Cleaning and Hygiene
May 2018
CLH News
How Hospitality Businesses Can Clean up Their Act Most people would agree that standards of hygiene and cleanliness are important in many areas of business, and the hospitality industry would certainly be near the top of any survey. Establishments such as hotels, bars and restaurants are constantly under regulatory, and public scrutiny and risk losing everything if they fail to pass regular checks from the relevant authorities, or may and see their hard won repuations reputations trashed on social media. There are not many other industries in which the standard of cleanliness is judged to be an essential part of the experience, however in hospitality, particularly establishments relying on repeat custom, the fulfilment of these high expectations is paramount.
WHY? • Prevent a Health Hazard • If you don’t keep things clean and fresh your customers might be facing a health hazard, and you risk closure and/or a huge fine. If hygiene and cleanliness levels are low enough to mean a health & safety hazard this won’t do your reputation any good. If your hard-won reputation diminishes in any way, the result is a lower return as customers decline and negative word of mouth spreads. • Keep all Areas Fresh and Fragrant • There are so many different areas to consider within a pub, hotel, restaurant or club, especially where food and drink are concerned, and putting together a cleaning plan that keeps all areas in the highest quality of cleanliness and also returns a fresh fragrance which is pleasant to the noses of customers and staff alike is not an easy task and requires careful planning and consideration. • Keep Staff and Customer Morale High • How clean your premises are can have a massive knock on effect to staff morale and the contentment of your customers who will judge you in the now popular “court of public opinion”. Content staff are more productive, smile more and engage in higher levels of customer service. This adds to the customer’s experience and will keep them more likely to return again and again. Keeping the public areas and bathrooms clean will also have a similar
effect on custom and reputation. • Prevent Cross Contamination • There are a lot of areas to consider in any hospitality establishment. Bathrooms used to heavy footfall, seating areas where food and drink is consumed and spilled on a regular basis, and behind the bar with dirty glasses, pipes to clean for beer and floors to mop and sweep, the list could go on, and making sure you use the correct products/chemicals for specific tasks will ensure you never cross contaminate from area to area, keeping things clean and hygienic for your staff and preventing risk to your customers. We provide colour coded mops and wipes for different areas of your workplace – it keeps things simple and prevents cross contamination. This will of course come as absolutely no surprise to anybody reading this article; however, there are some hospitality businesses who still struggle to maintain the relevant hygiene and cleanliness requirements, and this is not helped by the fact that many hospitality businesses are open almost 24/7, struggling with staff and struggling to balance budgets. Independent/hands-on operators who lack the support rigorous set of instructions or guidelines from a head office can often become confused when it comes to delivering a thorough, workable and efficient cleaning regime. This need not be the case. By carrying out a series of manageable processes and checks, independent businesses in the hospitality and leisure sector can ensure that their washrooms and public areas comply with industry standards by remaining as clean, presentable and hygienic and germ-free as possible. With the rise of social media and online reviews making word-of-mouth more powerful than ever before, inadequate or poorly-maintained in-room,washroom and public area/ facilities can have a significant impact on an establishment’s reputation. By ensuring standards in this area align with those maintained across other areas of the organisation, hospitality and leisure business owners can enhance customer experience and avoid damaging the flow of repeat business.
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