FLOWERSHOP

Housekeeping Department in the Gulf Region is usually in charge of Flowershop operation. Flowers and items or tools needed in its operation are ordered in Holland. Most Florist I had known were from Philippines. Florist used wet oasis for fresh flower arrangements and dried oasis for dried flower arrangements. Wet oasis are green in color while the dried oasis are brown color. Plant cutter, thin wires, ribbons with diferrent width and colours, pots and saucers, flower baskets, clear tapes, pedestal, hanging plant pots etc. were the basic requirements in running a flowershop. Types of flower arrrangements are flower centerpiece in different lengths, round centerpiece, one sided flower arrangement, big round centerpiece, pedestal flower arrangement or hanging flower arrangement or a bud vase/ single flower arrangement and other arrangements that the customer might requests the florist.

Inventory of Plants

There was a period in my life as an Executive Housekeeper where I was asked to handle the gardening and landscaping of the hotel instead of the upholstery shop which was assigned to the Director of Engineering. The hotel had an approximately 5 acres in size including the hotel and its sorroundings I used to make jokes and tell my colleagues that I needed a roller skating to tour the hotel. Landscaping and gardening were inside and outside of the hotel. Everyday during my tour of the hotel I found plants either missing or dying. The landscape and gardening supervisor will then make a list of plants that needed replacement and I in turn will make a requisition and passed on to the Financial Controller. One day I was asked to make inventory of plants inside and outside the hotel. It took me two days to propose the inventory plan. I asked the hotel printer and designer to make a map and drawings of landscape where each type of plants were located. With the name of plants indicated on the map then it was easy for me to make a copy and cross out the area/s where the plant is missing or dying for the Financial Controller to see and validate my requisition. With the proposed inventory plan, the Financial Controller was able to make a more accurate budget for landscaping and gardening.

Upholstery Material

Upholstery shop operation was one of my responsibility when I was working in one of the five star hotels in the Gulf Region. I checked and ensure that the upholstery of chairs, sofas or any furnitures in the hotel that needs re-upholstering are done on a regular basis. I basically go out and choose the materials needed, submit to the financial controller for cost appropriation and finally given to the general manager for approval. During those days there was no problem since the business was very good but when recession or economy went bad everything came to a halt. I had more than 300 rooms that needed re-upholstery at that time. One day I went to check how the upholsterer was progressing, then I saw a file of folded cloth that looks new and wondered where he might have gotten the materials from. I opened the folded cloth and saw one side of it badly faded while the other side looked new. It was easy for me to make the decision as the cloth was plain and had no design that needed matching, so I instructed the upholsterer to reverse the upholstery material in all the sofas and chairs room by room. What a big saving it was for the hotel.

Micro Fiber Cloth

I have just discover how this micro fiber cloth can clean mirrors or window glasses spotless. It can removed water marks and smudges without smear. One of the guest in the hotel had written in her comment card that she was amazed of how the mirrors and glasses were clean and spotless. All you have to do is wipe the mirror or glass with wet cloth then wipe it off with the micro fiber cloth and your mirror will be clean and spotless. Do not use windex as this will remove the fiber from the cloth and sticks to the mirror or glass. Just wet cloth with water then wipe with micro fiber cloth. It can make the stainless steel shine too and if used for dusting it takes off all the dusts out without leaving any signs of dusts in the furniture. Do not use any chemicals just water and the microfiber cloth.

Linen And Uniform Room Operation

Operating Linen and Uniform Room differs from one hotel brand to another. It all depends on the different function and operational needs of the hotel. With these various functions, Linen & Uniform Room Operation can be difficult without policies and procedures in place. Policies such as:

• Opening and Closing time ; the linen/uniform room should be open within employees available shift. Let's say there are three shifts;

6:00 AM to 2:00 PM; 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM; 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM
Opening and Closing time can be scheduled as;
5:30 AM to 9:30 AM; 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM; 9:30 PM to 1:30 AM
Depending on the load of work assigned, timings and manpower can be
adjusted according to the operational needs.

• Uniform : Employees are issued three sets of uniform each. For larger properties, uniforms are being laundered inside the hotel. They can be allowed to keep their uniform inside their locker and when it is dirty they return the uniform to the Linen room on "Exchange Basis," dirty in exchange with cleaned ones.
• Rooms Linen: Rooms linen can either be distributed to the Room Attendant's respective Floor Linen Room by the Linen Attendant or the Room Attendants take their linen carts supplied with required linen to their respective floor assignment.
• Food & Beverage Linen; Are being issued through the linen room with authorized requisition form from the Food & Beverage Manager or Banqueting Manager.

How To Clean A Guestroom

Cleaning a guestroom in the hotel can be very confusing and time consuming. It is important that a Room Attendant does the cleaning systematically in order to save time, effort and especially a room cleaned according to maximum standard of cleanliness. You have to remember that when cleaning a room the Room Attendant is also responsible in putting the various items like towels, replacement of dirty bathrobes with cleaned ones, bathroom amenities, printing items that needed to be refilled every time a page is missing, television channel selector guide, HBO guide, hotel directories, telephone directories, pens, note pads, ash trays in case of smoking rooms and many other items to promote the hotel and to create an excellent hotel image to the guest upon check in.

Regular rooms are usually constructed in similar layout, therefore the procedure in cleaning a guestroom are done consistently due to its identical layout. The Room Attendant should always bear in mind that whenever he does the cleaning or dusting he should do it either clockwise or counterclockwise from the ceiling down whichever is feasible. In that way there won't be any place being missed. The cleaning is divided into two sections, bedroom and bathroom and in case of a suite room the third section will be the sitting room/parlour room.

Cleaning should always start in the bedroom then the sitting room if any and the bathroom will be the last section to clean.

Replenishing of supplies should be noted in memory while cleaning or start checking clockwise or counterclockwise to make sure nothing is missed. Minimizing the foot steps in going back and forth into the room is important to save time, effort and to deliver a room with maximum standard of cleanliness.