The Executive
HOUSEKEEPER
Vol 17
No 1
PP322210/00016
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Publishers LETTER
H
ello and welcome to another issue of Executive Housekeeper.
The first organisation for housekeepers, The Professional Executive Housekeepers network (PEHN), was formed back in 1996 in Melbourne. Since then others have formed in NSW, QLD and WA. Unfortunately the original associations in WA and more recently FNQ, far North Queensland have ceased to operate. However with many Executive Housekeepers moving from state to state for work or personal reasons PEHN and The Professional Housekeeper’s Association of NSW (PHAN), are working on fostering a closer relationship between each other, so that support for members span across each state. They would also like to encourage anyone from other states to contact then should they wish to join. See page 10 for more details. Soap Aid is a global not-for-profit organisation committed to saving lives through improving sanitation whilst simultaneously helping the environment through an innovative soap recycling program. Thousands of hotels across the globe discard millions of pieces of soap every day. At the same time, across the globe, 2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation. As a direct result, it is estimated
that 1.8 million children under the age of 5 die each year due to hygiene relates illnesses. By the simple act of hand washing with a bar of soap, Soap Aid estimates we could potentially reduce the number of deaths by over 44 per cent. Soap Aid collects waste soap reprocesses and then re-distributes the recycled soap products, along with educational materials, where it is most needed in impoverished countries worldwide, domestic homeless shelters and other areas where there is an urgent need for sanitation, see page 50. As we have over the last 12 months, we again have numerous articles on “Green” cleaning, thank you to the people whom took the time out to write for us. We also have 4 industry profiles, including Marian Stratford PEHN President, her new role at Bluestone Recruitment, Cameron Speedie RDM Crowne Plaza, Hunter Valley, Karen Sharp of One Step Further and Ali Khondukar from Macquarie University Hospital. We hope you enjoy this issue and thank all our contributors along with the IEHA whom allow us to swap articles of interest with them. Regards Neil Muir
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A U S T R A L I A
S I N C E
1 9 8 4
5
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Contents 8
PHAN News
9
PEHN News
12 SEQPHA News 14 What do nuclear weapons have to do with carpet stains? 18 Should you set aside a training budget for cleaning staff? 20 Hygienic, productivity and quality in microfibre system 23 Education is the key to Sustainable Partnering 26 The Berkeley River Lodge 30 Cameron Speedie 32 Karen Sharp 34 Marian Stratford 36 Ali Khondukar 38 Cost Effective Floor Maintenance 42 Lesley Skelt Interview 46 Thinking Management 48 Seeking to improve Environmental Performance 50 Soap Aid 52 Hazardous Cleaning Products 56 Just Who Do They Think They Are, Anyway? 60 Cleanliness & Hygiene 62 First impressions in façade maintenance 64 A focus on Problem Pests 68 Product News
The Executive
HOUSEKEEPER
Cover images show The Berkeley River Lodge, north coast of The Kimberley’s in WA.
Vol 17
No 1
PP322210/00016
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PHAN NEWS FOCUS ON RESPONSIBLE HOUSEKEEPING AT 9TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF PROFESSIONAL HOUSEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION OF NSW
M
aureen Jolowicz, President of the Professional Housekeepers Association of NSW, welcomed a meeting of members, guests and sponsors to the 9th Annual General Meeting at the Shangri-la Hotel in Sydney’s historic Rocks area. Two interstate members, Wafa Taha, Executive Housekeeper from Turtle Beach Resort, Gold Coast and Marian Stratford, President of PEHN, Victoria, were welcomed. She described 2012 as a challenging year for hoteliers and housekeepers. Acknowledging the pressures of consistent high occupancy and the widening scope of responsible management practices – often led to Housekeepers denying themselves time to connect with their peers, hear of new products and practices, visit other properties – and refresh and recharge in the company of likeminded Housekeeping Professionals. She encouraged all present to spread the word to their colleagues to join in the PHAN events during 2013. As a sign of development of PHAN, she announced that this meeting would be putting a motion to the members to include suppliers as Associate Members. In recognition of the many benefits of inclusiveness and that this practice is upheld in most international Housekeepers Associations. The motion when put, was overwhelmingly supported by the meeting.
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Two speakers from community support organisations spoke to the meeting on their specific focus – Robert McPaul from Presbyterian Social Services and Steve Cowie representing Clothesline. Both these worthwhile organisations advised how Hotels can assist their work by recycling bedding, furniture, lost property, toiletries – to name just a few items. Information on how PHAN members can partner with both charities will be placed on the PHAN website with an encouragement to become more involved in this manner of responsible housekeeping management. Maureen also spoke of a new initiative – SOAP AID, which has been established in Victoria and is in progress to becoming a national drive to collect, reprocess and redistribute used soaps globally. A trial is underway with 13 hotels in Melbourne and Radisson Blu in Sydney. A major stakeholder, Concept Amenities, hope to launch the project partnering with Rotary International at their global conference in Sydney in 2014. This is a project that will receive support from PHAN during 2013 and all members will be encouraged to make a reality of the vision to provide soap to those who do not have such a basic item. The new Officers and Committee for PHAN for 2013 comprises: Maureen Jolowicz – Radisson Blu, President
Grace Esogon – Sydney Harbour Marriott, Vice President Zarife Melick – Menzies Sydney Hotel, Secretary Nela Neves – Holiday Inn Darling Harbour, Treasurer Kamila Smirski – Shangri-la Helen Hofman – St Mary’s Cathedral Lalini de Silva – The Star Nanita Popquiz – Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney Frans van Lieshout Ali Khondukar – Macquarie University Hospital Jason Death – Novotel City Central A cocktail party hosted by Weatherdon and Accommodation Linen followed the meeting. A dinner at Lowenbrau Keller hosted by Valitel and Vanity Group was held at the conclusion of the event at Shangri-la. Photos taken at the AGM are on view on the PHAN website and can be used with permission if so required. Any further information please contact Mavis Hedrik – on public.officer@phan.org.au Tel: 0414 764 397
PEHN NEWS
EASTER EGG HUNT Dear Colleagues The Easter Egg Hunt at MB designs warehouse was a great success. The small attendance did not mar the spirit of the attendees, there was so much fun hunting for the eggs amongst the uniforms. I’m hoping that we found them all, else I don’t think the warm days coming are going to be kind to those uniforms. Shopping for uniforms at the same time was also an exciting part of the night; in fact everyone could not make up their mind if they were hunting for eggs or bargains. The small attendance allowed everyone to sit intimately on one long table and share their stories for the days operations and memories of the past. So much excitement was had by getting some long lost friends from Grand Hyatt and the Marriott, to join Housekeepers from Park Hyatt, Clarion Suites Gateway, Radisson Hotel, Crown Towers, AHS, IKON, Crown Promenade, Bluestone Recruitment, Suppliers from M Cohn and Associate, Metwood, and Holmesglen Institute together with MB designs staff. There was no quiet moment, the hum of conversation flowed, except when the beautiful Easter cake arrived
baked lovingly by Joanna from MB designs. There was an abundance of food, thanks and well done to the staff of MB Designs for putting together such a fabulous spread. I hope that our next events, which are: Housekeeper’s Forum in May, will attract more attendance, as the topics will be: understanding the Housekeeping Budget and Profit and Loss and Hotel Linen textiles, thread counts and Egyptian cotton facts. Mini Trade show is in July. Suppliers interested in having a trestle, please reserve now as there are limited spots, this event is growing each year! This is free to supplier members, non members may join at a cost. You can send your enquiry to pehn.aus@gmail.com Please check our website www.pehn.org for details or email us if you’re interested in attending or participating in any of our events. Kind Regards Marian Stratford PEHN President
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PEHN NEWS PEHN and PHAN get together.
N
owadays everyone moves state to state for work or personal reasons. PEHN The Professional Executive Housekeeper’s Association and PHAN The Professional Housekeeper’s Association of NSW are working on fostering closer relationship between each other, so that support for members span across each state. The Associations President Marian Stratford from PEHN and Maureen Jolowicz of PHAN have met whenever each one are visiting each state and spoke about the different issues faced by both associations. The information and knowledge shared is invaluable and one thing that is common is the passion members of each association have however small they are, in keeping the associations going. Marian attended the PHAN AGM in March and was encouraged by the enthusiasm and energy of each committee member. “Meeting with other housekeepers who share the same goal and love for the industry is just fantastic”, said Marian. She also said, “The long term plan is to actually have a yearly combined event that could be done in a different state each year, so everyone can network and get to know each other. We are not sure if there are associations formed in other states such as WA, NT, Tasmania but would like to encourage them to join whichever association is closer if there are enough interest, who knows, maybe form one there”. In the past Marian has also met with SEQPHA South East Queensland Professional Housekeeper’s Association President Libby Sharp, and Committee Member Melissa Bent who also sends invites to their events on a regular basis. “I think if we are all united we can share each others strength and support, which could only encourage more Housekeepers to join as the benefits of having friendships across the states and having someone to ask information and product knowledge or even just to speak to and have coffee with when you are in another state on business or leisure is priceless”. To contact PEHN log into: www.pehn.org or email: pehn.aus@gmail.com To contact PHAN log into: www.phan.org.au
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Contact Victoria: 0419 184 717, New South Wales: 0437 933 453, Queensland: 0400 971 753, South & Western Australia & NT: 0407 056 224
SEQPHA NEWS
by Libby Sharp, president
W
ell the world has a new Pope and we have a new committee that has the same beliefs of our New Pope, Francis the 1st. Assisting with charities, helping people who have challenges and need that little assistance, creating experiences for them and having faith in yourself and others.
Gordon Moffitt – Burleigh Textiles
Our year commenced in February at the Watermark Hotel with a breakfast at AGM.
On Tuesday 12th March we had a breakfast in the rainforest room at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, it was like sitting in a rainforest on big tables and benches. This breakfast was special as two of our Members assisted the Leukaemia foundation with Shave for a cure.
It was a fun breakfast and the following members were voted for our new committee: Libby Sharp – President, Sofitel Hotel Gavin Lysaght – Vice President, Intercontinental Hotel Melissa Bent – Treasurer, Corporate Designs Mardi Sherman – Secretary, AH Beard Committee: Wendy Robson – Sea World Resort. Denise Miller – Watermark Hotel
Poppi Farri – Consultant Rachael Newberry – Gold Coast Tafe Hayley Brownrigg – Elders Pest Control
The two brave members were Ken Holmes, who is the Senior Sales Manager for Currumbin wildlife Sanctuary, and Colleen Reynolds from the Southport School. We raised lots of money for this event and again will continue throughout the year. Our morning was completed with a visit to the Koala section to visit our two Koalas we sponsor Tallow and Libby ( just born). It was rather special to have a Koala named after me. A lot of the other Koalas are named after all the famous surfers who live on the gold coast. The committee has set the calender for the year with some exciting events, along with our Favourite Race day, a trade show and of course lots of fun in between. Hayley, our new Committee member, is taking on the task of Editor of the SEQPHA News letter which will be distributed to all Housekeepers, Hospitality training schools and our Suppliers on the Gold Coast and Brisbane. It will include activities that are happening, supplier specials and upcoming events, all the latest products and celebrations. This will be distributed on a monthly basis and every month there will be a different focus and lots of surprises. On a last note:
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13
What do nuclear weapons
have to do with carpet stains? by COL NATION
S
ome stains that you see on carpet seem as if they have been made with some sort of nuclear reaction when you try to clean them out with our standard cleaning processes. Sometimes it just looks like a teenager has exploded in the room, but that isn’t the link to the title of my article. Read on to find out more about how we can protect our carpets from life’s little accidents, general soiling, or exploding teenagers.
In 1938 Roy Plunkett was working for the DuPont company looking for a new gas that could be used for refrigeration as the old gasses of ammonia and sulphur dioxide were far too dangerous for use in the home refrigerator. He was working with the new fluorocarbon chemistry and made an accidental discovery when he tried to store his limited supply of the new gas at really cold temperatures. It formed a solid flaky substance inside
the container. This new material was Polytetrafluoroethelene or PTFE for short. The TFE part gave us the name Teflon which is a registered trademark of the Du Pont Company. There have been a number of other versions produced by other companies since then. So they had a new material, PTFE, but didn’t have any uses for it until they discovered that it was really slippery, had a very high melting point and nothing seemed to react with it. One of its very first uses was in the Manhattan Project, the world’s first nuclear bomb. It was used to coat some metal components to prevent corrosion. Rusty equipment is probably not what you want when handling and experimenting with such dangerous materials. It wasn’t until the 1950’s that PTFE made its way into cookware and now there probably isn’t a home in Australia that doesn’t have at least one non-stick frypan in use. Later adaptations of the polymer made its way into carpets. Who can forget the ads on TV with late artist, Pro Hart, sliding through spaghetti and lately his grandson driving a remote control car through piles of food to create a replica painting of one of Pro Hart’s ‘dragonfly’ paintings that the poor housekeeper has to remove using nothing but a scrubbing brush and bucket of water. In this case they were advertising the virtues of a fibre coated with PTFE. So this brings us to the question of “Does a carpet protector really work?” In my opinion it certainly does, especially with nylon carpets. Nylon has always had to compete with the
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A good protector has other benefits as well. It will help slow the rate of soiling which means the carpet or lounge will look good for longer. It also reduces the amount of detergents required when we do our scheduled maintenance cleaning so it can have some positive environmental benefits as well. Carpet and furnishings stay cleaner longer and this can extend the life of the article being protected. One question that I am often asked is, “Should have a wool carpet protected?” When I speak with various scientists from around the world, some will say that wool doesn’t need a protector and some will say that it
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So, if we coat a fibre with a PTFE based protector, we change the properties of that fibre so it resists the staining . It doesn’t make it bullet proof, but at least it buys you time to clean up a spill and if you can’t be there to clean it up immediately it will at least minimise the staining making your job much easier later on.
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Did you know that both wool and nylon can be dyed with the same types of dye? Acid dyes have been around for quite some time and are used to dye both wool and nylon. Did you also know that food colourings that go into the likes of cakes and soft drinks to produce the bright colours that our kids seem to love is made from the very same dyestuff that is used to dye both wool and nylon fibres? So when we spill coloured drinks on to white nylon or wool, we end up with coloured areas that will not clean out with normal cleaning. We have dyed the fibre to the colour of the spilt drink. You can clean it all day long and still have a nice clean red cordial stain.
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proven qualities of wool. Wool has been used for thousands of years in the making of rugs and upholstery and even garments. While wool does absorb moisture, it will repel liquid for quite some time which gives you time to blot up spills before they become a problem. Earlier nylon fibres would rapidly absorb liquids and would soil and stain much quicker than wool and these carpets really benefit from an application of protector.
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certainly does. After a lot of discussion I have been able to deduce that those who say it doesn’t need it are referring to the fact that wool has a natural lanoline content and this will repel liquids. It certainly does this while it is in its raw form but in order to make carpet into a variety of colours, the manufacturers must scour the wool to remove nearly all of the lanoline or the dyes simply won’t stick to the fibre. But wool has another line of defence that nylon carpets do not. Wool is coated in a layer of scales made from a protein called Keratin. This is the same protein in your own finger nails. This means that it has a protective shield already, but after a short period of time, this shield gets abraded from foot traffic and eventually gets damaged and this will let the spills penetrate easily. So you will usually easily see the benefits on wool from the application of a protector, especially as it ages. One thing that I have found is that none of the scientists have ever said that
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protecting a wool carpet with a PTFE causes any deleterious effects. One of these scientists said to me that he didn’t believe that it would actually stick to a wool carpet, but over the many years that I have been around the industry I have found that it does stay in the fibre and will help protect a carpet for around 2 -3 cleans. This means that it doesn’t have to be reapplied every single clean, especially if the right detergents are being used. If you contract a carpet cleaner who states that he has to apply a protector every single time he cleans it, then he or she is probably using the wrong type of detergent when they are cleaning it. So yes, wether you have wool or synthetic carpet or upholstery, I believe that protectors are a great investment in order to keep your décor looking good. But a good protector is only as good as the application. I’ve seen many a new lounge suite ruined because of inadequate or streaky application of a protector. This means
that the lounge will soil at different rates and can become streaky with time, especially after cleaning when the protected areas clean so much better than the bits that were missed. So while nuclear chemistry and exploding teenagers are not the normal when it comes to soiling, a good protector is still a wise investment. Col Nation is the owner of ABBsolve Services, (www.abbsolve.com.au) a specialist upholstery cleaning service on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He also runs Nation Training (www.nationtraining.com.au) which provides specialised training in the field of carpet and upholstery maintenance. Nation Training provides training in Australia and New Zealand for the WoolSafe Organisation. Colin was the author of the draft of the Australian Standard for upholstery cleaning which was published as A/NZ Standard 4849.1 in 2003 and this year was elected President of the Individual Cleaners Association of Australia and New Zealand (ICAN).
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Should you set aside a
training budget for cleaning staff? F
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rom a training point of view this question seems to have an obvious answer. As a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) in South Australia I work with cleaning companies and am involved with developing Training Plans to address workforce development of staff. When a training organisation and an employer work together to achieve a common goal, many innovative ideas and problems can be resolved. It is truly a rewarding process to be involved in – that is, workforce development of staff members. It not only improves conditions but also improves the productivity of the company and morale of staff members. This applies to the hospitality industry and especially in the housekeeping/cleaning staff members.
hotel or housekeeping management should be improving “this” or addressing “that”. Now that I am in a different position I can give feedback to management about how things are going from site to site. You may ask – “isn’t that the Supervisor’s job?” Yes it is, but Supervisors are flat out dealing with many other issues, and are often overworked so an extra pair of eyes can be of great value.
Often a trainer, in this case, me, will visit a hotel site to conduct training or assessment a staff member in the cleaning industry and I will be an additional pair of eyes to observe how the hotel runs their business. In the past I have only been able to observe these operations and lament that the
Staff turnover in the commercial cleaning industry is high. In fact according to the cleaning Industry Skills Council’s (Construction and Property Industry Skills Council) environmental scan report for 20112012, the annual turnover of casual staff in Australia is 17-35% which can be extrapolated as approximately
One issue I notice frequently (apart from lack of overall grasp of infection control practices-related to lack of proper training) is that training in the workplace is often minimal. This is mainly applicable to commercial cleaning companies but by extension can be applied to all cleaning sectors including the housekeeping/ hospitality industry.
by bronwyn McLaws
the annual turnover of cleaners each year. So with such a high need to replace staff, you can imagine the cost involved in recruiting, interviewing, training and often getting new staff to “hit the ground running” in a short amount of time. Profit margins are lower these days, so I understand why this occurs. However it means that training is often neglected and you can be left with new staff not able to manage their time efficiently, not up to speed with the work schedule and often staff can be presented with unreasonable time restrictions. In addition staff often does not have correct understanding of chemicals and their use. For example, I have heard on a number of occasions that a supervisor has suggested adding a bit of bleach into another chemical to “make it work better”!!!!! This is not only unnecessary but downright deadly. In the past I have compared this to cleaners working at nursing homes and hospitals, where staff turnover is substantially lower. I have often wondered why. I think one key reason is that these sites
require a demonstrated “continuous improvement” program for staff members including cleaning staff. This means extensive and ongoing training. So why do staff stay longer if they are involved in training programs? I believe part of it lies with the fact that staff members who are trained properly feel they can cope with problems that come their way; they have better relationships with colleagues and feel higher morale on site due to knowing how to do their job well and being appreciated for it. Cleaning companies that see the value in up skilling, training and ensuring staff are competent and feel capable and valued will stay longer. Statistics admonish us to consider the effects on productivity that are caused by turnover. It takes on weeks to recruit and hire a new employee. During this time production can seriously falter. Other employees have to pick up the slack in production, often taking on tasks
and responsibilities they are unfamiliar with or untrained in. This can drain team morale and further hurt production. Whilst staff turnover is part of any cleaning industry, and hospitality/ housekeeping is no exception, we can do much to improve our worksites by simply providing correct and ample training that meets industry standards. From a business point of view with bottom lines, cuts to budgets in a challenging financial environment, cutting costs on training might seem to be the way to go, but it does not improve ability to compete in the market. I compare cleaning companies with higher commitment to training staff and I also see lower staff turnover and higher quality work. Surely this is what gives the competitive edge – quality that can be provided to clients and guests who visit hotels/motels. So it is just as important to design a training budget for each new staff member and the existing workforce.
Up skill our hard working supervisors so they can pass on this training and support cleaning staff. These costs can often be met by state funded programs by being aligned with a Registered Training Organisation that provides high quality training in industry standards. It is important to find a good Registered Training Organisation who is committed to workforce development and who can access funding to assist with training costs. In the long run we need a strong cleaning workforce with an understanding of sustainability and with the ability to use new procedures in our industry. This cannot be achieved without good training strategies and goals. So to answer our original question – “Should you set aside a training budget for cleaning staff”? How would you answer? I hope to hear you answer with a resounding YES.
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Hygienic, productivity
and quality in microfibre system by Ali Khondukar
E
verybody knows about microfibre products and most of us are probably using them. The question is, how many are achieving good results in hygienic issue, good results in productivity, good results in quality and lowering of cleaning cost with microfibre systems?
This stops the spread of bacteria between surfaces during cleaning.
The answer is that you cannot achieve all of these key points using microfibre products alone. A staff training program based on the microfibre product, a proper functional job description for staff and quality check program are all required to bring about impressive results.
A new cleaning system using 100 percent microfibre was implemented at Macquarie University Hospital (MUH) in 2010. This system was not copied or replicated from any other organisation. The system implemented at MUH was based on my own 24 years of experience in housekeeping and we are now probably the first hospital in Australia that does not use a mop bucket for cleaning purposes.
Microfibre is 10 to 12 times thinner than human hair and its absorbing power is 12 to 14 times greater than typical cotton fibres. As most of us know, what may look clean does not necessarily mean that the surface is hygienically clean. According to test results, using microfibre materials to clean a surface reduces the number of bacteria by 99 percent. In comparison, cotton fibre material reduces the number of bacteria by only 33 percent. For this reason, microfibre products help to control infection, boost worker productivity, and lower the cost of cleaning.
How we can ensure microfibre cleans hygienically? For the best way to clean surfaces hygienically and prevent cross contamination you need adopt a system such as: • Use a clean set of cloths for each room or area.
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Productivity with microfibre: There are many techniques a company can adopt with a microfibre system to boost productivity, and reduce OH&S issues.
• Use disposal gloves and change these for each room or area. • Wash hands before using a new pair of gloves. • Follow the colour codes policy. Microfibre absorb 10 to 12 time more than a typical cotton fibre cloth so cleaning with microfibre will remove 99.9 percent of dirt or dust particles. The surface will dry quickly as the microfibre absorbs at least 95 percent of residue from surfaces. A swab testing program can be adopted to ensure that the system is working. Choose a test area weekly and swab on regular basis. That will give you peace of mind, knowing the cleaning is done hygienically. There are a lot of microfibre products on market but the best is anti-bacterial silver mix with microfibre – the same used at Macquarie University Hospital (Sydney). The benefits of anti-bacterial silver in microfibre are to prevent the growth of bacteria within the cloth.
Using an aqua mop instead of a mop bucket is a great system to achieve impressive cleaning results. At least one hour per staff member can be saved in each shift by not using a mop bucket. It also reduces chemical and water usage. An evaluation of the system found that switching to lightweight microfibre flat mops (an aqua mop system) increased productivity by 18 percent. Cleaning times were reduced because the lighter weight microfibre flat mop was faster and more effective than a cotton string mop. Quality in microfibre: Training is the most important factor in implementing a successful microfibre system. Without a training program, job schedule and setup, the system will fail. Training must be designed based on the environmental requirements and by following the guidelines of relevant policies and procedures.
Staff training programs must be reviewed on a regular basis and staff members must be retrained if required. Training programs will prevent staff from injury, lost productivity and poor job quality. Staff performance must be monitored by a team leader to check and monitor staff performance and their work quality. If they there any issue regarding quality, the team leader must address it with the staff member. By finding the problem, they can then take appropriate action to resolve it. The relationship between staff and a team leader and manager is very important; staff members must feel comfort talking to the team leader or manager and it is a manager’s
responsibility to create a happy and healthy environment in the work place. Overall benefits of using microfibre: • Reduce chemical usage up to 95% • Reduce water usage up to 95% • Reduce cleaning time (depend how system is designed) • Decrease slip and falls (less liquids on floors) • Decrease injuries related to mop use • Environmentally-friendly (less chemicals) To switch to a new cleaning system is not without its challenges, especially relating to cost. We all struggle with budget, and when an organisation starts cutting costs, the first target is always hotel services. The
housekeeping industry is far behind in comparison to other industries. We still use tons of chemicals, mops and buckets and appropriate training is lacking. However, this means there’s room for improvement. The first housekeeping training collage has opened in Brisbane, which is groundbreaking news. I hope every state will follow their footsteps. Now is the time is for change in the housekeeping industry, we can bring about change together. Australia deserves better systems and better quality from the housekeeping industry. www.muh.org.au Ali Khondukar is the executive housekeeper of hotel services at Macquarie University Hospital
MICRO FIBRE CLEANING CLOTHS
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Education is the
key to Sustainable Partnering by Bridget Gardner
The growing focus on environmental sustainability has offered many hotels a new perspective with which to engage their cleaning service providers.
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ith a range of ‘green cleaning products’ and ISO 14001 accreditation an almost obligatory part of the cleaning company’s sales kit these days, and certainly not a differentiator, forward thinking hotels must look beyond the contract and use sustainability as a foundation for strategic partnering with their cleaning contractors to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. On the simplest level, it’s about the potential to drive down hotel maintenance costs, such as landfill levies and energy use. Or value-adding to clientele, by promoting improved indoor air quality. Contractors I work with are often being asked to respond to tender requests for ‘innovations and efficiencies’. However the most effective measures cannot be achieved without the Hotel’s permission, support, and in many cases, additional budgets, and this joint commitment to improve is often referred to as ‘Sustainable Partnering’. Such a partnership approach can have many additional benefits, even resulting in longer contract periods, as long as the agreements are mutually beneficial, and the contractual specifications and KPI’s are structured to facilitate it. But perhaps even more importantly, is the need to ensure all stakeholders are ‘on the same page’, by being committed and informed. And that requires the right education.
Why sustainability needs partnerships We are starting to see the initial focus of energy, waste, water and green chemicals, grow into a far broader and more complex suite of wellbeing, hygiene and environmental sustainability concerns and outcomes. We’re also finding building managers who are questioning the effectiveness of setting punitive penalty clauses against KPIs and prescriptive specifications, and that by engaging directly with cleaners and explore solutions together, sharing risks and costs, they will achieve better outcomes.
than currently exists. But is this really necessary in relation to cleaning, or indeed, is it even possible? Absolutely yes. There have been many failed attempts at introducing green cleaning due to contractors with no more knowledge about a new ‘green’ product’s capacity than the brochure’s buyline. Or a harried back-of house manager more comfortable dealing with air-conditioning technicians than answering customers complaining because they can’t smell bleach. Or the disjoint between an idealistic sustainability manager and a CFO deeply sceptical about all sentences beginning with ‘green’... I’m sure you’ve all been there.
Why partnerships need education Managing this process, the people and the outcomes, requires skill, while establishing shared goals and knowledge requires education. Of course independent consultants can provide this service, however keeping it internal has other advantages, as long as all stakeholders are properly informed. Fresh Green Clean recently released a report on the unexpected success and outcomes of a green cleaning partnership project we managed between a local council and their cleaning contractors. 2 This experience confirmed for us that the ‘make or break’ element of multi-stakeholder projects, lay in the degree to which all perspectives and concerns were aired, informed and shared decisions were made, and all parties were heading in the same direction. This was achieved via a management workshop and collaborative product trials. As one of the three contractors, Nic Ionniou, CEO of Site Management explained: “The reason this [project] was a success was because we were all trained, involved and consulted, and the council gave us permission to try new concepts.”
FGC Masterclass
Respected global consultancy Norton Rose Group1 says of strategic partnering: “It is... essential that in working with each other, suppliers and customers are open and transparent. Only by adopting these traits can successful partnerships be formed”.
On the back of this experience, Fresh Green Clean offers a one day Masterclass for Hotel building managers, housekeepers and cleaning service providers. This session called Sustainable Partnering for Cleaning and Maintenance services, covers six topics which are described below.
To work properly, this approach to sustainability requires aligned values, and far greater degree of communication
• Develop a sustainable cleaning policy: one of the ‘credits’ for the forthcoming Green Star-performance rating system,
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will be to develop a Green Cleaning Policy - for the hotel. This is to establish priorities, gain top-level buy-in, and take responsibility for things that contractors can’t. • Embed measurable outcomes into the cleaning specifications: Teaching how to specify and evaluate in outcome-based, rather than prescriptive terms, is the key to encouraging innovation and harnessing the cleaner’s expertise. The course will teach how to embed sustainability and partnership concepts consistently throughout the specs, because that is where it begins. • Build a team and develop a green cleaning program: This part of the course teaches participants how to utilise behaviour-change principles while designing the program, establish a core team and set clear goals, timelines, outcomes and responsibilities. • Plan implementation and monitoring strategies: This aspect of the session provides a matrix for implementing and monitoring. Many contract managers have good planning skills, but may not understand the rationale and benefits behind various ‘green’ actions or methods. This impedes their ability to decide what to buy, implement and monitor, and what data to capture in order to measure the outcomes. • Address the barriers to change: Establishing a strategy to address the practical and perceived roadblocks to implementing green cleaning, before they arise, is essential. Participants workshop several scenarios, and learn practical solutions to address typical barriers they will face back in the workplace. • Be ready to meet Green Star-Performance for building operations: the Green Building Council’s rating tool for measuring the sustainability of a building’s operations and maintenance is due late 2012. Cleaning is an integral part and the course explores what aspects of sustainability will be covered.
Sustainable partnering is a win win situation Building a sustainable partnership is not just about getting greeny points, or meeting head-office procurement criteria (although that is definitely up there). The real benefits of educating for sustainable partnering are in improving communication channels, trust and cooperation, and building a committed workforce that is proud of what they do. This has potential for increasing staff retention, clientele satisfaction with cleaner, healthier and more hygienic buildings, and less time spent managing an under-performing contract.
References 1. Norton Rose Group’s (NRG) 2011 2. The City of Yarra’s ‘Green Cleaning Project’ report: http://www. efslearninghub.net.au/resources/publications/mid/655/resourceid/1455.aspx
Author: Bridget Gardner is Director of Fresh Green Clean, Australia’s leading independent consultancy in sustainable cleaning for the cleaning and hygiene sectors. www.freshgreenclean.com.au
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Jani-King’s chosen when there’s room for improvement!
O
NE of the most clichéd, perhaps, phrases that has survived over the years in describing the consciousness of someone’s either positive or negative decision making is “perception is reality.” And like most things, it wouldn’t survive if it wasn’t given new life and meaning by those who are confronted with making a decision about what they see, what they approve of, and what they’re impressed by and tell others about. And we’re talking, most pointedly, about the cleanliness of your establishment. Hotels, motels and other places of accommodation as word-of-month spreads as fast as a bush fire fuelled by 100 kilometres winds. Nobody wants to find themselves paying handsomely for overnight accommodation only to discover, upon checking in, the carpets saturated with unsightly stains, the bathroom bathed in bacteria and a feeling that the cleaners must be in the Caribbean on holidays, with no intention of returning. Hence, the need to ensure that the perception of your accommodation is adequately conveyed to those who stay with you, and if it’s clean that you’re pursuing
for the reality equation then you’ll find it’s something that Jani-King Australasia is renowned for and is passionate about. Jani-King Australasia is celebrating its 21st anniversary and with more than 1000 franchisees and a stellar selection of over 4000 clients, the hospitality industry is key to its longevity and ongoing success. In fact, just recently Jani-King signed the RACV Royal Pines, Hilton on the Park in Melbourne and Hilton South Wharf as cleaning clients, and that signal of success is being flagged by other Jani-King offices across Australia and New Zealand. Jani-King also recently signed the Forest Lodge Hotel in Sydney and the Millennium Hotel in New Zealand. Jani-King’s history in the hospitality commercial cleaning industry is a long and storied one, with some motels and hotels even awarding the world’s largest commercial franchisor their rooms and laundry cleaning. Jani-King Victoria General Manager Gilles Delord said what most clients liked about Jani-King was the commitment of the franchisee who serviced their establishment to treat it as if they
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owned it, delivering an unheralded level of service, pride and commitment, backed by the resources and expertise of their local operations team. “When it comes to commercial cleaning, it’s the foundation that Jani-King has grown up with,” Gilles said. “We didn’t get to where we are today by doing things in halves, and now Jani-King provides commercial cleaning services to some of the world’s leading motel and hotel brands. “Economically, times are still tough for a lot of people, so spending hard-earned money on accommodation means guests are expecting clean rooms, common areas, kitchens, linen and other items. “In essence, whether you’re putting your establishment forward as either three or five stars, the perception guests have when they arrive should be in sync with your overnight costs, and the expectations they will have. At Jani-King, we can tailor a comprehensive commercial cleaning package for any motel or hotel within your budget, which is why we’re chosen more often when there’s room for improvement, and a need to ensure that perception really is reality.”
SERVICE
That’s what you get with Jani-King Commercial Cleaning. Whether you’re a five star hotel, small family motel or B&B, Jani-King Commercial Cleaning will make your premises shine! From floor to ceiling. Inside and out. Call the Jani-King Commercial Cleaning office nearest you today. And start getting the star treatment you deserve.
w w w. j a n i k i n g . c o m . a u
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Welcome To
The Berkeley River Lodge
The Berkeley River Lodge is a true luxury resort situated on the north coast of the Kimberley in Western Australia, with no road access and 170km from the nearest town (Wyndham), guests arrive by air or sea. Getting to the Berkeley is half the adventure.
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Housekeepers need to be heard
How often is a new hotel built or a refurbishment planned, interior designers are chosen, prototype rooms are created, the scheme is approved, the installation is completed and then reality strikes, the valances are dysfunctional? The prototype room looked sensational but the valance is not a commercial product. I am regularly bemused by the lack of thought that goes into buying the correct valance. Of the various items in a hotel room, the one thing that can be time consuming and a constant housekeeping nightmare, is a poorly made and ill-fitting bed valance.
h
ft re o
a
Bew
is !
Management have made a bad decision that has ongoing consequences for housekeeping ‌.. they just have to live with it!
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A lot of planning goes into the selection of carpet, furniture, wall colours, accessories, etc., but very little into the selection of a correct valance. The valance is a crucial component of the presentation of the room. A poor valance detracts from the aesthetics and is an ongoing housekeeping time waster. True value takes into account aesthetics, style, design, ongoing performance and ease of maintenance.
The lack of thought about the quality of the valance is typified by the number of bedroom photos on web sites and in other promotional material, where the valance is twisted, sagging, and just poorly fitted. That these photos even get to be published is amazing. I have often spoken with housekeepers where they vent their spleen to me about trying to cope with cheap and nasty valances, because no thought was put into their function when initially purchased? I was talking with a housekeeper in a 4½ star property recently, that had to gather all the excess valance fabric, tuck it behind the bed, attach a couple of big paper clips and
Housekeepers! 4 sided Bed Valance
Do your valances twist, sag and droop?
Do you spend valuable time constantly adjusting the valances without success? Do your valances get caught when making the bed or vacuuming the floor? Do your valances get caught in the bed castors when moving the bed? push the bed hard against the wall, to make it presentable. There was no liaison with housekeeping when the refurbishment was planned and they are now forced to endure these problem valances for a number of years. All these problems can be eliminated with a properly constructed commercial valance. Housekeepers love beautifully fitted, low maintenance Bed Valances because they are hassle free. Management loves them because they present well and don’t waste housekeeping time. A commercially manufactured valance goes round the 4 sides of the bed and over the whole bed
base. When first fitting the valance to the bed, the last corner fits quite snugly, so you know it is not going to move. They also have a flange on the decking (as in the diagram) so that you don’t see any lining if the mattress shifts. The best valances are picket quilted using 200 gsm polyester infill to give body and extra stability to the valance. They are also made in Australia to fit Australian bed sizes, using commercial rated, easy care and very colorfast fabrics. “Picket Quilted Bed Valances” are very robust and low maintenance and they fit snug to the bed base and don’t move during general use
If you have King Zip beds, an added benefit is you can put two Long Single valances on each base and the vertical quilt line makes the join look like another quilt line when configured as a King Bed. When you split the beds there is no need to change the valances. Buying cheap creates expensive problems. Buying the right valance not only impresses your guests, but also your housekeeping staff and your management. It is also one less hassle for you, the Executive Housekeeper to worry about. by John Peterson National Sales Manager HotelHome Australia
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Cameron Speedie
GENERAL
Cameron goes back to his roots in the Hunter Valley There are plenty of reasons to want to work in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales. With wineries, a golf course and plenty of fresh air, Cameron Speedie, the newly appointed Room Division Manager of the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, feels right at home in that part of the world. Besides the scenic drawcards of the region, Cameron saw the opportunity as a great chance to get back to what he loved doing most – being at the forefront of hotel operations and making improvements where he could. “I love the hospitality business and wanted to get back to my roots. I started my working life in hotel operations and gained a professional hotel management qualification in the UK but moved into accounting quite early on. The opportunity came up at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley for me to be fully operationally focussed”. Cameron joined the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley in July last year. For three years prior he had still been with the InterContinental Hotels Group but in Director of Finance and Business Support roles. He had worked at Crowne Plaza Terrigal, NSW, and Crowne Plaza Auckland, New Zealand. All of Cameron’s previous roles have been financed based. His initial role as an accountant began in a bank in the UK before moving to a fully integrated tour operator. He was the European Financial Controller for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and the Group Financial Controller for car hire company Holiday Autos. He was also the head of Operational Finance for online travel and leisure retailer Lastminute.com, where he managed a large finance team through an integration and relocation process following a major acquisition. After immigrating to Australia eight years ago Cameron became the General Manager of Finance for Scenic Tours and was involved with setting up their Scenic Spaceship river cruise program. The position of Room Division Manager is a significant change for Cameron. “Because this is not I finance role I like to think it’s all new. I am motivated by learning and in my role it’s really all about people, both guests and colleagues, so I never stop learning”. “I like the challenge of the size of the property, it is 316 keys but because of the villa mix it is actually 550 rooms. There is a progressive management team that really want to make a difference and develop the resort experience. I have never been just a bean counter; I always enjoyed getting into the business as much as possible. I like to get behind the numbers that are being produced. To me this was just an opportunity that I could not miss”. Cameron has an open management style when working with Executive Housekeeper Shirley Delaberbis. “I try to avoid too many formal meetings. Shirley and I catch up each day just as a pulse check on what is happening and what the department’s needs are. From a day to day operational point of view I am there to ensure that Shirley has the tools and resources to get the job done”. The personal development of the hotel’s housekeepers is a main priority for Cameron and Shirley. Every three weeks they meet to discuss the personal development of Shirley and her key team members. “I am a great believer that focus on personal development has a positive impact on the performance of the business,” Cameron says.
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MANAGER PROFILE Australia’s Only Dedicated Cleaning & Hygiene Event Shirley took up her position at the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley eight months before Cameron. She had contributed to the introduction of the Optii Keeper system where supervisors could manage and communicate with housekeepers from a central location, which increased productivity. “We did however do a big project around par levels and our laundry provider that has resulted in some great savings and addressed some operational issues over busy weekend and school holiday periods”. They have also gotten the housekeeping team more involved with other areas of the resort. “The housekeeping team have numerous opportunities to have touch points with the guest. It is important that they feel part of everything that is going on and understand our brand and brand service behaviours so that we can deliver the brand promise to our guest at every opportunity”. Cameron enjoys learning about housekeeping from Shirley and truly appreciates her experience from her work in other InterContinental hotels and from outsourcing companies. Cameron has some bold plans for the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley. “We are always looking at ways to drive efficiency without compromising quality. Having villas makes efficiency more challenging but also offers up opportunities. We will be looking closely at the logistics of servicing the villas and amongst other initiatives the potential for satellite pods and using space within villas to streamline workflows”. “The most important focus for me however is how we drive a consistency in our guest Heart Beat [customer rating system] scores. Our housekeeping department already score well here but maintaining consistency is what creates confidence in the brand and ultimately drives ADR (average daily rate) premium and RevPar (revenue per available room). I believe you can only achieve this consistency by having the team fully engaged in what we are trying to achieve so that is what my focus will be this year”. “We also have a new owner in Jerry Schwatrz. It is great to have an owner that is really engaged in the property. There are plenty of exciting ideas coming through from Jerry so I think it’s going to be a very busy year”. With plenty of things going on, Cameron still aims to find time for some more leisurely goals outside of work too. “Being based in the Hunter Valley Wine Country I am trying to learn a bit more about wine. Also having a golf course here I am trying to improve my golf as well but my real love are my guitars. I have five at the moment but want a lot more!”
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Karen Sharp
Another chance in housekeeping Giving early school leavers and the disadvantaged the opportunity for employment is a commendable deed in life. For Karen Sharp, the Learning and Development Manager of One Step Further, having this aspect to her job gives her a real sense of satisfaction when she works. “It’s very rewarding when you see long term unemployed getting back in the workforce and seeing their future have a vision”, she says. One Step Further is a private registered training organisation. The company was established in 1996 and provides training to clients in housekeeping, hospitality, tourism, business, management and finance. Karen has been with One Step Further for two years. Karen was recently involved in a program with the South East Queensland Professional Housekeeping Association (SEQPHA) where she trained a group of ‘career seekers’, being those who are unemployed and looking for work. The career seekers were trained in a Certificate II in Hospitality and performed two weeks of work experience so that they could practise their learning on the job. “We had students work in hotels such as the Sofitel, Sea World Resort and Rydges QT in Surfers Paradise. What we found was that because we train our students well in the theory side of hospitality then they end up getting some fantastic employment outcomes with those hotels”. Karen loves the challenge of getting the long term unemployed back into the workforce. “If I see a challenge like this then I want to take it headon and at a really strong level and be able to turn these people’s lives
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around. Although as a company we have a really heavy focus on the theoretical components, what makes us really unique is that we can bring that practical application back to industries. It’s not just having your head down and looking through a textbook. We get to see physically that they are in the mindset to be able to do their job practically”. Karen has previously worked for a number of other private training organisations as a trainer in hospitality, tourism and business. She also spent five years in Fiji as the Food and Beverage Manager and the Hotel Manager of Hideaway Resort on the Coral Coast and Vomo Island Resort on the Mamanuca Islands. Her time in Fiji was particularly special as she met the love of her life there. “My husband is Fijian and we met through work. We got married in Australia and he now works in the hospitality industry here on the Gold Coast”. Karen has always aimed to make One Step Further a hands-on training institution and to give students a real understanding of the workforce. “We work with clients that are in the field as opposed to a being training company where you normally would have a campus and classroom. We actually specialise in going out on site and working with clients on the job”. Karen tailors the training programs to reflect what hotels want in their staff. “The Sofitel might ask that you have a focus on productivity, for example. So we will make sure that we insert that into our learning so that when they go into the Sofitel they are already aware of the culture”. She is able to tailor the programs so well because of her extensive consultation with those in the industry. Karen is also willing to go the extra
PROFILE mile to get the best perspective of the industry, having herself done a week of work experience as a housekeeper in the Sofitel Hotel recently. “I loved the experience but it was really hard work. I’ve managed hotels over in Fiji but I can tell you that it is still one of the hardest departments to work in. It’s very physical and you have really sharp time frames and need good time management. You’ve got to be on top of things in that type of department”. Karen’s major focus in the future is to become ‘China ready’. “Our vision
is to embed Chinese culture and language into every one of our courses that we deliver. The Chinese are certainly going to be hitting our shores in the near future. There are soon going to be direct flights coming into our local airport (Coolangatta) and we want to be ready for this”. In 2012, 16 per cent of tourists visiting the Gold Coast were Chinese, according to the Gold Coast Tourism Corporation. They currently make up the second biggest proportion of overseas visitors after New Zealanders.
Besides her time in Fiji, Karen has always lived on the Gold Coast. “I love the weather and the lifestyle. We’re so lucky because our offices are right on the beach at Coolangatta so I can look out my window at rolling waves”. Karen is strongly dedicated to her work. Her willingness to work in the field and adapt her programs to the changing hospitality industry ensures that her students at One Step Further get the most skill and enjoyment out of their time.
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Marian Stratford
A new role but Marian stays dedicated to housekeeping It is clear from a conversation with Marian Stratford that she wants to do the best she can for housekeepers around Australia. As President of the Professional Executive Housekeeper’s Network (PEHN), Marian feels for those who are underappreciated and urges housekeepers to come along to PEHN events. She has a desire for the industry to be held in the high regard which it deserves to be. “I want housekeepers to have the same appreciation which, say, chefs do,” Marian says. “Chefs are able to demand so much more than housekeepers despite them [housekeepers] being the backbone of the hotel”. An interesting trend which Marian has seen is how housekeepers are now being asked to juggle multiple roles, Everyone is trying to make sure that costs are reduced and so more jobs are now being handed down to the housekeeper, but it still hasn’t made them more appreciated. I have been fortunate because I have Managers who are fantastic and appreciate my value and support my progression by allowing me time to attend training to learn and go to network events and also do PEHN related work. Attending these training sessions can deliver huge benefits to housekeepers and general managers. “These sessions are very critical towards giving housekeepers knowledge and the networking means they can ask questions to housekeepers volunteering at these events and develop friendship which helps their welfare by having a social life as well. I urge general managers to support housekeepers by encouraging them to join the Network and to attend these events”. We need their support to keep the organisations going as good attendance and membership has always been hard work for the committee to achieve. Marian finds the social events one of the highlights of being involved with PEHN. On 26 April, PEHN hosted their Easter Egg Hunt event which was held at the Marie Brereton Designs warehouse. The yearly Housekeeping Forum will be held in May where housekeepers can ask experts questions in their field. This forum will feature the financial controller from Radisson who talk about the housekeeping budget and monthly profit and loss also Dorthe Jantzen from M Cohn & Associates will be discussing textile in hotel linen, what thread counts and Egyptian cotton, really mean and how is that knowledge going to help your hotel. In July they will be hosting a mini trade show with suppliers of uniforms, amenities, hotel technology, cleaning supplies, hotel supplies Manchester, beds etc..promoting and talking about their products. I have also started a sort of charity to send aide to the Philippines via filling up boxes with unwanted goods from hotels or suppliers it could be items left by guest or old sheets and towels, soap, shampoos anything that would help the poor and the needy. I have targeted this to be sent through around July, so if anybody is interested contact me. At a cost of less than $100 per box, we could help someone in need. Just recently Marian has begun a new job at Bluestone Recruitment. As the Business Development Manager for Hospitality she works closely with current and prospective clients regarding their requirements for permanent and part time staff in housekeeping roles, laundry, valet, bell desk and helps them find suitable candidates and vice versa. She says being new to the role that the job still has its challenges like any other. In outsource housekeeping contracts “The
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PROFILE main challenge is meeting the balance between cost and quality. I would not compromise on quality. This is one of the reasons Bluestone has hired me, so I ensure that a rigid quality control process is built into each contract. Marian says she is very passionate about recruiting and grooming talented and dedicated housekeepers rather than churning through numbers. “A hotel can actually lose revenue in the long run by losing guests if you are not offering a very high quality standard of presentation in the rooms, cleanliness, the grooming and presentation of staff and the way that they communicate with guests. Sometimes that goes missing and the challenge is to keep that standard”. “You just need to treat your staff well and you need to have a good system of quality checking, a system to ensure your staff are well trained, that they know the standard and that you are in touch with their individual performance, you must constantly conduct inspections”. Marian believes that trust, fairness and honest wages are the most important factors towards maintaining a cohesive housekeeping department. She worries that some housekeepers who do not know their rights and entitlements under their award may be exploited. She is also concerned about the turnover of staff. She believes that this practise not only damages a housekeeper’s pride in their work but also disadvantages employers.
managers and sharing my knowledge and learning from theirs makes work so much more interesting. After being born in the Philippines, Marian immigrated to New Zealand in 1986 before moving across to Australia in 1988. She started as a trainer for the government-run Skillshare program before moving to Abbott’s Hospitality as a trainer in Food and Beverage and Housekeeping. Marian then met Lenore McRoss, who is currently the Executive Housekeeper at the Grand Hyatt. Lenore introduced Marian to the general manager of Metro Inn Greg Magi, who gave Marian her first Executive Housekeeper position, she has held that position in several hotels after that including almost nine years in Crown Hotels and with her last role there being their Quality Assurance Manager. Her passion for the industry has not ceased. “Since then I’ve loved it. As you can see I have stayed with this industry and will always be attached to hospitality in some form”.
“It costs them [employers] more money because they have to pay to advertise for new staff. It costs them to interview them, train them, and then it may take a new housekeeper a month or so until they are productive that is if you retain them, so you are not getting the quality and you are paying the price for it. They are hidden things which some employers don’t think about because they are only thinking of the payroll and not the cost of unproductive staff”. So it pays to look after good staff once you find them. Marian cites being able to meet with other associations and attend interstate events as one of the most rewarding parts of her new job at Bluestone Recruiting. “Because I am able to travel a bit more with my role I am able to meet other housekeepers who I wouldn’t have been able to meet before. I am able to hear their stories and sometimes we come across the same issues like attendance of staff at events and membership. I find it very rewarding”., as I would like the associations to have a closer relationship, after all we all have the same goal. Marian also appreciates the friendships that are made along the way. “Work is not only about money, it’s also about friendships and relationships. Meeting new housekeepers,
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Ali Khondukar
Ali always looking for improvements It has been a busy 36 months for Ali Khondukar. Not only has the Executive Housekeeper of Macquarie University Hospital (MUH) introduced new microfibre systems into his department, but he has also attended a worldwide trade show in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The trade show was the 2012 ISSA Inter-clean event held last May. Ali spent two-and-a-half days covering 690 stalls and learning about industry trends and new products. He was also able to network with suppliers from across the world. “When I was there I was very interested in a cordless vacuum cleaner which was manufactured in Germany” Ali says. “I wanted the manufacturer to bring that product to Australia, which they did. I had a look at it and decided that if the battery life were extended from 45 minutes to 90 minutes and if the charger was built-in then I would buy the product for myself”. Ali is very proud of his housekeeping and has made some improvements during his tenure as Executive Housekeeper at MUH. “I have changed the cleaning program and job schedule. I am really happy with the result”. Ali had designed two products. “One is what I call Micro-pads, which is made from microfibre products. Micro-pads have replaced all sponges in the hospital”. Another product designed by Ali was the shaggy duster. It is also made from micro fibre. These products are available Australia-wide from INTERCLEAN. Ali’s department no longer uses inefficient mop buckets to clean.
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Instead Ali has introduced microfibre technology which not only has an absorbing power 12 to 14 times greater than cotton fibres, but also makes a tremendous reduction in water and chemical usage. Cleaning times are also reduced along with the risk of slipping on a wet surface. “Mop buckets can create back and shoulder problems and you need to ring out the mop maybe 30 times a day and then drag a 15 litre bucket around the hospital. That is why I use the microfibre system because it is very hygienic and economical”. Ali looks after 42 housekeepers. He is eager to teach his team new ways of improving. “If someone makes a mistake then the supervisor will retrain and explain how they did that. They work as a team and enjoy coming to work. We have a very good and functional job schedule, high quality cleaning equipment and we are always looking to show staff something new”. There as some differences between working as an executive housekeeper in a hospital compared to working in a hotel. “Working in the hospital means you have to follow certain guidelines like infection control, quality control … we need to make sure it is disinfected in every area,” Ali says. Ali grew up in Bangladesh and was qualified as a chef in Dhaka. He got into housekeeping after a friend working as a housekeeper invited Ali to join his company. Ali accepted and transferred between different hospitals before he was asked to replace someone who took a month off for a holiday. After this time the supervisor was so impressed with Ali’s work that he offered him a permanent position there. Ali immigrated to Australia and continued his career as a housekeeper in St. Vincent Private Hospital in
PROFILE 1988. He became a supervisor after only nine months in the job and then was later elevated to Housekeeping Manager looking after cleaning, laundry and linen. He left St. Vincent in 1999 and went to the InterContinental Hotel in Sydney as the Laundry Manager, which has been his only housekeeping job in a hotel. After that, he became the Housekeeping Services Manager at St. John of God
Hospital where he started an internal window and carpet cleaning system which now saves up to $30,000 per year. Outside of work Ali enjoys playing the drums. As a teenager in Bangladesh his band was broadcast on TV and when he was in Germany he played in a band called Play United. In Australia he plays at community events.
Ali’s success has come from his creativity when designing more efficient systems and his commitment to improving the housekeeping department that he is in charge of. After his accomplishments with microfibre systems and staff training programs, we can expect more big things from Ali in the future. ď Ž
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Cost Effective
FLOOR MAINTENANCE
by Gerry Goldberg, Chairman, Pall Mall Manufacturing Co Pty Ltd
It is generally accepted in the cleaning industry that floor maintenance is one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive, aspect of facility management. Despite this, floor maintenance, too often, is not given the attention it deserves.
T
he cleaning industry is an evolutionary, not a revolutionary industry. Concepts evolve over time, improvements in technology and methodology building on previous advances. Seldom are there sudden revolutionary changes that come out of the blue. However, the constant, incremental advances have brought considerable change, especially over the past thirty years or so. But the cleaning industry is quite conservative and does not necessarily jump to accept new ideas or developments. The consequence is that many of the advances continue to be disregarded by a substantial proportion of the cleaning maintenance industry despite their proven worth. The worst result of this has been a disregard of the many savings and economies that can be achieved by installing many if not all of these developments. Too often methods continue to be employed that could, were the advances to be taken up, save considerable cost and, at the same time, produce better results. Emerald High Performance Stripping pad
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One of the failings in the industry is lack of recognition of the 90/10 rule. It is a fact that, in a developed country such as Australia, about 90% of the cost of maintenance is labour and overheads while only 10% of total cost resides in supplies. Yet so many in the industry continue to battle with their suppliers to obtain better prices of supplies. So a contractor or facility manager may get a 5% across the board discount on all supplies when that proves to save, at best, only 5% of 10% of total cost which equates to 0.5% of overall cost. Its hardly worth the effort. Certainly not so when a 5% reduction in labour cost by introducing better methods saves 5% of 90% of total cost, which improves the bottom line by 4.5%, a most worthwhile saving. Naturally, the type of floors being maintained have a bearing as different flooring surfaces bring different advances and different cost savings.
Extraction or Bonnets Take, for example, carpet maintenance. In essence, there are two basic methods employed. Hot water extraction is the one method and bonnet use is the other. Old thinking results in one or the other method being adopted. Hot water extraction tends to achieve better indepth results than bonnets which tend to clean more superficially. But then consider labour cost. Bonnet cleaning is faster and tends to dry more quickly, making the overall maintenance cost less expensive. So one method cleans better, the other cleans more
Glomesh D Diamond pad 6000 grit
economically. Is it necessary to choose one or the other? It is not. Modern thinking would tell us that the two methods should complement each other. Assume that, in a public building, carpet needs three-monthly cleaning, then the year should start with a hot water extraction clean but each threemonthly maintenance should be done with bonnets where the capital outlay is relatively small and the cost so much lighter. Then, after twelve months, hot water is again used. That produces the best of both worlds and certainly reduces overall costs. And bonnet cleaning is easily performed in-house leaving extraction to be performed by a contractor if necessary and thus saving the higher capital outlay for an extraction machine.
Saving over 40% on stone floors It used to be standard for stone floors such as terrazzo, marble, limestone and the like to be maintained by applying a superficial polish as a sacrificial surface coating. The idea
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was that any damage Blah. ď Ž would be restricted to the polish coat, saving the stone from attack. Unfortunately Queen Carpet Bonnet the maintenance of such polished surfaces is extraordinarily expensive. Apart from regular burnishing, at regular intervals the damaged polish needs special attention by way of either cutting back and reapplying additional coats of polish or by the even more extreme stripping of all the polish and re-sealing from the beginning. The introduction of diamond impregnated floor maintenance pads, used without polish at all, has both simplified and dramatically reduced the cost of maintenance. A preparation process embracing a series of scrubs using pads with ever decreasing degrees of aggression (much like
sanding a rough piece of timber to a brilliant, polished finish), produces a floor that is mark, scratch and blemish free and perfectly levelled. The maintenance with a 6000 grit, very low aggression, diamond pad under a UHS burnisher brings a gloss equal to newly laid polish. And that is it. That maintenance with the 6000 grit pad continues ad infinitum. No more preparation. And the saving in labour is a massive 40% of the cost of floor maintenance compared to polished floors. Better result; lower cost.
UHS vs Regular Speed It is now over thirty years since the concept of Ultra High Speed burnishing was introduced to the cleaning industry. A UHS burnisher covers approximately ten times the area per hour that a regular speed swing machine does yet there are still areas where old-fashioned swing machines are used to buff floors with expensive labour mounting up costs that could be reduced to a quarter of what it was. The higher cost of the UHS machine is well offset by the labour savings.
Save 57% of Stripping Costs When polish is used on a floor, from time to time it requires stripping, This is a very labour intensive, slow, unpleasant task that takes a team of three staff an hour to strip about 100 sq m. That is the case, at least, using old-fashioned black stripping pads. But modern, Emerald high performance stripping pads are now readily available that strip in a quarter of the time of black pads, reducing the cost of stripping by a massive 57%. Yet there are still more black pads used than High Performance Stripping pads. With such labour saving surely an additional small extra pad cost is hardly relevant. And so it really is time for the cleaning industry to look more objectively and rationally at what they do in floor maintenance. So many modern methods are based on an understanding of the high cost of labour and of ways to save that cost. These few examples of ways to do better are but a small part of what can be achieved in floor maintenance today. ď Ž
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Lesley Skelt Interview
Head Housekeeper – Coworth Park, Berkshire, UK by Liz Lycette
I always look forward to presenting you with another industry icon and this time I was able to interview the 2012 UK Housekeeper of the Year, Lesley Skelt. It is interesting to hear someone else’s point of view, of their different experiences and career path, but most of all someone with a passion for housekeeping.
I
have known Lesley Skelt since the early 1980’s through our common contact L&A Associate, Janine Hancox. Lesley has a wealth of housekeeping and training experience within 5 star hotel properties in the UK and overseas, including a 2 year period spent with the Royal Household in Jordan. She has worked on hotel openings as a Housekeeper as a People Development Manager and as a General Manager. Lesley is “hands on” and an enthusiastic trainer, she thrives on challenges and works well under pressure. Lesley has just won the Hotel and Caterer Magazine UK Housekeeper of the Year award and her team came first at the recent UK Housekeeping Olympics. What is your cultural background? I am British born and bred. I was born in Essex and moved to Bournemouth as a child. What was your career path to date? I started as a chambermaid in a B&B at the age of 14. I attended Bournemouth College where I gained an OND in Hotel Management. My first position after graduating was at the Royal Bath Hotel as trainee Housekeeping Supervisor. I was promoted to Floor Supervisor and then moved to The Dorchester in London for 8 years ending up as
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one of the Assistant Housekeepers overseeing public areas. I then moved to Chewton Glen in Hampshire as Head Housekeeper. During this time I also spent 3 years lecturing at Bournemouth University, Dorset. In early 1993 I set off travelling and ended up for 6 months at the K Club in Barbuda in the Caribbean as Head Housekeeper. On my return to England I took up a role as Head Housekeeper at the Lygon Arms and in 1995 I moved to Jordan in the Middle East and became the Housekeeper for the Royal Palaces for 2 years. Back in the UK in 1999, I had various roles over the next 10 years with Hotel du Vin & Malmaison Group including opening Head Housekeeper, deputy GM, General Manager and a regional People Development Manager. I then went back to my Dorchester roots and joined Coworth Park in March 2010 before the Hotel opened in September 2010. What was your first role as Executive Housekeeper? Chewton Glenn in 1987 for 5 ½ years. What challenges did that bring? I was involved in a lot of staff training to improve the standards of the hotel along with a whole new management team at that time.
What is your current position and Hotel? What are your current job responsibilities at your hotel? I am the Head Housekeeper at Coworth Park, part of the Dorchester Collection. I am responsible for the rooms, public areas, linen and uniforms. Coworth Park is a 70-room luxury country house hotel and spa set in 240 acres of picturesque Berkshire parkland. 30 suites and rooms are located in the Mansion House and a further 40 suites and bedrooms in the converted stables and cottages. This of course brings many logistical challenges. How many staff are you responsible for? I have a team of 42 staff – both full time and part time. What would your typical day be like? I start at 7.30 am, check my emails and plan the day ahead. I have a walk through all areas and attend the Hotel operations meeting at 9 am. My housekeeping meeting is at 10 am and then my day varies, I could be ordering uniforms, trying to solve the ongoing problem of cobwebs on the exterior of the buildings, moving boxes, helping strip rooms or taking a supervisors section. Being a country house hotel, my role is very hands on so I am
always out and about; I usually finish from 7- 8 pm. What are your top four challenges this week? 1. Taking a storeroom and making it into an area presentable to the guest 2. 45 of our rooms are outside in the grounds – and its snowing!! 3. Dealing with the consequences of a tray of champagne being dropped in the front hall 4. Handling a personality conflict within the team. How did you choose those managers under you? Their personality must fit in with the rest of the team. They need to be “doers” with a get up and go attitude. Many of the team haven’t worked in hotels let alone Housekeeping before so that presents some challenges. How do you manage moving from country to country? I get to know the people and traditions including those in Muslim countries. How does pre-opening work compare with working in an existing property? What are the top 3 challenges in an opening? 1. Recruitment 2. Finding the right products to suit the establishment
3. Training – especially when you cant get into the Hotel until a week before its open.
How about your personal life? How do you balance work and home life?
Going from Europe to the Middle East what are the differences in your management style?
What do you do for fun?
In the Middle East you need to give very clear directions to the staff most of the staff come from the Philippines or Pakistan and are used to being directed. In the UK each person has to be managed individually. What are your top 3 tips for success in Housekeeping Management? 1. Stamina 2. Sense of humour 3. Getting on with people and learning how to motivate people. If you had to do it all over again what would you do differently? I’m glad I went into different areas other than Housekeeping; it gave me a better understanding especially when I was in HR or as a General Manager. When I was younger I didn’t have as much confidence. What advice would you give someone starting out in housekeeping? Get a good pair of shoes and get to know your team. Be ready for anything!
I don’t do this well.
I sleep and spend time with the family and friends. I also enjoy gardening and reading. How do you think housekeeping management has changed since you started? Housekeepers now have far more responsibility including budgeting, training and recruitment. We need to be to be more flexible, understand fabrics, floorings and cleaning methods and have a good knowledge of other departments. Where do you think it is heading? Housekeepers must educate themselves and become more knowledgeable. They need to be more aware of costs and potential savings. Housekeeping is a tough area, one of the biggest areas in the hotel and needs to be given credit for that. Coworth Park and Lesley’s team were the overall winners of the inaugural UKHA Housekeeping Olympics 2012 On the 5th October 2012 at the Millennium Copthorne and Chelsea Football Club, UKHA held the first
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Housekeeping Olympics competition. 27 hotels participated. The day was a wonderful demonstration of excitement, competitiveness, enthusiasm and hard work from all who entered. Each hotel could enter a team of 4 made up of Room Attendants and House Porters. The competition involved the following: Bed making & innovation Toilet Ball - an agility contest throwing a toilet roll into a container Vacuuming – 1 team member vacuumed a marked area covered with confetti The Knowledge – a questionnaire completed by the team. Eye for detail – 1 team member in a room had to find as many hidden stickers as possible. Coworth Park was the overall winner of the whole competition.
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Lesley was also named as 2012 Housekeeper of the Year by the Caterer and Hotelkeeper Magazine
team, and must be committed to the efficient running of the housekeeping department.
Since their launch in 2007, the Hotel Cateys have already become the UK hotel industry’s only truly independent benchmark of operational excellence.
Lesley Skelt, Head Housekeeper at Coworth Park won the award in 2012.
The awards recognise, reward and celebrate the unsung heroes who work tirelessly to support the UK’s hotel sector by delivering an exceptional guest experience day in, day out. There are 16 award categories, with a separate judging panel for each category. Each award had to meet specific set criteria, which varied depending on the category. A shortlist from each category was then drawn up and entries were scrutinised by a judging panel. Judges were invited by Caterer and Hotelkeeeper and were made up from those that work in the hotel and hospitality industry. The Housekeeper of the Year Award was open to all housekeepers who exemplify first-class cleanliness and hygiene in bedroom preparation in either an independent hotel or group hotel. They manage a housekeeping
About Lycette & Associates L&A specialises in all aspects of Housekeeping Management including on-site consulting, training and development workshops including assistance with initial set-up of housekeeping operations at the pre-opening stage. L&A also undertakes customised operational reviews of existing housekeeping operations identifying and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of current departmental procedures. For more information visit www.lycetteandassociates.com or e-mail info@lycetteandassociates.com
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Thinking Management
Doing the right thing to get ahead by dEAN Minett
A
t various times through my career, I have been asked how to get ahead.
Students want to know how they can get a new job; front line staff want to know how to get a promotion; and senior staff wanting to change jobs worry about losing security and the uncertainty of a new role and don’t know that to do. I remember even have a removalist once ask me something like how did I get my job, how to get ahead and something about the meaning of life! My answer to each of these questions tend to follow the same line of thought – wherever you are, whatever it is you do, do it to the best of your ability and things have a habit of falling into place for you. It sounds very simple, but it really has been the cornerstone of my working life.
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When I started off my working life as a hotel receptionist, I was very much in awe of everyone around me. It seemed that there were many sophisticated, experienced people who knew exactly what they were doing and where they were going, whereas I had just started and didn’t have a clue! What I learned along the way was that many of these folk were just as insecure as me, but learned to cope with it. I also learned that many of these folk did what they needed to, but no more. The cunning ones learned that they could earn a good wage without having to necessarily do all that everyone else did, or else learned to cover up when they made mistakes. The thing is, that works for a while, years even sometimes, but eventually mediocrity catches up with you and you stop learning. You also stop being promoted and you stop developing as a person. You end up one of those middle aged people who wonder how life passed them by and complain when others get ahead of them.
On the other hand, people who push themselves to be the best they can, do the best job they can, or be the best person they can usually end up a lot happier or a lot further up the tree. (Bear in mind, not everyone wants to be promoted; you can still do a great job, push yourself and still be happy at a non-management level). So, how do we achieve this? By continually asking ourselves, have I done the best I can do? My father was a chartered accountant and from an early age, I was always observing how he dealt with clients in his role. I may not have seen him in his office directly, but I heard how he spoke about them at home and I listened when he spoke with clients after hours on the phone. There was always a great deal of respect for his clients and co-workers/staff and he always went out of his way to ensure that they could rely on him as many had complex challenges that he had a knack for resolving. When Dad died two years ago, there were several hundred people at his funeral and the common feedback was of his wonderful work ethic and the positive impact he had on them.
work hard and still be disappointed because the company did not recognise us, but that is their prerogative. Until we own our own company, we are still subject to the directions of more senior management and they may have a different agenda to us. The positive side to this is that we do always have an option to take our talents elsewhere and find a new company that will recognise what we can offer. And trust me, if you are good, you will find that company. Secondly, we should always push ourselves for us, not others. I don’t mean be selfish but do a good job because that is the right thing to do; by pushing ourselves that extra mile we learn more about what we are capable of achieving than sitting down and whinging. As the old quote goes, no new lands were ever discovered by staying close to the shore. The same goes for self-discovery. Give it a go, you will be amazed at what you can discover.
In our own roles, we may not have clients in the same way as my father, but we do have customers, both internal and external. Our internal customers are of course our fellow staff members and the external ones are the guests with whom we interact every day. In these interactions we need to ask ourselves, have I done the best I can do? When my colleague ask me to help, do I do the absolute minimum with a silent whinge or do I try to help with a positive attitude, recognising we are all in it together? When a guest asks me to help them with directions, or some additional assistance, do I fob them off (“ask at reception”) or answer with the typical “I don’t know” or “I am not sure”? The people who stand out from the crowd are those who push themselves to help others. The natural leaders are those who see issues and take the initiative to fix them. These are the people who I would promote or provide more opportunity. These are the people who move ahead because they are always looking ahead. Whingers don’t get promoted (or if they do, it says something about the company culture so do you really want to work there?); slackers don’t get promoted (or again, if they do, it suggests management are too lazy themselves to verify performance); sycophants do get promoted unfortunately, but if so, it suggests culture issues as above so do you want to work there anyway? The type of company worth working for is the one that does recognise and reward a positive work ethic. I do need to make two final points: firstly, in doing our best we should always remember that no matter how good a job we do, it is still the company’s company, not ours. We may
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Seeking to improve ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE I
ncreasingly, organisations are seeking to improve their environmental performance. And this is just as prevalent in the hospitability sector. There are many drivers for this, but in the end it is often the bottom line that will ultimately decide what changes are made. The good news is that when it comes to environmental performance, improvements can actually bring a smile to the CFO as well. More efficient use of resources is almost always directly linked to saved costs. A greener building has been showed to increase productivity and green credentials can be marketed to increase brand loyalty. Improving one’s green performance means procuring more sustainable products. But trying to work out which product is better can be a challenge sometimes. It is near impossible for an individual, or indeed most companies, to scrutinise in detail all the credentials of a product to determine its “greenness”. Take cleaning products as an example, something that plays an important part in the day to day operations of housekeepers. There can be all sorts of claims, such as ‘Natural’, ‘Organic’ and ‘Green’ often accompanied by a range of images designed to give the impression of “greenness”. But putting a leaf, a globe or a smiley sun on your products doesn’t make them good for the environment and certainly doesn’t help us make an informed decision. And many claims, even if correct, don’t give the full story. For example, some cleaning products give the impression that
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being phosphorous free makes them green. Yet for many types of cleaning products – including many of the major brands on sale – phosphorous isn’t used, so the claim is pretty much irrelevant. There are many factors to take in to account and for a product, cleaning or otherwise, to be better for the environment. Its environmental impacts throughout its life, from manufacture to use and disposal – including its packaging and the claims on the packaging – need to be considered to give a true picture; it needs to address more than just one or two of these. And of course the product needs to work effectively. The good news is that help is at hand.
The national not-for-profit Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) exists to reduce environmental harm by promoting the production and consumption of environmentally preferable products and services and making it easier for people to choose them. It recognises that it’s simply not good enough for manufacturers to make their own claims as to their products’ “greenness” or for them to decide which things are important in making such claims. And the problem can remain when ecolabels are created by industry groups and for profit companies. These labels can potentially mislead the consumer or suggest
environmental performance is greater than it really is. In some instances manufacturers can place their own ecolabel on a product without changing the design and life cycle effects of their products and services.
GECA ecolabel on their packaging and advertising. Standards are developed using a transparent and public process that incorporates the application of detailed environmental performance criteria.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has also been vocal in this area, releasing a guide to educate businesses about their obligations regarding environmental claims under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.
Only once an organisation demonstrates through the independent verification that its product is in conformance with a GECA standard, will GECA issue the organisation with a licence for that product. The organisation is then entitled to display the GECA Ecolabel on the product and in marketing material, and to claim the product is ‘GECA certified’.
However, through the independent certification that GECA provides, customers can be sure that when they see the GECA Ecolabel they are buying an environmentally preferable product. GECA achieves this by creating robust Standards against which products are audited and those that pass muster are then able to demonstrate their environmental credentials by using the
community and the environment. By selecting GECA certified products you can have confidence that you are part of this action. And if a product you use or want to buy isn’t certified or you’re not sure about its environmental credentials, why not ask your supplier to get GECA certification.
GECA recognises that many organisations want to do the right thing and purchase (and sell) products that are better for the environment. By providing transparent and rigorous processes we provide credibility and integrity to this process and together we help reduce the demand on natural resources, and reduce the risk to the
GECA’s product database of some 2000 products can be accessed via www.geca.org.au. Many of these are directly relevant for housekeepers including cleaning products and services, shampoos and soaps, paper and sanitary products as well as furniture, carpets and other building materials.
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Soap Aid Soap Aid is a global charity that aims to help save millions of children’s lives from a totally preventable disease caused by inadequate sanitation, and is promised to be a huge development for the Australian hospitality industry.
T
he aim is to collect unused soap, often discarded by hotels daily, to reprocess, recycle, then donate fresh, new bars of soap for the simple act of hand washing to those in need across third world countries.
The shocking facts This ambitious humanitarian effort will help address one of the most critical needs facing childhood deaths in third world countries today. Across the globe, 2.5 billion impoverished people lack adequate sanitation (WHO, UNICEF) and death rates from hygiene related illnesses are countless. It is estimated that 1.8 million children under the age of 5 die each year. This equates to: • 6,000 child deaths everyday or one child every 25 seconds. • 160 infant school class rooms lost every single day. (WHO, WATERAID) It is a shocking fact that Diarrhoea kills more children every year than Aid’s, Malaria and Measles combined (WHO) and at any given time, half the hospital beds in developing countries are filled with people suffering from diarrhoea. (UNDD). However, by the simple act of hand washing with a bar of soap, the number of these life-threatening cases could reduce by over 40 per cent. (WATERAID).
Aiming to make a difference Plans for Soap Aid include the supply of education materials, for children, that communicate the importance of hand washing. Hygiene education and promotion of hand washing are simple,
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cost-effective measures that can reduce the number of diarrhoea cases across the globe. Soap Aids’ CEO, Michael Matulick believes the hospitality industry can make a huge difference. “Every day, thousands of hotels around the world discard millions of pieces of soap, which often ends up in already overflowing landfills. By collecting waste soap and reprocessing it, our industry can help make a significant contribution to two critical objectives – protecting the environment and potentially saving countless human lives.” To ensure the success of its initiative, Soap Aid is currently in discussion with charities and distribution companies to ensure that the used soap can be collected from hotel properties to be reprocessed and donated to children in need.
The used soap is broken down to remove any impurities and recast the soap into perfect new bars that bear the Soap Aid logo. Australia is the first to have an established Soap Aid program, but the board is aiming to gradually expand to other global regions. They will also encourage hospitality providers around the world to contribute to Soap Aid by recycling their guest amenities wherever possible.
How you can help Soap Aid welcomes your support and hopes that you too can join with us to make a difference to children’s lives. If you would like to know more about Soap Aid or how you can join the program? Head to www.soapaid.org and complete the support form.
Maureen Jolowicz Joins the Board of Soap Aid At the tender age of 21, Maureen Jolowicz became the youngest Executive Housekeeper ever in the UK (Holiday Inn) and has continued success with an award-winning career in the hospitality field for over 30 years. She is now based in Sydney where her career highlights have grown with some of the world’s largest hotel chains including Park Hyatt, Regent, Sheraton, and Radisson, where she is currently employed as Executive Housekeeper. Maureen has been privileged with opening key properties with these brands throughout the world and supporting the housekeeping teams in Sydney, China, Shanghai and Buenos Aires. Her passion and dedication for the housekeeping profession has seen her act as a key representative for a number of associations including the Professional Housekeepers Association NSW, where she currently holds the President position. Within these associations she has been the recipient of major awards including NSW Housekeeper of the Year (presented by AHA NSW) in both 2004 and 2011. But it was 2007 where she received perhaps the most considerable honour receiving the Carlson Fellow in the area of Stewardship award from a selection of 170,000 employees.
help make a difference 1.8 million children under the age of 5 die each year due to hygiene related illnesses. Washing their hands with a bar of soap can save lives.
CA_EXHK_120413
Join the Soap Aid Cause save@soapaid.org
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Reducing the risks in working with
Hazardous Cleaning Products
by Marslie Smits, Rubbedin Pty Ltd
E
xceptional housekeeping is vital if you want to turn your hotel into a destination rather than a place to stay. It’s a 24 hour and 365 day operation that contributes towards the overall reputation of a hotel. But an important part of housekeeping is not only about the cleanliness, maintenance and aesthetic upkeep of rooms, public areas, front and back of house and surroundings; it’s about ensuring the health and safety of all of your employees and guests too. Add to this the focus on environmental conservation, and housekeeping within the hotel industry has had to change many of its habits, especially when it comes to the chemicals they are using. Protecting the environment from harsh and hazardous chemicals is one thing, but what about the exposure to guests? There is nothing worse than walking into your immaculate looking room only to find the bathroom smells so strongly of bleach that it affects your breathing. And if that’s the exposure to guests, what about the exposure to people using the chemicals? Working with hazardous chemicals can be dangerous and the consequences for employees can be serious. Exposure can cause serious accidents as well as contribute to many health effects from irritation of the eyes and mucous membranes, dermatitis and respiratory disorders, to heart ailments, kidney and lung damage, even cancers. Individuals should be able to work without undue risk of injury, pain and distress. Organisations are well
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aware of their legal obligations when it comes to the Work Health and Safety Act and the need to have safety solutions in place to protect all workers from injury and illness, through effective safe systems of work and through risk assessments. In addition to the need to keep people safe, there are legal requirements for managing chemicals that are classified as hazardous substances. But with all these existing rules and regulations in place, wouldn’t it be easier to eliminate the risks by adopting a green purchasing policy? Green purchasing is defined as the purchase of products and services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products and services that serve the same purpose. Choosing less hazardous products that have positive environmental attributes and taking steps to reduce exposure can minimize the harmful impacts to both employees and guests, improve indoor air quality, and reduce water and air pollution while also ensuring the effectiveness of cleaning. So what should you look for? With so many products on the market and claims such as “natural”, “environmentally friendly”, “eco safe” etc., purchasers need to careful before they rush in and buy. Just because the label says it’s green, isn’t necessarily the case. Chemical classification and environmental standards for cleaning products are constantly changing and
some products that make claims or have endorsements may no longer be as “green” as they claim under new the new NOHSC classifications or latest GECA Standards. If you want to ensure you are getting something that isn’t covered in green-wash, ask vendors and manufacturers offering green cleaning products to define their green claims. Request a copy of the MSDS (Material Data Safety Sheet before purchasing your cleaning products. A product’s MSDS is the best source of information; if the chemicals are designated as a hazardous substance it will be stated on the MSDS. These Material Safety Data Sheets will help to identify any potential health and safety effects and the precautions to follow when using the chemical. They also provide information on safe handling, storage and disposal, and first aid instructions in the event of exposure. If, after reading the MSDS, you decide that there are risks associated with using a chemical, or having it in the workplace, you will need to eliminate or reduce the risks, or better yet, find an alternative product. Here are some things to look for when choosing the right green products: • Minimal presence of, or exposure to, potentially harmful chemicals such as: - Strongly irritating substances such as D-Limonene. Otherwise known as Orange Oil, D-Limonene, (a biodegradable substance), is extremely irritating to skin, eyes and respiratory systems. It can also be toxic to aquatic life.
- Substances classified as known or likely human carcinogens or reproductive toxins.
• Concentrated formulas with appropriate handling safeguards • Recyclable packaging
• Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) content
• Recycled-content packaging
• Biodegradable
• Refillable bottles
• Low toxicity in aquatic species
• Pump sprays rather than aerosols
• No phosphates and low sodium levels
• Clear labelling and information on use and disposal
• Low flammability
• Independent third party certification is under current Standards
Greening your hotel and ensuring the risks to employees, guests and the environment are minimised, need not be difficult. Cleaning your hotel has to be effective and there are many products available that can achieve the same level of performance at a reduced cost to all. For more information on green procurement visit www.earthcheck.org For current GECA Cleaning Products Standards 2012 visit www.geca.org.au .....See GECA article also in this issue....
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IMAGINE A SITUATION WHERE YOUR MINIBAR IS ACTUALLY Making – not just losing –
Revenue for your Hotel With the advent in our industry of quality European, technologically sophisticated automated minibars, the situation above is becoming a reality for some hotels, and is certainly becoming more accessible for others.
A
utomated minibars and ’e-baskets’ are ideal primarily for the following reasons: They provide real time, up-to-date information about stock levels, audit, invoice and report on guest preferences and purchases, reduce the number of denials, shrinkage, walk-outs and non-checked DND rooms. In fact, automation of minibar stock and processes has an answer for all situation currently contributing to the loss of revenue that occurs with manual minibars. Through an interface with the front office system and the minibar’s sensors, the automated minibar provides real time reporting to hotel front office systems about the time and date on which an item is lifted from the minibar. The charge for the particular item is directly recorded onto the guest’s account. For extra control and protection, there is a charge time delay which prevents the guest from replacing or substituting the selected item. In terms of ease of maintenance, the system also provides realtime reports on the overall condition of the minibars. Technical faults are reported online immediately so that they can then be attended to, thus avoiding guest dissatisfaction and down time. Daily usage reports, popular item reports, use-by date lists, and other useful tools and reports are available and built in to be conveyed
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through the PMS interfaces in order to benefit and improve Hotel Operations. Having an automated minibar alleviates the time consuming necessity for a full-time employee to physically check each and every room to determine which products are missing in the non-automated minibar and whether genuine products have been tampered with. It avoids human error, which is bound to occur no matter how diligent a person is at their job. With “ordinary” minibars, stock of all items has to be on hand for replenishment, and it is essential to get that right – wastage can occur if the hotel is overstocked, and guest dissatisfaction if the stock is unavailable. Quibbles over what was or was not consumed can also lead to unpleasant queries at check-out.
According to Gidon Sattinger, the Managing Director of Vintech Systems, his company’s product – Bartech – can also pay its way in terms of energy saving and reduced staffing. “Instead of salaried staff having to manually process information regarding guests’ minibar consumption, an automated minibar can be a very good return on investment,” said Mr Sattinger.
“Particularly if the hotel enters into a revenue sharing agreement with our company. It couldn’t be easier. And so simple to work. “The minibar’s temperature can be set and adjusted remotely from the server. Minibars in occupied rooms can be cooled to desired levels, and those in non-occupied rooms can be adjusted to appropriate warmer temperatures so that they use minimal energy. In this way, Bartech minibars provide tangible energy management, control and savings. “When the room is unoccupied, the minibar is locked and the inventory is protected against theft. When the legitimate guest arrives, the minibar unlocks. If an item is taken out, there is a timed delay before the occupant is charged. We know which goods to replenish when the daily report is run. Very little manual checking is involved, and the guest cannot replace the item with another. At checkout time, the charge is already on the account with no room for excuses not to accept costs. “Bartech also checks the inventory automatically so there is no wastage with expired products. This is coupled with a comprehensive reporting system which guarantees full control
with very little effort. We’ve found that an energy saving of up to 50% is possible, with a 75% saving on staff costing. Overall, the return on investment for a well sized four or five-star city or airport hotel could be as little as three to four years depending on occupancy rates and how well the system is managed by the Food and Beverage department. We need no infrastructure in terms of cabling or special requirements for communication between the
minibar and the main server. If there are budget restrictions, we can offer 4 different stages – the upgradeable minibar that starts the process with minimal budget, the semi- automatic, the fully automatic, and lastly online e-trays. Except for the first option, each will bring a return to the kind of profitable returns we have been discussing.” This comment from Mr Sattinger illustrates the trend that the response to automation from top resorts and luxury hotels is growing as the attraction and convenience of the minibar extends beyond the planning of an expensive and glamorous fit-out, and transforms it into a means of fiscal return. It is well known that up until now some hotels have removed all saleable goods from their existing minibars. This is due to the high running expenses – even losses – from high labour costs, shrinkage and disputes. From now on, this need not be the only option. At last, hotels can now confidently invest in top automated systems that guarantee the profitable running of the minibar with full control and ease. That is a good reason to celebrate with a long, cold drink – with nibbles of course! Article by Vintech Systems.
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Just Who Do
They Think They Are, Anyway? by Carol Kobylanski
At some point you may come across someone who just makes it difficult for you to get along with them. More often than not when these people are confronted by someone telling them they are “difficult,” they appear to be shocked (and probably offended) at such news.
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hen dealing with one difficult person, it’s tempting to try to simplify all difficult people into one category. However, to help better understand people, there are several well-known studies that identify characteristics and categorise them into basic personality types with which people can identify. Knowing and understanding the types and how to best interact with each personality is almost like having a road map through the other person’s mind. Let’s follow Jane through this opportunity. Jane is fairly easygoing and only a few times in her career has she come across someone she could not work with successfully. However, when her new supervisor, Chris, arrived, Jane faced a challenge she didn’t expect. Her new supervisor was extremely direct when he reviewed his expectations with her, and she felt fairly sure she would be able to meet his expectations. But when Jane would attempt to discuss her assignments with him, Chris seemed
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to quickly tune her out and would grow impatient with her detailed descriptions. He just didn’t give her a sense that he was interested in what she had to say. Chris would cut their meetings short or cancel them completely and just send her an email saying he was too busy to meet with her, but telling her she should continue working on the projects they had reviewed previously. This left Jane confused and frustrated. She valued sharing her ideas with a supervisor as a way of reflecting on good ideas and enhancing them, as well as talking through ideas that may not be as useful to her department. For Jane, the meetings were an opportunity to better understand what her supervisor wanted from her, and it served as a mini brainstorming session where she had the chance to talk through her ideas. Now, with her new supervisor, Jane was struggling to understand why Chris seemed to dislike working with her, yet would tell her to keep performing the work as she was.
After several months, Jane was still extremely frustrated and confused about her supervisor’s expectations, but there was something she could have considered that might have helped her to better understand their relationship. That “something’’ has to do with different personality types and work styles. Personality types have been studied in great detail, and there are several current popular systems which may have differences, but also have definite similarities. There is extensive research to support each method and to explain how each theory works. If you would like to read more in detail about some of the concepts, a computer web search for “personality types” will provide excellent starting resources. Although each technique may have differences (for example, one approach suggests there are four personality types, whereas another indicates there are sixteen personality types), there are more similarities than differences. For instance, the systems don’t imply that there is a right or wrong personality type, but they do feel there are ways for others to better work successfully with each style. In the example with Jane and her supervisor, what Jane didn’t realise was that she and Chris had completely opposite personality types. Understanding the similarities and differences in personality types and how to work with each personality is the answer that Jane and her supervisor needed in order to have a better working relationship. Instead, without that knowledge, the two personalities grated against each other and both found that their best interaction was, unfortunately, limited interaction. They were able to achieve the results necessary for their department, but both individuals felt drained when they needed to work closely together. Had they been able to work better as a team, it’s likely they could have achieved much more. Chris’s temperament suits his position in middle management. His personality is designed to lead and move tasks forward and get things done. Risk-taking and a need to always be moving ahead and searching for new, better ways to perform traditional tasks are Chris’s motivators. In contrast, Jane’s disposition makes her more comfortable analysing information before jumping into a project, and also encourages her to be detail-oriented in most of her work patterns. In Jane’s role, it is useful that she is detail-oriented and likes to take her time and think things through. However Jane’s work style caused Chris to feel like maybe Jane was not as competent as he needed her to be or as willing to change as he felt was required for the department to advance. Procedures that Jane considered valuable to her department, her supervisor viewed as weaknesses in Jane’s job performance. Chris felt Jane was afraid to move ahead, whereas Jane felt she was doing a good job by making sure progress equalled success. In the example of Jane and Chris, you’ve heard some of the key characteristics of a variety and blend of personality styles.
Chris has a strong personality that can be useful as a manager. He wants to see progress and he’s not afraid to be direct for what he wants or to get where he wants to be. Jane wants to be thorough and detail-oriented. She prefers to move forward slowly in order to have all her details confirmed. In the case of Jane and her supervisor, if they did understand each other’s personalities, they actually may have successfully worked together because, in reality, their strengths and weak nesses were opposites that could have complimented each other’s to make a strong team. Hearing their story, you may already be wondering about which personality type best fits you. This article has not itemised all characteristics or styles, however, knowing your own strengths and weaknesses, and how they fit these categories, can be very beneficial. This can be accomplished through a variety of programs, often including a test you can take to identify which style suits you best. Some programs offer these tests online for free. Understanding how your personality works with others’ can then be reviewed once you complete the test. Again, a little web searching will provide an excellent start. If you prefer another option, a video is available at the online IEHA store that also shares the idea of differing personality types in a humorous format. There are also sessions offered
Empire Hospitality Australia Pty Ltd Suite 102/243 Pyrmont St Pyrmont NSW 2009
At Empire Hospitality we pride ourselves in providing
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by training programs, continuing education resources, etc., and you can find the approach that suits you best by doing a little research. Each technique may have differences, but overall they basically contain the same concepts and can offer you explanations on how to work better with others who either share or contrast with your basic disposition. If Jane or Chris had known the key points to each of their personality types, they would have been able to use that knowledge to their benefit. Jane’s caution caused her supervisor to see her as weak. If Chris better understood their opposite personalities, he might have better appreciated Jane’s cautionary style and he could have learned to rely on it in situations that needed elements to be doublechecked. Jane values interaction, or at least feedback, from her supervi sor. However, to get her point across, Jane tends to get into lengthy explanations, and her supervisor’s personality type loses interest if an explanation can’t get to the point quickly. If Jane understood this, she could create bulletpoints and use short sentences or even sentence fragments in a very short
report or an email, and Chris would likely be able to review her ideas and give her feedback within a day or two. If you are able to learn about your own personality; you work better, no matter what other personality types you find on your team. If you would like an even better outcome, and are able to be part of a system where you learn about your colleagues’ personalities, you can then use your strengths to complement theirs. You may also want to use this type of information if you are hiring staff. It could be useful, if you’re hiring a new supervisor, to choose someone with a personality style that has strengths that may not be as prevalent within your department. The options of how to use this information are vast once you study them. Having this insight can answer the question that may cross your mind the next time you find yourself working with a “difficult” personality: “Just who do they think they are?” You will already have the answer. Published with permission of EHT.
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Cleanliness & Hygiene
– A system to ensure consistency by Brendon Granger
70% of guests say it’s THE MOST important factor when DECIDING WHERE TO STAY.
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ecent *research from Europe reported that almost 70 percent of hotel guests say that cleanliness and hygiene are the
most important factors they consider when selecting a hotel. Two-thirds of the respondents stated that they had stayed in a hotel that was not clean.
TECHNOLOGY
Use it to enhance your Guest’s Stay Delight your guests with a fully integrated iPod/iPhone and NOW iPad charging and docking Clock Radio. Quality you’d expect from iHome and loaded with hotel features.
Web-based Room Inspection System
• Quick & Easy – spend less time tracking and managing. • Stay On Track – with Autoscheduler, you’ll never miss a beat • Dashboard & Scoreboard – real time, any where, any time.
1300 503 657
www.Technology4Hotels.com.au
Brendon Granger | P 02 9476 3505 M | 0422 236 236 E | brendon@Technology4Hotels.com.au
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international hotels to increase operational efficiencies, reduce labour costs and provide their guests with an improved and more consistent in-room experience.
While 82 percent had told family and friends about their experience, 75 percent were put off returning, and 72 percent recommended family and friends not to stay there. In summary, the cleanliness of your rooms determines whether a guest will ever return. Hotel guests will forgive some negatives during their stay but a dirty room isn’t one of them. It is therefore vital that the guest’s in-room experience is the best that it can possibly be. Standards and a system to ensure adherence to them is the key. The Housekeeping Touch System™ (Touch System) allows hotels to do just that by removing inconsistencies in presentation and cleanliness. The Touch System is an affordable and easy to use total quality management tool. It is used by top U.S. and
The Touch System is a web-based mobile inspection system for use on any mobile device with a web browser (iPad, Samsung tablet, Smartphone or desktop computer. Inspection results are recorded straight away whilst in the room. The solution replaces manual paper tracking systems. It allows housekeeping staff to more effectively track the level of cleanliness via daily room inspections and also to track deep cleaning and preventative maintenance programs. Special inspections and maintenance tasks are no longer forgotten thanks to the auto scheduler. Housekeeping is the key behind the scenes department and as the
research shows their work in delivering clean rooms determines whether a guest will ever return to a hotel. When a hotel provides housekeepers with the right tools and equipment to do their job properly the guest is always the beneficiary. The Touch System is one of those tools. It’s extremely simple and affordable whilst proving housekeepers with the ability to more effectively manage their guest rooms. It is the perfect tool for any hotel that wants to have control over the quality and cleanliness of their guest rooms. For further information please contact Technology 4 Hotels Free call: 1300 503 657 E: Brendon@Technology4Hotels.com.au W: www.Technology4Hotels.com.au *Research completed by Hotelschool in The Hague in conjunction with Sealed Air’s Diversey business compiled responses from almost 700 people in 5 major EU countries.
PRESENTED BY:
18— 20 JUNE 2013 BRISBANE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE CO-LOCATED WITH:
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CLEANSCENESHOW.COM.AU 1300 656 184 SPONSORED BY:
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First impressions
in façade maintenance by Emma Fleetwood-Jones
Cleaning and maintaining the exteriors of buildings is an important way to improve the image of your hotel or motel – and technologically advanced cleaning equipment makes it easy to achieve outstanding results.
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F
irst impressions count – it’s an accepted fact in all walks of life. If you want to sell your house, a tidy front garden and freshly painted front door will help; cordon bleu chefs will often say that we eat with our eyes, so go to great lengths to make their dishes look beautiful; and if you want to get that new job a smart suit will go down better than jeans and a scruffy T-shirt! The same goes for the image of your hotel or motel – so keeping your premises pristine, both inside and out, is crucial. They are the public faces of your organisation, so if they look below par, chances are that both existing and potential new clients will be less than impressed and take their custom elsewhere. A smart, clean façade to your buildings presents a professional face to the world, stating that your business really does mean business. Making sure that effective and regular cleaning regimes are in place is therefore a must, but there are many different issues that need to be taken into consideration when cleaning the façades of buildings. Safety is arguably the most important, and there have been significant changes in this area in the last few years.
Design and technology provide safe solutions Advances in technology have a big part to play in influencing how an industry sector evolves. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the most obvious and visual manifestation of façade maintenance – window cleaning. The ‘traditional’ days are long gone – thanks to advances in design that have made window cleaning faster, safer and more efficient. Water-fed poles have become the equipment of choice for professional window cleaners, allowing them to clean high buildings and windows safely from the ground, alleviating the need to work at height.
operatives to clean to heights of up to 65ft while keeping their feet firmly on the ground, all make this sector of the industry a fast-changing and exciting place to work in.
Assess the risks Pure water is used in this type of cleaning because it leaves glass and surfaces spot and streak free, without the need for chemicals. Pure water is, as the name suggests, water in its purest form. To get to this state the water is processed to remove the minerals and impurities that would otherwise dry and lead to spots and streaks. These impurities are known as Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and are measured in parts per million (ppm) – water is considered pure when its TDS is measured at 0ppm. The two water purification methods recognised by the cleaning industry are: • Deionisation (DI) – where the water is filtered through ion exchange resin which attracts and removes 99% or more of the minerals • Reverse Osmosis (RO) – where the water is passed through a series of membranes and filters which retain and flush away most of the minerals and impurities Water-fed poles continue to evolve, incorporating new design features and materials that make these systems even easier to use, with the added bonus that they deliver even better quality results in a fraction of the time, saving companies money too. The ‘next generation’ water-fed poles provide a better balance between weight and rigidity. Because the poles are lighter it makes the cleaning operative’s job easier and more comfortable, but this reduction in weight does not compromise rigidity, meaning that the poles are still responsive and easy to control, allowing brushes to get right into every corner. Advances in brush head design, water delivery via multi-jets, angled adapters and pole extensions that allow
As with any cleaning job, site surveys and risk assessments will help to establish the best equipment to deliver the results you require. It can also identify gaps in knowledge or training, and how frequently your façade needs to be cleaned. The different materials that need to be cleaned must also be taken into consideration. For instance, is it primarily glass (windows) that need to be cleaned, or are there other materials on the exterior of your building that will also need attention, such as metal signage? With an increasing awareness of environmental issues, companies are also thinking about incorporating energy saving into their business activities, and energy creation is also a hot topic. Solar panels are becoming more and more popular – for residential and business premises – but they need regular cleaning. Exposure to rain water does help to wash off some dirt, but it also adds new dirt particles to the panel. A build up of dirt and soil can reduce the light absorption of solar panels, making them less efficient and effective. Water-fed pole technology is now stepping up to the mark to provide solutions to this particular problem by developing larger brushes with soft bristles specifically designed to clean and prevent damage to solar panels. With further developments in technology and training in response to market forces and customer needs, façade maintenance and cleaning can only continue to become easier, quicker and more professional. For more information about the latest facade maintenance cleaning technologies, contact Pall Mall Manufacturing, provider of specialist accessories to the commercial and industrial cleaning sectors, and exclusive distributors for Unger cleaning equipment in Australia – telephone +61 2 9584 8644 or visit www.pallmall.com.au
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A Focus on
Problem Pests by Glenn DuBois, MCom(UNSW) –
Secretary of Australian Pest Controllers Association Inc.
K
eeping pests at bay can be expensive and ineffective without full cooperation from the property manager.
According to Glenn DuBois of Australian Pest Controllers Association, the usual periodic use of insecticides must work in conjunction with non-chemical controls managed by the property owner/manager. In addition, there are new pest control products on the market that give far superior safety and effective control of insect pests commonly associated with the hospitality industry. In this article, we examine three prime pests that regularly infest hotel and motel premises, namely, bed bugs, ants
and cockroaches, and what the property manager can do to help ensure such pests are effectively controlled.
Bed Bugs Bed Bugs are blood-suckers and are commonly found in motels, hostels or boarding houses where itinerant travellers stay overnight. Bed bugs are transported with luggage, clothing and other articles, but not on the person. It is not practicable to know if boarding guests are ‘bed bug carriers’. Bed Bugs do bite, at night, often evidenced by dots of blood in a line on bed linen. Non Chemical Pest Control procedures include the regular inspection of the entire bedroom, particularly bed linen
Contact us at save@soapaid.com or call 1 800 810 476 to find out more on how to get involved.
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and other areas where luggage and clothing are stored, for signs of bed bugs. These areas should be thoroughly vacuumed on a regular basis paying particular attention to underside of mattress and nooks and crannies in these areas. Look for dots of blood in a line on bed linen. The blood has a sickly sweet odour. Also look for dried blood deposits around cracks in the bed, bed-head, flooring, bedside furniture and mattress. Bed bugs feed for 3 to 5 minutes at night, in the early morning hours, before returning to their harbourage area, usually located within a few metres from their feeding area. Bed bugs can survive for long periods without a blood meal. High standards of hygiene and sanitation will certainly help as an on-going preventive measure. All clothing, bed linen, curtains, fabrics and the like must be laundered prior to insecticidal treatment. Seal gaps in furniture, floor boards and cracks in wallpaper and other such areas where bed bugs can hide during the day light hours. We recommend to use a professional pest controller for periodic insecticidal treatment in any commercial lodgings situation where bed bug infestations are likely to be a problem. Do NOT attempt do-it-yourself pest control using a surface spray on bed-linen or mattress. Such a use could be a DANGER to the health and safety of the occupants and will most likely result in ongoing infestation. A new product recently released by Bayer, namely Temprid insecticide spray is highly recommended to be used against bed bugs. Where a spray cannot be used say near electricals we recommend Permethrin dust be used. In addition, it may be essential for the entire room to be treated using pyrethrum insecticide dispensed through a fogging or misting machine, in order to flush the bed bugs out of their hiding areas and into contact with the Permethrin dust or Temprid surface spray. The cost of professional pest control for bed bugs using the recommended low hazard insecticides, will depend upon several factors, including the size of the property, the extent of infestation and ease of access to treatment areas.
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Bed bug control requires extensive time, effort and expertise to solve a severe infestation. Service warranties may vary depending upon the circumstances and risk of reinfestation.
Ants Ants often infest kitchens, pantries and dining areas in large numbers. Until recently, ants were by far the most difficult of all pest control problems to solve in a timely and cost effective manner. The latest generation ant control products are non-repellent to the ants and to focus on achieving a transfer effect, that is, the ants come into contact with the surface spray and transfer the chemical back to the colony nest. The chemical has a delayed effect and is highly effective at entire colony eradication. Ants live in permanent colony nests located in a variety of habitats, in the soil, in timber, under pavers, in wall cavities and roof void spaces of buildings. Correct identification of the particular pest species of ant is vital to implementing a control program. You need to know their likely nesting location and the type of food they prefer. Some species nest in the ground, others are more likely find a home in your roof void or wall cavity. Some ants prefer sugary foods whilst others are predominately meat eaters. The problem ants for kitchens and commercial premises are usually the sugar feeding variety. Non Chemical Pest Control Procedures include regular inspection of premises for signs of an ant infestation. Try to locate their nesting site which sometimes is easier said than done. They follow pheromone trails back to their nest. Where practicable, minimise food and water source for the ants. Food supplies to be stored in sealed containers.
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Food and other edible waste products to be stored where ants and other pests cannot gain access. Chemical Pest Control – make sure the pest controllers uses the latest generation of ant baits is that have a delayed lethal transfer effect. Ant baits are applied to high activity areas. Foraging ants collect and carry the appetising food bait back to feed the other ants in the colony nest. The ant baits are designed to be very palatable to the ants but takes several days before the lethal effect kicks in. Enough time to be transferred back to the colony nest to be fed to other ants. With sufficient dosage the entire colony is eradicated in matter of days. If applied in sheltered locations, the new generation ants baits and sprays, should last the majority of the extended summer period. You would be unlikely to need any follow up procedures. So it’s probably cheaper in the long run to use the more expensive but highly effective ant control products.
Cockroaches Everybody hates cockroaches due to their unsanitary environment. They eat rancid meats and almost anything organic. Several species are problematic in Australia. It is the smaller light brown German cockroach that can rapidly infest kitchens and other food handling premises.
Particularly inspect incoming goods for live cockroaches, cockroaches eggs and faeces. If you spot some contact the supplier to advise them of the problem. Where practicable, minimise food and water source for the cockroaches. Food supplies to be stored in air tight sealed containers. Food and other edible waste products to be stored where cockroaches and other pests cannot gain access. Seal all cracks and crevices in the premises where cockroaches may congregate. They even like to hideout under picture frames. Minimise cockroach harbourage areas. Where practicable, store all containers and articles, particularly cardboard boxes off the ground as otherwise, Chemical controls – Make sure any pesticides used by professional pest controllers are the latest generation of cockroach baits is that have a delayed lethal transfer effect. Cockroach baits are applied to areas in the kitchen away from regular human contact. The foraging cockroaches eat the bait and carry it back to feed to the other cockroaches in the nest. With sufficient dosage the entire nest of cockroaches are eradicated in matter of days. Regular insecticidal treatment is required.
A WORD OF WARNING:
The female German cockroach carries an egg sac of about 40 eggs – which can hatch and reach maturity within one month. A very rapid breeding cycle.
There are many of the older style insecticides for pest control on the market that are far cheaper but will not give such certainty of total elimination of the infestation.
Generally cockroaches are nocturnal. Preferring to come out in the quite dead of night when no one is around. If you see them during the day you have a large infestation.
Make sure you ask the pest controller if they use these leading new generation products. They are safer and much more effective.
Non-chemical procedures include regular inspection of premises for signs of cockroaches. Their faeces look like small black dots often confused for tea leaves.
For further information go to PestControl.org.au or contact Glenn DuBois at Australian Pest Controllers Association Inc – phone 1300 660 200.
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Hotel Soft Refurbishment Specialists
W.H. Amad, a family owned business, was established in 1910 as manufacturers to the hospitality industry. W.H. Amad is a vertical operation (possibly the last genuine one in Australia) specialising in hotel refurbishments including the manufacture of curtains, bed linen, quilts, bedspreads, bed throws, cushions, quilted valances and more.
serv ice
Pictured above: Luxurious All Cotton Trimmed Quilt Cover Sets, Marco Polo 600gsm Fitted Mattress Toppers and Sateen Stripe Bed Linen.
As all manufacturing is done under one roof, we are able to meet special requirements such as irregular sizes, ID threads, special constructions, critical delivery schedules etc. With a combined total of over 100 years experience in the industry, our highly trained staff can assist in all facets of product development, enabling you to have a totally individual look for your establishment. We have an extensive range of fabrics to choose from, or you can specify your own designs and fabrications. Together with our extensive range of bed linen, towelling and associated manchester products... W.H. Amad is truly a one stop shop.
W.H. Amad / Bill Christopher Textiles Phone:
03 9350 2055 1300 WH AMAD (1300 942 623) Email: customerservice@whamad.com.au TAS Sales: Malcolm Atkins 0418 142 456 NSW Sales: Scott Uglow 0401 107 517
whamad.com.au 67
Product NEWS NEW GALA MOPS OFFER SIX CHANCES TO WIN AN i-PAD MINI With the launch of their brand-new range of Premier Grade Gala 400 Mops, Pall Mall Manufacturing is running a promotion that gives every purchaser of Gala mops the opportunity of winning a most sought after Apple iPad Mini. There will be six winners drawn and the promotion runs for almost two months from April 15 until June 7. Entry is so simple. All that is necessary is to tear the Bar Code off the plastic bag of any Gala Mop purchased, attach it to a filled-in Entry Form found at all Gala Mop stockists and pop into the Gala Mop promotion box at that stockist. There is no restriction on the number of entries that may be made. The draw of the six winners will take place at the CleanScene Cleaning Expo in Brisbane on June 20. However, attendance at the CleanScene Expo is not a pre-requisite. If you are successfully drawn, supply of the prize is assured. The chance of winning such a prize at no cost to the entrant, when added to the superior quality of these top-class Gala mops makes this a most attractive concept. The decision by Pall Mall to extend their Gala range of cleaning accessories into mops was predicated on their ability to source mops of a quality that matches any premium mop on the market.
Weatherdon recently amplified its product range with a 2100W retractable power cord Nero hair dryer. Designed for hotels, apartment and resorts, this 2100watt hair dryer is the perfect blend of power and versatility. The high speed motor flows air through at a higher velocity, drying hair faster than most dryers. The retractable cord retracts into the handle with the touch of a button, for convenience and easy storage. The Ionic function seals the hair cuticles, reduces frizz and static and leaves the hair shiny. FEATURES:
The Gala mop range is colour coded in five colours as recommended by the Cleaning & Hygiene Council of Australia. Yellow, Red, Green, Blue and White are all available in a 400 gram heavy duty, commercial grade mop with superior quality fibre blend for top-class cleaning results.
- 2100 watts of power - Three heat & two speed settings - Cool shot locks style in place - Retractable power cord 1.8 Metre - Ionic function - Air concentrator and removable filter - 1 year warranty
The tough fibre yarn gives long life in commercial use and the premium fibre reduces linting while being highly absorbent.
It can be purchased in quantities of 6 and carries the product code 7412001.
In addition, 1.5m long Gala aluminium handles are colour coded to match the mops and threaded to screw into the mop socket.
For more information please visit www.weatherdon.com.au or send us an email to sales@weatherdon.com.au
For more information contact enquiries@pallmall.com.au
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New Nero Retrak Hair Dryer by Weatherdon
It’s the little things that make a difference to tea sales Tea has a rich tradition, originating in China over 2000 years ago. Today around 50% of Australian adults regularly consume tea. What is interesting is that when drinking out of home, tea represents only around 7% of the hot drinks consumed. This reveals an opportunity to create tea experiences in your venues and hotel rooms that delight your guests.
difference when serving tea; from warming the pot to placing a garnish on the side of the cup. These small touches help elevate the tea experience for your guests and encourage repeat orders. For many Australians the ritual of making tea and then watching the tea leaves unfurl is both soothing and meditative and an important part of their daily routine. Providing leaf tea to your guests when away from home will improve their experience whilst staying at your venue.
One way to delight your tea drinking guest is to offer a range of teas that cover the key segments including traditional black tea, chai, green tea (known for it’s many health benefits), herbal tisanes and white tea. Each type offers a different experience or feeling when consumed; from ‘pick me up’ to ‘calm me down. Having a variety of teas on offer that are tailored to suit your particular clientele will make them feel more at home.
At Madame Flavour our mission is to help you to surprise and delight your guests. Our loose-leaf teas are sourced directly from our favourite estates and blended with local Australian ingredients, creating a modern twist on traditional tea blends. The Madame Flavour tea ambassadors have more secrets they can share with you to help improve your tea service in your various outlets and increase your guests enjoyment in rooms.
Have you thought about how the tea is presented when being served to your guests? The little things make the
If you would like to find out more email: highteaseries@madameflavour.com or phone 1800 780 109.
MICROFIBRE Do you use microfibre in your day to day cleaning activities? If so, you’ll be interested to know Microfibre World has been providing high quality cleaning cloths for over six years. Microfibre World is the importer and bulk wholesaler specialising in B2B sales. Microfibre World provides just one product – 40 X 40 cloths in six different colours. We only supply one product and do this exceptionally well, providing a thick 330 GSM cloth for only $1.00. You may ask how we can sell this quality cloth for only a dollar? We do it by offering a very limited range of products; one product in six colours reduces our investment, storage and simplifies our operation. Over the years we have seen boutique microfibre companies come and go by offering cloth towels in various colours, shapes and sizes. Names such as dusting cloth, mini cloth, polishing and ultra absorbent – the list goes on and all selling for boutique prices. This is only a false marketing gimmick. These cloths offer little in performance gains and do nothing but confuse the user. How can you tell the quality of the cloth? Two quick methods: hold it up to the light and look for holes then grab two ends and snap it to see how well it holds its shape. Our cloths are thick – 330 GSM, you cannot see through them and they hold their shape. Samples are free for the asking. Prices are based on one box of 200 cloths, mix and match for different colours in lots of 50. Delivery is charged at cost. For more information visit www.thermocontrols.com.au
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New Urinal Screens Added to Gala Range Pall Mall, major importers and national distributors of cleaning accessories, has added Z_Screen Urinal Screens to its ever-increasing Gala range These new, modern design, urinal screens are based on the same fragrance range as their already well accepted Z-Aire air care cartridges. In addition each fragrance has its own colour coding to ensure noticeable, regular changes of fragrance. Orchard Zing is coloured green, Cherry Burst is red, Citrus Zest is orange and Fresh Blast is smoke colour. This means that both the Z-Aire air care cartridge and Z-screen urinal screen can have a matching fragrance which reinforces the overall effect. In addition the use of a new plastic base rather than vinyl ensures the screen can hold twelve times more fragrance
Have you received your complimentary saving wheel from Electrolux Laundry Systems? Take the load off with an in-House Laundry and save money.
For your complimentary saving wheel please contact Electrolux Laundry Systems on:
1300 888 948 or email sales@electroluxlaundry.com.au www.electrolux.com/professional
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allowing for a strong, gradual fragrance release over a full 30 days. The screens contain enzymes which help both in the cleaning of the urinal and also eliminates odours. Another plus factor is that these screens are safe for use in waterless urinals. For more information contact enquiries@pallmall.com.au
Hot Product: Winning Colours 1000+ Stain Remover 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 hydrolift technology, it removes paint, red wine, blood, grease, coffee, grass, nail polish, permanent marker and much more from carpet, upholstery and clothing. 1000+ is a professional strength product that can be used full strength or diluted with water for general cleaning purposes. Tough enough for the most stubborn stains yet gentle enough to be used on delicate fabrics such as silk, wool and lace. A USDA Certified Biobased Product, 1000+ is kind to skin and the environment. It contains biodegradable ingredients and is free from Enzymes, Phosphates, Whitening Agents, Bleach and Dry Cleaning Fluids. For a free sample please contact sales@rubbedin.com.au
YOUR ONE STOP HOSPITALITY SHOP
Need pricing? Need information? Expect quality? With a reputation for outstanding service, Yardley Hospitality can supply the complete ‘electrical’ package, tailored to suit your requirements and everything you need is right at your fingertips.
Log in to our web-site
www.yardleyhospitality.com.au to view products and pricing, access further information and order on-line
STEP 2: enter your password here STEP 1: If you have already registered for access previously and have received a password enter your email address here
FORGOTTEN YOUR PASSWORD? Simply click here and follow the instructions or contact us directly and we will be happy to assist you
STEP 1(a): If you have not registered for access previously, please click on Register to view pricing and complete all of the required details. You will then need to wait for your request to be processed (Please allow one clear working day for this to occur). Once your request has been processed you will receive notification of this via an email. You then need to complete Steps 1 & 2) ***
T 1300 659 053 M 0412 974 878 E info@yardleyhospitality.com.au W www.yardleyhospitality.com.au
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TECO Australia introduces Bar Fridges to its Range. Following its successes in supplying Split System and Window Wall Air Conditioners, and LED/LCD TV’s to Mining Camp Accommodation and Common Area Portable Building Units, Student Accommodation areas and Hotel/Motel Rooms, TECO have introduced a range of Bar Fridges specifically designed to cater for the hospitality industry. Engineered to Perform with Super Quiet operation, Stylish Design, Internal Light, Glass Shelving and handy Drink Can Dispenser in the 117Ltr Freestanding or Under Bench Bar Fridge is suitable for medium to large rooms, and to cater for Student Accommodation and smaller Hotel/Motel Rooms, that require a small fridge for guest convenience, TECO have also introduced a 50Ltr Bench Top Bar Fridge. To complement this range, TECO Australia will introduce over the coming months, Vertical Freezers, Chest Freezers and Frost free Refrigerators with Multi Flow Control ranging from 215Ltr to 410Ltr.
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Under bench/ Free standing bar fridges
Bench top bar fridges