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Offered by School of Hotel & Restaurant at Northern Arizona University |
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| Flagstaff, Ariz.-September 2004 - The School of Hotel & Restaurant
(HRM), in celebration of International Housekeepers Week, is offering a
free "less-stress" lesson as a mind-body gift to housekeepers.
The International Executive Housekeepers Association has designated September 12-18 as a week to appreciate housekeepers across many sectors, including hospitality, healthcare, and education. Since housekeeping departments are essential to the success of the hospitality industry, HRM is providing the complimentary lesson for managers to use as a 'gift that keeps on giving' for housekeeping staffers, who face stressful situations, daily. The free lesson is available in English or Spanish, and includes a self-quiz:
The average hotel housekeeper cleans approximately 15-20 rooms per day, taking care not only of bed-linens, bathrooms, and vacuuming, but an increasing number of amenities, including as many as a dozen pillows and towels, coffeemakers, bathrobes, in-room marketing information, and recycling programs. Depending on the size and luxury of the property, each occupied room takes about 30 minutes to clean, keeping housekeepers on a tight schedule. Since their domain is the guestroom floor, they often take the brunt of irritated guests looking for someone to complain to. Traditionally, management has not invested in customer-service or stress-reduction training for line-level housekeepers. During a pilot study HRM conducted with a Hyatt property, housekeepers were greatly appreciative of self-paced, non-threatening training designed for adult learners. They reported feeling good about using a computer and the Internet, even when they had limited or no computer experience. The 'less stress' lesson is just one unit in a complete customer-service training program developed by HRM, with assistance from American Express and a grant from the Dept. of Labor. The bilingual training is designed for entry-level employees in all departments and can purchased "off the rack" or customized to a specific industry or niche, such as convention centers, casinos, hospitals, government agencies, etc. |
| Contact:
Marilyn McDonald, M.Ed., CHE
Grace Marks
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