Housekeeping NCII

Quarter 1 – Module 1
Handle Housekeeping
Requests

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Housekeeping NCII
Alternative Delivery Mode
Module 1
Handle Housekeeping Requests
Prepared by: Tony P. Delos Santos, LPT

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What I Need to Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you master the
nature of Housekeeping Services. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many
different learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary level
of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the course. But
the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond with the textbook you
are now using.

The module covers seven lessons:

 Lesson 1 – Discuss Implementing Hotel Codes, Rules and regulations
 Lesson 2 - Explain different skills of good housekeeper needs such as interpersonal and
intrapersonal skills
 Lesson 3 - List down and describe the basic functions of each personnel in the
housekeeping department
 Lesson 4- Discuss nature and scope of guestroom cleaning, care and maintenance
 Lesson 5- Enumerate bedroom and bathroom amenities offered in an institution
 Lesson 6- List down procedures in conducting room check, turn down and make-up beds
 Lesson 7- Demonstrate proper handling of guests requests in housekeeping following
safety and security standards

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Discuss the proper handling of housekeeping requests.
2. Demonstrate the proper handling of housekeeping requests.
3. Show accountability to guests’ in handling different kinds of housekeeping requests.

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What I Know

A. MULTIPLE CHOICE
Direction: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the letter of your answer in
your activity notebook.

1. Hotels have a mandatory ______________ rule for room attendant upon entering the
room.
a. Two-knock, three-announcement rule c. Three knocks
b. One-knock, two-announcement rule d. None of the above
2. Hotel rules are designed for ____________.
a. Discipline c. security
b. mastery d. A and C

3. Interpersonal skills or people skills are the life skills we use in communicating and
interacting with people. Below are examples of interpersonal skills except:
a. Ability to manage conflict c. Ability to communicate clearly
b. Ability to listen d. Ability to cope with change
4. Being able to face the consequence of your action and not blaming others for what
had happened means:
a. Demonstrate responsibility c. Being flexible
b. Being accountable for your actions d. Ability to manage conflict
5. Intrapersonal skills or personal skills are the abilities and talents that exist within the
person, which aids him or her in problem solving. Below are examples of intrapersonal
skills except:
a. Self-awareness c. Communicate clearly
b. Social awareness d. Adaptability
6. The executive housekeeper is the head of the housekeeping and serves several
responsibilities. Below are responsibilities of an executive housekeeper except:
a. Manage housekeeping team
b. Represent the department during top management meetings
c. Supervise the changing of floor linens
d. Translate all hotel policies, procedures, and standards into housekeeping
operations
7. Departure rooms should be cleaned first to prepare them for the next guest to come.
The next to be attended are rooms with the tags “Clean my Room” and the last to be
attended are the:
a. Occupied rooms c. Out of order rooms
b. Rooms with “Do not Disturb” sign d. Rooms with occupants for
checkout
8. The sequence for servicing of rooms has to be observed. What is the final
sequence for servicing rooms?
a. Checking the room at once c. Replenishing of room supplies
b. Cleaning of bathroom d. Bed making
9. The following are bedroom amenities except:
a. Spacious bedrooms with king or queen size beds
b. Premium quality linens
c. Plush duvet
d. Hair brush
10. These are examples of bathroom amenities except:
a. Disposal bag c. Water tumblers
b. Shower cap d. Linens

B. Answer the following questions on your activity notebook. (5 [Link] number)

1. Why is proper handling of guest requests important?
2. Why should one need to be familiar and fully adhere with hotel house rules while
checking-in?

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 Lesson 1
Handle Housekeeping Requests

The first lesson dwells on providing housekeeping to guests. It explains the

importance of handling guest requests, handling guest inquiries, and handling problems
related to housekeeping.

Housekeeping is designed to enhance the knowledge, skills and attitude of the

student to be able to provide cleaning and property maintenance services particular for a
lodging facility, however, competency learned may be useful in applying for any
housekeeping position in most types of establishments.

What’s New

Direction: Answer the following questions/statements below. Write your answer on

your activity notebook.
1. Discuss briefly the word housekeeping.
2. What will happen if you follow the improper ways of housekeeping activities?
3. What do you think is the reason why housekeeping is branded as one of the most
neglected areas of operations among hotels, resorts, and many lodging establishments?

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What Is It

Discuss implementing Hotel Codes, Rules and Regulations

The word “Housekeeping” refers to the upkeep and maintenance of cleanliness

and order in a house or a lodging establishment such as inn, hotel, apartel,
condominium, resort, dormitory or a hospital. A housekeeper is one who is responsible
for administering housekeeping maintenance and for insuring that everything is in order.
She sees to it that all occupants are comfortable, safe and protected from disease–
causing bacteria.

Housekeeping is often one of the most neglected areas of operations among

hotels, resorts and many lodging establishments. With the limited knowledge of many
staff on housekeeping standards and procedures, a lot of unsound housekeeping
practices remain uncorrected. Bacteria and pests proliferate, making occupants
vulnerable to various forms of illness.

Furniture and fixtures that are not properly cleaned and maintained will have a
shorter life span.
Improper housekeeping also contributes to safety hazards and could endanger the lives
of occupants.

For any disease or accident emanating from poor housekeeping maintenance, the
management shall be held liable. It can result to a loss reputation and patronage, or
worst, a loss of business license. Proper housekeeping therefore must be given serious
attention for a hospitality establishment to sustain its reputation and patronage.

During room check, the room supervisor checks the status of each room using the
code below. He prepares the room status report and endorses it to the Front Desk Clerk
as a reference in assigning rooms to guests. This report is important to prevent double
booking or assigning of out of order or dirty rooms to guests.

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 Housekeeping is an important area in any accommodation property. Most people
see housekeeping as simply „cleaning guest rooms‟ but from an operational perspective
there is a lot more to housekeeping than just that. The role of housekeeping is to ensure
the comfort and safety of guests whilst they are staying at a hospitality organisation. This
is the guest‟s 'home away from home'. It is essential that that a guest is able to enjoy
their room in the same manner and with the same ease as they would enjoy in their own
house. The aim of housekeeping is to strive to
enable guests to access items as easily as in their own home. It is therefore important
that housekeeping staff maintain a professional level of integrity, especially staff who
clean rooms.

Housekeeping staff must have high levels of integrity, honesty and discretion as a
guest needs to feel that what takes place or what is left in their room must be safe and
remain confidential. Understandably an accommodation room is considerably smaller in
size than the customer's normal residence and therefore items that they may need might
not be in immediate access.

HOUSEKEEPING STATUS REPORT

Housekeeping status report is prepared by housekeeping department and handed
down to the front desk to give them an update as to the status of each hotel room. The
front desk then assigns rooms to arriving guests based on the occupancy report. Below is
an example of a housekeeping report.

Explain different skills of good housekeeper needs such as interpersonal and

intrapersonal skills
Interpersonal skills or people skills are the life skills we use incommunicating and
interacting with people. According to Stephen Fiore, a professor at the University of
Central Florida, the two skills both Interpersonal and intrapersonal have long been
recognized as important factors to be successful in school and in workplace.
Interpersonal skills are the skills we use every day when we communicate and
interact with other people, both individually and in groups. They include a wide range of
skills, but particularly communication skills such as listening and effective speaking. They
also include the ability to control and manage your emotions.
It is no exaggeration to say that interpersonal skills are the foundation for success
in life. People with strong interpersonal skills tend to be able to work well with other
people, including in teams or groups, formally and informally. They communicate
effectively with others, whether family, friends, colleagues, customers or clients. They
also have better relationship at home and at work.
There are different interpersonal skills that one needs to master to be able to
stand with the demands of the job in housekeeping.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
Ability to manage conflict- being able to manage and handle differences in opinions
and always seeking win-win resolutions.

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Ability to solve problems- ability to choose the best course of action in situations
while considering the needs and perspective of others.
Ability to communicate clearly- being able to speak with clarity and directness and at
the same time being sensitive to the need of the receiver.
Ability to listen- ability to hear other people’s perspective by setting aside judgment.
Demonstrate responsibility- being able to do the things you say you will do.
Being accountable for your actions- being able to face the consequence of your
action and not blaming others.
Showing appreciation- being able to show people that you value them and their
contribution.
Flexibility- ability to open to new and different way of doing things.

INTRAPERSONAL SKILLS
Skills that individuals use to work through real world situations. Skills that allow
individuals to respond using awareness, thought, and intentional strategy in order to gain
positive outcome. Example of intrapersonal skills include such things as self-esteem,
open-mindedness, being aware of your own thinking, the ability to learn, being able to
understand and manage your own emotions, self- confidence, self-discipline, self-
motivation, being able to overcome boredom, being patient, being a self-starter, being
able to take initiative, working independently, being persistent, having a positive
attitude, and being a good manager of time, to name but a few.
Intrapersonal skills can be learned in the same way that we learn math and
language skills. And they are the absolute foundation of everyday life. The problem is
that these skills aren’t typically introduced to students in any kind of organized manner.

INTRAPERSONAL SKILLS
Adaptability- the ability to cope with change
Self-awareness- being aware of your own values, needs, and emotions and their impact
to your behavior.
Self-management or self-development- the ability to work autonomously and to
motivate and monitor oneself. It also includes the ability to acquire new information and
skills related to work.
Relationship management- the ability to build relationship based on mutual trust and
respect.
Social awareness- being in tune with other’s feelings and needs.

List down and describe the basic functions of each personnel in the
housekeeping department
The duties and responsibilities of all the personnel in a housekeeping department
differ from each other but there is one common denominator in all of their functions-
ensuring guest’s safety, security, and satisfaction. We all know that no hotel can exist
without the patronage of its guests, and it is also true that the only reason for the
existence of the staff is to provide service for their guests’ comfort and convenience.
Thus, all personnel in a housekeeping department must not only assemble as a team, but
should work as a coordinates group of people cooperating or working together for a
common goal, that is to create a satisfied guest.

Organizational Structure of a Housekeeping Department

Housekeeping department represents the largest workforce of a hotel. Operations
in most hotels fall under the Rooms Division. In some establishments, it is a sub section
under the Facilities Maintenance Department. The set up and work distribution varies
among hotels and other establishments, taking into consideration the size of the
company and the volume of work to be done.
In a hotel or resort, the Housekeeping job is distributed to various sub sections.
There is a section for Rooms Maintenance, another one for Public areas, and a separate

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section for Linen and Laundry Service. Each section is headed by a section head like a
Head Houseman for Public Area, Rooms keeping supervisor for guestroom maintenance
and a Linen and Laundry Supervisor for the linen and laundry service. All these section
heads report to the Housekeeping Manager who acts as department head.
Among smaller establishments with fewer guestrooms and public areas to be
serviced, the Housekeeping Unit may just be a small section instead of a department,
headed by a Housekeeping supervisor, assisted by an Assistant Housekeeper who takes
over in case the supervisor is not around. All housekeeping staff report directly to the
Housekeeping supervisor.
If there are plenty of guests to be served or the area to be maintained is quite
large as in the case of big hotels, a rigid division of labor and specialization maybe
necessary. This means that one position shall concentrate on a specific type of work. For
example a room boy or chambermaid shall concentrate only on rooms make up, a mini
bar attendant shall be confined to mini bar operations and a pest control technician may
handle only pest control functions.
This type of highly specialized labor distribution requires plenty of staff and
therefore too expensive to maintain among smaller establishments. A good labor saving
strategy is to resort to multiple functions for some positions.
For example room boys and chambermaids may also serve as mini bar runner, the
tasks of a pest control technician maybe delegated to a houseman. One or two room
boys may also serve as technician to do utility jobs like simple repairs, plumbing work
etc. for as long as they are trained to do the job. An all-around reliever may also be
employed. He can relieve anyone who is on day off-whether he is a houseman, room boy,
washer, etc. In doing this, one must make sure that the tasks covered in one
position/person are directly related and it will not overload the person nor divert him from
his major responsibility.

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The Executive Housekeeper
The executive housekeeper is the head of the housekeeping and serves several
responsibilities that include: managing the housekeeping team; translating all hotel
policies, procedures, and standards into housekeeping operations; serving as the
representative of the department during top management meetings; and ensuring all
resources are effectively utilized.

Assistant Housekeepers
Hotel provides 24 hours service. An assistant housekeeper is the head of a given
shift and is responsible in managing the resources provided by the executive
housekeeper to achieve its goal of cleanliness, maintenance, and attractiveness of the
hotel during a given shift. It is also his or her responsibility to translate into practice all
the housekeeping supervisors and executive housekeeper’s policies, procedures, and
standards making sure that executive housekeepers actualize them at the grass root
level of operations. In the absence of a housekeeper, an assistant
housekeeper will take over.

Floor Supervisors
Floor supervisors are responsible in checking the cleanliness and maintenance of
guest rooms on allotted floors for quality assurance. They are also responsible in
controlling the housekeeping personnel which compose of room attendants and
housemen.

Control Desk Supervisor

Housekeeping control desk is considered as the main communication center of the
housekeeping department. A control desk supervisor has a very important role to
play,that is to ensure the communication with housekeeping personnel is coordinated to
all staff of the hotel.

Public Area Supervisor

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 The public area supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the public area
attendants or housemen are doing their job in maintaining the cleanliness, orderliness,
and upkeep of the aesthetic image of all public areas in the hotel like the lobby. Hallways,
banquets space, and public rest rooms.
Linen Room Supervisor
Linen room supervisor is responsible in coordinating the exchange of soiled linen
for clean ones. He or she is also the custodian of all linens used and the one responsible
for the maintenance and proper storage of linens to minimize loss.

Laundry Supervisor
Laundry supervisor is responsible for ensuring that laundry attendants are doing
their job-washing, drying, folding, and pressing items- properly.

Uniform Room Supervisors

The major responsibilities of a uniform room supervisor include keeping all
uniforms in safe conditions and to issue laundered uniforms to hotel staff.

Room Attendants
Room attendants are also called chambermaids since mostly women are
employed for the job. They are the ones who are responsible for the cleaning and
maintenance of assigned guest rooms. They serve as the eyes and ears of the security
team to report any untoward incidents. Room attendants also make sure that the privacy
of all theirs guests are not invaded.

Laundry and Linen Room Attendants

Laundry and linen room attendants are responsible for laundering linens, towels,
napkins, aprons, uniforms, and any other items.

Tailor or Upholsterers
Tailor is employed on-site to mend uniforms, linens, and upholstery or repurpose
ripped linens into aprons and rags.

Discuss nature and scope of guestroom cleaning, care and maintenance

GUESTROOM CLEANING, CARE, AND MAINTENANCE

Guests want their hotel room to be clean and to smell good. To be able to
efficiently perform the job as a housekeeper, one is expected to complete a series of
cleaning and sanitizing procedure. It is also expected that cleaning of room are finished
within the given time frame.
Guestrooms in hotels, resorts and other lodging establishments are also
maintained by the Housekeeping Department. Small hotels with only few rooms to
maintain usually have only one manager or supervisor to attend to both public areas and
guestrooms. But when the hotel is quite large, maintaining hundreds or thousands of
guestrooms, a department or section for room maintenance is established under a
section head. Each floor or area is under the direct supervision
of a floor or area supervisor.

POINTS TO REMEMBER WHEN DOING CLEANING SERVICE TO A GUEST’S

ROOM
Clean in one direction
Clean from top down
Clean from farthest point out
Check for damage, if there is something that requires maintenance, or if a property is lost
Use correct equipment and cleaning agents to clean surfaces

PHASES OF CLEANING A HOTEL GUEST ROOM

Phase 1

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Opening the windows to air out the room and turning off of air-conditioning system
Washing hands and putting on protective disposable gloves
Emptying out the trash cans or bins
Stripping the bed and removing dirty linens

Phase 2
Removal of dirty towels from the bathroom (bath towels, hand towels, and face towels)
Spraying the cleaning products necessary for disinfection
Removal of gloves

Phase 3
Making up the bed

Phase 4
Dusting all surfaces such as bedside table, desk, chair, TV, etc.
Checking TV, air-conditioning, and lights to make sure they function properly

Phase 5
Cleaning the bathroom

Phase 6
Replacing all free hotel products such as brochures, mints, shampoo, soap, etc.
Vacuuming the room
Checking over the room, making sure that everything is in place.

CLEANING STANDARDS
TASK STANDARD (EXPECTED RESULTS)
Ceiling cleaning Ceiling is free of cobweb and dirt.
Ceiling fan and flourescent are thoroughly dusted.
Spots if any are removed
Sweeping All swept floors do not have dust streaks nor does show mark
where dirt was picked up.
No dirt left on corners, behind doors, under carpets or furniture.
Vacuuming All carpeted areas/ upholsteries are vacuumed regularly, kept
clean, free of dust
All spots are removed upon discovery
Floor Stripping Stripping and removal of old floor finish is done whenever
necessary to avoid yellowing and build-up in corners, baseboards
or under furniture
Mopping Water is used sparingly. Cleaning solutions are rinsed quickly and
the floor is dried at once
Floor Finishing Floor finishes are not allowed to build up in the corners,
baseboards or underneath furniture
Dusting All surfaces are dust free
All corners are vacuumed
Window Cleaning Window glasses do not have smudges nor watermarks
Window frames and channels are dust free
Cleaning glass It is thoroughly cleaned, no visible streaks, scratch or spots
panels, mirrors
Cleaning of Ashtrays are emptied of soil and cigarette butts washed and
ashtrays wiped-dry
Waste disposal Trash, garbage and dirt are disposed immediately
Garbage Containers are cleaned as often as necessary
containers Containers are underlined with plastic
Dusting/cleaning It is thoroughly dusted; surfaces are free of dirt and spots.
of furniture and Appliances are arranged in their appropriate location.
fixtures Upholstered chairs are shampooed or vacuumed.

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 Furniture has no damage or defect
Comfort room and The floor is mopped, sanitized and dried
restrooms There is no sign of marks or streaks on walls, fixtures, doors, door
handles and other surfaces.
All metal fixtures and hard wares are cleaned and polished with
metal polish
Bathroom mirror is well polished and wiped dry. There are no
marks or spots.
The sinks are cleaned and sanitized with sanitizing chemical and
they are free of foul odor.
Bathroom supplies are replenished and installed according to
standard arrangement.
Shower curtains are properly brushed and wiped dry.

Enumerate bedroom and bathroom amenities offered in an institution.

Hotel amenities are the extra service or product the hotel provides for their
guests. Amenities vary in every hotel. There are hotels that offer standard amenities to
all rooms while other amenities may be optional, guests may avail of it if they want and
usually for an additional charge. Below are examples of bedroom and bathroom
amenities.

Bedroom Amenities

Spacious bedrooms with king or queen size beds

High grade premium pillow top mattress
Premium quality linens
Plush duvet
Extra pillows
Clothes hanger
Bedside alarm clock
Cordless telephone
High-speed internet access
High-definition flat screen televisions
Desk and comfortable desk chair
Cable television channel
Mini-fridge
Iron and ironing board
Bedside telephone with note pad and pen
Safety deposit locker
Coffee maker
Telephone directory and service directory
Luggage scale
Printing of boarding pass for free

Bathroom Amenities

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Shampoo
Hair dryer
Conditioner
Bath gel
Lotion
Toothbrush
Hairbrush
Comb
Shoe mitts
Disposal bag
Shower cap
Toilet tissue
Water tumblers
Blade dispenser
Shower cap
Cotton swab
Razor
Shaving foam
Scrub towel
Hot and cold water

List down procedures in conducting room check, turn down and make up beds
Every morning, the floor/area supervisor, together with the room attendant
assigned in the
area shall perform a routine room check in every guestroom purposely to check:
If the room is still occupied;
If the beds in the guestrooms were slept on;
If there are unregistered joiners who occupied the
room;
If the guest is out and the room is ready for
make-up;
If the guest has soiled clothes for laundry;
If the guest is in good condition-neither sick nor
high in drugs

The bulk of cleaning in hotels is done mostly in the morning shift but there are
exceptions like the rooms with a DND or “Do not Disturb” sign, rooms which are occupied
by late night guests, and early morning arrivals by guests with international flights.

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 Room check must be done with caution and tact. Some guests get very irritated
when someone gets into their room, especially in the morning when they are still
sleeping or just woke up from sleep.

PROCEDURES FOR ROOM CHECK

[Link] with DND sign (stands for Do not Disturb)
1. Look for DND sign on the doorknob and do not knock if the sign is on.
2. Call the guest through the phone in the afternoon. Once he/she responds, identify
yourself and apologize for the disturbance. Tell him/her that you just want to know if he
/she wants her room to be serviced.
“ Good afternoon Mr./Ms. This is _______from Housekeeping. I’m sorry for disturbing you. I
just want to know if you want your room to be made up.”
1. If the guest is not yet ready for the service, ask when he wants the service done.
“Would you like us to do the make up later? At what time sir/ma’am?
2. Jot down the exact time of request in the productivity report. If it is beyond your duty
hours, endorse the request to the next shift. Use the logbook.

B. Rooms without a DND sign and No Guest Inside:

1. Knock twice gently on the door by using your knuckles or by activating the doorbell
(whichever is used). Do not use your room keys or sharp object when knocking as they
can create loud, irritating sound. Announce “ Housekeeping”. If no one answers, knock
again 3 times. Give allowance of few seconds in between knocks until the guest
responds. If still no one answers, leave the room.
2. Call the guest in the afternoon and if there is no answer, gently open the room to
check the room status.
3. Submit one copy of the room status report to your supervisor who will endorse the
report to the front desk. The desk clerks will counter check the actual room status
against those stated in the room status bulletin of the front desk.

C. Guest is in his room and there is no DND sign

1. If the guest is inside the room but does not answer, open the door slowly and
apologize for the disturbance.
2. Greet the guest good morning, introduce yourself and tell him/her your purpose.
“Good morning Mr. Guest, I’m the Housekeeping supervisor doing a routine room check. I
just want to check if you are okay and that everything is in order in your room.”
3. Ask the guest if he/she is ready for the makeup of the room. If not, offer to come back
later.
“Would you like us to make up your room now?”
4. If the guest is not yet ready say: “When do you want me the cleaning of your room?”
5. If the guest appears to be irritated or disturbed, apologize and explain why you have
to do the room check. Say:
“I’m sorry to disturb you sir but we need to do a room check if only to insure that
everything in your room is in order and also to check if you have any special request or
concern”. After the room check, thank the guest and wish him a pleasant day.
“Thank you sir. Have a nice day. Please call us should you need any assistance.”
6. Do not insist on entering the room if the guest shows resentment or directly expresses
that he/she does not want to be disturbed at all.
7. Discreetly try to find out if there are unregistered joiners who slept with the registered
occupant. This has to be reported to the Front Office and a bill for” extra person” shall be
charged to the guest during the check out.
8. During the room check, also check the status of each room and indicate it in the room
status report. Enter the status in the computerized front office system or make a hard
copy of the report and endorse it to the front office.

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 EXECUTING TURN DOWN SERVICE
Turn down service is one of the special services in which a room is cleaned and
refreshed, and bed linen is turned down for sleeping, usually during the period wherein
the guest is not in the room. This procedure is done late in the afternoon by the night
service room boy. A turndown service or evening service is one amenity that can be
availed by a guest. Turndown service means the room of a guest is prepared ready for
sleeping. It includes the following: cleaning the room, having one corner of the blanket
folded for easy sliding, chocolate or fresh fruits placed on the bedside, the room lights
dimmed, and heavy drapes or night curtain was closed. Below are the steps on how to
conduct turndown service.

Preparation for Turndown Service

1. Take the status report of the floor from the desk.
2. Get the floor key or card and sign the logbook.
3. Check the floor corridor for tidiness.
4. Take out the trolley with linen and amenities.
5. Clean vacant rooms at 6:00 in the evening onwards.
6. Finished all turndown service by 10:00 pm.
7. Clear departure rooms as per hotel requirements.

Entering into the Guest Room

1. Follow the two-knock, three-announcement rule. Knock at the door and check if the
guest is inside the room. Say “housekeeping” before entering.
2. If the guest wants you to come back later, politely go out and position the maids cart
in front of the guest room.

Materials needed: Room boys cart, complete with stock of supplies and
amenities.
Steps Instructions
1. Roll the room boy’s cart towards the
guest room. Once inside the room greet
the guest and say “ I am from
housekeeping. Sorry to disturb you, may I
turn down your bed?”

2. Remove the bed cover, fold it neatly,

and place it in the wardrobe cabinet either
at the topmost shelves or in the
lowermost shelf.

3. Set aside the pillows. Smooth the top

sheet blanket.

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 4. Grasp the top sheet and second sheet
blanket. Fold the corner back and pull
them down to the center of the bed.

5. Make a folded corner a neat 45-degree

angle.

6. Straighten the pillow and place it neatly

on
the bed, making sure that the pillow case
opening is facing inwards.

7. Following the hotel procedures, place

the
turn down amenities on top of the pillow.
This is usually any of the following:
flowers, a chocolate, candies, cookies, and
the like.

8. Place the breakfast menu card on the

folded quilt at an angle.

9. Place the foot mat in front of the bed

with a pair of slippers

[Link] on the bed side lamp or night

lamp. Take a final look. Leave the room
close the door.

MAKE-UP BED

Materials needed:

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 Bed pad on top of the mattress
1st bed sheet on top of the bed pad
Bed cover-comforter or duvet on top of the finished
bed
Pillow with slip and case at the head of the bed
Gloves
Steps and Procedures
1. Gather the needed supplies and
materials, place them on the trolley.

2. Pull the bed. Strip off soiled linen and

put them in the canvass of the cart or in a
laundry bag or inside a plastic, making
sure it does not get in contact with your
uniform and other linen.

When stripping soiled linen use gloves as

protection against bacteria coming from
linen used by infected guests. Shake out
any mattress pad, pillow protectors that
don’t need to be laundered. Remove
soiled bed skirt if any.

3. If a bed skirt is used and it is already

soiled, replace it with a fresh one.

4. Lay down the bed pad on the bed. Place

it on top of the mattress. Keep it smooth-
flat over the bed. Secure it by tucking-in
the garter on the corners.

5. From the head side, lay down the 1st

flat sheet evenly with right side up. Miter
the corner, then tucks tightly and wrinkle
free.

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 6. Tuck-in the undersides of the sheet
then miter all corners in such a way that
the sheet tightly covers the mattress.

7. Lay down the duvet/bed cover on top of

the finished bed. Fold the top hem about
6-12 inches from the head side. Either
leave the duvet hanging on the sides or
they could be tucked in, with corners
mitered.

8. Place the pillow inside a pillow case and

lean it against the headboard. Accessory
pillows maybe added to add beauty to the
bed and as added comfort to the guest.
Bed liners are sometimes used as
additional accessory to the bed.

9. Smoothen the bed to make a nice

presentation. Install room amenities.
Spray air freshener, leave the room, close
the door.

Demonstrate proper handling of guests requests in housekeeping following

safety and security standards
Guest request must be handled properly to satisfy the guest. This will not only
make his stay pleasant but it will also ensure repeated business.
Guests request in housekeeping could be items or services like rollaway beds,
additional pillows and blankets, irons, hair dryers, additional cleaning, additional room,
supplies, and lost property inquiries. Handling guest requests is a simple task, but if you
fail to follow all procedure properly this might lead to a bigger problem.

TAKING REQUESTS AND HANDLING COMPLAINTS FROM GUEST

1. Remember not to argue with the guest, remember also that the guest is always right.
2. Listen attentively to the guest and understand what exactly is wrong.
3. Have a log system in place. Make sure all requests are written and properly
documented. Handover to the next shift the problems still unresolved.
4. Apologize for the inconvenience caused.
5. Find out exactly what the guest expects during the request. Make sure you ask the
right questions to deliver exactly what is expected.
6. Record the time for handling the request.
7. Rectify the situation if you can. There are some instances where common sense will
prevail but do not forget the standard procedure of rectifying complaints.
8. Inform the manager of all complaints immediately, even if you have successfully
resolved the situation.
9. Complaints need to be handled positively and with empathy for the guest, aspiring for
100% guest satisfaction.
10. If the problem is out of your authority, inform the manager or Duty Manager.

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11. Record all the details in Guest Call Register-noting down any request or complaint
made by hotel guest.
12. Repeat the request back to the guest before ending the call.

TIPS IN HANDLING GUEST REQUEST

1. Handle all guest requests within ten minutes.
2. Use proper door knocking standards when arriving at the guest’s room.
3. Be prepared to handle situations like angry guests when you arrive at the room.
4. Inform the front desk staff by radio or cell phone as soon as you have completed the
request.
5. Guest should be kept informed of the developments of his or her request.

A. Request for Room Service

MAKE UP SIGN/DND SIGN hanged in the door knob late in the afternoon or early in the
morning for a request, also if breakfast is requested.

Request for Wake Calls

The Housekeeper may up sell wake up calls to the guest. One may say: Mr. Smith,
should you like to avail our wake up call service, you may request directly to the
Telephone Operator to this nos.04-733 or to the Front Desk. Thank you, Sir”.
The guest shall call the operator directly or may relay the request through the
Front Desk. When the operator rings a room for the wakeup call, she should answer do it
graciously by calling the guest by the name as follows: “Good morning Mr. Smith. It is
now 5:00 A.M.

When the guest does not answer the wake up morning call, request the bellboy or the
room boy to knock on the guestroom. If there is still no response, the Duty Manager may
enter the room with the emergency key.

Other Request items

1. Roll away bed- a portable single bed
used to accommodate additional guest in
a room.

2. Additional pillows, blankets and towels.

3. Flat irons and ironing board.

4. Hair dryers

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 5. Additional room supplies

6. Change of linen

7. First aid kit

8. Baby crib

9. Electric kettles and jugs

[Link] machine

Other Requested Services may include:

1. Baby Sitting- ask first the permission of
your supervisor before granting the guest
request.

2. Errand, like buying the guest of daily

newspaper, housekeeping supervisor
should be notified.

As part of hotel services, the hotel may allow certain items to be lent to guests for
their use while in the hotel. However, anything that is issued should be recorded and
acknowledge-signed by the guest so that in case the items is lost or not returned, the
guest could be made accountable. The cost of the item shall be charged to his account in
case of lost.

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What’s More

[Link]: Answer the following questions on your activity notebook.

1. What is the significance of the Room Status Report? What possible problems can be
prevented when a Housekeeping supervisor makes daily check of room status and
reconciles them with the record of Front Office?
2. Why are good interpersonal and communication skills needed in performing the job as
a housekeeper?
3. Why do room attendant or floor supervisor conduct room check?
4. Why is it important to ensure timely delivery of items requested by a guest?
[Link] the following room status below: Write your answer on your activity
notebook.
VR- Vacant Ready
BLO- Blocked room
SO- Slept out room
HU- House use
VC- Vacant clean
OC- Occupied clean
DND- Do not disturb
C. Supply the table below with the correct answer. Write your answer on your
activity notebook.
STATUS CODE STATUS
OC Occupied Clean
The room is occupied but
not yet cleaned.
VR
The room is vacant,
already made up but not
yet checked by the
supervisor.
VD Vacant Dirty
HSUD
The room, occupied by
non-paying person is
already clean.
OOO
Blocked
No Show

What I Have Learned

To sum it up, below are important points one should remember to be able to perform the
job discussed in this lesson:
 In entering a guest’s room, most hotels have a mandatory two-knock, three-
announcement rule. A housekeeper must knock twice and say “housekeeping”.
 Going above and beyond guests’ expectations while staying within professional
boundaries ensures guests continued patronage.
 Guest’s personal items should also be respected by not touching them or moving them
anywhere.
 Interpersonal and intrapersonal skills have long been recognized as important factors
for success in any job.
 All personnel in a housekeeping department must not only gather together as a team,
but should work into a coordinated, cooperating group of people capable of functioning
together for a common goal: to have a satisfied guest.
 Housekeeping department represents the largest workforce of a hotel.

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What I Can Do
Directions: Share your learning insights/reflection about the lesson: Handle housekeeping
requests. Write your answer on your activity notebook.
I have learned that ______________________________________________________________
I have realized that______________________________________________________________
I will apply ______________________________________________________________________

Assessment

A. Directions: Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if the statement is
incorrect. Read each item carefully and use your notebook to write your answers.

1. Hotel rules are designed to instill discipline among hotel staff, thereby ensuring guest
satisfaction in terms of comfort, safety, and security.
2. Housekeeping department represents the largest workforce of a hotel.
3. In entering a guest’s room for cleaning, a housekeeper must knock three times and
say “ housekeeping”.
4. To be able to efficiently perform the job as a housekeeper, one is expected to complete
a series of cleaning and sanitizing procedures.
5. While cleaning a guest room, guest’s personal items should be respected by touching
them or moving them anywhere.
6. Making reports are a very useful method for keeping track of important information.
7. In cleaning a guest room, remember to clean in one direction, clean from top down,
and clean from farthest point out.
8. In handling chemicals, it is alright not to wear personal protective equipment.
9. Out of order or OOO is a room status indicating that the room should not be entered
and cleaned because the guest does not want to be disturbed.
10. Lost and found items such as cash, gadgets, and jewellery are categorized as
valuables.

B. Recite the procedures in executing turndown service. Document yourself

while doing the task by taking video. Submit the video in our official group
chat.
Note: For those who don’t have internet access you may ask your family members to
check/monitor your performance and accomplish the checklist provided below after the
activity.

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C. Recite the procedures in making up bed. Document yourself while doing the
task by taking video. Submit the video in our group chat.
Note: For those who don’t have internet access you may ask your family members to
check/monitor your performance and accomplish the checklist provided below after the
activity.

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Additional Activities
Go around the area or rooms in your house like the bedroom, bathroom, dining room,
living room, and kitchen. Identify the different amenities that you have at home. Follow
the sample below. Write your answer on your activity notebook.
AREA AMENITIES
Bathroom Example: Shampoo

References

Aleta A. Nitschke, Managing Housekeeping Operations, Published by the Educational

Institute of
the Amer Hotel, 2002

Amelia Samson Roldan.2010. Housekeeping Management: AR Skills Development &

Management
Services, Inc.

Andrew and Sudhi, Hotel Housekeeping Management and Operations, Taba Mc Graw Hill
Publication

Basbas, Leonora D. 2016. Housekeeping: Rex Bookstore.

Urbiztondo, Laarni. 2016. Housekeeping: Rex Bookstore.

Thomas A Jones, Professional Management of Housekeeping Operation 5th edition,

Culinary and
Hospitality industry Publications Services 2007

William S. Gray and Savatore C. Liguori, Hotel and Motel Management, Prentice Hall
Publications,
India 2002

Piyush Bhatnagar, Rajesh Garg, Hotel Industry and Housekeeping Management, By SBS
Publishers,
2009

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