At first blush, one might assume that driving major new labor efficiencies into the hotel housekeeping operation will mean cut corners, less attention to cleaning details, and a diminished guest experience.
Of course, it is possible to lessen the quality of guest experience if cost savings are realized from careless cuts in staff resources. On the other hand, it’s also possible to both improve labor efficiencies and raise the level of guest services with the adoption of innovative breakthrough technology.
The same way a carpenters’ productivity on the job increases significantly with the adoption of nail guns, putting smart software and wireless technology into the hands of hotel room attendants and their managers reduces time-consuming, repetitive tasks so they can focus on the work that really matters.
In the case of hotel housekeeping, the end result that really matters is preparing perfectly clean rooms that meet and exceed guest expectations -- every time, on time. After all - JD Powers tells us that a dirty room has the greatest negative impact on guest satisfaction out of all aspects surveyed.
‘If You Can’t Measure It, You Can’t Manage It’
But as hoteliers with financial responsibility to owners, we need to balance the value equation of quality output and cost to produce (housekeeping labor) and tilt it in our favor. Without the introduction of a new tool that is capable of not just providing the metrics, but also automate a substantial part of the job, this is likely to be a futile effort. With a device that is simple on the surface but packs a powerful punch, the goal becomes highly attainable.
Bottom line, increased efficiency for housekeeping operations does NOT have to mean a lower quality of guest experience. On the contrary, just the opposite is the case when the labor savings result from smarter use of employees’ time, enabled by well-designed software that automates repetitive administrative functions, while improving communication between hotel staff.
In the final analysis, a choice between greater efficiency and higher quality of service represents what the philosophers refer to as a “false dichotomy.” It’s a fundamentally unnecessary choice. Hotel housekeeping operations can truly have their cake and eat it, too. And so can their guests!