A day in the life of a housekeeping executive

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way hotels operate. Today, hygiene has become paramount to win customer’s trust and ensure their hotel stay is safe and secure along with the hospitality that is provided. The Housekeeping department in the hotel is mainly responsible for maintaining cleanliness and quality standards. Their role too has taken on a whole new meaning during the current pandemic situation. To know the challenges they have had to encounter as also know their everyday responsibilities, Sarita Fernandes, Executive Housekeeper, Taj Holiday Village Resort & Spa, Goa shares her daily regimen.

Serene start to the day

I like to start my day at work with a cool mind as it helps me feel fresh and energetic through the day. If I’m tired or upset, I won’t be able to guide my team as a leader should be doing. After attending the daily briefings, I meet up my team members to pass instructions on whatever is required for the day.

Daily checklists

People in the hospitality industry have been at the forefront in the fight against Covid-19.In light of this, the safety of the employees and the guests became necessary. 

The pandemic brought about a lot of changes with regards to the housekeeping services. Since, housekeeping employees are frontline warriors who are in direct contact with the guests, it became important to adhere to the daily checklists.

Firstly, we have employees’ wellness checklist where the body temperature is checked at the entry of the hotel. Then they sign a declaration form stating they don’t have any Covid-like symptoms and that they are safe and are not carrying any pathogens inside the hotel.

The PPE checklist is enforced very strongly. Disinfection, which is stringently followed in the hotel, follows a checklist as well. It is done area wise - the rooms, the public areas and the restaurants. All the touch points in the public areas are given high importance because they can be carriers of pathogens.

Then comes the robust supervisor’s checklist including a step-by-step checking of a room or public areas or the pantries - ensuring everything is perfect.

Mandatory duties

I personally check two areas along with my chief engineer and security manager every day to look if there are any product-related issues which can be solved then and there. We also highlight accident-prone areas and then follow a checklist where we inform the team whether the task has already been done or has been actioned and on which date. We even share a before and after photograph.

Every week, I, along with the Cluster GM, Operational Manager and the Front Office Manager, take a round of the property. We collectively check around 10 rooms to ensure whether the services/ processes are being followed by the staff or not. We do a random check of the rooms in any of the areas. We ensure there is 100% adherence. The horticulturist also accompanies us so that in case there is any changes required in the surrounding areas, it is also taken care of.

The challenges

Opportunities and problems come my way on a daily basis. I’m glad it comes to us so that we can learn from it and ensure we work towards the betterment of the problem. Whenever any issues come up with regards to products, people or process, I try to put it into smaller buckets so that I can understand it better and work towards it. If it is an employee-centric issue, I try to catch up with the team member and have a chat with them to understand what exactly happened before reaching any conclusions. Once I understand the issue, I try to motivate that person to not do the mistake again.

If it is product related and urgent, it gets be done then and there. If it requires time, I make sure to get all necessary approvals and finish the task as soon as possible. For process related problems, I look into the entire process to find out what exactly went wrong and relocate the entire process to work for its betterment.

The learnings

Every day for me is filled with excitement, challenges, lots of things to learn and training sessions. There are a lot of things which you come in contact on a daily basis, whether it is personally or professionally. There are so many things happening that you do not get to know when the day ends or what time of the hour it is. Personally, the pandemic has taught me to give more time to my family. When I go home, I ensure to clean myself properly before I even interact with them. So it is like personal hygiene. I’m taking care of myself and also my family members.