Advanced Communication Means Superior Guest Satisfaction
No doubt, the way technology is moving today, there will come a time when the guest room will actually clean itself – a dream for managers and a nightmare for housekeeping staff.
It is not impossible.
But it is in the area of instant staff communication where accommodation providers can already use technology to deliver both housekeeping efficiencies and superior customer service to their guests.
Already many accommodation complexes are using interactive voice response to link the housekeepers with the front office, security and maintenance staff.
If a housekeeper notices a problem during a typical routine in a guestroom, the housekeeper can use iPod Touch technology to follow through a protocol to identify that specific problem and the report immediately alerts the proper response person via their mobile device. The same iPod will show each housekeeper his or her list of rooms for that day and once a guest checks out the housekeeper is notified a room is ready to be refreshed or turned over.
Housekeeping and the front office also communicate on the details of potential house count, security concerns and requests by guests for things like amenities. These issues are of immediate concern to the guest and the prompt relay of requests for extra blankets, towels, soap or shampoo to housekeeping is essential.
The front desk also relies on housekeeping personnel to report any unusual circumstances that may indicate a violation of security for the guests. For example, if a maid notices obviously non-registered guests on a floor, a fire exit that has been propped open or sounds of a domestic disturbance in a guest room, they can instantly report these potential security violations to the front office. The front office staff, in turn, will relay the problem to the proper in-house personnel or police.
Such systems certainly add to housekeeper efficiency, on-premise security and business profitability.
It does not stop there. Already in use are new occupant-centric systems that when a guest puts a tray outside of the door, housekeeping is alerted from a triangle sensor on the tray that triggers another sensor in the doorway. This immediately alerts the staff to the waiting tray by way of a blinking light.
Guests trigger another sensor as they leave their room and housekeeping staff are alerted that the room can be cleaned. This real-time update of guest and room status on the housekeepers’ iPods is extremely beneficial, as they are always servicing the rooms in the most efficient order, ensuring they are ready for arriving guests.
An array of mobile devices designed to improve communication with guests and hotel staff via a wide variety of handheld devices, including mobile phones, smart phones (iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, etc) and tablets (iPad, HP Slate, etc). Mobile devices can be a very cost effective method to improve communications because the mobile devices do not have to have a cell plan if a wireless network is available.
There is a perception that all of this newfangled communication technology is just for the ‘big boys’ but the reality is that many smaller accommodation providers are leading the way in adopting advanced housekeeping systems to improve their performance. While guest satisfaction is of paramount importance, a fantastic bottom line on the balance sheet doesn’t hurt either.
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