Talk to the Expert – Session 3
Housekeeping Software and Chemicals
During the third ‘Talk to the Expert’ session we heard from callers from South Africa, Belgium, USA, and the United Kingdom and we touched on some really interesting topics. For this write up, we will look at two of them: housekeeping software and chemicals.
‘Talk to the Expert’ are free, one-to-one, 10 minute long consulting conversations. Callers can share their ‘pain’ and discuss housekeeping challenges with a hsk-knowledge.com housekeeping expert. The aim of the call is to provide guidance on how make a first step towards solving the problem.
In hsk-knowledge.com’s true spirit of sharing knowledge, a summary of some of the discussed challenges is provided in a short write up following the session.
Housekeeping Software
This week one conversation focused on housekeeping software solutions. The caller found himself in the difficult position to choose between multiple software providers offering their housekeeping software at very different price points. He finds himself in the lucky position that even the most expensive solution fits into his budget. During the call it became clear that the software providers were good in presenting their software solutions, explaining the software features in detail and actively following up the conversation to close the deal. Unfortunately, the requirements of his housekeeping operation were not assessed at any point during the sales calls. The caller will now review his housekeeping operation and list his top pain points and outline the goals of the housekeeping operation. Equipped with this information, he will get in touch with the sales representatives to drive the next round of conversations in a structured way, allowing him to collect comparable information. This will make it much easier to choose between the different offers.
Chemicals
The topic of chemicals came up in this ‘Talk to the Expert’ session with a Hotel Manager who recently joined a hotel where the Housekeeping Manager left a couple of days after the Hotel Manager joining the operation. During the initial review of the housekeeping operation, while doing a floor walk with the most senior housekeeper on shift, the Hotel Manager noticed a large number of different cleaning chemicals from a variety of suppliers. It transpired that the housekeeping department’s chemical knowledge left the property with the departed Housekeeping Manager. As an initial step, it was agreed to restrict the use of the different chemicals to ensure the team and guests are safe, followed by the completion of an inventory of the chemicals in the building and a review of their use and storage. A new Housekeeping Manager will need to assess the chemical needs of the operation and implement proper documentation, training and use of the needed chemicals.
Summary
All callers presented a unique set of challenges and demonstrated a real desire to tackle them. All wanted to look at long term solutions that will enable their operations to develop and improve over time. Usually, there is not a quick fix and it is important to understand the whole situation and its underlying issues – there is no benefit of fixing the symptoms only. The participants of the first ‘Talk to the Expert’ session, left the calls with some suggestions on how to move forward and if they require additional support, they know where to find a housekeeping expert.
Are you experiencing similar challenges and want to discuss your options? Please get in touch for a no-obligation discussion and email christoph@hsk-knowledge.com today.
Next ‘Talk to the Expert’ Session: Monday, 30. September, 2019, from 10am BST