Housekeeping attendants (room attendants) clean and maintain rooms in hotels, motels and other lodging places.
Duties and Tasks
A housekeeping attendant may perform the following tasks:
check that rooms have been vacated before cleaning
make beds daily and change bed linen
vacuum carpets, floors and upholstery
clean bathrooms and supply with fresh towels and toiletries
check and re-stock tea, coffee, sugar, milk and mini bar supplies
make sure that televisions, radios, lights and air-conditioning equipment are working
report to a supervisor articles left behind by guests, damage to rooms and any items which appear to have been stolen
take laundry and dry cleaning orders from guests.
Working conditions and hours vary greatly, depending on where room attendants work. The work is not usually heavy, but lifting, carrying and bending are involved.A potentially successful housekeepin attendant is one who has interest in practical work , neat personal appearance
good personal hygiene, honest and reliable, physically fit and
able to stay calm in difficult situations
One can work as a housekeeping attendant without formal qualifications. You will probably get some informal training on the job. However, there are formal qualifications available, and these may assist you in gaining employment and advancing within the industry.
To be a qualified housekeeping attendant, you should have a Certificate II in Hospitality (Operations) as a minimum, although some places will let you start with no training. You can specialise through electives in whatever best meets your job needs. The Certificate I in Hospitality (Operations) is the entry-level qualification which provides the basic skills to work as a housekeeping assistant. The Certificate II in Hospitality (Operations) is the certificate for a qualified housekeeping attendant. Other qualifications are available to help housekeeping attendants move forward into supervisory positions.
Housekeeping attendants are employed by individual hotels, motels or guest houses, or by companies that operate a chain of establishments. Most housekeeping attendants work in capital cities and surrounding suburbs and in those country centres where there are tourist resorts.
Demand for housekeeping attendants depends on growth in the tourism and travel industries and on the general level of economic activity. As turnover is relatively high, there is generally a constant demand to replace those leaving the job. With experience and training, housekeeping attendants may be promoted to supervisory levels and to the position of executive housekeeper.
Hotel housekeepers clean the guestrooms and public areas of hotels, motels, and other kinds of lodgings. They are also called roomkeepers, room attendants, room cleaners, or maids. You see them pushing a trolley from room to room, pushing a cart filled with cleaning supplies as well as fresh sheets and towels, and stocks of plastic shower caps, shoe shine sponges, and little sewing kits.
Housekeeping in a hotel has to meet far more rigorous standards than most people maintain in their own houses. Housekeepers vacuum the entire floor of each guest room and dust every surface. They check lamps, clocks, radios and the TV to make sure they work. They clean all the surfaces in the bathroom and restock it with guest supplies.
Then they make the bed, immaculately and with no creases. Usually they change linens and towels, unless guests request that they not be changed. (More hotels are asking guests to specifically request changes as a way of reducing energy costs.) Housekeepers must do such rigorous cleaning for as many as 18 hotel rooms a day, which can be exhausting.
In most hotels, housekeepers’ work is inspected each day by a supervisor or specialist room checker, and housekeepers may have their wages docked a certain amount for each failure to meet hotel standards or be paid bonuses for perfect inspections. In addition, particularly fastidious housekeepers may receive tips from grateful guests who have appreciated a job well done, as well as the opportunity to sleep late in the morning.
Attending pre-shift meetings to learn room assignments and the day's tasks
Stocking housekeeping carts with cleaning supplies, fresh linens, and guest supplies
Cleaning, vacuuming, and re-stocking guest rooms and baths
Making beds
Removing all trash and dirty linen from guest rooms
Cleaning, vacuuming, straightening public areas when assigned to those shifts
Reporting items left behind to housekeeping supervisor
What do they do? Housekeepers clean guest rooms & the public areas of hotels & other lodging places
Skills & knowledge: An eye for neatness, attention to detail, following standard procedures, physical strength and agility
Earnings: Usually in the $12-22,000 range
Hotel housekeepers clean the guestrooms and public areas of hotels, motels, and other kinds of lodgings. They are also called roomkeepers, room attendants, room cleaners, or maids. You see them pushing a trolley from room to room, pushing a cart filled with cleaning supplies as well as fresh sheets and towels, and stocks of plastic shower caps, shoe shine sponges, and little sewing kits.
Housekeeping in a hotel has to meet far more rigorous standards than most people maintain in their own houses. Housekeepers vacuum the entire floor of each guest room and dust every surface. They check lamps, clocks, radios and the TV to make sure they work. They clean all the surfaces in the bathroom and restock it with guest supplies.
Then they make the bed, immaculately and with no creases. Usually they change linens and towels, unless guests request that they not be changed. (More hotels are asking guests to specifically request changes as a way of reducing energy costs.) Housekeepers must do such rigorous cleaning for as many as 18 hotel rooms a day, which can be exhausting.
In most hotels, housekeepers’ work is inspected each day by a supervisor or specialist room checker, and housekeepers may have their wages docked a certain amount for each failure to meet hotel standards or be paid bonuses for perfect inspections. In addition, particularly fastidious housekeepers may receive tips from grateful guests who have appreciated a job well done, as well as the opportunity to sleep late in the morning.:
Attending pre-shift meetings to learn room assignments and the day's tasks
Stocking housekeeping carts with cleaning supplies, fresh linens, and guest supplies
Cleaning, vacuuming, and re-stocking guest rooms and baths
Making beds
Removing all trash and dirty linen from guest rooms
Cleaning, vacuuming, straightening public areas when assigned to those shifts
Reporting items left behind to housekeeping supervisor
Generally speaking, opportunities for promotion are better in large hotels than in small ones. Housekeepers can advance to become inspectors or specialists--who do light maintenance and deep cleaning--without further education, provided that they have the skills to do the job and can read and write well enough to keep the necessary records. Some hotels require a high school diploma, GED, or even an associate's degree for supervisors, but because of the labor shortage in this field, many promote workers without these educational qualifications if they have supervisory skills and a good work record.
It used to be that skilled workers could even rise to be housekeeping-department managers without additional formal education, but this is rarely true today. Housekeeping managers usually have at least an associate's degree, and many fine hotels require a bachelor's degree, preferably in hotel management. Though it may be difficult to move up the job ladder, housekeepers can also advance by seeking jobs in better hotels, where wages and working conditions are often much higher than those found in smaller, cheaper establishments.
. Attention to detail and a eye for neatness and cleanliness
Physical strength, agility, and stamina
Following standard procedures and safety rules
In addition to career-specific skills, everybody needs these basic skills:
Reading
Math
Writing
Speaking & listening
Computer literacy
Problem-solving & decision-making
Understanding the broader picture
Working with people
A strong work ethic
A positive attitude
Independence & initiative
Self-presentation
Tasks
Carry linens, towels, toilet items, and cleaning supplies, using wheeled carts.
Clean rooms, hallways, lobbies, lounges, restrooms, corridors, elevators, stairways, locker rooms and other work areas so that health standards are met.
Empty wastebaskets, empty and clean ashtrays, and transport other trash and waste to disposal areas.
Replenish supplies such as drinking glasses, linens, writing supplies, and bathroom items.
Keep storage areas and carts well-stocked, clean, and tidy.
Dust and polish furniture and equipment.
Sweep, scrub, wax, and/or polish floors, using brooms, mops, and/or powered scrubbing and waxing machines.
Clean rugs, carpets, upholstered furniture, and/or draperies, using vacuum cleaners and/or shampooers.
Wash windows, walls, ceilings, and woodwork, waxing and polishing as necessary.
Hang draperies, and dust window blinds.
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Carpet cleaning equipment — Carpet shampooers; Carpet steamers
Floor polishers — Floor burnishers; Power floor buffers
Hand sprayers — Spray bottles
Ladders — Step ladders
Laundry type washing machines — Light commercial washing machines; Washer extractors
Sewing machines — Industrial sewing machines
Data base user interface and query software — Data entry software
Facilities management software — Computerized maintenance management system CMMS software
Inventory management software — Inventory tracking software
Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software — Computerized bed control system software
Work Activities
Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Work Context
Spend Time Walking and Running — How much does this job require walking and running?
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets — How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?
Spend Time Standing — How much does this job require standing?
Spend Time Bending or Twisting the Body — How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?
Exposed to Contaminants — How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety — How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Time Pressure — How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Work Styles
Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Social Orientation — Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Work Values
Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Answered By: sensekonomikx - 11/13/2007 |