Executive Housekeeper Volume 18 Number 3 by Adbourne Publishing

The Executive

HOUSEKEEPER

Vol 18

No 3

PP322210/00016

IT’S TIME TO BARE ALL Shot on location at

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Publishers LETTER

t is hard to believe that we are already near the end of 2014. This is our final edition of the year before we head home to a roast and a glass of red over Christmas, and hopefully a few moments to breath again! But we haven’t jumped the gun here at the Executive Housekeeper - we are bringing you some top articles to read before the holidays. We look at improvements in technology, equipment, and cleaning practises to hopefully make your working life a little easier. A focus of this issue is on the people who make the housekeeping industry run. Our recently-graduated journalist Tom Johnson talks with Elizabeth Zehender of the new Melbourne Sheraton. Tom has just completed an Honours thesis to complement his Journalism/International Relations double degree. Off the record, Tom and Elizabeth had a good chat about the journalism industry and the degree, which Elizabeth’s daughter studies at a different university. In the article, he has written about Elizabeth’s story working up the housekeeping industry and how she inadvertently got her break as a room attendant. Elizabeth

grew up in Santiago, Chile, and the article reveals how enthusiastically she has taken to life in Australia. We also have a wonderful article from Liz Lycette, who sat down with Lorraine Dale, the current Executive Housekeeper of Windsor Castle. As Christmas is the time of giving, we here at the magazine would like to give our sincere thanks to our advertisers. They are the reason this magazine is sent to you free of charge. When you do business with any of our advertisers, we ask that you mention you saw them in the Executive Housekeeper. Thank you to out advertisers for your support. Father Christmas comes and goes, but we are always here year-round to bring you tips, info, and maybe even a laugh or two along the way. We will be back in 2015, but for now have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Regards, Neil Muir

View The Executive Housekeeper online now! Scan here or visit www.adbourne.com/exec-housekeeper

Adbourne Publishing 18/69 Acacia Road Ferntree Gully VIC 3156 PO Box 735, Belgrave, VIC 3160 www.adbourne.com Editorial Consultant Max Agnew Editorial Contributor Thomas Johnson

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Adbourne PUBLISHING

Adbourne Publishing reserves the right to refuse any advertisement without stating the reason. No responsibility is accepted for incorrect information contained in advertisements or editorial. (The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or otherwise alter articles for publication). All original matter produced in this magazine remains the property of the publisher and cannot be reproduced without authority. The views of the contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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Contents 6

SEQPHA News

PHAN News

10 PEHN News 12 Industry News 17 Well-equipped washrooms encourage healthy, happy housekeepers 20 Are you ignoring accommodation touch points during the cleaning process? 23 Clean AND green 25 How to improve indoor air quality 28 Interview with Lorraine Dale 30 Outsourcing housekeeping for hotels â&#x20AC;&#x153;What a stupid Ideaâ&#x20AC;? 37 Thinking management 38 A guide to stripping and sealing tiles 40 Steve George Industry Profile 42 Elizabeth Zehender Profile 44 Housekeeping is not just for appearance 48 Staff training and pest control go hand in hand 52 A special touch The basics of employee training 56 60 Finding the best people in the shortest amount of time 63 Bringing housekeeping into the 21st Century 64 Product News

Cover images shows Sheraton Melbourne Hotel

SEQPHA NEWS W

ell 2014 certainly has moved fast and what a year it has been. All our team have been staying positive and having fun with our events and raising money for charities, but on the other side you go home and the news is full of Terrorism, Ebola, etc. We sometimes see the world through negative news especially when we all want world peace and that we can all live together in a multicultural society. You cannot as an individual do much about war in Iraq or Terrorism but you can change the way we react to these things. Everything good and bad is a learning experience wether it is work related or things that are happening around us. So let’s share positivity with the world.

the largest laundries in Queensland servicing all of Brisbane, gold coast, northern New South Wales, sunshine coast and west throughout the granite belt and Toowoomba. I have been associated with this company for many years and have always found them to be so professional with their business, but a very family oriented with all their employee’s and that Steven makes the effort every morning to speak to every employee. The Sunfresh story is truly inspirational and one to be proud of and a great supporter of our association. Two of our Committee members have big events coming up in November and December, we have Colleen Reynolds who always dresses up for our functions turning sixty who says that 60 is not my age, it just not true, my heart is young, the time just flew. We then have Kerry Dowen getting married on the 21st November to the man of her dreams, Pita. Mel our very colourful Secretary is in Ireland at the moment for a wedding, poor thing it is winter over there, but knowing Mel she will keep warm with her Champagne and warm sense of humour. Our Christmas party is fast approaching with a sunset cruise along the gold coast waterways with seafood and wine on the 28th November.

Brisbane and parts of the Gold Coast are preparing for the G20; it is amazing that we are having so many world leaders staying in our Maqnifique Hotels. Brisbane is certainly showcasing the city of Brisbane with 32 buildings having laser lights accompanied by soundtracks from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the streets will be filled with music to welcome the world leaders and it is amazing that all these leaders will be running their country from here. What a wonderful event and showcase for Tourism. August we had a beautiful Breakfast at the Point Hotel in Brisbane hosted by Jenny Howarth the Executive Housekeeper. Jenny has been in Hospitality for many years and tells us she would not change it if she had a choice. She has been with the Housekeepers Association on and off for 14 years and said it is great networking and she has made so many friendships. Jenny is a lady who has stayed so positive throughout her Cancer treatment and was still attending functions, while looking after her Dad. Jenny you are an Inspiration to us all and we are happy that you are on the road to recovery. In October we had a magnificent breakfast hosted by Steven George from Sunfresh Linen at the factory in Darra. Steven and his staff really gave us the WOW factor on arrival with a beautiful marquee and a beautiful breakfast presentation along with some beautiful prizes he donated for charity along with a very interesting tour of the factory. Sunfresh linen is a family business and was founded in 1998 and today is one of

The year is nearly over so to all of you stay positive, be healthy and have a lovely Christmas and may 2015 be kind to you all. 

Electrolux Professional

makes laundry easier than ever

The Line 5000 generation, with its cutting edge technology, is another milestone in Electrolux Professional’s comprehensive range of laundry solutions – designed to meet the most demanding needs of the hotel laundry sector. Designed by experts, Inspired by you Line 5000’s specially tailored laundry solutions are designed to help hotels save money and provide guests with five star laundry quality – offering noticeably better quality linen; a quick return on investment through lower running costs per wash; savings in energy, water, detergent and time; and full control over every part of the laundry process.

Smart, green and economical Line 5000’s washer extractors and tumble dryers combine technology with green thinking and cost reducing features. They exemplify Electrolux Professional’s commitment to continued sustainability and are made to be 95% recyclable. Energy-efficient, their durable, robust construction and high technology manufacturing are built to respect the environment at every point of production and usage.

Line 5000 offers real benefits and improvements in three crucial areas: durability, enhanced economy, and flexibility. Line 5000 washers and dryers are built to last longer. Their heavy-duty components need less maintenance and are optimised for all kinds of operations and environments. With its Power Balance for washer extractors, Electrolux Professional’s revolutionary unbalance detection system, ensures Line 5000 washers have optimum stability: this means quieter, faster operations, better water extraction and lower drying costs. Line 5000’s unique, new efficiency means using less water and energy for wash and dry cycles. But while Line 5000 helps lower operational costs and cut the environmental footprint, it has not compromised on quality. The Automatic Saving System for washers adjusts the water level to the weight of the laundry, meaning

up to 50% in water savings for half load, as well as energy savings due to less water to heat. The Residual Moisture Control for dryers measures the exact moisture content throughout the process, ensuring energy savings due to shorter drying time. The easy to use Efficient Dosing System, automatically calculates the appropriate detergent amount, meaning that your laundry achieves the highest quality results while still protecting skin during usage. Ideally combined with Automatic Saving System, Efficient Dosing System can mean 50% savings in running costs. The Line 5000 range contains washer extractor models starting at a weight capacity of 6kg and going up to 60kg, while the tumble dryer capacities range from 13kg to 37.5kg.  For more information on Electrolux’s Line 5000, visit our website: www.electrolux.com/professional, email: sales@electroluxlaundry.com.au or call 1300 888 948.

PHAN NEWS

PHAN HOUSEKEEPING “THANK YOU” PARTY

n what is now an annual Big Nite Out, the “Thank you to Housekeeping” celebration took place this year at the wonderful Menzies Sydney Hotel on September 26, 2014.

The fun theme this year was “Housekeeping Goes Bollywood”. Menzies ballroom was festooned with colourful décor and their legendary banquet and kitchen provided a wonderful feast. Many of the guests dressed the part – and how creative and colourful and exotic are the Housekeeping staff. The photos tell it all. The entertainment was “Bollywood” style Indian music and dance – lots of fun. The highlight of each year’s party is The Housekeeping’s Got Talent – again well supported this year with six hotels presenting an act. First prize was won by Madhu from The Star from Darling Harbour. Students from Sydney TAFE College worked on the organising and presenting of the event as a class project – and what a great result that was. An association that we trust will become a tradition – where we support our future industry colleagues working with them in staging the major event for Professional Housekeepers’ Association. Fundraising for The Cancer Council was also a new innovation this year, and over $1800 was raised. A big thank you to Sealy for the major prize of a Queen bed. Over twenty loyal and generous sponsors from the Hospitality industry responded by providing some wonderful prizes and gifts as “Thank You’s” to housekeeping staff. 

World Kindness Australia

ecently PHAN put in a membership application to become an official member of World Kindness Australia which was accepted by the WKA board!

WKM is an international Non-Government Organisation with no political or religious affiliations. The formation of the 20 nation member organisation crystallised at a conference in Tokyo in 1997 when the Small Kindness Movement of Japan brought together like-minded kindness movements from around the world. The WKM was officially launched in Singapore on 18 November 2000 at the 3rd WKM Conference. The mission of the WKM is to inspire

individuals towards greater kindness and to connect nations to create a kinder world. The current members of the movement include over 20 nations including of course Australia. All PHAN members will be presented with Kindness cards which they can pass on when they see an act of kindness, they get on the website and record where they gave the card out and what for then the card is tracked as it is passed on possibly around the world.  If anyone would like further details, they can be seen at: www.worldkindnessaustralia.org and www.theworldkindnessmovement.org

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PEHN NEWS

PEHN Housekeepers have talent night to celebrate Housekeeping week – 10th September 2014

ehn celebrated housekeeping week with a Housekeepers have talent night.

There were some fantastic acts on the evening from Park Hyatt and Raddison Flagstaff Gardens. From beautiful singers to traditional dances. Well done to all the contestants who participated, they were sensational. The winners on the night were the team from Park Hyatt with their rendition of “Let it Go” with outstanding costumes to set the scene. After the talent quest had finished the PEHN committee continued on with kicking off the karaoke for the evening, with a rendition of Waterloo from Abba. Housekeepers are certainly an energetic lot, there was plenty of dancing, a great night was had by all. 

Upcoming Events: The Pehn annual Christmas Party 2014 – Late November

PEHN Grooming Forum â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 21st August 2014

fantastic night was had by all at the PEHN grooming forum hosted by Marie Brereton designs. There was information and demonstrations about hair and makeup. A display of uniforms from the past to the current were modelled by Maries team and Ana from Mantra Tullamarine. The president underwent a make-over on the night having her hair and makeup done during the information sessions. ď Ž

This image and top right: Housekeeping uniforms from days gone by

The Pehn president getting the hair done Rated Excellent

BUY DIRECT AND

SAVE

The Question and answer session on haircare

For more information about Sealy, add us on Facebook and Twitter

www.facebook.com/SealyAustralia

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Sealy of Australia has manufacturing centres in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. *Used under license from the Trademark proprietor by MADAD Pty Ltd trading as Sealy of Australia. ABN 57 009 678 344.

Donna getting the pampering treatment during the make-up session

INDUSTRY NEWS

L&A Finance for Housekeepers Workshop held in Moscow Russia in October 2014 sponsored by Miko Hotel Services

by LIZ LYCETTE

Meike Hofemann Zhang, L&A Associate based in Germany travelled to Moscow in October to deliver the inaugural Finance for Housekeepers workshop though the full sponsorship of Miko Hotel Services.

2 participants attended on the first day with another 7 on the 2nd day. The course was delivered in English by Meike with full translation into Russian by the translators provided by the Suppliers.

• Occupancy related expense lines

“Great and helpful”

• Interpret financial information and analyse variances

“ Great speaker, everything was very clear, presentation was also good”

• How to fix mistakes

A full agenda included:

• Control of your expenses and your P&L

“ Got new information, refreshed some information”

• Definition of financial terms, types of budgets and classification of materials

• Control and monitor monthly costs • Compose next year’s budgets

• Difference between a Capital expenditure budgets vs. an Expenses budget

• Calculating your manning

• P&L’s structure and components • Factors impacting on Rooms’ departmental profit and the hotel’s yield.

The participants enjoined the L&A presentation on Global Trends and Innovations followed by great presentations by the sponsoring suppliers.

• Obtain relevant information to be able to analyse the Housekeeping P&L

Some of the feedback from participants was:

• Cross charging

“Thanks for the manning calculation” “ Clear explanations with useful samples” “Helps to improve my financial skills” “ Useful for properly managing operations in the housekeeping department” ” We are all growing into our positions and in doing so lack some important information, we are all ready to learn more & more, thank you.” L&A’s Liz and Meike plan to return in 2015 for a follow up workshop.

Housekeeping Operational Review of the Observatory Port Macquarie â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Case Study through the Entrepreneurs Infrastructure Programme

by LIZ LYCETTE

In 2014 L&A Housekeeping Management Consulting were engaged by The Observatory in Port Macquarie to review the efficiency and effectiveness of their housekeeping department. The review was part funded through the Federal Department of Industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Entrepreneurs Infrastructure Program.

he Observatory is an independent and highly credentialed strata-titled apartment hotel and has received numerous tourism and business accolades including most recently: the 2014 Australian Business award for Service Excellence, the 2014 Australian Business award for Environmental Sustainability and a World Boutique Hotel Award. The property is managed by Southern Cross Resorts owned by Chris and Trish Denny and operates under the management rights model. Consisting of an eight floor tower building serviced by lifts and a three floor walk-up Terrace building, The

Observatory comprises 57 one, two and three bedroom apartments and 34 hotel rooms. They operate with approximately 30 staff in management, finance, housekeeping, reception and maintenance functions. Housekeeping has 3 team leaders (permanent part time) supervising approximately 15 room attendants (casual). The two day comprehensive review addressed the full range of housekeeping operations including administration, room allocation and productivity, the sequence of service to clean the apartments,

Five loyal staff celebrating 10 years working for The Observatory. Pictured from Left: Karen Burns, Jayne Langens, Tracey Beresford, Jenelle Adair and Jenna Gaul.

standard operating procedures, equipment and chemicals used and communication processes both internally and with other departments. At the conclusion

INDUSTRY NEWS

of the review, a detailed report containing recommendations and an implementation action plan was devised and presented to management.

thousands of businesses which have participated in the program and benefited from this free service (many with turnovers up to $100M/year). Initial commitment of participants is time â&#x20AC;&#x201C; approximately 3 to 4 hr interview for which they receive a comprehensive business review report. There is very little requirement in terms of extensive

applications and reports as experienced with many government programs. Business sectors which are eligible for the program include tourism. ď Ž To find out more please visit: http://www.business.gov.au/advice-andsupport/EIP/Documents/BGG_CIG.pdf

To engage L&Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s services, Southern Cross Resorts took advantage of the Entrepreneurs Infrastructure Program which is available through the Federal Department of Industry which paid for 50% of the consultancy fees. The Entrepreneurs Infrastructure Network (EIN) supports Australian small and medium enterprises facing a rapidly changing business environment. The EIN made it easy for The Observatory to source and finance specialist advice, knowhow, and technologies to improve business performance. The program is targeted at businesses interested in improvement opportunities and accessing associated government funding. Nationally there have been

Well-equipped washrooms

encourage healthy, happy housekeepers

Getting workplace well-being right is essential for 21st century hotel/motel businesses that need to prevent staff absenteeism and the disruption to productivity this causes. Josh Hastings explains the importance of washroom hygiene for health and protecting hotel reputation.

he vast majority of the working population spend a significant amount of their time at work – so making the experience a comfortable and pleasurable one for staff as well as guests has got to be a priority for hotel employers. Staff that feel supported and safe – thanks to a welcoming, accessible and clean environment – are much more likely to perform at their best and provide a first-rate service for guests. They are also less likely to take time off due to sickness, thanks to surroundings that are kept clean and washrooms that are equipped with facilities and products that are effective and easy to use, thus helping to reduce the risks of infections spreading. Staff sickness can cost individual hotels and motels dearly in terms of both time and money, so it is in an employer’s best interests to minimise the chances of this happening by ensuring employees feel protected, respected and nurtured. According to ‘Fostering an Attendance Culture: A guide for APS agencies’, issued by the Australian Public Services Commission, the overall direct salary cost arising from workplace absence across the APS is estimated to be $295 million. The report states that high rates of absence are costly, and have a significant impact on individuals, business units and organisations. It points out that productivity gains and cost savings can be achieved by even a small reduction in absence, and goes on to identify specific costs of absence:

Direct costs of absence

Indirect costs of absence

Salaries

Training costs

Compensation premiums

Service disruption

Recruitment costs

Negative public perception

Overtime

Poor morale

Replacement staff costs

Lost productivity

Medical and rehabilitation costs

Business continuity interruption

Litigation

Increased workload for team

Facilities with the feel-good factor Hotel and motel employers must provide their staff with a safe and healthy environment and take their welfare needs into account. The Work Health and Safety Codes of Practice 2011 include a large section on managing the work environment and facilities. This outlines the various aspects that should be considered, and the measures that need to be taken, including ventilation, temperature, lighting, cleanliness, floors, workstations and seating. Regarding hand washing, the Code of Practice states that facilities must be provided to enable workers to maintain good standards of personal hygiene, and that these facilities should: • Be accessible at all times to work areas, eating areas and toilets • Be separate from sinks or troughs used in connection with the work process

• Contain both hot and cold water taps or temperature mixers • Be protected from the weather • Be supplied with non-irritating soap (preferably from a soap dispenser) • Contain hygienic hand drying facilities • It also states that: “Facilities should be clean, safe, accessible and in good working order. Consumable items, including soap and toilet paper, should be replenished regularly.”

Welfare through the washroom The washroom is somewhere that companies can make a considerable difference to the well-being of their workforce, and it is particularly important in sectors where hygiene is critical, such as food preparation and hospitality environments. A healthy balance sheet isn’t the only thing that hotels and motels need to concentrate on if they want to succeed in today’s competitive marketplace. Maintaining a healthy workforce is also of paramount importance. Without healthy employees, a company cannot hope to be able to deliver the products and services it offers on time, every time, and therefore retain and increase client satisfaction. Seasonal infections such as flu, colds and ‘bugs’ of all kinds can seriously disrupt a hotel’s business through days lost while employees are ill, so maintaining clean staff washrooms to guard against the spread of coughs and sniffles is crucial.

Correctly equipped washrooms with the right facilities will not only meet the high expectations of business and holiday guests, but ensure a high level of hygiene standards to help to control infections and lessen the chances of cross contamination. The provision of anti-bacterial soaps and dispensers, effective hand drying systems, regular cleaning by trained cleaning operatives, and routine checks for contamination are all essential.

Sharing best practice online Technological advances are now helping to educate clients about washroom hygiene best practice. A good supply partner will not only enable organisations to order products, including quality toilet paper, facial tissues, towel and related products online; but also to access educational materials, marketing communications and invitations to training and sales sessions. This helps to educate the distributor and end user about washroom hygiene, emphasising that a well-equipped washroom is good for business and reputation. Improving workplace well-being is something to which all organisations within the tourism industry should aspire. By ensuring that washrooms are equipped with the most appropriate and effective products and services that are easily accessible to employees, hotels and motels can do a vast amount to improve their staff’s well-being as well as making it a pleasurable stay for guests.  www.solarispaperafh.com.au This article was supplied by Michelle Eastty of Ceris Burns International.

Are you ignoring accommodation touch points during the cleaning process? by Director of Duplex Cleaning Machines, Murray McDonald

When accommodation cleaning comes to mind, it is common for those involved in the process to look at carpets, bathrooms and upholstery. It is common for spills, stains and dust to be a main focus and to ensure that no odours are present.

owever, what can sometimes be overlooked during the cleaning process is touch point cleaning. Touch point cleaning occurs in all key rooms and is part of all cleaning applications.

• Door handles

As part of any cleaning process, for any room and for any type of cleaning, touch point cleaning should ALWAYS be part of the process. It is responsible for preventing the spread of bacteria and disease. Without a streamlined and consistent touch point cleaning program, the cleaning that occurs is purely for the purpose of presentation rather than sanitisation.

• Pillows

You might be asking yourself, if it’s so important, why is it commonly overlooked? The answer is because making touch point cleaning a priority requires a shift in the accommodation cleaning mindset. It requires those responsible for cleaning to shift from a chemical clean to a chemical free clean, and shift from a “visual” clean to a hygienic clean.

What is touch point cleaning? Touch point cleaning refers to cleaning surfaces that are regularly touched or that people regularly come in contact with. For example, the top 10 touch points in an accommodation room include: • Telephones • Clocks • Light switches

• Remote controls • Bathroom fixtures • Mattresses

• Curtains or drapes • Bedside tables Most of the touch points mentioned are part of most accommodation cleaning programs, however, some are not. This is where the problem lies. Ask yourself, can you be certain that all your cleaning staff are cleaning every touch point, 100 per cent of the time? It’s important that no touch point is overlooked. It is the missed touch points that bring down the cleanliness of a facility, and make the gaps in a cleaning program. To learn more about the importance of touch point cleaning, just take a look at the healthcare industry. Touch point cleaning is a key factor in decontaminating the environment from outbreaks and infections. It is not only part of a healthcare facility’s outbreak cleaning processes, but their regular and discharge cleaning methods. Today, the war against microbes and infections in hospitals and aged care facilities is a topical issue. Due to modern day research and pilots being conducted, the healthcare industry now agrees that touch point cleaning

using high temperature steam (no chemicals) is the leading measure to combat the problem. Although the accommodation industry doesn’t cater to “vulnerable” guests such as a hospital might, it still has a duty of care to their patrons and guests who may not be ill but are still vulnerable in their own right. Accommodation guests are highly susceptible to mould, tinea, colds and influenza, skin irritations and gastro. These are all problems that can be significantly reduced or eradicated with the right chemical free touch point cleaning program.

How do I effectively clean touch points? The first step to an effective touch point cleaning program is identifying every touch point. The second step, is using the right methods to clean them. High temperature steam of +165 degrees Celsius combined with 94 per cent dry steam is what is recommended to kill all disease and bacteria. Due to steam being a vapour, it is able to get into crevices that chemicals and detergents can’t and is a powerful disinfector, being able to kill even hospital grade disease and bacteria. Types of awkward accommodation nooks and crannies that steam can effectively sanitise include sink plug holes, shower drains, ovens and canopies and tile and grout.

Steam is normally applied with the use of a steam cleaning machine that comes with a range of tools and attachments required for all accommodation touch point cleaning needs. It should be able to take you to a room, to a bathroom, to a kitchen to a swimming pool. High temperature steam is also used not just for its infection control cleaning abilities, but also for its OH&S benefits. Mops, chemicals, rags and detergents that require bending, scrubbing and manual agitation are not longer needed with steam technology. Due to its high heat, steam instantly disintegrates dirt, dust and grime build up. Another modern tool to monitor touch point cleaning is using invisible or “invis” torches or markers. The marker is used to “mark” all key touch point surfaces in all rooms with a symbol, date or some other marking that will identify that it needs to be cleaned.

The mark will only be visible under the light of an invis torch. Once your cleaning has occurred, the inspector shines the torch on all pre marked surfaces. If the mark is still visible, then the surface hasn’t been cleaned. This process is used as part of a housekeeper inspection process to ensure that all surfaces have been cross checked, and no touch points have been missed or overlooked. A clean hotel is a basic expectation for guests. However, it’s important for the accommodation to continue to ensure

customer satisfaction and loyalty, and this comes from best practice processes.  Murray McDonald is Director of Duplex Cleaning Machines and has over 20 years experience in improving accommodation facility cleaning standards through chemical free solutions. Visit www.duplexcleaning.com.au

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Clean AND green by Jorge Chapa, Executive Director Green Star Green Building Council of Australia

Tenants are beginning to understand that a sustainable building is not just good for the environment. It’s good for people too.

ood indoor environment quality has been found to boost productivity in the workplace, reduce absenteeism and eliminate many of the sources of ‘sick building syndrome’. In Australia, buildings with Green Star ratings prioritise fresh air, natural light and materials low in volatile organic compounds – and have been found to boost productivity by as much as 15 per cent. However, a building’s indoor environment quality – regardless of its rating – will suffer if it is being cleaned with products that affect the health of people and the health of the environment through the chemicals or contaminants within them. The new Green Star – Performance rating tool, which is helping builders and owners to improve how their buildings perform, encourages green cleaning services. Building owners and managers gain points towards their Green Star rating when they develop green cleaning policies that outline the cleaning and

monitoring procedures, materials and tasks undertaken and within the building owner’s control. These policies can be implemented across an entire portfolio of buildings, so long as it can be demonstrated that the same policies are in operation at an individual building level. The green cleaning policy must address: • Strategies to ensure high standards of surface hygiene and crosscontamination prevention, including hand-hygiene education for both occupants and cleaners • Procurement guidelines and standards that cover all cleaning products and equipment, and that minimise health risks and meet best practice environmental performance aims

products, and where they are used, requirements for cleaning products and methods that employ environmental best practice • Adherence to National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines while cleaning buildings containing ‘vulnerable populations’ (such as the elderly, infirmed or infants), and prevention of residual and airborne pollutants. We are also throwing down the gauntlet to building managers with an ‘Innovation Challenge’ that rewards additional Green Star points when cleaning supervisors or managers are required to obtain ‘Certificates of Attainment’ in the accredited units of competency that relate to safe work and environmentally sustainable work practices.

• Maximisation of indoor air quality, through the removal of particulates using high-quality air filters (HEPA filtration or equivalent) in vacuum cleaner equipment

As tenants look to capture the true benefits of better indoor environment quality, including improved productivity, reduced absenteeism and lower staff turnover, we expect to see a shift to green cleaning practices. 

• Set requirements for the minimisation of cleaning

The Green Star – Performance rating tool is available online: www.gbca.org.au/performance

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linen service

Rasko Linen services has been family owned and operated for more than 40 years and continues to receive accolades and awards for high levels of customer service, the most recent being the 2014 Australian Achiever Awards and the 2014 Business Champion Awards.

nitially founded by Sterio and Maria Raskopoulos in the early 70’s, the business has grown due to the culture of quality, reliability and punctually that has always been present in the management which is now being managed by the 3rd generation of family.

Financial Controller studied and worked in events management. Their knowledge and experience perfectly fits into the next phase of the business as the number of clients in the Hospitality and Accommodation Industry increases.

In recent years the newest generation to join the team have brought new energy and ideas to the business.

Recently the team has worked tirelessly on a new system to manage the growth of volume to maintain the level of service and continued accountability that Rasko Linen Services clients currently benefit.

The new Director of Business Development previously worked in major hotels and studied hotel and business management while the

The custom built, fully integrated system and software was designed in house and tracks each individual movement of customer owned linen, as it moves

between every staff member, vehicle and process in the factory. It is a unique 3 stage quality assurance process unlike no other that can be monitored in real time or reviewed at a later date. The system and service is a transparent system that guarantees customers a superior return on investment through a long linen life and competitive pricing, while providing a quality wash that is always returned on time.  Find out more about the special offers that are being offered for new clients by calling 02 95642785 or emailing rasko@rasko.com.au.

Award Winning Hotel Linen & Laundry Services Highly Recommended 2014 Customer feedback given to judges at Australian Achiever Awards “Very professional, friendly and efficient” Reviewing current contracts? Seeking better service? Want a better deal?

“Their quality of work is outstanding”

“Their standards are the highest quality”

Call us now on 02 9564 2785 24

“They are an excellent company to deal with”

“Extremely professional, prompt, reliable”

“They keep their word and have never let me down?

“The best in the industry”

How to improve

indoor air quality

by emma lloyd

Have you ever considered how your hotel rooms could be affecting the health of your guests and staff? There’s often a focus on aesthetics and functionality when furnishing and designing interior spaces, with “health” much further down the list of priorities. It seems odd to question whether the carpet might contribute to poor indoor air quality, or if there are carcinogens lurking in the foam of a chair. But decisions made about interior furnishings can all have an impact on health.

oor indoor air quality can be caused by any number of factors, ranging from inadequate ventilation to the generation of indoor chemical contaminants. The majority of indoor air pollution comes from interior sources, and can include

pollutants from adhesives, upholstered furniture, flooring, paints and cleaning products. Each of these can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which can trigger allergies, asthma, headaches, respiratory irritation and other symptoms

as they readily vaporise into the surrounding air. Paints are one of the worst offenders when it comes to VOC emissions, particularly solvent-based paints. That “fresh paint” smell becomes a lot less

inviting when you realise it may be harmful to your health. As a fresh coat dries, it can cause a dramatic rise in indoor VOC levels immediately following painting, and can continue seeping out of the walls for several years. Cleaning products and flooring materials can also give off VOCs, which is why switching to greener products is so beneficial. Substances used in furniture manufacturing can have a range of potential adverse health effects when people are exposed to them in the final product. For example, the compound 1,3-butadiene; which may be used in the production of latex, foam or plastics; has been classified as a probable human carcinogen by The International Agency for Research on Cancer. In the case of soft furnishings and textiles, it’s important to ensure that they do not contain hazardous materials such as azo dyes, which can pose a significant risk to human health. Azo dyes have recently been highlighted in the news after jeans and bedding retailers were forced to recall products

containing potentially harmful levels of the dyes. And don’t forget adhesives. Adhesives, glues, sealants and fillers can be used for a wide range of different surfaces and applications in a single space, ranging from glues in the furniture to the sealants used to waterproof a surface. The fact that adhesives are so ubiquitous means that they end up contributing far more than we might expect to potential indoor air quality problems in a building. Formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen, is a particularly common VOC found in adhesives and resins, despite its toxicity to humans. Improving the indoor air quality in your building does not have to involve a complete remodel. It can be as simple as changing the products used by your cleaning staff or updating just one element of the indoor environment. For example, if you’re considering repainting your rooms, choose no-VOC or lowVOC paint. A lot of brands available on the market offer low-VOC or no-VOC

    

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Be Impressed

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alternatives, and most will cost the same and give the same end result as standard formulations. Many manufacturers of interior products have taken the extra step of attaining third-party certification to back up their claims. Products certified by Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) meet strict international standards for environmental and human health, as well as demonstrating their social and ethical commitments. Taking steps towards a greener, healthier hotel will benefit your guests and staff alike. What’s more, promoting your hotel as being a healthier place to stay can give you an extra edge over your competition, as consumers grow increasingly aware of the pollutants that surround them every day. If you’re contemplating a revamp of your premises, why not choose all environmentally-preferable and nontoxic furnishings and fittings? Your guests will thank you. 

Furniture & Bedding Packages Custom Designed Furniture made in Australia Audio & Visual Equipment Kitchen & Laundry Appliances Flooring Products including Custom Designed Carpets Window furnishings Kitchens & Bathrooms Painting & Lighting Project management Full turnkey refurbishment specialists Ongoing operational procurement services

1800 SURJIO (787 546) I info@surjioceanee.com Interior Design – Refurbishment – Procurement 26

Interview with

Lorraine Dale By Liz Lycette

What is your cultural background? Where were you born and where did you grow up? I am English, I was born in Stevanage in Hertfordshire and I grew up around London as my mother and father ran public houses. What has been your career path to date? I started at Carshalton College, with the hope of becoming a Receptionist!. However in my second year at the college, I spent 6 weeks in a Housekeeping Department on placement. What was your first role as Executive Housekeeper? My first role was at Frimley Hall Hotel in Camberley, followed by the Copthrone Hotel in Windsor. My first major role as Executive Housekeeper was working for Arora Hotels, I started as the opening Executive Housekeeper at their first hotel in Heathrow with 351 rooms. I then went on to become the Director of Housekeeping for all 8 properties, opening 5 hotels for Surinder Arora. My biggest accomplishment was opening the Sofitel T5 with over 600 rooms and suites, an amazing property. What challenges did that bring? The biggest challenges have always been recruitment and trying to employ the right calibre of staff in an affluent area. Budget restrictions on training with new starters was also challenging. What is your current position and Hotel? What are your current job responsibilities at your hotel? My current role is Head Housekeeper at Windsor Castle.

I have recently taken over this position and through restructuring, I now have a team of 32 staff. My main role is to ensure The Queen is looked after and all of her needs are met. We look after the other members of the Royal family along with all of the Queen’s guests when they stay at Windsor Castle. We maintain the standards within the Castle, through conservation cleaning and by working closely with Royal Collection. Whilst looking after the private side of Windsor Castle, I also have a team that maintains the public side of the Castle. We have over 1 million visitors visiting the Castle every year, so we have to run a tight cleaning schedule. This includes working with the Royal Collection and ensuring all royal artefacts are cleaned and maintained. I am also part of the Senior Management team and play a part as a Duty Manager at other Royal Residences. How many staff are you responsible for? I have 3 Managers along with 30 staff including Housekeeping Assistants (Private side), Daily Ladies (public and staff side) and Castle Attendants (both sides). What areas are you responsible for? I am responsible for the whole of the Castle both internally and externally. This also covers the private side and the public side. I am currently looking at the contract cleaners, who maintain the offices and some areas within the Castle grounds, as we hope to take them back in house.

What would your typical day be like? I start about 7am with a walk around and to say Good Morning to the team. I then meet with the team at 8am as from 8am till 10am they are cleaning the State Apartments From 10am-12.30pm I work with the Housekeeping Assistants on the private side while they are cleaning Her Majesty’s private rooms and areas. From 12.30pm onwards, I work with Royal Collection on conversation cleaning and reviewing of our current cleaning schedules. In the afternoon I would check with my Castle Foreman on all the areas his team have been working on for example high level cleaning or in the basements. I generally finish about 17.00-18.00. However this is very different when The Queen is in residence or we are in court. The day then starts at 6am through to about 9pm – busy but very exciting! What are your top three challenges this week? 1. I ntroducing change within the department – we are looking at the cleaning routine within the State Apartments. I want to review how regularly this is cleaned to ensure we converse all artefacts, however we have limited time. 2. T o review our staff survey and to ensure key themes are shared with the team. 3. T o review all current equipment being used within the Castle.

How did you choose those managers under you? They were in place when I joined the Castle. How do you deal with different cultures? We manage a very diverse team from all countries and all with very different cultures. We are trying to embrace this by working closely with all colleges and universities. How does pre-opening work compare with working in an existing property? What are the top 3 challenges in an opening? 1. E nsuring you have the correct information at all times as it is really important to be kept in the loop if there are delays in opening dates as this has an impact on staffing levels and indeed all parts of the operation. 2. Ensuring that the builders hand over all areas in a suitable state and DO NOT RETURN!! 3. Training new staff. What are your top 3 tips for success in Housekeeping Management? 1. To be passionate about your role. 2. Ensure the team know that you know your “stuff” and never be afraid to get your hands dirty. 3. T o build good relationships with other departments such as Reception. If you had to do it all over again what would you do differently? No – I have loved every minute of my career. What advice would you give someone starting out in housekeeping? To be patient, to listen and to be like a sponge! How about your personal life? How do you balance work and home life? I have a better balance with this now however there have been times when my work has taken over my life. I am

very passionate about Housekeeping and always see things through to the end. I like being involved in everything!! What do you do for fun? I am just learning to play golf! I am also the Chairperson of the UK Housekeepers Association. This takes up a lot of my personal time however I am very passionate about the Association and developing the housekeeper of tomorrow.

How do you think housekeeping management has changed since you started? I understand why we are currently outsourcing housekeeping however I have concerns about how this will impact our profession in years to come. We are not encouraging outsourced Head Housekeepers to be exposed to budgets and other important parts of the operation. They do not have exposure to the General Managers and they are not always part of the Senior Management team. 

Outsourcing HouseKeeping for Hotels

“What a stupid Idea”

by nigel wraight, thomas wraight pty ltd,

Facility and Property Management Services

The conversation went a little like this: “Who’s idea was that, no one does that!”, “What am I gonna all day?” and “How we gonna know what goes where, like we do now!” “We gonna have to have double of everything”.

think this person was having a bad anyway and I just added a little fuel to fire, but the point was simple, “outsourcing is not a compromise on quality, it should be an improvement in the three major business concerns, the cost, the quality, and the delivery (time).

Why outsource? And how does it work? The reason to outsource is about performance which encompasses cost, quality and time. Can you outsource a task and improve one or all three of these concerns. If the answer is yes, what’s holding you back?

Competition for your Business Outsourcing works because companies want your business, and they want your repeat business. Companies’ which can do the work for you have competitors which are innovative, and aggressive; here is your opportunity to make good use of their expertise, and their “hunger” for growth to improve your Hotel’s performance.

What is holding you back? Trust, completely agree. Trust a huge component of this strategy, and trust is earned not bought. Trusting

a supplier will take time, supervision, and monitoring. You response might be “we might as well do it ourselves”, well no, because the supplier you choose will either pass or fail, with the pass then the strategy begins to improve your Hotel’s performance, with the fail, you terminate the supplier and start again.

Qualify the Supplier

improving performance for cost, quality and delivery. Make sure all the legals, insurances and legislative compliances are in place.

Time Management This is what we are really talking about, “slowing down to go faster”, (I don’t know who said that but it make’s sense).

Tell the supplier they are being tested, make sure you have an escape clause, put performance measurements, KPIs, milestones and anything you think is relevant to ensure a performance guarantee and/or an easy termination in any agreement. If the supplier is not keen, you have just qualified that supplier is not useful for your needs.

What we are saying is to take a little time out to invest in a few new or additional systems or process which will save you time; integrating an outsourcing strategy into your systems can ensure the benefit of performance improvement, but you have to measure it.

What should we outsource?

Here comes the sell from the guy writing the article, well, yes and no.

To begin, keep it simple, keep it slow; Start with a task that is easy to find suppliers for, so you can ascertain a market value for the work. Ask for a proposal/quote from the supplier, ask quotes from at least three supplier. Is this price at a lower cost than you or your staff doing the work, keeping in mind indirect costs such as admin and HR. Can you reassign your staff other work and make better use of their time while you road test the supplier. Measure, measure, measure, you need to be sure, on all fronts your supplier is working for you and

You have no doubt heard of this thing called the internet, and no doubt you have had telephone conversations with various people whom work for large multi-national companies whom have thick accents and live in different time zones. So here’s the sell, well it’s not a sell, its’ fast becoming a fact of life. If you don’t get involved and your competitors do, you will be paying more when you don’t need to.

Administration tasks

I’m suggesting, you need to grasp this with both hands, for example:

The dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work load of the House Keeping department can be improved via using these same services the big multinational companies do, and there are local services as well. For example, you can organise a virtual â&#x20AC;&#x153;Personal Assistantâ&#x20AC;? for as little as $5 per hour overseas, or $35 an hour locally. The benefit is you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to find them 38 hoursâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; worth of work and they are easily terminated. The down side is you do have to train them to what you want them to do and how (donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t dismiss this and put it into the too hard basket!). These people overseas are not unlike our own colleagues, many are educated, and many have degrees and considerable experience in disciplines such as accounting, computer science and more. Any task that requires a paper shuffling/data base type arrangement can be out sourced, for example, some financials and spread sheet work. Even document handling and

typing. Record your document to your phone, send it to your virtual assistant to sort and type up a draft for you to edit. You just saved two hours of your time, the cost $10. (Check with your accountant but I think youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find there is no GST either)

Short Jobs Tasks â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Outsource it Those Jobs you away mean to get to but are always a low priority such as setting up a KPI list and monitoring with spread sheet, or developing templates and forms for staff to use, and so on. There are several web sites that can help for minim cost, you post your work to the web site, set a budget, and professional will bid on the work. You can vet the people bidding, have a conversation and then choose. We were quoted work locally, went to one of these sites, and reduced the cost by over 70% and increased our input and control (the lady we used was in Texas). It takes

a little getting used to, isolating and selecting a task that you can think you can outsource, but it is well worth it in both quality and cost.

Do the Math yourself If you do the math over a 12 month period there is considerable time savings and less indirect time losses. There is a cost in setting this up, and the first virtual assistant may not work out, but you will get better at it and you will save money and time.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Appsâ&#x20AC;? If you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t heard of this term by now you shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t read any further, pack up and go home, but if you have, you will know this is a bottomless pit of useful opportunities which can link mobile devise to laptops, expedite data collection and so much more. Our point is that if you are not taking advantage of these time saving and information saving â&#x20AC;&#x153;appsâ&#x20AC;? that are out there, then youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re losing money

Neat on wheels.

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and making your life harder than you should. Begin by thinking of task that could be improved, for example, work orders, then do a search on work order apps. There’s a lot of opportunity there, but you have to break the mould and take the time to investigate further, i.e slow down a little to make things go faster.

Specialist Outsourcing

contractor, the down side is there is likely an additional cost as the head contractor will charge a fee for this management and risk. Is this “fee” offset by the time saved for the you, and the House Keeping Team, Does the fee have consequential effect to the budget? Can you negotiate a reduction in this fee without effecting the quality of service?

We would expect that as the Head of House Keeping, there are several specialist tasks which are already outsourced or sub-contracted, for example, the cleaning of the linen. Our question is, can these individual specialist tasks be grouped into a single contract and consequently offer one point of responsibility for you, the Head of House Keeping.

Take the Cleaning under this discipline, there is the linen, towels, vacuuming, rooms, uniforms, guest dry cleaning and so forth. Putting this under a single point has clear benefits, including the reduction of risk, but there will likely be an additional cost for management, Can you negotiate these parameters?

The Benefit is fewer contacts to manage and reduced risk as the issue of performance is to the head

Outsourcing is not just subcontracting specialised tasks, there

Conclusion

is more to it and there is considerable opportunity to save money if you are willing to slow down and investigate the possibilities. We would recommend, if you haven’t started a measurement and verification process in your systems, that you start as soon as practical, so you can see the benefits of any outsourcing you introduce. Every Hotel is different, every Hotel has it’s idiosyncrasies that need to be dealt with or complied with, and without measuring you don’t know if you have improved performance or not. We have to clause this that our comments here are generalised, and every set of circumstance are different, for which individuals and businesses should perform their on diligence for their particular circumstances and viability. 

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ow available in Australia from Clearlink Services, this machine promises to deliver twice as much cleaning while doing a better quality job for less money. The HydroBot also has impressive green credentials with its Eco Save Filtration System, featuring advanced 4-stage purification, filtering water

down to 1 micron. Eco Save eliminates 85 percent of the water and chemicals used each shift, states the marketer. The HydroBot offers a 74 cm scrub path; 81 cm squeegee; sealed gel battery; a 53 litre solution tank; and a four hour run time. According to the marketer, the machine’s cleaning rate is a possible 930 sq m per hour.

Complementing the IntelliBot, IntelliTrak tracks and monitors the machine providing real time reports telling who ran the machine, the time it ran, the exact area cleaned, for how long, and if there were problems. That data can be compared with the previous day, week, quarter or year’s operation.  www.clearlinkservices.com.au

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Welcome to

Sheraton Melbourne Hotel

The Sheraton Melbourne Hotel is desirably located at the Paris end of Little Collins Street providing guests the opportunity to be directly immersed in the centre of Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famed laneway culture & community whilst on the doorstep of Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best shopping, theatre and dining precincts.

Allow your guests to

A quality value offering that delivers on fresh invigorating fragrance, cleansing & lather from a brand you can trust. • Country Life has over 50 years of brand heritage in bar soap • Country Life currently sells 4.0 million soap packs annually in Australia*

Product Description

Code

GUEST LIQUIDS

Country Life® Single Dose Sachet 8mL – Shower Gel

0828

Carton Qty 500

Code

Carton Qty

0829

500

Country Life® Pleat Wrapped 40g

0861

250

Product Description GUEST ESSENTIALS

Country Life® Shower Cap GUEST SOAPS

Country Life® Single Dose Sachet 8mL – Shampoo/Conditioner

0827

500

Country Life Tube 20mL – Conditioner

0825

240

Country Life® Pleat Wrapped 20g

0860

400

Country Life Tube 20mL – Shampoo

0824

240

Country Life® Wrapped Soap Sachet 15g

0803

500

Country Life® Tube 20mL – Shower Gel

0826

240

Country Life® Loose Soap 15g

0801

500

Contact your local food service distributor or Rachel Gade, Pental Ltd for further information. Rachel.Gade@pental.com.au

Country Life Guest Soaps are Made in Australia. *Aztec Australia Grocery Weighted, MAT to 01/06/14. ® Country Life is a registered trademark of Pental Ltd.

Thinking Management

by Dean Minett

Many years ago there was a book written by Dr John Tickell, entitled, “Laughter, Sex, Vegetables & Fish”. For this column, I would like to use one quote in particular that stood out, “It is impossible to smoke and be intelligent at the same time!”

ow, although a former schoolboy & adolescent smoker myself, I was surprised that this point has not been picked up on before. Obviously, as a smoker, we are consciously breathing in a number of harmful substances that do absolutely nothing positive for us, other than increase our chance of getting more smokos during our working day. Additionally, consider the large number of butts that end up in the gutter: they eventually end up in the waterways, where they take years to break down, all the while leaching out the concentrated substances in there in the first place. (Incidentally, I still haven’t worked out why smokers are happy to have the smoke in their lungs, but they wont have the butts in their car – go figure!) I had actually given up my schoolboy infatuation with smoking before joining the workforce, however, when I first started work as an Hotel Receptionist, it slowly dawned on me that the smoking staff used to disappear out the back every half hour, “for a quick smoke”. (You could smoke in the workplace in those long-distant days!). Now this seemed a bit unfair to me, so I demanded the same time, where I found myself just sitting there looking into vacant space, wondering what the fuss was all about. (At least until the boss came around, at which time I was “sorting out registration cards”, or something similar!). The smokers needed no excuse however, as the cigarette was clearly in their hand,

and it was obvious what they were doing. As a result of my boredom, I decided to “bot” a few here and there and eventually started buying my own, although I always felt a little guilty about it. As I progressed to Night Auditor, it became part of the habit to have a smoke with the coffee, then a smoke when sitting down doing the figures, then another coffee and smoke etc. A vicious circle. (Or a stupid one!) How/why did I give up? I guess I knew deep down that smoking was probably bad for me, and that there was no logical reason to do it, however I decided that if I didn’t give up before taking on my first management role I would probably end up smoking a couple of packets a day; this happened to coincide with meeting the love of my life who hated smoking with a vengeance. Nothing like love to make you give up things you like! Since I started work of course, we have seen the logical and intelligent move to clean-air work environments, with nonsmokers’ rights recognised eclipsing those of smokers. Ah ha! I hear you (non-smokers) say, but the smokers now get to go outside and smoke, which means an even longer break! How true! So how does the original quote relate to hospitality? Well, have you ever had a porter take your luggage whose clothes reeked of smoke? Or had your room cleaned by a smoking room attendant who has just come back from break? Or

been farewelled by a cashier who had just had a coffee and a smoke? Or, been served by a waiter who had obviously just had a smoke? Yeeeuw? Why would I want to “try some home-made Austrian struedel” when the waitress just blew the smell of Alpine in my face? To tell you the truth, now that I know that there is nothing good in cigarettes, that it increases the chance of contracting lung disease for both the smoker and the passive smoker, that a smoker can be detected no matter what perfume or aftershave they’re wearing, and knowing that the taste of a smokers’ kiss is akin to licking an ashtray, I can’t see how anyone can smoke when they are in the hospitality industry! (I now hear a thundering roar of friends and associates who smoke, baying for blood! I will continue however, for I have more breath than they do.....) As a long-term worker in the hospitality industry, I respect the right of guests to smoke, just as I respect the rights of others to drink, however, in these days of increasing personal service, a chronic smoker, like a chronic drinker, has no place in the long-term future of what has quickly becoming a smoke-free industry. Your choice!  “Dean Minett has over 36 years of experience in the Australian hospitality industry and through his company Minett Consulting offers a full range of services to executives in the hotel and hospitality industry, providing expert advice on development and operations as well as mentoring, training and outplacement coaching.” Email: minettco@bigpond.com

A Guide to

Stripping and Sealing Tiles

by Garry Phillips – Managing Director of Slique, Australasia’s stone – and tile – care experts

Cleaning companies regularly provide strip-and-polish services to their clients – usually on vinyl or linoleum floors, but occasionally these services are also requested on tiles. Stripping and sealing a stone or tile floor is different from a vinyl floor, and care must be taken to avoid unknowingly causing damage.

tone and tile surfaces are sealed for exactly the same reason as vinyl: to protect the surface, and provide a consistent maintainable shine. Sealing stone and tiles makes them a lower-maintenance surface, and less prone to damage. The process for stripping and sealing stone and tiles is very similar to the vinyl process. The critical differences lie in the products that are being used.

Choose the correct product for the job It’s very tempting for cleaners to use the stripping product that they use regularly on vinyl – they use it often, so they know it works. However it might not be appropriate for a stone or tile surface. The first step in product selection is to identify the surface. It is necessary to determine: (a) is it sensitive? (soft or calciumbased); and (b) is it porous? (absorbs water easily). Sensitive stone such as basalt, marble, limestone and terrazzo will be damaged by acid-based strippers. These surfaces require specialist

products – non-acidic strippers designed especially for stone.

give different levels of shine and maintainability.

Porous tiles such as terracotta and slate will absorb water and chemicals much more easily than other stone or vinyl, and so minimal water should be used during the stripping process.

Not all sealers are created equal, and many are designed specifically for a certain type of stone or tile. Take care to choose the right product for the surface, as well as for the level of shine that is required.

In fact, as grout is an extremely porous surface, ALL stone and tile stripping should minimise the use of water where possible.

Allow the surface to dry completely Excess moisture can cause problems not only in porous tiles, but in grout lines, so it’s important that after stripping the surface is left to dry out completely. It should be bonedry before any coating systems are applied. This may take 24-72 hours, requiring careful scheduling of the work, but it is important to the success of the strip-and-seal process.

Sealing products and processes Stone and tile sealers/coatings are often selected for their aesthetics. They all protect, but different coatings

In most cases the application process will be very similar as for vinyl or any other type of stone or tile, but for warranty reasons the manufacturer’s instructions should always be following precisely to ensure an optimal job.

Maintenance of a sealed tile surface Once the coating systems have been applied, the surface can be more easily maintained. However before the sealer is maintained, all surface residues should be completely removed from the floor. Applying a sealer maintenance coating over the top of grime will require a full strip and re-seal of the surface much sooner than should be necessary. Reapplication of sealer for maintenance or touch-ups must use the same technology as originally used. Mixing sealer products can cause peeling or flaking of the coating.

Just as you don’t apply enamel paint over the top of an acrylic because you don’t get good adherence, you won’t get a good result if you touch-up a sealed floor with a different sealer. In addition, layered sealers become extremely hard to remove. Different coatings need different chemistry to correctly strip, so where coatings have been layered it is sometimes necessary to strip it in layers. This is a very time-consuming process. Bear in mind that some tiles (such as terracotta) do not respond well to buffing, so a different maintenance regime will need to be planned and put in place at the time of the stripand-seal work.  Slique can be contacted: In Australia at www.slique.com.au, email info@slique.com.au or call 1800 754 783 In New Zealand at www.slique.co.nz, email info@slique.co.nz or call 0800 754 783

Incorrectly applied and poorly maintained coating on terracotta

George, Henry & Hetty. Vacuum is their middle name. The cleaning solutions people

They come from the well-known family of Numatic. So you know they have the best pedigree and are as tough as nails. When you take on a famous name like Henry, Hetty or wet’n’dry George, you’ll be smiling too. Call the experts on 08 9410 9588 or visit us at intervac.com.au

The cleaning solutions people

Steve George

INDUSTRY PROFILE

Sunfresh Linen – run by community, for the community

ne thing becomes clear when talking to Steve George, the co-owner of Brisbane-based commercial laundry service provider Sunfresh Linen. This is a man who is committed to serving the community, and making his company a community itself. It is a refreshing and inspiring business model, although Steve feels humbled by its success. “It’s a credit to our staff where the business is today,” Steve said. “We knew nothing about the industry when we started. Our education through the whole process is through our staff and our customers, who taught us everything from the chemical composition through the wash to how to use all the different equipment. Even the basic things like how to turn a boiler on, or how to maintain our equipment correctly – all we know and all we have achieved is thanks to our staff and customers.”

important. I come from a strong family myself, and so I like to have a chat with my staff about their family and how things are going at home to make sure they’re happy”. The story of Sunfresh Linen goes back to when Steve started learning customer service skills while working in the wholesale fruit and vegetable trade. Steve, along with his two brothers Daniel and Lawrence, were looking for a new challenge when they bought a small commercial laundry in Ipswich, Queensland. “We decided to invest in that business, even though we didn’t know anything about it! It was only due to the thought that there was a gap in the market for a good quality supplier. We felt that we could offer a total laundry management service.”

The respect between Steve and his staff continues today. When looking for new staff, he looks for those who can teach him more about the industry and are open-minded to becoming a part of the business’ community. Running the business is a demanding job, but Steve makes it his priority each day to say hello to his staff in the factory and to keep an eye out for their wellbeing.

Since purchasing the Ipswich laundry in 1998, Sunfresh Linen has grown from employing six staff to over 300, with some of the original staff still at the company today. Sunfresh Linen purchased a second laundry in 2009, before merging both sites into one facility at Darra, southwest of Brisbane. The business has grown to provide linen hire and laundry services to clients from small motels to international hotel chains across South East Queensland and northern New South Wales. The company has a fleet of 45 vehicles to collect, service, and distribute linen.

“It’s getting harder as the business is getting larger, but I think it’s extremely

“At the start, my two brothers and I would go to work the factory before one

of us would hit the road to find clients. It was a matter of building up the brand and telling people who we were, our values and the personal service we provide.” As Sunfresh Linen has grown in the industry, so too has Steve’s commitment to give back to the community. The company donates time, energy, money, and linen to smaller organisations. Sunfresh Linen make financial and linen donations to children experiencing family breakups in the local community. Sunfresh Linen also donated to the recovery effort in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. While this community focus comes mainly from Steve’s strong family values and empathy with those less fortunate, it is reinforced by Steve’s membership and support of the South East Queensland Housekeeping Association. “There is a deep ambition within the organisation to help people in need. Although it’s good to catch up with people in the industry, it’s everyone’s effort to help others which I really enjoy the most”. Steve takes a conservative approach to expanding the business. He recognises the importance of not biting off more than you can chew, as he wants to make

sure the quality of service for his current customers stays at the highest level. “I think expanding too fast is a trap which some businesses fall into. For us, our goal is to become the best brand not only in Brisbane and South East Queensland, but around the nation. We will be looking at something interstate in the future. At the end of the day, reputation is paramount for our business. We have never been a business to make a quick dollar. Above all, we make sure we stick to our values.” Family values have always been a priority for Steve. He has three kids, all less than five years old, with a fourth child on the way. Balancing work and family time is always an issue for young parents, although Steve makes sure that the business doesn’t consume his family life. “I really enjoy spending as much time as I can with my family. I try to keep myself as well organised as possible to make sure I can spend time with them. But it’s also thanks to having a strong management team. I don’t believe in micromanaging or controlling the business to the nth degree. My managers have the freedom to make choices and expand the business on their own back. It’s a juggling act, but one which I enjoy”.

Steve also puts a strong emphasis on Sunfresh Linen’s environmental practises. “We are currently putting in place a multimillion dollar recycling system which will save a lot of water. One way the recycling is done through our washing machines. On the final rinse in the washer, the water will reuse in the first flush of the next machine cycle. Overall, the new equipment can get a 75 per cent reclaim on water used throughout the factory”. Steve makes note of thanking his staff, customers, longstanding suppliers, and his two brothers who continue to run Sunfresh Linen with him. Although the business is looking outward to serve capital cities around Australia, Steve’s focus often remains inward to the needs of his family, staff and local clients – a focus which makes Sunfresh Laundry a standout example of a true family business. 

Elizabeth Zehender

PROFILE

From Santiago to the Sheraton: Elizabeth Zehender never gives up

he motto used by Elizabeth Zehender, Executive Housekeeper at the new Melbourne Sheraton, is to ‘never give up’. This could not be truer of Elizabeth, who has worked her way up two industries in two different countries. Elizabeth was born in Santiago, Chile, to parents with German and French backgrounds. She became a business and marketing specialist in the hospitality industry, eventually working in a 5-star hotel in Santiago. “But then I decided to marry an Australian!” Elizabeth laughs. “I moved to Melbourne 11 years ago and left everything for him – my family, my career. I decided to make a fresh start so I got a job as a room attendant, and then worked my way up to supervisor, assistant manager, and now Executive Housekeeper.” Elizabeth wasn’t even sure what job she was applying for when she met the manager of the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne for a job interview. Dressed to impress, she tells the story of how the manager thought she might be overqualified for the job. “He looked me up and down, and then again, before asking if I knew what job I was applying for. I had only come in after my friend said there was a position going and I wanted to try to get back into hotel marketing. When the manager told me it was housekeeping, I decided to take it on anyway as a fresh start. At first I wanted to work my way back into marketing, but I wouldn’t change anything now. I’m very passionate about housekeeping.”

She served in different roles at the Grand Hyatt, and in her 10 year long hospitality career she has worked in a range of five star hotels across Melbourne, before becoming the inaugural Executive Housekeeper at the Melbourne Sheraton. Her success makes the trip over to Australia 11 years ago all the more worthwhile. “I always wanted to visit Australia. I love the people and the history. I take an interest in Australia’s involvement in World War I and World War II, and I feel a stronger connection to Australia now than that of my home country.” When speaking to Elizabeth, it becomes clear that she is a strong believer in empowering and rewarding her housekeeping department. From the very first training to the final room check of the day, Elizabeth seeks to nurture the talent within her housekeepers. “I always look to connect with my staff,” Elizabeth says. “It might be as simple as saying ‘hello’, calling all my staff by name, or having chocolates together on a Friday! I do my best to make my staff happy and to instil good principles for doing the best work they can.” A crucial part of this process is to recognise and reward housekeepers who go above and beyond the high standards expected of the Melbourne Sheraton. “I make sure that housekeepers who do a great job are mentioned at meetings, and that I pass on all the positive feedback I get. Every three months we will go out for tea as a way of rewarding hard work. Housekeeping is a physically demanding job so I have a lot of respect for my staff.” Elizabeth wanted to make sure a strong training program would be part of the new Melbourne Sheraton. She

jokingly describes the ‘ABC’ training program, used in Starwood hotels around the world, as ‘the Bible’. “From the minute you open the door, we teach staff to look clockwise around the room. One of the points I try to make with housekeepers is the difference between ‘clean’ and ‘standard’. It’s one thing for a room to be clean, but to achieve a standard is another thing altogether. I like to work one-to-one with staff to reinforce those standards.” The five-star hotel opened on 31 March, 2014, and boasts 174 rooms, including 11 suites. Elizabeth’s department consists of 25 room attendants and four supervisors. The hotel is a tremendous success, with bookings consistently above 90 per cent capacity and periods when the hotel was completely booked-out. “One of the most rewarding things about my job is seeing feedback

multiple times from the same guests. We have a GSM (guest services management) log for feedback, and I always feel incredibly proud when I see the same guests have come back and made such positive comments. Sometimes guests write that one of the housekeepers said ‘hello’ and referred to them by name when they saw them in the corridor, which is something I love to hear.” An important feature of the luxury hotel is the Sweet Sleeper range of linen and beds, which requires housekeepers to make beds in a different way. This extra presentation and comfort forms part of the guest experience staying at a Melbourne Sheraton hotel. Elizabeth says it suits another one of her mottos in the job: to “go beyond expectations”. Elizabeth has a 20-year-old daughter, Konstanz, studying journalism at Swinburne University of Technology,

and an 18-year-old son, Sebastian, finalizing his year 12 studies. Away from housekeeping, Elizabeth loves soprano and sings in ceremonies for her friends, such as weddings or baptisms. “I was in a professional choir in Santiago. One of my favourite works is Carmina Burana (a collection of 254 Latin, German and French poems from the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries).” Elizabeth has enjoyed strong success in the early days of the Melbourne Sheraton. The positive feedback from guests, and Elizabeth’s strong relationship with staff, symbolizes an exciting future for the hotel. Elizabeth’s enthusiasm for doing the best job she can comes through clearly when we speak, and it should leave guests in no doubt that their time at the Melbourne Sheraton will be to the highest standard. 

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For pricing and information on any of our Hotel Guest Amenities collections, please contact our customer service team or visit the website at www.johnbatman.com.au ADDRESS 48-50 Charter Street, Ringwood, Victoria 3134 Australia FREECALL 1800 339 493 PHONE +61 (03) 9879 8588

Housekeeping

is not just for appearance by les miles

Providing hygienically clean spaces economically is key to modern professional housekeeping. Other factors include sustainability, well-being, indoor environment quality (IEQ), waste reduction and safety.

t is little surprise that, when considering new innovations within cleaning, it is often hard to satisfy all the stakeholders with their separate, sometimes mutually exclusive, needs. Changing a system or adopting new technology needs to exceed previous expectations in a number of areas: 1. The result – it’s not much good if it doesn’t work! 2. The accountant – invest to save; reduce costs; increase productivity 3. The environment – corporate responsibility; IEQ; customer expectations 4. The people – reduce or eliminate risk; reduce health risks; improve well-being; management

Innovation applies to both products and techniques Nowadays, cleaning is moving beyond appearance to hygienic. The health and well-being of cleaning staff is starting to become recognised as a factor. Ditto for clients. Accreditations such as those of Healthy Hotels Guide are becoming more important to customers. OH&S demands – where practicable – the elimination of risk. Time demands on management and staff impinge on the capacity to consider innovation, whether this be product or technique. Corporate goals around the environment and sustainability are stated on the company web site, yet often don’t translate to real improvements at the coalface. Indoor environment quality (IEQ) is a key factor to building health.

With so many competing factors at work, is it any wonder that most people in the hospitality business continue doing same-old, same-old? Providing a clean, safe, healthy environment is the goal of housekeeping professionals everywhere. But, doing so cost effectively can lead to compromises with risk being managed rather than eliminated. Cleaning chemicals often fall into this category. Familiarity with type and methodology mean users continue using traditional type cleaners even when there are good alternatives that actually eliminate risk. Housekeeping can be a business unit where cleaning chemical usage is measured to cents per room, and it sometimes seems difficult to move away from this sort of traditional system. Chemical manufacturers understand the value of a few cents per room though – it’s a few cents per room multiplied by the number of rooms and the occupancy rate. Large hotel chemical bills run to many thousands of dollars. In addition, “specialisation” of chemicals often means a number of different chemical solutions being used routinely from a single trolley. Many people question what the mix of chemicals, which cleaners and customers are routinely exposed to, is actually doing for their health? And what about long-term accumulation? For any reader interested to research this just a little bit, there is an excellent introduction in the form of an informative video called “10 Americans” in which the blood of ten people was analysed for industrial chemicals. The catch – they were new-borns. It’s a very thought provoking video. (Google “10 Americans”) So, in spite of the realisation that chemicals may not be all that good for us, and the concern over prolonged exposure to all those different brews being carted around, the fact is most housekeeping operations still choose to use chemicals.

Yet there are some amazing technologies already available which eliminate or reduce exposure to harmful chemicals. One technology in particular has been in general use in some parts of the world for forty years or more, and has reached a point in its development where it works incredibly well as a cleaner and as a germ-killer: water electrolysation. The latest systems make good general purpose and heavy duty cleaning solutions, as well as the strong sanitising solutions available from earlier versions of the technology. Let’s consider how this product innovation fits in with a possible top ten list: 1. T he science behind electrolysation is irrefutable – it works! Very effective germ kill. Even mould. 2. T he cleaning capacity of modern systems is proven – hygienic clean without residue. 3. I n use, solutions are used in the same way as existing chemicals. Training is easy. 4. E conomically, systems deliver safe solutions at a few cents per litre. 5. OH&S – eliminate risks associated with chemical cleaners. 6. S ustainable – replace tonnes of liquid cleaners with a few kilos of natural mineral catalyst. 7. Reduce waste – no empty plastic containers to landfill.

8. Completely suited to use with microfibre. Superb finish on more surfaces. 9. Health – only safe, natural minerals used. 10. IEQ improved. So – here is a product innovation which saves money, works equally well or better than the currently accepted methods, eliminates risk and is sustainable. Surely there are a few reasons here to be actively considering electrolysation as a real alternative. Let’s add an anecdotal discussion point just for good measure: •T wo US colleges using the technology have noticed less absenteeism (illness) since adopting the technology earlier this year. A full scale study has been commissioned to follow up on this. Having looked at a realistic product innovation offering strong and immediate benefits in the housekeeping arena, let’s now consider a method innovation: Cleaning down rooms after a health scare such as norovirus can be very time consuming and use plenty of nasty chemicals in the process. The health risks to workers can be exacerbated by prolonged exposure to higher amounts of stronger brews, not to mention the possibility of contacting the germ during such a manual wipe-down process. What if a (human) safe germ-killer is delivered to all surfaces within a room without the cleaner needing to touch? It’s a reality. It’s called misting and uses safe free-available-chlorine (FAC) as the germ killer. FAC is

up to 200 times more effective than chlorine bleach as a germ-killer, yet it does not harm surfaces nor people. It can be safely sprayed, or, as with this method innovation, actually misted into all areas of a room. Anything that then needs wiping down, can be wiped. Anywhere the mist settles is safe from germs. Odours from such germs, even mould, are neutralised. A top ten list would be easy to generate – for now, let’s settle for a real world and documented reference point for this method innovation: •C omparing the new method with an old (and expensive!) chemical based method using probably the most recognised brand of chemical for mould remediation – cleaner and management acknowledge superior immediate results with the misting technology, and long term resistance to reinfestation. Summarising – there are both method and product innovations of immediate benefit to professional housekeepers. Water electrolysis is proven technology that works, and recent product innovations make it more accessible to housekeeping generally. The technology has also shrunk, making it incredibly cost effective too. Electrolysis delivers a wide choice of cleaners and sanitisers using proven, safe, natural minerals. All the solutions made are great for using with microfibre: they help microfibre work better. The accredited germ killing capacity of electrolysed water is accomplished through production of safe FAC. This safe sanitiser can be delivered to all areas of a room using misting technology. Misting is a method innovation around the delivery of solution. Misting allows rapid clean-up and sanitising of areas where outbreaks of disease have occurred. This innovation also lends itself to odour and mould elimination with impressive results for periodic deepcleans of wash-rooms and gyms. Innovation is ready to help. Are you ready for innovation? 

About the author Les Miles has been helping cleaners boost productivity for over twenty years. Since 2007, he has focused on safe, chemical-free alternatives to traditional cleaning methods, and feels better for it! Safe, effective cleaning with reduced environmental impact is better for people and the planet, and reducing costs makes a sustainable option attractive for the accountants too. Melbourne based and working with Ionic Systems, Les is well versed in both pure water and electrolysed water technologies to help clients clean inside and outdoors without harmful chemicals. You can contact Les on 1300 884 566, lesmiles@iconicsystems.com.au and www.geneontechnologies.com.au

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Staff training and pest control

go hand in hand

by Ron Harrison, Ph.D., Director of Technical Services, Orkin, LLC

Getting your staff on board is crucial to the success of your pest management program.

est issues can begin as a result of many different activities at your facility, from incoming shipments and sanitation to facility maintenance and landscaping. With so many potential sources for pest problems, it’s easy to see why the most successful pest management programs use a comprehensive approach, incorporating a myriad of proactive techniques to help keep pest pressures at a minimum. It’s also easy to see why one person cannot successfully carry the burden of pest control at your facility. After all, you know from experience that you can’t be in more than one place at a time. If you currently partner with a pest management professional, you are almost there. But in order to make it to the finish line, you are going to need to recruit your entire team. Your staff members serve as the eyes and ears of your facility. They see and hear things on a daily basis that you may never notice, and can physically spread themselves across areas that you can’t regularly get to. And, if they have basic pest control knowledge, they can even help save you money. That’s why it is crucial to have them on board as part of your pest management efforts. Following are several steps you can take to help get your staff more involved in your pest control program.

Host a training session Your employees can play an important role in spotting early signs of pest activity. However, they can’t help if they don’t know what they are looking for. Ask your pest management professional to conduct an on-site training session for your team. Most reputable pest control providers offer staff training for free. This training session will serve several purposes. For one, it will give your staff the chance to meet your pest management professional face-toface. This is important because you want your staff to be familiar with your pest management team and be comfortable with him/her so they will be more likely to communicate any issues. Often, the most successful partnerships are those in which the pest management team integrates so seamlessly into the facility’s routine that they virtually become part of the facility’s staff. This training session will also serve to kick off staff education. It’s imperative that your staff members understand the key components of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and how implementation can reduce pest activity in your facility. IPM focuses on preventing pests through a combination of non-chemical solutions, relying on chemical treatments as a last resort, and only then in the least volatile form. Once your employees understand this approach, they will be more likely to

do their part. Sometimes employees can even be the cause of pest attractants – for instance, leaving food in lockers – which is just another reason they need to be aware. Ask your pest management professional to not only discuss the basics of IPM, but also go over conducive conditions and pest hot spots specific to your facility. Conducive conditions are environments within or around your establishment that promote pest activity such as standing water, excessive condensation, improper drainage and humidity. Pest “hot spots” are the key areas inside and outside your building that pests target as entry or harborage points. These areas are in constant danger of being penetrated by pests or are areas that currently or have previously had pest issues. Ask your team to be on high alert at all times to pinpoint any sanitation or maintenance issues that will give pests a way inside. Hot spots can include loading docks, doors, windows, exterior walls and employee break rooms, where pests find the food, water and shelter they need to survive. In addition to understanding the conditions that attract pests, your staff should have basic pest identification skills. While a pest management professional should ultimately identify the pest at hand, your staff should be able tell the difference between, for example, a piece of lint and a bed bug.

Believe it or not, at Orkin, we have been called to multiple hotels where the housekeeping staff has misjudged a piece of lint as a pest. Calling your pest management professional every time a piece of lint is mistaken for a pest can be expensive, so helping your staff learn basic pest identification skills can actually save you money. Action thresholds are another aspect of identification that your staff should be able to recognise. An action threshold is a point at which pest populations or environmental conditions indicate that some form of action needs to be taken. In other words, your staff should be able to evaluate whether there is a true problem at hand or if the pest sighting is a one-off situation. For example, if someone leaves a window open in a room and a single fly is spotted in that same room with the open window, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s likely that the fly just flew in through the window. It may

not necessarily mean that there is an infestation. In a one-off situation like that, it may not be necessary to call in your pest management provider. These training sessions with your pest management professional will also help reinforce that pest control is a priority at your facility, and will help encourage your staff to make it a priority as well. It also will empower your staff to make an impact in your pest management program and equip them with the knowledge they need to carry out IPM initiatives.

Establish an open line of communication In order for a team effort to be successful, there must be an open and ongoing line of communication. Communication builds trust and understanding, helps disperse important information and can help keep your pest management decisions proactive, rather than reactive. Taking a proactive approach can

help minimise the need for reactive chemical treatments. When communication is free flowing and uninhibited, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easier for everyone to be on the same page regarding pest management. This includes keeping employees in the loop about proactive pest management initiatives and even providing notice to employees of upcoming pesticide applications. It can also include communicating with staff about the risk of bringing pests into the facility from home, particularly bed bugs. Encourage all employees to be vigilant in the defence against this pest and let them know that if any issues at home arise, they should notify the Human Resources Department.

Assign roles A lack of defined roles and/or commitment from each party can disrupt your pest management program. As a result, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important

to educate employees not only on the importance of your IPM program, but also the role they play in making it a success. Because there are so many facets to an IPM program, consider assigning each person to a specific pest management role based on their daily responsibilities. For example, staff members who handle sanitation at the facility should monitor for any liquid or product spills and strong odours that may attract pests. You may also have a staff member responsible for exterior maintenance of the building. That team member should monitor for holes or gaps in the building façade and seal them immediately to help prevent pest entry.

Develop a pest sighting protocol No matter how exceptional a pest management program is, the reality is that there’s always a chance pests will find their way inside. For this reason, each staff member should not only understand what they can do to help prevent pests on a daily basis, but who they should notify in the event of a pest issue. Consider implementing a pest sighting protocol that identifies key staff members to report to and a clear communications process for reporting a pest incident. Here are several examples of steps that can be included in a pest sighting protocol:

management professional cannot provide educational materials, consider contacting professional associations that have a vested interest in educating staff members about pest management. If your company has a weekly or monthly newsletter, consider including pest management tips. You may also consider having your pest management professional provide further training sessions on specific pest problems, such as bed bugs. Some pest control providers offer bed bug certification classes that coach employees on how to monitor for and identify bed bugs, what to do if traces of bed bugs are found, and how to prepare your facility for a bed bug treatment. Remember, even the most sophisticated prevention and control techniques will be pointless if your employees aren’t on the front line supporting your efforts. When it comes to pest management, you shouldn’t be the only one carrying the burden at your facility. Recruit your staff for the efforts and take your program from good to great.  Ron Harrison, Entomologist, Ph.D., is Director of Technical Services for Orkin and an acknowledged leader in the field of pest management. Contact Dr. Harrison at rharrison@orkin.com or visit www.orkincommercial.com for more information.

• Catch one or more of the pests seen in or around your facility for your pest management professional so they can determine the type of insect active on your property. Proper identification is crucial because it will determine how to solve the pest problem and can help prevent future infestations. • Provide information on when and where the pest was seen. • Provide assistance to your pest management professional as he/she determines how pests found a way inside the facility.

Custom aprons, jackets and uniforms.

• If a bed bug infestation is suspected, the protocol may be a little different. In the case of a potential bed bug sighting, make sure employees know to leave the room undisturbed, to not remove any items from the area and to report the issue to management immediately so a pest management professional can be contacted.

Australian and Ethically Made.

Some establishments even offer an incentive to employees for finding and reporting pests. An incentive can help inspire your staff to spend a little more time focusing on keeping an eye out for pests and any conditions that may be conducive to pests.

Continuing education Once your employees are well acquainted with your basic IPM program and understand their role, it will be important to continue their education. Ask your pest management professional for educational materials to share with your employees, such as tip sheets that teach best practices in pest prevention and checklists that may help with their sanitation and maintenance routines. If your pest

Fraser and Hughes (02) 9360 4760 Darlinghurst | Parramatta | Ryde TAFE www.fraserandhughes.com.au

A Special Touch

by Janet C. Marletto

For those in the hotel industry, special requests from incoming guests are quite usual. There are the requests for a rollaway or a crib. However, this offering is focusing on the requests related to health and mobility. Thanks to alert reservationists, they are made at the time of the room reservation so that the housekeeping department can plan accordingly so that all is ready before arrival.

he room reserved is usually a specially adapted room configured with an available connecting room if there are travel companions and with variable bed types to suit different situations. This room has wider doorways (entry and bathroom) to accommodate wheelchairs. The closet is also made more accessible with a lower rod and doors which are manageable from a wheelchair. The hotel supplies the rest of the guest’s needs. Although some guests may travel with some of their own preferred items, it is usually the hotel which is expected to provide a comfortable room at no extra charge. This is part of doing business especially in a society with war wounded veterans and an aging generation. First there is the concern for guest comfort and mobility to ensure that the visit is a pleasant one. As with all equipment used, quality, durability and “clean ability” contribute to product selection. For example, everything must be detail cleaned with an effective disinfectant

cleaner; so, the item has to withstand regular cleaning and usage. Of course, before anything is stored, it must be cleaned and inspected by a supervisor trained to look for wear so that a replacement (part or item) can be ordered. It appears that the better quality items have replacement parts available. Scheduled inventories serve as back-up checks for the items and keep them serviceable and safe. The rubber tips which assist in stability require replacement as they wear, crack or dry out. Because lead-time and budgets are always considerations, it is worthwhile to include replacements (parts and items) in the “guest request/ supplies” line item budget based upon usage information. Although this may seem to be a “special request”, it is indeed a guest supply item for guests who require it and a legitimate budgetary item especially where the demographics call for it. These items include, but are not limited to, handheld shower, bed rails, egg-crate pad, transfer bench, shower stool or bench, specially mounted toilet seat, free standing chair style commode. An online search of top quality items and suppliers will serve to round out the list. The second aspect of special preparation is the advance cleaning required to eliminate any allergens which could cause an allergic reaction by the guest requesting the preparations. Needless to say, this can be very labor intensive depending on the guest’s requests. There are some ways to reduce the preparation time: 1. t o utilise non-smoking room(s) which meet the reservation’s room configuration and location 2. t o keep specialty supplies and equipment on hand

3. to have a special cleaning team (including a supervisor) trained on product use and cleaning priorities and techniques 4. to preserve a previously prepared room as “a last to rent” room whenever possible Assuming that there is a team selected to work on the project, they can follow a checklist to complete tasks in priority order. Please see a sample checklist in the table below. Needless to say, this suggested checklist can be modified as needed. Based on the amount of lead-time provided, the process may take a few days so that the carpet is completely dry and the air is totally cleaned. It is important to remember that these efforts result in an authentic” clean.” There are no cover ups. Among the most common requests aside from the almost ubiquitous “non-smoking”/”smoke free” room

is a room free of animal dander. Although it is possible, theoretically, to hold only certain rooms as “pet friendly”, the fact is that more and more people request those rooms when travelling with a small pet. Recordkeeping is critical so that those rooms can be thoroughly cleaned periodically on a definite schedule. Some hoteliers require a pet fee to cover any mishaps and to allow for the extra cleaning upon check out. Of course, heavy vacuuming and carpet cleaning are de rigueur followed by use of the air cleaning machine for a day or two. Why? This writer recalls an incident when a guest called to complain that he was having an allergic reaction in the room. Upon investigation, sure enough, a cat had been a recent guest in that room. The slightest residual dander triggered a reaction. In the United States, hotel room labor schedule is dependent upon occupancy. These special cleaning projects affect the” cost per occupied room” number which is part of the director’s annual evaluation. This is why it is important for a zero-based labor budget to allow for a specially trained “green” cleaning team.

TASKS

Items /reminders

Notes

Strip room

Vacuums w/attachments

All are clean!

Assemble equipment on cart

Carpet machines

Supervisor’s comments

AIR CLEANER Assemble supplies

Non allergenic cleaners Green Disinfectants

High dusting

Use back pack with clean receptacle/bag

High vacuuming including walls, doors

Specialty tools as needed

Remember trash bags, disposable cleaning cloths, rubber gloves

Windows, sills, ledges Detail vacuuming including baseboards, edges, closets and draperies

Use AIR CLEANER from this point forward

Carpet cleaning: extraction

Use Green products Fans to expedite drying time

Linens:

Non-allergenic pillows

Use standard room quota

Non-allergenic bed pad

Note: 3 sheets to be used so that the 3rd sheet covers the blanket

The difference is that they are washed in special chemicals to meet specifications of expected guest.

Sheets washed separately in neutral soap; packaged separately

Enough linens prepared for duration of stay

Non allergenic blanket and spread Towels and bath mat and rugs washed separated.

Place amenities/Set room Inspection by supervisor

Make any corrections needed

Inspection by manager

Make any corrections needed

Report Ready

Enter “ready into system”

Assign “green” trained Room Attendant

Have a back up

Assign Supervisor to monitor daily

To ensure supplies and linens

Note anything missed to keep in mind for next time

Only “green” trained room attendants

Manager’s task Manager’s task

(The ideal would be for the entire staff to be trained in the techniques.). Sometimes there are guests who “refuse” service. When this unplanned change occurs, it is possible to assign the room attendant to some detail work in a vacant room. However, this is one of those hard to predict “gifts” of time. The best approach is for the extra work to be budgeted. In Europe, salaried room attendants in luxury hotels are assigned all rooms in their section on a daily basis, no matter the occupancy status. Of course, this is a wonderful way to ensure ongoing detail cleaning. This explains the difference in room rates between the United States and Europe. A standard room in a European luxury hotel is about $800.00 per night whereas in the United States that rate would be about $500.00. Labor costs affect the bottom line and the traveller’s pocketbook. It always behooves the housekeeping executive to be up to date in terms of guest requests and in terms of the latest equipment and resources to produce the desired effect in a timely manner. It is also imperative that the methodology be kept very simple so that the team remains clear in their task. It is amazing to see what can be accomplished when everything is clear and simple. Re-work costs time and thus money; it is to be avoided. We live in a very inventive time where there seems to be an answer for everything on TV at two o’clock in the morning! Happily for those in the housekeeping business, quality solutions save labor and are healthier for staff members. Keeping staff members healthy is a definite concern for professional leaders. It is always worthwhile to request samples to test in advance. This foresightedness can save the day when an unexpected request comes in over a holiday weekend! No matter what the special request might be, the housekeeping staff must be prepared to meet the challenge. This readiness is achieved by training, managerial forethought and a true respect for the needs of individual guests. The truly discriminating guest appreciates “a special touch.”  About the author: Janet Marletto has contributed to past issues of EHT. Currently, she is a professional recruiter and asks readers to invite her on LinkedIn ( jmarletto@yahoo.com) where she manages a housekeeping focused open group: Maintaining Beauty. She is a resource for specialty products. Contact: janetm@staffingforce.com

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The basics of

Employee Training

by Ralph Ramirez

still recall the look of worry on the faces of my housekeep ing supervisory team when I informed them that at our next all-employees meeting, each of them would be required to conduct a training presentation on several subtopics that all tied in to our main training goal of workplace safety. Normally I provide the training during the annual all-employees meetings, however, this time I would take a different approach. Employee training at its highest level serves to protect the best interests of an organisation and is a useful tool that strengthens the employee, the entire team and overall organisation. Effective employee training is one of the single most important functions a manager can support in promoting a successful organisation. While we all may recognise the importance of training, it also poses several challenges, as was evident from the reaction of my supervisory team when I informed them about the all-employees meeting. Who is going to conduct the training, what are the associated costs, what training material is available, how much time is available to prepare for the training, when and where can we get everyone together, these were just some of the questions that needed to be considered. I also had questions of my own, not the least of which was how would I know if our training was successful? After all, bringing in the entire department for a day of training is a considerable expense. There are many things to consider before beginning a training program but it’s important to recognise that many of the questions that are

raised can be addressed with a thorough understanding of what the goal of training is, the importance of setting up specific training goals, understanding how employee attitudes affect overall training and what the benefits of training are.

The Goal of Training Simply put, employee training is an organisation’s planned efforts to increase worker competencies (knowledge, skill and behaviour) for immediate workplace application. Training may be conducted for several reasons but most commonly it’s as a result of hiring new employees. However, there are many other reasons why training may be prudent or even necessary. There may be a need for workforce training as a result of a complaint, or perhaps to learn a new piece of equipment, or due to our everchanging technology. A new policy or procedure recently put in place may also prompt a need for training. Regulatory compliance such as annual safety training can also be a reason. And some organisations rely heavily on focused training programs as a means to better sell their product, goods and services. Whatever your reason for training, thought should be given to what it is you want to accomplish as a result of training. Is the mere presentation of the information (cognitive knowledge) enough to accomplish your training goal? Or do you also need to modify employee behaviour? Maybe there is a recognised need for the employee to learn a new skill or improve an existing one. All of these things should be considered when preparing for training. With these things in mind, I stressed to my supervisory team that this time

around our all-employees meeting would not be the usual teaching day, but rather an accelerated training day. What’s the difference, they asked? Teaching places greater emphasis on imparting cognitive knowledge for memory recall at some later date such as when preparing a student for a test. However, with employee training, too much emphasis is often placed on giving out the informa tion and not enough on verifying that a transfer of training has ef fectively taken place to affect not only cognitive knowledge but also the employees’ skill and behaviour. It may seem self-evident, but it is still worth stating that fulfilling the goal of training (improved worker competencies) can best be accomplished by first having a thorough understanding of the goal of training.

Training Goals Why don’t employees do what they are supposed to do the way they’ve been trained to do it? In some form or fashion, that is one of the single most asked questions by supervisors and managers when I conduct leadership training. My answer always goes something like this: How do you know that the training you provided to the employee was successful? By that I mean to ask, “How did you measure or quantify the level of learning that the em ployee received?” The most common response I get is, “Well, when I asked if they had any questions at the end of the training, no one had any, so they must have understood.” Often, employee training is conducted with no clear goal in mind, and it’s a sure bet that if the trainer does not know the goal, then the employees don’t know it either.

Employee training is most effective when conducted with a clear goal and a process that allows for verification that the goal was met and at the desired level. The goal for us on all-employees training day was to move away from the usual teachingtype lecture which focuses more on speaking at employees. Instead, the goal was to facilitate a more interactive and comprehensive accelerated learning conversation, skills demonstration and employee evaluation program designed to be more employeeparticipatory. We believed this would result in improved worker competencies which could also be easily measured for effectiveness. Once the training goal is identified, the next logical step is to outline the qualifying objectives that allow you to reach your goal. In each instance, the qualifying objective to improve the employee’s knowledge, skill and behaviour has to be identified and outlined. For us, cognitive knowledge would be improved through the use of a training booklet outlining the entire training program and would be accompanied with PowerPoint slides for each presentation. End-ofchapter post-training quizzes would be utilised to measure the learning rate and verify that a transfer of training was taking place. Skill would be improved through the use of training aids which consisted of actual work supplies brought into the training room (chemicals, tools and equipment) so for example, with stepladder training the employees were provided a booklet, shown PowerPoint slides, and an actual step-ladder for hands-on experience was brought into the training room so that employee level of proficiency could be measured and corrected if necessary, again for the purpose of insuring an effective transfer of training. Behaviour would be modified through direct and frequent question and answer sessions

where employees were challenged to elaborate and evaluate what they were learning regarding work place safety. This would allow the supervisors to verify throughout the presentations that employees were actively engaged in the training process and that the direction of the learning was being reciprocated back by the employee in the same direction of the material being presented, which was a good indicator that effective learning was occurring.

It’s All About Attitude It’s important to recognise that there are barriers to training, and employee attitude is one of the first to be confronted. Fear, resentment, embarrassment, language, skill-level, time, the setting – these are just some of the barriers that can impact employee attitudes about training. Employees enter the training room with preset notions and perceptions acquired over their lifetime that make up their belief system. Simply telling or teaching an employee to believe something different than what they previously learned may not produce the most effective training result. While you as the trainer may be eager and excited about being there, employees can have agendas and objectives that are not necessarily the same and may look upon training as something to be tolerated or as an opportunity to get away from the real work of the day,

so may not effectively accept the training material. Employees should be made to feel that it is safe to enter the training environment. At the onset, it is important to list the benefits of training to the employees and make it clear that everyone’s participation is necessary for a better training experience. The time spent insuring that the training environment is conducive to promoting positive employee attitudes is critical for effective transfer of training to occur. Whenever I attend seminars and workshops, it is always easy for me to spot effective employee training presentations. The really good ones are always focused, fun and fear-free for the participants.

The Benefits of Training Insuring you have a welltrained workforce is essential to maximising profitability, improving service, reducing costs, reducing injuries, improving morale, addressing weaknesses and providing consistency, just to list a few of the benefits. Almost any employee will do better if properly trained. Beyond our immediate training goal of improving worker competencies regarding workplace safety, I also wanted for the supervisory team to become experts in all matters pertaining to safety. I believed that

by giving them this training assignment they would each research, study and learn the material better than they previously had been motivated to learn the material. You never learn something better than when you know you’re going to be training others on it, and even more so when you know it’s going to be in front of a large audience. Even though they were all seasoned veterans of the housekeeping industry, each of the six supervisors who conducted our all-employees training had some reservations about standing in front of their subordinate teammembers and supervisor peers in a classroom environment and leading a training presentation. Eventually, well before the day of training, I met with the supervisory team and discussed the purpose for this training: why it was important, what the benefits were and how each of them had a vital role in it. By emphasising and outlining to the team that this training was important and that their participation was critical to our success, I was providing them a buy-in, which is important to the overall process. I went over each portion of their training. We talked out their training material, PowerPoint slides, how to get the employees to participate and make it fun, what questions might be asked and even how to properly facilitate a

question-and-answer session so as to create a fear-free learning environment. The end result was a training day that exceeded my expectations. As a result of careful planning and an organised training effort, it is with great satisfaction that I can say that the all-employees meeting and training day turned out to be a huge success for us. Department employees have demonstrated increased knowledge, skill and behaviour towards workplace safety. Employee accidents have been reduced, which has led to an increase in productivity. Less absenteeism due to injuries has improved morale and in-direct costs, such as a reduction in worker compensation claims as a result of workplace injuries.

Final Thoughts Several years ago I attended a training seminar for managers about how to deal with problematic employees. I was really looking forward to this seminar and was eager to learn. Before the seminar began, I had an opportunity to speak with the presenter who seemed to be very knowledgeable about personnel management techniques, but while we talked he explained to me that he hadn’t really ever done any public speaking before in front of a large audience. Unfortunately, he failed to learn before the presentation started that he would not have the use of a microphone. His voice was too small for the crowded room, and within a few minutes the participants began to talk among themselves and mostly ignore the presenter because they could not hear what he was saying. Needless to say, I was disappointed, but I did still manage to come away with a valuable lesson: When it comes to employee training, it may very well have taken you a lifetime of experience, education and training to know what you know, and you may be a gifted speaker with a fabulous training agenda and the eagerness to train others, but it is of no use to you if they can’t hear you. Effective employee training is challenging, but it does not require you to be perfect – only that you execute your training goals and objectives with purposeful thought in order to overcome the obstacles to learning, thereby insuring that your audience hears you.  This article was published with the permission of Executive Housekeeping Today.

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Finding the best people

in the shortest amount of time by Marian Stratford, Business Development Manager, HOBAN Outsourced Solutions

ost managers will agree that their people are their most important asset, yet when you ask them about recruitment, they will tell you it is something they would rather not have to do. Understandably so. Recruiting is a time consuming business – even when you get it right. And because it is one of those “additional” jobs that we get landed with, we’d rather get it over and done with as quickly as possible. Yet, if we don’t invest the time, we increase the likelihood of making a bad hire. And the cost of a bad hire is significant, starting with the financial cost but including lost productivity, lost time training and inducting the worker, impact on morale and impact on guest experience. In a recent Careerbuilder survey (http://www.fastcompany. com/3028628/work-smart/infographichow-much-a-bad-hire-will-actuallycost-you#4) 38% of respondents said they had hired a bad candidate because “they needed to fill the position quickly”. And in hospitality, we can all relate to this. So, what I have outlined are some key tips on how to recruit quickly AND effectively. As you will see, it is all about a simple, repeatable process. Taking the time to create this will repay itself many times over.

1) Have a Job Description that accurately reflects the role How many times have you used a “near enough” job description, pulled from a similar role you have

recruited? It doesn’t take very long to ask yourself the following questions. What problem am I trying to solve by hiring this person? What do I expect them to have accomplished in their first 8 weeks? What is the single most important skill or experience I want this person to have? How will I be measuring this person’s performance? If the role reports to one of your managers, make sure you have agreement with their direct report on these matters. Often Job Descriptions are an afterthought, but that is because they are treated as such. If you invest the time to create the right one for the role, then you can use it to ensure you evaluate the candidate appropriately.

2) Standardise your Screening and Assessing process Regardless of what your recruitment process is, it should be standardised and documented. All applicants for a position should be asked the same questions and the answers to these questions should be written down. When you come to review the applicants you have interviewed, you read your notes and quickly remember the details of their answers. This enables you to compare applicants objectively and work out further questioning if you want to progress the candidate. If this approach isn’t followed, your ability to recall the details of each candidate’s responses will be diminished. Worse still, you may confuse responses given by candidate A with those of candidate B.

Get your “rule out” questions asked first up. They may have the perfect skills and experience but if they can’t work your shifts, don’t have the right to work permanently, don’t have the certifications you require or don’t fit into your salary range, then it’s best to find this out now before you spend more time with them. Included in this process should be some behavioural questions. These are based on the proven premise that past behaviour is the most accurate predictor of future behaviour and require the applicant to describe an actual situation they have experienced, what they did in that situation and what result their action caused. These questions are a vital way to establish what experience the applicant has, how they behave in certain circumstances (e.g. when under pressure) and what they have learned from these experiences. Asking people what they think they would do in a situation will not give you the information you need.

3) Selling your Opportunity It would be great if you were the only organisation hiring. But the truth is, it’s a competitive market. Good people are hard to find. Assume the applicant has choice. So, you need to know your EVP (Employee Value Proposition). These are the offerings you provide (the benefits you offer, your comparative advantages as an employer) in return for the skills, capabilities and experiences the applicant brings. You should always

take an applicant through your EVP. Large, well known organisations can make the mistake that their name alone is enough to persuade a candidate. However, explaining your EVP to every potential hire will likely improve your referral flow, even from candidates who were not successful in obtaining employment with you.

4) Capability Testing These days most recruitment processes involve some kind of cognitive or aptitude testing. The investment required to get this right is significant, often involving benchmarking of existing high

performing staff, but the confidence that comes from being able to rely upon the results of a test to support your decision- making process makes it worth it. Most tests are delivered online and can be done quickly, so they don’t slow the process down.

5) Reference Checks Recruitment is all about collecting the right data and reference checks are an important source of data, if you allow them to be. One global organisation recently undertook research into the effectiveness of their reference check process. They found that no applicant had ever NOT been hired

as a result of information collected in the check. So, understandably they stopped doing them. After all, what’s the point if the information never alters the outcome. However, if you ask the right questions, listen to the responses you are given and then ask appropriate follow up questions, the former employer is likely to develop your understanding of whether the applicant is right for you.  HOBAN Outsourced Solutions provides specialised outsourced housekeeping solutions to the hotel industry. To find out more about our services please call Marian Stratford on 0427 501 626 or marians@hoban.com.au

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How to fine-tune for maximum profits and efficiency Minimising cost, maximising efficiency, and complying with stringent hygiene regulations are three key fundamentals every professional laundry strives to achieve. Electrolux’s easy-to-use Certus Management Information System (CMIS) is a software package which provides laundry professionals with vital information about their laundry equipment in order to meet these requirements. CMIS provides the following process information; • Statistics (running hours, idle time, machine usage, cost calculations)

CMIS can be installed in up to 30 machines in one location – which means users can optimise the performance of a network of washer-extractors, tumble dryers and ironers. Importantly, data can be examined and be used to identify and remove any wastage, therefore minimising costs. CMIS keeps a complete log of all maintenance work performed on your

machine. The logged maintenance statistics tell you what was done, when and by whom. In additional it will alert you to minor problems and/or human errors. Importantly, you automatically receive messages on your PC suggesting ways to solve these problems. This feature is especially useful when trying to determine if you are dealing with human error or an actual equipment fault.

Complying with regulations More and more laundries are having to comply with tough regulations. A key requirement of these regulations is validation. CMIS generates extensive reports direct to your PC that provides this process validation and proof of compliance, therefore ensuring customer demands and government regulations are meet.

Easy to learn – easy to use Trained Electrolux personnel will install CMIS for you and provide appropriate training. The actual downtime caused by installing CMIS is minimal, usually no more than a few minutes for each machine – which means most medium sized laundries can be fully equipped in less than one day.  For further information or to receive a free brochure contact Electrolux Professional on 1300 888 948 or email sales@electroluxlaundry.com.au

Bringing Housekeeping into

THE 21 CENTURY ST

by Fion Chu, Senior Manager Global Marketing, FCS Computer Systems Limited

here’s no doubt that quality and success of a hotel’s housekeeping department is, and will always be, largely dependent on its people – as is the case with most departments in a hotel. However, we also need to be mindful that housekeeping teams don’t just ensure the cleanliness of rooms, suites and public areas; indeed they are a vital point of contact for guests throughout their stay and therefore it is critical to ensure they are given every opportunity to deliver the best hospitality and service possible. When designing our e-Housekeeping solution, FCS understood the reality of housekeeping teams requiring as much time as possible to cater to guest requests verses focusing on time consuming, back-of-house tasks. We discovered a lot of opportunities to improve and enhance the quality of housekeeping services and as a result, our software programmers have engineered a platform that ensures enhanced productivity and reduces operational costs, while maximising hotel performance and guest satisfaction. At the heart of any reputable housekeeping solution is the ability to provide a streamlined cleaning and maintenance process. By automatically assigning rooms and public areas to be cleaned – based on customisable worker assignment rules – e-Housekeeping offers hotels a direct path to superior efficiency, with properties typically reporting an increase of 15-20% in productivity. With the added advantage of automated and digitized inspection checklists readily available for supervisors, some duties will naturally see a reduction in time required for completion allowing those team members to be reassigned to other tasks. When providing housekeeping staff with such an efficiency-boosting

an electronic task assignment and management system, hotels can finally eliminate instances of duplication and manual paperwork, significantly reducing expenses along with a hotel’s environmental footprint. As an example, one FCS case study demonstrates that for an average fivestar hotel with 300+ rooms, one ton of paper can be saved in a year through housekeeping automation alone.

tool, the significance and direct value to a hotel’s bottom line quickly becomes apparent. Along with a smoother workflow for the hotel’s daily housekeeping schedule, e-Housekeeping also assists in efficiently scheduling additional tasks and recurring projects such as deep cleans and window cleaning – the type of job that is not part of the daily clean and that is often managed via several spreadsheets. Incorporating this into the automated process means that time or credit is automatically calculated, jobs are scheduled and never forgotten, and that time is allocated correctly for the day’s work allowing hotels to seamlessly integrate additional work streams in the most efficient way, ensuring maximum team productivity.

People are always going to be the key to success of any hotel operation. By providing their people with the advanced technology of e-Housekeeping, hotels are enabling their teams to operate in a highly effective and efficient manner whilst optimising their ability to provide high quality service and hospitality. 

With the automated reporting capability, hotels are provided with real-time room status updates throughout the daily cleaning schedule, which will speed up the check-in process and improve the arrival experience, which we all know is a key driver of guest satisfaction. Additionally, standard department methods of assigning and tracking tasks have long been notorious for inefficiencies in capturing data and generating large amounts of waste paper costs. Through the use of

Product NEWS Savvy travellers well pressed In answer to the needs of the today’s smart and savvy traveller, Weatherdon Corporation has launched the Nero 600 plus irons. Increasingly travellers expect the power of 2200 watts and the simplicity of easy-toread uncomplicated controls. No more the fussing of waiting for the iron to heat up and decipher the settings and symbols. Especially important when guests arrive at a new property late at night with only a few hours to be pressed primped and pumped for the day ahead. Similarly, the accommodation industry values assurance on the safety front with automatic shut off, anti-drip water cap and non stick plates which cater to guests’ delicate silks and synthetic garments with a high-intensity vertical blast of steam. Combining these features into one with the value add of a stylish design that flatters any contemporary décor is the Nero 600 Plus iron. • Powerful 2200 watts • Auto shut-off • Double coated non-stick soleplate/Stainless Steel soleplate • Dry/Steam setting

• Vertical burst of steam • Large temp. dial • Self-clean function • Anti-drip/calc system • Easy to fill water tank They can be purchased in quantities of 6 and carries the product code 742600 non-stick soleplate and 742611 stainless steel soleplate. For more information on our wide range of products please email sales@weatherdon.com.au or visit our website at www.weatherdon.com.au

2014 INCLEAN Innovation Awards Winner The Equipment winner of the recent 2014 INCLEAN Innovation Awards was the IntelliBot ‘green’ robotic scrubber. This technology has also been short listed for an ISSA/Interclean North American Innovation Award. Buildings Services Contractors Association of Australia National President George Stamas along with the Victorian President Paul McCann selected this product which they felt offered real innovation and that delivered real productivity gains. For more information on this Award winning product please email info@clearlinkservices.com.au or visit our website www.clearlinkservices.com.au

Laundry Doesn’t Have to Cost the Earth We all know that utility and water costs are rising faster than any other cost in the hospitality industry. There is also an increasing focus on reducing our carbon footprint. One thing to consider is the use of Ozone in laundry. When used in a laundry application Ozone disinfects the wash water and everything in the wash water. Because this is achieved in cold water, it results in dramatic utility cost savings. It is for this reason that the application of Ozone in laundry has gained rapid international acceptance over conventional laundry methods which require substantial amounts of hot water.

What is Ozone? Ozone occurs quite readily in nature, most often as a result of lightning strikes that occur during thunderstorms. In fact the “fresh, clean, Spring rain” smell that we notice after a storm most often results from nature’s creation of Ozone. Ozone, (O3), sometimes called “Activated Oxygen”, contains three atoms of Oxygen rather than the two atoms

Hot Product: Winning Colours 1000+ Stain Remover More than 80% of the stains that occur in normal living do not require specialized cleaners. Described as the World’s Most Versatile Cleaning Solution™, Winning Colours 1000+ Stain Remover is effective on an exceptionally broad range of drips, drops and disasters. Using hydro-lift technology, it removes red wine, coffee, tea, food stains, blood, grease, lipstick, grass, nail polish, paint, permanent marker and much more from carpet, upholstery and clothing. 1000+ is a professional strength product that can

Pental LTD Allow your guests to Wash away the city with Country Life Country Life has been part of Australian households and trusted by Australian families for over 50 years. Country Life is a brand of the Australian-based company ‘Pental’, grown from humble beginnings in 1954 to become the largest soap manufacturer in Australia with a portfolio of leading brands across six categories. Pental’s Country Life sells over 4 million soap packs annually in Australia*. This fresh range will allow your Australian guest to experience a piece of home away from home whilst showing your international guests a small piece of Australia.

we normally breathe. Ozone is the second most powerful disinfectant in the world and can be used to destroy bacteria, viruses and odours. Ozone is currently used in a wide range of applications including, pools, fruit and vegetable cleaning, room deodorising, sewerage treatment and as a disinfecting process for bottled water, just to name a few. EnviroSaver is an Ozone Washing Technology designed, manufactured and supported by Laundry Solutions Australia. EnviroSaver produces the following positive outcomes: • Saves up to 49% water and drainage costs • Saves over 40% gas • Saves up to 84% electricity • Reduces the carbon footprint of your laundry by up to 70% • Meets the Australian Standards of Laundry AS4146-2000 • Failsafe System – ensures disinfection before proceeding • Australian Made and Owned If you would like to reduce your utility costs and your carbon footprint in laundry then give Laundry solutions Australia a call on 1800 243 477 and find out how to achieve this with no up-front-costs.

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The Country Life Guest range is a high quality, good value offering which delivers on fresh invigorating fragrance, cleansing & lather from an honest Australian brand. The Country Life Guest range offers the complete solution for your guest bathrooms. Country Life Shampoos & Conditioner for smooth and shiny hair are available in 20mL tubes or combined Shampoo/Conditioner in a convenient 8mL sachet. Country Life Shower Gel is also available in a 20mL tube, perfect for a relaxing shower or bath. Country Life Bar Soaps, available in a range of sizes are all made in Australia using only the finest ingredients. Please contact your local food service distributor or Rachel Gade, Pental Ltd for further information- Rachel.Gade@pental.com.au

Product NEWS

SUKIN Hotel Collection For Swisstrade, being a leader in the Australian guest amenity market means charting new territory and pushing the boundaries. It is essential to have a view to where the market is heading, as well as understanding guest’s expectations, hotelier’s wishes and observing retail trends. With this in mind Swisstrade has collaborated with Australia’s fast growing and best selling hair and skin care brand SUKIN ORGANICS, to create the environmentally conscious SUKIN Hotel Collection. With SUKIN we can offer you a competitively priced, 100% natural toiletries range with all organic ingredients, made right here in Australia! Our research among Australia’s leading hotels shows, that operators are disillusioned with the majority of guest amenity ranges currently available for the higher end market. Most International retail brands are too costly and more affordable products are either not of quality or are pretending to be Australian by using native ingredients, but are in fact made somewhere in China. We recognise that the Australian market is ready for something new and innovative. An amenity range, which incorporates all market expectations, such as premium quality formulations, 100% natural ingredients,

biodegradable packaging, recognisable branding that is affordable and most importantly; products manufactured here in Australia. SUKIN’s Hotel Collection ticks all these boxes and more. With SUKIN Hotel Guest Amenities you now have available a high-end body & hair care range for your guests to enjoy and remember, while supporting and maintaining jobs right here in Australia. Best of all, the SUKIN Hotel Collection offers numerous accolades that will show you care for the environment and a sustainable accommodation industry in this country: • 100% Carbon Neutral Certified • 100% Natural Botanical Extracts • 100% Plant Based Ingredients • 100% Biodegradable Products • Biodegradable and Recyclable Packaging • No Testing on Animals • No Sulphates, Parabens or SLS SUKIN ORGANICS represents a new generation in guest amenities and offers a unique Australian amenities experience for hoteliers and their guests alike! For further information or samples contact Swisstrade Pty Ltd on (02) 9979 1500 or enquire on info@swisstrade.com.au