The Executive Housekeeper Volume 22 No. 2 by Adbourne Publishing

The Executive

HOUSEKEEPER

Vol 22

No 2

PP322210/00016

hospitality

Publishers LETTER

elcome to this edition of Executive Housekeeper.

We’ve seen plenty of changes in the industry since we first hit the printing press. Amazingly, the first issue of this magazine was released 22 years ago! Sadly, in recent years we have seen a decline in hotel housekeeping associations. Chapters in Western Australian, Far North Queensland and, more recently, PHAN in Sydney, have all been abandoned. Time-poor workers and less reliance on others for information (thanks to the internet) are partly to blame. Now another organisation is in need of numbers to stay viable. PEHN in Melbourne is looking for support to grow in the future. They are inviting housekeepers from all over the country to join via its new website. We have more details on this in the news section. Also inside is a fascinating story of housekeepers responding to a natural disaster. When a typhoon hit Macau in 2017, it knocked out power and water service to the local JW Marriott Hotel. One of our regular contributors Liz Lycette tells us about how the brave team responded

to keep guests safe and clean in such extraordinary circumstances. Well worth a read, as is Cleaning Activity Levels (CAL), put together by Bridget Gardner to assist in cleaning standards. To see what’s happening in the world of technology and hospitality, Ted Horner and Brendan Granger give their regular insights. As usual we feature motivation and management to help you in your daily role as an Executive Housekeeper. We speak with Meena Tamang – Housekeeping Manager of Jazz Corner Hotel in Melbourne. We learn about Meena’s journey from watching her father travel as part of the army, to making a career out of her curiosity of the industry. Thank you as always to our regular contributors, especially Janet Marletto and Barbara Sargeant. Regards Neil Muir

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

ADBOURNE PUBLISHING 18/69 Acacia Road Ferntree Gully VIC 3156 PO Box 735, Belgrave, VIC 3160 www.adbourne.com Editorial Contributor Thomas Johnson

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Adbourne Publishing cannot ensure that the advertisements appearing in The Executive Housekeeper comply absolutely with the Trade Practices Act and other consumer legislation. The responsibility is therefore on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisement(s) for publication.

Adbourne PUBLISHING

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

are not necessarily those of the publisher. Tocontributors partner with AHS Hospitality, please call Richard O’Connell 0424 143 130 or visit ahshospitality.com.au

Contents 7

SEQPHA news

PEHN news

10 Introducing the Cleaning Activity Levels (CAL) 13 Want a promotion? Do the hard things! 15 Don't be a sucker 18 Typhoon Hato hits Macau August 2017 20 Top hotel technology trends in 2018 23 Will machines replace humans in the hospitality industry? 26 Carpet encapsulation cleaning minimises carpet downtime 28 The gift of dependability 32 Welcome to The Jazz Corner Hotel 35 Meena Tamang profile 36 Sydneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest luxury hotel embraces innovative mobile cart housekeeping solution to enhance the guest experience 40 Common hotel plastics: The phase out begins! 42 Changing the ways hospitality floors are cleaned 44 Hiring for engagement: The number one challenge for employers 48 What hotel key cards can tell us about hotel cleaning 51 Hospitality, sustainability, and you 52 Pareto rule applied to the hospitality industry 54 Pull the goalie: How to stop managers from burning out 56 Three ways your data can improve your vendor/supplier relationships

The Executive

HOUSEKEEPER

58 Product news

Cover images show The Jazz Corner Hotel, Mebourne

Vol 22

No 2

PP322210/00016

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SEQPHA NEWS T

his is our 20th year since SEQPHA was started on the Gold Coast in 1998.

It certainly has come a long way in those 20 years and even more amazing that we have still members from back in 1998 who are still coming to our regular meetings. We will be celebrating 20 years in September at Sea World Resort and will be presenting life time membership badges to all our retired Housekeepers and those that have been members for 20 years and still attending our functions. One of our 5 lucky winners for contribution to Hospitality and Tourism from the Sunfresh Linen Awards was Lesley Lens from Sofitel Brisbane. Lesley is also on our present committee and is a strong supporter of this association is moving to Cairns to work at the Pullman Reef Resort, I know she will be missed at the Sofitel but she loves Cairns and we all wish her every success in her new role. We are hoping she can motivate some of the Housekeepers up in the far north to start up another Housekeeping Association, knowing Lesley I am sure she will. We had a breakfast at the Marriott Surfers Paradise in June with our guest speaker Scott Lynch who is the Area General Manager for Mantra. Scott gave a fascinating talk and had us laughing when he spoke about his family. A truly lovely man with excellent people skills. July again was our favourite day of the year, Race Day at the Gold Coast Turf Club. The sun was shining and every

one present opened up their hearts and their wallets to help us raise money for the Young Diggers. This is an association to support the rehabilitation of our serving and ex serving Australian Defence Force Members who are dealing with Post Traumatic Stress. The dog squad helps defence families to better cope with the effects of PTSD and saves the lives of abandoned dogs. Last year we supported this group, when I was there presenting the cheque I was speaking to different servicemen. One man in his late 30’s told me if it was not for his dog he would have committed suicide, when he wakes with nightmares the dog turns the light on and calms him. There were all other stories so similar, so honoured to be able to assist these servicemen. Love what PEHN and Donna is doing in Melbourne with their new website, it will create a much needed point of reference for Housekeeping Managers to resource products and contacts, educational modules, information sheets and resource suppliers. Great idea well done Donna. Our favourite laundry Sunfresh Linen is opening up in Melbourne and we wish Steven and all his team every success in their new venture. Lovely to see how much the Accor Hotels are embracing “Heartist” which teaches ambassadors about their individual impact and human connections within their daily business of delighting guests and ambassadors with true and genuine service excellence from the Heart. Also love what Clinton Farley is doing with Soap Aid, this is a wonderful cause and helping so many people in remote countries.

We also donated to Royce Woodward front office manager at Star Casino for dry July another great supporter of this association who is raising money for Cancer Council of Queensland. July we had our breakfast at Alcyone in Brisbane which was hosted by their lovely Housekeeping Manager Annette Bishop, it was a lovely sunny morning overlooking the Brisbane River with great food, raffles and fun.

A special thank you to Melissa for organizing our race day and all the various Hotels that donated vouchers for our auction. We raised $4,000 thank you all. Remember always find time to have with your staff, smile, inspire and embrace challenges and be something great. Libby Sharp – President SEQPHA libbysharpsmail@yahoo.com.au 0419 140 157

PEHN NEWS IT IS A NEW YEAR FOR PEHN IN 2018/19

e have realised that our industry has changed so we need to change with it. So, in saying that we are very happy to announce that we are looking at a new focus and purpose for the group moving forward. Because the industry has change so much over the years we have found that our housekeepers are not only coming from interstate and overseas but with the hotels outsourcing more and more we find that we are working with a younger group of housekeepers with a different dynamic within our industry. Therefore, we are launching a new website that is going to be more of an information centre for our members to access. We are setting it up so new members can find things easier like where to contact our suppliers, advice in regards to finding information with different things that we all come across every day, like knowing how to remove a red wine stain or how do you know if you have bed bugs, to how is the best way to get rid of that smell? Our new website is currently under construction and should be ready to launch around the end of August. We have many suppliers already on board with us, you will be able to gain access to their website and get their contact details. The website will evolve as time goes along with more suppliers, more resources and more educational opportunities added as they become available to us. You will also be able to link into our social pages like Facebook and Linked In, which will have regular updates posted. We will continue to have social events and forums throughout the year, which as a member you will receive an invite.

We have dropped our annual membership price to $50 for all housekeepers. We are also looking for you, our suppliers, to get involved for an annual fee of just $250. We will put your contact details, both state and nationally on the site, add a link to your website and also show any promotions or new products that you wish to offer to the industry or to us as a member special. We need your support, as a housekeeper or affiliate, to help us grow our organisation, hopefully we will be here for many more years to come. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, Donna Musarella, on pehn.aus@gmail.com  Kind regards Donna Musarella – PEHN President

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INTRODUCING THE CLEANING ACTIVITY LEVELS

(CAL)

BY BRIDGET GARDNER OF FRESH GREEN CLEAN

The Cleaning Activity Levels (CAL) is a new, simpler model for specifying cleaning standards. Its developer, Bridget Gardner, explains how this innovative model can be used to document and measure the performance of cleaning services for greater efficiency and transparency. While it was developed for out-sourced services, it is equally applicable to in-house cleaners in the hotel industry.

THE NEED FOR SIMPLER SPECIFICATIONS

ince I began writing cleaning specifications ten years ago, I have tried to find simpler ways to present cleaning requirements, without compromising on accountability. I must have reviewed hundreds of cleaning guidelines, international standards and cleaning service specifications in this quest. Many cleaning specifications I have reviewed are well over 50 pages long and you need a law degree to understand them. As English is a second language for many cleaners, I wanted to develop a less complicated way to communicate cleaning duties. However, it wasn’t just complex documentation that I felt needed to be addressed. The current way of measuring performance standards is also fraught with inconsistencies and subjectiveness.

THE NEED FOR SMARTER CLEANING STANDARDS Cleaning standards usually contain a long list of cleaning duties, surfaces and frequencies, such as ‘clean toilets daily’ or ‘dust desks weekly’. Cleaning performance is measured against the type of soil to be removed from each surface once the task is completed:

i.e. the bench shall be free of dust, debris, spillages and smears. To make sure nothing is missed, specifications are wordy, prescriptive and often result in impossible schedules. They cause arguments over minor omissions, interpretations and expectations about acceptable levels of clean. They undermine the housekeeper’s capacity to assess the priorities as they occur and sets them up for failure. When scheduling and tendering, there is no way to factor in the degree of time, materials, skill and effort that will be required because productivity is set via the footprint of the building. Yet the process of cleaning is just as important as the outcome – in fact, it is essential. Cleaning performance standards are defined by the type of soil that must not be on a surface after cleaning, and measured against subjective ratings using visual auditing. This is neither consistent nor objective. Furthermore, it cannot measure surface hygiene because germs are invisible.

A NEW APPROACH One night, at 2am to be precise, I awoke with a question: why do cleaning standards always focus on the type of soil to be removed? Shouldn’t a just-cleaned table look the same regardless of whether it

once held a coffee spill, dust or empty cup? What if I just listed the surface elements, defined the degree of effort or level of activity that cleaners were to carry out on it, then described the outcome by way it will be measured? So I grabbed a notebook and drew a diagram I called the ‘Cleaning Activity Levels’ – or as it is affectionately known – CAL. Underpinning the CAL model I wrote three core principles: 1. A surface cannot be accurately defined or measured as ‘partially clean’. It is either clean or unclean. 2. The cleaning outcome is determined by the cleaning process: the method, the degree of effort and the frequency. 3. Cleaning standards must be defined by how cleanliness is to be measured. The following diagram illustrates how the CAL model is applied to cleaning specifications:

APPLYING CAL TO CLEANING STANDARDS

THE BENEFITS One of the key benefits of CAL is that it respects the housekeeper’s skill and identifies areas for training, by clearly defining the level of skill involved in each type of task. It is also very easy to apply efficiencies and to integrate it with maintenance information systems (MIS). The CAL model allows you to: • simplify the way we communicate cleaning duties, • provide a consistent and objective auditing framework, • focus the cleaner’s efforts more efficiently, and • give cleaners more autonomy and better cleaning skills.

CAL has adopted common cleaning terms to describe the level of cleaning activity. The cleaning standards then describe the required outcome, and the most accurate, relevant and viable methods of measuring performance, per level. This is shown in the upper part of the CAL diagram and listed in the table below.

element, the required cleaning levels and how frequently they are carried out, can be specified in a simple matrix. This can be varied according to the level of risk, usage, and of course, budget.

Find out more at: http://www. freshgreenclean.com.au/services/ cleaning-specifications 

AUTHOR: Bridget Gardner is the principal trainer and consultant at Fresh Green Clean Pty Ltd. She is passionate about helping organisations and people to clean well and can be contacted at: bridget@freshgreenclean.com.au | au.linkedin. com/pub/bridget-gardner/15/597/9a5/

APPLYING CAL TO CLEANING SPECIFICATIONS CAL dramatically simplifies the way Cleaning Specifications are written, because the same outcome per level of activity can be applied to all surfaces, soft or hard. For example, if the cleaner is required to spot clean a carpet to remove ‘isolated, recent, highly visible and easily removable marks, debris and spillages’, then it is their responsibility to identify the recent spots and to decide how best to remove them. This could be vacuuming up a piece of lint and/or damp blotting a coffee spill. The CAL model can also be used to structure the organisations requirements per specific building area, surface type (‘elements’), materials, risk priorities, hygiene, safety and sustainability initiatives. In the lower half of the diagram, CAL is applied to the Scope of Works or work schedules. For each area/building

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DO THE HARD THINGS! BY DEAN MINETT

ead any newspaper, blog or forum over the years and you will read about the “modern generation”, and their attitude to work. Despite my occasional grumbles, I think that the current generation are far more informed and caring about the world, the environment and their rights than at any other time. It is due to their care that there is such a push to reduce the environmental impact of humans, as well as respecting the rights of individuals worldwide to a good quality of life. This is to be commended. In addition to this recognition of rights, there has also been a corresponding recognition of the need for worklife balance, and the desire to reduce working hours. As I interact with many hotels I see numerous staff that work hard during their shift, meet all expectations of them, and go home satisfied with their efforts. This is also good, depending on their career expectations. Walk into any cafe, and you will find lots of staff who can serve a coffee, wait tables, or bring a bill. Check into any well known hotel or serviced apartment and you will find many decent staff that are pleasant and don’t make too many mistakes. This is all very good, but how many people actually stand out? If we aspire to a more senior role in hospitality, or any industry, then we need to be able to demonstrate why we should be promoted rather than the next person. Better still, we need to first understand what we need to do to get there. (Whenever an interviewee told me that they wanted to be at a more senior role within X years, I always asked them what they thought they needed to do to get there. Occasionally someone would say that they knew they needed to work hard, but rarely did anyone say “go the extra mile”, “work harder” or “work smarter” than the rest.) Marketing people often talk about identifying a product’s Unique Selling Point (or Proposition), or Point of Difference. As a potential manager (or more senior executive), it is vitally important that we think about what we need to do to be unique. That does not mean standing out because we dress differently (although that sometimes helps), but more, how will our work stand out from our fellow aspirants? I have been scolded before by HR Managers for having too high expectations of my middle level managers, but I only wanted them to show me what they can do. As any

General Manager will tell you, it is a big jump from middle management to senior management, and it can generally not be done with an 8 hour day. It requires commitment and accepting the responsibility that goes with a 24 hour industry. This can mean working weekends, after hours, or on holidays, and not everyone is comfortable with that. (This is not to say that a good manager is indispensable (no-one is), or that they cannot arrange things so that all runs smoothly whilst they are away; it is more that they need to be prepared for this type of commitment, as and when required, and not whinge about it.) If you are currently working in hospitality, and aspire to take on more responsibility, take note of the Scout motto and “be prepared”. Sometimes we hear staff complain because they were not promoted, but it is often just that other people were better prepared for a role. I am a great believer in the saying that “luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity”; if you prepare yourself for a break, then you will be ready to take advantage of it when it appears. You also need to “do the hard things”. This may mean working longer hours just to thoroughly familiarise yourself with a role, or working outside normal hours time to cross-train or talk to more senior staff about their roles and what they need to do each day. You might also consider what other skills are required to move up and perhaps enrol in a course that give greater knowledge or skills. (And yes, you might have to pay for it yourself!) Doing your job well is commendable; if you want to take on more responsibility though, you need to do more than just that. Most companies don’t promote based on a good job – they promote based on doing a good job PLUS showing initiative, drive, enthusiasm, optimism and standing out from the crowd. Then, when a new role comes up, they already know who they want to promote. I want to be clear on one point though – I have always been extremely grateful to those people who don’t aspire to more senior roles, but do a great job, day in, day out as an important part of each organisation. They are literally the lifeblood of any company. If you do aspire to a more senior role though, be prepared, and do the hard things. How will you do that? 

DON'T BE A

Sucker BY BARBARA SARGEANT

hey say that a dog is a man's best friend. What then of the Housekeeper's best friend – the vacuum cleaner. Love them or hate them, they are a necessity of today's modern cleaning techniques. Whilst there is a tendency by architects and designers to install hard floors in hotels, carpet remains a constant in guest rooms and corridors as it gives a feeling of luxury, warmth and assists in noise control. One of the things that constantly surprises me as I travel from hotel to hotel is the general lack of care and knowledge required for a getting a good result from a vacuum cleaner. One General Manager at one of the hotels I recently visited told me that his room attendants never seem to vacuum the corridors. True, from appearances, the corridors did look a bit unkempt but on further investigation, I had to laugh to myself when I saw the state of the vacuum cleaners that were in use. I would not be lying if I said they must have been at least 25-30 years old, in fact I checked with the manufacturer who confirmed my suspicions. These trusted friends had been repeatedly bashed, abused, pulled from pillar to post and poorly (if at all) maintained. Hoses were broken, wheels were missing, the heads were cracked and the machines were literally held together with masking tape. Some of the filter bags inside resembled a dog I used to own.

HOW THEN ARE THE CARPETS EXPECTED TO BE CLEANED? It is the trend of hotels these days to do soft refurbishments approximately every 5-8 years and it is true that hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent on designing and deciding which carpets are the most suitable so that the property is presented at its best. Why then do owners and managers not have the same interest in researching which vacuum cleaners would be best suited to their property's needs and assist in extending the life of their huge investment? A domestic style vacuum cleaner is great for home use where vacuuming is probably done in a few rooms, once or twice a week, however in a busy hotel, room attendants are expected to vacuum between 13 and 18 rooms plus miles of corridors, lifts and public areas etc. every day. There are many styles, makes and models of vacuum cleaners to choose from and certainly budget considerations come into play, after all if you pay for a Holden, you don't expect the luxury of a Rolls Royce. BUT let's think for a moment of the results of not having the proper equipment to do the job.

• Carpets look dusty and age more quickly. • Machines break down more easily because they are not designed for the hard work that hotel cleaning necessitates. • Time is wasted by staff because machines are out of order pending repair. • Reception are held up because rooms are not ready, because they have not yet been vacuumed. • Cleaning staff become unhappy because they have to 'borrow' machines from other staff members. • Cleaning standards become compromised. As an Executive Housekeeper, YOU SHOULD become involved when a decision to upgrade or purchase vacuum cleaners is taken. No disrespect to General Managers and owners but they are not the ones usually left with the headache caused by not having the correct equipment to do the job. YOUR staff are the ones left holding the baby so to speak. Selection of a vacuum cleaner should take into consideration many things, but essentially the following: • The vacuum cleaner should have the correct capacity for the amount of work it will do on a daily basis – if it needs to be emptied more than once a day it is too small. • The motor strength is important as it is this that drives the fan which creates the suction. • The weight of the vacuum cleaner in its entirety (consider its use by smaller staff) – does it have to be carried up steps for example? • Can it be stored properly in the storage space available. • Ease of use by all staff – they should not have to bend their backs. • Accessibility of switches, can be either foot or hand operated. • Ease of fixing attachments if any – and length of tubing for extension if necessary. • Allowance for adjustment for the depth of the pile of the carpet. • Size and design of the foot (is it adjustable for hard floor vs carpet). This is very handy when picking up hair or confetti from the bathroom floor. • Is the hose long enough to facilitate ease of use. • Is the electrical cord long enough to use without the use of an extension cord, thereby reducing hazards.

• Ease of emptying – Personally I prefer paper dust bags and whilst there is more cost involved in regular replacement, they reduce the amount of dust going back into the atmosphere and also help to maintain the life of the motor as well as being cleaner and easier for staff to handle. • Bag full warning. • Adjustable suction. • Easily mobile – runners or castors. • Easily balanced – shouldn't tip up when pulled along. • Easy cord storage. • Simple in shape and easy to clean from the outside – there should be no protrusions which can damage furniture. • Noise of operation should be considered. • Spare parts provided? • Cost of spare parts. • Agreement by the supplier to train and retrain staff in the use and daily maintenance. • What service arrangements are available – sometimes suppliers are just that and you have to deal with their nominated representative for service calls. • Colour – some of today's vacuum cleaners are available in bright colours and luminous green or orange,

for example, may not be suitable for a conservative style hotel. • Price and Warranty. • Reference – Ask the supplier for the names of other hotels where the model you are considering selecting is in use and then call them for a valuable opinion – the response may surprise you.

SUMMARY A reputable supplier should let you trial their vacuum cleaners before the final selection takes place. Let staff use them and allow time for feedback from them. Take what are the best and worst features of several machines and let that assist you in making the final decision. In essence, you should buy the best you can afford, which will give you reliable service and will operate at maximum efficiency thereby minimising labour, inconvenience and cost in the long term. There should be access to reliable and regular servicing of machines. A quality vacuum cleaner which is well maintained and cared for will give you years of reliable service.  The author can be contacted at b.sarge@bigpond.com

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Typhoon Hato

HITS MACAU AUGUST 2017

BY LIZ LYCETTE, DIRECTOR OF HOUSEKEEPING JW MARRIOTT HOTEL MACAU

uring the morning of 23rd August 2017, typhoon Hato hit Macau with wind gusts reaching 240 km/h (150 mph), the strongest typhoon to hit the area in 53 years. Although an early warning of a tropical cyclone was issued, few anticipated the magnitude and destruction of this storm. Altogether, US$1.42 billion dollars’ worth of damage was caused in Macau, 12 fatalities and 244 injuries were reported, leaving almost half of the city without water and electricity, businesses and public transport ground to a halt. Many parts of downtown Macau were flooded by waist-deep water due to the storm surge produced by the low atmospheric pressure. The crisis prompted the government to ask for assistance from the People’s Liberation Army garrison stationed in the city to help with the cleanup and the recovery efforts for the first time since the former Portuguese enclave returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1999. At JW Marriott Hotel Macau both power and water were lost over several hours. During the power loss, emergency generators kicked in to sustain emergency lighting in public areas. Elevator service to the rooms was suspended; only one firemen’s lift with its own backup generator was in service for emergency purposes. The revolving door at the main entrance was spinning far beyond its sustainable limit, resulting in the panels collapsing. During the most critical time, the housekeeping team was working hard to clean up the lobby, while assisting in the evacuation of the entire area. Additional temporary partitions were erected within the lobby in order to minimize the amount of debris blown in which was jeopardising the safety of those inside. During the first night, the hotel was able to patch up most of its affected areas and most services were able to resume under limited capacity. With many guests not being able to leave Macau and with more arriving to check-in, the hotel was running at full occupancy. A few other hotels in Macau had to shut down completely due to irreparable

damage. In the following 4-day period, the hotel continued to experience intermittent water supply due to city wide water shortages. The housekeeping team distributed bottled water to in-house guests for drinking and sanitary needs.

The laundry service supplier was hit hard as well, with the entire workshop flooded; they were not able to process any of the hotel linen. With soiled linen piling up, and fresh linen running short, the housekeeping team had to take action to avert a crisis. In order for the hotel to remain in operation, the team quickly reached out to all the other laundry services in Macau to seek alternative solutions. However, due to the intermittent supply of water throughout the city, all other laundry facilities in Macau were operating at 20% capacity. In a property with 1015 rooms and suites, this equates to 60 trolleys of soiled linen generated daily over the next 6-day period. The situation was becoming critical without a viable solution in sight. Under these conditions I was able to (along with my staff), use local networking and problem solving skills to manage the situation to the point where the property continued to operate at 100% occupancy. Although things slowly returned to normal in the months ahead, the impact of typhoon Hato was truly a challenging Housekeeping Moment! ď Ž

Top Hotel

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS IN 2018 BY TED HORNER

We asked technology Guru Ted Horner where technology is heading in our major hotels.

1. MOBILE DEVICE AS DOOR KEY IS BECOMING OF AGE

his technology has now arrived in Australia with recent installs at Skye Hotel Suites in Parramatta and Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley with more to follow. While still small uptake of this technology it is starting to gain traction and Hilton is pushing this technology heavily with an ad campaign such as this.

3. TABLETS IN GUESTROOMS In the last 12 months a number of hotels in Australia have installed Apple ipads in guestrooms to replace guest compendiums, allowing guests to order room services via their tablet, (including full integration with hotels Point of Sale System), hotels such as Crown Towers in Perth, Elements at Byron Bay and Skye Hotel Suites. These properties have installed them, and guest feedback has been very positive with room service orders having increased by up to 20% over previous orders being placed over the phone. I believe many more hotels will install these systems as there is now sufficient evidence that there is a ROI where there was not previously.

4. GUEST ROOM PHONES ARE BECOMING LESS IMPORTANT Once upon a time, people used their room phones. However, the pervasiveness of mobile devices has relegated the conventional room phone to a vastly reduced role if at all and many hotels will in my opinion remove them altogether for a text messaging or What’s App type of application. When writing this I was staying at a resort hotel in Orlando Florida and on check reception asked me for my mobile number, then on entering my room I received a text message asking me if my room was ok. I had internet issues and instead of calling reception I texted my issue and received an instant reply. I believe that many hotels will begin to adopt this technology as it becomes more commonplace both here in Australia and overseas.

5. GUEST APPS AND THE NEED FOR HOTELS TO STAY CONNECTED WITH THEIR GUESTS

2. SERVICE AUTOMATION

The vision of the connected guest entails nearly every aspect of the guest experience. Something as complex as that needs a single hub from which to operate—guest apps for personal mobile devices are the natural place to host these functions. A smartly designed guest app combines everything from deal notifications to hotel services to loyalty programs. If you see a guest using the group rate for a conference, you could use the app to electronically send your guest the event itinerary, complete with a map of meeting spaces where sessions will be held.

Self-serve is in. Today, many guests prefer technology over human interaction for simple tasks. Remote check-in and check-out options are becoming popular, and some hotels are beginning to work with apps that let guests order room service right from their mobile devices. There’s a whole range of basic guest requests that can be automated with the right technology, which frees hotel staff up for other activities that enhance the guest experience. This trend is only going to accelerate.

Most major hotels have some element of this picture in play already, and they’re adding capabilities every day. Some of the major flags are closer, but much of the technology and integration is still in development. Regardless of who gets there first, one thing is certain—the hotel with a truly connected experience will be full of very happy, very empowered guests.

6. BATTLE FOR BANDWIDTH A smart phone. A laptop. A tablet, guests are bringing every Internet bandwidth-sucking device they own when they travel. And whether they’re travelling for business or pleasure, you can bet you’re going to hear about it if they can’t connect as quickly and reliably as they’re used to at home. The best hospitality brands in their efforts to deliver a better guest experience are rolling out new Wi-Fi technology using Central Authentication & Hotspot 2.0 whereby guests can connect their devices more easily and removing the requirement to enter last name and room number every new day or every new stay in the same hotel. Remembering guest details and their devices and allowing them to connect automatically to the Wi-Fi network in the hotels is the new battleground for the major hotel chains. Whatever the new solution, rest assured, the demand for bandwidth at hotels is only going to grow dramatically particularly as guests wish to download their own content from their tablet or smart phone and then want to screen share with the smart TV in the room

9. TECH-ENABLED MEETING SPACES The modern meeting space has evolved. No longer is it about tables and chairs and nice serving carts. Modern meetings run on technology. Business people need to have access to multimedia and do video conferencing with remote attendees—sometimes both simultaneously. And for the marathon meetings, they’d like access to services like catering with minimal interruptions. Most of all, smart hotels know they need these spaces to be as userfriendly as possible. The A/V rooms of the past that required dedicated engineers are no longer an option. If you think these kinds of business needs are limited to boardroom-style conference spaces, you’re missing an important part of the picture—business customers are increasingly asking for advanced technology enablement in ballrooms and event halls, as well.  ted@hornertech.com.au

7. LOCATION-BASED SERVICES This technology is in its infancy in hotels, but the implications are huge. Being able to understand where hotel staff and guests are located at any given time creates all kinds of opportunities to improve the guest experience— from being able to deliver services to guests while freeing them from their rooms to helping event staff operate more efficiently to turning over rooms more quickly and beyond. Now with Wi-Fi access points being installed throughout the hotel this is possible.

8. TECH ENABLED PUBLIC SPACES – LOBBIES AND RECEPTION Airline check-ins. Local info guides. A place where guests can get out of their rooms but still access Wi-Fi to relax or get work done. The use for technology in hospitality seem to grow every year, and savvy hospitality businesses are transforming these guest desires into stylish semi-public spaces where guests can engage tech on their terms. Many guests are even beginning to include these kinds of technologies in their online hotel search criteria, so hospitality businesses that lack them may eventually find themselves at a disadvantage. One of the best examples of this is Citizen M www.citizenm.com

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WILL MACHINES REPLACE HUMANS IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY? BY BRENDON GRANGER

The impact of artificially intelligent machines on the future job market has been gaining significant attention in recent years. According to a recent report by the McKinsey Global Institute1, an estimated 50% of all current work activities might be automated by 2055.

f course, machines taking human jobs is nothing new. For decades, companies within the manufacturing industries have cut costs and boosted productivity by using machines to carry out physically demanding and repetitive tasks. But jobs that might once have been considered inherently human are also under threat. Advances in machine learning and natural language processing have led to a new breed of AI-powered robots that can handle jobs with greater cognitive complexity. Suddenly, machines are showing the potential to handle a vast number of jobs more effectively than humans, including jobs within the hospitality industry. Today, customer-facing robots are being deployed by numerous hotels around the world in an increasingly varied range of roles. In particular, there are certain positions where shared functionality between people and robots seem especially likely.

ROOM SERVICE Room service certainly seems to be a prime candidate for some level of automation. The job relies heavily on efficiency, planning and attention to detail â&#x20AC;&#x201C; qualities that machines excel at. Room service robots such as Relay2 are already being trialled in a select number of U.S. hotels to carry out deliveries to guest rooms. After receiving an order, hotel staff load items into Relay, which then navigates around the property using Wi-Fi, on-board cameras and sensors. Guests can then retrieve items from within the robots storage compartment when it reaches their door. According to its creators, over 80% of hotel staff say Relay makes them more effective and satisfied with their jobs. Far from complete automation, room service robots may instead free up staff to focus on more complicated tasks and jobs.

In addition, five-star hotels are less likely to embrace this kind of technology. In such an exclusive environment, having a member of staff personally deliver and serve an in-room dining order is all part of the experience. Alongside housekeeping, those working in maintenance could also be one of the first to find themselves being assisted by robots. AI and Automated Fault Detection will also play a significant part in helping hotel maintenance teams with plant and equipment maintenance. Arguably, robots could even be deployed as hotel porters. From a practical perspective, a person would still need to open car doors and remove bags from the vehicle. But a robot could then take over â&#x20AC;&#x201C; swiftly transporting luggage to the guest room. Cargo vehicles such as the Gita3 offer a tantalizing glimpse into this possibility. Robots may also be utilized in roles that rely upon greater social skills and advanced cognitive capabilities. In fact, there are plenty of roles that could see partial automation in jobs that traditionally rely on a fundamentally human touch.

THE FRONT DESK Arguably, the most important guest-facing role in a hotel is the front desk. This is the first moment a hotel gets to formally greet and welcome their guests. So the idea of automating this vital part of the experience might seem questionable. However, do all travellers want or appreciate such formalities? Many prefer making use of mobile checkin services â&#x20AC;&#x201C; happy to forfeit human interaction for a speedier journey to their room. With a robot-staffed front desk, a hotel could still provide a formal greeting for those that want one, while also offering a swifter check-in process.

The idea certainly isn’t unprecedented. The Henn-na hotel4 in Japan is staffed almost entirely by robots, including a humanoid female and a dinosaur that welcome guests on arrival and carry out check-in/checkout services. There are clear advantages to this approach. Machines are highly adept at handling repetitive, process-driven tasks. A sufficiently advanced front desk team could offer a much more efficient service than a human when dealing with room details and booking information. But the job clearly requires other qualities beyond administrative efficiency. The value of being greeted on arrival with a genuine welcome can’t be artificially replicated. After a long and tiring journey, a smiling face can be more effective at lifting a guest’s mood than a speedy check in. In the end, the front desk might be a place where humans and machines work together, catering to the needs of all guests. In particular, AI could prove especially useful in this role by offering language recognition and translation services. A new wave of AI translators5 is already showing promise in this field. With continued progression in natural language capabilities, a multilingual robot catering to overseas guests would be hugely beneficial.

THE CONCIERGE The role of the concierge could also be one that is eventually automated. At the Hilton McLean, Virginia, USA, an AI-powered robot named Connie6 acts as a robotic concierge. Guests can get recommendations on places to visit, tips on the local dining scene, and directions to help navigate around the property. Connie learns through each interaction, perfecting her ability to make evermore useful suggestions. But is this a one-off gimmick, or a viable industry-wide alternative to a human doing the same job? If the technology advances sufficiently, automating the role of the concierge certainly has merit. Imagine an advanced version of Connie that can access all guest data and already knows their favourite kind of restaurants, tourist attractions and spending habits. On arrival, it could instantly provide each guest with a personalized itinerary, or a series of tailored recommendations based on past data. This hyperpersonalized level of service is one that a human simply wouldn’t have the time or resources to replicate. Although again, it might not be appreciated by all. Would those staying at a luxury hotel settle for a machine attending to their needs? Even if every whim and request was meticulously catered for, the experience would still

be lacking the genuine care and attention only a human can offer. While AI continues to make huge strides in terms of cognitive capabilities, it also remains impersonal. The ability to empathise and display true emotion will always be valued qualities – and for now at least, they remain beyond the realms of what’s possible within robotics.

IN CONCLUSION Certain roles including housekeeping and maintenance seem destined for some form of automation. In these areas, robots and AI could be used to help increase operational efficiency, decrease staff costs and improve the guest experience. Other jobs such as the front desk and concierge may involve a merging of roles. Tasks may be shared and distributed between humans and machines depending on the particular skill set they offer. Ultimately, the human touch can never been replaced by a machine. For that reason, the hospitality sector will almost certainly be one of partial automation. Yet it’s clear that as the technology continues to advance, the hotel of the future is one where artificial intelligence and humanoid robots will almost certainly play an increasingly crucial role. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR With a great passion for all things hotels, but in particular technology and a desire to help others his role as director at Technology4Hotels allows him to do both. Brendon has worked with hundreds of hotels to help them with their in-room technology. In the last few years he has helped them to increase guest satisfaction, strengthen guest loyalty and encourage repeat bookings as well as win awards such as the best business hotel, best city hotel, best upscale hotel and best luxury hotel in Australasia. Always going the extra mile, Brendon began his hospitality career over twenty five years ago working in 5 star hotels whilst completing his Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management. He has held various management positions within 5 star hotels, worked as a consultant in both hotel feasibility and technology and has an extensive background in hotel technology.

REFERENCES 1. http://www.mckinsey.com/global-themes/digital-disruption/harnessingautomation-for-a-future-that-works 2. http://www.savioke.com/hospitality-1 3. https://www.engadget.com/2017/02/04/gita-personal-cargo-robothands-on/ 4. http://www.h-n-h.jp/en/ 5. https://www.raconteur.net/business/the-rise-of-ai-translators 6. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/roadwarriorvoices/2016/03/09/ introducing-connie-hiltons-new-robot-concierge/81525924/

CARPET ENCAPSULATION CLEANING MINIMISES

Carpet Downtime BY BRIAN CLARK

ncapsulation cleaning has been used by carpet cleaning professionals for over 20 years as a quick-dry alternative to extraction cleaning for interim maintenance. Encapsulation systems are generally much faster than water extraction methods. Dry times can be as little as 20-60 minutes, which makes it ideal for Hospitality room refreshment and emergency spot removal on fabric upholstery and carpet.

WHAT IS ENCAPSULATION AND HOW DOES IT WORK? Encapsulation cleans deep down and gives exceptional results in most circumstances. An Encapsulating chemical contains a special polymer that works with the detergent system to break down and surround the soil and other detergent residues from previous cleaning. Within minutes of application, the polymer begins to drive off the moisture and dries into a hard, non-sticky crystal, encasing the soil and the detergent residues. The dried crystals are removed by using an upright vacuum in the daily vacuuming process. The result is carpet that is clean and dry, often within an hour of cleaning. Best of all, properly formulated encapsulation chemical does not promote resoiling.

ENCAPSULATION EQUIPMENT There are three types of equipment that may be suitable for Encapsulation cleaning of carpet. 1) Dual cylindrical brush applicators – this style of machine utilises dual Counter Rotating cylindrical brushes. The brushes contain soft to medium bristles that are purpose designed for cleaning carpets. Encapsulation detergent may

be applied by on-board solution tanks or by pre-spraying the area to be cleaned. 2) Multi-directional multiple brush applicator – This style of machine uses three Rotating smaller brush heads mounted on a contra-rotating planetary drive disc. Multidirectional counter rotation action of brushes on carpet opens the pile and generates foaming action of the Encapsulation detergent deep within the carpet pile. 3) Single disc slow speed rotary machine – 150-250 rpm single brush scrubbers fitted with a soft bristle carpet brush. Encapsulation chemical is applied either by on-board solution tanks or pre-spraying immediately prior to and during machining.

encapsulation process is whisper quiet. For technicians, the repetitive movement involved in using a hose and wand system is eliminated. The need to lift heavy buckets when filling the machines is minimised and workers are not exposed to dirty waste water simply because there isn’t any – all the dirt and detergent residues are locked up in an inert crystalline shell. When encapsulation is properly applied, carpets generally dry much faster than water extraction, which means rapid room availability and the chance of slip by water from wet carpet being walked onto adjacent hard floor is all but eliminated.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

Use of bonnet systems is not recommended for Encapsulation and may void carpet warranty in some instances. Always check with carpet manufacturers prior to utilising any form of scrubbing action on carpet.

An encapsulation system combined with traditional Hot Water Extraction for deep cleaning can dramatically reduce water & energy consumption in your facility compared to existing hose and wand extraction only processes.

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

As can be seen on the chart below Encapsulation’s fast cleaning and rapid dry times mean that less energy is used in the cleaning process but more importantly energy costs for after-hours lighting, heating and ventilation can be dramatically reduced as access is only required

Encapsulation offers significant occupational health advantages to both workers and building occupants when compared to traditional hose and wand extraction. For a start, noise levels are significantly reduced – the

Multidirectional brushes designed for encapsulation ensure even distribution of the encapsulation chemical and lift and straighten the pile which improves appearance retention, Soil and detergent residues are enclosed in a nonsticky polymer coating and are removed by vacuuming the area thoroughly after the carpet has dried. Picture credit: Truvox International

Est. Energy (Kw) use per 1000 m2 (machine)

12.8

9.2

14.8

28.0

Est. Lighting & Ventilation requirements to clean hrs/1000m

5.3

3.8

1.6

11.6

Estimated Water usage lt/1000m2

60-90

1110

1500

Estimated Waste Water Generation L/1000 m2

800

1050

Production rate (ISSA) m2/hr

190

260

159

Labour time / 100 m2

32 Mins

23 Mins

37 Mins

70 Mins

Estimated Productivity, Water and energy Consumption estimates – Carpet Encapsulation Vs Carpet Extraction

for a very short time compared to standard carpet maintenance systems. Water consumption is slashed. Traditional 400 psi hose and wand equipment can use more than 1500 litres of water to clean 1000 sq. metres. With encapsulation you can use as little as 60 litres per 1000 sq metres, depending on the equipment, soil levels and operator skills, saving more than 1400 litres of water and completely eliminating recovered solution going into the sewerage solution as all the residue dries to a crystal and is extracted by as a dry particle by vacuuming.

Used properly, the encapsulation process will lower labour costs minimise downtime by extending deep cleaning cycles and save thousands of litres of water every time you clean. The time to actually maintain carpeted surfaces is reduced resulting in reduced energy costs less downtime of rooms and function areas and greater use of the facility by the occupants. Carpets will stay cleaner longer and the need to deep extract is reduced dramatically in most circumstances. Most of all your customers – the building occupants and users – will be happy with the consistently clean

appearance of the carpets in the building. Encapsulation cannot be used to extract spillages, bodily fluids or water from carpets. Encapsulation, when used as an interim maintenance system to supplement water extraction, can provide good cleaning results and the benefits, including quick dry carpets, may enable carpet and upholstery cleaning to be performed between room changes and even between functions.  Disclaimer: Production rates are indicative, based on generic ISSA cleaning times. Energy usage, cleaning outcomes, water consumption and dry time can vary considerably based on soil type, soil density, the properties of the cleaning chemical, chemical dilution rates, equipment type, operator skills, temperature, relative humidity and other factors. Some carpet manufacturers may not approve encapsulation systems – always check with the carpet manufacturer guidelines prior to using any carpet cleaning chemical or system.

THE GIFT OF

Dependability BY JANET C. MARLETTO

o be dependable is a valued trait for animate and inanimate entities in every aspect of life. On a personal level, I determine the viability of a friendship based on the person’s demonstrated dependability to show up and /or to follow through. For example, if a new acquaintance agrees to meet and a date, time, place are set, it is up to each party to note that on a calendar/diary and to show up or to advise of a needed change. If someone says, “Remind me,” I respond with “No, I don’t remind people.” In fact in a recent issue of Vanity Fair magazine, Angela Bassett states that “reliability” (I call that a sibling of “dependability”) is the one trait she values most in a man. I would have to agree.

Furthermore, only total discretion and confidentiality are acceptable. Celebrities value these qualities and pay dearly without hesitation. It would be much more costly, indeed, in terms of loss of privacy, to go with a less reputable service – especially in our 24/7 news cyclesocial media world.

My reasoning is that if someone truly wants to meet, then that person will be responsible to check his calendar. There are always unwitting errors which are overlooked when a person is dependable 98% of the time. On the other hand, when someone tells me to remind her, I think of it as unnecessary babysitting and puts me a subordinate position. Furthermore, it sets a precedent for enabling. No, thank you! This occurred recently when a telephone meeting was set. The initiator failed to call at the agreed upon time. Needless to say, the meeting did not happen because I was on my way to an off-site meeting. This indicator is enough for me to say, “Adieu.”

Being able to discern when something is not one’s business and to refrain from sharing information without permission separates friends from foes. In some arenas, this level of discernment is so highly prized that false information is “leaked” to those whose dependability is not certified. This was the case in the trilogy about espionage, The Red Sparrow. When the culprit shared the “leaked” false information, the action proved to a death sentence. The so-called information is shared with a suspected disloyal member of a team. The purpose is to see if ( and how long it takes) the morsel is quoted by someone else who is not in the chain of custody. Whether it is a thriller, a favourite restaurant, a service, an automobile, or a friend, dependability is valued.

Just as dependability is a key to healthy friendships, it is also an important part of family life. In fact more than likely, it is modelled (well or poorly) by a parent or both parents. It is a barometer of love, respect, and personal development: reliability/dependability, self-respect, responsibility form the foundation of character. The effective solution for a need to change plans is communication – in advance of the scheduled event. To be honest is the best way to maintain dependability and still make necessary modifications to plans. Failure to show up is not an option to those who value a reputation based on dependability as an indicator of honour and self-respect. In fact, a tried and true service deserves praise and recommendation. Word of mouth branding is the most powerful marketing there is for a service-oriented business. An article in a recent issue of the Los Angeles Times profiled a well-established moving company reputed to handle items with care and discretion. The managers made a point not to divulge the value if particularly precious items so that the packers would not tremble while handling irreplaceable objects.

Dependably discreet friends rank up there as well. When celebrities and royals desire privacy, they can depend on tried and true friends and family to close ranks and to remain silent. These are true friends. They do not succumb to greed by offering information for pay to the tabloids.

It is valued to such a degree that when a usually reliable entity is tardy, missing, or malfunctioning, red flag goes up. Is this an anomaly? Is it a sign of a slip in standards? The system for rating and awarding stars/diamonds to restaurants and hotels is built on the foundation of reliability/dependability, often expressed as “consistency.” Be it designated luxury or budget, the criteria remain the same. Independent operations can more easily control the variables; whereas chains or franchises are charged to remain at standard consistently. Everyone has a different standard for what is good. This makes ratings subjective because one person’s “excellent’ is another person’s “mediocre.” Thus, when expectations are met the standard is reinforced. I select hotel accommodations accordingly. Tried and true wins the day. The price point may vary. Yet, no matter what it always involves convenience, value, and past service – i.e. dependability! The dependable service achieved by a team is a reflection of the managerial ethos. For example, if the team members know that their schedules will be posted

in a timely manner as promised, they can focus better on their tasks. Similarly if requests for needed time off are processed and approved in advance, morale remains high. This positive vibe permeates the entire operation. Good natured, service-oriented team members are welcomed by discerning clients who appreciate the process, for they recognize that excellence is not accidental; it is a result of dependability, reinforcing dependability! The bored or snoozing repairman became the iconic image for the Maytag brand, the brand identified with maintenance free longevity. In fact, the brand was so powerful that it pollinated all it touched. Twenty years ago, I was in the market for a large refrigerator plus a washer and dryer and decided to check the pre-owned offerings at the local Maytag store. Indeed there was a selection of pre-owned appliances that had been expertly refurbished. Although the brands varied, there was the aura of dependability thanks to the renowned workmanship of Maytag. I made my purchases and enjoyed years of worry free service. For years, the most dependable automobiles have included Toyota and Honda even though American car executives turned a blind eye to the fact. They believed in a fantasy of excellence because their personal vehicles were receiving daily fine tuning and servicing while they were at work! Tom Peters delved into it in his groundbreaking In Search of Excellence. His anecdotes capture the level of fantasy being experienced by automobile executives in Detroit. The fantasy was crushed when the irrefutable predominance of foreign brands was visible on the highways and in the driveways of the USA. The death knell struck when bottom lines could no longer hide the truth. Lack of dependability caused the retreat of customers. As humans, we cannot control everything. Mother Nature reminds us of this daily. These days there is no such thing as predictable weather anymore. No matter how much we would like to have a predictable season that is not to be. This upheaval is causing distress among Arctic animals such as polar bears seeking ice flows and food. Migrating geese are confused and exhausted: where to go? Lack of water on a global level causes displacement of people and animals. Just as rising waters cause displacement along coastal areas. Extremes persist.

For the people of Puerto Rico, a hurricane caused so much devastation that â&#x20AC;&#x153;dependableâ&#x20AC;? power and water are dreams. Thousands of people are still awaiting reliable utilities. We depend on utilities to live healthfully. Clean water run through safe pipes can be taken for granted. The same for electricity: Its dependability is taken for granted. As severe weather continues to bombard the globe, utilities are no longer dependable. The subject of Dependability is broad. It relates to all species, all aspects of life, inanimate objects, services, and conditions on earth. The lack of dependability causes us to either ignore the conditions or do what we can to alleviate the situations. Those who ignore conditions remain glued to their social media favourites and shirk their responsibilities. The few who make an effort to do the right things for the right reasons create dependable resources for those in need. Notable chefs who served countless meals to hurricane survivors for months provided a bit of hope. Those who place food for birds and animals needing sustenance are contributing to a dependable food source for them. Contributing to efforts of dependable agency or organisation is one way pf participating in a positive effort. Being part of a bigger effort is effective. We can escape from the need for dependability. It permeates life. It reduces stress. The lack of it creates chaos and takes its toll on all victims. We feel compelled to restore dependability. It is part of the desire to survive. If ever, there was a time for Dependability, it is NOW. How dependable are YOU? ď Ž Janet C. Marletto is an educator, mentor, consultant and real estate investor. Please contact her at jmarletto@yahoo.com or through LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmarletto/

29-30

AUGUST

2018

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE SYDNEY

IT’S TIME 30% LARGER THAN 2017

Australia’s Only Dedicated Cleaning & Hygiene Event Capitalising on both its international and local resources, ISSA will deliver a prodigious program of commercial cleaning and hygiene technology and education. Not only will this event present the very latest in cutting-edge technology, it will offer an array of co-located conference and workshop streams.

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WELCOME TO

THE JAZZ CORNER HOTEL

Striking a high note, The Jazz Corner Hotel opened on March 9th 2017. Situated at 352 William Street opposite leafy Flagstaff Gardens and above Birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basement is the world-renowned jazz venue, associated with Birdland in New York. Offering 150 rooms with 3 different room types, choose your signature style from a luxurious studio and one bedroom apartment that strikes the right cord, or have a family gathering in a two bedroom apartment. The wellappointed rooms suit all types of visitor requirements from business to leisure and all in between. They feature a top-quality queen or king-size bed, appointed with pillow top bedding, micro-fibre quilts and feather down pillows. All rooms feature fully equipped kitchens, balconies, in-room washer/dryers and en suite bathrooms with jazz artwork throughout and an indulgent selection of pampering amenities.

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Meena Tamang

PROFILE

Meena Tamang is currently the Housekeeping Manager at the one year old 110 room Jazz Corner Hotel, William St, Melbourne. This hotel is privately owned and is situated in a building from which many other businesses operates.

eena was born in Hong Kong and developed her interest in hotels when her father who worked in the army used to stay in hotels on business and holidays. Meena became interested on how hotels operate on an ongoing daily basis — she was intrigued how the rooms were cleaned every day and who made it all happen. She is of Nepalese ethnicity and returned briefly in 1997 for a year when she met and married her husband. Her husband came to Australia on a student visa in 1998 to study hospitality. He became a chef at a pub before they bought their own restaurant along with other family members where they worked for seven years before collectively selling the business. In 2008, Meena studied and obtained the Advanced Diploma in Hospitality from the Carrick Institute of Education (formerly known as ACTH management) and in 2009 she started working for AHS starting as the Assistant Housekeeper at the Quay West Suite apartments before transferring to the Crown Metropol, Melbourne as a supervisor still working with AHS.

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After leaving Crown, Meena took a position as Head nt ate Housekeeper for the Cosmopolitan Hotel, Melbourne (part of 8Hotels group) where she stayed for 2 years. In January 2014 she moved to the Crowne Plaza Melbourne (IHG) working as a Housekeeping Supervisor for Sodexo leaving in November 2015 to work at The Westin, Melbourne as a shift leader. She left this position after 18 months to take up her new role at the Jazz Corner Hotel to build her own housekeeping team. Meena is employed directly by the hotel and this current role has allowed Meena to develop more skills – recruiting, training and managing her own staff of 3 full time permanent and 9 permanent part time staff. The hotel has a combination of studio rooms, and 1 and 2 bedroom apartments all of which have a real saxophone encompassed in art form on the wall in each room. In this hotel if a guest requests a blanket — these are a true

tapestry of the hotel and its mission emblazoned with pictures of the music scene and are indeed very different from your average blanket !! The hotel enjoys a high occupancy as it is close to the CBD and also boasts a “live” jazz club in bird basement which is open five days of week. Meena’s biggest challenge in her first independent role was in setting the Housekeeping standard and training all her staff who have remained constant during the first year. She enjoys great support from the management team and thoroughly enjoys the independence this role is giving her. She says Housekeepers are spoilt for choice when it comes to suppliers – chemicals companies and general supplies and she sees this as a challenge seeking out the best deal she can with price versus value. As an observer of this hotel and as a former Executive Housekeeper, I was very envious of all the storage space she had — many Housekeepers would love to have what she has in this regard!! She is currently a member of The P.E.H.N. and looks forward to functions and networking with others. Away from work, Meena enjoys socialising and taking spiritual annual holidays to India where she visits an Ashram and meditates. I wish Meena all the best for the future. 

CASE STUDY

Sydney’s newest luxury hotel embraces innovative mobile cart housekeeping solution to enhance the guest experience When the brand-new, international five-star Sofitel Darling Harbour opened its doors in September 2017, it promised guests a one-ofa-kind, luxurious hotel experience; complete with breathtaking views on the Harbour and skyline, spectacular infinity pool, state-of-the-art technology and contemporary décor inspired by chic French elegance. When it came to selecting the right housekeeping solution to match this magnificent new property, Sofitel Darling Harbour chose to invest in a superior mobile cart system from Rubbermaid Commercial Products, designed with the best of both worlds: heavyduty, high-performance substance paired with discrete, sophisticated style.

THE OPPORTUNITY With its striking glass façade towering over the sparkling waters of Darling Harbour, the Sofitel Darling Harbour luxury hotel is the jewel of the newlydeveloped harbourside precinct. This impressive, five-star luxury hotel is the first to be built in Sydney this millennium and the property takes full advantage of the latest technology innovations and current design trends in every detail. Creating a premium guest experience at this new, landmark property is paramount to its success. Guests

are invited to relax in airy Club Millesime lounge for members, laze by the infinity pool, sip a cocktail at one of its three stylish bars or enjoy the sweeping cityscape from the floor-to-ceiling glass in every room; all elements have been designed to maximise the breathtaking views and premier position. Every detail is state-of-the-art and premium quality, right down to the housekeeping service which takes advantage of an innovative mobile cart housekeeping system.

Sofitel Darling Harbour chose a cartless housekeeping system, which was a new way of working for many housekeeping staff. “The hotel has 590 rooms including 35 suites across 28 floors. With a traditional housekeeping cart system, servicing so many rooms would have needed 56 carts or two carts per floor. Hallways would always be blocked and the space required to store them would be a significant footprint," said Sofitel Darling Harbour Housekeeping. Maintaining the brand new finishes and fixtures in a high-occupancy

environment meant housekeeping teams needed to work with maximum productivity, and Sofitel Housekeeping decided a large traditional housekeeping cart would slow them down. With a compact, easy-to-transport mobile cart, a housekeeper can wheel the unit into the room, where they have all supplies and equipment within arms’ reach. Refreshing room amenities such as minibar or bathroom supplies are completed with swift efficiency. Workplace Health and Safety for housekeepers was a major factor in choosing a lighter-weight trolley-less system. Housekeeping staff have very physical jobs, and manoeuvring heavy traditional housekeeping carts pose a workplace injury risk.

THE SOLUTION Sofitel Darling Harbour chose a 60-strong fleet of Executive Series Quick Carts, by Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP). The Quick Carts securely hold all housekeeping supplies and equipment in a compact, professional-looking, suitcase-style cart. The Quick Carts are easy-to-transport and small enough to move around quickly and discretely. “Guests would hardly know the Quick Carts were there,” said Sofitel Darling Harbour Housekeeping. “Housekeepers can wheel the Quick Carts quickly and quietly from room to room. The hallways are always clear, clean and tidy. Dirty linen and rubbish are not in plain sight.” Made from high-performance, stainrepelling and durable materials, the Quick Carts are strong enough to withstand rigorous daily use. Sofitel Darling Harbour Housekeeping has been impressed the durability and discrete design has been impressive. The sleek black, luggage-style design of the Quick Cart looks like an executive suitcase, so blends perfectly into the hotel’s prestige décor. “The Quick Carts are very clean and tidy, and far more professional-looking

than traditional carts,” Sofitel Darling Harbour Housekeeping added. Featuring clever compartments with adjustable dividers and quick caddy, the Quick Carts securely store all room essentials such as tissue boxes, bathroom amenities, minibar and tea and coffee. The outside pockets securely hold cleaning equipment in place while the removable inner liner is treated with Teflon® fabric protector for easy cleaning or replacement. “Being able to separate all the room amenities using the different compartments and removable caddy

is a great feature. The housekeeper can carry the caddy to the vanity bench, and everything they need is right there. It’s simply more efficient.” “The Quick Carts are very handy. Being able to wheel the Quick Cart into each guest room is a big advantage for productivity. Rather than constantly moving back and forth to a cart parked in the hallway to replenish amenities, everything is there in the room, within easy reach. The housekeeper can solve any problem straight away, without needing to leave the room.”

CASE STUDY

RESULTS After initial uncertainty about the trolley-less system, Sofitel Darling Harbour’s Housekeeping team are now complete converts. “When the housekeepers first saw the smaller mobile cart, they were sceptical it could work as well as the traditional large housekeeping carts they’d always used in the past. After using it, though, they instantly realised how much easier it would be. There are a few adjustments you need to make, but the Quick Cart system fits the Sofitel Darling Harbour very well.” “Our RCP representatives came and spent time showing the whole housekeeping team how to use every feature more efficiently. This training was invaluable and helped them use the Quick Carts with confidence from day one.” Sofitel Darling Harbour Housekeeping management found the ergonomic design of the Quick Cart solves many WHS issues for its staff. No back issues have been recorded. “The telescopic handle can be adjusted very easily to suit the housekeeper’s height. Sofitel Housekeeping team members who are shorter really appreciated this adjustable feature.” Hospitality staff have found it makes a pleasant change from traditional housekeeping carts which are tall, posing a challenge for short-statured staff. “The Quick Carts are lightweight and easy to move from room to room. The hallways are clear of housekeeping clutter, so guests can move around more freely. Rooms can be serviced more efficiently with the Quick Carts too, as everything is right there at the housekeeper’s fingertips.” Guests can enjoy a beautifully clean room without unsightly or smelly housekeeping carts filled with dirty linen and rubbish cluttering the hallways and spoiling the prestigious guest experience they expect of the hotel. 

Common hotel plastics THE PHASE OUT BEGINS! BY MARK THOMSON

lastic has become controversial due to its negative impacts on the environment, biodiversity, and human health. Most plastic does not naturally biodegrade in the environment. Instead it breaks down into small particles (micro-plastics). These particles may negatively impact human health, releasing toxins into the food chain and poisoning wildlife and marine life. Micro-plastics in our waste water originate from many cosmetic products including, but not limited to toothpaste, creams, shower gels and peelings. The washing of polymer textile clothing and fabrics used in the hotel sector also contributes significantly to micro-plastics finding their way into our waterways and environment. We are now witnessing a global campaign against single use plastics. Two particularly plastic-intensive industry sectors are hotels and restaurants. Leaders in the hotel industry have implemented single use plastic bans for years, however

Replas recycles a wide range of rigid and soft plastics collected through industry and the community.

now the larger chains are catching up. Four Seasons Hotels and resorts announced a ban on plastic straws from all of their 110 properties in April, whilst Anantara Hotels will remove straws by the end of 2018. Accor Hotels in America will prohibit straws by July. 98 Indian-based Taj Hotels will phase out plastic straws from in-room dining this year also. Straws are described as the “low hanging fruit” and many other plastics in hotels are likely to be targeted in the future. Marriott’s upmarket Edition Hotels plan to eliminate single use plastics by 2019, whilst some of its other hotel brands will phase out mini-plastic shampoo bottles with wall mounted dispensers replacing them. Changes proposed by Marriott may eliminate 10.4 million plastic bottles, demonstrating the enormous influence hotel chains can implement. Regular hotel guest offerings such as bathroom amenities, bags for slippers or clothing and minibar items can be replaced with alternative materials such as glass, compostable cardboard or renewable plant based materials. Items such as toothbrushes bins and even bin bags can be economically replaced now with bio plastic solutions, that are renewable and biodegradable. An Australian company, “Biolastics” will soon release products and design solutions aimed to transform local options and provide alternatives to common fossil fuel plastics.

Hotel building products including wall coverings, vinyl flooring and non- recyclable carpets may follow, with these already identified in green building rating tools as materials having significant environmental impacts. Previously “recycling” has been identified as a good environmental solution for plastics. Recent media stories have highlighted that this practice has not had widespread implementation locally, with most materials being sent overseas. Recycling can be complex and not profitable because of multiple realities in the Australian marketplace. Contamination by other materials can be an issue, accessibility to collection infrastructure and hygiene, health and safety issues add to the costs and viability of recycling in Australia. Watch out for the rapid uptake of Bio Plastics and be part of the transformational change now underway to address our polluted waterways and oceans. 

REFERENCES https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/01/travel/straw-bans-hotels-resorts. html https://phys.org/news/2017-06-microplastics-machine.html#jCp https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5766707/https://www. environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/9014ac31-f832-48bd-85b9f02d8ef70fbe/files/vinyl-council.pdf

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mark Thomson is an eco Architect with qualifications from the GBCA and Earthcheck organisations. He has over 30 years experience in the Australian design, development and construction industry. He has built and refurbished multiple hotel projects around Australia and was co-owner of a national hotel chain up until 2005.His current business Eco Effective Solutions is based in Brisbane.

www.ecoeffective.com.au mark@ecoeffective.com.au

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CHANGING THE WAYS HOSPITALITY

Floors are Cleaned BY MURRAY MCDONALD, DIRECTOR OF DUPLEX CLEANING MACHINES

Health, safety and hygiene are important in each and every industry but in the hospitality industry, cleanliness has the most critical and strict expectations. For any hotel operating in the hospitality industry, it is necessary to meet quality standards, especially when it comes to cleaning, otherwise it can find itself in a whirlwind of trouble. Hotels have their very own housekeepers that are responsible for maintaining basic cleaning, from vacuuming floors, cleaning bathrooms, changing bedding, etc. At the same time, ensuring cleanliness in the kitchen is imperative. Thus, housekeeping is among the top concerns within the hospitality industry.

hen we look at the methods used in maintaining cleanliness in hotels, we observe that a lot of changes have been made over time. The introduction of technology has made cleaning, and thus our lives, much easier. Comparing the cleaning methods used in the kitchen, one remembers dishes stacking up in the sink and using a sponge and soap to clean them. But were they actually cleaned? Research has revealed that kitchen sponges are even dirtier than toilets. How can an item used for cleaning purposes be so contaminated? The problem, however, has been resolved with the introduction of dishwashers. But is this enough? Definitely not. The floors of a kitchen were also previously cleaned with the aid of an old mop that is soaked in a bucket water and cleaning agent. The bathroom floor was also cleaned the same way but there were a number of cleanliness issues associated with mops. Cleanliness, with a mop, is also dependent on how often the floors are mopped and the procedure followed. Selecting a suitable mop and appropriate cleaning solution is also important. Further to this, mops require proper maintenance and eventual replacement, since the fibres get worn and disfigured. There is also the issue of regenerating dirty water over the floor surface, with the mop continually soaked in the same bucket solution. The technology is now here to make the lives of people easier and more comfortable. Although mops for floor cleaning are still used in some places, they have been replaced with floor cleaning machines. Integrated battery operated floor cleaning machines are now available that have provided industries, including the hospitality industry, with an ease of cleaning to almost all types of industrial floors, from hard floors to carpets. There are now a wide range of complete industry-specific solutions such as floor cleaning machines, steam units and industrial cleaning machines. Cleaning in the hospitality

industry requires specialised equipment that is not only able to ensure the fulfilment of cleaning needs, but at the same time address hygiene-related issues. It has been observed that by floor cleaning using mops, slips and falls were common. It has been further researched that slips, trips and falls caused by wet floors have resulted in work injuries. In some cases, injuries have been so severe that they have resulted in death, the consequence of wet floors or improper floor cleaning. Cleaning methods have now changed, with the introduction of floor cleaning machines that are able to wash, scrub, dry and steam floors, all in a single pass. Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it great, that multi-purpose machines have now made floor cleaning so much easier? High standard cleaning results have been achieved with floor scrubbers, steam cleaning equipment and ergonomically designed attachment tools. Dedicated floor cleaning equipment is designed for the most efficient performance in achieving the best results, thus changing the way hospitality floors are cleaned. Cleaning with a mop is more labour intensive and time consuming compared to using dedicated floor cleaning machines that also provide better results and a much higher level of hygiene. The most versatile floor cleaners and scrubbers are now available. Cleaning carpets is another major issue associated with hotels, since it is often difficult to remove soiling from carpets. Further to this, the problems associated with bathroom cleaning are also critical. Allergy concerns, contamination and corrosion are among other issues associated with cleaning floors with a mop. These issues have now been resolved with floor cleaning machines which are also chemical-free and greatly eliminate allergy concerns. Steam, at higher temperatures, is used by machines that deep clean all surfaces. Cleaning carpets

has also become much easier, with chewing gum and wax residues removed with ease. In industries that have a lot of foot traffic, carpeting needs to be vacuumed regularly and steam vacuum cleaners have also become available for this purpose. Among these products is the Duplex 420 floor steam cleaner, that in particular, has made carpet cleaning easy. This unit has provided outstanding results on almost all kinds of floor surfaces, by washing, moping, scrubbing, drying and polishing. A number of other cleaning requirements have also been met, including the in depth cleaning of bathroom tiles and grout. Floor cleaning machines have not just made cleaning easier in the hospitality industry and saved a lot of precious time, but have also saved hundreds of dollars that are spent on the costs of chemicals. Furthermore, water consumption in cleaning floors has also been dramatically reduced with the use of floor cleaning machines. Another important aspect associated with these machines is bi-directional capability, providing washing and suction of floors in both directions of work. They are also capable of sweeping both solid and liquefied residues with high and efficient drying performance, even in uneven surfaces. Floor cleaning machines like this provide more efficient performance when compared to traditional cleaning machines. ď Ž

LINKS https://www.duplexcleaning.com.au/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Murray McDonald is Director of Duplex Cleaning Machines and has over 25 years of experience in improving cleaning standards for the hospitality and accommodation industry throughout the chemical-free solutions. Visit www.duplexcleaning.com.au

Hiring for engagement THE NUMBER ONE CHALLENGE FOR EMPLOYERS BY REVELIAN

As Deloitte have told us: In 2015, employee engagement and culture is the number one challenge for employers all over the world.1

e live in the Glassdoor era, where everything is transparent and only 54% of employees would actually recommend their employer to others, and only 13% of employees are highly engaged. Because of this, many organisations are now scrambling to improve their culture and make it more attractive to current and future employees. This is, of course, an excellent thing: companies are recognising the importance of employee engagement and doing their utmost to provide a workplace that encourages people to thrive.

In the midst of all of this, however, there is another strategy that will help increase engagement levels across your organisation that still seems to be overlooked by many employers. It’s the kind of strategy Zappos2 uses to decide whether people will really fit in with their ten core values but that, surprisingly, less than 40% of employers actually use.3 It’s called hiring for ‘fit’, and it’s all about focusing on whether a person’s values are aligned with the organisation, whether they are likely to enjoy the kinds of tasks they need to perform, and whether their personality is a good match for their supervisor and the rest of the team. While traditionally, organisations have relied on technical skills to determine if someone is right for a job, in many cases these are less important than having the right values, preferences and personality alignment. As Deloitte tell us, ‘The first and most important part of employee engagement is job fit. We need to make sure jobs are meaningful, people have the tools and autonomy to succeed, and we select the right people for the job.’4 So while we’re working on improving our culture and helping employees to succeed, we should also be focusing on identifying and hiring the right people for the job: people who are more likely to be engaged at work.

WHAT IS ENGAGEMENT? Engagement is the extent to which employees are committed to their organisations, believe in and support the organisation’s values. It is defined as a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterised by vigour, dedication and absorption.5

FAST FACTS: THE BENEFITS OF ENGAGED EMPLOYEES • When branches of Standard Chartered Bank increased employee engagement by 0.2 or more on a scale of five, they had a 16% higher profit margin growth than branches with decreased levels of engagement.5 • Highly engaged workers are twice as likely to be top performers, and three-quarters of them exceed or far exceed expectations for performance.6 • By focusing on employee engagement rather than other business indicators, Fabick CAT increased its net profit by 100%.7 It’s not (just) about employees being happy or satisfied at work: while a person can be happy at work, it doesn’t necessarily mean she’s working productively for the benefit of the organisation. And while someone might be satisfied with his job, it doesn’t mean he’s going to stay back if there’s an important project to finish, or help others get their parts of a project completed. It’s more about having a strong emotional commitment: not just sticking around because of the salary or next promotion, but actually believing in and sharing the organisation’s goals and values, and actively promoting them. And of course, we know that there are a number of factors that contribute to, or promote engagement on the job. Generally speaking, these are elements that relate to resources that are available to employees to help deal with their job demands, whether they are psychological resources (positive leadership, effective communication, self-confidence, optimism and resilience) or work resources (role clarity, appropriate tools and a safe environment)6. However, all of these refer to steps we can take after the fact to improve engagement. What steps can we take before making a hire? Are there certain measures and attributes that will help us determine whether someone is more likely to be engaged on the job? Some people are more likely to be engaged and perform well in your organisation than others. Generally speaking, these are people who:

• Share your organisation’s vision and values (personorganisation fit) • Enjoy the kinds of tasks their job requires of them (person-job fit) • Have a personality that fits well with the supervisor and team members (person-team fit). The most important factor in determining whether someone will be committed to your organisation is personorganisation fit. This means identifying people whose values closely match your organisation’s values, so are more likely to be committed to your organisation. For example, if your organisation values social service and morality very highly, but a candidate believes that advancement and salary increases are more important, then it’s not likely to be a good match for either party. Both are quite likely to be unsatisfied and the employee will most likely be disengaged. Let’s take a closer look at how the values match works.

PERSON – ORGANISATIONAL VALUES FIT Values fit is the likelihood that someone will reflect or share the core beliefs, attitudes and behaviours that make up your organisation. As a meta-analysis of multiple studies has shown, employees who fit well with the organisation, co-workers and supervisor had higher job satisfaction, demonstrated superior performance, and were more likely to remain with their organisation.7 When a candidate’s work-related values are closely aligned to the organisation’s values, the candidate will be more committed to the organisation and more satisfied with their job.8

Many studies have examined the benefits of hiring employees whose values closely match the organisation’s values, and Revelian has also conducted its own studies to validate this approach. The key findings are that people whose values are more closely matched: • Receive higher performance ratings • Demonstrate stronger organisational citizenship behaviours • Achieve greater career success (promotions, pay rises, increases in job level) Have higher levels of attachment and commitment to the organisation Are less likely to leave the organisation and will stay longer • Are more satisfied with their jobs.

PERSON-JOB FIT It also makes sense that people’s vocational preferences, or their liking for different types of work, will influence their satisfaction at work. And while satisfaction is not the same as engagement (some people say satisfaction is a oneway street, while engagement goes both ways), it is an important factor that contributes to engagement. Studies have also found that satisfaction at work can influence performance, productivity and commitment to the organisation. Revelian compares the task requirements of the job (supplied by a supervisor or incumbent) with the task preferences of the candidate to determine the degree of match. The higher the match or congruence between the two sets of tasks, the more satisfied the candidate will be.

When the most important aspects of a person’s ideal job are actually provided and emphasised by the employer, the employee is more likely to stay longer and contribute positively to the organisation. Revelian compares the values of the organisation (supplied by its employees or a supervisor) with the values of the candidate to determine the degree of match. The higher the match or congruence between the two sets of values, the more committed the candidate will be.

In a study conducted with an Australian credit union, employees whose preferences were more closely matched to the position requirements were rated as having a 28% better ‘fit’ with the organisation.

It refers instead to a more complementary set of personality preferences and types, and people having a shared understanding of each other’s particular behavioural styles and preferences. Values fit Job fit

Engagement

Team fit

Satisfaction

Reduced turnover Increased productivity

IS ‘ENGAGEABILITY’ A THING?

Buffer conducts a 45 day ‘Buffer Bootcamp’ to see if the company is a good fit for the employee and vice versa.

DOES HIRING FOR ‘FIT’ REDUCE DIVERSITY? No, absolutely not. In fact, using valid assessments to help identify the best candidates can actually enhance diversity and remove unconscious bias from the equation, since you’re assessing people purely on their values, preferences and behaviours. In terms of behaviour and personality, as we mentioned earlier, hiring for ‘fit’ certainly doesn’t mean hiring people who are exactly the same. In many instances, it’s about establishing a complementary set of personalities and preferences who can work together effectively. Assessments like the values or work preferences profile are designed to provide you with more insight into your candidates – another piece of the puzzle, if you like. We always recommend using the information you receive from assessments in conjunction with all of the other information you have about a candidate.

PERSONALITY & BEHAVIOUR (TEAM) FIT When a person’s behaviour and preferences align or fit in a meaningful way with the rest of their team, good things happen. Not only does the person’s productivity, comfort and ultimately, engagement benefit the person, it also increases the performance and effectiveness of the team. A team member who ‘fits’ is more likely to want to come to work. Understanding between team members is more likely to be a two-way street, and the team member will enjoy a more fulfilling role within the team and the organisation. And – importantly – team alignment doesn’t mean that everyone’s personality is exactly the same. In fact, in many cases, similarity wouldn’t be a desirable attribute of a team, particularly if people have quite different roles to perform.

Several recent studies have focused on a relatively new concept they call ‘engageability’. They claim that there are several inherent characteristics that certain people have, that will tend to make them more likely to be engaged at work. One group looked at the relationship between the Big 5 personality model and emotional intelligence, and subsequent work engagement. They found that emotional intelligence and several personality factors were all predictors of engagement, with openness to experience having the greatest impact out of the Big 5 personality factors.9,10 Another study found that ‘engageable’ people have high levels of positivity, optimism and conscientiousness, and that people with these attributes also received higher customer satisfaction ratings.11 

REFERENCES 1 Culture and Engagement: The Naked Organisation. http://dupress.com/ articles/employee-engagement-culture-human-capital-trends-2015/ 2 Zappos, Zappos family core values. http://about.zappos.com/ourunique-culture/zappos-core-values, accessed October 30, 2014 3 http://dupress.com/articles/employee-engagement-strategies/ 4 Ibid 5 http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/1810/file52215.pdf 6 Watson Wyatt, 2009 7 http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/24874/a-caterpillar-dealerunearths-employee-engagement.aspx#1 8 Schaufeli, Wilmar B., Salanova, Marisa., Gonzalez-Roma, Vicente., Bakker, Arnold. (2002) The Measurement of Engagement and Burnout: A Two Sample Confirmatory Factor Analytic Approach. Journal of Happiness Studies 3: 71-92. 9 Bakker, Albrecht and Leiter (2011) 10 Kristof-Brown, Amy L., Zimmerman, Ryan D., Johnson, Erin C. (2005) Consequences of Individuals’ Fit at Work: A Meta-Analysis of PersonJob, Person-Group and Person-Supervisor Fit. Personnel Psychology 58, 281-342 http://nreilly.asp.radford.edu/kristof-brown%20et%20al.pdf 11 Dawis, R. V., & Loftquist, L. H. (1984). A psychological theory of work adjustment. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.

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What Hotel Key Cards CAN TELL US ABOUT HOTEL CLEANING BY MARC FERGUSON, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, KAIVAC

It’s no secret that people do get sick in hotels, just about anywhere around the world. Sometimes it is related to how effectively – or not effectively – the hotel has been cleaned. Microbial contamination can develop on all kinds of surfaces, some of which are rarely if ever cleaned, and as this happens, cross-contamination can develop, causing illness.

s we know, cross-contamination occurs when someone touches a contaminated surface, for instance, a soiled door knob or railing, and then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth, or eats something with contaminated hands. Not only can people get sick when this happens, but disease outbreaks, in general, can have a severe financial impact on the entire hotel industry. The most notable example was the SARS epidemic about 15 years ago. It resulted in one of the most significant drops in hotel stock prices in history – 29 percent in just one month after the outbreak was first reported. Further, the World Health Organization estimates that SARS costs the hotel/hospitality industry more than $10 billion the year after the outbreak. It is because of this that hotel owners, managers, and housekeepers must remain diligent, looking for innovative ways to improve cleaning effectiveness as well as making sure all surfaces in a hotel property are kept clean and sanitised, and that starts with, of all things, the guest room keys. In September 2017, the Journal of Environmental Health, published a study entitled, “Hotel Key Cards: How Clean Is the First Thing Guests Touch on Their Way to Their Rooms?” The researchers wanted to know if key cards given to hotel guests are contaminated; if new cards are cleaner than older cards and if so, does this mean hotel properties should recycle cards frequently. Further, they wanted to know if old cards can be cleaned effectively to make them contamination free. Now at this point, you might be asking, aren’t all guests automatically given new room keys as soon as they check in? The answer is yes and no. In most of the advanced world, systems are in place that generates a new key card for each new guest, but this is not true everywhere. Further, even if guests received new cards at check-in, it may be possible those cards become contaminated over time. After all, the cards may find their way into seawater, get tossed into sand or end up on the street, soaked in a swimming pool, end up in soiled pockets, wallets, or smartphone cases, or land on public restroom floors, etc.

And we should note one more thing the researchers were eager to look into. They wanted to end a practice they believed is common in the hotel industry. That practice is evaluating cleanliness based on appearance. In other words, if it looks clean, it is clean. The researchers questioned this concept and sought to prove it wrong.

CONDUCTING THE TEST To conduct their tests, the researcher collected 149 hotel key cards, some brand new and others that had already been used, from 25 North American hotels. They decided to divide the hotels into two categories: • Economy hotels that charged less than $80 (US) per night • Higher end hotels that charged $90 to $150 (US) per night. There were no “luxury” hotels in the mix. If there were demonstrable differences in these two categories, future tests would be expanded to test hotel key card from very high- and very low-end hotel properties. Further, it was noted that as to appearance, the cards all looked clean. Then the researchers used ATP rapid monitoring systems, such as those marketed by Kaivac and sold in Australia and other parts of the world.* Both sides of the 149 cards were swabbed in two directions. To ensure the readings were accurate, researchers put on new pairs of rubber gloves before handling each of the 149 cards.

The way these ATP rapid monitoring systems work is that a reading of 10 or less indicates a very clean surface; 11-30 suggests that the card's surface is not clean and could contain contaminants that may cause disease; 30 and above indicated the cards are soiled, contaminated, and could spread disease. Here were the results: • The used hotel key cards had an average reading of 175.03. A very high reading, which means they were “clearly dirty” and “very likely contaminated,” according to the researchers. • The new, unused key cards, had an average reading of 35, suggesting that even without use, they were already potentially contaminated. • When it comes to the different hotel categories, there was no difference between the key cards from the economy or higher-end hotel properties; they all had high ATP readings. All the cards were then cleaned but using three different cleaning methods. Those methods included cleaning with disinfecting wipes, placing the cards into a bucket of sanitizing solution and then wiping dry; and putting them into a dishwashing machine. While the ATP readings improved with all three cleaning methods, something happened that was not anticipated. “Unfortunately, all three cleaning methods resulted in a malfunction of the hotel keycards. This result indicates that a proper cleaning method for hotel key cards still needs to be developed,” according to the report.

THE TAKEAWAY While this may seem to be just an interesting study to some readers, there is a lot to learn here. For instance, the researchers were able to dispel what they believed is a commonly held belief in the hotel industry that “looks clean is clean.” The cards all looked clean based on visual inspection, however this was not the case. Even the new, unused key cards were potentially

contaminated based on the ATP readings and the used cards, which showed no indication of soiling, were likely very contaminated. Second, hotel administrators must realize that just about any surfaces in a hotel property, from key cards and TV remotes to ATM screens and controls on thermostats may be contaminated. Unlike an office or school that building users “visit” during the day, hotel guests “live” in hotels and their guest rooms. This raises the possibility that they will come in contact with a contaminated surface. We also mentioned that hotel administrators and housekeepers must remain diligent, always looking for new and more effective ways to clean surfaces. This is why mops and rags have been “eight-sixed” in many hotel properties around the world. They have been replaced with: • Flat surface cleaning systems for cleaning ledges, counters, and tables • Spray-and-vac cleaning systems for cleaning restrooms, walls, and a variety of surfaces • “Smart towels” that can be folded into multiple quadrants, allowing the user to use a fresh surface when needed/as needed. Finally, we are not suggesting that staff and hotel visitors wear gloves when using guest room keys. What we are suggesting is that it is our job as cleaning professionals to keep hotel properties as clean as possible. Always keep looking “outside the box” to see if there are new steps that can be taken.  Marc Ferguson is the International Business Development Manager for Kaivac, developers of the No-Touch Cleaning® system and the OmniFlex™ Crossover Cleaning system. He can be reached via his company website, www.kaivac-emea.com, email office@kaivac-emea.com, info@kaivac.com or by calling +43 6216 4524 15. *ATP stands for adenosine triphosphate. ATP is a universal energy molecule found in all animal, plant, bacteria, yeast, and mold cells. If found on a surface, it serves as a “warning sign” that surface may be contaminated. However, it cannot detect precisely which contaminants may be present.

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Hospitality,

SUSTAINABILITY, AND YOU BY EMMA BERTHOLD, GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL CHOICE AUSTRALIA

Sustainability is an increasingly important part of doing business in the hospitality industry, particularly since 21% of global carbon dioxide emissions from the tourism sector can be attributed solely to accommodation. Thankfully, many hotels are embracing opportunities to incorporate initiatives ranging from linen and towel re-use programs to obtaining third-party green certification across their operations.

ecent research by Deloitte (“Hospitality 2015: Game changers or spectators?”) has shown there is a growing customer preference for green hotels, with 95% of business travellers surveyed for the research indicating that they believe the hotel industry should be undertaking green initiatives. There has also been a general increase in consumer preference for sustainable products across multiple industries. The demand for sustainable products and services is there - and hotels are adopting "green" practices in response. However, are these efforts effective? Are hotel owners taking full advantage of the opportunities available to them to ensure that their approach to sustainability will benefit their business, as well as the environment? Although sustainability is seen as an important factor in decision-making processes for hotel owners and managers, it’s not yet fully entrenched in business thinking. Sustainability must be addressed from a holistic perspective, encompassing technology, people, business models, physical assets, operational practices, and financial efficiency. It needs to be embraced across all levels of the organisation and throughout the entire life of the building, from the beginning of construction and interior fit-outs to the ongoing operational procedures. This presents a challenge to hotel owners and managers who want to do the right thing, but may not know where to start, particularly as more green regulations are introduced into the industry and achieving operational efficiency becomes more difficult. The publication of the new ISO20400 International Procurement Guidance standard brings some welcome guidance to procurement professionals across many industries, including the hospitality sector. The standard outlines the factors that must be taken into account when developing and implementing a sustainable procurement

policy, which will then govern all the purchasing decisions of an organisation. What does this mean for cleaning product manufacturers and service providers seeking to engage further with clients in the hospitality sector? ISO20400 emphasises principles such as transparency, accountability, and ethical behaviour for suppliers. Manufacturers and service providers looking to stand out from their competitors will need to find new ways of communicating their sustainability credentials to potential clients, ensuring that any sustainability claims are genuine and verifiable. Third-party sustainability certification programmes, such as GECA, can provide this extra layer of trust. The GECA ecolabel on your product or service indicates that your company is having a positive environmental, health and social impact, and this provides an important demonstration of the credibility of your claims. As competition grows in the green hotels sector, hotel managers will need to look for new ways to meet their sustainability goals and ensure that they are engaging with suppliers whose goals are aligned with their own. This is particularly important for hotel owners who are working with independent organisations to validate and communicate their sustainability credentials, such as obtaining EarthCheck certification, or TripAdvisor's Green Leaders program. Cleaning product manufacturers and service providers who have a lower environmental, health and social impact across their operations – especially those who can prove it with third-party certification – are well-placed to engage with an industry that is realising the importance of going green. 

Pareto Rule

APPLIED TO THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY BY DR DENIS BOULAIS, NATIONAL RISK MANAGER (BROADLEX SERVICES PTY LTD) INTRODUCTION

he pareto principle, widely known as the 80/20 rule states that on many occasions, 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. The literature suggests that workers compensation is not an exception to this rule and that this rule may apply to workers compensation in a more exaggerated form. For example, with some self-insured policies it has been identified that 80% of workers compensation claim costs arise from just 5% of claims. As such, a relatively small number of high cost claims can result in a disproportionate premium payable cost to the employer. Despite this obvious cost relationship such injuries have adverse impacts upon the injured worker, loss of organisational productivity and adverse effects upon morale and workplace culture. For around 15 years now I have managed workers compensation and injury management within the cleaning industry. I have experienced a number of different workers compensation schemes throughout Australia whereby the most effective way to reduce workers compensation premium is by return to work of injured employees. I had always wondered how the pareto rule would apply to the cleaning industry and set upon a study of available incident statistics to establish if any pareto relationship exists. With no fault workers compensation provisions in place then one incident could easily occur and result in a high cost claim particularly as research is indicating that 75% of incidents are due to human error. My own research in this area indicated that 65.5% of incidents in the cleaning industry are due to human error and 51.5% of those incidents are a result of cleaners not looking before moving. My initial thoughts that 20% of incidents resulted in 80% of workers compensation costs were realised when I calculated that 15.3% of incidents resulted in greater

than 80% of claims costs using the cleaning industry data I had available. Although my experience is cleaning industry based, I believe the hospitality industry can gain some advantage from reading the points I have outlined in this article.

DISCUSSION Vincent Pareto (1848-1923) made the observation that 20% of people in Italy owned 80% of its wealth and realised this disproportionate concept applied to many different areas. A main idea behind the pareto rule is that a disproportionately small group can have a supersized influence over ones business. If this group can be properly identified and managed (their impacts minimised) then the profitability of the business may dramatically increase. Observing the pareto may allow one to think outside the square and work smarter by focusing upon the right things. Let’s examine some pareto situations that may apply within the cleaning industry. • 80% of dust is found in 20% of a building (e.g. foyers and meeting rooms). • 80% of feedback comes from 20% of cleaners. • 80% of workers compensation costs derive from 20% of claims. • 80% of contract revenue is derived from 20% of clients. • 80% of injuries derive from 20% of hazards (e.g. manual handling). • 80% of complaints come from 20% of clients. • 80% of the traffic involves 20% of the streets (e.g. intersite travels). • 80% of sales result from 20% of marketing strategies. • 80% of website traffic lands on 20% of website pages. As earlier mentioned I am calculating from my workers compensation data that 15.3% of claims account for greater than 80% of workers compensation

premium costs – hence these workers compensation claims follow a rule more dramatic than the 80/20 rule. Pareto based observations can be effective in establishing management strategies. For example an examination of those 15.3% of claims may indicate they are originating from one or a few contracts. This may result in further training of cleaners within a particular contract or a decision about future participation in that contract particularly where a positive safety culture within that contact is difficult to establish. It may for example involve drilling down into the specific injury mechanisms within those 15.3% of claims. I recall a cleaning contract which involved a significant amount of manual handling in order to keep a particular production line moving. Analysis of the incident statistics indicated that all the injuries were frank in nature as opposed to nature and conditions. From a cleaning perspective a frank incident may result from a single lift of a bin and straining ones lower back where as a nature and conditions injury may result from swinging a mop for many years and developing a sore elbow. Further analysis indicated that greater than 80% of the injuries involved the lower back and occurred within the first two hours (20%) of a shift which in itself is a pareto based observation. The strategy here was to periodically refresh manual handling training and place a specific emphasis upon pre task warm up exercises during that training. As a result of this approach then a dramatic reduction in manual handling injuries at that site was observed. In conclusion the pareto principle will not completely eliminate the noncritical elements of any situation, it is however a simple tool that encourages us to shift focus into areas that may have the most significant impact and yield the best results. It may also assist one in identifying what areas of the business are not performing as required and hence focus ones attention to rectifying the situation. 

Pull the Goalie How to stop managers from burning out

BY RALPH PETERSON

ith just over a minute left to the game, and being down by two points, Coach Radcliff did the unthinkable; he pulled the goalie. Pulling the goalie in hockey allows you to swap out the goal tender for another player; which increases your team’s chances of scoring. There is an obvious downside however. Pulling the goalie means you are intentionally leaving your net unguarded and therefore vulnerable. But hockey coaches, being down by a point or two in the last 60 to 90 seconds of an important game – often see more value in taking the risk, than not. As I watched the game, sitting on the edge of my seat because it was my team that was down by two, I saw something remarkable. More than just adding another hockey player to help his team score, when Coach Radcliff pulled the goal tender, he changed the dynamics of the entire team. When the goal tender is guarding the net, the defenders work hard to stop the other team from getting too close and try to prevent them from taking a shot. However, once the puck is launched toward the goal, they let the goalie take over. The goalie, with extra thick pads, is far more prepared to handle a puck travelling at more than 100 miles per hour, than the defender, who is not so well protected. Once the goal tender is removed from the ice, however, everything changes. Suddenly, the defenders, who are still not very well protected, willingly jump in front of the net – risking severe injury to stop the other team from scoring. The excitement of the game reached its peak when my team scored 45 seconds after Coach Radcliff pulled the goalie. With only 15 seconds remaining, however, the chances of scoring again and forcing overtime proved to be impossible. I grabbed the remote and shut off the television. I was bummed. I leaned back and wished the coach had pulled the goalie sooner; especially since the defenders proved to be both capable and willing to defend the net without him. Why do hockey coaches always wait until the very last minute to make such a drastic move? What would happen if they pulled the goalie sooner? I read an analysis once that calculated the perfect time to pull the goalie and the results seemed counter intuitive and scary. When the team is down by two, the mathematical equation says, you should pull the goalie with more than five minutes left of the game. Five minutes! No Coach, in the history of the National Hockey League has ever… would ever, pull the goalie with more than five minutes left to a game. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t.

This got me thinking about management and burn out and how some companies seem to do very well, utilizing all of their staff and protect the net, while others don’t. Instead they rely solely on their goal tender (manager). Could there be a correlation? “What happened,” I asked. It took me a couple of weeks to get Kelly on the phone, a former nurse manager in a midsized health care facility who abruptly quit after four years of being the director – without giving a notice. She took in some air and then said, “I couldn’t do it anymore. You don’t understand. The phone. Never. Stops...” She said it as if she was still exhausted. Even though it had been weeks since she worked last. Kelly wasn’t the first person I had been asked to call and follow up with. I have been doing it for months. Reaching out to nurse managers who suddenly quit, stepped down, needed to take some time off, and many who left nursing all together. They all said the same thing. “The phone. Never. Stops.” Health care management is one of those fields that it is easy to get overwhelmed in. The needs of the patients are constantly changing, never ending and in many cases have life or death consequences. Add to this staffing challenges, an unforgiving client base, and an overwhelming regulatory body that watches and scrutinizes their every move, at every level, and you can begin to see why the burn out rate among nurse managers is at an all-time high. Nursing Home companies never pull the goalie (managers) until the very last minute. In fact, most believe they can’t. Most believe if the manager is not present every day, no one will step up and jump in front of the net. Meanwhile the manager is expected to be available either in person or by phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This leads to managers being overworked and stressed. Their work suffers, they begin to develop a poor attitude and start losing their patience with everyone until… they reach a breaking point. I never quite figured out why, or how I could help, until this happened… “He was late again today.” I heard someone say. “He was late yesterday too.” I was in the men’s locker room at the gym getting dressed when two guys came in discussing a co-worker.

“Of course,” one of them said. ‘He’s always late.” I tried my best not to look over and butt into their conversation but the more they talked about their coworker always being late and asking to leave early and never quite finishing their job, I couldn’t help myself. “Gentlemen,” I said apologizing for the intrusion. “I’m just curious, what does your manager say about this guy.” They looked at each other and then back at me. “The employee who is always late or leaving early,” I said, clarifying. “Honestly, I don’t think she knows,” one of them said. The other guy nodded in agreement. “She doesn’t know,” I said furrowing my eyebrows. “How could she not know.” “I haven’t said anything to her.” “Me neither.” “Interesting,” I said. “Are you going to.” They both shook their heads. “He’s young and a little immature, but he’s alright.” “Yeah, we’re working with him.” I nodded. Intrigued. I wanted to ask a million questions. Like, how long have they worked there? Where they instructed by their manager to handle it themselves? Did they have a good manager? Could they talk to their manager? Where they interested in management? My intrusion however, stopped them from getting changed into their gym clothes and so I bit my tongue and smiled. “That’s good,” I said and turned back to my locker. These two didn’t seem to need the manager to stand in front of the net, blocking every issue that came up in the facility. These guys had no problem standing up and protecting the interest of the company – even though they could have easily passed the responsibility to their manager. Maybe it’s not that the phone. Never. Stops ringing. Maybe it’s the expectation the manager must always be the one who is answering it. What would happen if we let managers have days off, without the expectation to answer every call and handle every problem? Would anarchy prevail, or would others step up in their absence – even though they may not be as prepared or protected? What would happen if we pulled the goalie. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ralph Peterson is a Management Development Specialist, Author of two books: Managing When No One Wants to Work: Leadership Lessons from an Executive Housekeeper and Adventures in Dietland: How to Win at the Game of Dieting from a Former Fat Guy. His newest book, The Write Up: How to Effectively Warn Your Staff, is due to be released this fall. Contact him: Ralph@RalphPeterson.com @ralphpeterson08

THREE WAYS YOUR DATA CAN IMPROVE YOUR

Vendor/Supplier Relationships BY SEAN PHELPS, CUSTOMER SUCCESS MANAGER, SAFETYCULTURE

The hospitality industry is all about relationships. You nurture relationships with your guests and help them build connections with new destinations and experiences – an important factor in driving loyalty. It’s your relationships with third party firms and subcontractors, however, that are the real success factor. From contracts with food and beverage vendors, arrangements with cleaning, laundry and maintenance resources and agreements with new technology providers and platforms, these relationships are the centre of your day-to-day dealings and the key to future profitability.

aving a deep understanding of your supplier relationship management (SRM) – specifically, where there is room for improvement – is critical. Data can help you fill in the gaps and, as a result, reduce operating supply costs, improve guest satisfaction and avoid unnecessary restructuring or headcount reductions. But with more data available than ever before, how do hospitality businesses ensure they track the right metrics and get ahead of the analytics game? Product like SafetyCulture’s iAuditor app can assist you with data to improve your relationships with vendors and suppliers. Some examples follow:

1. DECIDE WHICH AUDITING METRICS TO TRACK AND STICK TO THEM Before you establish a relationship with a new vendor or contractor, make sure they know which metrics you’re

tracking and what goals contribute to your bottom line. That way, they’ll know exactly where to focus when you give them data-backed expectations. Using checklists or even photographic evidence can help make sure there is no room for miscommunication, which is important when guests expect to receive a consistent level of service, every time, in every location. These tools can be used to set clear standards with suppliers or improve hotel guest rooms or food premises inspections and can be used to support a more productive conversation should any issues arise. Another essential conversation with your contractor should revolve around how auditing analytics are pulled. If you are managing many hotels in a region, you’ll want tailored feedback to each specific location as well as broader insights. Ensure that each location, team and contractor

has standardised audits so that you can compare apples to apples. Using a digital auditing platform can simplify this process and enable automatic updates, helping eliminate outdated paper templates.

2. COMMUNICATE BENCHMARKS CLEARLY AND FREQUENTLY Your data needs to be accessible in order to be useful to your business. That means your auditing processes should not revolve around emailing reports with potentially outdated information. Ideally, the auditing metrics will not just be contained to the office headquarters but communicated to managers on site as well in real-time. With that enhanced visibility, they can work directly with the involved contractors to make sure the organisation’s quality, service and safety standards are front of mind. By ensuring that everyone has access to key insights, you leverage the knowledge and experience of everyone on your team. One hotel location manager may have a piece of the puzzle that is missing for others. They may also have suggestions for how to improve contractor relations or point out process flaws.

3. USE THE DATA INSIGHTS TO MAKE ORGANISATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS Once location managers and contractors are very familiar with your organisational standards, it’s time to tap into the data and look for process improvements. Surprisingly, this step is frequently overlooked as we can sometimes see auditing as a necessary evil rather than a way to generate a huge amount of valuable insights. The idea of having clear auditing analytics is not at all to catch vendors in wrongdoing. It’s about identifying areas for improvement. If you spot an area where a vendor is falling short, involve your site managers. If the same issue is replicated across multiple locations, seek feedback on what might be contributing to the issue. Perhaps, the organisation needs to provide more support or adjust an outdated process. The auditing analytics will point to the problem, but not to the “why” behind it. That’s where you lean on the relationship you’ve established with your vendor. Relying on auditing data as the backbone for conversations with contractors allows hospitality businesses to set clear intentions from the beginning. It also keeps everyone, from hotel location managers to the contractors themselves, focused on the same metrics the company values. 

Product NEWS QUICK STICKS Smart, light and user friendly are the key criteria in every workplace. Enter the Nero Cyclonic Stick vacuum to tick each box. The Cyclonic engine separates dust to keep filters clean, while tiny filters pick up fine particles, so dust is actually removed rather than just rearranged and resettled. There’s no need for replacement vacuum bags and best of all, just a single click empties the dirt canister. Weighing in at only 1.8 kilos it’s easy to manoeuvre over ceilings and around high spots and those crevices that rarely see the light of day. An all-in-one hard floor and carpet head makes it perfect for a quick clean-up in the tiled kitchen, the trendy sisal-floor reception or plush boardroom shag. Standing tall and slim or hung on its own hook the stick-vac is the silent sentinel that appreciates time and space are at a premium. • Push button telescopic chrome wand • Hard brush and crevice tools included • Extra long cable length: 7 metres • Size: 300 L x 103 W x 1130 H mm For more information please visit www.weatherdon.com.au

RAINBOWAIR AUSTRALIA Ozone is very effective in eliminating odours including tobacco smoke, human and pet odours, food odours, mould and mildew odours, garbage odours, renovation odours and much more. It is not a reodorant. It totally destroys the offending gases that are the source of everything we smell. Unlike many other deodorising methods, ozone actually searches out and destroys the problem gases. It will react with contaminants in the air, water, fabrics and on the surface of the walls and ceilings. Unlike other types of air purification systems, an ozone generator does not depend on the air passing through the

RUSSIAN GOLD Heralded by trend forecasters as the colour of the year, rose gold accessories are becoming the must have for on-trend accommodation providers.

machine to do its job. Ozone generators also produce large quantities of ions via the corona discharge. The ions cause the dust particles to agglomerate, and precipitate from the air, leaving a cleaner environment. For more information visit 1300 132 074, www.rainbowair.com.au

Originally called Russian gold, the colour was hatched with Faberge’s famous egg creations and came to prominence with Cartier’s infamous, intertwined wedding rings and jewellery. The Nero Luxe hairdryer by Weatherdon reflects the providence of luxury in many ways. A high gloss finish and warm sophisticated glow is an unexpected head turner in the midst of mundane metallics. Where once the only options were black and white, rose gold will surprise and delight guests and add a distinctive tone to the bathroom. Weatherdon’s team of gun-designers has made some fashion forward decisions, opting for black and rose gold Off/On heat control buttons, avoiding the traditional red-for-heat and blue-for-cool shot. The slighty longer cord of two metres, just that little bit extra to eliminate tedious times or contortion tricks to reach the power point. Rose gold is sprinkled across every fashion and style chart and now accommodation providers can step up and generate a modern romantic hue to the guest experience. For more information please visit www.weatherdon.com.au

Port Douglas

CAIRNS MACKAY

BRISBANE

South Pacific Laundry specialises in the provision of quality linen and supplies for the customer service and hospitality industries.

Armidale Coffs Harbour

PERTH

PORT MACQUARIE

SPL provides:

Newcastle

ADELAIDE

SYDNEY

ALBURY Colac

Sale

Warrnambool

South Pacific Laundry (SPL) has been a provider of commercial laundry and linen services to the hospitality industry in Melbourne for the last 20 years.

Geelong

MELBOURNE

Currently, the South Pacific Group is establishing a strong network of modern laundries across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia with plans for several more facilities up the East Coast of Australia. The relocation of our Sydney operations to a new larger facility in Bankstown together with the relocation of our Brunswick plant to Broadmeadows will establish South Pacific Laundry as the single largest privately owned laundry in Australia and in the Southern Hemisphere.

Contact Robert Teoh National PR & Marketing P: (03) 9388 5300 M: 0421 716 888 Coverage Australia wide

• A 365 day service to all its clientele with a 24 hour turnaround (depending on location).

Pricing Information Contact supplier direct Delivery Free daily delivery within 25km city metropolitan areas Minimum Order Contact supplier direct

• A leading edge technology in RFID to assist housekeeping and managerial staff in time reduction and efficiency. • Dedicated account managers and experienced support staff who are available 7 days a week. • A dedicated software design package and centralised billing system enables seamless transactions, paperless and customised reports. • Delivery rationalisation systems, providing and streamlining efficient delivery routes which will reduce the company’s carbon footprint. • Building of partnerships and sharing benefits with the customers from savings made through its constant laundry process innovations and group purchasing power of linen products. • Dry cleaning and uniform cleaning services. • Provision and supplying of corporate uniforms/work wears and customised hotel room amenities.

Full Contact Information South Pacific Laundry 9-23 King William St Broadmeadows VIC 3047 P: (03) 9388 5300 F: (03) 9387 2399

*Albury and Melbourne only

E: customerservice@southpacificlaundry.com.au robert.teoh@southpacificlaundry.com.au

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