Monthly Archives: July 2012

PLOH Team enjoys Housekeeping workshop

While L&A was in Singapore a ½ day workshop was conducted for the team from PLOH. PLOH is a Singapore based bedding and linen company run by  Richard and Charlotte Loh, who are passionate about making your sleep experience an integral part of a life lived fully. They believe it’s what’s inside that counts. PLOH source the world for natural fills to make exclusive pillows, duvets and featherbeds which deliver a sumptuous experience to the well-dressed bed.

They are also passionate about developing fabrics that pamper the senses focusing on the exquisite “hand” which enhance the feel of our plush bedding. favoring the freshness and simplicity of clean, crisp white over busy patterns and seasonal colors, their bed linen (yes, they come in high thread counts but that’s not the most important factor) start with the finest cotton fibers before going through expert milling, weaving and finishing.

The programme which was conducted at the Grand Hyatt Singapore included information all about Housekeeping and what a Housekeeper does so the PLOH team can understand more about this key member of the client s team.

Emphasis was given to Housekeeping budgets and how Housekeeping manages their linen and bedding. The workshop culminated in a fun team building activity of bed making – speed vs. quality. GO PLOH!

If you wish to inquire about L&A’s housekeeping workshops please email info@lycetteandassociates.com or visit www.lycetteandassociates.com

 

 

 

 

 

Melanie Hernandez was the lucky winner to receive free admission to Finance for Housekeepers – the online course.

Melanie Hernandez is the Assistant Housekeeper at Hotel Michael, Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore The hotel has 475 Rooms with 40 Room attendants, 10 Public area attendants. Melanie entered the Lycette & Associates competition to win free admission to the online Finance for Housekeepers course and she won! Melanie was hoping this course would provide her with the additional know-how in finance for housekeepers to add to her qualifications.

Her current responsibilities include:

• Work closely with the Asst. Executive Housekeeper. Assisting her with the overall housekeeping operation. Assist in housekeeping linen and stock inventory. Evaluates guest feedback. Coordinates with the Front Office for guest arrival/departure rooms. Guest Request/Preferences.
• Supervises 40 Room Attendants and 10 Public Area attendants ensuring all work done are up to the highest standard at all times
• Responsible in doing daily floor assignment for the attendants.
• Making daily report for staff’s daily performance, maintenance report and other issues within the department.
• Records lost and found
• Inspecting 60 rooms per day
• Ensuring that the cleanliness and maintenance in all guest rooms, public and crew area are maintained to a highest standard
• Staff counselling, trainings and performance appraisal

After attending the course Melanie went to HR to give them  a copy of her certificate that showed she had completed the online Finance course. They congratulated her on her successful completion of the course and told her she was right  on track and that the L&A certificate was recognized by the company. Melanie’s superiors attended the Housekeeper’s Development Program in conjunction with e2i, Singapore last June and were happy to see Melanie had attended the L&A online course. Melanie recommends the course to her colleagues and is looking forward to more update courses in the future!

The next online Finance for Housekeeper’s course starts on 20 August. Between now and 20 August there will be another competition for free admission to the online Finance course. Stay tuned and register your name when we hold the next competition.

For more information on the online Finance for Housekeepers course visit our website: http://www.lycetteandassociates.com/housekeeping-courses-training/?finance-for-housekeeping-online or email Josephine for more information Josephine@lycetteandassociates.com

 

 

The Impact of the Carbon Tax on Housekeeping Operations

By Stephen McGoldrick, Institute of Sustainability and Hygiene International

Global Warming is changing the way we have to do business

The Federal government has introduced a carbon tax this July 2012 as well as incentive programmes to encourage investments in green solutions. Stephen McGoldrick from the Institute of Sustainability will give you some simple but in depth explanations about global warming, the carbon tax and the impact on your hotel, housekeeping and the planet. 

Who will have to pay the Carbon Tax?

The carbon pricing mechanism, introduced by the Clean Energy Act 2011 and the NGER Act, applies to Australia’s largest emitters (known as liable entities). Liable entities either operate facilities that meet an emissions threshold of at least 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) or supply, or use large amounts of natural gas. The mechanism covers approximately 60 per cent of Australia’s carbon emissions and includes emissions from electricity generation, stationary energy, landfills, wastewater, industrial processes and fugitive emissions. Around 250 companies will have to pay the carbon tax in 2012/13. The tax will increase the price of electricity, fossil fuels and land fill i.e. Energy and landfill costs are likely to go up especially operators of large landfills.

Will Carbon Tax go up?

In the 2012-2013 financial year, the carbon price is $23 per tonne. The carbon price will be $24.15 per tonne in 2013-14 and $25.40 per tonne in 2014-15. From 1 July 2015 onwards, the number of units issued by the Government each year will be capped by a pollution cap, this is set by regulations. Most carbon units will be auctioned by the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) and the price will be set by the market. You will not see the carbon tax on invoices. Industry groups predict that the energy costs are likely to rise 10% every year over the next 10 years. It’s likely that energy costs will double by 2020.

Sustainability Definition

Sustainability is the long-term maintenance of responsibility, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of stewardship, the responsible management  of resource use. Sustainability economics is sometimes referred as Triple Bottom Line (TBL).

 

Global Weather

It is important to note that the meteorologists and scientists advised governments that the planet is warming.

 

What is CO₂e?

You may hear the term CO₂e. What is that? CO₂e stands for CO₂e = Carbon Dioxide Equivalents

You cannot measure your carbon footprint without understanding what a CO₂e is. 

What does Carbon Dioxide Equivalents mean?

Let’s start with Carbon Dioxide or CO₂. Carbon Dioxide is a 3-atom molecule – 1 Carbon and 2 Oxygen atoms. We breathe in O₂ in and we breathe out CO₂. Not surprising our atmosphere contains a lot of CO2. CO₂ is measured in %’s or parts per million (PPM). The current amount of CO₂ in our atmosphere is around 350 PPM or 0.35% and rising. CO₂ is a Greenhouse Gas. A Greenhouse Gas is a molecule that is in a gaseous state, i.e. in our atmosphere with the specific ability to radiate heat energy from the sun back to the earth rather than allowing the sun’s heat energy to return back into space. The main greenhouse gases are listed in the diagram below – Carbon Dioxide, Methane, CFC’s, Ozone and Nitrous Oxide.

The more greenhouse gases in our atmosphere the more gas molecules reflect heat energy back to earth and warm the planet.

To calculate the impact the combined impact that greenhouse gases have in ‘warming the planet’, scientists have measured the potency of greenhouse gases to ‘trap heat energy’ in the atmosphere. Because CO₂ is the main greenhouse gas it has a potency of 1. The other greenhouse gases are compared to CO₂ and given a potency score, e.g. methane (a colorless, odorless, flammable gas that is the simplest hydrocarbon. It is the major constituent of natural gas and is released during the decomposition of plant or other organic compounds, as in marshes and coal mines.) is 21 x more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO₂.

So when fossil fuels such gasoline, LPG, coal burning to make electricity, different amounts of these greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere. The amount of CO₂ gas Equivalent emitted is measured by multiplying the potency by the amount of each gas given off. The government has produced greenhouse gas tables for each fossil fuel your business or home uses. For example 1 kWh of electricity in NSW uses 0.89 Kgs of CO₂e. This means if your hotel uses 10,000 kWh per annum the power station up the road will emit 8,900 Kgs or 8.9 tonnes of CO₂e into the atmosphere because of the hotel’s energy consumption of electricity. Go look at your bill and multiple by 0.89 to see how many Kgs of CO2 per quarter your hotel emits.it is important to note that each state’s electrical generation emit different levels of CO₂e based on the efficiency of the power they use, for example Victoria uses brown coal and emits more CO₂e per kWh than NSW. This is why hotels in Victoria have a higher carbon footprint then a similar hotel in NSW with the same kWh usage per annum.

Greenhouse Gas Potency

Carbon Dioxide                  (CO₂)       =                CO₂

Methane (CH₄)                    =                21 x more potent than CO₂

Nitrous Oxide (N₂0)          =                310 x more potent than CO₂

1 Kg of each of the above Greenhouse Gases would be equivalent to 322 CO₂ gas, i.e. not 3 Kgs.

Or (1 Kg of CO₂ x 1 + 1 Kg of CH₄ x 21 + 1 Kg of N₂0 x 310) = 322 Kgs of CO₂e.

What is a Carbon Footprint?

Your carbon footprint is the amount of CO₂ generated by your process. However your process has upstream inputs and downstream outputs that cause carbon emissions associated with your business activity, i.e. Housekeeping requires energy, water, chemicals and the waste from the process creates landfill that emits high amounts of carbon emissions. To understand carbon footprints more clearly you have to be aware of the term “Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions”.

What are Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions?

The gases in the cloud are greenhouse gases.

Scope 1 emissions

Are the carbon emissions from the energy used at the Hotel to do Housekeeping chores, e.g. vehicle fuel used to get supplies 

Scope 2 emissions

Are the carbon emissions from the electricity company up the road for you to do Housekeeping chores, e.g. use of air-conditioners, vacuum cleaners etc

Scope 3 emissions

Are the carbon emissions of everyone upstream and downstream associated with housekeeping Examples of this are fuel used by staff to drive to work, energy used to make chemicals, laundries, textiles used in rooms, disposables and a downstream example is the volume of waste going to landfill as landfill generates around 1 Kg of CO2e per Kg of waste. The more your recycle the less greenhouse gas your business will emit.

What does 1 Kg of CO2e look like?

A black balloon can help your staff understand that every 1 Kg of CO2 that can be prevented from being emitted helps the planet and visa versa. In most cases the lower your carbon footprint then the lower your ENERGY BILL. Therefore it’s good for your business to know your carbon footprint and work out how to lower it. It is also good for staff morale and team work to set goals that are meaningful to your employees and your customers.

A Carbon footprint is a measure of carbon emissions as a result of an activity. Your carbon footprint is measured in Kilograms of CO₂e – carbon dioxide equivalents

Here are some examples of measuring the carbon footprint?

Hotel Stay

1.5 Hours at a Hotel                                            15 Kgs CO₂e / room night[1]

1 Linen Change (10 Kg/room)                        0.4 – 1.0 Kgs CO₂e/Kg Linen[2]

1 Kg of Cotton Sheets                                         25 Kgs CO₂e/Kg of Textiles

1 Kg of Polyester Sheets                                   31 Kgs CO₂e/Kg of Textiles

On Premise Laundries are significant contributors to carbon emissions in a hotel. It is best to outsource laundries to a more energy efficient laundry.

Energy Consumption %’s in Hotels

Housekeepers are associated with many of the energy usages of a hotel.

 

Dining at a Restaurant

Energy to make [3]Meal                      1 Kg CO₂e / meal

Food at a Restaurant

500 gm’s Chicken Meat                                    2 Kgs CO₂e / Kg

58 gm’s Beef3                                         17 Kgs CO₂e / Kg

The menu combined with the energy efficiency of the restaurant determines the carbon footprint of hotel dining. Accor Hotels found that feeding their clients beef was the biggest environmental issues in their hotels because of the amount of water required to make beef.

Travel to / from Hotel

Travel by bus 15.7 km                      BNE/SYD =   60 Kgs CO₂e

Travel by car 6.3 km                          BNE/SYD = 150 Kgs CO₂e

Travel by plane 2.2 km                    BNE/SYD = 420 Kgs CO₂e

Public land based travel has the lowest carbon emissions whilst air travel has the highest. It makes environmental sense for governments to build a high-speed rail from Brisbane to Sydney taking 3 hours!

Carbon Emissions of Housekeeping

Scope 1, 2 and 3 Carbon emissions will vary by site, but here is an example. Assume a room attendant cleans a room 30 minutes.

Items                                         Usage                                        Energy                     Kgs CO₂e

Scope 1 & 2

Electricity                               3 x 40 watts                          60 W                        0.07

Air Conditioner                                     2.0 kW  @ 30 min’s          1 kW                         0.89

Vacuum                                   1.8 kW @ 5 min’s              150 W                     0.17

Scope 1&2                                                                                                                       1.13

Scope 3

Linen change                       10 Kg’s                                                        10 Kg’s                    5.00

Waste                                       0.2 Kg                                        0.2 Kg                      0.22

Chemicals                              100 ml’s/room                    0.1 Litres              0.20

Scope 3                                                                                                                                                5.42

Note: scope 3 can include other types of activities or products 

Example Only

400 room hotel with 25 Room Attendants x 13 rooms/day or 325 rooms cleaned

Scope 1&2                            367 Kg’s/day                        = 134 T CO₂e / year

Scope 3                                                     1,761 Kg’s/day                    = 643 T CO₂e / year

The Scope 1,2 and 3 Carbon Emissions associated with Housekeeping of a 400-room hotel

2 Tonne / day of CO₂e

777 Tonne / Year of CO₂e

Note: example only

If the hotel outsources its laundry their scope 1 and 2 emissions will fall dramatically however the hotel’s scope 3 emissions will go up dramatically because the commercial laundry that supplies the hotel has to buy textiles and use significant amounts of energy to wash, clean, dry and deliver linen to you daily. Therefore it is important to know ‘some’ of the leading scope 3 emissions of your main inputs and outputs because the suppliers of a service that handle inputs and outputs are likely to pass on carbon taxes associated with their scope 1 o 2 carbon emissions. The carbon tax applied to the electricity and water suppliers of your laundry will most likely an increase in your laundry service by 1 – 4% over the next year depending on their energy efficiency.

You cannot manage what you do not measure (and visa versa)

We learn that 367 Kgs of scope 1 & 2 greenhouse emissions occur from housekeeping in the example above for a 400-room hotel cleaning around 325 rooms a day. We can estimate then that housecleaning in this hotel has a carbon footprint of 1.1 Kg / room. Therefore housekeeping excluding the laundry service impact the greenhouse emissions of a hotel around 7%.

Room Night                           15 Kgs

Cleaning                                    1 Kgs                      7.3%       (Scope 1&2 only)

The Housekeeping Staff are the EYES and EARS of the hotel

Despite cleaning representing 7% of the carbon emissions of one room night, the Housekeeper plays a critical role in reducing the guest’s carbon emissions by implementing sustainable housekeeping practices. For example, 20 – 30 % of guest carbon emissions could be reduced per room night by the Housekeeping team and their GM being committed to becoming a sustainable hotel

Towards Sustainable Housekeeping

Room Attendants and Housekeeping clean and service all of the rooms of a hotel regularly. Consequently, Room Attendants and Housekeeping Staff play a significant role in monitoring and reporting unsustainable practices as part of their day-to-day activities. Business Sustainability Assessors are trained to measure carbon, energy, water and waste footprints and help you lower them. Here are a few ways to improve your sustainability, although the best way to improve sustainability is to adopt a sustainability program with goals, monitoring and training of staff.

There are many ways to improve sustainability

• Turning taps, lights, TV’s and air-conditioners off when they are not in use
• Ensure the design of each room allows for good ventilation and thermal performance, e.g. shut curtains if direct sunlight is heating up a room
• Clean rooms in the least amount of time; use lean housekeeping methods
• The selection of laundry and textile suppliers
• Ensure you have sound cleaning practices

How can Lean methods help housekeeping – use less time to clean a room

• Measure Hour productivity rate
• Cycle times – sequence of service
• Use Lean Housekeeping Principles such as 5S and waste elimination 7W
• Develop overall efficiency scores % for housekeeping

The following ideas are ideas that housekeepers can use to reduce their carbon emissions and reduce the hotel bills for energy, water, chemicals and waste.

Lights

• Clean lights
• Turn off lights
• Use sensors to turn lights off (and on), e.g. movement, timers depending on application
• Use key entry auto switch off lights
• Occupancy sensor lights
• CFL – 70% < incandescent
• Replace T12/T8 fluro’s with T5 fluro’s
• Use energy efficient appliances, e.g. hair dryers, kettle, microwaves, televisions, irons etc.
• Investigate switch appliances that prevents them operating on standby mode
• Check that refrigerators are sealed and are working effectively
• Avoid one switch turning on many lights
• Use sensors for lighting, e.g. presence, light levels etc
• Use auto-off / auto-on key systems to conserve energy
• Conserve lighting whilst cleaning without impacting your ability to see defects
• Label light switches so clients know what switch turns on what light

Energy Efficient Ventilation

• Use natural ventilation where practical
• Cross ventilation
• Use a digital thermometer to monitor room temperature
• Are thermostats regularly adjusted and checked

Air Conditioners

• Turn off Air Conditioner
• Set thermostat on a wide range to prevent heating & cooling
• Set temperature
  • Summer                 23 – 25
  • Winter                                      18 – 20
• Heating Ventilation Air Conditioner systems to use timers
• Keep thermostat away from heaters
• Check when A/C last serviced
• 1^oC on thermostat = 10 – 15% impact on energy

Windows & Doors

• Close the window and doors when the A/C is on
• The glazing of window can significantly improve the thermal performance of a room
• Report hot or cold rooms to management
• Seal doors and windows effectively, i.e. check seals

Office

• Turn off lights, computers and standby’s
• Use both sides of paper
• Network computers and have one printer
• Minimise the use of paper where possible
• Use energy efficient lights
• Check energy efficiency of your computers; use power save mode

Water

• Turn taps off
• Report leaky taps
• Dual flush toilets
• Use water meters to measure water usage, e.g. per floor
• Low flow shower heads
• Water efficient laundry equipment, e.g. continuous batch washers < 6 L/Kg
• Water reuse equipment in the laundry
• Check water bills

Encourage the Reuse Linen by Customers

• Customer awareness that linen does not have to be serviced daily
• Customer linen reuse programs, e.g. boomerang on the bed
• Carefully consider linen stocking levels to avoid over-servicing of rooms

Cleaning Chemicals

• Choose biodegradable chemicals
• Measure and monitor your chemical and water usage
• Seek expert advice to minimise chemical use without effecting the cleaning process
• Use multiple coloured micro-fibre cloths to reduce chemicals and to improve hygiene

Waste

• Remember that 1 Kg of waste = approx. 1 Kg of CO₂e in landfill!
• Recycling programs will cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce waste bill
• Ensure recycling systems are in place, e.g. cardboard, plastics, mixed, organic etc.
• Use dispensable solutions where practicable
• Analyse suppliers use of packaging and challenge your suppliers
• Ensure bins are used efficiently; the bin is full when it is emptied
• Monitor waste levels related to Housekeeping

Textiles

• Minimise the loss of linen
• Durable linen has less carbon emission per use; i.e. more washes per purchased item
• White linen lasts longer than coloured linen because it doesn’t fade
• Outsource textiles and laundry services to laundry specialists that have energy / water efficient plants
• Request commercial laundries suppliers to supply you with energy, water per delivered Kg measures
• Choose energy and water efficient laundries

Be Sustainable
Start Today! Develop a Sustainable Housekeeping Programme by engaging a sustainability assessor

• Obtain support of senior management and managers
• Team up with other departments
• Understand historical trends for energy, water, waste etc.
• Engage a sustainability assessor if you need assistance
• Establish baselines, benchmarks and targets/goals
• Know your NABERS (Performance based rating system for existing buidings) star rating based on your region (Google it)
• Develop a sustainability checklist for auditing
• Meet regularly and prioritize action plans
• Monitor and measure your progress
• Celebrate your achievements

Finally …

• Engage a Business Sustainability Assessor that understands hospitality!
• Develop a team of sustainable room attendants that your hotel and GM will be proud of

Even if political parties change in Australia, the Carbon Emission issue will not go away. So now you can explain to your GM about the Carbon economy and its implications to Housekeeping.
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About Stephen McGoldrick – Sustainability Institute and Hygiene International
Stephen McGoldrick manages a consulting business that provides sustainability solutions across multiple industries such as hospitality, commercial laundries, cleaning and as diverse as agriculture. Stephen has over 10 years experience consulting to and then managing a large (250 tonnes a week) commercial laundry in Australia. Through that role he has had the pleasure working closely with executive housekeepers. Now Stephen is a Business Sustainability Assessor providing businesses (or specific operations, eg housekeeping) with formal assessments of the operation’s carbon footprint. The Institute offers an affordable program that includes a sustainability assessment, practical ways to reduce energy, water etc, staff training, forms and procedures and ongoing monitoring of key indicators such as carbon, energy, water, waste etc. Businesses that participate in sustainability programs can obtain a Bronze (participation), Silver (monitoring and carbon goal setting) and Gold (carbon reduction achieved). For more information on Stephen McGoldrick or the Institute or Sustainability and Hygiene International visit www.ishi.com.au or contact Stephen by email isustainhygiene@gmail.com or mobile 0414 535 161.

 

Friends of Sala Bai celebrate 10th intake of Sala Bai students completing course with two special events

The completion of this 10th intake represents a significant milestone for Salai Bai and all its friends as it marks the fact that nearly one thousand students have graduated since the school’s inception. Moreover, Sala Bai has achieved the remarkable record of 100% graduate placement in hospitality positions. This accomplishment is even more heartening when we remember that, on average, every Sala Bai graduate supports 10 family members via their income. Thus, through Sala Bai, we can all be proud that the lives of an estimated 10,000 Cambodians has been markedly improved as a result of our support.

To celebrate this amazing achievement we have decided to stage two special events for Sala Bai supporters.

The first, on the 23 August 2012, is an Anniversary Dinner organised again by Maurice Cooper along with the students and staff from the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School. This year will be a special  “10^thAnniversary Dinner with a Cambodian Twist”. We ask all again to fully support our “Mountaineers” by attending this wonderfully popular event and hope that some might even venture up from the big smoke. Last year our mountaineers were especially successful with fundraising, contributing nearly 50% of the total Australian pledge of $50,000. Maybe it is the fresh mountain air, or the persistence of Maurice, or simply the creative staging by the students that makes these mountain events so successful. To book a table or just a couple of seats please contact Maurice as soon as possible by email: maurice@bygonebeautys.com.au.

The second event is organised by our “City Slickers”. We will have a special 10^th Anniversary Dinner on 16^th November 2012 at the Q Station, Manly. As usual, our main focus will be the wine auction, but this year a special dinner with entertainment will provide lots more fun. We can’t verify for certain if the Ghosts of Quarantine Station have been invited to the dinner or not! Max and his team will warmly welcome the Friends of Sala Bai Australia (FSBA) for this exciting event and will also offer special rates for guests who can’t (or don’t want to) drive home after the wine auction and dinner. Panadol will be available at the breakfast buffet!

The Friends of Sala Bai have given $10,000 to Sala Bai as a Special Anniversary Present. This means we need to raise $10,000 more than last year. We therefore hope that if we all dig a little deeper into our pockets, we can achieve our new goals. Can we make it? Yes we can!

We look forward to welcoming you soon in the Mountains and to catch up with you later at Q Station.

Best wishes,

The Consuls of the Friends of Sala Bai, Australia

Kuwait Housekeepers Group organises 2nd Olympics

The Kuwait Housekeepers Group is organizing their Second Housekeeping Olympics on July 18 , 2012 at Holiday inn Kuwait Down town.

Interview with Shanti Persaud-Tiwari, Director of Housekeeper – Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Meet Shanti Persaud-Tiwari, Director of Housekeeping at the Marina Bay Sands, an integrated resort overlooking Marina Bay in Singapore. This enormous resort features a 2,561-room hotel, convention-exhibition centre, retail outlets, a museum, two large theatres, seven “celebrity chef” restaurants, two floating Crystal Pavilions, an ice skating rink, and the world’s largest atrium casino with 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines. A 340m-long SkyPark with a capacity of 3,900 people atop the complex and a 150m-infinity swimming pool complete this impressive resort, which opened its doors in February 2011.

We are delighted that Shanti is able to share some of her valuable housekeeping experiences.

Q&A with Shanti Persaud-Tiwari

What is your cultural background?

I am of East Indian origin.

Where were you born and where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in an agricultural country in South America, before migrating to Canada.

What was your career path to date?

My career path spreads over three continents, four countries and 12 hotels.

What was your first role as Executive Housekeeper?

I was Director of Housekeeping for Westin, Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, which was a 416-room hotel.

What challenges did that bring?

Being head of the department in the same hotel where I had my first job as a Housekeeping Management Trainee, I had to learn how to manage change and the challenges that each role brought about.

What was is your current position and Hotel? What are your job responsibilities at your this hotel?

I am the Director, Housekeeping Operations at Marina Bay Sands, an integrated resort in Singapore.  A primary focus of my job is to ensure that my team and I continue to be innovative and adaptable to meet the demands of today’s discerning guests. I concentrate on using resources that help us deliver the highest quality standards of cleanliness and ambience through the upkeep of guestrooms and other departments such as Wardrobe, Laundry and Bay Floral.
How many rooms/ suites are there in the Hotel and what other facilities?

Marina Bay Sands is the leading business, leisure and entertainment destination in Asia. It features large and flexible convention and exhibition facilities, 2,560 hotel rooms and suites, the rooftop Sands SkyPark, the best shopping mall in Asia, world-class celebrity chef restaurants and an outdoor event plaza. Its two theatres showcase a range of leading entertainment performances including world-renowned Broadway shows. Completing the line-up of attractions is ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands which plays host to permanent and marquee exhibitions.

How many staff are you responsible for?

My team comprises of over 450 team members, of which 70 are leaders.

and what areas were you responsible for?

I oversee the operations of Housekeeping which comprise of:

-        Rooms & Suites – we have 2,365 Rooms and 196 Suites

-       Laundry – we have an external laundry operation that handles 15 tons of linen daily

-        Wardrobe – we handle the uniforms for over 9,000 full-time Team Members and 1,500 part-timers on a daily basis, with a GIMS system of 18 conveyor belts, each of which holds 620 garment bags. Each team member has an average of 9 pieces of uniforms; this means handling almost 95,000 garments.

-        Bay Floral – we handle the internal floral requirements for the Hotel, Restaurants, Casino as well as external floral requests from guests.

What is your typical day like?

A typical day for Housekeeping is 1,200 rooms checking out and the same number checking in. Our guests arrive earlier than the 3:00 p.m. check-in time, and most guests prefer to linger on past the 11:00 a.m check out time.

My day starts with a review of all-important matters for the day and going through a recap of the previous day’s statistics and operational activities, before I attend shift briefings. By this time our Daily Operations Meeting takes place, and after this, it is very convenient to catch up with all my peers on issues or outstanding items.  While it is easy to have up to four hours dedicated to meetings about planning, human resources, analysing or exploring improvement opportunities, there is always time to tour the areas on a daily basis.  Towards the end of the day, it’s time to bid a pleasant evening to the majority of our day shift Team Members. I then gather the leaders for a quick update on the day’s outcomes and plans for the next day.  When all is quiet after the team has gone home, it is time to catch up on serious issues that may require undivided attention for an hour or two.  While this may be the overall structure of a typical day, time must be set aside for emergencies, meetings with guests or attending to impromptu important situations that may occur from time to time.

What are your top three challenges this week?

1. Getting through having to turn over 1,700 check-out rooms for guest arrivals between 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. for most of the week
2. Consolidating an abundance of ideas into a smaller list for our yearly upgrades or the next year
3. Making plans to accommodate a group of guests who abide by Sustainable principles and would expect our overall property to be fully environmentally friendly.

How did you choose those managers under you?

I believe in matching talent with responsibility and relationship, besides choosing managers with the right attitude. I prefer to promote from within the department as a way to motivate my team members.

What criteria?

• A passion for all things ‘hospitality’
• Commitment to the values of the hotel
• Adaptability and resourcefulness
• Hospitality experience

How do you manage moving from country to country?

Very easy: I find the right people contacts, ask for assistance, learn the laws and regulations quickly and follow the country’s rules.

How do you deal with different cultures?

In Marina Bay Sands, we have 61 nationalities within our workforce.

Learn, adapt, respect and integrate:  sharing knowledge and experiences and learning new behaviours help to make cultural integration easier and well respected. Dealing with language barriers is not at all challenging – English is a universal language commonly used in Singapore. Besides, there’s always a ready pool of interpreters within our working teams to help facilitate discussions and sharing of ideas.

How does pre-opening work compare with working in an existing property?

In pre-opening, there is a different energy due to the newness of everything. It was exhilarating to watch a building being created from ground up; to experience the arrival of all FF&E; and to watch the teams come on board; and to ‘create’ a department – all these are not found in an existing property.  There is also the privilege of being the absolute first to establish policies, procedures and standards, and to watch all these come to fruition.

What are the top 3 challenges in an opening?

1. Not having the FF&E arrive on time, according to delivery dates
2. Opening before all team members can be fully trained, as this is the key to success
3. FF&E “punch lists” not being completed before opening day

What are your top 3 tips for success in Housekeeping Management?

1. To have a genuine passion for people and an overall positive attitude.

This will help with team member relationships as well as ensure guests enjoy a memorable experience with every visit.

1. To be flexible, resourceful and adaptable

Housekeeping means multi-tasking, despite not always having the right number of staffing or other resources. One must be able to think quickly and find creative means of addressing shortfalls

1. To be organized, task oriented and acquire excellent follow up skills

Such attributes assist any budding manager to becoming a true role model for the profession

If you had to do it all over again what would you do differently?

I would surround myself with talented colleagues and focus on a schedule with the right work life balance.

What advice would you give someone starting out in housekeeping?

To be a good listener and have effective communication skills; to have patience and be able to multi-task and also to remain organized and systematic in daily duties. Having a positive attitude and a good sense of humour are great assets as well.

How about your personal life? How do you balance work and home life?

I am able to have a good balance because I have a skilled and talented team so there is always someone ready to step up into a higher role.

What do you do for fun?

Explore this beautiful country of Singapore and its neighbouring countries. I love to take long walks along the Bay where I can immerse myself in the greenery and lush spaces.

How do you think housekeeping management has changed since you started?

Housekeeping is becoming more technologically developed and there are less labour intensive activities, for example, there are now electronic ‘bed-lifters’ that help to make bed-making process easier. The room product have also become more sophisticated to meet the comfort and expectations of today’s well versed guests.

Where do you think it is heading?

The future of Housekeeping is no longer simply lodging. Housekeepers are moving away from traditions and becoming more technologically inclined and are finding more innovative means of providing Housekeeping duties and guestroom amenities and features.  More emphasis is placed on training and development of the teams and more measureable tools are in place to monitor success.  In Housekeeping, it is difficult to attract a workforce who favours such a labour-intensive job. As such, Housekeepers have to be more resourceful to attract the right people for the right jobs. The compensation packages for Housekeepers will become more attractive as the skills and qualifications are better developed to build a special breed of Professional Housekeepers.

 

About Lycette & Associates

L&A specialises in all aspects of Housekeeping Management including on-site consulting, training and development workshops including assistance with initial set-up of housekeeping operations at the pre-opening stage. L&A also undertakes customised operational reviews of existing housekeeping operations identifying and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of current departmental procedures. For more information visit www.lycetteandassociates.com or e-mail info@lycetteandassociates.com

 

L&A partnership with e2i brings Development Programme for Housekeepers to Singapore

Lycette & Associates in conjunction with e2i -Employment and Employability Institute presented Singapore’s inaugural Development Programme for Housekeeping Managers.

The 3 day workshop “Development Programme for Housekeeping Managers” was rolled out in Singapore in June. This workshop was sponsored by Government Agency e2i and was held at their state of the art seminar room in Redhill. The 34 attendees from every level of Housekeeping Management and every kind of Housekeeping operation participated enthusiastically over the 3 days. With focus on Profit, People and Product the Housekeeping Managers left with tools and skills to further improve their Departments. Sharing of Best Practice on day 3 was an important part of the workshop as participants shared their best ideas on improving and imitating innovation within Housekeeping.

Singaporeans and permanent residents of Singapore were able to take advantage of the 50% funding offered by e2i making the 3 day workshop even greater value for money. With the great success of this workshop, another one is planned through e2i in September 2012.

More about e2i  (Employment and Employability Institute)
An initiative of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), supported by the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), the Singapore Labour Foundation (SLF), and the Singapore National Employers’ Federation (SNEF), e2i serves all segments of workers, from rank and file to professionals, managers and executives.  As THE market-place for workers, employers and training providers, e2i exists to create better jobs and better lives for workers. In 2010, they helped 40,000 workers through providing better jobs, developing better skills through professional development, and improving productivity for companies

UK Housekeeping Olympics