Case Study: Hotel Room Attendant - Christine

What do you do?

I clean rooms. I make sure that they're all clean and tidy for the guests when
they come in.

I make the beds, dust and hoover. I make sure that everything is 100% clean
and that everything is in its place. I put leaflets into the folders when they
come in and I ensure everything that's required is in the room, like toilet rolls
and tissue boxes. I make sure the bathrooms are all nice and clean, too.

What is your background?

I used to be an assistant in a shoe shop. I worked with the stock upstairs, all by myself. I used to like doing it, but I got
a bit bored with it really because I didn't meet people. It just wasn't me, so I gave it up.

Then my daughter said to me (because she was in the hotel trade), 'Come and have a go at hotel cleaning and see
what you think'. I thought that hotel cleaning couldn't be that bad and I did have a go, and it was good. It was
satisfying.

What characteristics do you need to be successful in your job?

You have to be cheerful and always have a smiling face. You need to be helpful to the guests at all times, and if
there's anything they want you have to get it for them straight away.

What other jobs could you do using the skills from this job?
You could do a similar kind of cleaning job in places like hospitals and residential homes.

What changes will there be in the future?

I can't foresee any changes to this job in the future.

What are the biggest challenges in your job?

The biggest challenge is getting the rooms done on time; it's not good when a guest arrives to find that their room's
not been done.

Are there many opportunities to enter this career?

Yes, there are opportunities to enter this job. An employer will take you on and give you a trial period in the job, to
make sure that you can do the job to their expectations.

What do you like about your job?

I like meeting the guests when they come in. I like making people happy; some guests come in and they're not very
happy, but when I see them, I cheer them up. I don't know how I do it, but I find at the end of the day, they've got a
smile on their face.

What do you dislike about your job?

I can't really think of anything that I dislike about this job. If there was anything I disliked, I wouldn't be here.

What are your ambitions?

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 I haven't really got any ambitions myself, but for the younger person that wants to do this sort of job, you have to
start at the bottom and then work your way up. And if you want to go higher, or to be housekeeper, that's the way to
do it, just work your way up.

What advice would you give to someone interested in your career?

You have to be interested in general cleaning and hygiene, and you have to be house-proud.

A day in the life

8:30 am - 12:00 pm

Go to the housekeeper and receive a list of which rooms to prepare, get my trolley, and then clean and tidy the
guests' bedrooms.

12:00 am - 12:30 pm

Take a break.

12:30 pm - 2:30 pm

Continue to clean and tidy the guests' bedrooms. When I've finished all the rooms on the list, I hand it back to the
housekeeper and leave work for the day.

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