Service with a smile....

When I was a Hotel Management trainee fresh out of college, I spent a year training in all of the different departments of the Hotel. Some may not know but a Hotel is like a small city. The Front of the House departments are the people actually seen by the guests. Front of the house includes, front desk, housekeeping, room service, banquets, sales, event management, bellstand, concierge, etc...Back of the house includes engineering, culinary, accounting, purchasing, shipping, etc...

Well, as a hotel trainee, I had to serve in most of these areas. Many hotels don't require this training but the Brand I started out with did. I am so glad I had the opportunity. One of the toughest jobs in a Hotel is housekeeping. Every morning, each housekeeper gets a list of rooms that they are responsible for cleaning before their shift ends. If guests check out late, a housekeeper usually has to wait to clean your room before they can leave for the day. If a convention is in house and everybody is asking for late check-outs, it forces housekeeping to be delayed thus causing the next group of folks arriving that night to be unable to check into their rooms.

For most major Hotel brands ( I can't vouch for those with red r.oofs), all rooms must pass inspection. The housekeepers appreciate when you put all of your dirty towels in one pile and don't leave them all over the room like a game of hide and go seek. They also prefer to come in and see trash in...you guessed it...the trash can.
Not scattered all over the room like you have no home training. Yes, I know....some of you feel like you paid for the room so it's okay to do whatever the hell you feel like. That's fine. Just know that most housekeepers are older women that migrate from other countries, speak little to no English and they bust their azzes everyday for minimum wage. Now pick your sh*t up! LOL

So during my tenure in Housekeeping, I learned a few sage things....

1) ALWAYS PUT GLOVES ON. I learned this by cleaning under a bed and pulling out a wet, used condom. It took everything I had not to throw up. The housekeepers got a kick out of my reaction and then told me stories of the various things they find in rooms. Everything from used hypodermic needles to sheets that would make the CSI Black Light proud.

2) PERVERTS LOVE ATTENTION. On a single day, at least two perverts would call up for some item....either towels, shampoo, a razor, etc...just to answer the door butt naked. I like to look at their packages intently, laugh and say very sweetly "Here are your towels Sir. SECURITY will be up if you have any additional needs."

3) PEOPLE LOVE TO ACCUSE HOUSEKEEPERS OF STEALING THINGS. Sometimes, they do...but so many housekeepers get wrongfully accused for you losing your stuff. Keep your belongings in something. Preferrably the safe.

4) DON'T DRINK NATHAN OUT OF HOTEL GLASSES OR COFFEE CUPS IN THE ROOMS UNLESS YOU WASH THEM. 9 times out of ten, if the cups weren't used...nobody is washing them or changing them. Don't say I didn't warn you.

and lastly....

5) GENTLEMEN TRAVELLING ON BUSINESS, LISTEN UP....the secret of businessmen everywhere. When you are checking out of your room and you can't bring the porn magazine home with you but you don't want to leave it in your room because your company paid for the room and it has your name on it.....leave it in the secret hiding place. Most businessmen leave the magazine either on top of the ice machine or the soda machine on the way out. We used to keep an amazing library of literature in the office. Everything from your standard tig ole bitty magazines to the more interesting ones featuring how to get up close and personal with your livestock.

Service with a smile.