How housekeepers ‘keep on keeping on’

As a guest in most hotels you seldom get to meet the person in charge of arguably the most important area of activity behind the scenes – the head housekeeper. And if you did then he or she (it’s usually she, let’s be honest) would not have time to chat for very long because of the sheer pressure of work against the clock that characterises the role.

Not only do housekeepers have tough and complex tasks to perform, they also have somehow to manage and motivate a team of room attendants who could probably earn the same or better money elsewhere with a lot less effort. At least, that is the widely held view.

I have been lucky enough to meet lots of these miracle-workers over the years by attending events organised by the UK Housekeepers Association, a marvellous organisation that enables head housekeepers from all over the UK to share knowledge and promote best practise. More recently within Pride of Britain we have arranged a couple of ‘Housekeepers’ Forums’ in conjunction with one of our sponsors, P&G Professional. At these we aim to both learn and inform, always with the twin objectives of improving the guest experience and the efficiency of the business. Technology plays a big part and so does the opportunity to exchange ideas, which our industry is extremely good at doing.

We know from the reports produced by our ‘mystery guests’ how many details need to be perfect every time: cleanliness of the room itself, cleanliness of the many bathroom surfaces, the bed coverings, mirrors, re-stocking of amenities, removal of rubbish, replacement of towels, vacuuming of carpets, presentation of bedding, placing of reading material, evening turndown and so much more. To compound this some guests may check out late and others may check in early, reducing an already tight window of opportunity to get in and do the job.

It’s easy to see why parents and teachers often try to dissuade young people from entering this industry, especially if they have seen Channel 4’s shocking Dispatches documentary in which contract cleaners working in some Premier Inn hotels were mercilessly exploited.

What never seems to get aired, however, is the happy working environment so many great housekeepers create for their teams, which I have witnessed at first hand. Pay is gradually improving and with low unemployment looks set to go on improving around the country purely as a result of supply and demand. No less important are the family-friendly hours that compare very favourably with other jobs, whether in or outside hospitality. Gradual improvement is important but it doesn’t make the ten o’clock news.

Somehow we need to educate the educators and show them that a job in housekeeping can be rewarding as well as offering the chance of rapid progression into supervisory and management roles. When you come across people who have clocked up 20, 30 or more years in the profession can it really be so terrible? A few days ago I met an executive head housekeeper who had retired comfortably, at a time of her own choosing. Two years later she was back in harness at the same hotel. I asked her why on earth she had decided to return and she answered with a big smile across her face saying “I missed it too much, the buzz, the camaraderie. I just wasn’t ready to give it up!”.