KEY TERMS

Amenities:- Services or items offered to guests or placed in the guestrooms for convenience &
comfort at no extra cost.

Apprentice:- A worker who enters into an agreement with an employer to learn a skilled trade
through a special training programme, combining practical training with related off-the-job
technical instruction.

Buddy:- In the buddy system of scheduling, a new GRA is paired with another experienced GRA
in servicing a guestroom. This experienced GRA is referred to as a `buddy`.

Chamois leather:- Chamois leather is used mainly in cleaning & polishing. Originally, skins of
chamois goat antelope were used, but now they are usually skivers, that is, split skins of sheep
or simulated leather. Chamois leather is used wet for cleaning windows & mirrors. Its is used
dry as a polishing `cloth` for silver.

Cleaning supplies:- Cleaning agents & small cleaning equipment that are used in cleaning the
guestrooms & public areas in a hotel.

Contingency plan:- Planning done for uncertain events.

Cross-training:- Cross-training involves training employees to work in departments other than

their speciality in periods of staff shortage.

FTE:- Full-time employees.

GRA:- Guestroom attendant.

Guest supplies:- These are items placed in the guestroom free of cost for the use & comfort of
guests.

Hand caddy:- A portable container for storing & transporting cleaning supplies, carried on a
room maid`s cart.

Horticulturist:- Lead a team of gardeners to maintain the landscaped areas & gardens of a
hotel.

House telephone:- A telephone kept in the lobby for visitors to call up guests in hotel rooms.

Job analysis:- Process of determining what knowledge each employee needs, what tasks each
position needs to perform, & the standards to which the employee must perform the tasks.
Job assignment:- Job assignment is a list of tasks to be performed by an individual guestroom
attendant in a specific area or section of rooms on a specific day as an individual assignment.

Job breakdown:- A form that details how the technical duties of a job should be performed.

Job description:- A detailed document identifying all the likely duties of a job position as well as
reporting relationships, additional responsibilities, working conditions, & any know-how
necessary about equipment & materials.

Job knowledge:- Information that employees must have & understand in order to perform their
tasks.

Job list/task list:- A list identifying all the key duties of a job in the order of their importance.

Job procedures:- Also referred to as standard operating procedures (SOPs) or `work cards`,
these specify the way in which a task is to be performed.

Job specification:- Is a document detailing the minimum qualities or traits required by an

individual to perform a particular job.

Laissez faire:- A style of leadership where a leader believes in delegating assignments &
important tasks to others in the team.

Lobby:- Area provided near the reception as a common meeting point for all guests.

Lounge:- A place in a hotel where guests can sit back & relax. It is a public area, suitably
furnished for relaxation.

Occupancy:- The number of rooms actually in use/ occupied.

Performance appraisal:- The process by which an employee is periodically evaluated by his or

her manager to assess job performance & to discuss steps the employee can take to improve
job skills & performance

Performance standards:- A required level of performance to meet quality standards set by the
organization.

Productivity standard:- An acceptable amount of work that must be done within a specific time
frame according to an established level of performance.