. The work of some departments is virtually self contained but by the very
nature of its functions, the housekeeping department disperses its employees throughout the house.
The house keeping control desk is the nerve centre of the entire department. Its efficiency
determines the effectiveness of the housekeeping function. It is the focal point for coordination of
information and communication to various points in the house keeping department as well as other
departments of the hotel. The role of housekeeping control desk is to facilitate communication to
various departments of the hotel.
Front Office
a) Rooms are the chief concern of both the departments. They must continuously exchange
information of room status. Front office informs housekeeping of departure rooms to be
cleared and housekeeping confirms clearance to front office, without which rooms
cannot be re-sold. This has to be done on a continuous and rapid basis.
b) Front Office sends the arrivals and the departures list to the control desk for the
supervisor’s reference, so they can ensure that departure rooms are ready on time for
arriving guest.
c) VIP list, Groups in the house, Crew in the house are prepared and forwarded by front
office to housekeeping for information and action.
d) Front office informs housekeeping regarding extra beds to be given to the guest rooms,
interconnecting doors to be opened and special request by the guest.
e) Room condition reports are periodically forwarded by housekeeping to front office to
avoid such rooms from being occupied by VIPs. Housekeeping informs front office
regarding scanty baggage/ beds not used in the guestrooms.
f) Occupancy report is prepared and forwarded by housekeeping to front office on the basis
of which, “Discrepancy Report” is prepared by front office. Both the reports are prepared
carefully on the basis of which rooms are allotted to the guest.
Maintenance
a) Housekeeping informs engineering department of all the minor repairs to avoid major
breakdown. Both the departments must combine together to ensure that the maintenance
work are attended in the guest rooms or public areas. Maintenance should be attended
on time. The desk supervisor prepares the “Maintenance Order Slip” which is forwarded
to the maintenance department to carry out the work order. When the work is completed
the floor supervisor signs the work order to acknowledge the successful completion of the
task.
b) Executive housekeeper coordinates with the chief engineer regarding renovation
programmes of guest rooms and public areas.
c) House keeping department forwards room condition report to maintenance department,
for e.g. rooms require painting, servicing of A.C., etc.
d) House keeping assist engineering in conserving water and electricity.
e) All the cleaning equipments, e.g. vacuum cleaners, floor scrubbing machines are
requisitioned by housekeeping through stores and the upkeep of all the equipments are
done by maintenance department.
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Accounts Department
a) Inventories and discarding procedures are initiated and conducted by the accounts
department.
b) All the approved bills are forwarded by housekeeping to accounts department for
payment.
c) All petty cash vouchers are routed through accounts for payment.
d) House keeping must provide accounting with all information regarding wages and
salaries for instance, informing the account office of pay increases, overtime, bonuses
awarded to the workers, etc.
e) The executive housekeeper must also provide accounting with monthly inventory
information in order to ascertain expenses of controllable goods.
Stores
a) Based on the average consumption, housekeeping guest supplies and cleaning materials
are stocked by the general store and requisitioned by housekeeping on a weekly or a
monthly basis.
b) Stores must have adequate supplies of items and anticipated storage should be notified
immediately to housekeeping. Housekeeping must follow up out of stock items.
c) The store keeper verifies the approval of the executive housekeeper on each requisition
before issuing the items.
Personnel Department
a) Communication between housekeeping and human resource department is necessary
when considering personnel staffing. When an employee is needed in the house keeping
department, an employee requisition is filled out and is sent to the human resource to
initiate the process.
b) House keeping department coordinate with human resource for recruitment, probation,
confirmation, and increment of staff. Warning letters and charge sheets are issued
through the personnel department.
c) Personnel department is usually involved in the orientation of new employees as per the
company’s rules and regulations.
d) Attendance record, leave forms are forwarded to personnel department through the time
office.
Security
a) One of the greatest concerns of the lodging industry today is security. Housekeeping
should provide printed instructions on the table cards for guest explaining how to detect
crime and inform security department in case of emergency.
b) Security efforts may involve guestroom security, key control, guest security in
coordination with the security department.
c) Security guidelines should be developed for all the members of the property’s
management and supervisor’s team should be involved in monitoring them.
d) Housekeeping personnel should be trained to observe suspicious movements and report
it to the security. Floor crews must learn to recognize guest that are registered into the
hotel. Room maids/Room attendants are not permitted to open the guestroom door for
any guest.
Yet each is an important part of the whole operation and must coordinate its activities with those of
all other departments. The work of some departments is virtually self contained but by the very
nature of its functions, the housekeeping department disperses its employees throughout the house.
The house keeping control desk is the nerve centre of the entire department. Its efficiency
determines the effectiveness of the housekeeping function. It is the focal point for coordination of
information and communication to various points in the house keeping department as well as other
departments of the hotel. The role of housekeeping control desk is to facilitate communication to
various departments of the hotel.
Front Office
a) Rooms are the chief concern of both the departments. They must continuously exchange
information of room status. Front office informs housekeeping of departure rooms to be
cleared and housekeeping confirms clearance to front office, without which rooms
cannot be re-sold. This has to be done on a continuous and rapid basis.
b) Front Office sends the arrivals and the departures list to the control desk for the
supervisor’s reference, so they can ensure that departure rooms are ready on time for
arriving guest.
c) VIP list, Groups in the house, Crew in the house are prepared and forwarded by front
office to housekeeping for information and action.
d) Front office informs housekeeping regarding extra beds to be given to the guest rooms,
interconnecting doors to be opened and special request by the guest.
e) Room condition reports are periodically forwarded by housekeeping to front office to
avoid such rooms from being occupied by VIPs. Housekeeping informs front office
regarding scanty baggage/ beds not used in the guestrooms.
f) Occupancy report is prepared and forwarded by housekeeping to front office on the basis
of which, “Discrepancy Report” is prepared by front office. Both the reports are prepared
carefully on the basis of which rooms are allotted to the guest.
Maintenance
a) Housekeeping informs engineering department of all the minor repairs to avoid major
breakdown. Both the departments must combine together to ensure that the maintenance
work are attended in the guest rooms or public areas. Maintenance should be attended
on time. The desk supervisor prepares the “Maintenance Order Slip” which is forwarded
to the maintenance department to carry out the work order. When the work is completed
the floor supervisor signs the work order to acknowledge the successful completion of the
task.
b) Executive housekeeper coordinates with the chief engineer regarding renovation
programmes of guest rooms and public areas.
c) House keeping department forwards room condition report to maintenance department,
for e.g. rooms require painting, servicing of A.C., etc.
d) House keeping assist engineering in conserving water and electricity.
e) All the cleaning equipments, e.g. vacuum cleaners, floor scrubbing machines are
requisitioned by housekeeping through stores and the upkeep of all the equipments are
done by maintenance department.
-1-
Accounts Department
a) Inventories and discarding procedures are initiated and conducted by the accounts
department.
b) All the approved bills are forwarded by housekeeping to accounts department for
payment.
c) All petty cash vouchers are routed through accounts for payment.
d) House keeping must provide accounting with all information regarding wages and
salaries for instance, informing the account office of pay increases, overtime, bonuses
awarded to the workers, etc.
e) The executive housekeeper must also provide accounting with monthly inventory
information in order to ascertain expenses of controllable goods.
Stores
a) Based on the average consumption, housekeeping guest supplies and cleaning materials
are stocked by the general store and requisitioned by housekeeping on a weekly or a
monthly basis.
b) Stores must have adequate supplies of items and anticipated storage should be notified
immediately to housekeeping. Housekeeping must follow up out of stock items.
c) The store keeper verifies the approval of the executive housekeeper on each requisition
before issuing the items.
Personnel Department
a) Communication between housekeeping and human resource department is necessary
when considering personnel staffing. When an employee is needed in the house keeping
department, an employee requisition is filled out and is sent to the human resource to
initiate the process.
b) House keeping department coordinate with human resource for recruitment, probation,
confirmation, and increment of staff. Warning letters and charge sheets are issued
through the personnel department.
c) Personnel department is usually involved in the orientation of new employees as per the
company’s rules and regulations.
d) Attendance record, leave forms are forwarded to personnel department through the time
office.
Security
a) One of the greatest concerns of the lodging industry today is security. Housekeeping
should provide printed instructions on the table cards for guest explaining how to detect
crime and inform security department in case of emergency.
b) Security efforts may involve guestroom security, key control, guest security in
coordination with the security department.
c) Security guidelines should be developed for all the members of the property’s
management and supervisor’s team should be involved in monitoring them.
d) Housekeeping personnel should be trained to observe suspicious movements and report
it to the security. Floor crews must learn to recognize guest that are registered into the
hotel. Room maids/Room attendants are not permitted to open the guestroom door for
any guest.
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